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There’s no question Jana Riess gets it. She makes that very clear in her recent Religion News Service which appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune. https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2022/08/18/jana-riess-dear-latter-day/ ” class=”bbcode_url”> https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2022/08/18/jana-riess-dear-latter-day/ A couple highlights:
Quote:I’ve been thinking a fair amount lately about the rising numbers of Latter-day Saints who are questioning their faith or leaving it altogether, the topic of the book Benjamin Knoll and I are working on — which has led me to think too about how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints handles those people’s needs — sometimes wisely and pastorally, but all too often judgmentally.
There are many reasons for this. A major one is that the church tends to elevate people to leadership who haven’t questioned their faith, Latter-day Saint history or its leaders — or at least those who haven’t raised those doubts openly. This creates and reinforces a culture that cherishes obedience to authority over many other potential values.
The church also tends to misunderstand, infantilize and even demonize those who question. Ironically, this overreaction often has the opposite effect of the one the church is hoping for, pushing people toward a full-blown faith crisis and a possible exit from the pews. Had they felt their doubts were understood and respected, they might have stayed. By communicating that doubt is to be avoided, the church also conveys that doubters are to be avoided, and those who question their faith feel it keenly.
Quote:A faith crisis can feel devastating and eviscerating when you’re in the throes of it. So bad, in fact, that it’s easy to believe criticisms from orthodox believers who say you brought this pain upon yourself — that this is happening because you didn’t pray enough or go to the temple enough or study the Scriptures enough. (And it’s true that you probably didn’t; who does? Is there an agreed-upon, objective “enough” measure that would have put you over the top?)
Quote:Some people do leave the church after a faith crisis. Others, like me, choose to stay…. …Rather than focusing right now on a particular outcome, just notice the changes that are happening to you, and marvel.
You’re not crazy. You’re not wrong. You’re not apostate. You’re just changing.
I really like the cocoon metaphor. Quote:It’s an intriguing metaphor for a faith crisis. When you’re in one, it feels like everything you thought you knew, the solid matter you could rely on, has been liquefied. There’s nothing to hold onto. You recognize little of your former self, that caterpillar who happily stayed on the same plant or tree, never straying, contented to munch away. Now it feels like you’re straining for something more, but you’re not sure what, and the straining is not necessarily your choice.
That’s a very relatable description of a faith crisis.
I like the butterfly thing, too, but if that were included I would have essentially reposted the whole article. 🙂 I agree, is relatable.I cannot account for anyone but myself. I am a 5th generation member of the church. I cannot say I have ever had what is called a “crisis of faith”. I was beside my mother at her bed as she passed. Her last words to me were that I was the most difficult child of our large family but that she loved me dearly. She also hinted that I was somewhat difficult as an adult. I was not a rebellious kid just very curious and my goal growing up was to launch something into outer space. I grew up loving logic, math, physics and science as the hope of finding success to my goal. I also became acquainted with both the police and FBI through my experiments. I also grew up knowing church leaders and was close to Elder Hugh Brown and very much enjoyed trying to stump him with my questions. I have personal connections with several of our general authorities. I also grew up knowing (conversing personally with) Hugh Nibley. For anyone knowing the history of the physics department at BYU – I also grew up knowing Dr. Harrison and Dr. Hall. I thought such individuals to be a norm rather than an exception. I guess the closest I have come to a crisis of faith is trying to get out of and far from the shadow of those that had grand expectations for me.
I have always had a dislike of management and leadership – especially and mostly for those that aspire to make themselves leaders. I personally have not known many members of the Church that aspire to leadership and the few that have wanted leadership and achieved it – have not lasted long. My experience with church leadership is quite different than my experiences in the corporate world, the military, politics, education and society in general.
I am most likely one of the members others complain about. I honestly do not understand or know how to deal well with complainers. It may not be the worse of my faults, but I am sure it ranks up there. I have to be most careful or else I will turn into a complainer myself – complaining about the complainers. My one redemption in all this is my most caring wife. She is my polar opposite and has great empathy and compassion for those struggling. She reminds me daily to be more compassionate – compassion is perhaps my crisis of faith. I could never be a church leader and am grateful I have never been in leadership beyond bishop counselor. I have quit my job at work rather than being forced into management. But I am quite sure as bad as leadership is in this world that most of those being led are just as poor or worse at their job in following as the leaders are in leading. And above it all, I am convinced no one has ever succeeded at anything by complaining.
And yet I recently read an article that referenced a study that the majority of current college students are suffering mental illness and in need of help – including counseling and medication. If there is a need in leadership for those with experience in faith crisis – perhaps there is less to worry about because there will soon be a lot of experience to rely on in the future.
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