A Beautiful Response to the "Liberal Mormons" Article

[Anonymous]

I love Margaret Blair Young and her writing. This piece at Patheos is wonderful, and it is perfect for the mission of this site:

“Making Room for Difficult Mormons and Their Friends” (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/welcometable/2013/11/making-room-for-difficult-mormons-and-their-friends/)

My favorite line:

Quote:

Be gentle. Someone has fallen.

[Anonymous]

Wow – fantastic. Margaret shares a vision that I have for our religion. It’s beautiful. Thanks for finding it for us.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing the stark contrast to yesterday’s article, Ray. I think we as church members can easily forget that the gospel is for everybody but everybody isn’t going to accept everything wholesale – and there’s nothing wrong with that. Would Jesus have cast us out? I tend to think not.

[Anonymous]

Yesterday, I read James Falconer’s post at Patheos–“Let’s Not Be Heretics”. http://www.patheos.com//Mormon/Lets-Not-Be-Heretics-James-Faulconer-10-31-2013.html

In it, he discusses the use of the term “haeresis” (meaning heresy) to mean “sects” or “divisions” within the church in the writings of Paul. It’s a great post that gently argues for a dissolution of sectarian differences within the Church (i.e, “liberal mormon”, “conservative mormon”, “TBM”, etc.).

It reminded me of a passage from 4 Nephi:

Quote:

15 And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.

16 And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.

17 There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.

18 And how blessed were they!

No more “us” vs. “them”, but all one. I’ve gotta work on this…

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this article turinturamber. It’s my second book mark of the day. Both of these well written pieces are helping me refocus and feel renewed to try to shoot for the idea of a Zion community.

[Anonymous]

Old-Timer wrote:

. . . . This piece at Patheos is wonderful, and it is perfect for the mission of this site:

“Making Room for Difficult Mormons and Their Friends”

Thanks for the link, Ray. And I finally have a word for the kind of Mormon I am. Not liberal, conservative, progressive, New Order, anti-, true-believing, cafeteria, orthodox, orthoprax, middle-way – just plain difficult.

[Anonymous]

turinturambar wrote:

Yesterday, I read James Falconer’s post at Patheos–“Let’s Not Be Heretics”. http://www.patheos.com//Mormon/Lets-Not-Be-Heretics-James-Faulconer-10-31-2013.html

Thanks, turinturambar.

[Anonymous]

It’s simple – we aren’t the enemy. We’re just the folk who articulate ideas that many others have but don’t state.

Whatever my misgivings about the church, I’ve no interest in destroying it, splitting it or undermining the faith of others.

I do think however that the church still has to deal with differences – in skin color, in gender, in sexuality, in nationality, in intelligence, in politics, in appearance etc, rather than one size fits all.

[Anonymous]

turinturambar wrote:

No more “us” vs. “them”, but all one. I’ve gotta work on this…

No more us and them…well said. Its a problem when labels are used for discussing groups and differences.

Ann wrote:

And I finally have a word for the kind of Mormon I am … just plain difficult.

That’s the perfect word for us all. I certainly view many of those I go to church with as problems for me, as I’m sure I’m problems for others.

Honestly, that to me is one of the great values of StayingLDS and keep attending church. Working with others and their valid viewpoints, which may be different than mine, is an important part of my spiritual training, even when I know they may dismiss my views.

[Author]

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