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One of my many takes on scripture is if we assume that God inspires the writer in it’s prose. Than it’s possible God was intelligent enough to know that it would be relevant in more than one time, place, and people. Look at Revelation,Isiah, or the account of Nephi’s vision. The mixture of symbolism, spiritualism, and words can be quite complex when you actually ponder them. It can seem sometimes like wishful thinking to some or finding things not really there. However if you were God and made everything unique, and knew that everyone would see things in a different light, you really wouldn’t give everyone thier own specific set of scripture, religion, dogma, etc. You would want the message to be kind of a universal hand book complex enough so that through study, thought and prayer it would give a soul spacific message as well as for the masses.
In addition what better way for us to learn than to make us think? What better way to make us ponder and judge our actions. Even the contradictions in Religion makes try to find balances and really think rather than just follow programmed instructions.
Just my perspective.
Welcome! You may find some comfort from the book ‘Rough Stone Rolling’ by Richard Bushman. He is an LDS writer and his book about JS really made me take a second look and eventually going back to church. The other thing I do is I practice in an unorthodox way. I’m kind of a Unitarian Universalist Mormon. This site will definately help you in discussing issues and beliefs that while not necessarily LDS may help you in your life. You can pretty much discuss most ‘non-othodox’ subjects here without some of the sometimes negative rhetoric you may find in other discussion sites. God bless you and welcome! First of all welcome. You are at the right place. Just maybe the gifts of the mind and spirit you have within you may have brought you here. This site I would say is the best of all the sites I have been to like it. I think you will find that it is mostly positive thoughtful an uplifting to LDS people like yourself. It is also a way to discuss things with members in a manner that is constructive and supportive with little or less of some of the cynicism You may find on some of the other sites. They can be interesting, insightful, even just entertaining but I think you will find this one the best. God bless you on your journey, you are among friends! 
For a while I used to Identify more with Reform or NOM label. I really don’t anymore. I really don’t like the NOM label and frankly it doesn’t fit alot of so-called NOMs. I like and probably identify more with the Milleanial Mormoron Label more closely. Not to judge or disparriage NOMs but many who participate on the boards there make me ask why? Many of them are ex-mo and out of the church and many claim to be atheists. In my opinion, although I enjoy some of what they have to say, those who fit that demographic really dillute the meaning of being NOM. They don’t even fit the ‘third way’ perspective anymore. So I guess I’d have to say TBM and NOM is a pretty broad definition in actual examples of those who identify as such. Thank You! She does actually! We were married civilly by a bishop. She and I differ on some things but we both agree on most. I prayed to meet my soulmate, gave up and then found each other on an LDS site no less! I don’t think I ever was a TBM. I’m too much of a Universalist. I’m a really big student of the paranormal and have experienced things on could call spiritual/paranormal. I was even kind of raised in the Church that way. I mix too many different beliefs while retaining many core aspects of Mormonism. I almost think there are two kinds of TBM. The CulturalTBM and the SpiritualTBM. The CulturalTBM truely believes most/all he/she hears from the pulpit and follows everything without question and most of thier spiritual struggles come from the letter of the law and contradictions in dogma. The SpiritualTBM is more able by my estimation to weigh the letter or the law equaly with the spirit. They, as I feel I am a STBM, is able to better judge and interpret dogma/standards while retaining core beliefs and comfortable level satisfaction at church. I’m not saying that I’m wiser or better than anyone else. It’s just the place where I feel I’ve finally arrived. I still believe I just had to modify my testimony. I guess I’m a True Blue Mormon/Unitarian/Universalist/Christian.
I think the WoW will always be a part of the church. It has far more to do with politics and and Sydney Rigdeon than anything. Up until prohibition many LDS members still broke the WoW and it was kind of like drinking a caffiented Coke at church. It wasn’t until later that it was a deal-breaker. My Gramps told stories of wine and beer at stake dances as a child in St. George and other places. Jesus drank wine for that matter. Wisdom and moderation in all things should be the motto of the church. I laugh at the child like disdain for WoW prohibited beverages and tobacco that TBM’s have. It’s like a five year old child talking about how yucky kissing a girl is. Yet they will eat sheet cake and drink orange soda by the gallon. I don’t drink or use tobacco now that I am active again, but it seems to me that the WoW is like a crutch. It’s like TBM’s would go ape-crap if they announced at conference that the WoW now simply council not commandment.
This commandment is yet again an impediment to getting people to join or become active again in so many cases. If alchohol is a problem for someone the last thing you want to do is take away God’s blessing from them. If it’s not a problem for someone, than it’s not a problem.
BTW all you people that whine about them smell of coffee grow up, you’re just mad cause you never tried it and wish you could’ve JK.
Wow wow wow! I gotta say I love this site. I wish the leadership and over zealous members would get through thier thick skulls that stupid nit-picking rules are causing so many to go inactive or leave the church all together. They always seem to have the comfort of going back to that broken record statisic “The church is the fastest growing church in the world.” I beg to differ, the fastest growing faith worldwide is Islam and The Assemblies of God. Christianity in the Pacific NW as well the rest of the country needs to take a look at itself and I think many if not most of more mainline churches have done so, resulting in higher membership and better attendance and sense of community. I wish many in the church would follow suit. I believe the church really needs to look at itself and ask is a white shirt or earrings a good reason to shun those seeking the love of God, our Heavenly father? I recently became active again and I do love church, but stopped attending my ward to attend my fiance’s ward. I site this because the difference in our bishop’s. Mine is a nice but zealous man bent on rules for BIC members and going lax on our new converts and investigators. My fiance’s bishop is a blue collar construction guy whom simply told us “Come to church, get married, and the rest will fall into pace as you grow in the ward.” Neither of us have been perfect but her bishop took the more Christian attitude by leaps and bounds.
While I think that there are standards to be maintained I feel that more often than not the baby is thrown out with the bath water. I envy many of my Christian friends who simply live the best way they know how, and worship God in loving and spiritual manner wether they go to church in Old Navy or a suit from Men’s Warehouse. They have a glass of wine/beer or morning coffee without the worry of losing their place in the afterlife, and have just as much love in thier homes as many LDS do.
I do love the church and always will. I will never deny the many great things and blessing which have come from being a member of the church, i hope to raise my family with my future wife in the same way. I just think the church needs to take a hard look at itself and ask “What would Jesus do?”
