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I just spent the last hour with the missionaries. We read scriptures and pamphlets and talked a while. I have always been raised to believe that once we die we go to heaven & if our name is not in the “book of life” then we will be turned away and sent immediately to hell for eternity. They explained to me about the spirit world. I can’t exactly explain why but I actually started to cry. I have so many in my family that did not know or care to know the Lord right now. To think that they may have come to see Him just is amazing to me. I’ve never been raised to believe in some of these new teachings but it seems like it’s filling in a ‘gap’ of some sort that has been in my life.
I am reluctant & skeptical but I find myself more and more believing these things make sense.
Anyone else experience anything like this?
It is teaching like that that made me join the church. there is a lot of good but you need to sort that out. That is one of the core aspects of my testimony – that God is a loving father who flat-out, no-way-in-Hell (ironic wording, don’t you think? 
If there really is a God, and especially if he really is a “Father in Heaven”, the Mormon concept of all-encompassing grace and vicarious temple ordinances is an amazing concept – and it is powerful even if it only is figurative. I choose to take it literally for much the same reason as you expressed so well: It fills, touches and enlarges my heart in a way I like and just feels good and right.
Serene, you bet. The teachings of eternal families, the pre-mortal existence, the three degrees of glory, and becoming exactly what Christ is not something most Christians believe or most Christian churches teach. Those teachings along with feeling the Holy Ghost is what keeps me coming to the Mormon Church. serene wrote:I have so many in my family that did not know or care to know the Lord right now. To think that they may have come to see Him just is amazing to me. I’ve never been raised to believe in some of these new teachings but it seems like it’s filling in a ‘gap’ of some sort that has been in my life. I am reluctant & skeptical but I find myself more and more believing these things make sense.
Anyone else experience anything like this?
My wife & I recently went to the Nauvoo temple to do temple work for my Parents. This is the first time we’ve gone through the temple for any of our relatives. My parents were not very religious or spiritual in this life. When I told them I was joining the LDS church, they were very supportive. I’m not sure if the ordinances helped them or not. It did for us. We just celebrated our 41st anniversary. By going through the baptisms, initiatory, endowment & sealing, we relived our own. Kneeling at the alter & looking across at each other (again) seems to put eternity into perspective. I highly recommend it.
There were elements of this that tells me that God has a great sense of humor too. I’ll write about it sometime.
serene wrote:I’ve never been raised to believe in some of these new teachings but it seems like it’s filling in a ‘gap’ of some sort that has been in my life.
I am reluctant & skeptical but I find myself more and more believing these things make sense.
Anyone else experience anything like this?
When I was reading the Book of Mormon, there were times that I thought that, if I were to have been asked to write down what I believe, that I would have written almost exactly what I was reading. I would ask questions of my dear friend who introduced me to the Church, expecting a certain answer, and the answer she gave me was almost always the answer I expected. This experience lead me to a quick belief on the premortal existence. Most of the time, it’s not like I’m learning a new faith, but remembering one I knew before. Exhilarating!
It is very unsettling to me to think that some things I have believed my whole life may not be correct. I think that is why I feel like I should be doubting myself around every corner. I feel that lifting though like a weight is coming off of my shoulders. I do worry about what people I know will think but I also feel my relationship with our heavenly father is much more important than what some people may say. I just don’t see, so far, how an emphasis on God, family, & helping others can be a bad thing…
Quote:I just don’t see, so far, how an emphasis on God, family, & helping others can be a bad thing…
Amen!
Balancing the theology with the culture can be interesting, but the theology really is beautiful (“delicious”) to me.
If I were to really think about what I would want God to be like, this teaching is certain one I would imagine of a perfect, completely good being. I don’t know if you have learned about the kingdoms of glory yet, Serene, but in our church we teach that even for evil people, like murderers, they will pay a price for their sins in a hellish state, but it will end and they too will go to a nice place for eternity, albeit not with God. That really shows God’s mercy, that even evil people get relief from hell. So certainly the good people we know who are doing their best in life will get to be with God. Sometimes I am surprised that others aren’t more impressed with Joseph Smith as a theologian. Even if he made these things up, these teachings really are quite unique and beautiful.
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