Yesterday, NPR posted an article about the historic position
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints found itself in, in having
three positions open in the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. This hasn’t happened in
over 100 years, and NPR interviewed an LDS professor about how that might
change the dynamic of the Church.
I came across the article when it was first posted on Facebook, and posted a simple response about my feelings on the topic. The reactions to my post and to the article in general were sadly predictable: belittlement and vitriol abounded. Because it was Sunday afternoon and I had some time on my hands, I decided to answer some of the replies to my post. I chose to ignore or not take seriously intentionally malicious responses, but I also tried to be respectful in responding to those who clearly disagree with my beliefs, but whose replies were also respectful. When my time was up (dinnertime on Fast Sunday is just no joke, folks!), I excused myself from the conversation.
I came across the article when it was first posted on Facebook, and posted a simple response about my feelings on the topic. The reactions to my post and to the article in general were sadly predictable: belittlement and vitriol abounded. Because it was Sunday afternoon and I had some time on my hands, I decided to answer some of the replies to my post. I chose to ignore or not take seriously intentionally malicious responses, but I also tried to be respectful in responding to those who clearly disagree with my beliefs, but whose replies were also respectful. When my time was up (dinnertime on Fast Sunday is just no joke, folks!), I excused myself from the conversation.
Here are my takeaways from the experience:
First, I am really saddened by the level of vitriol leveled
at religion in general and the LDS Church in particular. In some cases, there
was clearly personal history that fed into those feelings, and that also saddens me to
know that people have had horrible experiences in the church (or any church, or
any other situation that should be GOOD). In other cases, there was just
hateful trolling and willful ignorance from people who seem to never have even met
a Mormon and whose views were shaped by pop culture and skewed reporting (many
clearly don’t understand the difference between LDS and FLDS, for instance). There
just seems to be no place where civil discussion or debates can take place
without a degree of scorn or derision.
Second, there were a lot of comments meant to cast believers
as ignorant/brainwashed pawns of an evil institution. Many years ago, I came to
understand that when people try to belittle others—to try to make them feel
stupid or inadequate—it’s because they themselves feel inadequate. As a result,
rather than taking their disdainfulness to heart, I reflected on how such
feelings contrast with what I feel when I immerse myself in the Gospel. When I
read or hear hateful comments like the ones on that thread, I feel anger, hurt,
and frustration. However, when I am reading the scriptures, attending the
temple, or listening to General Conference I feel only peace, comfort, and
love. That’s not to say that I’ve never felt frustrated at church, but those
instances are because of people, not doctrine. The doctrine of Jesus Christ is
love.
In the end, this experience simply solidified my resolve to
dedicate myself more fully to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I feel my
imperfections and inadequacies daily, but as the Savior said, “They that be
whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” (Matthew 9:12)
"Forgiven" by Greg Olsen
https://www.gregolsen.com/gallery/forgiven#optioncontent
*EDIT* I just watched President Monson's talk (we watch Conference next week). It's so relevant.
