[DBMormon]

Also I see things a different way then most TBM. I seem to find good ways to make things fit, at least for me. I hope to be an asset here in providing soil for faith. So please don’t hesitate to message me if you anything.

[DBMormon]

My faith crisis

I have had many. I read Fawn Brodie’s “No Man Knows My History” while meeting with the missionaries during my investigator discussions at the age of 17. My faith crisis’ have always been around historical issues. My small crisis’ have come from learning new information I never knew before – ex: seer stones, polyandry, first vision accounts, ect… Most of these occurred between my investigation of the Church and perhaps as much as three years in (polyandry was one issue that came later) My big crisis came when I had to confront why the Church never took time to tell me these issues. I felt that while I learned all this on my own years ealier, I never would have encountered them had I not been an outgoing researcher of Mormonism. I realized the Church was never part of the information dissemination. This Crisis was hard, and long, and it hurt. I waffled between thinking about faking it and wondering if I should ask to have my name removed. I shared with my wife and she was supportive. The main advice I have for others who feel this is take you time. Three things brought me back to a place where my testimony was stronger and more realistic then it had been before.

1.) God sent me a message by dream. If anyone wants to know more it would have to be 1 on 1 as the dream is sacred, but suffice it to say there is no doubt in my mind it came from God and was direct and to the point.

2.) A member in another online forum sent me a message that was exactly what I needed to hear. He put the problem I had and the reason it existed into the perfect words I needed to move forward. It was a personal epistle and was meant for just me. (though I still have it and am willing to share if it seems to fit the need of another)

3.)A member of my ward called crying, saying their daughter had a bunch of anti material and a bunch of questions, and that I needed to come right over and answer them. I went over and each time the daughter began to speak, in my mind I knew the end question before she ever got close to aaking it. I was there over two hours and adequately answered multiple difficult questions that my experiences had prepared me for. Then she asked the kicker “why wasn’t I told this stuff”? She then insisted that I as bishop “needed to tell each member of the ward these problems”!!!

It hit me hard in my face. Here was I as the Bishop talking to someone representing myself the member in faith crisis. How would I answer myself? It was obvious.

I replied, “When would you like me to cover this? in Sunday School? from the pulpit in sacrament meeting? in a fireside?” I asked her.

I then told her if I did that in church, that I would have to set aside the teaching of Christ, the Doctrines of the Kingdom, the important things that blessed families and gave them strength to get through the week.

I followed up with if we had firesides on these issues, only some members would attend, and by the time we made full rounds members would have moved and new ones in. If if we simply gave difficult issues and the answers to them then while we help a small number of strugglers, we do not build faith in the majority who are not have a crisis on historical issues.

It became obvious to Bill the member that Bill the church leader was correct in the approach of focusing on the pure gospel and the doctrine of Christ and handling the faith crisis issues one on one as we did that night.

That said, when a subject is taught, I try to give little tidbits here and tidbits there on these issues but never making them the focus or the main point. so we discuss seer stones for two minutes here and book of abraham for two seconds over there and hope we are at least giving the vibe that we are open to these discussions if anyone wants to come forward and discuss them.

Anyway that’s the faith crisis portion of my story

[DBMormon]

I found this site on my own in my last faith crisis and some of the site was extremely helpful in me hanging in there. I decided to join along with participate in the discussion board here becasue of some conversations with CWALD where he felt my insight and experience would be helpful to folks here.

[DBMormon]

CWALD as you well know church is full of speculation, urban legends, false doctrine. But once you move past all that Church is pretty awesome. I while an absolute TBM rose colored galsses, also don’t tolerate well all the non doctrine that gets shared as doctrine and true…. but remember they too are on a journey coming along slowly but progressing

[DBMormon]

As a TBM – advancing the work would be a good topic to tackle this way.

Talk about GRACE. To advance is to progress. One need’s Christ Grace to progress.

I would talk about how without Christ we will always fall short of the imaginary standard we set for ourselves.

Ether 12:27 says god gave us our weakness and only he takes it away through his grace.

Paul ignored all his problems and knew eventually God’s Grace would see him through. As LDS we should worry much less about what we are accomplishing and rather the effort being made

I have a whole power-point presentation on this along with a small booklet I wrote on it. Just offering, no need to feel inclined to ask for it but if you or any other does email me at reelmormon@gmail.com

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