I wish I didn't believe in him.
I do, however believe in him.
Does this make me naive?
Are the only people that believe in God, the ones that need him?
It doesn't really matter I guess. In the world of religion, the ONLY thing that I know, is that there is a God. He likes me a lot too.
So here is what I have really been thinking about:
The "God" that I learned about when I was in primary is a very different "God" than the one I have heard about the past few years.
I hear the song, "A Child's Prayer" and I feel SO close to God. I sit in a priesthood meeting and that burning spirit is not there nearly as much. Even dedicated Saints will tell you the same.
So using the presents of the spirit as a measuring tool, what is this telling us?How many terrible things in this world have been done in the name of God?
The crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Holocaust, ect...
Those are just the biggies...
How many civil rights have been denied to people because this God (who is supposed to be impartial) said one group of people was better than another?
Why do people think they have the right to talk in behalf of God?
The God I know loves all of his children and wants to hear from them. He is much more concerned with people loving one another than joining a certain church.
Don't tell me how God feels about a topic.
I talk to him and listen.
Are you?
I talk to Him too.
ReplyDeleteHe's nice to talk to.
I've discovered He's a good Dad. Like, a really REALLY good Dad.
I've decided to stop worrying about what OTHER people should do. Thats up to them and Him.
My rules come from Him, and if they happen to coincide with the LDS, or any other, church - GREAT. But I'm very clear that they are MY rules, and am only willing to speak about what they have done for ME - and not make any promises/condemnations about them for other people.
If I happen to share common experiences with others, that feeds me.
If we don't share I don't feel stolen from though, nor any need to correct. I don't think such responses have ever really helped anyone, not really.
I think Father will meet us wherever we are, and take whatever we are willing to give, and walk with us wherever we happen to be - like any good Father, its less about where they are and more about Who they're with (their children).
I don't think the God I grew up with and the God I now worship are any different - I think the difference was in the growing up, not in who I was/am worshiping.
I think that we're all going to be very surprised about how its going to turn out. I'm excited and know in Whom I have put my faith.
I think people focus on the stuff God gets angry about because its good to know the dos and donts and all that. But they get too wrapped up in the idea of God being angry at them. I dont think he gets angry, but hes totally willing to call you on your mistakes. It depends on how you deal with what hes telling you... if you turn away from it you turn away from him and you lose a little bit of his presence.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the reason it is more difficult to feel the spirit as adults is because we have forgotten that we are to become as a little child, humble, meek, and submissive.
ReplyDelete-SBW
Dude. You are so contradictory. That is awesome you believe in God, for reals, but you've basically just shot down anything God stands for. The "Prophet is ignorant"? Bull, the Prophet is simply a messenger FOR God, everything he says is basically what God is telling him to say. "Yo Tommy, Masturbation is bad, tell them not to do it"
ReplyDelete"you got it Big Guy"
and then you sit down and criticize everything. EVERYTHING, and then you say you follow God. Again I say, I'm at least proud of you for believing in God, I am. but I gotta be honest, you can't follow God and shoot down all His teachings, all the things He wants us to do. I don't even care that you are gay, I don't. What I care about here is that you say you believe in God, and yet you spew out all these anti-God phrases. What you are saying is just contradictory.
And wanna bet this post is GONE in a few seconds because from the looks of it, you can't really handle people telling you your full of baloney.
First of all moron, it is BOLOGNA not baloney. Second I'm not deleting this because I want people to see how ethnocentric you are.
ReplyDeleteDo you know how many bad things in this world have been done in the name of God???
Those involved in the crusades truely believed they were doing the will of God.
So Nena, I understand that you except the word of the LDS prophet as "God's Will" but I do not.
And because I do not share that belief that does NOT mean I'm SHOOTING down what God STANDS for!
My belief is in GOD, not in some messenger of God. AND that was the point of this post.
I'm not gonna have a internet fest with you. my point is, you can't pick and choose which prophets you want to agree with. The prophets in the bible and the book of mormon, are the same as the prophets today, that's too convenient to pick and choose what you like to hear and don't like.
ReplyDeleteHave a good day Austin.
I'm sorry but I do not believe that the prophets of the Bible and Book of Mormon are the same as the "prophets" of today.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, the majority of Christians would beg to differ with you.
There are other religions throughout the world today that would claim that their leaders are the same as the prophets of old. Yet you do not except THEM as prophets of God.... So Nena, why are YOU picking and choosing who is a mouthpiece and who is not.
I'm not picking and choosing. I'm going straight to God for my answers.
Plus, do you see that this post is about God and revelation DIRECTLY from him.
This has NOTHING to do with my belief/disbelief in third party revelation.
My personal revelation trumps someone elses revelation for me every time. I celebrate when it coincides with someone elses.
This is God's way of bringing fresh branches into an old tree.
Austin I have to agree with you. It's interesting how the church seems to encourage members to strive for personal revelation - as long as the result agrees with the brethren or church doctrine. First as investigators of the church - the spirit will witness the truth to you, blah blah. Then with the condition "as long as you are worthy" most certainly in the temple, etc. Yet we have the mindless robots who blindly follow anyone that says "I speak for God, hear me" and do so without even testing the truth of what theses mouthpieces say for themselves.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how most in the Christian would laugh at any person that said they personally saw God and Christ. In modern times we would say that such an individual needs to see a psychologist. To see God and Christ in the resurrected flesh is completely unprecedented in any part of Christian history. Not even the greatest prophets of the old testament saw God in person because they would be utterly destroyed. So for me, I have question the plausibility of Joseph Smith to begin with.
And for someone to say that you can't believe in God with out believing that Thomas Monson speaks for God is down right dangerous let alone ignorant. There are plenty of Christians in the world that would beat a person like "Nena" down for such blasphemy.
Everything in scripture suggests we are all entitled to personal revelation While Mormondom likes to predicate all blessings from above as you don't get them unless you "pay your due to the church" the Bible suggests otherwise - and thank God for that! The big one for me was renewing baptism promises vis a vis sacrament, communion, whatever you wish to call it. Mormon policy and theology says that you can only take the sacrament if you are a worthy member in good standing. The Bible says that it is gift freely given and not by works alone "lest a man should boast."
So many inconsistencies and contradictory things in the LDS church alone.
Austin-I like how you are trying to find your path in this life and that the only way you are going to get there is through your own experiences. I agree that to find answers to our problems or to our questions we have to receive the answers directly from God.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that was mentioned above was that many of those in priesthood meetings don't feel the Spirit of the Lord as they once did in Primary. I think that one factor that wasn't mentioned that could fall into this would that when in Primary we as children had our parent's testimony that we could fall back on so to speak. After we reach the age of accountability, and then as we progress through life and like those in priesthood meetings they now had to get their own testimony of the gospel. You need to search to find out for yourself all the answers to the questions that you have for God-but remember that there are many people on this Earth who are hear to help and inspire you to help you on your path.
I know in my experiences, if I wanted to feel the Spirit I could first in the morning when I wake up- pray that I could feel the Spirit of the Lord throughout the day. But it is also the faith that the Lord will answer your prayer, will help determine your result.
I know that whenever I have questions, my mom is my source for answers besides prayer.
Love,
A Friend
I hope that you KNOW that God loves you...not just likes you a lot. You are entitled to your own revelation and you can seek the guidance of the Spirit in all things.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I know that this is about God, but that is what the church teaches or is supposed to teach - not all leaders follow that - or religions do that either.
You are an awesome and great guy, the fact that you do believe and you do choose to talk to Him is one of the MOST important things you can do in your life and HOPEFULLY one of the most PEACEFUL things that you experience.
Thanks. :) Reading your blog helps a lot...makes me feel more at peace.
ReplyDelete