- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
I’ve been looking around and doing lots of reading and think this is probably the most interesting LDSish website around! The lack of contention is very refreshing. I’m not a TBM but from appearances to most people I probably seem that way. I’m married to the Bishop. He’s been in that position for about 7 months. It was one of those calls where people drop their chins on the floor. We dropped ours, too, and I mean that quite literally. We now joke that they pick the bishops in our stake by drawing names out of a hat. We also warn people that if they start skipping church they may be in for the same fate. Other than being an Exec Sec and Elder’s Quorum president he’d had no leadership experience and he was not even a high priest at the time. So it has been an interesting ride. When I saw a link to Staylds.org on a facebook comment I was quite impressed with the Staylds essay and printed it out so I could give a copy to my husband for anyone who he comes across that could benefit from the info. I’m sure he hasn’t looked at it much be he seemed appreciative. I did explain what it was about. He’s certainly open-minded enough to understand not everyone is in the same place in this church.
My son is currently serving a mission and I’m really looking forward to his 6 month mark. I want him to have a great learning experience, not too concerned if he ever baptizes anyone.
I have two younger children. I am a church employee.
I’m not too concerned about the truthfulness of the church and I don’t “have a testimony of the history of the church.” I have had mostly all good experiences with my church membership and I’m happy with it. Would I change some things, sure, wouldn’t we all!? I guess I mostly wish I better understanding of the Savior and the atonement. The book “The Peacegiver” helped me through a marriage crisis last year and I really think saved my marriage (it’s currently the best it’s been because of the principles in the book) because it helped me understand the Atonement better but I still don’t think I “get” it or even understand the need for an atonement.
So if anyone has any help with that I’m really open to information and help. I really haven’t been able to sincerely pray about it and maybe that’s where I’m missing the boat.
Anyway, this mostly seems like a happy place. And I’m glad to be a part. If I come across as a “know it all” in my posts I apologize in advance, feel free to kindly correct me.
Hi Observant, Welcome to the community. I liked your very practical form of “testimony.” I look forward to hearing more from you.
Just to point out one small but important thing, you mentioned a FaceBook post about the .ORG domain. This is StayLDS
.com. Sadly, a rather motivated person decided to cyber-squat on the .ORG domain with an anti-mormon website to try and confuse people. Brian Johnston wrote:Hi Observant,
Welcome to the community. I liked your very practical form of “testimony.” I look forward to hearing more from you.
Just to point out one small but important thing, you mentioned a FaceBook post about the .ORG domain. This is StayLDS
.com. Sadly, a rather motivated person decided to cyber-squat on the .ORG domain with an anti-mormon website to try and confuse people. Shoot, I know it is .com and it was certainly to the .com domain that I was sent. I must have had that in my mind when I was typing it. Isn’t cybersquatting illegal?
observant wrote:Isn’t cybersquatting illegal?
Only if we had money to fight it…
👿 observant wrote:I’ve been looking around and doing lots of reading… The lack of contention is very refreshing.
Well, I guess so – but don’t become too comfortable with all the “nice talk” – we haven’t discussed the WofW lately.
Welcome to the site.
Welcome. Nice one, cwald. I enjoyed the laugh!
Old-Timer wrote:Welcome.
Nice one, cwald. I enjoyed the laugh!
I thought you might like that.
I once got a lecture from a member of the bishopric about drinking diet Coke during a temple recommend interview. I blew it off.
Passed his wife in the store, DC in hand. I love stuff like that. Obviously his own wife thinks he’s
🙄 Can we discuss abortion, that’s a fav!
observant wrote:Can we discuss abortion, that’s a fav!
No topic is totally off-limits. The most important thing is keeping discussions within the framework of our Mission Statement and Rules of Etiquette.
There are a few topics we know tend to devolve quickly into unproductive conversation. The biggest one I can think of off the top of my head is the eternal debate about whether the LDS Church is a cult or not. But really, nothing shocks us much here. On a personal and individual level, we should examine and pull apart anything we need to, if that is where we are lead in our journey.
Welcome observant! observant wrote:I once got a lecture from a member of the bishopric about drinking diet Coke…
I would love to point every lecturer to D&C 121:39. I am all for sharing, and if they want to tell me about their personal interpretations and experiences I’m all ears. But when it turns to “you really should…” that in my mind becomes unrighteous dominion, and on the other side of the coin it becomes trusting the arm of flesh as unthinking followers do “as they’re told.” I know the practice is culturally ingrained, but I don’t think it’s scriptural or doctrinal — or has anything to do with a divine plan of agency where our purpose is to gain knowledge.
Sorry for that random opinion.
Again, welcome!
Orson: D&C 121:39 nails it! He’s a nice enough guy, seminary teacher ahem, currently on the high council but I really think he’s judged our family as heathens.
😆 I supposed that could really turn someone off but I really think that I actually enjoy having that rep…just a little.observant wrote:So if anyone has any help with that I’m really open to information and help. I really haven’t been able to sincerely pray about it and maybe that’s where I’m missing the boat.
Welcome. From your post, it sounds like your question is about the need for an atonement.
I think this relates to what psychologists refer to as “The Just World Hypothesis”. It’s a belief many people hold that the world is ultimately a fair place. The concept of atonement is a way of reconciling this seemingly unjust world with our need to believe that the world IS in fact just and fair — eventually. Otherwise our inner peace is threatened.
It seems unfair that people will get away with evil behavior or murder (literally) in this life, with no consequences. However, the law of Justice as described in the BoM indicates that God MUST deliver some kind of punishment or negative consequences to people who sin in this life — otherwise, he’s not God. This helps us feel at peace when unjust things happen, knowing that the wrongs will be addressed at some point. It also shores up our belief in a God who is worth believing in.
However, the flip side of the argument is that EVERYONE will be made to suffer eventually, unless God is somehow merciful if we stop doing what is wrong — because we all make mistakes. This again, is our native belief that things must ultimately be fair — otherwise our peace is threatened. So, the Law of Mercy supports the concept of fairness by sending a Savior who suffers the sins of those who repent. This also brings us peace knowing we can be spared of punishment for wrongdoing we have left behind us.
Now, did the atonement actually happen? I can’t say for sure. I believe it might have, and probably did. I use the atonement as my theory of the eternal laws acting on me, and it encourages me to do good things — to try to improve, to change my heart about things I want to do that hurt myself and others. I’ve sen it comfort people who have confessed things that bother them, which is in itself a good thing. The impact the atonement has on my behavior and inner peace is in itself a good enough reason to believe in it, and is the basis of my testimony. Not whether it actually happened.
Also, the peace the atonement gives me when I start beating myself up over the dumb things I do in this life, and then reflect on how this atonement covers for it, helps me move forward able to help others and leave some of the baggage behind.
For me, believing in the atonement has a good impact on my life. And that’s why I CHOOSE to believe it, even though I may find out salvation comes by other means in the next life. In fact, that’s my testimony, and it’s independent of any spiritual experiences or otherwise. The atonement is good to believe because it helps me do good….
By the way, I think praying about it is a great idea. Spiritual experiences while praying can engender a deep and abiding belief in principles you prayed about. My reasoning above is in case you don’t get anything when praying — that’s happened to me several times, so I have to rely on my own reasoning and CHOICE to believe in certain things — and my criteria is the impact it has on my behavior if I believe it.
Thanks, SD, some great things for me to ponder and apply. I much appreciate your time with that post. Observant – welcome to the site. I can tell I’m already going to like you! observant wrote:Brian Johnston wrote:Hi Observant,
Welcome to the community. I liked your very practical form of “testimony.” I look forward to hearing more from you.
Just to point out one small but important thing, you mentioned a FaceBook post about the .ORG domain. This is StayLDS
.com. Sadly, a rather motivated person decided to cyber-squat on the .ORG domain with an anti-mormon website to try and confuse people. Shoot, I know it is .com and it was certainly to the .com domain that I was sent. I must have had that in my mind when I was typing it. Isn’t cybersquatting illegal?
Not quite, because a lot of companies etc have similar names. There used to be a pornographic website which was on one of the whitehouse.[whatever] domains – very confusing when you’re looking for the Oval Office!
The other website is not pleasant. I have read some of the stuff on it. I’m open minded enough to say that some websites criticizing the church are better done than others, and some have genuine grievances, but that one’s a bit beyond the pale.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.