Hope and Serve

[Anonymous]

My faith has been under construction for the last year or so. I’ve shared some of my story already and I think it’s a good time for an update.

I put some distance between myself and the church for the last several months and was planning to leave the church altogether, for reasons similar to many of you. I have cycled through periods of “personal apostasy and restoration” throughout my life and have experienced the good bad and the ugly side of life.

Recently, on a Sunday morning, I was reflecting a bit and found myself watching videos on the Mormon Channel. Next thing I know, I’m in tears, experiencing feelings I used to call the spirit and that I was so familiar with before. I felt a desire to repent, improve, and just be a better person. Two videos particularly touched me, Earthly Father, Heavenly Father and Because of Him.

At the peak of this emotional state and at the end of the Because of Him video, I received a call from the ward clerk saying, “Brother, I understand you need to be interviewed. A representative from the stake will be here today and I just wanted to make sure you can make it.”

This was news to me, but it was good timing so, I said, “Sure, I’ll be there.” So I got up and got dressed and received a calling to be in the Elders Quorum presidency.

It’s only been a few weeks in this new calling, but I feel at peace about it. I feel like it is an opportunity to do some good.

I still have questions and reservations but have come to accept the fact that a lot of things in the church are simply unknowable. Though my faith was weak, my desire to believe has awakened and it is getting stronger. Alma 32:27 puts it nicely, and summarizes exactly where I am on my journey of faith.

 

Quote:

27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

I’ve decided to focus on those things I still believe, or at least want to believe, and spend a little less time obsessing over the things that cause doubt.

I took a look in the mirror and it all became quite clear. I like myself more when I try to build my faith by reading, praying, and serving. So when my faith is weak, my new motto is, “Hope and Serve”.

[Anonymous]

Quote:

I like myself more when I try to build my faith by reading, praying, and serving. So when my faith is weak, my new motto is, “Hope and Serve”.

I am happy for you and for that realization. “Hope and Serve” is an excellent motto.

[Anonymous]

I’m sure that you will have empathy for anyone in your quorum who is experiencing similar issues.

I’m sure this is very encouraging for all of us. I know it is for me. Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for sharing. I love “Hope and Serve” – that is a perfect answer for all of us. Keep us posted. Everyone who finds a way to serve and stay connected helps us over here.

[Anonymous]

Unknown wrote:

I like myself more when I try to build my faith by reading, praying, and serving. So when my faith is weak, my new motto is, “Hope and Serve”.

Certainly do what makes you happy. You have chosen a good motto. You certainly can’t go wrong with genuine service. I have emphasized hope in my own life a lot lately. I hope certain teachings of the church are true, such as life after death, eternal families, etc. I don’t feel comfortable with the word “know” anymore. But the word “hope” really resonates with how I feel. Thanks for the uplifting post.

[Anonymous]

Leap wrote:

Unknown wrote:

I like myself more when I try to build my faith by reading, praying, and serving. So when my faith is weak, my new motto is, “Hope and Serve”.

Certainly do what makes you happy. You have chosen a good motto. You certainly can’t go wrong with genuine service. I have emphasized hope in my own life a lot lately. I hope certain teachings of the church are true, such as life after death, eternal families, etc. I don’t feel comfortable with the word “know” anymore. But the word “hope” really resonates with how I feel. Thanks for the uplifting post.

Like!!

Great motto, and I am with you. I don’t “know” anything, but there are some fundamental things that I “hope” in that keep me going. And service makes me feel good, no matter which side of the fence I am sitting on today.

[Anonymous]

I like it, too. Like SBRed, I can only hope – my rebuilt faith has helped me to understand what hope really means.

I really like the serve part, too. A few months into his mission my son was struggling a bit, and had a less than obedient companion. Part of the differences he had with his comp were cultural. I wrote him an epistle in the hope of helping him to understand that we must have some tolerance for the behavior of others that we will never be able to change. I also told him of the importance of service and that I understood why his comp didn’t want to go knocking on doors all the time. I told him service would open more doors and allow them more opportunities to share than any amount of knocking. This week’s email (several months after the epistle) included the following line: “You were right about the service Dad.” Need I say anything more?

[Anonymous]

I’m glad you didn’t ever go for name removal. I see it as limiting options in the future — particularly if someone experiences the kind of strengthening you felt when you started watching the movies on the Mormon channel. By staying a member, you had the flexibility to accept the EQ calling and go forward with this new perspective.

[Author]

Posts