What this means is that though ten percent is a small margin that ten percent can not be marginalized, excommunicated, shunned or ignored without serious consequences for the church at large.
Concerns over sexism, racism and homophobia must be addressed.
While doctrine can't be changed on a whim, according to an award winning essay on race and the priesthood ban, the reason for the ban and the reason for its duration was the personal opinions of church leaders.
So how are we to know, minus a revelation, that current policies are of God and not merely the opinions of current leaders?
If the ban on black men holding the priesthood was the result of leaders rather than the way of The Lord as those leaders said it was then we are left with the only alternative which is to seek personal revelation from The Lord to discern the ways of The Lord from the ways of our leaders.
I was always taught to pray as to the truth of everything I heard regardless of who said it. So that I would have my own testimony rather than basing my testimony in another.
This teaching seems to have been lost.
Many things about the church and it's history trouble me. But my relationship with Christ makes me feel like all of that is inconsequential. Faith in God, and accepting and implementing the call of discipleship to Christ trump all for me.
I understand the hurt many members feel over issues ranging from sexism to homophobia, but a relationship with Christ matters more, at least for me, than the actions of men in our church or out of it.
We are a part of The Church Of Jesus Christ. He is the leader we need to look to especially when we feel disconnected to our earthly leaders.
When we see in our times or in history, leaders of the church acting out of harmony with Christ while claiming His authority it can be disturbing.
But men are flawed and so we see proof of that, that's not an excuse it's just the way it is.
For me, my relationship with Christ is central to me. It's Christ who has the final say. He will sit in judgment of each of us. And when that happens all other authorities will seem trivial by comparison.
