Love, support, and honestly, just SPACE to simply exist here as I am, where I am. I am always surprised when I find how many people feel similarly to me at church yet can't make that known (at church) because they don't feel there is space and safety to do so. There's such a tight grip on scripts of belief. Let's take a page from Judaism and not just normalize but celebrate faith crises as the positive opportunities that they are.
This is a really great primer for those in leadership. What they don’t understand is that we have been where they are, but they haven’t been where we are, so they bust out their spiritual tools and offer them to us not realizing we have a tool shed full of those same tools, they just stopped working. In a way I feel sorry them because like you said, they have no pastoral training, but they’re called to be pastors to us anyway. It’s like a perfect storm.
Having been on both sides of this particular conversation - as the RS Pres who needed to just listen and sympathize AND as the person whose faith foundation had holes blown through it with emotional explosives - you described it all very well. Thanks for helping Liahona saints be seen and understood better, I hope the Iron Rod-ers will ... listen ... (not their strong suit, per my experience).
Beautifully written. Our friend Josh raised his hand in Sunday School last week and talked about all his doubts and why he stays. The room broke into spontaneous applause. ❤️ Why would we ever want to push anyone out? We need people who ask questions, bring up new ideas, and serve in so many meaningful ways.
“Many of us nuanced Latter-day Saints, especially those with family and friends in the LGBTQ+ community, have a hard time with the Family Proclamation. We know you love it. We know where it came from.” My understanding of where it came from was it was written by lawyers as a legal document to be used to fight against Prop 8 in California. That neither the RS nor any other women in the church (I can’t speak of Apostles wives) had no input in its composition. These are some attitudes, the I know better than most because of my calling, that has sent me out of the church. That and the lies about LGBTQ parents as apostates, blacks and the priesthood, ignoring Christ’s invitation to accept all even lepers sinners and “tax collectors”, polygamy, and other positions. The constant manipulation of the members from the pulpit in GEN. Conf. As with Pres. Hinckley distorting a pioneer story or Elder Holland threatening a BYU student for saying at graduation what he had been given permission to say. I know the church isn’t perfect but I see a complete absence of repentance and accountability in the leaders. Yes, they can screw up, but apologies are needed.
Love, support, and honestly, just SPACE to simply exist here as I am, where I am. I am always surprised when I find how many people feel similarly to me at church yet can't make that known (at church) because they don't feel there is space and safety to do so. There's such a tight grip on scripts of belief. Let's take a page from Judaism and not just normalize but celebrate faith crises as the positive opportunities that they are.
This is a really great primer for those in leadership. What they don’t understand is that we have been where they are, but they haven’t been where we are, so they bust out their spiritual tools and offer them to us not realizing we have a tool shed full of those same tools, they just stopped working. In a way I feel sorry them because like you said, they have no pastoral training, but they’re called to be pastors to us anyway. It’s like a perfect storm.
This is excellent and very much mirrors my views. I used to be Iron Rod and now I’m Liahona and I believe there is room for both of we make room.
Having been on both sides of this particular conversation - as the RS Pres who needed to just listen and sympathize AND as the person whose faith foundation had holes blown through it with emotional explosives - you described it all very well. Thanks for helping Liahona saints be seen and understood better, I hope the Iron Rod-ers will ... listen ... (not their strong suit, per my experience).
Beautifully written. Our friend Josh raised his hand in Sunday School last week and talked about all his doubts and why he stays. The room broke into spontaneous applause. ❤️ Why would we ever want to push anyone out? We need people who ask questions, bring up new ideas, and serve in so many meaningful ways.
Amen brother. Thank you for giving voice to something that applies to so many of us. 😊
Wow. Thank you for voicing what has been in my heart for quite some time. It is nice to know there are others who think in a similar vein as I do.
Thank you! The birthday gift. I didn’t know I needed. ❤️
Happy birthday!
Amen
“Many of us nuanced Latter-day Saints, especially those with family and friends in the LGBTQ+ community, have a hard time with the Family Proclamation. We know you love it. We know where it came from.” My understanding of where it came from was it was written by lawyers as a legal document to be used to fight against Prop 8 in California. That neither the RS nor any other women in the church (I can’t speak of Apostles wives) had no input in its composition. These are some attitudes, the I know better than most because of my calling, that has sent me out of the church. That and the lies about LGBTQ parents as apostates, blacks and the priesthood, ignoring Christ’s invitation to accept all even lepers sinners and “tax collectors”, polygamy, and other positions. The constant manipulation of the members from the pulpit in GEN. Conf. As with Pres. Hinckley distorting a pioneer story or Elder Holland threatening a BYU student for saying at graduation what he had been given permission to say. I know the church isn’t perfect but I see a complete absence of repentance and accountability in the leaders. Yes, they can screw up, but apologies are needed.
Once again, well said, Roger. Thank you for you insights and willingness to put voice to concerns that so many of us feel and have lived.
Thanks, Chris. Your opinion matters to me. I'm glad this hit the mark.
Stuffed this article under my bishop’s office door during the ward Christmas party! Thank you so much.
This is my favorite comment I have ever gotten. Haha. So glad it resonated!