April Wilde Despain

We heard June was the month to hang up flags celebrating our personal beliefs on gender, sexuality, identity, & family. So we hung up ours! 🙌🏼 Year 4, going strong. 💪🏼 I would love to share the Family Proclamation flags of anyone else participating this year. Post below! ⬇️ If you don’t have a Family Proclamation flag and would like one, we sell them at cost. Venmo $15 with your address and I will get one to you. Link in comments.

I’m grateful my church leaders are taking a public stand against abortion. Our religious values should guide, inform, and direct our positions on political issues. Idaho, vote no on Prop 1!

I loved Elder Holland so much. I cried the morning of April 2026 General Conference because I was so sad he wouldn’t be there to share his wisdom. That’s the only time I’ve cried over the death of a general authority, but I felt a kinship with him. He spoke out on and received a lot of flak for speaking out on the same issues I felt compelled to speak out on, and at the same time. He was one who helped me not to feel alone during a very lonely time of my life. I will always love and cherish Elder Jeffrey R. Holland @HollandJeffreyR and his testimony. ❤️

Sometimes public school is the right choice for your children. Yes, it’s true. You parents who are worried for the future of your children and our society, who do not necessarily trust the public education system (or anyone, for that matter) and yet feel inspired to keep your children in the public school system, I’m writing this for you. Because I am you. Currently I am homeschooling 2 of my children and have 4 in the public education system. I’m writing this because I’ve been involved in public education politics enough to know there are some who believe public school is so far gone that no one should participate in it at all anymore. There was a point when I honestly believed that too, but I don’t believe it anymore. What I do believe is that rarely one answer fits every family or every situation, and we should be making decisions from the perspective of faith, not fear. We live in scary times. There are some public school teachers who seek to undermine our deeply held religious values and confuse and destabilize the identity of our children. Yes, we all know this. But also, there are good public school teachers and good people in public schools who legitimately seek to help our children and lead them to truth. This is true, too. You know what else is true? There are people who would undermine our values and confuse and destabilize our children in our churches, in our homeschool co-ops, in our private schools and charter schools, and even in our families sometimes, too. And there are good people who legitimately want to guide our children to truth in our churches, our homeschool co-ops, our private schools and charter schools, and our families. Yes, public education needs reform. And so does pretty much every other institution in our society. The world is not black and white. Christ Himself told us that the wheat would grow among the tares. We knew that, and we signed up for it. So did our kids. I don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all answer for the correct way to educate our children in this world, nor is there any one route that is necessarily incorrect. We are individuals, our children are individuals. Each one of us must rely on God, because He is the only One who knows exactly what our children need and why. He is the only One who sees the end from the beginning. There are many inspired people with strong opinions about what is best for children, and their opinions might be correct in some circumstances. But the only One we can ALWAYS trust is God, and it is His inspiration we should rely on when deciding the best route for each of our children.

Just a friendly reminder that when it comes to our children and gender ideology, standing for what’s right — no matter who it offends — is ALWAYS the kindest thing you can do. I’ve been listening to Rob Schneider’s book, You Can Do It, and I saved this quote: “Staying quiet is the most basic form of self-censorship. When you know something to be true or something to be knowingly false, and don’t say anything about it, you help perpetuate a falsehood.” I have heard too many, especially from my own church, justify their desire to stay quiet behind the excuse of “kindness” or “peacemaking.” But letting our children or ANY children flounder in falsehoods is anything but kindness. Perpetuating falsehoods is neither kind nor right. We are all children of God, and that includes our children and other people’s children. Our identity is in Him. If you really believe it is harmful to teach children gender ideology that confuses them about their identity, then you have a responsibility to speak out and do all you can to change that where it’s happening — not only for your own child but for every child. THAT IS KINDNESS. THAT IS WHAT CHRIST WOULD DO. Too many are more concerned with protecting themselves or the teachers (adults) from criticism than with protecting the innocence of our children and youth. That’s wrong. Justify it however you like, it is still wrong, and I believe those who put their own comfort ahead of the needs and protection of children will one day stand accountable for it. Standing for what’s right IS being kind. Always. No matter who it offends. There is no greater kindness than Christ’s truths. We who have been blessed with Christ’s truths have the responsibility to share them. And as parents we have no greater responsibility than to protect our children — not just our own, but all children.

After being gifted a new proclamation flag in June I chose to leave it up in my window and I have been quite surprised by by passersby who actually looked over to our window and read the message. We have a neighbor who walks his little dog and I think he stopped by and asked Deanna Norton have we always have this in the window and she told them that a friend sent it and yes it’s always there. He also said I am impressed by the message and wished more people would come forward with these kinds of messages. We have a new lawn mowing company who is giving me some help this year and they even stopped to read it. I am so happy for the nice feedback and that I have chosen to keep it up. As I am outside and see it I just feel blessed and this is my way of testimony and I’m grateful to be apart of the gospel! 🙏🏻🦋🕊️ Shared from my friend and former neighbor, Dawnette Norton. I love this. Thank you, Dawnette ❤️

As a mother who birthed two children throughout the Cov1d debacle, I’m so glad I followed logic and refused the vax while pregnant (and completely, besides that). I told my OB that if getting the vax were required to deliver at the hospital, then I would arrange a home birth. Thankfully it was not required. Meanwhile my bishop at the time told our entire ward, over the pulpit during sacrament meeting, that not getting the jab was akin to violating the Word of Wisdom. I still like the guy, and I’m sure he was doing his best, but… just no. 😂 The pressure and gaslighting can be intense, but hold tight to common sense, especially when it comes to your children.

Help this Mom!