Favorite color: Red
Favorite movie: The Last Song
Religion: Mormon
Religion has come up a lot lately and I just want to take a second to vent. Yes, the rumors are true; I have started taking baby steps to be more well, Christ like. I really don't feel the need to expand on that because that is between me and my relationship with my heavenly father.
I am not perfect. I have made plenty of mistakes. Like a lot. More than your average human, probably. I have tattoos. A few actually. And I don't think I am loved any less because of it. I have my belly button pierced and still have my cup of coffee every morning when I wake up {remember baby steps.} I still go out to places where I know alcohol will be present and just choose not to drink. I do indeed wear tank tops and short shorts. And no, I will not be that girl that wears a tankini because I am going back to church; I don't care how modest it is, feeling like I'm wearing a t-shirt while swimming is not okay.
I also think people have it in their head that once you become active again you need to throw it in everyone else's face. Like hey look at me I spend 5 hours reading the scriptures every night, go to church activities 4 times a week and go to the temple the other 3. No you don't so stop pretending now that you're "saved" you are better than everyone else. I'm sure your entire news feed wants to punch you square in the face so shut up.
Even though I am changing for the better, I won't ever be that girl that judges you for not having the same life style as me. All of my best friends aren't active in the church and does that mean I am going to just kick them to the curb? Uhm no. The second they disrespect me or pressure me to do things I'm not comfortable with, duh. But that's how it should be no matter what the circumstances are. Good friends will respect you no matter what religion you are. I have gay friends. I have slutty friends. I have alcoholic friends. I have friends with lots of tattoos and if they were to ask me my opinion on which tattoo they should get; I tell them whichever one I think is the cutest instead of preaching to them. If its ugly I'll tell them that too. I view it as their life. Not mine. Not saying I don't care about them but I'm not going to love them any less for disagreeing with the way I'm choosing to live my life. People judge Mormons all the time and people get defensive but isn't judging others for the decisions they make the same exact thing?
I will do what I need to do to receive my temple recommend but chances are you will not hear about it until the day I get married in one. There isn't a right and a wrong way to be "Mormon" and I think people lose sight of that. Its a religion. Its what you, yourself chooses to believe. Nobody can tell you that you aren't good enough or that your a bad person because you have 12 piercings and decided to have sex out of wedlock. Some of the kindest, most genuine people I have ever met; with the biggest hearts in the entire world don't have a single religious bone in their body and that's okay. I still adore them. I feel like if everyone saw it this way people would be more accepting of others. That at the end of the day it is your decision and your right to believe whatever you choose to believe. I am happier because I am on this path and don't believe for a second that I am loved any less because of the mistakes I've made. They don't define me. They don't define any of us.
Being Mormon isn't who you are, its a religion you choose to believe in.