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Now that I have introduced myself I would like to share a few of the things that work for me when it comes to staying active in the church. The things I’m listing may not work for you as everyone’s circumstances are different. - 1. I still try to follow Christ’s teachings and I don’t harbor any hard feelings towards anyone.
2. I’m quiet (not really shy) by nature and I internalize a great deal on my own, so I don’t say very much at church. People know that about me and that has made it easier for me to not cause trouble. If I do hear something I disagree with, I try to focus on why that person believes that way and how it helps him/her in their life.
3. I have had a long time where I slowly grew my doubt, line upon line you might say
4. I’ve debated, and still do, with many different people online about many different topics. I’ve seen people deny or rationalize something so they can maintain their position no matter how much evidence was shown against their position. I’ve learned that it is human nature to do this, whether it is about religion, politics or anything else. I try to be understanding and not angry at someone who is doing what comes natural when they don’t listen objectively to questions about the LDS faith.
5. I travel a lot and have had plenty of time (and still do) on my own to think things through and to explore my feelings, without the worry of having to explain why I’m depressed or melancholy. I would encourage those in my position to try and find some time on their own, meditate. Encouraging members to meditate has always been good church counsel.
These are very good points, I agree. Thanks for sharing, and congratulations on the path of growth. :thumbup: Thanks for posting this, dt. Every person who sees things differently than most other people needs to find ways to view those others charitably and accept differences. I like your list and am happy you have found what works for you.
It’s a great list. Glad to have you on the site. Thanks for sharing this DT. As someone trying to make the transition to return to church after a long absence, I find your thoughts helpful. Most of them I do anyway (like follow Christ’s teachings). My crisis of faith was more of a crash, and the opposite of your experience has been true for me in that I am now rebuildingline upon line – but the questions still lead the way in that rebuilding. I question everything, and I am not at a point where I really know what I believe about all things yet, but I know what I believe about some. I especially like #4, and that’s something I need to work on. I think you’re right, it is human nature and I need to think that through a bit more in my own mind so I can use it as a coping tool. I usually do get a fair amount of time I can meditate, which I suppose some people could say is the problem – if I didn’t meditate I wouldn’t question. On the other hand, questioning and meditating, I believe, has given me a greater understanding.
DarkJedi wrote:Thanks for sharing this DT. As someone trying to make the transition to return to church after a long absence, I find your thoughts helpful. Most of them I do anyway (like follow Christ’s teachings). My crisis of faith was more of a crash, and the opposite of your experience has been true for me in that I am now
rebuildingline upon line – but the questions still lead the way in that rebuilding. I question everything, and I am not at a point where I really know what I believe about all things yet, but I know what I believe about some. I especially like #4, and that’s something I need to work on. I think you’re right, it is human nature and I need to think that through a bit more in my own mind so I can use it as a coping tool. I usually do get a fair amount of time I can meditate, which I suppose some people could say is the problem – if I didn’t meditate I wouldn’t question. On the other hand, questioning and meditating, I believe, has given me a greater understanding.
I’m glad this list was helpful for you. Just preparing the list helped to solidify in my mind what has/does really work for me.
I guess one other thing that helped me was that I had developed a testimony of God and Christ through enough spiritual experiences outside of the church that at least my basic beliefs about God never crumbled even though some LDS beliefs did.
Deepthinker wrote:DarkJedi wrote:Thanks for sharing this DT. As someone trying to make the transition to return to church after a long absence, I find your thoughts helpful. Most of them I do anyway (like follow Christ’s teachings). My crisis of faith was more of a crash, and the opposite of your experience has been true for me in that I am now
rebuildingline upon line – but the questions still lead the way in that rebuilding. I question everything, and I am not at a point where I really know what I believe about all things yet, but I know what I believe about some. I especially like #4, and that’s something I need to work on. I think you’re right, it is human nature and I need to think that through a bit more in my own mind so I can use it as a coping tool. I usually do get a fair amount of time I can meditate, which I suppose some people could say is the problem – if I didn’t meditate I wouldn’t question. On the other hand, questioning and meditating, I believe, has given me a greater understanding.
I’m glad this list was helpful for you. Just preparing the list helped to solidify in my mind what has/does really work for me.
I guess one other thing that helped me was that I had developed a testimony of God and Christ through enough spiritual experiences outside of the church that at least my basic beliefs about God never crumbled even though some LDS beliefs did.
Yeah, it was a little different for me, I was not really religious prior to joining the church, so my testimony of the gospel and the church were the same – they aren’t any more, but that has been a lengthy transition. I think I will make a list for myself that is like yours. Thanks again.
- 1. I still try to follow Christ’s teachings and I don’t harbor any hard feelings towards anyone.
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