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Last Sunday the speakers in Sacrament meeting were taking about prayer. They generally hit on the same things I’ve heard about prayer many times at LDS church: Its a way to speak directly with Heavenly Father, righteous desires are answered if its the right thing at the right time, multiple people praying for the same thing gives it more power. As I thought about these things, I realized they aren’t true in my experience. Maybe they are for others, but I have had a hard time understanding prayer since it doesn’t seem to be this way for me. So I then thought about how prayer is used in other religions. Many of them seem to have more of a meditative quality to them, sometimes even just repeating memorized scriptures or phrases. Seeing prayer from this viewpoint, I could see its advantage. If I pray for someone, I will be thinking about them and during the day I might get ideas of how to help them. The meditative approach to prayer can help people focus on what they can do to help others or to change themselves. Finally instead of being bored over a topic that is so often discussed in the same way, I was able to learn something new by leaving the Mormon framework.
I think I will use this method for other topics in the gospel as well. I don’t believe God is a Mormon-surely he is bigger than any one religion, so by seeing how the gospel applies to all people and not just Mormons can help me see the purpose of some of the things I don’t understand or have become bored with the one perspective.
I’m wanting to know if others out there have ideas of how to go about this. Does it seem like a good way to approach a faith crisis, or will it just lead me the wrong way?
journeygirl wrote:I’m wanting to know if others out there have ideas of how to go about this. Does it seem like a good way to approach a faith crisis, or will it just lead me the wrong way?
I think it’s an excellent way to handle life in general. In my profession it is not unusual to be in a situation where I’m trying to fix a problem. The longer I spend looking at a problem the less likely I find a solution. In a way I start building a box of understanding which limits what I can do as for a solution. Often time I have to take a break. When I come back, I can see things differently and maybe find the solution.In my faith journey prior to my crisis I felt very flat. I didn’t realize it at the time of course, but I had consumed all the milk the gospel had to offer. Since then I have been looking outside the framework that I had built my whole life. By doing so I finally feel as if I’m truly learning things again. It’s been very health (At least once I got past the crisis) to my spirituality. Just make sure not to exchange one good thing for another good thing if one puts you further from fitting in. I hope that makes sense. I just mean that if you have a choice between to good things, one of which most your LDS friends would ostracize you for, where as the other good thing would help foster fellowship, choose the one that fosters fellowship. Choosing to stay LDS in part means trying to make as much work as possible. Good luck!
Viewing things as though you are an outsider looking in is always a good way to gain perspective. Especially for insular organizations like Mormonism. Other approaches to connecting with the divine exist because they work for lots of people. I’m all for finding what works for you individually. I know traditional, formal prayer works sometimes for me, but what works best is a much more informal approach.
I’ve never cared for the repeat-after-me school of religion found in Anglicanism & Catholicism, although worded prayers *can* have value. The Lord’s Prayer reminds me of priorities. Most Christians pray to Jesus, many pray to Mary and the saints, and some pray to the Holy Spirit, we do none of these. They also believe in the Trinity.
The COJCOLDS is certainly right when it says we should pray for what we need (collectively), not what we want.
The biggest part of my prayers are prayers of thanks. I try not to ask for much because I don’t really believe that those prayers are really answered, at least not the same way I use to. I didn’t really mean that I think a rehearsed prayer is the way to go. I was just looking at other approaches to prayer and then applying elements of it to my own version to make it more meaningful to me again–especially the idea of meditation. I also often pray thanks more than asking for things. But I can see how having a desire in mind during the day from focused prayer might help me find answers. Or even the prayer of thanks reminds me of the things that are good in my life and helps me focus on the positive. I agree with keeping the good of the LDS religion and not replacing it unnecessarily. It’s my culture so that is what will always seem traditional to me. I just think that adding other truths, wherever they are found, will be a benefit. I’m trying to see the world from a bigger perspective and consider all the inspiration God may have given to others, since what I’m getting from church has not been satisfying lately. I haven’t thought how to apply this approach beyond prayer yet though.
Quote:I just think that adding other truths, wherever they are found, will be a benefit. I’m trying to see the world from a bigger perspective and consider all the inspiration God may have given to others.
This is a great approach and attitude.
We have multiple statements from prophets, from Joseph Smith to Gordon B. Hinckley, that say explicitly and implicitly Mormonism embraces truth no matter its source – and that God can and does communicate with all of his children who will listen, in their own language and according to their understanding. Collectively, we don’t live up to that in the LDS Church, but it’s there in our theology in spades.
journeygirl, I completely agree with what you are saying and like the approach, and prayer is a perfect example. Looking outside the framework has actually been something that has made me more accepting of the LDS scene, because I find that we are all just seeking in our own way. I find it also builds a certain type of viewpoint in me that spirituality is deeply personal, and takes on a myriad of different acceptable forms. I like what cadence said: Cadence wrote:Viewing things as though you are an outsider looking in is always a good way to gain perspective
I think what I have found is that when I look outward, and then I look back in, I see things a bit as an outsider and then it provides a different perspective. I don’t know that prayer is any better in other religions, it’s just that when we observe it from an outsider perspective it seems compelling, intriguing, spiritual. When you go to LDS SM, if you are like me, you are probably not totally connected to the prayer. Quick question to ask yourself. When the bread and water are blessed are you engaged in the meaning, reflection, commitment of the prayer, or are you listening more to hear if the priest messes up or to the inflections of his voice? I am guilty of the latter… regularly. Yet, if you were to attend a Catholic Mass, at the point where the priest is performing the equivalent blessing over the communion, no matter how reflective, beautiful, spiritual you might see it as a guest, I guarantee you there is someone in the congregation thinking at that exact moment, “man, I hope I got the DVR set to the right game.”When I was a missionary in the 1900’s, I had many experiences helping people to pray for the first time in their lives. These were very standard and basic LDS-style prayers… and they were the most spiritual moments in the teaching process, by a mile.
We’ve been conditioned since nursery for the way that we worship, pray, and participate. It is so common to us, that from an early age, the magic wears off and we do things by rote, rather than truly engaging. The sacrament is a great example. It should be the spiritual highlight of our “worship” but it is far too easy to disengage from it personally. The Church could to a much better job to elevate these things. A very good case-in-point is your story about being bored by a talk on prayer. Why do we even have talks about prayer? We should talk less and pray more. So, while the church doesn’t necessarily help, it is our own personal approach to the spiritual that is the main factor, or at least, that’s what I’ve learned by going outside the framework.
So, bottom line, is yes, look outside the framework, but don’t forget to look back in, as “an outsider” as cadence put it, and I think you’ll continue to find renewed meaning.
Thanks for your thoughts On Own Now. I think that is part of my problem, these things I’ve known about and participated in all my life have lost their power for me lately for a number of reasons. I like the idea of an outsider looking in as well. I’ve often felt like an outsider in the church, but saw it as a negative. It is interesting to think of it as being a positive thing. Ray, I wish that part of our doctrine was recognized more. I really hate when discussions at church become an “us” versus “them” dialog. Doesn’t make sense to me.
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