All you need is love
"...men are, that they might have joy" 2 Nephi 2:25*
This post is directed towards my fellow Mormons, though anyone is welcome to read and give their feedback.
I believe that first and foremost, that I am a follower of Christ. What that means to me is that the more closely I align myself to his teachings the better Mormon, the better mother and the better human being I will be. My heart has been hurting as I observed the happenings from this weekend** from afar. A group of women sought entrance to a meeting for priesthood-holding men. The judgment and name calling from other Mormons, the blind anger and fear that came rushing forth from "the faithful" towards these women was shocking to say the least. Accusations of unworthiness, of malicious intent of a lack of understanding to true femininity and much more were spewed forth, even from people who in the past have shown to be kind and thoughtful people.
Where is all this anger coming from? Why does it seem that so many faithful members are so afraid? I have had my faith shaken in the past. I know that it can sometimes be scary to see that the world is not made up of absolutes. There are many grey areas to navigate through over and over again. Honestly, the more sure and the more absolute path for me was to leave the church and give up the uncomfortable truth that even our leaders aren't perfect, there are skeletons in our closet, and we don't have the monopoly on truth and light. But for me my heart wanted the shaky, yet beautiful ground of faith, of contemplating the eternal, and of breaking down and building up what I know about God over and over as I grow older.
In these moments of doubt and questioning there has been a quiet peace that welcomes this openness. Questions are not to be ignored, and looking them straight in the face will not destroy you. If you do so with a prayer in your heart, you might learn something new and be stronger than you were before. So please, when faced with someone who believes differently than you do, who challenges the way things have always been done, or who questions things that you hold dear; have the courage to face their questions with kindness. What a wonderful religion is Mormonism (officially called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). But this hate that I saw from so many people this weekend, only poisons the water for everyone. God loves each one of us, and wants us all to be happy. Let's allow everyone to seek their own truth in their own way. If you wish to discuss/convince/persuade someone's beliefs, have the decency to do so with them, to their face and without malice. Listen to what they have to say without fear. If they are wrong, you'll know it. If they have are right, you'll also know it in your heart, so what do you have to lose? Love does not mean you have to agree on everything, and being part of a faith and loving the same God doesn't mean you have to let go of all of your questions. How else are we going to grow? So let's reserve our judgments for a little while and learn to connect with each other as fellow humans, as fellow children of the same God. Let's love each other and be happy.
Now, here's some new music I just discovered for you to enjoy.
*The scripture quoted above is from the Book of Mormon, another testament of Christ and a book that sets Mormons apart from other Christian religions.
**Twice a year Mormons gather to listen to their leaders speak on different topics of doctrine and faith. It is traditionally a time of joy and renewal for the faithful.
This post is directed towards my fellow Mormons, though anyone is welcome to read and give their feedback.
I believe that first and foremost, that I am a follower of Christ. What that means to me is that the more closely I align myself to his teachings the better Mormon, the better mother and the better human being I will be. My heart has been hurting as I observed the happenings from this weekend** from afar. A group of women sought entrance to a meeting for priesthood-holding men. The judgment and name calling from other Mormons, the blind anger and fear that came rushing forth from "the faithful" towards these women was shocking to say the least. Accusations of unworthiness, of malicious intent of a lack of understanding to true femininity and much more were spewed forth, even from people who in the past have shown to be kind and thoughtful people.
Where is all this anger coming from? Why does it seem that so many faithful members are so afraid? I have had my faith shaken in the past. I know that it can sometimes be scary to see that the world is not made up of absolutes. There are many grey areas to navigate through over and over again. Honestly, the more sure and the more absolute path for me was to leave the church and give up the uncomfortable truth that even our leaders aren't perfect, there are skeletons in our closet, and we don't have the monopoly on truth and light. But for me my heart wanted the shaky, yet beautiful ground of faith, of contemplating the eternal, and of breaking down and building up what I know about God over and over as I grow older.
In these moments of doubt and questioning there has been a quiet peace that welcomes this openness. Questions are not to be ignored, and looking them straight in the face will not destroy you. If you do so with a prayer in your heart, you might learn something new and be stronger than you were before. So please, when faced with someone who believes differently than you do, who challenges the way things have always been done, or who questions things that you hold dear; have the courage to face their questions with kindness. What a wonderful religion is Mormonism (officially called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). But this hate that I saw from so many people this weekend, only poisons the water for everyone. God loves each one of us, and wants us all to be happy. Let's allow everyone to seek their own truth in their own way. If you wish to discuss/convince/persuade someone's beliefs, have the decency to do so with them, to their face and without malice. Listen to what they have to say without fear. If they are wrong, you'll know it. If they have are right, you'll also know it in your heart, so what do you have to lose? Love does not mean you have to agree on everything, and being part of a faith and loving the same God doesn't mean you have to let go of all of your questions. How else are we going to grow? So let's reserve our judgments for a little while and learn to connect with each other as fellow humans, as fellow children of the same God. Let's love each other and be happy.
Now, here's some new music I just discovered for you to enjoy.
*The scripture quoted above is from the Book of Mormon, another testament of Christ and a book that sets Mormons apart from other Christian religions.
**Twice a year Mormons gather to listen to their leaders speak on different topics of doctrine and faith. It is traditionally a time of joy and renewal for the faithful.
Comments
-Julee
My first reaction was "Come off it ladies! Get back in the kitchen where you belong! (jk)" My second reaction was, "Come off it me! These are real people!"
My second reaction was more Christlike and would serve me better were I to enter into a dialog with, say, my liberal feminist sister whom I love and adore but also drives me crazy sometimes. (Pants to church. Gimme a break. Next they'll be wanting suffrage! And driver's licences! Last I checked there wasn't a freeway between the kitchen and the bedroom!) I'd certainly be more open to learning something anyway.
I cringe when I see people who profess my same beliefs behave in this way. Thank you for calling it out.
Furthermore, I would rather my little ones know Christ and act/think/feel as He would. In front of a opposing crowds He was calm and caring, confident, gentle and powerful.
Have you read, "The Anatomy of Peace" by the Arbringer Institute? Life changer for me.
Good musics.