I am not writing this to say who is right and who is wrong. I am writing this to get it off my chest and to share truth. I do not share freely of how I feel about the LDS Church, the dissenters, or the members of such church. So this is a big deal to me when I share my feelings toward such things.
So here it goes. I love the people that point fingers and say the church lied to me, the church is a fraud. I also love the people that try to fight back and reason with them. But I am disappointed in both of them. It is because we are flinging mud at each other. It is easier to put people down than to build them up. It is easier to attempt to cast the mote out of the other’s eye than your own(Luke 6:42). It is easier to say they are wrong than to see if they are right.
There is this scripture in Jacob 4:14 that states “…they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall…”
As we fight back and forth, we look beyond the mark or what is truly important. Since both sides of the spectrum are digging a hole and try to push the others in, both will fall. They look beyond what is important, and truly miss the mark. Let’s try to hit the mark by asking ourselves these more important questions.
- How have you shown the love of Christ toward others?
- How can I improve today to get closer to my Savior?
I had a professor in college who was Catholic but grew up in a very LDS city. So, he understood the LDS culture. One day he confessed to me that his neighbor sent over the LDS missionaries. Since, he is Catholic, he refused to listen. But than he told me, “If my neighbor would have helped with my yard in laying cement last week, I would have been more receptive to listen to the missionaries.” He told me this. I did not assume nor are these my own thoughts. He said it to me. Show love without the intent to convert. In other words, show the true love of Christ.
I actually have a friend (my family is proud of me that I have a friend) that I can speak to honestly and without reproach. We disagree all the time and it is over the culture of the LDS faith. But, we don’t do it out of spite or hatred, trying to prove the other wrong. We do it just because. At the end of the day, we will pull out our Caffeine-Free Diet Mountain Dew (Just Kidding, I am not even sure that exists, but we pullout a glass of water) enjoy each others company, and talk about how our families are doing. What fun we have. If something is troubling him, he can always talk to me and vice versa.
I believe that we shouldn’t follow blindly or roll over and not stand up for our beliefs. But there is a way to do it with love and peace.
Here is to casting out the beam in our eyes first. My favorite scripture is Mosiah 4:11-12 which states,” 11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as (1) ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and (2) have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, (3) even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy
creatures, and (4) humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, (5) calling on the name of the Lord daily, and (6) standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.
12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.” (added italics and numbers in the verses)
These verses give you easy steps to retain a remission of your sins, to grow in knowledge of the glory of Him and also be filled with the love of God. Is this the true mark? I believe it is. Without our Father in Heaven, we are nothing (see Moses 1). God loves us and He shows us every day. We just need to see it and remember.
I hope this post finds you well in our quest to come closer to Him.
Your Brother in the Gospel
Tyler Smith