Lacking trust and faith..

[Marriageinprogress]

I have a really hard time turning my life over to The Lord. I want to have trust and faith, but I won't allow myself to trust that God will work it out. I joined the church 13 years ago and have always struggled with parts of my testimony. Sometimes I think I'm so tough I can do it all by myself.

Sometimes I feel as a member of the church, I'm told how to act, feel, how to dress, what to drink, what kind of undergarments to wear, what to watch and listen too, what I'm allowed to do on Sundays, and etc.

Don't get me wrong, I have a long list of things I love about the church.

My thoughts are all over the place. Did I lose everyone?? ..or maybe you fell asleep??

Anyone have any thoughts for me? I really need Heavenly Fathers help to carry this weight on my shoulders or better yet, I would love hand it over. ?

[Vort]

Commandments are not onerous rules of drudgery that we must follow. They are signposts to freedom and happiness. Commandments give us blessings:

D&C 104:42

And inasmuch as he is faithful in keeping my commandments, which I have given unto him, I will multiply blessings upon him and his seed after him, even a multiplicity of blessings.

In fact, the commandments themselves are blessings:

D&C 59:4

And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments not a few, and with revelations in their time—they that are faithful and diligent before me.

[Guest]

I have a really hard time turning my life over to The Lord. I want to have trust and faith, but I won't allow myself to trust that God will work it out. I joined the church 13 years ago and have always struggled with parts of my testimony. Sometimes I think I'm so tough I can do it all by myself.

Sometimes I feel as a member of the church, I'm told how to act, feel, how to dress, what to drink, what kind of undergarments to wear, what to watch and listen too, what I'm allowed to do on Sundays, and etc.

Don't get me wrong, I have a long list of things I love about the church.

My thoughts are all over the place. Did I lose everyone?? ..or maybe you fell asleep??

Anyone have any thoughts for me? I really need Heavenly Fathers help to carry this weight on my shoulders or better yet, I would love hand it over.

You are having a case of Thou Shalt Nots phobia. You don't see what happens if you follow. It's a sort of short-sightedness that ails us all.

For example:

1.) I'm told how to act

- Well, you can do what you want to do, of course. But, there is wisdom in a parent telling the child - Do not touch that hot stove!

There are those children that follow the parent's command without questioning, Why? And therefore they just follow blindly never realizing the blessings of safety and good health coming out of not touching the stove.

There are also those that realize Why after they have disobeyed and have to go to the ER to treat the burn.

And there are those who ask Why and realize after seeing the kid come out of the ER with the burned hand that A-ha. That's why.

And there are those who ask Why, the parents or his uncles/aunts tell him "because you're going to get burnt" and they then understand and have faith on that answer without having to have seen somebody who got burnt.

Now, it's up to you which of these groups you belong to. But, in all the commandments and covenants we are all given in the Church, there is ALWAYS a reason Why which then translates to misery for defiance and blessings for obedience. It's up to you to figure out what that is. And remember, blessings, especially eternal ones, may not come right now, and therefore, being short-sighted will make it difficult to realize the good that comes out of the commandment.

2.) how to feel

Nobody tells you how to feel in the Church. But, feelings are indicators. If you feel afraid - then something is wrong. If you feel evil - something is wrong. If you feel sad - something is wrong. If you feel peace - it's good. If you feel happy - it's good. The Holy Spirit communicates through these feelings. He's not one to go up in your grill and tell you in the English language - Hey, listen to me!

3.) how to dress

When you go to a Miami Heat versus Chicago Bulls game, you don't wear Chicago Bulls jersey if you are rooting for Miami. Because, what you wear identifies what you are. This is not exclusive to the Church. This is LIFE. Try going to work in your pajamas and see how long before you get fired.

4.) what to drink

Of course. Bloomberg makes a law that you can't sell more than 16oz of soda. Yes, it's ridiculous because it's an infringement of our freedoms. But there is wisdom in not drinking more than 16 oz of soda in one sitting. In the Church, you can't be of service if you are not healthy. So, God gives commandments on the basics of how to achieve that.

5.) what kind of undergarments

Imagine this... you are married to your spouse, in the temple, endowed, and sealed. So you wear your garments. Everyday. You go to work and some hot girl corners you in the closet and tries to tempt you to have sex. So, in your time of weakness you take off your jacket, then your tie, then your shirt, and you see your garments.... yeah, it's like cold water thrown in your face...

Wearing garments is a daily constant reminder of your temple covenants. It's the exact same reason why Catholic Priests wear the white collar. Yes, part of the Catholic Priest's vestment is to announce to the world that they are priests in addition to reminding themselves that they are priests. In the LDS Church, we are not required to wear EXTERNAL garments that announces to the world the covenants we made. It is enough that we remind ourselves of the covenants we made.

6.) what to watch and listen to

Well, you don't need the Church to tell you what to watch and listen to. You can do this experiment yourself. Listen to the song Thrift Shop un-edited everyday and see how it affects the way you talk.

7.) what you're allowed to do on Sundays

How can you claim to be a Christian if you can't even devote ONE DAY out of seven to the building of the Kingdom? You can't claim to be a Bank of America employee if you can't devote at least FOUR DAYS of every week to contribute to the profits of Bank of America!

But, in any case... you are not forced to do any of these. But, the scriptures are your owner's manual for your mortal life. And just like you don't have to take care of your car the way it is recommended in the user's manual, you don't have to follow the scriptures for your mortal life. You get to figure out what you reaped out of what you sow. Nobody is putting a gun to your head to force you to be a member of the LDS Church.

Edited May 8, 2013 by anatess

[Lakumi]

I have a really hard time turning my life over to The Lord. I want to have trust and faith, but I won't allow myself to trust that God will work it out. I joined the church 13 years ago and have always struggled with parts of my testimony. Sometimes I think I'm so tough I can do it all by myself.

Sometimes I feel as a member of the church, I'm told how to act, feel, how to dress, what to drink, what kind of undergarments to wear, what to watch and listen too, what I'm allowed to do on Sundays, and etc.

Don't get me wrong, I have a long list of things I love about the church.

My thoughts are all over the place. Did I lose everyone?? ..or maybe you fell asleep??

Anyone have any thoughts for me? I really need Heavenly Fathers help to carry this weight on my shoulders or better yet, I would love hand it over. ?

I think things like that happen to people in every religion. What I found helped me was talking about what you do believe, talk to a lot of people, and think about it.

Don't dwell on the negative when you are thinking of these things, only what you believe and the positive aspects of the church.

[Martain]

Joseph Smith also taught in the Lectures on Faith "that three things are necessary in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation." These he named as—

1. The idea that he actually exists;

2. A correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes; and

3. An actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to the divine will.

The attributes of God are given as knowledge, faith or power, justice, judgment, mercy, and truth. The perfections of God are named as "the perfections which belong to all of the attributes of his nature," which is to say that God possesses and has all knowledge, all faith or power, all justice, all judgment, all mercy, and all truth. He is indeed the very embodiment and personification and source of all these attributes. Does anyone suppose that God can be more honest than he already is? Neither need any suppose there are truths he does not know or knowledge he does not possess.

Thus Joseph Smith taught, and these are his words:

Without the knowledge of all things, God would not be able to save any portion of his creatures; for it is by reason of the knowledge which he has of all things, from the beginning to the end, that enables him to give that understanding to his creatures by which they are made partakers of eternal life; and if it were not for the idea existing in the minds of men that God had all knowledge it would be impossible for them to exercise faith in him. [As quoted by Bruce R. McConkie in Mormon Doctrine (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966), p.264]

If God is just dabbling with a few truths he has already chanced to learn or experimenting with a few facts he has already discovered, we have no idea as to the real end and purpose of creation. (Bruce R McConkie, The Seven Deadly Heresies)

Alma 32

26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.

27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.

30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.

31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness.

32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.

33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.

34 And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.

35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?

36 Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.

37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.

38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.

39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.

40 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.

41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

Early in life, these two quotations regarding books greatly influenced me: "Be as careful of the book you read as of the company you keep, for your habits and character will be influenced by the former as by the latter"; and "Except a living man there is nothing so wonderful as good books." With all my heart, I urge young people to cultivate the reading habit. But in order that your reading be of maximum value choose it as carefully as you do your friends. I trust that we do so remembering that if we spend time reading a cheap book, we will be forced to pass by a choice one. (Ezra Taft Benson, So Shall Ye Reap 1960, p.133)

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

D&C 88:118 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

Faith comes from hearing and reading the words and truths of God found in the scriptures and other inspired writings.

If in the garden of your soul you feel the trees of faith and trust in God are not bearing the quantity of fruit you desire then the question is how well you nourishing them? Also, would you prefer a single tree in the back yard of your soul or a forest of such fruit bearing trees?

You want to trust God more? Obtain a better understanding of His characteristics and attributes. You want more faith? Regularly study and read the word of God and the inspired teachings of the Prophets and Apostles.

Is it safe to say that as a convert you were not raised on gospel truths and teachings? Do you remember the nourishing and strengthening impact of one conference talk by President Monson had on you and your family regarding soccer on Sunday? There are so many wonderful and good books out there that will do for you, your life and your faith what that single talk did for that single subject.

Are you willing to trust me and exercise some faith like you did on my previous post? Are you willing to study and read?

Doctrines of Salvation Vol. I - President Joseph Fielding Smith

"The Teachings of The Prophet Joseph Smith" – Compiled by President Joseph Fielding Smith

"The Lectures on Faith"

Stand Ye In Holy Places - President Harold B Lee

Gospel Doctrine - President Joseph Fielding Smith

So yeah, my counsel to you dear sister is... read. Will you?

Sincerely,

Brother M.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Martain