Church is true blog

Yes, that’s right… They will get opposition not only from certain church members but opponents of the church.

Hey guys, yes I took about three months off between blog posts recently. It wasn’t a planned sabbatical. During that time period, I was occasionally active posting on my facebook wall https://www.facebook.com/randall.bowen.315, on Reddit (Mormon forum usually), on Mormon Dialogue board, or in a few private fb groups. But combination of very busy work and some trips and maybe just a touch of burn out, slowed me down for a bit.

I’m very motivated to make an impact in the faith crisis world, and I still have a lot to accomplish, but I’m not immune to the issues in the list that Roy posted. I do consider myself an activist, but my motivations are not primary out of activism. And I don’t stay solely due to desire to be an activist and change things. That’s a small part of why I stay. I stay because I genuinely love the church and the experience I and my family have in it.

People have been telling me for a long time, I won’t last long term, or I’ll turn like John Dehlin or Bill Reel. My faith crisis was between 12 and 15 years ago. It’s been 12 years since my faith issues have been in a mostly steady state. I’ve been blogging actively for 4+ years now. I see myself most likely remaining active blogging and as an activist long term. There’s still a lot I want to accomplish. It’s possible burn out could set in and I could see myself backing away and handing the torch off to someone else. But I would never go anti.

Thanks for thinking of me.

I see myself as well trying to help others in a FC . My problem is that noone is in a fc in my small branch . Im always here if anyone ever needs to talk !!

Link please.

Thank you,

I especially liked the following list in reference to how to stayLDS:

Ostler’s main thesis is that someone who has experienced deep faith crisis can stay in the church even without a traditional testimony if needs in three areas can be met:

–trust: they need to be able to trust the Church and local leaders

–belonging: they need to feel like they belong

–meaning: they need to be able to find meaning in the Church even if that is a different meaning than they found prior to faith crisis

Ostler discussed ways local church leaders and active members can help the doubter in these three areas. But if the doubter wants to stay, they also have a huge responsibility in each of these.

Trust. The doubter can choose to view the church and leaders with an attitude of grace, patience, and generosity. The doubter can choose to see the best in people. To assume good intentions. To understand someone with a traditional testimony views things completely differently and so what might feel hurtful to them is done with love by the active member. The doubter can understand that change in an organization like the church can be very slow and not to expect too much too quickly.

Belonging. The doubter can work in the belonging aspect as well. Believing LDS and local leaders can be more careful with lessons and comments that ostracize doubters. But doubters have a responsibility. They should realize that they are unorthodox and that they can pick and choose when to make comments that they know will be hard for others to receive. Like Abraham Lincoln, they can write the letter then throw it away without sending. Sometimes you need to be authentic and you just have to make that comment. But you can do it in a gentle way, and if your actions and comments at other times show that you’re loyal and want to be on the same team, that controversial comment will be received easier. The doubter can look for things in common rather than look for things not in common and try to focus on those things in common while seeking to feel like they belong.

Meaning. The doubter can appreciate the lived experience and work to find meaning in ways they haven’t noticed before. Even an atheist can find significant meaning in being part of a worship and service community. The doubter can find meaning in the work of LDS theologians like Adam Miller and Terryl Givens that are helping to shift the LDS narrative into finding value in more pragmatic and intellectually viable teachings. The doubter can work to find meaning in symbols and metaphors and not get hung up on the implausibility of the literalness of certain scripture and church history events. And at the same time, understand that their more traditional co-religionists are still going to talk about these events as literal and only find them meaningful if they are perceived as literal.

If the doubter wants to stay, and the church wants to keep the doubter, it can happen. Both sides have some work to do to create an environment where this can be done more smoothly.