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That sounds like an amazing skill. I’m not sure that I understand how that would work exactly.
I feel that the LDS church is almost obsessed with measuring one’s box checking. Some boxes, like ministering, are more optional and some others, like tithing, WoW compliance, Law of Chastity, or cisgendered heterosexuality, are treated as more mandatory.
I think that I did ok with it for more than a decade by knowing within myself that God and I are good and that the church leaders do not speak for God. However, that presented it’s own set of problems because there is nothing that the church leaders hate more than doubting their authority. I had to outwardly pretend and project that I accepted their authority while inwardly managing the cognitive dissonance.
Is that what you mean by the key skill?
Hello Arrakeen. You knew me as Roy at StayLDS.
I, too, am happy to hear of your progress. My family has not been attending the LDS church for about a year. We have tested more extended visits to some of the other Christian churches that we have enjoyed in the past and we have found one that we mostly enjoy. It helps me greatly that I don’t feel obligation to believe everything that the Pastor says. I can go for socialization, for the experience, for community support, and to enjoy general messages about Christ’s love and sacrifice, and nobody interrogates me about my beliefs.
The LDS church, in contrast, is recently contacting my wife to get her TR renewed and we have had discussion on whether she should go in and be honest or just make up excuses on why she cannot go.
Yes, that is a challenge. I don’t think I’ve had very good luck in my attempts. I think that people tend to view my “but if not” as a lack of faith.
Welcome again to our private island of misfit toys.
I was commenting to my wife the other day that the church can work very well for some people, particularly if they check all or most of the standard boxes.
If you don’t check the boxes then the church organization will strongly encourage you to work harder to check boxes, and this can feel othering to those that do not naturally fit in.
Here, at LDS faith journeys, we all have different boxes left unchecked that make us stand out.
At its core is a deeply human craving for certainty.
The prosperity gospel and god of the lost car keys is what led to my faith crisis. I had felt that I could buy a spiritual insurance policy by my covenant keeping that would protect my family. When crisis struck, I was left examining the small print to find out what went wrong. I was shocked to discover that the policy had huge escape clauses in it. It only protects when it is the will of God and sometimes it doesn’t protect because of the fallen world we live in or to maintain the principle of free agency.
My bishop at the time was very compassionate and freely admitted that sometimes members will say things in class or over the pulpit that may not be doctrinally sound or may even put words and promises into God’s mouth that He never has said. When I showed him in a recent church publication where it said that God would bless us both spiritually and temporally for our diligent tithing compliance, he backpedaled, saying that of course God CAN bless us temporally if it is his will to do so.
Welcome Mr. Shorty.
I think that doctrinally and historically prophets have been very fallible. Why Then do we seem to suggest that they are above making mistakes in doctrine? I think it is for the practical effect of increasing unity and compliance in a top-down command and control structure. I won’t delve too much into that on your introduction. If you want a more robust discussion, we can start a new thread dedicated to that topic.
I find it interesting that you are part of the music division in your ward. That makes me think that you come from a large ward that they can have a whole music division. Are you from the mountain west or the “mission field?”
My personal hangup is the obedience bring blessings model or prosperity gospel.
BigRoy
