Jeff Burton, of “For Those Who Wonder” fame, has published his latest Sunstone Borderlands article to the web.
You can find it here.
My guess is that some of you will really enjoy this article, and find it helpful, and that others will be angered by it. I still definitely think it’s worth the read. Jeff has been actively promoting the “Middle Way” longer than most of us, and he has helped a great deal of people. He’s also a great guy.
I’ll also invite Jeff to comment here as appropriate — but please show my friend Jeff the utmost respect if he happens to stop by.
Thanks for posting this, John. It’s always interesting and informative to hear or read other Borderlanders’ stories.
I related a lot more to “John’s” story–mainly to his feelings of disillusionment and his ongoing struggle to belong. I was struck by the last line of his story: “Who knows, I may yet receive the ‘Light and Knowledge’ I have always sought and then be able to have something to offer others.” If I’m interpreting his comment correctly, it’s sad to me that “John” feels he has nothing to offer (at least in a spiritual sense) simply because he lacks a traditional testimony. I wish ours was a community where people could more easily feel valued, welcomed, and supported, regardless of what they believe.
I had a much harder time with “Jared’s” story–especially the part where he says, “To hell with logic and past rationales and reasoning. There is good, and there is divinely good, which cannot be understood with the temporal mind.” The main message of his story seems to be that he and his wife feel they are better off totally abandoning logic and reason when it comes to the church and completely surrendering to pure, uncritical emotion.
I simply can’t buy into the idea that it’s ever in our best interest to totally check reason and logic at the door in order to believe something. IMO, any religion (or any god) that would require that of us is deeply, deeply flawed.
I agree that our spiritual senses can help us see and understand things in ways that pure logic and reason can’t. But I also believe that reason and spirituality can and should complement each other–and that the most powerful human insights and experiences come when our intellects and our spiritual senses are working together.
I know that many people feel logic and reason support and enhance their spiritual testimonies of the LDS church. That’s wonderful. But the whole, “Reason be damned! If it feels good, it is good, regardless of what my intellect tells me” mentality seems unbalanced and even potentially harmful. If belief requires me to completely abandon reason, I’m not interested.
Square, I read that story and understood exactly how they felt. It’s like falling in love.
I don’t know that my beliefs are any different than they were two or three years ago. But I have hope now. Hope in what? Hope that it’ll all work out. Hope that it IS all working out.
It makes me happy to believe I could live with my husband forever. So I do.
It’s not so terrible, believing in magic.
Square Peg & Ann, together you have just summarized every conversation my wife and I have had about the Church in the past 3 months. I’m new here, but Ann, your last line makes me suspect you are a terrific writer…
ungewiss-
Welcome, stick around…and yes, Ann is a terrific writer!
Ann,
I’m really happy that you’re in a good place. You deserve it.
That was a great read. Thanks for posting it John. I’m not really familiar with the term “Borderlander” but it seems to describe a NOMish approach to church activity. It is interesting that I have been called as a teacher in my ward, as a disbeliever, and accepted the calling at the urging of my spouse and others. I asked my priesthood leader if the calling was inspired and he said that it was, so I asked for time to pray about it, and think about it, before I accepted it. I accepted the calling to teach, with some hesitation, but with most of my focus to be on teaching things that are “good” and not necessarily true, within mormonism. It is interesting to learn that the CHI prohibits people from taking teaching callings unless they have a “strong testimony.” I certainly didn’t, yet the church leaders still felt inspired to call me. It makes me wonder what the definition of a strong testimony is, or if there is one definition in Utah, and then a separate definition outside of Utah. It is all very confusing, but I appreciate the reference to this article. Jeff’ method of sidestepping disbelief issues in this temple recommend interview, is very interesting and fascinates me. It makes me wonder if this is a widespread new trend within mormonism. Who knows.
In answer to DV’s question about teaching and a strong testimony; I suspect ward leader have a great deal of discretion in the matter and that most would rather a faithful unbeliever showed up and taught than started skipping meetings. I suspect that so long as one doesn’t deviate too radically from the lesson manual, then there will be little attention paid to the teaching — so long as students don’t complain.
The definition of a strong testimony is probably contextual. In some places showing up for meetings and being willing to serve and teach may be taken as indicators of a sufficiently strong testimony. It’s also possible that some bishops or auxiliary presidents may call people to serve or teach in hopes that the calling will strengthen the testimony or willingness to go along of the person called.
All the bloggers here at The Cultural Hall are great writers imho. I’m glad to see more about finding a middle way.
I truly enjoyed the article. I feel a bit of hope growing in my spirit again. maybe all is not lost, after all.
I’m glad that Jeff mentioned the scripture in D&C 46:13-14.
Just finished reading the whole section. wow! i hadn’t read it in quite a while.
to me, the Lord is saying that we don’t have to know or believe everything all at once. i always thought that i had to be perfect in my knowledge, faith and belief to “make it” to eternal life.
i felt happy and peaceful after reading Jeff’s article and also the scripture.
Thanks so much, Jeff and John.
EL