Hello brothers, sisters, and friends!

My name is Sparrow [as in the hymn for which this blog is named, His Eye is On The Sparrow.] I'm female but don't care much for pronouns; any work for me!

I am, of course, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! I am messed up in both the flesh and mind. I identify as a democratic socialist and a pacifist. My interests include neuroscience, music [punk, ska, folk, metal, etc], paleontology, and herpetology. I am fighting for a 2020s swing dance/music revival.

I plan on filling this blog with religious thoughts, memes, and personal experiences! Anything religious I find particularly useful, I enjoy -- it doesn't necessarily have to be from my own! I will also probably do a lot of BYU-related posting!

I willingly and freely block exmo / anti-Mormon / religious hate blogs. Do not reblog my posts with hateful or negative statements towards the Church or my beliefs -- that's just basic human decency.

Thank you for stopping to see my page! Nice to meet you! :}

I am feeling very hurt today.

For context, I went to high school in well-off, suburban Utah, although I didn't grow up there. My family still lives there. It's a VERY Mormon- and white-dominated location.

Last night, I was on the phone with my mom, just catching up, making plans for the weekend, the typical Phone Home Because Your Mom Misses You.

She told me that there were plans to build a warming shelter for the homeless in the town. I was excited -- I'd just been to a workshop about homelessness, and me and my friends had exchanged some heartfelt stories about our experiences with homeless friends, family, ward members, et cetera. But then she followed it up by telling me that many folks in the town were strongly against it -- mad that there would be a warming shelter in the town, yelling about it on Facebook groups, protesting at city council meetings. None of them wanted a warming shelter in their town. Hundreds of people, upset.

I've never felt more disheartened. Over half of the people in that town are members of the Church. The chances that there were Mormons at that city council meeting, yelling angrily about a warming shelter are astronomically high.

What God are they following?

What Christ did they get baptized to?

What scriptures do they read? Did they not get the chance to read Proverbs 19:17, Matthew 25:35-36, Luke 3:11, James 2:15-16, 1 John 3:17, Deuteronomy 15:11, Psalms 82:3-4, Proverbs 14:31, Isaiah 58:10, Mosiah 4:16-26, Alma 34:28-29, Mosiah 18:28-30, 3 Nephi 12:3, or Jacob 2:13-17?

What commandments are they following? What "love one another" do they ascribe to?

What has the name of Christ become in this day and age?

The devil turning evil into good and good into evil has never been so obvious. What perversion of gospel principles can possibly lead someone to riot against a warming shelter -- not even a homeless shelter? A place for people to stay alive in the blistering cold.

"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." The 'members' that have fought against this have, effectively, spit in the face of the Lord. Where has Christlike compassion gone?

Bad news: I got a C on my bio exam

Good news: I finished it 2 hours early so now I have plenty of time to go to UVU's Gay Institute!! 🏳️‍🌈 Very excited <3

Utah Republicans, it's 2024, are you REALLY still giving death glares to people wearing masks?? I'm literally infected with a deadly disease and trying to keep you safe but sure, I'll take it off, whatever. Yeesh the people here are dumb

I do not know what Christ's opinion on abortion is, but I know He would stand with the woman who had one. He would face her accusers and tell them that they were not blameless before God, either. He would chastise them for being imperfect mortals yet trying to impose the will of God. He would tell them not to rape, even to pluck out their eyes or cut off their hands if they felt like they could not control themselves. He would tell the woman that her sins are forgiven.

I do not know what Christ's opinion on immigration is, but I do know that he was a refugee himself. I know that Joseph (Jesus' father) took his family and fled into Egypt to avoid murder at the hands of Herod and his soldiers. I do not know if Christ wants to build a border wall, but I do know that He was in their shoes once, and would invite all to partake of the wonderful offerings of a nation overflowing with blessings.

I do not know what Christ's opinion on climate change is, but I do know that He, along with the help of His Father, created this Earth. I know that He taught us to treat our bodies as temples -- would He not want us to treat Our earth similarly? I do not know if Christ wants to spend more tax money on renewable resources, but I know He would be ashamed at our greedy use of the Earth without consideration for the generations after us.

I do not know what Christ's opinion on universal healthcare is, but I do know that He healed every ill person he came across. I know He did not want payment; He did not even accept payment -- He simply did it because of His love for mankind. I know He would want us to extend that kindness to the least of us.

I do not know what Christ's opinion on the homeless is, but I know that He invited them to learn from him and eat at his table. I know that He healed them, offered them food, and showed them genuine love. I do not know if He would support using taxes to pay for housing for the homeless, but I know that He said that "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

I do not know what party Christ would caucus with, but I do know what he stood for. He stood for building communities instead of individuals, He stood for improving oneself, He stood for allowing everyone their free agency to do as they wish, He stood for freely giving what you have been given to help others, He stood for separating church and state, and He stood for unconditional love.

You cannot use Christ to justify your hatred, simply because Christ himself held no hate in his heart.

Mini Miracle #02:

[in which Sparrow records the little things that strengthen his testimony]

My lab meeting was cancelled for tomorrow morning! I am at home with COVID and really did not want to miss it -- now I don't have to feel bad for not being able to go!

The Lord decided my political outrage was too powerful to be let out in the wild so he gave me coronavirus to slow my roll

Listen, I love "And if we go to hell, we will turn the Devils out of doors and make a heaven of it" as much as the next person, but I feel like we forget about the following lines, which hit just as hard: "What do we care where we are if the society be good? I don’t care what a man’s character is, if he’s my friend, a true friend, I will be a friend to him and preach the Gospel of salvation to him, and give him good counsel, helping him out of his difficulties. Friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism to revolutionize and civilize the world, and cause wars and contentions to cease, and men to become friends and brothers"

In this time, it can feel like everyone around us has betrayed us. But it's important to remember that we do have friends -- people we can rely on. People who are our good society. Do not let yourself fall prey to catastrophizing narratives. We will make it, but not alone. We need each other. We must stick together like fire ants in a flood.

Please, text your trans friend. And your disabled friend. And your immigrant friend. Let them know you are here for them. We all need to hear it. So be the person you would want to hear from.

[through gritted teeth, with fists clenched]

When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS, NAME THEM ONE BY ONE, AND IT WILL SURPRISE YOU WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE-