The Lord loves all his children, but most of us experience excruciating mental, emotional, or physical pain in our lives. The life-long damage of physical and sexual abuse, debilitating mental-illnesses and the lasting emotional scarring that comes from experiencing or witnessing extreme violence… these are all things that millions of his children live with every day of their lives. These are often private suffering, and it is easy for us to look around us and assume that others go through their lives unscarred.

It is simply not true.

The crucible of suffering is how we can become sanctified, and learn to rely wholly on the Lord–often because we are simply in more pain than we can endure, and cannot go on without him.

Sometimes the most difficult situation for us to be in is the one we MUST be in.

Another place, not run by the church, is northstarlds.org. You’ll find a community there who are likewise striving to live the commandments.

Which is worse: seeking out a partner and being rejected your whole life or being free to pursue other things knowing you won’t have one?

Many people are in daily pain. It happens all of the time. But as stated, adversity and pain can be transformed into glorious gain. One gains insight, love, compassion, etc. that makes us better people. Or you could wallow in how horrible one’s got it. Your choice.

Helene, then you’re not living the commandments of god…he commanded us to cleave to a man or a woman. I think its pretty sad that a person is forcing him or herself to be celibate when being attracted in your case to the opposite is suppressed…find a man and enjoy the fullness of life, or you may one day find yourself in deeper trouble by doing something you’ll regret…

I think there is a difference because they are free to seek it out, where as the gay individual can’t even do that.