Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I Believe

I believe that when church becomes more of an aggravation in your life than a blessing, it becomes time to step back, take a break, and evaluate where you are in life and where the forces are that drive you forward instead of pressing you back. I believe in God, the Eternal Father, in His Son Jesus Christ, and in The Holy Ghost. I believe that Joseph Smith saw God, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I believe that the church is true, but that the people in it are flawed. I believe that church is not the place to push your political views and that people should not assume that just because someone belongs to the same religion, that they belong to the same political party and share the same political views. I believe that too many people decide to push their judgment on other people. I believe that in this area too many people look down upon people that are different from them and shun those have a different belief system. I believe that marriage as a legal institution is a civil right and should be inalienable. I believe that love should rule the world. I believe that everyone deserves love and respect no matter their station of life, situation, or hand they have been dealt, and I believe that church should be the place that the love and respect should be felt the most. I believe that the family is the building block of society where every child should feel safe and loved. I believe that a mother and a father raising children together in love and happiness is the ideal situation. I believe that life is rarely ideal. I believe that good families come in many different sizes, shapes, and make-ups. I believe that some in this nation are blaming an entire religion for the actions of a few of its zealots. I believe that art and beauty to one person is offensive trash to another, and both people are entitled to their opinions and have to right to state their opinion without judging another because of theirs. I believe that someday I may return to full activation in the church, but for now, I just need a break from the judgment, the prejudice and the political agenda from some of those I attempt to worship with.

4 comments:

Heather said...

Nicely stated we all have the choice to make our own decisions and if someone is claiming they are Christ like and belong to the LDS church then they should not be judging! They are not entitled to judge the only one who is entitled Heavenly Father! Hope you have a good day and that these things will end for you!

Hansens said...

I Love You Dan! I think this was a perfect explanation.

Family Blog said...

Yup. You got that right. I hope that some of the balance will come in the form of letting idiots be idiots.

Like our ignorant, immature teenage children, they say cutting, hurtful things. As a parent we have to develop thick skins.

We don't expect to have to do that with fellow members, but unfortunately the world is full of morons.

*hugs*

A Few Tacos Shy... said...

I LOVE our ward in Springville. This is the first time I have been in a ward and not felt like most people are being judgmental. While I loved many of the people in the 3rd ward, it was also a difficult ward and occasionally I felt harshly judged. Considering the way Scott feels about the church right now, I am so grateful that we both have felt loved and accepted by our ward members. I hope that you both can find peace and know you are loved.