A Difficult Trial of my Faith

[DavyCrocket2003]

Hey guys! Long time no see. Glad to see my favorite people still out and about!

This summer I had a really difficult time dealing with some questions I had. For a time I believed I would be leaving the church and most likely ending up atheist or agnostic. I love the gospel more than anything else (including my own life) so you can imagine what a painful and trying experience this was for me. I'm happy to have learned the lessons I have from this experience. Ironically it was my love of the doctrine of Mormonism and my desire to honor what I believe by living consistent with its principles that made me feel like I had to give it up. I am happy to say I was willing to walk away from it all for the sake of Truth.

God moves in a mysterious way. God answered a sincere question I had about temples by allowing me to go through that experience. And I learned what I could not have learned in any other way. If anyone is interested, I wrote it up. It's lengthy but to me is sacred. Hope it's helpful to someone:
For Now We See Through a Glass Darkly: He That Loseth His Life For My Sake

P.S. I still don't know what to think of the Book of Abraham. It's certainly not a translation of the Book of the Dead. But it sure is awesome!

 

[Katzpur]

Hey guys! Long time no see. Glad to see my favorite people still out and about!

This summer I had a really difficult time dealing with some questions I had. For a time I believed I would be leaving the church and most likely ending up atheist or agnostic. I love the gospel more than anything else (including my own life) so you can imagine what a painful and trying experience this was for me. I'm happy to have learned the lessons I have from this experience. Ironically it was my love of the doctrine of Mormonism and my desire to honor what I believe by living consistent with its principles that made me feel like I had to give it up. I am happy to say I was willing to walk away from it all for the sake of Truth.

God moves in a mysterious way. God answered a sincere question I had about temples by allowing me to go through that experience. And I learned what I could not have learned in any other way. If anyone is interested, I wrote it up. It's lengthy but to me is sacred. Hope it's helpful to someone:
For Now We See Through a Glass Darkly: He That Loseth His Life For My Sake

P.S. I still don't know what to think of the Book of Abraham. It's certainly not a translation of the Book of the Dead. But it sure is awesome!

I just got through reading your blog entry. Thank you so much for posting it! I'm so glad your journey ended up where it did, (although I'm sure it's far from being completed). My favorite statement in your entire blog was "And investigation where the outcome is pre-determined is no investigation." (I hope you don't mind my using it in the future when the occasion arises.)

I just tried to get into your link to "False Constructions Upon a True Church," but it said the blog is "open to invited readers only."

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

I just got through reading your blog entry. Thank you so much for posting it! I'm so glad your journey ended up where it did, (although I'm sure it's far from being completed).

Thanks Katzpur. I'm so happy to have the gospel in my life. Last night I was talking to my friend who is a converted atheist of ~ 1.3 years. We were talking about all the evidences of the truthfulness of the gospel. One of them is the way the closer we get to the Spirit, the more everything makes sense. It's like a dark haze is gradually being lifted and we are illuminated with light and understanding.

In my opinion, the most powerful evidence is people. There are some people who have been so thoroughly changed by the power of Jesus Christ that they are filled with light and truth and power. When you meet them, an almost electric sensation flows over you. They have truly received Christ's image in their countenance. Because of who they are, to know them is to know God.

My greatest desire is to be one of these people one day. And in the meantime I can do my best to reach out to others and bless them.

 

[Clear]

Davycrocket2003 said : " I still don't know what to think of the Book of Abraham. It's certainly not a translation of the Book of the Dead. But it sure is awesome! "

Hi Davy :

As a convert to LDS theology I have frequently been reminded of Joseph Smith's comments on the freedom of the Saints to think freely and to believe in their own conclusions. Like you, I think Josephs description of "being given" the text of the book of Abraham by revelation has to be the correct underlying principle rather than creating it by a traditional scholarly translation of a language.

For example, in my opinion, I think Hugh Nibley was correct that the Book of Abraham is closest to the enochian literature (which specific text was not available to Smith at his time - only one had been discovered), and the discovery of the apocalypse of Abraham in the next century which parallels Smiths version so closely also, probably belongs to the enochian literature as well.

I have never been able to create any other conceiveable model for how he created so many discrete textual parallels other than by revelation. Even before I was LDS, I simply could not produce another model in the case of the Abrahamic text.

Good luck in making your own models and your own conclusions. I've only come to appreciate trials and what they bring to our character as I've aged. I hope your trial gave you what you needed as mind have done for me.

Clear.
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