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I tried to post this, and I don’t think it worked. If it did, I’m sorry for the double post. I hope the church is true. That’s it. I don’t believe it is. I’d say I think there is a 25% chance that God is behind the book of mormon in some fashion, and a 40% chance that God cares about me and wants me to be a member of the LDS Church.
Given that, can I really say that I have a “testimony in the restoration of the Gospel in these the latter days?”
IN the temple recommend interview, if I answer that with, “No, but I’d like to have one.” What would the bishop likely do? I have ward council calling and a TBM spouse.
http://forum.staylds.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3347&hilit=Survey This is how it started.
http://forum.staylds.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3356 This is one of the question in the survey.
The topic linked above helped me to get through the TR interview process.
As a result, I am a “card carrying” mormon again.
Take a look at it & see if it helps you too.
I think you can say “yes” because few people have sure knowledge, so to say “yes” on the basis of some fragment of belief is just as acceptable as saying it on the basis of a greater amount of belief than a fragment. I have a testimony that the restoration is ongoing, or in other words the church is getting better over time. I believe people in the church are inspired to goodness (at times) and have the best intentions much of the time. In that way (at a minimum) I see God at work in the church. I think that question uses the terminology “firm” testimony. Firm like concrete or firm like jello? My testimony is like yours, although I have never quantified it with percentages. It’s much more like jello than concrete. I say yes. No other explanation is required nor should it be asked. I recently told my stake president that I thought the questions were very carefully worded and purposely vague so as to allow all who possibly could attend the temple and receive the blessings there to do so. He agreed. I don’t know what your bishop would say. I had a bishop once who I’m sure would have no problem with an answer like that, and I’m sure there are others who would call you to repentance and immediately release you from your callings. It’s a real crap shoot with bishops, and I don’t know yours.
I thinkmost of the belief questions start out: Quote:Do you have a testimony
of… It’s not:
Quote:Do you have a testimony
that… There’s a distinction, though I don’t know whether it was worth mentioning and I now find myself second guessing whether or not to post.
In other words it’s a yes/no question that does not get into specifics. They aren’t stating what the testimony is and asking whether you agree. They ask whether you have a testimony.
I have always thought our phrasing around testimonies in the church is incomplete. Simply asking if you have a testimony leaves out whether it is positive, negative, or other. I have a testimony regarding Scientology, it is not a positive one. Testimony to me reflects an account of personal knowledge or experience, but in the church if I express that I have a testimony it is assumed that my testimony is a positive belief. Thank you all for your comments. I’ve already decided how I will approach the question, and now I’m coming to terms on whether my approach is an honest one.
The wording of the questions is very interesting. Question 4 asks whether we sustain the President of the Church as a Prophet, not whether we have a testimony that he is a Prophet. I’ve heard many lessons on what it means to “sustain” and I don’t think I always live up to that. I try. For question 4, that’s always been fine for me. So why can’t I use the “I try” for the testimony/faith questions?
And then question 8 says, “do you strive” to keep your covenants. Why is “strive” allowed for that question and not the others?
jack24 wrote:Thank you all for your comments.
I’ve already decided how I will approach the question, and now I’m coming to terms on whether my approach is an honest one.
The wording of the questions is very interesting. Question 4 asks whether we sustain the President of the Church as a Prophet, not whether we have a testimony that he is a Prophet. I’ve heard many lessons on what it means to “sustain” and I don’t think I always live up to that. I try. For question 4, that’s always been fine for me. So why can’t I use the “I try” for the testimony/faith questions?
And then question 8 says, “do you strive” to keep your covenants. Why is “strive” allowed for that question and not the others?
I do think “I try” as in “I try to be honest in my dealings with my fellow man” is a perfectly acceptable answer. I’m not sure every bishop would agree but I think most would.
I think the striving to keep the covenants and commandments question is exactly as it should be. None of us, no matter how much we strive or try, can keep all of the commandments all of the time. That’s how we’re saved by grace. We can only strive. I don’t know why the others can’t be worded that way and I would have no problem if they were. I do note, however, that there are really two different kinds of questions – things that we believe (e.g. God, the atonement) and things that we do (e.g. tithing, attend sacrament).
If you want a recommend and all the baggage that goes along with it just answers the questions how they want to hear them. It is not worth the agony to try and nuance your answers.
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