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Welcome, Leap. Happy to have you here. Your post really resonated with me. I feel like you and I are at similar places in faith transition. Personally, I’m happy with my new outlook, but it has caused tension in my home that has never been there before. I’m trying to figure out how to navigate my activity in the church in a way that brings peace to my home, but also peace within myself. I’m still attending church with my wife and kids but to be honest I really struggle through it. I definitely don’t enjoy it like I used to. But I hope and believe that my involvement with the church will get better with time, or at least that my wife and I will find some middle ground that works well for our family. This site has taught me that there are so many people that go through the same kind of experiences and they come out on the other side in a good place. I don’t really have any good advice other than take it slow and hang in there. Trust that things will work out well in time. That’s where I’m at right now, and I believe that we can both get to a good place in time.

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Thank you for this post, science_saint. I needed this today. Yesterday, I was at the point you described in the last line of the post. Thank you for helping me get to a better, more hopeful place.

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Welcome, sanders! It’s great to have you here.

I can really relate to your story. I’ve struggled with anxiety/depression since I was a kid. It definitely hit a peak on my mission. I still deal with it on occasion. And like you, I have found the best way to combat it is through meditation and mindfulness. There is no better feeling than when you’re fully focused on the present moment and just viewing the world as it is. No worries about tomorrow, no regrets about yesterday, just observing what is.

sanders31105 wrote:

Though I feel wonderful, I’m still trying to navigate the waters between my new found spirituality and my place in the church. I find myself struggling to relate to the normal members of the church and seeing where I fit in. Is there room for people like me in the church? I have been a member my whole life, have had positive experiences in the church, but I’m still finding it difficult to talk to my friends and church members about my new spiritual insights and experiences. I’ve tried talking to a few friends and members of my ward about some of these things, and so far it’s been met with resistance or indifference.

There absolutely is room for people like you in the church! I hope so, if not then I’ll be getting booted too Everyone has a unique understanding and belief about spirituality. You may find some resistance or even complete disagreement when talking with some people, particularly those with a very orthodox view of the church, but you will also find some people that completely relate to you (myself being one of them). The further along I get in my unique spiritual path, the more I am valuing the differences of opinion. If everyone agreed with my beliefs, I wouldn’t have much to learn from them. On the other hand, if I agreed with everyone else’s beliefs, I wouldn’t have much to share with them.

To sum it up… Embrace your views. Share what has made you happy. If you come across people that disagree with you, see what you can learn from that difference of opinion.

Great post! Thanks for joining the group.

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Thanks everyone for the warm welcome and the kind words of encouragement and advice. It has all been so helpful. I’m really going to enjoy participating here.

Ann wrote:

Someone here quoted Joseph Campbell and it has stuck with me:

Quote:

“Preachers err by trying to talk people into belief; better they reveal the radiance of their own discovery.”

I try to keep that in mind. If the change in my faith doesn’t provide light for myself and warmth for those around me, what good is it?

Thanks for sharing this, Ann. It’s so relevant to me right now. I just need to focus on embracing my personal beliefs and living those beliefs fully by loving and serving the people around me. Actions speak louder than words.

Curtis wrote:

I go to church not to be fed but to feed.

Well said, Curtis. Such a good perspective. I don’t know how much feeding I’ve been doing recently at church, especially since I’m not serving in a calling at this time, but I can certainly up my game of smiling and offering a friendly handshake.

Forgotten_Charity wrote:

There are so many good places that I do feel fed and can go to I don’t rely on the church or any one institution to do so.

There are many great places to get fed but I take the feeding I get at other places and use that nourishment to feed others.

Church can be a wonderful place to do that if you don’t get caught up in expectations and just serving with and giving of yourself that us truly you in the the changed(forced in a certain way and time) you.

Just curious, Forgotten_Charity (and anyone else who wants to add their perspective), where do you go to get “spiritually fed” as we’re calling it? For me, I’m finding simply being alone with my thoughts can provide the best spiritual nourishment. It’s been a lot of fun since beginning my FT to just take moments when I’m alone to simply think. Think about what I’ve been taught to believe my whole life and then think about what I personally agree or disagree with now that I’m thinking more independently. One of the most rewarding aspects of my new perspective has been developing my own moral compass and approach to interpreting truth.

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