what challenges your faith the most?


soulfire
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(im talking more about rational challenges than emotional ones)

if you mean like archeologically or geologically theres not much really, as we don't know everything about the past and about the earth yet. If something doesnt match up, just wait, it usually resolves itself eventually. (sometimes not like you think it would).

edit: nor on the other hand has God laid it how he does everything exactly.

Personally it my sins, vices/addictions that hold me back.

One amusing example in my life was when chatting with an athiest on how things are "Designed" or something like that in regards to the human body that and the question of "well what is the appendix good for?" was asked. of course id didn't know exactly at the time and just had to say i don't know yet... but the very next day the report about how the appendix helps fight bacteria came out.

Edited by Blackmarch
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Guest mormonmusic

For me, it's a gap between the ideals I read in the scriptures, and he behavior of key people of influence in the Church I have interfaced with over the years. At times, their decisions have left me sleepless, hurt, confused and in a sea of discomfort because they seem not to be espouse the principles that drew me to the Church in the first place -- and made me feel so proud (in a good way) of it.

Second is the tension between the Church's need to act like a temporal organization, juxtaposed with its claim to a divine commission. Based on my life's experiences, I find these in conflict at times, hard to reconcile. This tension has damaged my testimony for periods of time.

Third, are the times when I have felt that the flow of effort seems to be going only one way, without even humanistic reciprocity or kindness/consideration/forebearance I see in other non-divine organizations.

The biggest issue I have now is with sincerely reframing my life's experiences to do away with the tension...the evidence was too powerful on the tension side for me to have done so completely. And when new challengse present themselves, I end up reliving the previous traumas and have to overcome them all over again. It's terrible.

If I didn't have a testimony, I think I would have joined another Church a long time ago -- but my testimony keeps me involved and active, although sometimes, reluctantly (sadly). Oh to return to the days when I was bright, bushy-tailed and innocent in the gospel.

I am working hard to overcome these...I pray about them, but if you are asking for a frank answer, you have it.

The upside is that when I run into people who have testimony issues, I rarely get judgmental on them now, as I have walked in their shoes, although a different path. When someone presents an "issue", I tend to see it from multiple sides simultaneously, and with a certain amount of compassion I didn't have when I was new in the gospel.

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I've come across gospel/doctrinal disparities from time to time that sometimes bother me until I'm able to work out the problem (I've come to the conclusion problems usually lie with interpretations and expectations). I don't consider them to be big problems as I've yet to any total contradictions.

I suppose the closest summary of issues I can tell you is that I sometimes feel expected to see the aformentioned issues in black-and-white (sorry, I guess that is an emotional issue). I'm at peace with my own spirituality and I have no problem with the spirituality of others as long as they don't try to mess with mine. Yet I sometimes get the impression from within the Church and out that I should be offended by certain things.

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My biggest issues, besides my own sins (which are plenty) is the self-righteousness and entitlement thinking of being the chosen people that some members. Those who think because they have been chosen they are better than everyone else. It disturbs me when I see this happening, but I am assuming it's all me just being judging.

Also, when members say they want to be like the Nephites...I sort of want to say, you might want to read the entire book.

It makes my faith in humans sort of waiver. I have said many times I am glad I wasn't Christ, because I know I would have not been able to do what he did.

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Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I have read all the anti Mormon literature I could find and to me it is comical at best. Much of science is a farce and is manipulated. Not a bishop, stake president or Apostle committing heinous sin would even do so. I have had too many Spiritual visitations to ever deny them PLUS the Gospel makes perfect sense to me.

I do have a question though and would appreciate some feedback. The parable of the ten virgins. I always focused on the 5 having oil and the other having little or none. I also was told that this represented the membership of the Church but recently I stumbled upon something that made me think of the parable in a light I never have before even though it is so obvious. The fact that these women were virgins makes me to believe that they are pure or holy. What then does the oil represent? Food storage? A garden?

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Who is to say for certain that the 10 virgins were all female eh? Eh?

Food Storage and a garden are part of being self-reliant and each provide a drop of oil. Each righteous act provides such a drop and the oil is accumulated throughout your life.

“In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity—these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps” (Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 256) (also used as a quote in multiple LDS Manuals as well as a conference talk).

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One amusing example in my life was when chatting with an athiest on how things are "Designed" or something like that in regards to the human body that and the question of "well what is the appendix good for?" was asked. of course id didn't know exactly at the time and just had to say i don't know yet... but the very next day the report about how the appendix helps fight bacteria came out.

Plus, God designed the perfect body, Adam and Eve's body, then it fell and was changed, it became corrupted. The version we have is not the one God created in the garden.

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Who is to say for certain that the 10 virgins were all female eh? Eh?

Actually, I believe it's implicit in the Greek term (παρθένοις). But your point is still well-taken; the virgins are a symbol for us all, not only for women.

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Plus, God designed the perfect body, Adam and Eve's body, then it fell and was changed, it became corrupted. The version we have is not the one God created in the garden.

And of course evolution and the existence of a God are not necessarily mutually exclusive. I know some believe them to be, and I'm not trying to get into a debate, but I don't see them as mutually exclusive of each other, one can believe in God and accept evolution. So if an atheist tried to use evidences of evolution as some sort of counter to my faith he'd be engaging in a futile effort.

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Perhaps this is something to be ashamed of, but my biggest tests of faith have come when other members don't live up to what I think they should be... When my mentor in the church turned out to not be the saintly temple worker I thought she was it crashed me... Coming on here and finding a group of members who weren't what I expected out of people in my church was difficult. I know that other people and the way they act shouldn't effect me, it just does. Maybe it is part of the depression acting up too. The depression is hard on my faith sometimes. That just makes everything go haywire, and NOTHING is logical or reasonable.

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Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I have read all the anti Mormon literature I could find and to me it is comical at best. Much of science is a farce and is manipulated. Not a bishop, stake president or Apostle committing heinous sin would even do so. I have had too many Spiritual visitations to ever deny them PLUS the Gospel makes perfect sense to me.

I do have a question though and would appreciate some feedback. The parable of the ten virgins. I always focused on the 5 having oil and the other having little or none. I also was told that this represented the membership of the Church but recently I stumbled upon something that made me think of the parable in a light I never have before even though it is so obvious. The fact that these women were virgins makes me to believe that they are pure or holy. What then does the oil represent? Food storage? A garden?

Oh! I just gave a talk and used this. I have always thought, no way, I would so tip my lamp and share my oil, whatever. But I finally got some understanding when preparing this talk. I was talking about the temple. I went to the temple and got my endowments before my husband did. He did not have any desire to go at the time, and I had already waited 5 years to go. So I went. I learned a lot, and I felt so loved by my HF, and content, and peaceful. I kept going back, and my hubby wanted to know what was up with the temple thing... and I told him, "I really wish I could tell you, but I can't, you have to go for yourself." The things I was gaining from the temple (faith, hope, charity, experiences, a spiritual filling of my cup) I couldn't give to him, no matter how much I wanted to, because you can't make someone feel something, you can only wait for them to get it for themselves. He did get curious, and saw the changes in me and decided to find out for himself.

Everyone has to have their own testimony, so when the winds blow they have that oil to help them keep thier light going. Recently I went to the temple with my kids for baptisms. My youngest daughter has been very obedient with church things, but had never had a solid testimony of her own. When she was at the temple, though, the spirit communicated with her and she recognized Him and for the first time got a solid testimony. I was so releived. She is getting her own oil.

I had a really great quote to about it, if I can find it I'll message it to you or something.

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When false doctrine gets taught and no one does anything about it. I have heard some real doozies in time, too. Once was how non-members are 'the wicked' and should be avoided at all costs. Once was that investigators should feel eternally grateful to Born-in-the-covenant members for being 'allowed' into their church. Once was that God will forsake us, even when we are keeping our covenants and doing all that is asked of us to keep the Spirit with us. All of the above taught by ward leadership. So if I try to say otherwise I look like a jerk.

Can't we just stick to the manuals for once? Time and again I have had bologna dished at me, had to explain what is going on to the investigator sitting next to me, and tried to recover from the backlash of said haughtiness. It drives me nuts. Insert facepalm here.

Another one is when a leader says nasty things about others (those receiving assistance, or investigators, someone going through a particulary difficult trial or death in the family, or long term illness) right in front of everybody and they aren't even sorry because they are so convinced they are right. I never know what to say. I used to speak up and say something nice about the victim, but it doesn't work, they want to believe what they are saying, they are doing on purpose to make themselves feel like good people. Now I just leave the room.

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Absolutely nothing changes my faith. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet. I know that the Church is true.

So, when there are problems thrown in my pathway, people at Church whom are thoughtless and insensitive, difficulties that come to me, it doesn't matter, my faith is strong because I know that the Church is true.

We have a perfect Church made up of imperfect people.

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I do have a question though and would appreciate some feedback. The parable of the ten virgins. I always focused on the 5 having oil and the other having little or none. I also was told that this represented the membership of the Church but recently I stumbled upon something that made me think of the parable in a light I never have before even though it is so obvious. The fact that these women were virgins makes me to believe that they are pure or holy. What then does the oil represent? Food storage? A garden?

My understanding is the virgins do represent the church, both women and men, but the oil represents testimony and true conversion. Most members have a testimony, but the difference is how strong the testimony is and if they are truly converted. If we only have a testimony and it is not strong we will be out looking for more oil (others testimonies), but if we are truly converted we won't need others oil and will be able to with stand the tests and trails of the last day with our own testimony. Meh this is just my opinion. But here is Elder Oaks:

https://lds.org/general-conference/2004/04/preparation-for-the-second-coming?lang=eng&query=ten+virgins

Edited by RescueMom
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Challenges related to something that can falter my faith:

Absolutely nothing! I know what i went into and i love it!

Challenges related to practicing my faith:

Enduring to the end can be quite challenging some times, especially when we live with peoples with other standards.

Challenges related to when i confront others with my faith:

Well, some atheists (mostly them) have a really hard time not being extremely literally (no, we don't believe that we should eat God or that there will actually appear big monsters with many horns and heads!)

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This is a hard one. I've gone through all sorts of scenarios in my head as to what would weaken my faith. And I really can't think of anything. I've been through some tough times: financial, death of a child, death of my father while I was a young child, caring for my mother who has Alzheimer's, marital problems, personal health problems, seeing injustice in my own life and in the world, seeing women and children suffer, seeing people I admire in the church lose their own testimonies, church leaders who aren't perfect, my own personal sins, etc. I would have to say that my testimony and faith is in the the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have received a personal witness from the Holy Ghost of the truthfulness of the Gospel. I cannot deny that witness that I have received. Even when I, myself, have not always lived according to the commandments, I could not deny my testimony, and I could not leave the Church.

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I read through the first page yesterday and I've been thinking about the questions and responses I read since then.

What challenges my faith? Nothing, because my faith is in Christ. I believe in the Atonement.

How can our sins be a challenge to faith if faith is in Christ and the Atonement?

Exactly!

If we place our faith in the ONE perfect being to walk this earth then we have nothing to fear or doubt since He will NEVER fail us.

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