because i'm a mormon who stands up for what i believe,

i am not embarrassed, nor do i cower before my beliefs.

i plan on marrying for love, and raising eight children to be testifying, and unafraid. 

our family will own an obnoxious SUV, occasionally be loud during church, and spend monday nights learning of our savior.

we will pay taxes, celebrate the fourth of july with hot dogs and root beer, support our troops, and vote for government officials.

we'll be late for birthday parties, and catch each other's colds, but we love each other, so our constant happiness is none of your business... unless you would like to join us. and in that case, please do! 

we'll fight over barbies and legos, sing primary songs when we're scared, but we're law abiding citizens, and i don't understand the attack on our kind.

we applaud people who write articles like this; we like people who stand up for us.

...we'd deliver casserole to them if we could.

and of all these things, we are known by most as the bud of every joke. 

and we can handle that.

because above all, we are christians, and we were taught to turn the other cheek.

and that is precisely what we'll do.