[Emma]

Quote:

What is the value that you are seeing to being fully LDS that I am not seeing? I do feel to be LDS, but not to that extent. I’m trying to learn here, but I am failing to see the value in affiliating so closely.

Truth Restored? Sure, to me personally, to Mother Teresa, and to Joseph Smith.

Forgive me for being so difficult about this. I really want to understand and agree.

Here is a possible question:

What is it about being LDS that makes you want to be it so fully?

I can’t answer for Orson or anyone else, but this question reminds me of something Richard Bushman talks about in an interview.

Quote:

there is a paradox here, to be zealous and striving and eager about anything that you are involved in, you have to believe in it. You have to believe it really is good. That people will benefit from it and that’s true for whether you’re trying to teach people to drink clean water in Africa or trying to teach kids that they have to do their school work and get an education or whatever, you have to really believe it’s going to make a difference and for Mormonism to be an energetic and effective organization, it has to have that kind of zeal, that does come out with language like “the only true church” or “this is God’s way” and so on, but there are also scriptures in Mormonism which as you well know are prominent, easily found that say the spirit of Christ is given to every person and God reveals to every person what is good for them, what is truth for them as if, you know, Heavenly Father is watching over his children on every little corner of the earth and testifying to them of what is good, leading them along, sending them prophets of a kind. So, I think we just have to live with that fact that we’re both universalistic, allowing God’s spirit to reign over the whole earth and bless all people everywhere and particularistic, that ours is the true and good way and if you aren’t comfortable with that you’re going to be uncomfortable in Mormonism because that’s just the way we think. We’ve got both poles in our minds at once.

The part of this quote that I really wanted to point out is the first line….to be eager about anything you are involved in you have to believe in it. For me there are many reasons to stay and participate in the LDS church and if I’m going to participate I need to have some core belief in it.

I agree with hawkgrrrl. We have had some pretty bad patches of history (before and after the Restoration when you think about it). The God I believe in would not disappear of the face of the earth even if there were bad patches.

[Emma]

Quote:

The sentences are stronger if you just say “God loves me.” “Jesus lives.” “I love my husband.”

This is so true.

Okay, this is going to show you what stage of life I’m in right now, but I was watching Spongebob with my children the other day and the storyline hit me in such a religious way. Spongebob, Patrick and Squidward are stuck out in the jungle and Squidward is freaking out because they don’t know how to get out. Spongebob and Patrick aren’t the least bit worried. Spongebob pulls out a conch shell toy and says “Don’t worry, we’ll ask the Magic Conch”. Squidward cannot believe that they are trying to get answers in such a ridiculous way. They ask the Magic Conch shell what they should do and it says “nothing” so they sit down and do nothing. Squidward runs around like crazy trying to find a way out but ends up back with Spongebob and Patrick. Then a plane is flying overhead and has to drop its load because it is crashing. It just happens to be a picnic table filled with food that lands in front of Spongebob and Patrick. They say it is because of the Magic Conch shell and are happy. Squidward comes over and asks if he can have some of their food. They say sure. He is about to eat it, but makes fun of the Magic Conch shell in the process so they tell him he has to ask the Magic Conch shell before he eats anything. Well, when he asks what he can eat the Magic Conch shell says “Nothing”.

So here is the point of my story…Spongebob and Patrick believe that the Magic Conch shell works and so it does for them. Squidward doesn’t believe it will work and so it doesn’t. And I have to tell you Spongebob and Patrick are much happier than Squidward. I started to think about that and relating it to God. Is my testimony of God similar to their belief in the Magic Conch Shell? I don’t know if this will make sense to anyone else, but it really hit me…the idea of believing in something (like the Spirit or a testimony) and having it work or not believing in it and then of course it doesn’t work.

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