Gut feelings about Conference

[Anonymous]

I believe E Cook really does get it. The others? Not convinced. But how likely is it that someone at that level has had a faith crisis? Not likely. So they have to have great empathy and imagination to compensate, and those are gifts not all have in equal amounts.

[Anonymous]

Just to be precise, Elder Holland said explicitly in his cafeteria reference that it was “cultural” picking and choosing that he was condemning. He actually used the word “cultural” in his sentence.

I initially cringed when I heard the word cafeteria, but then I realized he didn’t seem to be talking about people with different views and perspectives.

I think this is a great example of the need to avoid leaping to conclusions about what someone is going to say whenever a “buzz word” is used and, instead, going back after the emotion of the moment and looking again at what actually was said. His exact words were:

Quote:

To those who were once with us but have retreated, preferring to pick and choose a few cultural hors d’oeuvres from the smorgasbord of the Restoration and leave the rest of the feast

That says nothing about differences in doctrinal understanding or anything else related to what we believe. It mentions only those who focus on cultural things and ignore the spiritual things.

[Anonymous]

Roy wrote:

Thanks Ray, I would be interested in anything else you can remember about this talk (who gave it etc.). Just the phrase “legitimate periods of doubt and darkness” could be the key to feeling my process validated in the Mormon arena. I am hopeful.

Found the talk by Shayne M. Bowen – He never used the term “legitimate periods of doubt and darkness” but he did express the thought summed up by those words.

Quote:

Remember as you attended the funeral of your loved one the feelings in your heart as you drove away from the cemetery and looked back to see that solitary casket—wondering if your heart would break.

I testify that because of Him, even our Savior, Jesus Christ, those feelings of sorrow, loneliness, and despair will one day be swallowed up in a fullness of joy.

Sometimes people will ask, “How long did it take you to get over it?” The truth is, you will never completely get over it until you are together once again with your departed loved ones. I will never have a fullness of joy until we are reunited in the morning of the First Resurrection.

“For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fullness of joy;

“And when separated, man cannot receive a fullness of joy.”

But in the meantime, as the Savior taught, we can continue with good cheer.

It seems like this talk straddles two ideas:

1) That good faithful persons who experience this sense of loss can live with a portion of it (“sorrow, loneliness, and despair”) throughout their lives.

2) That the gospel provides a measure of hope and peace now and promises a “fullness” in the hereafter.

I can get behind those ideas.

[Anonymous]

church0333 wrote:

…I treat my wife great and love my fellowman…I don’t feel like I need to repent because of these things. I am far from perfect but I’m still doing a lot for others around me and I think I am a pretty good guy. Doubts are not sins…Telling me to repent just wants me to dig my heals in deeper and I am not normally like that. You see, the thing is I want to stay, I think it makes a difference for me and also for those around me…I need God and I want to need the church but I want them to need and want me for who I am and for what I believe. I can deal with some of the church history issues if they just let the chip fall where they will but the church has to let me have some of my issues also. I think locally that there is a lot of acceptance of the cafeteria mormons(I live on the west coast) but It would be nice if the same attitude came from the top.

Exactly, it would be one thing if they could actually show all the inactive members and lukewarm cafeteria Mormons they were trying to single out specifically why they should repent of all these supposed mistakes with more compelling reasons than simply because the scriptures and Church leaders said so. What will happen if all these “lost sheep” don’t repent and how exactly do we know this? The scriptures and Church leaders have already said all kinds of things that are impractical or apparently wrong after the fact that no one pays any attention to at this point so what makes this official list of LDS expectations so special and important compared to everything else?

In conference I also repeatedly heard the chain of reasoning that if you love God and Jesus then the next steps are to “keep my commandments” and “feed my sheep” (John 14:15, John 21:14-17). I can easily give this idea the benefit of the doubt until we get down to what exactly Church leaders try to pass off as God-given “commandments” and worthwhile service. The problem is that I just can’t imagine God or Jesus really caring that much about some of this. I could see asking people to help those that are less fortunate, visit lonely widows, etc. where it is not always convenient but at least something you can feel good about but how much does strict tithing, temple work and family history, home teaching and other callings, missionary work, etc. really benefit others on average as opposed to mostly being about trying to reinforce, perpetuate, and spread Mormon traditions at all costs?

[Anonymous]

Quote:

Exactly, it would be one thing if they could actually show all the inactive members and lukewarm cafeteria Mormons they were trying to single out specifically why they should repent of all these supposed mistakes with more compelling reasons than simply because the scriptures and Church leaders said so. What will happen if all these “lost sheep” don’t repent and how exactly do we know this? The scriptures and Church leaders have already said all kinds of things that are impractical or apparently wrong after the fact that no one pays any attention to at this point so what makes this official list of LDS expectations so special and important compared to everything else?

In conference I also repeatedly heard the chain of reasoning that if you love God and Jesus then the next steps are to “keep my commandments” and “feed my sheep” (John 14:15, John 21:14-17). I can easily give this idea the benefit of the doubt until we get down to what exactly Church leaders try to pass off as God-given “commandments” and worthwhile service. The problem is that I just can’t imagine God or Jesus really caring that much about some of this. I could see asking people to help those that are less fortunate, visit lonely widows, etc. where it is not always convenient but at least something you can feel good about but how much does strict tithing, temple work and family history, home teaching and other callings, missionary work, etc. really benefit others on average as opposed to mostly being about trying to reinforce, perpetuate, and spread Mormon traditions at all costs?

Thank you. I now feel validated from some one in Utah. You have made my day.

[Author]

Posts