If I take what many of you are saying at face value, I must say that you are a very unusual set of people. I’ve seen many people leave this (Mormon) church and I’ve almost never seen anyone leave because of doctrinal doubts. They usually leave because the church is too strict or demanding, but none of you cited that as a reason. So I’m a little suspicious and have to ask myself if the doctrinal doubts came more as a justification than as a source.
Like I said in an earlier post about faith, people are able to tolerate a fair amount “not fully understanding” a thing because–well we just have to because that’s the situation we’re often in on a lot of things.
I know you guys believe the Catholic doctrine and are always angry when the Mormon doctrine is different. But your efforts at trying to make the Mormon doctrine seem weird are unconvincing, they’re just too self-serving.
I’m sorry, but these last few posts really have been odd to me. Everyone has their own story, their own lives, their own reasons for what they do. I don’t judge groups of people based on my limited experiences (for example, my experience as a Latter-day Saint seemed somewhat different from what I heard from my friends that lived in Utah/went to BYU). I don’t speak for anyone else but myself. I’m curious to know if you would express the same doubts for someone that claims that they left the Catholic Church over doctrinal reasons, and became LDS. Further, if you peruse other forums, such as Mormon Dialogue and Discussion, Mormon Discussions, etc, you’ll see that what you seem to believe is implausible is actually quite common (which is probably why most here don’t understand your attempts at implying ulterior motives/hiding at best, lying at worst.
Again, speaking for myself, my reasons had nothing at all to do with sinning (or wanting to do something forbidden by LDS teachings, which is ironic since I doubt someone would go from LDS to Catholic because they wanted to sin), nor with the LDS Church being too strict or “demanding” (whatever that means). I already mentioned that I was firmly believing and practicing the entire time I was LDS, and served diligently in all of my callings, as well as outside of them (the highlight was helping to make sure everyone in the ward was okay after Hurricane Sandy, then volunteering with Mormon Helping Hands projects in the aftermath), and was worthy of a temple recommend. But the Great Apostasy was always a question in the back of my mind (as well as my issues with the priesthood restriction, as an African American, and the possibility that the Father was not always God, but progressed to Godhood. I just could never entertain that possibility)
If you really are curious, you can go through my post history yourself and note the progression from firmly believing and defending LDS, to questioning, to considering Catholicism, to reverting to Catholicism (my posting history at Mormon Dialogue and Discussion also demonstrates the things that I was struggling with and was seeking help with).
I certainly am not “angry” that Mormon doctrine isn’t Catholic. Nor am I trying to make Mormon doctrine seem “weird” (Catholic beliefs and practices can also seem “weird”). The question is whether said doctrines are tenable, and whether they are “true”. Both the Catholic and the LDS Churches can’t be right. One is wrong, or both are wrong. Therefore, I am interested in analyzing both, within their own contexts, and at the moment, I am coming from the perspective that the Catholic Church has the fulness of Truth.
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