Integrity in the Faith Journey

[Anonymous]

I recently came across a comment somewhere, to paraphrase it was something like: “I tried to take the ‘middle-way’ for a while, but it never felt honest and in the end I just had to be true to myself.”

While I understand what this person was saying, I can’t help but see a glaring difference in their definition of “middle way” from my own. To me middle way would be better expressed as “My way” …meaning I have confidence in my relationship with God and my limited understanding, as well as the human limitations of all men. I can only work from my actual beliefs, anything else is counter productive.

I’m guessing that this poster felt his “actual beliefs” were simply too far off the LDS norm, and with the gap too great to bridge his attempts to stay with the church would be futile. I can certainly relate, I felt that way myself for quite a while. It is especially difficult to overcome prior long held ideas of homogeneous thought that were part of a tight boxed-in worldview.

Thankfully, I have found a way to see that my views do not necessitate my exclusion from the church. This does not come so much from my modifying personal beliefs to fit what I hear in church as much as it has been an active process of mentally expanding the church tent to include ideas that match my personal revelation. It is work, and is much like working on a marriage or any other relationship with give and take, but ultimately for me very worthwhile.

But I started this post to hear some other views, do you feel there is room in the church for your own honest beliefs?

[Anonymous]

I think we can make our own journey and stay in church. In fact I believe that is the only choice….and that those who blindly follow whatever they are told by a church leader are merely choosing to use “public transportation” rather than drive themselves…they still are on the journey…they have just chosen to let someone else drive and thus are going to be impacted and slowed down by many unneccesary stops as others peoples journeys directly impact their own.

I am very excited about the things I am learning….my mind feels free, I am no longer afraid to question. I do feel we need to be careful in our journey. Many people are very comfortable using the “public trasnportation”…to the point they have given up their licenses…we do them no favors by pulling the wheels off of their bus in an effort to liberate them. By this I mean…what to me is exciting and liberating, to others could cause a complete loss of faith, leading them into great sorrow and loss…so I am careful who I talk to, I don’t feel any desire to destroy anothers faith (my DW has a tendency to like the public transportation version of our faith and I don’t want to shake her world). I still love the gosepel of love, free agency and eternal growth..just not all the baggage others tend to bring on the public trans version….doesn’t mean we can’t carpool with likeminded people.

I love this quote by elder Uchtdorf (my favorite…if we could in a church president would be my candidate)

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=81e3f5036e881210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=43d031572e14e110VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD” class=”bbcode_url”>http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=81e3f5036e881210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=43d031572e14e110VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD

Now the next issue: What about doubts and questions? How do you find out that the gospel is true? Is it all right to have questions about the Church or its doctrine? My dear young friends, we are a question-asking people because we know that inquiry leads to truth. That is the way the Church got its start—from a young man who had questions. In fact, I’m not sure how one can discover truth without asking questions

[Anonymous]

Obviously, there is room for someone like me who is unorthodox in many ways but almost entirely orthoprax. (I did wear a non-white shirt to church on Sunday and slacks and a polo shirt to the last Stake Priesthood Meeting, so I’m not totally orthoprax. )

I believe in living according to the dictates of my own conscience but, in most cases, not eating meat with those who abstain from meat. There is no lack of integrity in that scenario, since it is a conscious choice to honor and respect others in the same way I hope to be honored and respected by them.

I also LOVE the analogy of public vs. private transportation, but I would add that many people in developing countries don’t have both options. Sometimes, public transportation is the only choice for people – and that is true for multiple reasons. Telling them they can’t use what is available to them just because it’s not the only option available to me would be elitist and a conceit of luxury – and I think we forget frequently that, ironically, those who are working out their own (faith) with fear and trembling are, in a very real way, working from a position of luxury.

I mean that.

We are in a position to be able to “afford” to do it, even if it wasn’t an intentional choice or even a desired choice – and even if it’s something that comes with various costs. We really are working from a position of luxury, and demanding others pay the costs we are paying when most of them can’t afford to do so is, at the heart, uncharitable, even if it is completely “natural”.

[Anonymous]

A lot of people confuse the middle way with sitting on the fence, or wooly thinking…

[Anonymous]

johnh wrote:

I am very excited about the things I am learning….my mind feels free, I am no longer afraid to question.

I really like this line. The not being afraid to question is so very liberating.

[Anonymous]

That is true. I think the former forum member Shawn or Nephite used to be one of those people. But he admitted in his last post he was not a TBM anymore. He was just holding on to a faith he didn’t have anymore.

[Anonymous]

Johnh, I love the analogy. I’ll remember that one.

Orson, thanks for your thoughts. It’s reassuring read of people here are following a ‘personalised’ approach and enjoying it.

At the moment I feel I’m holding on. Sometimes by my finger tips. I should focus more on finding my personalised way. I’m just scared that way is too far out of the LDS faith.

Sometimes I question whether my attendance has any valid foundation. Good days and bad days…

[Anonymous]

mackay11 wrote:

I should focus more on finding my personalised way. I’m just scared that way is too far out of the LDS faith.

One big thing that helped me over that fear are the comments from JS and BY that define “Gospel” and “Mormonism” by actual factual truth. “If there is any truth in Hell we hold to that too!” (BY)

Combine that with the principle of continuing revelation and we realize that our ideas continually grow and evolve, what we saw as fixed truth in the past has changed – what we see as fixed truth today can change. I don’t completely understand all truth today, but feeling free to embrace all truth as it is revealed (through revelation or through science etc.) greatly eases my mind. Even if the majority of church membership misunderstands “Mormon” doctrine/truth, I feel it is my duty as a Mormon to embrace all truth …to the best of my understanding.

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