One of the challenges of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is whether a particular doctrine or practice is believable or acceptable. I have read and heard so many claims by ex-Mormons of how they were fooled or blinded to some of the doctrines or activities of the Church.
Some of the common complaints surround tithing, lack of answers to prayers, Adam-God Theory, Blacks previously refused the priesthood, men oriented church, and so on. When I looked at these claims or complaints and the stories behind them I see that they are just personal, which means that their issues are specific to them. For some things the Church has done, such as restrict Black men from the priesthood, are true, but making personal issue out of these things certainly does not gain the ear of the Lord neither does it gain any help or witness from the Holy Ghost. Why is this? It is because making personal issue is the act of contention which is the spirit of contention and such is not of God.
Take for example the matter of men of African descent (Blacks or Negroes) blocked from having the priesthood. This occurred prior to 1978 and since that date, all men of African descent (Blacks or Negroes) were given the holy priesthood. In 1999, I was guided by the Holy Ghost to become a member of this same Church that denied the priesthood to Black men. Some would then claim that I was not led by the Holy Ghost because of the fact (as they call it) of this issue of the Blacks. Such an issue as existing would be proof enough this Church is not true!
What this said is that this issue held by disbelievers was of no concern to God. That the validity of this Church is not tarnished in his eyes and it is still his Church. The issues created in the hearts and minds of these disbelievers are man made, have no spiritual worth, and were rejected by God. They fail to see that God’s denial of the Blacks is far more than whether or not they are of Cain. They fail to see that decades ago, there was a lot of discrimination and racism in the hearts of many, both in the outside of the membership. Such things (issues) are from the “tradition of their fathers”. To allow the Blacks into the priesthood was inviting serious confrontations with white men, both in and out of the Church. It was therefore safer all around to withhold the priesthood until enough change occurred. Those Blacks that endured this period of restriction are greatly blessed.
Is that not a viable reason for the denial of the priesthood to Blacks by God?
Why do I say this? It is because God has done similar things to me during my affliction and tribulation. Telling me what I needed to hear, withholding information until I was able to…”bear it”. Do you remember the words of Jesus Christ in the Bible, that he could not speak some things because we could not bear it?”. So how would a racist heart bear the idea that some Black has equality to him in the Church?
Do not forget that God is working with mortal men, with all sorts of shortcomings and “personal issues” and his goal is not to rip his Church apart. In his wisdom, he restricts, disallows, withholds, makes commandments, etc.
What then would be the best thing for those who have issue with this Church? I say that one of the best things is to seek a spiritual witness, a spiritual testimony from God.
The value of my spiritual experience with the Holy Ghost in 1999, in retrospect, tells me that when I match this to the First Vision experienced by Joseph Smith, where Jesus Christ instructed Joseph was not to join any Church, I see by comparison that God’s rejection of such issues states that these issues were truly made of men and fits into the same bag as those churches Joseph was not to join.
With the experiences I had with the Lord, I have learned not to make personal issue out of these things and the reason is that I have no control over the actions of the leadership of the Church and that I have learned that since God still led me to this Church in 1999, then this Church must be still his. Unfortunately, many still operate on personal opinion and those who have not any true spiritual testimony will feel and experience the challenges to their personal viewpoints and beliefs. Without the necessary spiritual base and stability given by a true spiritual testimony and witness from the Holy Ghost, a person’s personal view (opinion) or belief, will falter and collapse under the stress. Is this not seen in the example from Jesus Christ when he had to endure the stress and strain of sin whilst in the Garden of Gethsemane and torture of the Romans as he was whipped? Jesus endured and did not falter because he was spiritually stable, rooted in the Spirit and was able to withstand the weight of sin and worldly condemnations (popular opinion). Do you not see that the weight of sin and the world would bear down on any Church member to some degree and unless he/she has some root in the Spirit, as we are constantly instructed to have, that personal opinion or views would surely give way to “popular opinion” and pressure?
With the help of the Lord through his Holy Spirit, a person can gain that spiritual root and stability. By this root, God teaches his faithful how to understand and deal with the ravages and failings of the world. One of the things I have thus learned, is that one person’s misery is not misery to another. One person will be upset or negatively affected in some way when to another it is not such an issue. The feelings and experiences will be different between persons and one will claim it is nothing while another will make a mountain out of it, because it is a mountain to him or her.
After reading some of the claims of the disgruntled, I see more and more that their major problem with the Church was born out of making issue with things rather than seeking to resolve them for themselves and a failure to have or gain the patience to work matters out. In short, many fall to the issue rather than fall to their knees in humbleness to the Lord in prayer and “endure”. So many fail to realize that in the state of confusion and doubt, it is certainly harder to maintain faith. I can truly say this because I experienced the weakness of mortality and have fallen to confusion, doubt and issue many times only to find that it just leads to darkness. What makes faith better is the willingness to endure, even after being ravaged by the spirit of doubt and fear, and make the effort to walk in faith.
In part of my testimony of my entrance into the Church, I mentioned that I had my fair share of “issues” with the Church that nearly caused me to quit. Each time I came close to quitting, I received help to understand where I was in mind and heart on the matter in question, because I freely chose to endure and seek by faith. By experience I found that what negatively affected my belief in the Church was “impatience”. In the emotion and mindset of impatience is contention, born out of frustration to resolve. This is where the spirit of Satan can affect the believer, where through impatience, all sorts of contrary perceptions and ideas will fill the mind of the disheartened.
There is a saying that what you believe, so shall it be. If a person believes his life to be miserable, then so it will be. If a person holds a grudge, then his life will resemble that and all things to reflect that grudge will appear. God clearly teaches in his scriptures that in this life there exists the power of opposition, and that power is allowed to exist in the Church. The sanctuary the Church offers is the Holy Spirit and guidance by good and faithful members, but the trials and tribulations exist just as much within the Church as they exist in the world. The power of opposition is therefore an important ingredient to our spiritual path, for God put it here and who are we to deny it’s importance and place within our spiritual growth? Then the affect of a personal state of mind is crucial in any desire to resolve personal issues when “opposed” by things that will test our faith and resolve. Whether this opposition comes from the world or within the Church, each person needs to learn how to become “self-aware”.
A lot of people in the world do not have a clear view of their own behaviour and thoughts. The tendency of people is to project their personal feelings and state of mind onto the world around them. When someone enters a state of issue, their perception of themselves and the world around them changes. This has been called ‘tinted glasses’. Through this tint, only the tint is seen and clarity is lost or lessened. With the loss of clarity, is it any wonder that issues remain alive and well as they do?
The ability to perceive depends on the state of mind, but does it depend on the state of heart? The answer is yes. A person whose state of heart, which involves emotion, does affect the mind and how one perceives themselves and the world. This has a bearing on whether a person is open to receive inspiration from God or not. A person whose heart is open to compassion, as an example, will understand better the things around them than one who is closed because of anger or hurt. Haven’t you ever wondered why some people are called perpetual victims?
Another factor that affects a persons ability to perceive with clarity and affects their thought processes are those things a person inherits from their parents. How a person is taught in childhood greatly determines their ability to deal with personal issues and challenges in life. No matter the status, it is the inward makeup of a parent that will affect their child during the crucial years of childhood development. This says that whether the parents are rich or poor, famous or common, Mormon or not, these things matter not when it comes to the inward makeup.
This is not to create blame or fault, but to show that shortcomings are transferred to the child and the child will carry on in life dealing and facing these shortcomings. Is it any wonder that Jesus said to the Pharisee’s, And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. (Luke 11:39)
What the Lord meant by this is seen in Matthew 23:26, where he advised them to clean within first so that outside may be clean also. The words of Christ, the Saviour and Son of God are so easily brushed aside and forgotten in the midst of issues or making of issue. How many become disgruntled and complain, even if it just to themselves, how these issues are more important than their faith. As Jesus taught, we must change ourselves within first before anything outside is changed, and this is so true. The words in the scriptures truly apply to our personal lives, not just the Church itself.
How many of you have taken the time to pay attention to what you are really feeling and thinking? Did you know that how you feel and think are clues to what is happening with you or to you? Allow me to give you an example,
A child experiences that the father does not listen very well. That no matter what the child said, the father ignores the child or pays little attention. The father, in turn expects the child to listen to him all the time, or expects things to happen when he (the father) asks.
This child, when grown into adulthood will find that his prayers will be frustrating because he was not taught how to listen, neither did he experience a “father” who answers. He was taught to ignore and expect things, just like his father before him. From this example there could be so many variations to this pattern, but all would affect a person while in the Church. He/she would definitely have issue about how prayers were not answered or how they were ignored. How he/she would perceive that no one would listen to them, or see that authority (as the father represents authority) does not listen to or tend to concerns of the member. The translation of the ‘traditions of the father’ into contemporary setting occurs all the time.
How many are able to see this happening? – very few indeed.
What is the answer to this?
There is a process called reflection which requires a personal journal and lots of prayer and the need to learn how to reflect upon oneself. It also requires the remembrance that patience is a virtue and to remember the word “endure”, especially endure in faith. For some times all a person can do is exercise faith, even at the basic level until that passage through that dark tunnel has ended, at least for a while. For God will send his help or answer when he deems it right and not one second before. Unfortunately, too many fall into the false idea that since their prayers are not answered as they “expect”, they immediately or eventually fall into a false belief that everything about this Church is false and the claim that prayer gets answers is also false. Oh how I had to learn that the hard way.
Whether in inward reflection or just outward efforts, read the scriptures and pray to the Lord. Ask him to help bring you to read the appropriate passage or passages in the scriptures that can show you wisdom that you need to have at that time. This has worked for many members and it has worked for me as well.
Follow the scriptures, which is why the Lord gave them to us. If personal reflection is a difficult thing to do, it can be some time until you learn how to reflect. Until that time, follow the scriptures and trust God. Yes, “trust” is another shortcoming that exists for most or all people who struggle in life and with the Church. With some the issue of trust is a big one and for these, it is especially hard to cope with matters concerning their faith with the Church when suffering from this issue. One way to help you deal with this struggle is to find someone in the Church who is faithful to the Lord AND this Church and fellowship with him or her. Base such a choice on gospel requirements of what a faithful person is like, not whether he/she fits personal agendas. Seek their help if you feel you cannot attend the Bishop’s office. Do not loose a connection with the Church. Pray to the Lord to help you find a confidant that listens to the Holy Spirit and through him/her you will receive help. This applies to those who are also excommunicated but desire a return to the Church.
Again patience, patience and patience. Faith was not built in a day so exercise patience. Be aware that depending on your connection to the Spirit, it may take time to resolve certain issues or concerns you have with the Church or with any member of the Church. Do what is right and good to maintain peace and faith. For in the midst of contention is disheartenment, not faith. Faith is maintained or grows in peace. It does not grow in arguments and contentious attitudes. If all you can do is hold on, then hold on and bear with the trials and affliction, but most importantly, pray fervently, even if no answer comes. For I have had no answer to many prayers and learned that the reason this has occurred to me is because God did not need to answer me. I found that when I endured long enough, I received the answer myself.
Did this answer come from my own efforts? – Yes. Does this say that prayer is useless? – No. This says that God’s laws are at work for my benefit. The enduring of affliction was my “sowing” and the “reaping” are the results from my efforts. Is it not said in the scriptures that the faithful will receive understanding (blessings) after the enduring of affliction? (DC 58:4 ).
Faith is an important factor in overcoming any issue, be it personal or not. This truth exists for each of us as well as for the Church. This says that the Church, as a whole, will also be afflicted and it’s state of faith, as a Church, is also important to the building of Zion. Therefore such matters or issues as the Blacks and the priesthood were part of those trials and tribulations the Church had to endure. For what value is a Church if it denies God and acts unfaithful?
Now do you see that the unfaithful were weeded out so as to strengthen Zion and this not only served for the betterment of the Church but for the betterment of each individual member who remained faithful.
Amen.