My family of origin doesn’t place a lot of value in “things.” Continue reading ‘Meaning in Objects’
Archive for December, 2006
This is a really great article, and a perfect one to end the year on as middle-way Mormons/semi-religious folk.
“Andrew Sullivan on the rise of fundamentalism and why embracing spiritual doubt is the key to defusing the tension between East and West.”
Check it out, return, and report. 
When I joined the Church in 1979, I was told that I could depend upon my spiritual senses to tell me if the things I was reading and being taught were true. I was told I could ask God, and I would know of the truthfulness of the restored Gospel by a burning in the bosom or a peaceful feeling. I have taught basically the same principle as a missionary and to my children. I was reminded of these teachings as I read from Deepak Chopra’s recent book, “Power, Freedom, and Grace.” Chopra writes:
Listen to your body’s wisdom. Become aware of the sensations in your body, and you will know the whole cosmos, because the whole cosmos is experienced as sensations in your body. In reality, these sensations are the voice of spirit…
The next time you need to make a decision, rather than trying to understand it intellectually, pay attention to the sensations of comfort or discomfort in your body, and go with your intuitive feelings. Intellectual understanding is all right, but it’s not always the ultimate test of whether you’re making the right decision. Before making a choice, ask your body, How do you feel about this? If your body sends a signal of comfort and eagerness, proceed. If your body sends a signal of physical or emotional distress, watch out.
Now, certainly there are some caveats to this advice. When I decided to join the Church I realized that, as a minister’s daughter, there would be repercussions. Contemplating this, I did feel some emotional distress. But on the whole, my feelings told me to proceed. I felt excitement and peace.
If we can trust our feelings and the physical sensations of our body to tell us to proceed into baptism into the Church, can we not trust it to tell us when to stay and when to go? There will surely be difficult times in our membership. There will be times we are offended and hurt. There will be times we are bored. There may be times of disillusionment. There may be a loss of faith. These times require patience and prayer. I do not feel these are the times to decide to go. Emotions are often difficult to read.
But I do believe there may be times when our body and spirit may be trusted to tell us if something is damaging, and we need to back away for a while, either temporarily or permanently.
Have spiritual feelings played a part in your decisions to stay or leave the Church? Can one trust one’s spiritual feelings when one no longer believes many of the traditional Mormon teachings?
I sat in choir practice this morning pondering how slightly odd it seemed for me to go to the trouble to wake myself and the children up so early, to get to the chapel by 8am, to rehearse for a Christmas choir program–in spite of the fact that I don’t even really consider myself to be a literal believer in the traditional view of the atonement/resurrection, or even in the anthropomorphic nature of God.
Notwithstanding, I was absolutely in love with the experience. Sitting up in the stands w/ fellow ward members. Joking between songs. Singing about God and the Savior’s love. Pondering the teachings of Jesus, and his example/sacrifice for me. Feeling a deep sense of love, peace, and joy.
Christmas time is upon us. It’s a time when we have to get together with folks who we might otherwise not spend time with: our relatives. I’m wondering how the holidays go for others with religious differences at home. At our house, I’m in the odd situation of being the “religious” one. (Odd, since at church, I’m sure I’m considered inactive, even though I attend at least one meeting almost every week– funny how that works in Mormonism, isn’t it?) I used to be kind of a Christmas freak and go all out decorating, baking, partying,etc, and even though I’m over that mostly, I still do want to have a big tree, with my ornament collection and my nativity sets out etc.
Continue reading ‘Christmas Tips’
I’d rather play at hug o’ war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs….
~Shel Silverstein
The religious premise behind Christmas is a gift. A gift given freely because of love. And so it continues with us, religiously, we are commanded to love (1 John 4 outlines this beautifully).
For those of us who’s traditional views of Christmas have changed, the premise to love one another hopefully remains. We humans need it, every one of us. There are few things as meaningful as an expression of pure love given without condition.
Continue reading ‘Need a gift idea? Wrap a person in a hug.’
I think divorce is a wonderful thing.
Almost twenty-three years ago, I married for the first time. I got married quickly. We separated after six years and divorced just shy of our seventh anniversary. We had one child together, and he had adopted my older child.
Divorcing my ex-husband was the single smartest thing I ever did. It was good for me and it was good for my kids. My sullen, frightened daughter became cheerful and optimistic. The chip that had been growing on my little boy’s shoulder shrank and eventually disappeared.
It never bothered me to learn that Joseph Smith told the story of his First Vision several different ways—and that they often conflicted. I’ve told my own conversion story several different times, to groups and individuals, and each time it is a little different in emphasis and particulars. It’s changed over the years as well. The story of my conversion to the Church, told to an investigator, is full of faith and wonder, because that part was really there. And it has continued throughout my life, a single golden thread, weaving itself through the tapestry of my years. My story is a bit different when discussed with my parents or siblings. And I don’t want to skim over the questions, doubts, and anxieties. These will be the focus of my story when I am speaking to someone I know well and trust.
Deep Mormon heritage is often listed as a significant reason why NOMs choose to stay involved in the church. It’s certainly a major factor for me. But every 24th of July, when we drive two hours South to celebrate the holiday with my in-laws in the tiny Mormon town of Kanosh, Utah, I’m reminded in no uncertain terms that in the Mormon world there’s heritage—and then there’s Heritage.
I believe that “O Be Wise,” by Elder M. Russell Ballard from the October 2006 LDS General Conference, will go down as one of the most important “modernizing” talks ever given by an LDS General Authority–if anyone actually pays attention.
This talk was absolutely groundbreaking to me. Please allow me to provide a few examples:
Continue reading ‘“O Be Wise,” or Praise be to Elder Ballard’
I grew up marginally active in a Christian church believing all people were wicked sinners deserving of God’s eternal wrath. Even those who did not consciously choose to sin were sinning in some way or other all the time because of their fallen state. We were all a mighty lucky bunch that God took pity and let Jesus die for us because we’re vile little creatures. This is what I was taught and this is what I struggled with. It’s hard to feel good about oneself let alone the concept of life in general under that banner.
When I took the missionary discussions, the sisters showed me a scripture that has stayed with me ever since.
“Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy.”
-2 Nephi 2:25
I was amazed. What a concept! It was a startling paradigm shift. Continue reading ‘joie de vivre’
On behalf of theculturalhall.com permabloggers, I/we must begin by thanking all of you (posters and commenters alike) for your interest in, and support of theculturalhall.com. Both the growth and the level of conversation so far has exceeded my/our fondest hopes.
As we’ve matured and evolved a bit, it’s clear to me us it’s now time to formalize a comment policy for theculturalhall.com.
DISCLAIMER – This post contains facts about my life that you might not want to know if you are, for example, my mom. Just a warning. Also I apologize for the gratuitous use of metaphors.
Like a lot of youngins who leave the church I found myself pulling out of Super Strict Rule City onto the Do Whatever The Hell You Want Expressway. I threw the WoW out the window and let the sexual standards slide back as I revved my free will and headed towards freedom.
For a borderlander, I’m pretty orthoprax. I rarely drink alcohol or coffee. Not never, but rarely. I attend Sacrament meeting almost every Sunday. I hold not one, but TWO callings. I sing in the choir. I’m not so good at the private religious behaviors, but I’m thinking about working on that. Continue reading ‘The Limit of my Orthopraxy’
Anyone heard of Joseph Campbell, or a book entitled “The Pagan Christ?” I have a really, really smart cousin who recommended it to me, so I must recommend it to you.
There is a Joseph Campbell Quote that he gave me last week that has really stuck with me: “Myth is what never was, but always is.”
Here’s why I’m superior to Regular Mormons:
- I’m not deluded.
- I’m devoted to the truth.
- I’m not superstitious.
- I don’t follow blindly.
- I understand psychology.
- I’m devoted to reason.
- I’m enlightened.
- I don’t live my life based on my feelings.
- I’m too smart for that stuff.
- I use my brain
- I’ve figured it all out.
If they knew the things I knew, they wouldn’t want to go to that church any more, either.
Moral: a sense of smug self-righteous superiority is not a characteristic limited to the Saints.
I went to Testimony meeting for the first time in a long while today. It was nice. I used to cringe every time TM rolled around because I felt like the things said from the pulpit somehow where completely tied with my own beliefs. Any time anyone said something I disagreed with (which was getting to be more and more things) I would cringe and make a joke to whatever poor person had sit next to me. (Well “poor person” might be a bit of an overstatement. My testimony taunting, while admittedly ruthless, is hilarious.)
Now when I listen to testimonies, the things I don’t agree with don’t matter. They are such interesting looks linto very private moments of the lives of people. It’s a really great experience to listen to them.
This week my mom asked me to send my missionary sister a letter about my testimony of the savior. I wracked my brains on this a little. Continue reading ‘A Testimony’
My Home, by Rockapella and the Persuasions
The First Presidency Christmas Devotional is this Sunday, 12/3. I haven’t decided if I will watch it. In some ways I’d like to as I like a little tradition and Christmas carols, especially when sung but one of the best choirs on the planet, fill that niche. Thinking about it reminded me of going years past. I stopped inviting my non-member parents after a couple years for one reason: Joseph Smith. Continue reading ‘(How much is too much) praise to the man’
Check out my dear friend Buckley Jeppson on Washingtonpost.com.
A few of you may remember my podcast interview with Buckley–he is LDS, and has been threatened with excommunication for marrying his gay partner, Michael (also a dear friend).
I include the link here because Buckley still very much values his membership, in spite of all the struggle–and he discusses his commitment to the church in the video.
All the best to you Buckley (and Mike)…and to the rest of you, I hope you enjoy!!!
Sacred, not secret. That’s the phrase in my memory associated with the temple and garments. I was reminded of this by a conversation at BCC, where people are discussing Andrew Sullivan’s post about garments. As part of his recent interest in Mormonism and Mitt Romney’s political aspirations, Sullivan posted a photo of people wearing garments. As you might expect, many objected to the picture, and some even object to the discussion of garments.
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