Staylds alternatives?

[Anonymous]

Hi. Im not falling out of love with staylds:) Im just curious about what other forums there are out there?

It can go both way.. More critical, and less critical.

The last 6 months i have been drifting more and more toward “very critical”, and i want to see if there are other “soft” places like staylds out there.

Thanks:)

[Anonymous]

Not that I’m aware of. There was Mormondiscussions.com which had Celestial, Terrestrial and Telestial forums — if you wanted to stay less critical, you could post in the celestial forum. People who wanted to be more critical would post in the telestial forum.

It was pretty hilarious some of it. Some very smart, sarcastic people there. I did notice the celestial forum was better than the telestial forum in terms of keeping it light…at the time.

[Anonymous]

If you’re looking for less critical I think fairlds has a decent board. It’s not my personal cup of tea, but the conversation can be pretty open and there’s some good advice given. Probably more on the faithful scale than here, but not anti-doubt either.

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[Anonymous]

Bear wrote:

Hi. Im not falling out of love with staylds:) Im just curious about what other forums there are out there?

It can go both way.. More critical, and less critical.

The last 6 months i have been drifting more and more toward “very critical”, and i want to see if there are other “soft” places like staylds out there.

Thanks:)

You might like the A Thoughtful Faith Facebook group. I think I’m figuring out that wayfarer is a big poster there. (Could be wrong about that.) There are interesting doctrinal discussions, contributions from Jared Anderson of Mormon Sunday School and David Bokovoy of Patheos and other places. There’s also all the venting and the “Hey, I’ve got a random question” posts. The moderators are very present, positive and give as much latitude as the mission of the site allows. (Which is the way I would also describe stayLDS, btw.)

It’s not a discussion forum, but I like MormonMatters with Dan Wotherspoon.

I do occasionally go to the Celestial and Terrestrial sections of MormonDiscussions because there are some real gems there. They’re hard to find, but sometimes so worth it. A lot of smart people who write well, but also a lot of bitterness and aggression. (And they’re downright obsessed with the Maxwell Institute, which I don’t care about at all….)

[Anonymous]

I visit mormondialogue.org sometimes. There’s a mix of people there from very orthodox hardliners to those who are disaffected (but not anti).

[Anonymous]

I second A Thoughtful Faith, as well as Rational Faiths.

LDSLiving has had some excellent pieces and is focused on being faithful.

By Common Consent is a pretty good mixture of faith-promoting posts and constructive criticism (with some excellent comments), but they moderate complaints and vents quite actively.

NOM absolutely is NOT a soft place. It works for those who need unfettered ability to vent and complain and be supported in those actions (and that type of forum is important for some people), but it is not a soft place for anyone who is committed to finding peace and joy in the LDS Church.

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot everyone. Will check it out!

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[Anonymous]

Also – I like checking out realclearreligion.org. I learn a lot there. In a roundabout way it has so far contributed to my staying LDS by reminding me that every religious institution has problems. Ray’s always good to remind of that, too. Now it’s more a question of which problems do I want to contend with.

[Anonymous]

Old-Timer wrote:

I second A Thoughtful Faith, as well as Rational Faiths.

LDSLiving has had some excellent pieces and is focused on being faithful.

By Common Consent is a pretty good mixture of faith-promoting posts and constructive criticism (with some excellent comments), but they moderate complaints and vents quite actively.

NOM absolutely is NOT a soft place. It works for those who need unfettered ability to vent and complain and be supported in those actions (and that type of forum is important for some people), but it is not a soft place for anyone who is committed to finding peace and joy in the LDS Church.

Are you looking only for faith building or faith maintaining alternatives? If so, the ones listed so far are all good options to check out. If you are looking for conversations regarding the Church in any way, there are lots to choose from. Feel free to send me a pm on StayLDS or NOM and I would be happy to point you to some resources that might better fit your needs. I have a list of several hundred groups – far too many to list here!

Just a slight clarification about NOM… The conversations and discussions are definitely not geared towards finding peace and joy in the Church, but rather finding a way to make the Church work for the individual. Sometimes that’s not pretty. Sometimes the conversations are hard and painful and uncomfortable and we allow that on NOM. Church can be a very painful place for some people, even when they still believe or want to make it work for them. Church can also be a very funny place and sometimes the best way to get through it is to laugh. Humor is a large part of what makes the NOM community great! There are many believing members on NOM and there are many who don’t believe but participate for a variety of reasons. It is a moderated forum. We don’t allow disrespectful conversations, but we do allow honest conversations. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it meets the needs for some.

Quote:

New Order Mormons are those who no longer believe some (or much) of the dogma or doctrines of the LDS Church, but who want to maintain membership for cultural, social, or even spiritual reasons. New Order Mormons recognize both good and bad in the Church, and have determined that the Church does not have to be perfect in order to remain useful. New Order Mormons seek the middle way to be Mormon.

Feminist Mormon Housewives Society has a Facebook group (facebook.com/groups/fmhsociety) that address more of the cultural and feminist issues of Mormonism in a respectful way. If you need an idea fast for a lesson or activity or just need to know where to find a swimsuit that will meet the requirements for girls’ camp, this is the place! It is also a place to explore the experience of women in the Church – the good, the bad and the ugly.

Quote:

The FB fMh page exists as an auxiliary to the blog feministMormonhousewives.org, to provide a safe place for people to learn about and explore the issues of faith and feminism, to foster fellowship, and to discuss actions that will contribute to making the LDS Church a place where women feel respected, involved, and equal.

Mormon Stories Podcast Community on Facebook (facebook.com/groups/mormonstories) is a great place to discuss the impact the Church has on members’ lives, although the conversations are more open and include both positive and negative perspectives. It is a moderated forum.

Quote:

The purpose of this group is to provide a safe place for people to discuss issues related to Mormonism, particularly uncorrelated Mormonism.

Mormons Building Bridges is a great community of those working to stay in the Church and advocate for the LGBTQI members who are also looking for ways to actively participate in a meaningful way. (facebook.com/groups/mormonsbuildingbridges)

Quote:

In accordance with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Mormons Building Bridges community is made up of faithful Latter-day Saints who are dedicated to conveying love and acceptance to all who identify as LGBTQI and those who experience same-sex attraction. We assert that all our sisters, brothers, and families are inherently worthy of love and belonging in our homes, congregations, and communities – no matter where their life path may take them. The Mormons Building Bridges community supports specific initiatives that promote this vision and encourage individuals to flourish. We base our efforts on the testimonies of gay, transgender, and straight Latter-day Saints who all seek a Christ-centered life as their authentic selves. The Mormons Building Bridges community is less a movement built around a visible leader and more a way of creating a standard of thoughtful dialogue and innovation that is available to all LDS people as they approach the question of how to best help LGBTQ/SSA people to thrive.

[Anonymous]

Good starter list for those seeking various types of discussions. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Thank you, agnosticmormon.

I participated st NOM for a short time years ago, and the incessant negativity wasn’t a good fit for me. If it has changed, great – but nobody I know who participate there would say it is a soft place – which is what bear requested.

Also, everyone here understands your description of the Church. We all agree with it and have experienced it to varying degrees. That is obvious from the threads here. That is why we support NOM for those for whom it is appropriate – as I said in a post in order to make that clear. Our mission simply is a bit different, as are our rules. All we ask is that participants accept that mission and those rules.

Also, to be crystal clear, NOM has never been called anti-Mormon here by the admins. If you don’t believe me, search our archives.

Thank you, again, for the information.

[Anonymous]

[Admin Note]: Let’s not continue any discussion of NOM in this thread. That wouldn’t be true to bear’s post. The info agnosticmormon provided is good to have. Let’s leave it at that.

[Anonymous]

Bear wrote:

Hi. Im not falling out of love with staylds:) Im just curious about what other forums there are out there?

It can go both way.. More critical, and less critical.

The last 6 months i have been drifting more and more toward “very critical”, and i want to see if there are other “soft” places like staylds out there.

Thanks:)

Last post from me, but I want to put a plug in for Christine Hayes’ Old Testament Youtube class. Yale University. Sorry I don’t have the link handy, but she’s an excellent lecturer. And it’s nice to have a break. Hours of recorded lecture without one mention of Mormon or Joseph Smith, but much food for LDS thought.

[Anonymous]

Ann wrote:

Bear wrote:

Hi. Im not falling out of love with staylds:) Im just curious about what other forums there are out there?

It can go both way.. More critical, and less critical.

The last 6 months i have been drifting more and more toward “very critical”, and i want to see if there are other “soft” places like staylds out there.

Thanks:)

Last post from me, but I want to put a plug in for Christine Hayes’ Old Testament Youtube class. Yale University. Sorry I don’t have the link handy, but she’s an excellent lecturer. And it’s nice to have a break. Hours of recorded lecture without one mention of Mormon or Joseph Smith, but much food for LDS thought.

Google it and ye shall find:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh9mgdi4rNeyuvTEbD-Ei0JdMUujXfyWi” class=”bbcode_url”>https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh9mgdi4rNeyuvTEbD-Ei0JdMUujXfyWi

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