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Yep. I worry about it all the time. I wonder if I’m blind to truth now that I’ve gone awhile without attending church. I pray every day for guidance and to know if I should stay with the church. But I haven’t received an answer that I recognize. I worry about the next life a lot. I don’t want to end up where God isn’t. What I realized is that even though I try to serve others and be an honest, giving person this won’t matter in the next life if I’m not attending the temple, going to church and if I don’t believe in the prophet. So, yes I’m concerned and I don’t know what to do about it. Guess that probably wasn’t very helpful. :think: However, I have a hope that someday I will feel at peace about my spiritual journey and that I will be stronger and more faithful to God because of it.
I watched a few minutes of it but I don’t have time to watch the entire clip tonight. The message is interesting: The Book of Mormon can no longer be ignored. I thought it was interesting that one women said that literary theorists say the BOM is one of the most fascinating books ever written. I hadn’t heard that before. What did you think of the clip, Ann? That’s great they were admitted to some. When I read the article I felt like I had time traveled to the 19th century, or maybe to the Middle East. Since women share in the priesthood (as we’ve been told recently) it’s strange to me that women in general aren’t welcome with open arms. Quote:After listening and assessing some of the harder to swallow talks – I am ready to announce that I will be in the eternal kingdom of Weeping, Wailing, and Gnashing of teeth. I’d hoped to make a higher one, but it sounds like I missed the boat. Bummer for me. Your welcome to visit if you like. I believe angels from the higher kingdoms are able to do that. I’ll keep the light on.
I’ll be there with you, mom3.
Thanks for the list, Ray. I don’t watch GC because it causes me more pain so the list is very helpful. I can pick and choose carefully
🙂 My spiritual journey is such a roller coaster. Sometimes I just am too sad or discouraged to post. I don’t feel like have much wisdom to share. I also don’t want to rehash topics that others are tired of discussing and looking at old threads trying to find one that fits is frustrating to me. I usually don’t find what I’m looking for. But I come here often to read and I’ve gained new insights. I believe in self sacrifice too. And service. I’m glad we’re taught about both in the church. Today, and maybe I’ll feel differently tomorrow, I don’t like the expectation that working till we have nothing left to give is expected and glorified. I like Pres. Hinkley’s message. I think it’s well intended, but the video made me cry for the expectations placed on all of us. Not just women but everyone. The message is clear and has been for as long as I’ve been a member that God expects us to work till the last breath. That is my standard because that’s what God expects. That I fail at it daily is really depressing. And I come from a different perspective since I’m not married and don’t have kids. I don’t need to spend my days in the minivan driving my children to different events. I don’t have the intense frustrations (and joys) that parents have raising their children. I’m not sacrificing myself daily for my family like so many moms and dads do. Does this make me a bad person? I feel guilty because my schedule isn’t as hectic. I stay busy with work (I’m a high school teacher) but I’ve taken time to go back to school. I’m feeling very hopeless of ever finding joy, peace, God’s mercy in this church because of the expectations and the constant guilt I feel. Maybe I’m not supposed to feel love for myself. Maybe God’s expectation is self sacrifice but it doesn’t feel very nice. 
Quote:1966, July 6: 1st presidency letter states that although civilly married couples normally have to wait one year for a sealing, this is usually waved for those whose parents are non-members so that parents can see the wedding. (1st Presidency letter)
Wish that policy still existed. Maybe it’ll come back.
Quote:President Taylor prayed to the Lord that they might be permitted to use the knitted garment and they could all be of the same pattern. They might vary a little, but the garments were all similar and when they made these garments, many people questioned the change from the cloth garment to the knitted garment. It was because the living authority said we might….
This depresses me for two reasons. First, why was the prophet praying to the God of the universe to see if it was ok to wear a knitted garment? It seems really ridiculous to me at the moment.
Second, I’m reminded that often rules, rituals and culture trump God’s love and grace.
😥 I came across this site and some of what he says resonates with me. Not everything does, but as I was reading I felt that so much of it feels very enlightening. I’m wondering what others think. Am I an apostate if I agree with some of it? Prayer has been on my mind a lot lately. I pray many times in the day and I feel God’s presence in my life. I feel like He’s given me strength that on my own I wouldn’t have. But I also recognize the incredible suffering endured by life on this planet. As it’s been asked many times why does God help someone find their keys and ignore the cries of a suffering child? I wonder if God does intervene but in ways that we can’t see. For example, sending us strength to endure. Maybe there are angels surrounding us to help but they don’t take the suffering away, they just help us to somehow survive it and later to heal? I have to believe for my own sanity that God is aware and somehow He will in the end make it clear and heal us. I am so sorry to hear that you and your daughter are going through such a difficult time. Unfortunately it’s not uncommon for victims to be blamed. It sounds like there has been a lot of trauma and I guess I would suggest working through this with a compassionate counselor. This is something that will be very difficult to work through without professional help. I’m so sorry Quote:Also, this isn’t a new thing. It’s all over in the Bible, as well – both Old and New Testaments, and it’s part and parcel of our modern Mormon history. Structurally, we are more Catholic than Protestant, even if our services are more Protestant (low church) than Catholic (low church). That doesn’t make it better, but it puts it in a more complete picture than implying it’s a uniquely Mormon thing.
I don’t know. I think we’re borderline cultish the way we teach about and “obey” the prophets. My Catholic friends certainly respect the pope but they are not obedient to him. In fact, they rarely mention him at all. The prophets in the Bible definitely played an important role, but the LDS prophets have taken the role of a prophet to a whole new level that I don’t believe was ever intended.
I think the leaders are aware of the emphasis placed on them. I was a primary teachers for many years and those lessons are very much about following the prophet. As much or more so than the Savior, depending on the week. The leaders know what is being taught in primary and Sunday school. They know the manuals teach that if we are not following the prophet our hearts are not turned to God. That we disrespect God if we don’t follow the prophet’s commandments. This is a topic I would ask Elder Uchtdorf about if I ever had the opportunity to talk with him. I would ask why they continue to promote this. But I’d ask in a very polite way. 
At first I was completely devastated and extremely angry. My emotions were pretty intense. I was afraid also because I wasn’t sure what God thought of me or my crisis. I’m doing better (it’s been almost 2 years). I still have the same feelings but they’re not as intense. At the beginning of my crisis I explained it to my bishop. I compared it to someone who all of a sudden realizes(or admits) she’s in an abusive relationship. She wonders why she stayed so long and how she could have thought something unhealthy was right or was the will of God. My bishop said it was a good analogy. I hope someday soon I will feel empowered. I think I will end up a stronger person because I will have to learn to accept myself if I’m going to have the strength to stay LDS.
