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Okay, confession time. What do I do which is “wrong” (inverted commas) in the eyes of a TBM? Now some of these are wrong in my eyes, some less so, and some plain irrelevant (alcohol free beer & Coke/Pepsi)
* I don’t pay fast offering enough. I invariably forget to fast on the relevant day (and I’m on medication which doesn’t really let me)
* I watch films, read books, and listen to music, which would not be in line with their ideas. I have a life membership to a local arthouse cinema.
* I attend cultural events, gallery exhibitions etc which could be described similarly.
* I am not kind enough to my brothers and sisters, and often get angry with people.
* I use bad language, and swear like a trooper outside the church.
* I drink non-alcoholic beer, and Coke/Pepsi. I go to bars.
* I occasionally shop on a Sunday.
* I pray every day, but not enough. I don’t read scriptures every day, but probably four/five/six days a week depending.
* I don’t always wear my TGs.
* I mix with people who smoke, drink and sometimes even take drugs.
* I’m friendly with women of below church virtue (trying to put it diplomatically without being rude about them)
* I’m guilty of sins of omission.
* I don’t think highly of Boyd K. Packer, but I do sustain him (does that make me a hypocrite?)
* I study other spiritual traditions, and may be attending a Buddhist retreat to dodge Christmas.
* I’ve not made much of an effort to get myself a celestial bride. Just not very good with women really.
* I don’t tell people I’m a member very often.
* I read anti-Mormon sites etc
I wonder how many of these are serious. If I break it down, I consider the following the most serious –
* My swearing. I can reduce this significantly.
* I could do with dealing with my anger, without becoming a door mat.
* Sins of omission – do I walk by?
* I should be out dating, because I’d like to have children, and feel I’m beginning to fall apart physically!
* Anti-Mormon sites. Not because I’m destroying my faith really, but because a lot of them are relentlessly negative, and don’t do me much good otherwise.
So am I on the road to perdition or not?
You are and will always be my friend. If I have to go to perdition to give you a lift, that is what I will do. Of course we may end up in perdition together… 👿 … but at least we’ll have good company.:angel: I know lots of TBMs who fit the bill according to your list! I think you would be more likely to go to perdition if your post read:
Quote:I have no problems to deal with. I’m better than others who go to church.
None of us are perfect, obviously. Each of those things on your list need to be evaluated as to whether they are really any big deal for you becoming who you want to become or not, and they need to be prioritized whether they are more or less important then the other things you do really well. You can’t do everything. It’s your buffet to pick and choose what you need to become who you want to be.
Just keep telling yourself
Quote:I’m not where I need to be, but thank God I’m not where I used to be.
perdition and the next life will work itself out.
We’re all on the road to perdition, and we’re all on the road to heaven. I’m a firm believer in keepin’ on keepin’ on – trying to be pointed in the right direction as much as possible and striving to do what we can to improve (which is the core of the concept of repentance – which just means “change”). It’s a fine line between crushing guilt over not being able to do it all and easy laziness in not even trying. Honestly, I have learned not to care all that much about how others might view what I’m doing. The only way to change their perception is to put their view of me ahead of my desire concerning whom I want to be – and I refuse to do that. I just don’t care enough to do things primarily to change their view of me. I figure if their concerns are legitimate, someone will tell me – and it will be up to me to recognize the legitimacy; if their concerns aren’t legitimate, someone will tell me – and it will be up to me to recognize the illegitimacy. Either way, I’ll make my decisions based on the person I want to try to become, not how someone else views me.
SamBee wrote:* I don’t pay fast offering enough. I invariably forget to fast on the relevant day (and I’m on medication which doesn’t really let me)
I’ve heard TBMs say any and everything with respect to how much should be paid toward fast offerings, there’s always going to be a TBM that will say you’re not paying enough regardless of how much you are paying
You don’t want to get me started on relevant days… I’m a broken man in that regard. What’s more important, the day it’s done on whether it’s done at all?
SamBee wrote:* I watch films, read books, and listen to music, which would not be in line with their ideas. I have a life membership to a local arthouse cinema.
Again, you’ll eventually run into a TBM that will take issue with something you like. My personal favorite (to be heard in and outside the church): Well
wedon’t watch TV in our home. I think a part of human nature is to try to assess how we stack up against others and we’ll pick those things that we think make ourselves look the best. We’re a church of humans so it stands to reason a TBM here or there is going to make it a point to let you know that rocking out to the latest Black Sabbath album is wrong. SamBee wrote:* I use bad language, and swear like a trooper outside the church.
No worries there. I’m sure some day you’ll progress enough to the point where you feel comfortable swearing like a trooper inside the church. Baby steps.
:angel: SamBee wrote:* I mix with people who smoke, drink and sometimes even take drugs.
* I’m friendly with women of below church virtue (trying to put it diplomatically without being rude about them)
As long as you don’t mix with publicans. Those guys are jerks.
SamBee wrote:* I’m guilty of sins of omission.
No one is exempt from that one.
SamBee wrote:* I don’t think highly of Boyd K. Packer, but I do sustain him (does that make me a hypocrite?)
I think sustain means help other people become what you are sustaining them to be, I do not believe that it is a process of confirming that they are what you sustain them to be. I hope that makes sense. Given my personal definition, in a way sustaining Boyd K. Packer is saying you are trying to help him become an Apostle.
😈 SamBee wrote:* I study other spiritual traditions, and may be attending a Buddhist retreat to dodge Christmas.
13th article of faith. D&C 109:7. Alma 32. Isn’t that what a TBM is supposed to do?
SamBee wrote:So am I on the road to perdition or not?
You’re on the path of life. Life is kinda like that.
Thanks for the comments guys – I think I need to work on my anger, and my humility. I think anger is right in some cases, but wrong in most. I should be angry at injustice, not at personal slights, for example.
One thing I wish we saw more of in our church is honesty. I have always admitted being imperfect, and often wrong in the church. I just wish more people would do likewise. It would make many feel more comfortable.
Kindness is something I’m working on. I’m looking just now to see what positive things I can do in my community.
Yeah, Sam, pride sucks. We need to keep that in mind and not just accuse those with whom we disagree of it.
🙂 I know this is my list, but I think it’s good to share. When we share these things, we invariably find our commonalities. (Our inner lives are more similar than we realize too) Yes, CS Lewis discusses pride at great length. He says it is the sin from which all the other ones proceed. I think he’s right. It’s also overlooked, and I think spiritual pride is perhaps the most common problem amongst church members who walk the walk and hold TRs. It’s serious because it creeps up on us.
SamBee wrote:It’s serious because it creeps up on us.
:clap:
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