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I hope to find help here feeling more comfortable in my faith. I have issues with pologamy, the endowment origins (Masonic connection), temple worship, the church feeling spiritually destructive to me, and the superior attitude of many Utah Mormons. I don’t want out, I just seek to be comfortable and have peace with these and other issues. I no longer believe every calling I have been issued is “inspired” or “of God.” Sometimes, maybe…but certainly not always. I’m more of a firm believer in despiration, not inspiration. For the last 29 years I have accepted WHATEVER I’ve been asked and I cannot TAKE it any more! I know I need to read about ogranizational abuse because I’ve experienced it.
I’m annoyed that when I seek answers from my leaders…answers to my biggest questions…they dont’ have answers (especially regarding the temple). Someone must have the answers about the temple….or do they?
As a convert I struggle with the culture and I’ve never felt like I fit in…not just at church but anywhere…so I think this is not the church but more about ME. Still, I don’t feel like I fit at church, especially in Utah. Sometimes I come home from church and I feel spiritually dirty rather than spiritually uplifted. I often feel anger at what I have heard or experienced. It takes me several days to get back to where I was BEFORE I went to church, through my own personal studies and personal worship at home.
I have NEVER felt good singing the song “Praise to the Man.” I cannot sing it! I don’t go to church to praise any MAN! This is a big issue for me. Wherefore, let no man glory in man, but rather let him glory in God, who shall subdue all enemies under his feet. D&C 76:61 Any greatness of Joseph Smith was because of the Spirit of the Lord that was in him. I believe with all my heart that if Joseph Smith hadn’t done the Lord’s work, the Lord would have found someone else. We shouldn’t be praising that person–we should be praising God! I’m SO not into Mormon leader worship. That song in the songbook makes absolutely NO sense to me in light of what the scriptures say about giving God the glory. Jesus Christ deserves ALL our praise–especially during sacrament meeting.
Many of my favorite people aren’t LDS but good people of other faiths. Maybe this is because they seem to enjoy their religion and their relationship with God and many of the LDS people I know do not, myself included. I’m beginning to place more emphasis on my relationship with Christ and in loving others rather than having an emphasis on “doing, doing, doing” the neverending Mormon checklists. I hate how LDS people talk about people of other faiths or even in Utah how they talk about other LDS members who are NOT from Utah. There is this Utah bubble of people who have never left the state (except possibly to serve a mission) who think “out there” is a horrible, scary place. This drives me INSANE and I’m surrounded by people like this right now.
Well, as you can see I have issues. The one issue I don’t have is my belief in my Savior. And for that I am most grateful. It makes me cry…okay…now i’m all ver clempt….talk amongst yourselves.
Thank you for expressing those emotions. Many of us as Latterday Saints can appreciate you, your value, your worth. Welcome to the board. Welcome Daisy! I do hope you find some of the insights and support here that you seek. If you ever notice me coming across as unkind – please feel free to slap some sense into me!!
Welcome. I have been thinking of doing a post about “Praise to the Man”. This might motivate me to do it. 😳 Dear Ray, I have always loved the song, “Oh, How Lovely Was the Morning”.
To me, we all have our “spiritual mornings”, we all have those sacred spiritual moments that connect us God. We can all relate to that song.
“Praise to the Man” is different. It reads, “Mingling with Gods”, and places JS on the par with Jehovah, not as a humble spirit. I simply cannot relate. I see JS as an imperfect man, not unlike myself, battling my own bad habits and temptations. I like the JS who is humble, teachable and very, very human. I’m actually glad when Emma Smith gets after him (I picture her chasing him with a broom). It makes him human!! He becomes someone I can relate to, someone who is one the exact same journey as I am. Hey, I’m tempted by chocolate chip cookies, JS was tempted as well. “Praise to the Man” places the Prophet beyond my reach. I don’t “mingle with Gods”. I have my kids, grandkids, cats and neighbors in the hood. (Unless of course my cat is a god, he thinks he is).
I go to church on Sunday to praise the Lord. I also agree that anything that JS accomplished, he did so by the power and gift of God and not of his own accord. I would give anything if the Church would just achieve “Praise to the Man” and replace it with, “Oh How Lovely Was the Morning”.
This is for Newbie, The Lord will let you know him. He will let you have a very personal relationship with him. It isn’t about you and the prophet, it is about you and the Lord.
Welcome Daisy. Thanks for sharing your story and introducing yourself. You are more than welcome to hand out with us and share your ideas and your discoveries, or just to listen enjoy the thoughts of others. I’m sure a lot of what you share resonates with many who come here. I know I was saying to myself “yup, that’s me sometimes too” as I was reading your into. It sounds like you are way ahead of the curve with having compassion for others. I really don’t get a big sense of anger from you. It can be frustrating at times for sure. But it sounds like you have a good hold of peace and compassion for others’ views. Hang on to what has value and brings you goodness. Go slow and always try to “trade up” when we make changes.
Welcome aboard!
Welcome! We’re glad to have you here. We try to be kind and non-judgemental and not press our own beliefs onto anybody. Hope you find the support you are looking for here.
Welcome. I share many of the same opinions. At least know you are not alone and not crazy!!! Welcome, Daisy! There is life after disaffection. I enjoyed your intro and look forward to getting to know you on the site. Welcome Daisy. I have been a member my whole life and live outside Utah, and still feel many of the same things you expressed. I think it is a natural progression for many people like us. And that is ok. There are many people on this website smarter than I am who have studied the origins of the temple and other things you mentioned. I think there are answers…but it depends on what your questions are, and what you’re truly after. Many of the church leaders, in my opinion, may not rattle off answers because they may not have thought about it like we have, so they may not know for sure how to answer, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t answers, just that you need to look elsewhere for them sometimes.
I believe God leads us on our own path for our own development, at least I think He has for me.
I think you have found a safe environment where you can ask your questions, share your answers, or your doubts or your feelings…and find we can all benefit from sharing our stories. Thanks for sharing yours.
Welcome to the forum.
Welcome, Daisy! Great that you’re here! Hi Daisy and welcome, if you have had time to look through some of the threads you will find that your unease with the Utah Mormon culture is shared by many and the general concesus is that you need to know that it IS NOT the ideal and that those of us fortunate enough to be out in the “mission field” whereever that is are profoundly grateful for it. You will need to move into the other threads and start reading about and asking questions about the temple but just a quick one on the Masonic influence. First it is absolutely correct to understand that Joseph Smith was inspired by and borrowed from the Masonic traditions particularly their “learning method” of having people go through stage after stage to learn by an oral method the important information to be absorbed. All his life Joseph was attuned to revelation and Heavenly Father responded by opening to Joseph’s mind when Joseph finally asked on just about any question. Here is a link to an interview John Dehlin did with Greg Kearney a life long Mormon and Mason that pretty well answers most issues with Mormons and Masons:
http://mormonstories.org/?p=14 Welcome and I look forward to sharing with you and learning from you.
Daisy, Herzlich willkommen! (A hearty welcome) Thank you so much for sharing your feelings with such honesty and clarity. You don’t have to feel verklempt here, for most of us on this forum have either similar experiences or we know others who do. Some of us, me included, have worked through the crap and come out the other end the better person for it, and even can start to function within the Church with some sense of peace and equanimity. But I can’t pretend to tell you if or how that might work for you. One thing is obvious is your love for the Savior. I am in awe that you feel so strongly about your relationship with Him and other people. “If you have done it to the least of these, thy brethren, you have done it unto me.” I must push myself to get outside my little ego.
The one thing I would suggest that might help, is to find what it is within Mormondom that does feel right and good. Make it your own, and the other stuff, recognize that you just can’t accept it is from God, for example, leader worship and Utah arrogance. If you don’t understand something and can’t resolve it, it may be helpful if you can put it on the shelf until such time in the future you can revisit it. Then it may be possible for you to start dealing with Mormondom on your terms, not theirs. Who knows, you may be able to show some of those know-it-all’s what it means to love the Savior. If you could do that, how would that feel?
swimordie wrote:Welcome, Daisy! Great that you’re here!
Thank you swimordie!
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