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PazamaManX wrote:
I’m not yet done forming my beliefs. My faith is still not where I want it to be. I’m still trying to reconcile how to be apart of a church that I believe has Christ’s gospel, but live with a culture that I don’t feel is always Christlike. I’m hoping here I can get other people’s opinions as well as maybe contributing mine once in awhile.
I also think that it’s a good thing, not having formed beliefs. I found that my faith is evolving, and for a long time it didn’t evolve, I was on a plateau. So, for me, allowing change and letting it evolve that been good.
Trying to change the culture from within seems like an impossible task. But just as the culture has formed over the last hundred Plus years, it will change over the next hundred years by small examples and people. Stay strong, stand up for what’s right, especially when it is christ-like and goes against Church culture.
Old Timer wrote:
Roy, I am not aware of any pedophile angel involved in this issue, so I fixed the typo.
👿 😆 :thumbup:
Pedophile angel lol
mfree6464 wrote:
It was a lonely, hopeless and terrifying feeling that still persists.The blankness.
It’s hard for me to reconcile these huge gaps as well. I only hope that I will not only understand why after this life, but that I will still have my consciousness, the ‘me’ after this life. I hope, beyond hope, that something will continue.
SilentDawning wrote:
Sad part was that my SP let everyone leaving on a mission give their testimony and story, except me. So much for that faith promoting story.That sucks. What kind of life lesson does that teach? I’m sorry that happened.
One of the dads in scouts was always teaching his son ‘life lessons’, I realized later many of his actions were the result of his own limited views.
DarkJedi wrote:
If the goal really is home centered, church supported (and I think it is) this make perfect sense. You do your study at home either individually or as families and have discussions at home (or with a group of like minded people) if you like.I did read in the instructions something along the lines of “this is not meant to replace the good things that you are already doing” or something to that effect. I know many members are confused on how to implement this and hopefully that won’t be stuck in the mindset that they have to add this on top of all that they are already doing.
I see it as one lesson that SS and the other if I need during the week, DW and I woul probably do it on our own as we have been looking for something to read together during the week.
I grew up Catholic myself, so I understood the dynamic of going against your traditional family beliefs, but what stores me was the ending story of the investigator who could not see well enough to read, but was able to read the BoM. Miracles do happen I am assured. Yet when I heard this part of the story I was skeptical. Was it over embellished? Essentially I am asking a question that has deeper meaning, on one hand as ive said in another post “inspired texts are not necessarily historical” (meaning it doesn’t matter if Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, whether Job or Nephi really existed) and on the other hand if the event never happened (her being able to read though her eyes could not see well enough) should the story be thought of as factual?
Seems a little cyclic with some will planned efforts, sprinkled with knee jerk reactions. The combined meetings to Sunday only was a sign of the times, many churches seemed to be doing the same. There’s always been the push pull off having extra meetings on Sunday and devoting time for the family. The push to use social media to spread the gospel and also to take a break from it. Roy thats perfectly fine in my book. We have friends that call on us for similar help and they jar fruit for us. It is such a fine line between serving someone that really needs it and being taken advantage of. I’m pretty bad at deciphering between the two before it’s too late. It’s hard to tell where the real needs are until you’re in the middle of the move etc. Couple that with the fact that many (moves especially) are last minute so there’s no way to assess the situation and plan better ( except for the person who knows that they are moving for months and doesn’t pack anything or tell anyone in advance).
I’ve been one of those that showed up for every project, service request, move, etc and most of them were legitimate. The ones that stuck out in my mind now are such as the examples here, a family that essentially wanted nothing to do with the church needs help so we go and help. Is there still merit in that; pray for them that despitefully use you? Being a Christian doesn’t mean being a doormat.
As I’ve gotten older and hopefully wiser, I’ve realized much of my wisdom has come from the experiences with those who despitefully used me.
Maybe it’s not wisdom but bitterness
SilentDawning wrote:
Guess what, I felt the spirit as I read my own book. Just like I can feel the spirit when i read parts of my own missionary journal. To me, it stood up as good scripture. Even though I knew it wasn’t inspired.
Don’t cut yourself short. I’ve done the same thing and felt the same outcome. I’ve felt the spirit reading many texts outside of what we would consider Canon.
Translated, transliterated, authored, it doesn’t really matter. Most of my misgivings about the BoM faded away after I read the Bible cover to cover. I read inspired words from imperfect people. I realized that scripture comes in many forms and it is where you feel the spirit.
To quote a podcast: ‘Inspired texts are not necessarily historical.’ sorry I don’t have the source.
I doesn’t matter to me whether or not the BoM is in fact a historically acturate document. It doesn’t matter to me if Nephi was a real living person at one point in history or not.
DarkJedi wrote:
1) I get “…when you’re in the service of your fellow beings…” and “…give them your coat also…” and “…when saw we thee…when ye have done it unto the least of these…” etc. That’s why I struggle because sometimes I need my coat more than they do and often I need my Saturday morning more than they doI totally get this. I have gone on service projects for years to others that have it (in my opinion) way easier than I do, live in a better, bigger house, make more income, the list goes on…
I’d like to think that it was for my betterment, that I taught my children about service, and the value in helping others.
A question for clarification, would ‘free labor’ be akin to ‘being used’ because it is known that the EQ does a lot of service so we can be asked to do just about anything?
Service: Was asked if i could round up the scouts for a service project to do some yard work. Long story short, 3 leaders and half a dozen youth cleaning the yard of an older single woman who could not do it on her own nor pay for services. Free Labor: Was asked if I could round up the scouts for a service project to do some yard work. LSS, 3 leaders and half a dozen youth doing yard work while the familys two teenage boys stayed inside playing video games.
Certainly I have. Been in the rut for awhile now. Mine may be similar, I feel like I’m in spiritual apathy, it seems cyclic. There’s an ebb and a flow to all things in life, and I will come out of this and I hope that you will too. Words like just pray more just fall flat. I find reading helps though, and for me it is reading more of the metaphysical/spiritual Eastern philosophy texts. Anything that makes me think deeply, I am currently not reading anything right now, which I should be, but I have to really want to get out of the rut. Apparently I don’t care to get out of the rut yet.
I’ve had my prayers bounce off the ceiling, been in complete harmony with the cosmos, and everything in between, both when things were going well and when times were tough. During my first big challenge if faith, I relied heavily on prayer for peace and absolution. I’m currently going through an existential crisis so to speak and it’s different this time. I haven’t played deeply about a lot of what is on my mind. I started writing it all down, it’ll be a long read if a ever post it. Writing things down helps me to sort out my feelings and get my thoughts straight.
Super interesting discussion. I’ve read the linked article a few times, some good points were made. I don’t know what to think. Sometimes I dislike reading history. Not reading history, but then with different views on documents and writings I try to form a new opinion which is still based on partial facts.
Does it matter? Did JS bed down a 14 year old? I don’t really know. I don’t base my salvation on an organization called the church, so it really doesn’t matter.
Is mortality objective? I’m rambling now…
