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So I am new around these parts. From reading several posts, I see I may fit in. I dare say remaining connected has been a life-long challenge that, from time to time, was not particularly successful. :shifty: Reverse engineering the gospel has been my M.O. It’s worked well enough for me. I mean, here I am approaching the age of dirt and still hanging in there. Sort of. I think! It helped that I escaped Utah long ago, not that I have anything against Utah, mind you. I don’t. It’s just that the dominant approach/culture there doesn’t agree with me. More later.Hi, LRC – We’re glad you’re here – :wave: and look forward to hearing about reverse engineering. The site is StayLDS, and that’s its goal, to help people stay in the church. But we all count each other as friends – regardless of activity level and specific beliefs.Would like to know how reverse engineering works — start with the character of Christ and then work backward to religious practice, stripping out all the product features that are extraneous to the final outcome of Christlike character? I wait expectantly for an explanation 
However we choose to phrase it, establishing our own faith and becoming confident in our walk with God is the key. Welcome!
Quote:It helped that I escaped Utah long ago, not that I have anything against Utah, mind you. I don’t. It’s just that the dominant approach/culture there doesn’t agree with me. More later.
I have often wondered about the impact of majority culture on a religion. For example, being a Catholic in Rome vs. being a Catholic in Singapore. BIG difference. In fact, Christians in general in Singapore are such a minority that they see each other as kindred souls much more than where Christianity is the norm. Personally, I think the real issue is that once you are in a majority, other crap takes over, and you lose your humility as a culture.
Love to hear more thoughts from you on how you specifically reverse engineered things.
I consider myself a reverse engineer of sorts – I just hadn’t put it in those terms before. Welcome to the forum. I’d be interested to hear how you went about reverse engineering. DarkJedi wrote:I consider myself a reverse engineer of sorts – I just hadn’t put it in those terms before. Welcome to the forum. I’d be interested to hear how you went about reverse engineering.
I am for sure an engineer at heart and even in my work I have had to reverse engineer a few times. I do look at some gospel topics from “if I were God and I created this …” and I look at it forwards and backwards.Thanks for joining the forum. I look forward to learning more from your future posts as you express your views. What’s a good example of a church element you’ve successfully reverse engineered to make it work for you still today?
Keep in mind that I am neither an engineer, mathematician, nor scientist. However, I do think from time to time, and I talk and write about what I think. And, that’s when all the trouble begins. Long ago I realized that God wasn’t going to answer my prayers in conventional ways. After years of trying, it became clear that would be no visions and visitations coming my way anytime soon. I was annoyed because friends and relatives claimed they they got them all the time. Were they delusional? If not, why not me? So I was expressing my frustrations out loud one afternoon. I was a high school senior. Maybe a junior. I was complaining that I had no way of “knowing” whether Joseph Smith was all he was cracked-up to be, or just an impressive guy with a good mind and an oversupply peccadilloes. On and on I went, disgorging one doubt after another. A young apostle happened to be standing at the edge of our small group of friends, listening. He interrupted to inquire and I paraphrase: “Is there anything about the gospel/church you know to be true.” I nodded affirmatively. He asked for the list. I offered: teaches sound principles — love, caring, giving– and it’s an amazing organization. He advised: hold onto those bits of knowledge, do them and let them lead you to whatever insights come next. That began the “reverse engineering” process that I have followed to this day.
I hasten to add, it HAS NOT led to a brilliant unshakable testimony of Joseph Smith or Thomas Monson, for that matter. Nor has it convinced me that the the Book of Mormon is a Bible equivalent and then some. But, anchoring to the key gospel teachings, and putting them into practice (often with the church’s help) has led to an ever-increasing depth of understanding over the years. The process continues.
Many serious reservations about Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and Ezra Taft Benson et al, remain. I still have significant disagreements and doubts over variety of current and former church policies, practices and teachings. However reverse engineering has provided a context for some of them. It has also brought a more pragmatic understanding of gospel principles and a realistic, human approach of the church and its leaders. So far, it has worked for me, albeit intermittently.
I am out of time for now.
Thanks for sharing LRC. I came to that same conclusion about prayer but much later in life (but I wasn’t a member in my teens). Like wise my reverse engineering, or rebuilding as I more often refer to it, began with what I did/do believe – which also happens to be quite similar to your belief as far as the church goes (I do believe it is a good organization that teaches good things). And likewise, I do not have a strong testimony (or any testimony, really) of modern prophets, although I do believe JS had a significant spiritual experience. I think you fit well here and encourage you to come and continue to share with the rest of us who struggle.
LeftRightCoast wrote:I offered: teaches sound principles — love, caring, giving– and it’s an amazing organization. He advised: hold onto those bits of knowledge, do them and let them lead you to whatever insights come next.
That is wise advice indeed, and very inspiring.Some might call that “cafeteria” mormonism and discouraging that approach…but I find it realistic and full of faith and hope that there can be some things (like Joseph Smith) that are not yet revealed to us, and not agree with or believe in, and yet we focus on the good things we do believe in, waiting for “whatever insight comes next”.
LeftRightCoast wrote:Many serious reservations about Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and Ezra Taft Benson et al, remain. I still have significant disagreements and doubts over variety of current and former church policies, practices and teachings. …
Before my FC I sill had reservations and disagreements but I always blamed myself, the problem was always on my end of the equation. That can be a destructive mindset when there are policies, practices, and teachings that really should be disagreed with.
Post FC I still have reservations and disagreement but now I recognize that everyone is imperfect, including myself. I can disagree without guilt. I’m even free to disagree with myself when it becomes necessary.
Welcome to StayLDS.
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