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I took a moment a few days ago to put down what my current beliefs are about Mormon-related doctrines. Here goes! I hope that God is out there, and that He is a personal god. I am no longer sure whether He has a body, or is married, or even male. I am not even sure whether He is separate from Jesus. I believe that there is a spiritual dimension to reality. I believe in the Holy Ghost, and that it communicates with my spirit. I believe in Jesus Christ. I love His example and His teachings as found in the New Testament. I hope that He is my Savior. I hope for a resurrection from the dead, and I hope that He has ensured it for me and my loved ones. I believe that we continue after death in a more glorious state. I am no longer sure if the afterlife is structured the way Joseph taught.
I believe that Joseph was a prophet, and that he had some kind of experience in the sacred grove, although I am no longer sure exactly what happened or who he met there. Perhaps he merely received forgiveness of sins. Who can know for sure? I think Joseph brought forth the Book of Mormon in some manner–perhaps he is the author? It certainly wasn’t translation in the traditional sense of the word. I like the Book of Mormon. It seems to have a consistent “truthiness” about it. I don’t think it is a historical record, or that the Jaredites, Nephites, and Lamanites actually existed. Although I also like much of the Doctrine and Covenants, there are some sections that I do not believe are “revelation”, but “opinion”. I think the Books of Moses and Abraham are 19th century pseudepigrapa. My favorite section in the Book of Moses is the Enoch stuff (where we get the weeping God).
I don’t really know what priesthood is, although I do believe that some people are called and spiritually authorized to prophecy, have visions, and reveal important truths, as well as to authorize covenants with God. I think that the current Mormon ordinances are one of many forms of covenant-making, of commitment to live good and true principles. I believe there is sin and repentance, and that there are purgatorial experiences of some kind, although I don’t really believe in Hell or in Satan (at least not as they are characterized in orthodox Mormon teachings). I think the Brethren and GAs are no more likely to receive revelation than any of us.
I’d like to begin developing spiritual practices that will help me to grow in peace and happiness. What do y’all believe?
Turin – My list looks very similar to yours, but it has variations that I keep faith in. I puzzle over our churches founding, not because it didn’t happen but I wonder if what ever it was or was trying to be, got lost – now we have some left over remnants and generation after generation keeps using the remnants and trying to make something that may never have been. The one weird belief that I have, and that I can barely explain, is I believe we can make something True. That doesn’t mean I can make Nephite, Lamanites, etc. but I can build or act on the lessons from them, and make those lessons true. I believe a transcendent truth would blossom out of it. My deepest belief is that God intended to see what we would make of this life. Where ever you are, what will you make of this life. I guess I want Mormonism to somehow live up to it’s loftiest possibilities. To embrace 3 Nephi 18, to be open as Jesus Christ was open, to live more Savior of others centric. That is why I hang around. I see seedlings that could be fertilized into very strong trees.
I loved your list. There is a sincerity in you that I marvel at.
That is really awesome, thanks so much for sharing that sincere and frank description of your beliefs. I really wish I had time to reply to this but life is really demanding a lot from me right now. I would also love to read responses from more of our forum members. I’m glad to see you posting again Turin…I think posts like yours also show independence of belief which has been critical in helping me to be happier with my spiritual life. What do I believe
God: I believe he exists. Jesus:I never had a real testimony of Jesus. The whole idea of Justice/Mercy and Atonement seems brilliant, but there have been times when I’ve been full of self-loathing about my own sins, and have never felt forgiveness even after long periods of fasting and prayer. I don’t reject the idea of Christ, and call myself a Christian. I think his life was full of good principles, and I hope He exists. Joseph Smith:never had a very strong testimony of JS. He did break a lot of rules, in my view — polyandry being one of them. There is evidence that he did take advantage of the lack of knowledge people have in things they can’t see — such as the digging for gold venture he was part of at one time. He did write some good scripture whether by inspiration or some other means. But, I did try to write “scripture” myself. I wrote a story about a prince who was arrogant, and then through experience grew humble. I found that when I read it I could also feel the Spirit — and what did it was the format — the Chapter headings and verse numbering system. It made it feel like scripture.
Now, before anyone thinks I’m considering myself a prophet, think again. It was just an experiment to see whether I could feel spiritual reading something I knew for a fact was not given by any kind of supernatural means.
Currrent Prophets:No testimony at all. They are senior managers with deified personnas from the membership. Although they seem to care about the membership, their ability to explain the mysteries of life,their ability to have a personal impact on the members for any length of time is limited. And they have created many policies that I feel disadvantage the general membership. In some cases, they actually destroy family relationships. Yet they are blind to it. They care more about the organization than the volunteers who staff it. The Gospel:I have some belief in the whole thing generally because of the spiritual experiences I had as a missionary, a new convert etcetera. But I rarely ever feel the Spirit at church anymore, and my fulfilment comes from community service, artistic pursuits, and personal reflection. I always did feel like I was sucking air through a straw at church for many years. It may have been to poorly prepared teachers and dysfunctional relationships and behavior from the membership. So, my commitment to the gospel is weak right now, although I would not say I don’t believe entirely. Just to point out here SD, the original version of the BoM was not divided into chapters and verses as it is today. That said, i do believe that scripture can come form sources outside the standard works and general conference. I do want to answer this thread and intend, too at some point today when I have more time.
I believe there is a God who is the creator. I don’t see that he is intimately involved with our lives. I do believe Jesus Christ lived upon the earth and that he was at least a great teacher and probably did carry out the atoning sacrifice and resurrection as described in the Bible. Jesus may have been the son of God in some sense, but perhaps no more than the rest of us. I believe there is some sort of spiritual interaction with God and that may be carried out through the Holy Ghost or some similar entity which may actually be a part of “God.” I do not believe Mormons have any sort of monopoly on this spiritual interaction. I believe there is an afterlife but I don’t believe we know enough about it to determine what it’s like. I believe Joseph Smith did have a profound spiritual experience in the area of what we call the sacred grove. He apparently sought forgiveness for his sins, which I believe he received. I believe Joseph Smith brought forth the Book of Mormon, but I do not believe it to be a literal history of people in the ancient Americas or anywhere else. I do believe the Book of Mormon contains good teachings, but I am not sure it was brought forth by God himself or in the manner Joseph Smith describes. I likewise believe in the Doctrine and Covenants but do not believe everything in there was received by revelation in the same sense that most believing members think of revelation, and I believe much of it is simply the teachings and beliefs of Joseph Smith and his cohorts. I do not believe the Books of Moses and Abraham to be scripture, but, like the Apocrypha, they may contain good teachings.
I believe the priesthood is an authority given to perform certain ordinances in the church and has little, if any, actual power. I believe the current leadership of the church acts under this authority and as such do have the ability to receive revelation and direction for the church. However, in all we have recorded in the thousands of years covered by scripture, direct interaction between man and God seems to be very rare and I believe that condition continues – direct revelation or interaction with God is extremely rare. I do not believe any modern prophet since Joseph Smith has had direct interaction with God, and I that if God had something to say he would not hesitate to reveal it to whomever he desired. I believe the LDS ordinances, including temple ordinances, are symbolic of the commitment of individuals but that they have no actual power.
I do not believe there is a literal hell nor do I believe there is a Satan or adversary in the sense it is taught in orthodox LDS doctrine. I do believe there is some sort of judgement, based on loving God and loving our neighbors. I do believe there is sin and repentance, but I do not believe such are limited to this life.
turinturambar wrote:What do y’all believe?
That’s a very thought provoking question, I honestly have no idea what I believe. Maybe I’m a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. I’m comfortable with believing anything and yet believing nothing at the same time.
:crazy: I’m currently reading scripture from other religions and books on ancient mythology. One problem I’m having is that I often try to frame other theologies in the context of what I have learned from Christianity. I have a whole lifetime of speaking the language of Christianity and I feel like I’d receive more insight if I were better immersed in the cultures of the people that held these “foreign” beliefs. I speak a second language and I can tell you that I didn’t make much progress with learning it until I stopped trying to translate the second language back into my first and vice versa. I only started to make progress once I trained myself to ignore my tendencies to relate things back to my first language and just allow the second language to “wash over me.”
Anyway, it’s interesting to attempt to get past the specifics and the details and arrive at the primal essence of what drove the myths that have been dreamed up over the last several thousand years. Of course this is all limited by our current understandings of those cultures.
Current beliefs about LDS teachings:Joseph Smith– First and foremost in his heart of hearts I believe that he was a good man with good intentions. I think he had an active imagination and believed the things that he imagined. I think the 116 pages, BoA, Kinderhook plates, treasure hunting, etc. paint a picture of a charlatan. Well charlatan is a bit too harsh, it implies a self-centeredness which I don’t believe JS had. I do think the desire for attention was one of his underlying motivations but the key difference between a charlatan and JS is that he used the opportunity to help others live a Christlike life whereas a charlatan is purely out for personal gain. In that light maybe a softer word that fits JS better that “charlatan” is “prophet” 😆 Book of Mormon– A book that borrowed from existing literary sources and ideas from the early 1800s that was fleshed out with gospel teachings. I do believe that could be well within the parameters of something god would do, principles are easier to remember when there are stories attached to them… and that could be referring to the stories inthe BoM just as well as the story of how the BoM came about. Generics:God– 
:Jesus– It’s difficult to frame Jesus as the son of god when my current beliefs about god are quasi-nebulous. I do believe that he was a historical figure, an exemplary philosopher, a master politician, and a genius. Sure, someone might have come along ex post facto and assigned divine qualities to his legend, that doesn’t matter to me though. He’s still represents an ideal to aspire to. I’ve gained a tremendous amount of insight from the notion that he has suffered all so that he may know how to succor me. In the past that’s helped me see a light at the end of dark tunnels. Currently I use that to project my doubts, loss of faith, what have you, onto his narrative; It generates the questions that keeps me going. If Jesus had a FC at what point did it occur? If it was before his mortal ministry what were his motivations? And perhaps above all… how did he manage to walk that line? He elevated the spirituality of others around him all within the context of their existing mythos.. perhaps even without 100% believing in them. Afterlife– ∅. Kind of a bummer, but currently (beliefs are always in a state of flux) I think WYSIWYG. I believe I’ll cease to be when I die. I hope for an afterlife, I starve for one, but there it is. It’s still a new thing for me so I don’t have a coping mechanism. I don’t really allow myself to ponder about it very much because it literally stops me in my tracks. Coo coo bananas:Music– Music speaks to me, I mean really speaks to me. It connects with my spirit in ways I cannot articulate. As stupid as this sounds, one thing that gets me down is that I find such deep meaning in music created by other people but I don’t seem to have the talent to create music that reveals the inner me. Maybe that’s because I don’t truly know the inner me? Anyway I lament that the spiritual nourishment that music provides appears to be a one way street for me; always inward, never born from within. Told you it was coo coo bananas. I’ll stop there before it becomes tl;dr
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