Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Fawn brodie wrote as she beleived, she had no testimony so her insights reflect that fact. I made a choice over two decades ago to give very little time to non-beleivers who have negitive things to say about the church I know to be true. I paid my dues as a younger man reading and learning things that, looking back on, I am thankful I still beleive in the restoration. I have watched friends educate themselves away from a testimony, and met many former missionaries who had served missions for the church who later became fundamentalists . If this life really determines our eternal outcome, and I think it does, I will fill good just keeping a testimony to the end and adding some personal progress along the way. Regardless of what Fawn Brodie and her kind say, Joseph Smith did for religion what Einstein did for science. And there has been plenty of changes and schools of thought that has grown out of both. Reading these posts for a few days has helped me realize it’s going to be a real challenge hanging onto our testimony in the last days. Which by the way I’m wondering if it’s (the last days) already showed up.
Once at a stake conference we were asked to sustain the stake leaders, one person raised their hand in desent. The person at the pulpit simply said the majority vote is in the affirmitive. Pinkpatent said….I believe that the leaders of the church are going to have to start addressing many of these issues because the upcoming generation is completely digital. When they have a question, they turn to google. All the untold information about the church’s past is only a few mouse clicks away……The leaders are going to have to start facing this issue, if only so they put their spin on it. I just love being flabergasted, I have learned it almost always shows It is myself who needs growth in understanding where someone else is at. And that I can nearly always benifeit from rewriting my first response. Lets see if I can give the moderators a break on this one.
#1, When they have a question, they turn to google…Response…the old fashioned way used to be study, prayer, seek the help of the spirit, talk to spiritual people you trust.
#2, The leaders are going to have to start facing this issue,..Response…seems to suggest the leaders are not currently facing this issue. For my taste, if I were to lose confidence in our leaders, whats left?
Kinderhook08 said….I believe they don’t talk about it because of exactly what happened to me and others like me. They don’t want to rock the boat and the majority of people are never going to dig deep enough to find out about polyandry and other controversial aspects of their LDS faith. A few like myself stumble onto things like Mormon Stories and then our curiosity is peaked. We start to read from other sources and it all goes down hill from there. Over the last forty years I have stumbled onto things, been offered things to read, started reading things, listened to things people were saying etc. And have learned to disern when I was getting into something that was faith distroying. The assault on a LDS’s testimony is growing daily. I heard a speaker once who had been set apart to help recover excommunicated members. He was given a blessing that false doctrine and faith distroying material would not trouble him. Those of us who have not received such a blessing must rely on other gifts. There is such a thing as having a questioning mind that leads to faith in the restoration, and one that pulls us away. I pray for help in keeping what little faith I have. It would be a misery to lose my slender gleam of light, and that might be part of the answer, a weakened faith brings unhappiness, we can ask God to help us get it back.
JMB said…..”Therefore, the only problem the objector has to resolve for himself is whether the Book of Mormon is true. For if the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was His prophet, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and it is being led today by a prophet receiving revelation.” Ezra Taft Benson, The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God, Ensign, Jan. 1988, 4
I am as concerned as any mormon on the planet about keeping what little testimony I have, adding to it, and learning to endure to the end. If the BoM does not strenghten a persons testimony and aid in resolving the hundreds of issues that daily assault us, then on what do we rely?
Thank you moderator, I support the format of this thread and don’t mind one bit learning how to conform to the rules. Primarycolor said….If I had been President Hinckley, I would have built fewer, and farther apart. Back in the sixties and seventies, members would save and travel hundreds of miles to get to a temple; it made for a Mormon haj. What if Muslims had 112 Meccas around the world, would it boost their faith in special ritual, or diminish it? Bruce in Montana, I hope I can say this without coming across as rude. [Moderator: What followed was rude, and it is not appropriate for this forum.] Lady wisdom said….Taken at face value, this passage clearly teaches monotheism. The “Testimony of the Three Witnesses” that appears in the Preface to the Book of Mormon supports such a monotheistic interpretation. It concludes with the statement, “And honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.”
TO MY MIND this is a case of making a mountain out of a mole hill. The above shows we believe in the trinity yet each person can say something in the same breath that appears to confuse the issue. As long as you once have it down straight what you beleive (the trinity), personal style should not be taken too literally. These kinds of issues can be brought out by the hundreds. If you know your doctrine and you know the truth, I see no good purpose in it.
The last part ” Which is one God.” any sixteen year old knows that means one in purpose, they are PERFECTLY one in purpose.
Swimordie wrote….. I asked them “What do people call this kind of experience”. Ten-year old immediately says, “LUCKY!” Now that’s faith. We went through the possibilities, the “universe”, “Jesus”, “coincidence”, and, luckily, they didn’t need a definitive “right” answer. That made me feel good and it also made me realize that I’m in much the same place. I know in my mind, I believe strongly in a karmic, “universe” type concept. I do good things, and the universe takes care of me.
But, I don’t know really. And, I’m ok with that. And my boys are too.
Is that faith-promoting?
Over the years I have read a few accounts of people who died and came back to tell about it. The people they met on the other side seemed to know pretty much what was going to happen throughout their life. Maybe fifty years from now when you pay a visit to the next world you will be able to find out.
Kalola said….Jeriboy, you wrote: Perfection is a long way off, I think looking for ways to make things work for ourselves is better than making up an issue that may be only an issue in someone’s mind.
Can you expound on your comment? I’m trying to understand what you meant by “making up an issue.”
Hope this helps…my expression simply meant that what you seemed to be saying was so far removed from my way of thinking, that it appeared you were seeing an issue were none, from my point of view, exists.
I am aware however that the whole world see’s things differently, the mold was broken with each of us. You have every right to have an issue concerning women and the church, past. present and future.
Hope this is all right to cover another post on this one. Regarding ” The sad story of Ken Gothrick.” [Moderator Note: No it isn’t ok. That thread was locked. The comment you made here was not on topic for the thread. It was also not in harmony with the mission of the site.]
Kalola said…..“Are you satisfied with women’s role in Mormonism?” My answer would be “No” because I feel women in the Church appear to have lost their autonomy, especially if it Is true that “…women don’t speak officially without specific permission?” I’m still pondering the last statement and what the word “officially” means.
I look forward to your comments.
Kalola, everything you said applys to men as well. The church is a house of order and everyone has someone above them that gives us all inspired direction. I don’t believe it’s a them against us kind of thing. The church has evolved and it’s changed for everyone, and for the better for both men and women. Perfection is a long way off, I think looking for ways to make things work for ourselves is better than making up an issue that may be only an issue in someone’s mind.
