What If Most Everyone Encourages Your Child's Self-Destruction?

What if your kid was rebelling against important truths you had modeled and taught him all his life?

What if he was addicted to same-sex pornography and other unspeakably perverse stuff?

What if he had been seduced by predators into some very risky sexual acts?

What if he had now involved himself in all kinds of depraved and unhealthy activities, including drug abuse and violence? (These are common in the gay lifestyle.)

What if he was now denying even the existence of God, not to mention breaking several of the ten commandments?

What if he was the cause of other of your children and relatives turning against you?

What if he was public about his sin, and belligerent and arrogant and narcissistic, meaning he had zero respect for his own good parents' deep and long-held beliefs and didn’t care one iota what distress he caused you or how he hurt you? (Couldn't he at least honor his parents enough to be discreet about it?)

What if this self-destruction and disrespect on the part of your child was breaking yours and other family members’ hearts?

What if you, his parents, were doing your best in handling this situation and relationship the way the Spirit directed you to, as in standing for the right and for the long-term welfare of your child, by letting him know in no uncertain terms that the direction he was going was destructive and testifying of Christ and his power to redeem?

What if you had educated yourself about the dangers of his lawless lifestyle and were trying to teach his siblings how wrong this child's decisions were and how miserable they would make him?

What if all this was the most intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally trying thing you had ever had to do in your life, and you would greatly benefit from moral support from your church and fellow church members, but you weren't getting it?

Even worse, what if church leaders and extended family and fellow church members---who haven’t given much thought at all to the situation and don’t know what unimaginable perverse thoughts and acts your child has embraced --- do the ignorant, cowardly, and politically correct thing by taking your child's side, or even appearing to, and completely belittling, ignoring, and/or rejecting yours?

What if now you saw that there were people who supposedly believed as you did, in your church, but did the opposite?

What if you had to see that there were many worldly and prideful and unrepentant hypocrites in your congregation who had no interest in your plight and spouted philosophies of men and false doctrines?

What if your child got support not only from the depraved gay community but from people you sit next to in a chapel pew?

What if there were very very few to none people you know who understand or agree with you in your time of need?

What if your church was all about family but at the same time supported homosexuality in all its dead-end sterility and disease? (It's very traumatic for good parents to realize their child will not have posterity or a normal family life and may contract horrific but entirely preventable illnesses.)

What if you were shunned in your own supposed Christian congregation because you are steadfast in following Christ?

What if people in your neighborhood and church congregation whom you have known for decades "like" your child's facebook post proclaiming his homosexual relationship/marriage and offer their congratulations, while ignoring the dangers to your child, the facts, God, your brave stand, and your ongoing personal heartache?

What if these people attend your child's "gay wedding," that is, the ceremony and party celebrating homosexual behavior? (Sorry, there is no good reason to do this.)

What if you had to listen to the hypocrites supporting your child and endure this betrayal in church every Sunday?

What if your other children and grandchildren were exposed to this hypocrisy and betrayal and falseness every Sunday?

What if despite this sad and perplexing reality you continued to turn to the Lord and stand for truth and righteousness?

What if someday a miracle occurred and your child realized he was miserable and repented and thanked you for loving him enough to testify of Christ to him and your relationship was restored?(It happened to Alma the Younger. It happened to us. It does happen.) 

What if in the next realm you recognized the Lord when you saw him because through these trials you had become just a little bit humble and selfless---like Him?

Hang in there, friends.