On May 7, 2017, in a ward somewhere in Eagle Mountain, Utah, a girl named Savannah got up and bore her testimony. Before she could finish she was asked/told to sit down. She explains her motivation here.

Here was what she said (statements are numbered for reference):

  1. Hi my name is Savannah, and I want to share my testimony with you.
  2. I believe I am a child of heavenly parents.
  3. I don’t know if they talk to us
  4. but I feel in my heart that they made me and that they love me.
  5. I believe I was made the way I am, all parts of me, by my heavenly parents.
  6. They did not mess up when they gave me brown eyes or when I was born bald.
  7. They did not mess up when they gave me freckles or when they made me to be gay.
  8. God loves me just this way, because I believe that he loves all his creations.
  9. I do believe he made me this way on purpose.
  10. No part of me is a mistake.
  11. I do not choose to be this way, and it is not a fad.
  12. I cannot make someone else gay and being around me won’t make anyone else this way.
  13. I believe that God wants us to treat each other with kindness, even if people are different.
  14. Especially if they are different.
  15. Christ showed us this.
  16. I believe that we should just love.
  17. I believe I am good.
  18. I try my best to be nice to each other adn stick up for those that are hurting.
  19. I know I’m not a horrible sinner for being who I am.
  20. I believe God would tell me if I was wrong.
  21. I hope someday to go on dates, go to school dances, to hold hands, to go off to college.
  22. I hope to find a partner and have a great job.
  23. I hope to get married and have a family.
  24. I know these dreams and wishes are good and right.
  25. I know I can have all of these things as a lesbian and be happy.
  26. I believe that if God is there, he knows I am perfect, just the way I am.
  27. and would never ask me to live my life alone or with someone I am not attracted to.
  28. He would want me to be happy.
  29. I want to be happy.
  30. I want to love myself and not to feel shame for being me.

I ask you…

[Stake Presidency member]

Can you sit down?

[Bishopric member]

Brothers and sisters, I ask you to recognize that we are all children of God, we are loved by our Heavenly Father. And, I have no doubt that Heavenly Father has made us all unique in different ways and for that I am grateful. And, I am grateful for all of you that are here today as sons and daughters of God. And I know very much and I’m grateful for Heavenly Father’s plan for us. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[Conclusion - the rest of what Savannah had prepared but was unable to deliver]

  1. I ask that you all pay close attention to what you say, you never know who is listening.
  2. I had dreams of going to the temple and getting married, and was very sad when I found out that would never happen for me.
  3. Today I choose to find my joy outside of my old dreams from when I was little. I have new dreams and I know my earthly parents and my Heavenly parents love and accept me just the way I am. Amen.