Elder Uchtdorf: Doubt, mistakes, leaving and staying

[Ann]

mackay11 wrote:

I’ll accept that the church is a huge and immobile ocean liner. It will not be able to do a U-turn in a few months or even years. It will be nudged, slowly, by degrees towards a more inclusive and universal place. I believe it needs to or it will eventually sink on the iceberg of obstinance and irrelevance.. . . .

So here’s the question: If Mormonism is not the only ship headed towards the divine port; if the Mormon ship is going to take a long time to turn and take our preferred route, then why stay? My answer today is in part an echo of the answer from President Uchtdorf yesterday: because being on this particular vessel persuades me to do good and even more because I have a particular fondness for many of the passengers on the Mormon ship.

I can leave my quarters, move about the ship freely, rub shoulders with all the passengers, stand at the railing and breathe the fresh air. Or, at least, one of the captains says I can. I will cautiously start moving about the ship minding my manners. If anyone gives me grief I can pull out the talk and say, See, says right here that we’re all welcome up on deck.

[mackay11]

Ann wrote:

mackay11 wrote:

I’ll accept that the church is a huge and immobile ocean liner. It will not be able to do a U-turn in a few months or even years. It will be nudged, slowly, by degrees towards a more inclusive and universal place. I believe it needs to or it will eventually sink on the iceberg of obstinance and irrelevance.. . . .

So here’s the question: If Mormonism is not the only ship headed towards the divine port; if the Mormon ship is going to take a long time to turn and take our preferred route, then why stay? My answer today is in part an echo of the answer from President Uchtdorf yesterday: because being on this particular vessel persuades me to do good and even more because I have a particular fondness for many of the passengers on the Mormon ship.

I can leave my quarters, move about the ship freely, rub shoulders with all the passengers, stand at the railing and breathe the fresh air. Or, at least, one of the captains says I can. I will cautiously start moving about the ship minding my manners. If anyone gives me grief I can pull out the talk and say, See, says right here that we’re all welcome up on deck.

Ooh, nice extension of the analogy

I agree with you. I’d been trying to pin down what it was that was such an emotional release while watching it the first time and that’s it: the support from an apostle, a member of the first presidency no less, to be myself. That I can legitimately stop pretending to be something I’m not. Gradually, respectfully and without trying to knock anyone else overboard.

[Old-Timer]

Quote:

Gradually, respectfully and without trying to knock anyone else overboard.

This. Exactly this.

[Life_Journey_of_Matt]

I listened to every talk. This one and Elder Holland’s tied for my favorite. Very good things in there for people like me.

[Heavy_Laden]

The first two paragraphs of his talk is very uplifting to me. I didn’t leave due to doctrine issues and doubts, it more had to do with my family and social issues. I love how he said that the reason people leave are not cut and dry. I admire him and know he cares about the members.

God bless all of us who decide for a variety of reasons to leave. We are not lazy or sinful, we are real people who try for years and years to make it work. Sometimes a problem has no answer or God has other plans. I am looking forward to listening to his talks on the way home.

[Author]

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