There are lots of margins and we\u2019ve probably all experienced margins of our own by some degree. But the message to anybody on the margin is: You\u2019re not. You might feel it, and there might be reasons for that. But, again, we turn back to Heavenly Father, who sees none of that and to his son, Jesus Christ, who is infinitely loving and compassionate and wants to see all of us healed. I was thinking this morning about the early astronauts who went up into space and even to the moon and looked back and what did they see? They saw the earth but they didn\u2019t see peoples [or] orders and it changed them. And that\u2019s just from that distance. How does it appear from heaven? He doesn\u2019t want anybody to feel on the margin.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Whether its disabled members, queer members, racialized members, or any other members who find themselves on the margins of society (including within the church), we aren\u2019t marginalized because of God\u2019s view of us. We already recognize that God considers our souls to have great worth (D&C 18:10). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, we\u2019re marginalized because we live in a world, a society, even a church, not designed for us. And that exclusionary design is what pushes us to the margins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black people couldn\u2019t hold the priesthood or attend the temple for over 100 years in the church, not because of how God views them, but because of the policies established by church leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trans men can\u2019t hold the priesthood, not because of how God views them, but because of the policies established by church leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitting in the temple endowment ceremony is uncomfortable for disabled people like me, not because of how God views us, but because of how church leaders designed the temple and its ceremonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The marginalized people in the church are marginalized because of how the church, as an institution (including its programmes), is designed. Telling us that God doesn\u2019t want anyone to feel on the margin doesn\u2019t change that we are on the margin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it\u2019s not something we feel. Marginalization isn\u2019t an emotion. If it were, then we could just feel a different emotion and make the marginalization vanish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One more thing from that particular quote: \u201cJesus Christ, who is infinitely loving and compassionate and wants to see all of us healed\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the church that needs healing, not us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Racialized people don\u2019t need healing from the racist policies and practices of the church. The church needs to heal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Queer people don\u2019t need healing from the anti-queer policies and practices of the church. The church needs to heal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disabled people don\u2019t need healing from the ableist policies and practices of the church. The church needs to heal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem doesn\u2019t lie with us. We aren\u2019t the ones responsible for our marginalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n