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Brothers and Sisters, My name is Bill Reel. Yes the same Bill Reel who did an interview on mormonstories.org. I really do not fit a any cookie cutter description. I have a TBM testimony though it is much more nuanced then most. I have had many faith crisis and some of them major. I have come out the other side of each of them having grown in Faith and understanding. I see the church as absolutely True in it’s main Principles and Doctrine but see much of what we hear in church as speculation, urban legend, false doctrine, and false standards that members set up but the church doesn’t as nonsense. I am here to serve, so if anyone is struggling with a historical issue please don’t be afraid to say hi and drop me a line and ask me anything. Also right now I currently am serving as a LDS Bishop and am happy to answer questions about that calling as well.
If interested some ways to get to know me
– my facebook page =
http://www.facebook.com/LDSLeadership – mormonstories interview =
http://mormonstories.org/mormon-bishop-bill-reel/ – the beginning of my podcast page (work in progress) =
http://mormondiscussion.podbean.com/ Thanks for letting me be a part of your community
your friend in Christ
Bill Reel
Welcome, Bill. I look forward to talking with you. How did you get introduced to / find this site?
I’ve seen you, Bill, on the MAD board, and appreciate your insights. Welcome. I think you’ll be appreciated here as you share your experience, strength, and hope. You mention your faith crises — it’s always helpful for your to share them as well, if you’re willing — and how you managed to sort them out. This, I believe, is essential for us to know as we sort out our own challenges.
Cheers!
I found this site on my own in my last faith crisis and some of the site was extremely helpful in me hanging in there. I decided to join along with participate in the discussion board here becasue of some conversations with CWALD where he felt my insight and experience would be helpful to folks here. Thanks for the answer to my question. Cwald and I agree on everything – like twins separated at birth. 
or not
:shh: My faith crisis I have had many. I read Fawn Brodie’s “No Man Knows My History” while meeting with the missionaries during my investigator discussions at the age of 17. My faith crisis’ have always been around historical issues. My small crisis’ have come from learning new information I never knew before – ex: seer stones, polyandry, first vision accounts, ect… Most of these occurred between my investigation of the Church and perhaps as much as three years in (polyandry was one issue that came later) My big crisis came when I had to confront why the Church never took time to tell me these issues. I felt that while I learned all this on my own years ealier, I never would have encountered them had I not been an outgoing researcher of Mormonism. I realized the Church was never part of the information dissemination. This Crisis was hard, and long, and it hurt. I waffled between thinking about faking it and wondering if I should ask to have my name removed. I shared with my wife and she was supportive. The main advice I have for others who feel this is take you time. Three things brought me back to a place where my testimony was stronger and more realistic then it had been before.
1.) God sent me a message by dream. If anyone wants to know more it would have to be 1 on 1 as the dream is sacred, but suffice it to say there is no doubt in my mind it came from God and was direct and to the point.
2.) A member in another online forum sent me a message that was exactly what I needed to hear. He put the problem I had and the reason it existed into the perfect words I needed to move forward. It was a personal epistle and was meant for just me. (though I still have it and am willing to share if it seems to fit the need of another)
3.)A member of my ward called crying, saying their daughter had a bunch of anti material and a bunch of questions, and that I needed to come right over and answer them. I went over and each time the daughter began to speak, in my mind I knew the end question before she ever got close to aaking it. I was there over two hours and adequately answered multiple difficult questions that my experiences had prepared me for. Then she asked the kicker “why wasn’t I told this stuff”? She then insisted that I as bishop “needed to tell each member of the ward these problems”!!!
It hit me hard in my face. Here was I as the Bishop talking to someone representing myself the member in faith crisis. How would I answer myself? It was obvious.
I replied, “When would you like me to cover this? in Sunday School? from the pulpit in sacrament meeting? in a fireside?” I asked her.
I then told her if I did that in church, that I would have to set aside the teaching of Christ, the Doctrines of the Kingdom, the important things that blessed families and gave them strength to get through the week.
I followed up with if we had firesides on these issues, only some members would attend, and by the time we made full rounds members would have moved and new ones in. If if we simply gave difficult issues and the answers to them then while we help a small number of strugglers, we do not build faith in the majority who are not have a crisis on historical issues.
It became obvious to Bill the member that Bill the church leader was correct in the approach of focusing on the pure gospel and the doctrine of Christ and handling the faith crisis issues one on one as we did that night.
That said, when a subject is taught, I try to give little tidbits here and tidbits there on these issues but never making them the focus or the main point. so we discuss seer stones for two minutes here and book of abraham for two seconds over there and hope we are at least giving the vibe that we are open to these discussions if anyone wants to come forward and discuss them.
Anyway that’s the faith crisis portion of my story
Also I see things a different way then most TBM. I seem to find good ways to make things fit, at least for me. I hope to be an asset here in providing soil for faith. So please don’t hesitate to message me if you anything. DB, thank you for your Introduction & comments. Your position, experiences & insight as Bishop should really help us with our discussions. Welcome.
Mike from Milton.
Thank you for your comments…. I am not quite sure I fit in here but look forward to being a influence for good. I asked Bishop Reel to come over for a couple of reasons. 1. I did not like the way he was being treated at MAD. The disrespect and vitriol hatred exhibited by church members toward other church members is an absolute embarrassment. I wanted the bishop to visit a place where, smart, well educated and deeply spiritual members can disagree and even follow different paths within Mormonism, and still show respect and love towards those with who have different opinion.
2. Just wanted him to know there were church members going through faith crisis that ARE NOT anti mormon and sheep in wolf clothing. And church leaders need to know this. I think the Bishop does, but on the MAD board, you are expected to pick sides, and there is no middle ground. That is sad to me.
3. Even though DB is an amateur apologist, I think he is truly trying to understand those who doubt, and perhaps this might be a place for discussion where he can gleen some middle way perspective to help him in his calling.
4. A fresh believing member, and a church leader, who understands faith crisis, might be a good perspective for me and others on this board. (AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT BECOME APOLOGETICS AS USUAL and a one way conversation of you’re wrong and I am right. )
CWALD couple of thoughts.
– I agree very much that the behavior of some on MDD board was embarrasing and goes great lengths to show many members of the church are truly unprepared to deal with those in Faith Crisis. Elder Marlin Jensen hits the subject on the head and more LDS should read his comments over the last year
– I believe only a small minority of posters on MDD have fall into this catigory. perhaps only 5% but those 5% post continuously and stop any other poster from getting beyond their perceived acceptable line. The other 95% are great and many of them are made up of faithful LDS who have empathy and concern and allow an open dialogue. Unfortunately the 5% seem to be the alpha males (no offense ladies) and drown out any plea for softer dialogue. their goal seems to be to win the debate and not men’s hearts.
– While I have strong views, I also think I am open to better answers and ways of seeing things, which I think CWALD would attest to. That said you have my word not to be one to shove my answer down your throat but not shy to put in my 2 cents either. Feel free to disagree with me and let me know where I am missing something
– Having gone through serious faith crisis myself I hope you find me empathetic and concerned and real.
I’d like to meet you sometime, Bill. It sounds like you and I are similar in many ways. where do you live? I am in ohio of course. I am going to Sarnia, Canada to do a 2-part fireside for another Ward on Faith Crisis and then on Grace.
You near either place or on the way?
Have you listened to my interview with Dehlin?
I lived in the Cincinnati North Stake for 12 years, but now I live in Carson City, NV. I thought your MS interview was good. Has your SP listened to it? Does he know you were interviewed by the “infamous” john dehlin? Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2
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