Faith Transitional Model – More Effective then Fowler

Fowler leads people away from organized religion. This would indicate a bias. This model I created to offer the same ideals but “leading with Faith”

Would love feedback – Pos and Neg

Understanding Faith from the perspective of how to help one in Faith Crisis grasp how to transition to a place where one can lead with faith

Blue Phase – Dualistic approach

In this phase Church members will tend to separate the world into dichotomies or extremes. Examples = Good/Evil, Righteousness/Apostasy, Us/Them. This can even be over extended at times connecting two perceived opposites that really are not. Examples – righteous/cursed

Members in this phase are likely to desire and work better within a very restrictive framework. Commandments are not only a piece of their gospel framework, rather it is the Framework. Commandments/Rules/Council are to be followed explicitly without any exception. In this phase people will generally prefer structure in regards to the rules and they need well defined lines that they can trust in. Examples: Reasoning that we should follow Leaders absolutely/blindly with no exception. They are also more likely in this phase to overstate the rules. Ex: making the Word of Wisdom include things it doesn’t, imposing their definition of the Word of Wisdom on others.

They will be more likely to overstate or view that when Church leaders when speaking publicly are always speaking as prophet/Apostles/Inspired. In relation to not generally making exceptions they may say things like Lying is always wrong (Intruder who wants to hurt your children), Murder is always wrong (nephi/Laban), Breaking the Sabbath in terms of letter of the Law is always wrong (even if it means be able to serve one in need).

In their perception all fits neatly into compartments and there is safety in this reasoning. They are unprepared to handle nuance in large degrees.

Red Phase – Chaos

This phase can be most easily understood as – when a member of the Church comes to grips that the events and behavior around them no longer meet the expectations and assumptions of their dualistic approach. Examples – They begin to see Church leaders are not perfect, that mistakes happen, that history is not so simple once explored. Many types of transition can occur at this point but for the purpose of this paper we will describe two.

This stage can be chaotic and contain more tension than one can easily handle. Faith Crisis, if it occurs, normally manifests itself in this phase.

This phase is normally an adjustment phase where one begins to strip away what works and fits; and what does not. One must either rebuild their framework or one must retreat back to the Blue phase. If one retreats, they will not be able to do without abandoning one dualistic approach for another. Example: Leaving Mormonism for Evangelical Christianity or for Atheism but only adjusting their unrealistic assumptions and expectations very little.

While the reality is they are beginning to see the nuance in the world, they don’t yet have the recognition to see it for what it is. What is meant by this is that rather than see their expectations and assumptions from the Blue Phase as unrealistic, they may simply hang onto those assumptions and expectations and decide rather that their beliefs no longer hold true. Example: If one feels Murder is always wrong and then encounters Nephi murdering Laban on God’s command as impossible to reconcile. They will be forced to either abandon Nephi’s righteous/inspired motives or they will have to abandon a faith that proscribes these exceptions entirely.

A person going through this process of testing what works and what does not, may have moments of anger, loss, betrayal, sadness, anxiety, depression, and feel the urge to resolve this conflict quickly. These feelings are serious and must be handled with empathy and understanding. Since in their mind, their assumptions and expectations are realistic or at least were given to them by the Church, they may display feeling of anger and act out against the Church. They may rebel against standards, or test the waters of inactivity.

Any effort to compel the person to “get back in line” is risky and at times inappropriate though each issue/circumstance should be judged on it’s own merit. Generally the person needs flexibility. They need to see that any new truths they discover likely still fits within the gospel. They need to know they do not have to fit a mold and are not required to accept other’s truths blindly but rather encouraged to seek confirmation from the spirit and be aware that they are encouraged by the Church to use their agency. Help them to see there is much diversity of thought, opinion, and belief within Mormonism.

As they are met with gospel truths and principles that permit them the flexibility they seek and display a mormonism that is more encompassing than they first realized, they will begin to recognize that it was not the gospel that was misaligned but rather their expectations and assumptions. Recognizing this provides them a road back to a place of faith which we will speak of next in the Green Phase. If they do not recognize this they will likely withdraw their activity, disengage emotionally, or abandon faith all-together.

Green Phase – reconciliation

Members in this phase recognize and cherish nuance. They see the breadth of the gospel and find joy in it’s complexities. They see that issues rarely tend to be cut and dry and likely need much study, ponder, and prayer to arrive at conclusions. They also tend to realize that inspired answers are for them, and they are careful not to impose those answers on others. Whereas the Blue Phase preferred structure and Commandments, the Green Phase prefers as Moroni 7 teaches, the ability to judge for oneself based on the Holy Ghost what it is that brings them closer Christ. This is not to be understood that they seek to break commandments or live above the law, but rather on those items that are beyond the Doctrine of the Church they enjoy the freedom to govern themselves. They are more likely not to be bothered by differing views and actually embrace others differences. They tend to be more tolerant of differences and recognize that while their “t”ruth is theirs, it is not another’s “T”ruth. They have reconciled their assumptions and expectations to be more realistic and to better fit life’s experiences. They tend to be able to distinguish more easily between culture and doctrine. It must be stated here that their views still have flaws and errors, but they also tend to recognize that and realize their view will be one of constant shifting and re-appraisal. They tend to not impose their views on others but rather offer them as one additional way to consider how to connect things.

Richard Bushman in his 2008 presentation “Joseph Smith and his Critics” described a reconciled Latter-Day Saint this way

1. They often say they learned the Prophet was human. They don’t expect him to be a model of perfect deportment as they once thought. He may have taken a glass of wine from time to time, or scolded his associates, or even have made business errors. They see his virtues and believe in his revelations but don’t expect perfection.

2. They also don’t believe he was led by revelation in every detail. They see him as learning gradually to be a prophet and having to feel his way at times like most Church members. In between the revelations, he was left to himself to work out the methods of complying with the Lord’s commandments. Sometimes he had to experiment until he found the right way.

3. These newly revived Latter-day Saints also develop a more philosophical attitude toward history. They come to see (like professional historians) that facts can have many interpretations. Negative facts are not necessarily as damning as they appear at first sight. Put in another context alongside other facts, they do not necessarily destroy Joseph Smith’s reputation.

4. Revived Latter-day Saints focus on the good things they derive from their faith–the community of believers, the comforts of the Holy Spirit, the orientation toward the large questions of life, contact with God, moral discipline, and many others. They don’t want to abandon these good things. Starting from that point of desired belief, they are willing to give Joseph Smith and the doctrine a favorable hearing. They may not be absolutely certain about every item, but they are inclined to see the good and the true in the Church.

Some other Notes regarding these phases

One is never in one phase entirely and likely has some footing in all three phases.

These phases are not to compare one with another but rather to show how one got into a faith crisis and to empower them to get through it maintaining faith.

In the red phase there are several transitions. For purpose of length we discussed two concepts only