As a missionary in Guatemala, every day I woke up with the goal of "bringing souls unto Christ." That was the big goal. From there, as an LDS missionary, I further believed that really the only way a soul could "come unto Christ" was through repentance, baptism by immersion at the hand of someone with authorized priesthood authority, confirmation by the same priesthood and then ultimately making covenants in a Mormon temple. Sometimes we were able to bring people to the waters of baptism, sometimes all we could do was bear testimony. And in rare cases, we saw some who would enter the temple.
But none of that can happen unless we, and the people who agreed with us, accept one crucial premise: that there is only one true, authorized-and-endorsed-by-God religion on the earth. And by virtue of that premise, all other religions and philosophies are false.
From a religious and philosophical belief, everything hinges on that premise for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Time and time again, leaders of the church, from the beginning, to today, have maintained that there is no middle ground. Either it's Christ's restored church and kingdom on the earth today, or it is a fraud. I will never forget the words of the Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley when he said in 2003, "Each of us has to face the matter—either the Church is true, or it is a fraud. There is no middle ground. It is the Church and kingdom of God, or it is nothing."
As a missionary, I asked people to always re-evaluate their beliefs and in that process, they should consider reading the Book of Mormon and ask God if it was true or not. At that time I sincerely believed in truth and that we are all on a life-long journey to find un-alterable and un-changing truths. Today, I still believe this. I think we all ought to be open to feedback and checking our compasses to see if we are still heading in the direction of truth. We all ought to be on the lookout for lies and half-truths in our quest. We all ought to be mindful of where we build our homes. We may think we have built on rock, but when torments and rains and winds come and our house sways, cracks and tumbles, we may need to re-consider where we rebuild our home. And when we play a sport, such as football or soccer, we ought to expect that the posts or goal won't move for the duration of the game, otherwise the game may be pointless.
And as I asked others to re-evaluate their life decisions, religious beliefs and philosophy, I too should be willing to do the same. After all, when the stakes are this high (a religion is either endorsed by God or not), I ought to take this seriously!
My "testimony" for the first 30 or so years of my life was roughly built on this framework:
The Book of Mormon is true (historically and philosophically), because I read it, agreed with most of its teachings and when I prayed about it, God caused me to feel good, peaceful and reassured.
Since the Book of Mormon is true, I now know Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, since he was called of God to translate the golden plates using the Urim and Thummim and breastplate into English.
And everything else that stems from Joseph Smith (teachings, actions, doctrine) is from God since he was called by God.
Anything else that didn't "feel right" or caused a "stupor of thought" was of Satan. A lot of "anti-Mormon" rumors were spread by Satan, including Joseph using a peep-stone in a hat to translate the Book of Mormon or marrying other mens' wives. Anything Gerald or Sandra Tanner said, was also false and "anti-Mormon."
So, you might be able to imagine my predicament when I began to read Rough Stone Rolling in 2008 and 2009 and learned that "anti-Mormon" rumors and lies were indeed accurate! And not only did Rough Stone Rolling confirm these things as fact, but the Church also produced essays admitting that many doctrines were now "theories advanced by men." What would you do the moment you suspect the compass you have been using is inaccurate? How would you feel when the news is delivered to you that your home, which you thought was built on rock, is actually not? That is how I began to feel. I was at a cross-road and had a couple of choices: 1) ignore it all or 2) confront it and find the truth. I chose to confront it.
I finished reading Rough Stone Rolling and proceeded to investigate more. I entered the world of accusations and apologetics. Gone were the days of trusting my feelings. Now I was trying to de-tangle fact from fiction; truth from half-truth, both from leaders and apologists of the church and from its critics.
I won't review all the aspects of the Church doctrine I disagree with now, in this blog post - there are plenty of resources on-line that get into all that. However, I will say that if there were just one or two issues, and that were all, then maybe I could keep them on a "mental shelf" and still maintain a strong belief in the dogma of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But that is simply not the case. Time and time again, I've concluded that what is unique about the Church is not good, and what is good about the Church is not unique.
As I begin to wrap up this blog post, I'll note some of the unique things about the Church, which I think are not good. I'll phrase them in such a way using Christ as a spiritual north on a spiritual compass.
Would Christ use a scrying or peep stone (different from the Urim and Thummim) to translate ancient Egyptian scripture?
Would he be less than truthful about his abilities to translate ancient Egyptian text?
Would he call one of his apostles to use a scrying stone and be less than truthful about his abilities to translate ancient Egyptian text?
Would Christ marry another man's wife, especially after establishing commandments to not commit adultery and coveting?
Would He command his followers to do the same?
Would He deny eternal blessings to some children of God based on the color of their skin or some other God-given genetic factor?
Would He command or encourage his apostles to lie or deceive others or use carefully worded denials?
Would He prioritize building worldly assets over feeding the hungry?
Would He change his doctrine based on political or social pressure?
Would He excommunicate His followers for trying to make His religion a better and more safe place for its members and children while ignoring and not excommunicating physical and sexual abusers?
And would He accuse you or anyone of being ignorant, wanting to sin or being offended if you did discover any of the above?
Obviously, that is a lot to unpack. If any of that causes you to scratch your head or cause you concern, I know exactly how you feel. It is not a good feeling. But you have to ask yourself, if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were not true, would you want to know? We asked this question, in the positive format, all the time during our missionary service. I think the negative version of the question is just as valid and important.
Also, time and time again, in Sunday School, seminary and priesthood classes and in private conversations, we would often point to other religions who would do some or all of the above and consider this as evidence that that religion is not of God ("by their fruits ye shall know them"). Why would we not apply this same standard to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
I want to conclude with one more thought for you to consider. I have not lost my faith. In all this journey of re-evaluating my religion and philosophy for the past ten years, I learned what it means to "walk through the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalms 23:4). The torch of certainty was taken from me and I was no longer spoon-fed what I must believe. Now, I have to truly trust in God that things will work out fine; that He is still leading my life and that He has a purpose for me. I often wonder if this is what Adam and Eve felt like after leaving the Garden of Eden. I have concluded, this ten year re-evaluation has greatly increased my faith and trust in God.
Showing posts with label Church History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church History. Show all posts
Monday, December 31, 2018
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Oct 2008 General Conference Notes: Sun PM Session
*Personal commentary, thoughts and inspirations are underlined
Elder Boyd K. Packer
The saints celebrated the nation's freedom despite the persecution they faced by that same government. The saints knew the Lord told them that we believe in being subject to kings ... etc.
Rather than consumed with revenge, the Saints were anchored in revelation.
The leaders of the Church are prepared through the decades to lead the Church.
"Today the sun never sets on congregations of Latter-day Saints."
Elder Russell M. Nelson
Men and women are that they might have joy. That joy comes when we choose the right.
Patterns of the shopper
Some shoppers study ... the best, quality. Some are bargain shoppers ... and find that what they buy don't last. Then there are those who steal what they want.
Marriage is of God. It is sacred.
Salvation is an individual matter. Exaltation is a family matter. The earth was created and this Church was formed so that families can be created, formed and sealed. Marriage is a divine commandment.
"All covenants, contracts, obligations ... that are not made ... are of no efficacy ... when men are dead" These truths are absolute.
No blessings with held from His faithful saints (to those who go unmarried).
Minimize personal demands, maximize loving unselfishness.
As with the pattern of the shopper, we can choose what type of marriage we will have. The best choice is the celestial marriage. If a lesser choice is taken, you can still "upgrade"
Brother William D. Oswald
He shared story of his grand-daughters learning to jump rope. Once they learned the fundamentals they were able to successfully jump.
We all have the responsibility to learn the basic principals of teachings. This can be done by watching other teachers and learning from the World Wide Broadcast on teaching (Feb 2007?)
We can learn from Jesus ... the master teacher.
1) Show love to those you teach and call them by name.
2) Teach from the scriptures.
3) Encourage the pondering of Gospel truths.
Elder Cabaret(?) and Elder (?)
Elder Quentin L. Cook
I had to take a call and take care of some business during the last three talks. I'll have to go back and watch these talks later.
President Thomas S. Monson
Heavenly Father is aware of the challenges we face in the world today.
May we be good citizens in the nations in which we live.
May we be men and women of honesty and integrity.
Contributions to the Church help us respond to disasters throughout the world.
May we be mindful of the needs of those around us and be willing to lend a helping hand.
Continuous revelation is the lifeblood of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Dr. Faustus: "There is a more searing anguish than fire - eternal exile from God"
Elder Boyd K. Packer
The saints celebrated the nation's freedom despite the persecution they faced by that same government. The saints knew the Lord told them that we believe in being subject to kings ... etc.
Rather than consumed with revenge, the Saints were anchored in revelation.
The leaders of the Church are prepared through the decades to lead the Church.
"Today the sun never sets on congregations of Latter-day Saints."
Elder Russell M. Nelson
Men and women are that they might have joy. That joy comes when we choose the right.
Patterns of the shopper
Some shoppers study ... the best, quality. Some are bargain shoppers ... and find that what they buy don't last. Then there are those who steal what they want.
Marriage is of God. It is sacred.
Salvation is an individual matter. Exaltation is a family matter. The earth was created and this Church was formed so that families can be created, formed and sealed. Marriage is a divine commandment.
"All covenants, contracts, obligations ... that are not made ... are of no efficacy ... when men are dead" These truths are absolute.
No blessings with held from His faithful saints (to those who go unmarried).
Minimize personal demands, maximize loving unselfishness.
As with the pattern of the shopper, we can choose what type of marriage we will have. The best choice is the celestial marriage. If a lesser choice is taken, you can still "upgrade"
Brother William D. Oswald
He shared story of his grand-daughters learning to jump rope. Once they learned the fundamentals they were able to successfully jump.
We all have the responsibility to learn the basic principals of teachings. This can be done by watching other teachers and learning from the World Wide Broadcast on teaching (Feb 2007?)
We can learn from Jesus ... the master teacher.
1) Show love to those you teach and call them by name.
2) Teach from the scriptures.
3) Encourage the pondering of Gospel truths.
Elder Cabaret(?) and Elder (?)
Elder Quentin L. Cook
I had to take a call and take care of some business during the last three talks. I'll have to go back and watch these talks later.
President Thomas S. Monson
Heavenly Father is aware of the challenges we face in the world today.
May we be good citizens in the nations in which we live.
May we be men and women of honesty and integrity.
Contributions to the Church help us respond to disasters throughout the world.
May we be mindful of the needs of those around us and be willing to lend a helping hand.
Continuous revelation is the lifeblood of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Dr. Faustus: "There is a more searing anguish than fire - eternal exile from God"
Oct 2008 General Conference Notes: Sun AM Session
*Personal commentary, thoughts and inspirations are underlined
President Henry B. Eyring
Message of unity. The Lord's prophets have always called for unity. The challenge to maintain it will grow difficult. We are doing well as a people.
Our hearts will be knit together in unity (see Mosiah 18:21)
We should pray and ask for the blessing of unity. God's desire is to grant us this blessing. We must seek it and qualify for it.
We can receive guidance and encouragement from the story of Alma the Elder and those who followed him. "One eye, one faith, one baptism ... hearts knit together" (Mosiah 18:21)
When testimony of Christ is born, the Spirit testifies the truth of it and our hearts become knit together.
We need to be humble to be united. Pride is the enemy of unity.
Ask help from God to help others see common ground ... to be a peacemaker.
We need to speak well of each other. Sometimes we must judge others. Most of the time we have a choice. If you can't say anything good about a person, don't say anything at all. We can choose to "step away" from sowing seeds of dissension.
The saints can accomplish anything when our hearts are unified.
The unity we now experience will increase.
Elder Robert D. Hales
Why would someone want to attack us when we have taken upon us the name of Christ? We may feel inclined, when our faith is attacked, to "put up our dukes" and attack back. But we should prayerfully respond. Study the way Christ responded to various attacks on him.
To love our enemies ... that takes faith and strength and Christian courage.
True disciples of Christ see opportunities in opposition. Example: Abinadi & Alma.
As true disciples, seek guidance from the spirit ... seek to give customize counsel when we respond. We must never become contentious, but by the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22) Quiet confidence, not boastful pride. We should be guileless.
In some instances, we are better off just walking away and avoiding the situation all together. Some people bait us to leave the high ground. Do not leave it ... it is the safe ground ... where the truth and light is. Lehonti was coaxed to come down from the mount and was poisoned by degrees (see Alma 47) Some want us to enter a theological scrum. "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down" (Nehemiah 6:3). Muster Christian courage and move on.
To those who would argue, we must love them no matter what.
Bishop Keith B. McMullin
We are all children of our Heavenly Father. We are to love our "neighbor." Everyone is our neighbor.
By fasting and donating a fast offering, we serve our neighbors. It is heaven's help in a practical way.
We are commanded to pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ. Heavely Father answers all sincere prayers. Priesthood blessings are another form of prayer. The story of Janice who was run over by a bus. She was given a blessing to fully recover and lead a normal life. She is now a grandmother and has not suffered single effect from that accident.
We must be careful in the use of Christ's name.
Sister Elaine S. Dalton
A call to virtue. A pattern of thought and behavior based on high standards. Accumulation of 1000s of daily actions. Quiet dignity and inner strength.
Lehonti was well positioned on the mount. But after 4 tries, Lehonti came down and was poisoned by degrees.
We must return to virtue ... return to strict to training. The will to win is the will to prepare.
I was inspired this morning while driving to work to dig up my old "Putnam Papers" I wrote and put together while on my mission. I was truly inspired to remember those words I wrote to myself 11 years ago. I am reviewing them now and will continue to review them. This is my return to virtue.
"When He shall appear, we shall be like him" (Moroni 7:48)
Elder M. Russell Ballard
Joseph Smith was aware that that Saints would be driven to the Rocky Mountains where they would become a great people. The Church has grown from small numbers to the great organization it is today.
There really isn't a whole lot to note about Elder Ballad's talk. He did a review of the growth of the history of the Church. It is amazing to listen how far the Church has come. In 22 years, we'll see the 200th anniversary of the Church. Can you imagine what will happen between today and 2030? What marvelous times we live in.
The works and the designs and purposes of God cannot be frustrated.
The Lord isn't asking us to load up a handcart ... but to shore up our faith. Not to walk across a nation, but to cross the street. Not a martyr's death, but a disciple's life.
We must carry on the rich tradition of those who have established this church. Our testimonies must run deep.
President Thomas S. Monson
Nothing is as constant as change. We must always deal with change.
This life is short. The longer we live, the more we realize how brief this life is. We also learn what is most important. Find joy in the journey now.
"If you pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find that you've collected a lot of empty yesterdays."
Do all that you can in providing pleasant memories for the future. Do not let stresses get in the way of what is most important. What is most important is those who are around us. We won't regret hugs, and wishes of love. But we will regret missed opportunities of hugs and wishes of love.
One day, each of us will run out of tomorrows.
He spoke of Borghild Dahl who faced vision problems early in life. But she endured and had a desire to learn and participate. She lead a wonderful life, received an education and eventually had her vision restored. She expressed these words after receiving her sight: "Dear father in heaven. I thank thee. I thank thee"
"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God" The story of the 10 lepers.
Christ taught us how to live.
I've always loved listening to President Monson and his tender stories. I simply forget to take notes when listening to him. His talks are flashy, but make you quietly ponder the teachings of the Savior. He weaves the teachings of the Savior so beautifully into his talks. What a wonderful talk!
President Henry B. Eyring
Message of unity. The Lord's prophets have always called for unity. The challenge to maintain it will grow difficult. We are doing well as a people.
Our hearts will be knit together in unity (see Mosiah 18:21)
We should pray and ask for the blessing of unity. God's desire is to grant us this blessing. We must seek it and qualify for it.
We can receive guidance and encouragement from the story of Alma the Elder and those who followed him. "One eye, one faith, one baptism ... hearts knit together" (Mosiah 18:21)
When testimony of Christ is born, the Spirit testifies the truth of it and our hearts become knit together.
We need to be humble to be united. Pride is the enemy of unity.
Ask help from God to help others see common ground ... to be a peacemaker.
We need to speak well of each other. Sometimes we must judge others. Most of the time we have a choice. If you can't say anything good about a person, don't say anything at all. We can choose to "step away" from sowing seeds of dissension.
The saints can accomplish anything when our hearts are unified.
The unity we now experience will increase.
Elder Robert D. Hales
Why would someone want to attack us when we have taken upon us the name of Christ? We may feel inclined, when our faith is attacked, to "put up our dukes" and attack back. But we should prayerfully respond. Study the way Christ responded to various attacks on him.
To love our enemies ... that takes faith and strength and Christian courage.
True disciples of Christ see opportunities in opposition. Example: Abinadi & Alma.
As true disciples, seek guidance from the spirit ... seek to give customize counsel when we respond. We must never become contentious, but by the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22) Quiet confidence, not boastful pride. We should be guileless.
In some instances, we are better off just walking away and avoiding the situation all together. Some people bait us to leave the high ground. Do not leave it ... it is the safe ground ... where the truth and light is. Lehonti was coaxed to come down from the mount and was poisoned by degrees (see Alma 47) Some want us to enter a theological scrum. "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down" (Nehemiah 6:3). Muster Christian courage and move on.
To those who would argue, we must love them no matter what.
Bishop Keith B. McMullin
We are all children of our Heavenly Father. We are to love our "neighbor." Everyone is our neighbor.
By fasting and donating a fast offering, we serve our neighbors. It is heaven's help in a practical way.
We are commanded to pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ. Heavely Father answers all sincere prayers. Priesthood blessings are another form of prayer. The story of Janice who was run over by a bus. She was given a blessing to fully recover and lead a normal life. She is now a grandmother and has not suffered single effect from that accident.
We must be careful in the use of Christ's name.
Sister Elaine S. Dalton
A call to virtue. A pattern of thought and behavior based on high standards. Accumulation of 1000s of daily actions. Quiet dignity and inner strength.
Lehonti was well positioned on the mount. But after 4 tries, Lehonti came down and was poisoned by degrees.
We must return to virtue ... return to strict to training. The will to win is the will to prepare.
I was inspired this morning while driving to work to dig up my old "Putnam Papers" I wrote and put together while on my mission. I was truly inspired to remember those words I wrote to myself 11 years ago. I am reviewing them now and will continue to review them. This is my return to virtue.
"When He shall appear, we shall be like him" (Moroni 7:48)
Elder M. Russell Ballard
Joseph Smith was aware that that Saints would be driven to the Rocky Mountains where they would become a great people. The Church has grown from small numbers to the great organization it is today.
There really isn't a whole lot to note about Elder Ballad's talk. He did a review of the growth of the history of the Church. It is amazing to listen how far the Church has come. In 22 years, we'll see the 200th anniversary of the Church. Can you imagine what will happen between today and 2030? What marvelous times we live in.
The works and the designs and purposes of God cannot be frustrated.
The Lord isn't asking us to load up a handcart ... but to shore up our faith. Not to walk across a nation, but to cross the street. Not a martyr's death, but a disciple's life.
We must carry on the rich tradition of those who have established this church. Our testimonies must run deep.
President Thomas S. Monson
Nothing is as constant as change. We must always deal with change.
This life is short. The longer we live, the more we realize how brief this life is. We also learn what is most important. Find joy in the journey now.
"If you pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find that you've collected a lot of empty yesterdays."
Do all that you can in providing pleasant memories for the future. Do not let stresses get in the way of what is most important. What is most important is those who are around us. We won't regret hugs, and wishes of love. But we will regret missed opportunities of hugs and wishes of love.
One day, each of us will run out of tomorrows.
He spoke of Borghild Dahl who faced vision problems early in life. But she endured and had a desire to learn and participate. She lead a wonderful life, received an education and eventually had her vision restored. She expressed these words after receiving her sight: "Dear father in heaven. I thank thee. I thank thee"
"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God" The story of the 10 lepers.
Christ taught us how to live.
I've always loved listening to President Monson and his tender stories. I simply forget to take notes when listening to him. His talks are flashy, but make you quietly ponder the teachings of the Savior. He weaves the teachings of the Savior so beautifully into his talks. What a wonderful talk!
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