- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
How about we make a list of hot topics people have problems with? Many of these topics have alternative views that allow people to reconcile their intellectual knowledge with their faith in the Church. We can provide a link to the straight apologetics, but also have people write essays on how they personally reconcile the problem and keep their faith. I know I have to come up with my own hopes and faith. I’ve been managing to stay in the Church, but I really don’t believe a lot of the traditional stories anymore (not the same way). I found ways to deal with it and still have a level of faith overall. I know these are hot topics:
Polygamy/Polyandry
Book of Mormon Translation and Historicity
Book of Abraham
Mormons and Masons
Temple Ceremony Changes
Imperfect or misunderstood revelation
Policies vs Eternal Truths
Blacks and the Priesthood
Adam-God theory, prophets can have opinions and be wrong, and that’s ok
One and only true Church
Perfect Church
One and only priesthood authority
How can I perform preisthood ordinances now that I have doubts?
That’s just a brief short list off the top of my head. I’ve seen many wonderful, non-traditional viewpoints expressed that allowed people to stay in the Church and reconcile these topics.
Great idea! I would add these:
Women and the Priesthood
Not receiving personal revelation as promised/expected
Add: Patriarchal Blessings that were wrong.
Personal Priesthood blessings that didn’t come true or didn’t heal someone. (I had this happen to me, and caused some doubts).
God never gave you an answer or spiritual witness (could be the same as Alisa’s idea)
Scriptural literalism Biological evolution
Baptism at 8-years-old Statements and beliefs of earlier Prophets and apostles that seem weird or flat-out wrong now
The temple, in general Definitely evolution
Heavenly Mother
Definitely evolution
Homosexuality
Infallibility of Prophets and Leaders (may be included in prior points) What about basic Christian and general religious questions? Or are these going too far outside Mormonism?
Agnostic or Atheistic leanings (ok, a bit of a stretch for a true atheist to keep faith in the Church)
Divinity of Jesus Christ
Historical Jesus
Historicity of the Bible
Other prophets (Mohammud, Buddha, etc.)
I think this is a good idea. Along the lines of evolution, what about something having to do with physical science? I know several people who have left the church because their education into physics led them to believe that everything in the universe could be explained, so they no longer ‘needed’ God. I love this idea. Listening to people on OM who had different points of view helped my see that I could adapt my views and still maintain belief. Take the First Vision for example. I was really having a hard time with it until I thought of it as a vision. It was much easier for me to be okay with discrepencies in Joseph Smith’s statements if it was a vision not a visitation, but I needed to hear other peoples perspectives to realize that I could change my own views. First Vision Accounts (adding this as a bullet point per Rachel’s excellent comment)
Do we want to also discuss cultural problems people face? Yes! Part of what differentiates us from FAIR/FARMS is that I want us to address emotional, cultural, spiritual, social, etc. The full experience. johndehlin wrote:Yes! Part of what differentiates us from FAIR/FARMS is that I want us to address emotional, cultural, spiritual, social, etc. The full experience.
Love it, John. Your magnum opus. I’m lucky to be a part of it.
Jordan Turner wrote:Your magnum opus.
OUR magnum opus. And I’m the lucky one.
Gerontology (Pros and Cons)
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.