FAIR

Faith Crisis

I Learned it on the Internet: Maintaining Faith in Today’s Online World

Start Here

Question
How can I tell if what I read about the Church online is true?

Short Answer
Not everything online is reliable, especially when it comes to Church history and doctrine. The best way to find truth is to start with trusted sources, seek balanced and well-documented information, and approach questions with both faith and careful evaluation. Many misleading claims come from incomplete or distorted presentations of real history.
Key Takeaways
  • Many online claims are based on partial information or lack proper context
  • Trusted sources include the Church, professional historians, and faithful scholarship
  • Viral or emotionally charged content is often designed for clicks, not accuracy
  • Evaluating both the source and your own spiritual receptiveness is essential
  • Focusing on core gospel truths helps avoid being distracted by secondary issues
Question
Did the LDS Church lie about its history?

Short Answer
No—most claims that the Church “lied” about its history stem from misunderstandings, incomplete information, or shifting expectations about how history should be taught. Historical details, including complex or less-discussed topics, have long been available in primary sources and Church publications. The real issue is often not concealment, but how and where people encounter the information.
Key Takeaways
  • Many controversial historical details were publicly available long before they became widely discussed online
  • Accusations of “lying” often arise from differences between simplified teaching and detailed historical records
  • Online sources may present selective or misleading information without full context
  • Faithful scholarship and Church resources provide more complete and balanced explanations
  • Evaluating both the source and intent behind claims is essential for finding truth

Summary

Scott Gordon uses a personal story about repairing a truck to illustrate how not everything found online is reliable. He applies this lesson to common criticisms of the Church, particularly regarding the Book of Mormon translation process, showing that these issues have long been publicly available and are often misunderstood rather than hidden.

The talk emphasizes that while historical details can be interesting, they are secondary to the core truth claims of the gospel—especially the Book of Mormon. It encourages individuals to seek answers from trusted sources, remain spiritually grounded, and respond to doubt or criticism with patience and faith. The speaker concludes by bearing testimony and urging love and understanding toward those who struggle or leave the Church.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)

Not everything online is true—especially claims about Church history. The speaker shows that controversial topics like the seer stone were never hidden, just misunderstood. Focus on trusted sources, stay grounded in faith, and remember that the truth of the Book of Mormon is what matters most.

A Simple Story About a Pickup Truck

So this—this is my pickup truck. I bet you didn’t expect to see that in a conference, right?

It was my father’s. I inherited it from him, and in case you don’t notice, it’s really old—like, it’s older than some of the people sitting in the audience here. And many of the plastic parts on it were broken and damaged by the sun.

In fact, when I touched the tail light, my finger went all the way through the plastic lens because it was so corroded by the sun.

Trying to Fix What Was Broken

So I decided I wanted to fix it up and make the truck just a little bit nicer. So I tried to replace all of the plastic parts on it, and I replaced—it was going really well—and I would replace most of them until I tried to replace the air vents.

This is the “after” picture, not the before. I didn’t think to take a “before” picture. I mean, the before picture was just kind of a square hole—that is what it was.

So when I tried to replace those air vents, I looked for the parts, and I discovered there were no parts in the United States. Didn’t exist—too old.

Turning to the Internet for Answers

So I had to order parts from Malaysia and wait for them to come, and it took a whole month. And so I finally got them, and with excitement I went down to my truck, and I realized I didn’t know how to put it in. I had no idea.

So where did I go to get the answers? YouTube, right? YouTube has the answer to everything related to car repairs.

So I looked at YouTube, and I found a video that explained exactly how to do it. And what it said is you could take a couple of butter knives, and there’s like a button on the ends of these vents, and all you have to do is put the butter knives in on each end and press it in, and it’ll just slip right into the hole.

And I thought, like, well, that sounds pretty easy—I’ll do that.

When Internet Advice Goes Wrong

Okay, and so I put the knives on each end, and I pushed in.

And the vent completely collapsed and fell apart.

So I went back to YouTube, and I looked around again, and I found a different video. And this new video started by saying, contrary to what some other videos claim, you can’t simply bend the parts and slip them in—you have to take the dashboard apart.

So I had to buy new parts from Malaysia, wait for them to be shipped to me, and try again. And this time, it did work.

Not Everything Online Is True

So why am I telling you this story?

Well, it’s to illustrate that not everything we learn on the internet is true. In our mind, we say, of course I know that—but in our heart and in our soul, sometimes we’re afraid that the things we read on the internet might be true.

And we occasionally panic when we read things that go against our beliefs. And the fear that it could possibly be true can sometimes shake our faith—we stop listening, we stop exploring, we simply take it as fact.

When People Encounter Church History Online

Every day I get emails from people saying they just learned something about the church on the internet, and they wonder why they didn’t know it before. And they often assume the church has hidden it from them.

For example, I’ve seen several people on TikTok and YouTube who are very upset that there’s a claim that Joseph Smith used the Nephite breastplate, known as—or often referred to as—the Urim and Thummim when he started translating the Book of Mormon, but later shifted to using a small, dark-colored stone called the seer stone.

And in 1870, in talking about the Book of Mormon translation, Emma Smith said,

“Now the first part that my husband translated was translated by use of the Urim and Thummim, and that was the part Martin Harris lost. After that, he used a small stone, not exactly black, but was rather dark in color.”

The Question Critics Raise

Well, I’ve been told the church has hidden this fact for many years.

One prominent church critic—who was discussed earlier in an earlier presentation—brings up this issue seven times in his booklet. Clearly he thought it was important, if not devastating. Perhaps it was a smoking gun.

So what happened? Why did the church hide this for so long?

The Information Was Never Hidden

Well, the answer is—they didn’t.

The information has been around and accessible for a long time. Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery, and Emma Smith all spoke about it. Their quotes can easily be found on this matter using Google.

You can even read about it in the anti–Latter-day Saint book Mormonism Unvailed, written in 1834, which can also be found online.

Where This Has Been Published

It has been published in several places:

The 1993 Ensign article was written by—this, the writer might be somewhat obscure to you—his name was Russell M. Nelson.

So clearly, this information can easily be found and is not hidden.

“Lazy Learners” and Common Criticisms

It is the ease of finding examples like this that can bring up the admittedly disliked moniker of “lazy learners.”

When I brought up this example recently, the response I got back was that we only mentioned it eight times in 40-plus years, and the paintings about the translation didn’t show it exactly that way, so that proves the Church was trying to hide it.

Well, it clearly isn’t a secret. It was in Church magazines—but admittedly, it also isn’t taught in most Church Sunday School classes.

Why Isn’t This Taught in Sunday School?

If it’s not a secret, why don’t we teach it in Sunday School?

Well, first, Joseph Smith was questioned several times on translation, and he would simply repeat the phrase that it had been done by the gift and power of God. And one time he added, “It is not intended to tell the world all the particulars of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.”

So it is not Joseph Smith—it is other witnesses who talk about the method of translation. Joseph Smith obviously didn’t think the method was very important.

A Historical Detail, Not a Doctrinal Issue

Secondly, exactly how the Book of Mormon is translated is not really relevant to our living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is simply a historical detail.

Whether that detail is right or wrong does not change the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And in our Sunday School classes, we’re really not a Sunday School class of historical details—we try to teach Sunday School classes to help people better follow Jesus Christ and improve their lives.

Critics and the Focus on Method

It seems that critics don’t like the method of the Book of Mormon translation, but they ignore the results.

Or, if he used the right method, the Church failed to tell us about it—and the proof is the illustration from the Book of Mormon that doesn’t show the stone.

But he did use the method that’s in the illustration—he just didn’t use it for the whole book.

Plus, illustrations are not meant to be photographs and are seldom historically accurate.

A Note on Illustrations

Feel free to go to your local community college—I happen to know a community college really well, I work at one—and have a conversation with the art teacher there about it.

Or you could type it into ChatGPT—and I tried that—and it comes back that no, illustrations are not generally historically accurate.

The “Stone” Criticism

In a recent discussion I had on this topic, it occurred to me that the critics were complaining that to aid in the translation, Joseph Smith may have used a stone he found.

I should say he may have used the stone that he found instead of, as they previously believed, two stones found by a previous prophet.

So to summarize this: two stones from a different prophet are okay, but one stone from Joseph Smith proves the Church is false.

A Story About Perspective

The attitude of the critics on this topic reminds me of a situation I heard from a man during a priesthood meeting discussion.

He said that after he had been married for a few years, he decided he did not like his wife. They were not getting along. He thought she was overly critical of him and thought it was a mistake that he’d ever married her.

But before he divorced her, someone—and I believe, if I remember right, it was actually his attorney—told him to start a daily journal.

Learning to See the Good

And each day, he should write down one good thing about his wife—one good thing she had done or said or that he noticed.

And he said the first week it was almost an impossible task. He didn’t notice anything worthwhile, but he dutifully wrote down some small things that she did.

She did wash the dishes, and she prepared lunches for the children.

A Change of Heart

And as he did this daily, it became easier and easier to see the good things that she was doing and to recognize what a wonderful person she was.

One day, while he was away at work, his wife found his journal. And she didn’t say anything—she decided it was a good idea, so she started her own journal.

And they are now happily married, and they’re the best of friends, and they still keep their journals.

Seeing Only the Negative

Sometimes I think the critics, just like this man, could see no good in his wife. Critics sometimes can see no good in the Church.

Everything—even innocent behavior from members of the Church—must have some nefarious motive.

But when you only look for the bad, you only find the bad. When you look for the good, you find the good far exceeds any negative things you struggle with, and you live a much happier life.

The Reality of the Book of Mormon

So, okay—the method of translation is certainly interesting to discuss, but as I said before, it really is simply a historical detail.

No matter what the translation method is, we have a Book of Mormon. It’s a tangible object. It’s real.

And you can’t simply explain it away. As you read it, you recognize the miracle of that book.

The Influence of Online Voices

Online influencers simply want clicks on their online videos—we heard about that today—and the more outrageous the claim, the more clicks you get and the more money they make.

And they often make sure each claim is as controversial as possible to maximize the clicks. Notice the bloody ax gratuitously included in this slide to increase interest.

To many people, it seems that a random person on TikTok is more authoritative than any real historians or scholars, and must be believed if they can make a good video.

The Rise of the “Citizen Journalist”

The citizen journalist has become the harbinger of truth, even when that person may be simply repeating old, long-ago refuted rumors and old anti-Mormon books.

Elder Russell M. Ballard has said,

“Beware of those who speak and publish in opposition to God’s true prophets and who actively proselytize others. They rely on sophistry to deceive and entice others to their views. They set themselves up for a light unto the world, and they may get gain and praise to the world.”

FAIR’s Role and Approach

So FAIR is here to provide basic information and facts related to many of these topics.

We’ve often been dismissed by the critics—”oh, they simply engage in ad hominem attacks!” I hear. But when I ask, “where?” (and I have asked) the critics haven’t been able to find examples.

That’s because we go to great lengths to talk about the arguments and not the people.

Staying Focused on Arguments, Not People

That’s not to say we’re perfect at it. There have been occasions when we’ve grown frustrated with people making absurd claims without evidence, and I have questioned the honesty of the author or podcaster.

But it’s always in context of the facts, and it’s never simply a dismissal based on who they are.

FAIR is here to cut through the propaganda, the repeating of rumors, and the arguments that would often not make it through a freshman English writing class.

Improving the Quality of Discussion

Now, before anyone jumps on me for that statement, there are also apologetic writings defending the Church that would also not pass that bar.

I have seen that in arguments related to Book of Mormon geography, race in the priesthood, and plural marriage.

All I can say is I hope the arguments get better on both sides, actually.

Global Impact of FAIR

But FAIR is here to strengthen testimonies. We recently had a donor who paid for a few people to travel to Europe for some conferences and firesides.

In Salzburg, we met a sister who had traveled all the way from Hungary to read our talks or to see our talks. She was frustrated that because of the language barrier it wasn’t available to many of her fellow Hungarians.

In Bulgaria, I met a man from Turkey who had many questions that were preventing him from joining the Church. He found FAIR, found his answers, and was baptized.

The Growing Need for Resources

But we have a problem. FAIR is honestly made up of simply a few volunteers, backed up by several outsiders willing to give their expertise at our conferences.

People ask us to respond to questions, videos, and websites. We have a 10,000-page website that needs to be updated.

We have people who want us to do firesides or conferences in other areas.

The Challenge of Keeping Up

So far, we’ve relied on faith and small donations to get us through.

As technology has become more and more complicated, we find that we need more resources to keep up.

Without people donating to us, we wouldn’t be able to keep up. So far, FAIR has been operating on a budget that’s less than the salary of one of the podcasters who attacks the Church.

A Call for Support

Now granted, he’s one of the more famous podcasters—but his salary is more than our entire budget.

How can we hope to keep up?

Let me share with you this clip given by Elder Pearson at a previous FAIR conference:

“Independent voices are needed in reaching out to those among us who are struggling to find and sustain faith, and in responding to those who unfairly criticize, misrepresent, distort, and demean the Church, its history, doctrine, and leadership. More needs to be done to increase awareness of, access to, and confidence in these independent, trusted resources by Latter-day Saints and seekers of truth. These are valued, trusted resources, and they need more support. They need more financial support, among other things, given the enormity of the challenge. Good people of faith are going to have to think about what they want to use their resources to put against, and FAIR Mormon cannot possibly engage at the level they’re capable of without more financial resources.”

A Final Note on Support

Okay, of course you’d expect a donation ad from me—but it’s true.

And he spoke also about—he also included other organizations that are represented at the conference here in his talk.

Teaching a New Generation

So each year I finish my semester teaching students in accounting who are easily completing their homework—they understand the principles I’m teaching them.

Then the new semester starts, and a new group of students stare blankly at me and act as if they’ve never heard the subject matter before. That’s because they haven’t heard it before, and I have to start over and teach the new class the same information from the very beginning.

Gospel Learning Works the Same Way

The same is true with gospel learning and for evaluating critical arguments.

Each generation is a new group of students learning again why the gospel is true. And I hear it over and over again where people will have a question, and people will respond with, “Oh, that old thing—that’s already been discussed.”

No, it hasn’t been discussed—not with a new generation. It’s only been discussed with us older folks, I guess.

Key Differences in How People Learn

But there are a couple of differences with my students and with people with gospel questions and such.

First, even though I’m giving my students new information they have not heard before, it is really rare for them to say that since they haven’t heard it before, I must have been hiding it.

Secondly, unlike my students who typically go to class to learn from me, those struggling with gospel questions quickly turn to the internet and follow whosoever has a good video, regardless of their qualifications.

Where People Turn in a Faith Crisis

They’ve done studies with people who have a crisis of faith—do they first turn to the Church or their loved ones?

No. They usually first go to the internet and do their own research, not realizing that many of the online sources are not trustworthy.

I’m saddened when I see people leave the Church because of what they read or see on these deceptive websites.

The Danger of Misinformation

How would you feel if you left the Church and then found out you were lied to by the person who is telling you the Church was lying?

So how do you avoid being led astray?

Start with Trusted Sources

First, focus on using trusted sources.

Your first trusted source is the Church and professional Church historians. From there, you can expand your circle to include BYU Studies and other faithful resources like FAIR, Interpreter, and Scripture Central.

In all of that, be careful of anyone who claims to know more than the Church or claims that the Church has been deceived—that is a sure indication that something is wrong.

Your Personal Receptiveness to Truth

Then we have the issue of your personal receptiveness to the true truth.

  1. Are you spending excessive time on social media,
  2. getting angry with everyone—even in defense of the gospel? Anger will drive away the Spirit and leave you susceptible to doubts.
  3. Are you involved in any behavior that’s not in keeping with the commandments—
  4. or maybe you have not broken any of the commandments, but you would like to and spend lots of time thinking about it?

What Are You Surrounding Yourself With?

On the other hand:

  • are you spending your time attending church,
  • studying scriptures,
  • listening to uplifting talks and music?

Are you engaged in:

  • service,
  • visiting the temple, and
  • seeking the Lord’s guidance in prayer?

In short, with whom and what are you surrounding yourself?

Staying Focused on the Core Question

It’s easy to get sidetracked on various criticisms of the Church.

Most of these issues we run into on social media or on the internet are simply distractions.

I can say that because most questions really come down to the question about the Book of Mormon.

The Central Truth Claim

If the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.

If he was a prophet, then the priesthood keys that the Lord said would never be taken again from the earth are still here, held by President Russell M. Nelson.

And this is the Church of Jesus Christ today.

A Common Criticism: Archaeology and the Book of Mormon

Let me give you an example of a criticism that repeatedly comes up—but research provides answers for.

Archaeology—doesn’t archaeology prove the Book of Mormon as false?

Well, in 2019, Matt Roper, building on previous work done by archaeologist Dr. John Clark, examined many books claiming to prove the Book of Mormon false through archaeology.

Examining the Evidence

He presented his results in a FAIR conference such as this one, and he identified every archaeological evidence listed against it. Then, he produced the following list of 200 items.

Matt then looked at modern archaeology and found the claims that were supposed to prove the Book of Mormon false are now supported by archaeological evidence.

Where there is no archaeological evidence, he used red. Where there’s accepted archaeological evidence, he used green. And where there is evidence but still disagreement on it—or uncertainty on it—he used blue.

What the Data Shows

The Book of Mormon was written in 1830, but in 2019, 81% of the things that were supposed to prove the Book of Mormon was a fake are either confirmed to be true or trending in the direction to be true.

Had Joseph Smith used the archaeological beliefs of his day to author the Book of Mormon, it would have been wrong.

Instead, people criticized the book for more than 190 years for things we now know to be true.

Why Old Criticisms Persist

Unfortunately, on the internet, they’re still repeating a lot of those old claims.

To me, this shows if you have questions, in faith, answers will come. They may not come right away—as some of these criticisms have gone on for 190 years—but they do come.

Scholarship and Discipleship

We do not talk about these things much in church. Knowing this information does not change our behavior.

The Church is trying to make us disciples of Jesus Christ and not necessarily scholars.

Being a scholar does not make you a better person—but if you want to study scholarship, the information is there. FAIR, Interpreter, Scripture Central, and other organizations are there to help you with those intellectual reasons to stay.

Counsel from President Nelson

In April Conference 2022, President Russell M. Nelson gave a talk on spiritual momentum. He said we should learn about God and how He works.

He also said we should pray always and study our scriptures.

And then in a 2022 devotional, President Nelson said that:

“If you have questions—and I hope you do—seek answers with a fervent desire to believe. Learn all you can about the gospel, and be sure to turn to truth-filled sources for guidance.”

Seeking Truth from the Right Sources

As you go through your life, you will hear good things and bad things about the Church—that is the nature of social media, and that’s the nature of the internet.

But know that I have spent many years reading criticisms of the Church. My testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel is stronger today than it has ever been.

Anchored in Jesus Christ

My anchor is Jesus Christ and the book that testifies of Him—the Book of Mormon.

Living the principle is not always easy, but if we do, we will be blessed.

When Loved Ones Leave the Church

So one more thought—what do we do if we have family or friends who leave the Church, or people who study the gospel and don’t join?

My experience says you should love them.

You do not try to convince them they’re wrong—I’m sure you’ve seen how well that works in politics. It doesn’t.

Responding with Love and Patience

  • You wait for them.
  • You answer their questions as they come up, and
  • You hold on to what you know.

Remember, life is eternal, so change may come for them sometime later—perhaps not even in this life.

We are eternal beings in temporal bodies, but we can still hold on to the truthfulness of the gospel.

Love Without Agreement

To love others, we do not have to agree with them.

We can know it is true, and we can love our neighbor and our family as Jesus commanded us to do.

Final Encouragement

So I want to point out one more thing—in the Church Gospel Library app, if you pull up your Gospel Library app, they’ve created a new section to give additional guidance to you if you’re struggling with questions yourself or if you’re trying to help someone struggling with questions.

What you don’t want to do is get angry with them or drive them away—you want to love them, listen to them, and trust in the Lord.

Testimony

I know that Jesus is the Christ. He is my Savior. He loves us and wants the best for us.

He’s given us the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I know the Book of Mormon is true, and this is His Church.

And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

We Do Not Doubt Our Mothers Knew It

Start Here

Question
How can parents raise strong children in a world of doubt and confusion?

Short Answer
Parents can best prepare their children for spiritual challenges by strengthening their own conversion, modeling faith, and teaching trust in God—even without having all the answers. Children learn belief and resilience primarily through what they consistently see and experience at home.
Key Takeaways
  • Children learn faith by watching their parents’ personal conversion
  • Obedience and trust in God build spiritual resilience
  • Doubt should lead to deeper trust, not disengagement
  • Belief is a conscious choice, even without complete understanding
  • Parents cannot control outcomes, but they can shape foundations

Summary

Lynnette Sheppard teaches that modern parents are raising children in a time of intense spiritual conflict, where ideas and influences can pull even the faithful away from Christ. Using the example of the stripling warriors’ mothers, she highlights that the most powerful preparation for children is not perfection in parenting, but deep personal conversion and consistent discipleship.

The talk emphasizes that agency is central to God’s plan, meaning parents cannot control their children’s choices. However, they are responsible for teaching faith, obedience, and trust in God. Sheppard explains that doubt is a natural part of life but should ultimately lead individuals to rely more fully on God. By choosing belief and modeling unwavering trust, parents can help their children develop the spiritual resilience needed to remain faithful, regardless of life’s challenges.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)

Raising faithful children starts with parents who are deeply converted themselves. Even in a world full of doubt and confusion, children learn to trust God by watching consistent faith, obedience, and belief modeled at home. You can’t control your children’s choices—but you can prepare them to choose Christ.

Speaker Introduction

Lynnette Sheppard is a writer, gospel enthusiast, parenting coach, and host of the Stand with Lynnette podcast. On her podcast and social media platforms, she aims to help Latter-day Saint women stand firmly with Jesus Christ and raise righteous, well-prepared kids. She graduated from BYU with a degree in Family Science, but most of her practical knowledge has come from hands-on experience raising her five highly determined children, four of whom are now grown.

She is currently in the process of publishing her first book entitled “Stripling Mothers.” In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, working as a temple ordinance worker, and being a grandma.

Who Here Loves Fiction?

Okay, so I want to start out with a question. By a raise of hands, who out there in the audience loves to read fiction? Where are my fiction readers?

Okay, you are like my people. I want to be like you, and I am like you in the fact that I too really love to read fiction. But when I get involved in a good fiction story, my whole life tends to disappear except what’s on the page.

And so I have a hard time focusing on any kind of work. My house is a wreck. Do I even have children? I can’t remember. And if I do, I really hope they don’t need anything because I am unavailable for consults until I find out what happens to my new fictional friends.

The Problem with Loving Stories Too Much

And as you might imagine, this can become a little bit of a problem. My productivity, my availability for the people in my life that might need me, just kind of goes in the tank.

And so I can’t allow myself to read fiction very often. But when I do allow myself that luxury, I almost always choose World War II historical fiction. I don’t know—there’s something about that genre that just grabs me and pulls me in.

And that is ironic, because I also really hate sad stories. If somebody’s going to die in this book, I’m out. I don’t want any part of that. That’s not entertainment that I want to partake of.

Why I Keep Coming Back Anyway

And yet, World War II historical fiction—I know before I ever crack open the cover of one of these books that there are going to be parts in this story that are going to tear my heart out and smash it into a million pieces. And I’m not going to like that.

But as I’ve thought about this whole dichotomy in my life—why do I keep coming back to this genre? The best thing that I can come up with is because of the resilience of the human spirit that emerges in the face of these really challenging circumstances.

And the way people step up and have courage in the face of nearly impossible odds, and goodness transcends even the darkest of circumstances. That is so inspiring to me that I’m willing to put up with a few tears.

Imagining Myself in Their Story

So I keep coming back. But oftentimes when I’m involved in one of these stories, I put myself in the story. Their story becomes my story.

And so I think, what would it have been like for me to be living in these times? Maybe raising children in these times where the whole world is at war and millions of people are dying, and every family is touched in a really personal way by the tragedy and hardship of war.

And there are great, unprecedented moral questions like, what will happen if I stand up for what I believe and I help a neighbor or a friend, and that could very well cost me my life?

Grateful for My Life Today

These were some of the real struggles that real people were wrestling with during that time. And when I put that side by side with what my life is like today, I will choose my life every time, because I feel like in comparison I have it better in so many ways.

I was not cut out for war. I cannot handle tears, you guys.

A Different Kind of War Today

But the reality is that we are living in a time of war today. It might look different. The battles might be different than they were back in World War II and the physical battles that happened then.

Although there are physical battles happening at different places in the world today, the kind of battles that I’m talking about are battles of words and ideas and confusion and chaos that are pulling even the very elect away from the light of Jesus Christ.

And they might be different, but these kinds of battles are no less dangerous.

The Fear Parents Feel Today

And what makes it even more scary, at least for me, is that a lot of these ideas that are causing so much confusion are directed toward children. And that, as a parent, can be terrifying.

Those of us who are raising kids today feel the weight of that.

But the reality is that the Lord has called each one of us. If we are here today, if we are an adult today, whether or not we are currently raising children, he has called us to help guide and bear and rear and lead a chosen generation of youth who were born into a world that is corrupted every whit.

A Foreordained Generation

President Russell M. Nelson said our youth were “foreordained by God to do a remarkable work to help prepare the people of this world for the Second Coming of the Lord and are among the best the Lord has ever sent to this world.”

We have often heard our prophet say similar things about the young people who are growing up today. And prophets before him, for generations, have been saying similar things about the youth of their day.

The Honest Reality of Raising Kids

And I will be honest, sometimes I hear something like this and I wonder if the Lord sees the same kids that I do. (The ones who maybe forget to brush their teeth sometimes, even though their dad, in this case, happens to be a dentist.)

Or the kids who seem incapable of speaking above a mumble or answering a question with more than a barely audible grunt.

Sometimes I’m tempted to look heavenward, throw my hands in the air, and say, “Did this one slip through the heavenly cracks? Because I’m pretty sure she belongs on the remedial squad, and I can do nothing for her. So please fix her, Jesus.”

Maybe you can relate. If we’re raising children today, I think we can all relate to that.

Our Role in Their Divine Mission

But if we believe that our prophet speaks for God and our youth were indeed foreordained by God himself to help prepare the people of this world for the Second Coming of his Son, then what does that tell us about how God feels about you and me, and this generation of parents and leaders and adults, who must prepare them for that great work?

Because they are here to do a great thing according to this prophet. We are here to do a great thing, because they will not be able to do their great work unless we do ours first.

It is our job to prepare them.

Chosen for This Time

And the Lord knows exactly what we are up against. He’s not blind to the challenges of our day. Nothing that is happening in the world now or that will happen in the future is or will be a surprise for him.

And yet, he handpicked each one of us to come to earth in this time of great spiritual turmoil and to raise his elite set of latter-day warriors.

And that says something about his trust in us.

The Lord Trusts Us and Our Children

God Trusts Us with This Work

He trusts us a lot, and he knows us personally. And I know that feels daunting—this is a big work we have to do and I don’t really know how to do it.

But I hope it also feels empowering that the Lord does believe in us.

But let’s just lay all our cards out on the table right here, because I bet there are some of you out there thinking things like I have thought in the past:

“Okay, the Lord’s trusting me to do this really great, important thing so that my kids can do this really great and important thing, but maybe they are making choices that are not in line with that great and important thing.”

When We Feel Like We’re Failing

“And if I can’t teach them well enough for them to do their great work, then I am failing. I’m failing my kids. I am failing the Lord. I’m just a hot mess, and I don’t know what I’m going to do about that.”

If you have felt this, you are in really good company. I think we have probably all felt this at some time.

But I find comfort in knowing that faithful parents have been in this same boat since the dawn of time. Since Adam and Eve.

Agency Has Always Been Part of the Plan

Think back—Adam and Eve, first mortal parents on the earth, walked and talked face to face with God. One of their children killed his brother.

If we don’t have children who are physically killing each other, we are winning. We’re doing all right.

But I have no doubt that Adam and Eve did their best to teach their children about covenants and commandments and God. And still, they used their agency—some of them—to walk far away from them and from God.

Why Agency Matters So Much

The same thing might happen for you and for me, because agency is real.

It is so important to the Lord’s plan that there was a war in heaven fought over it. Lucifer was cast down because he sought to destroy the agency of man. That is one of the big reasons why he was cast down.

So when our kids use that agency to do things that are not in line with what we have taught them, we can find comfort again in knowing that God knew this is how it was going to be.

God Understands Wayward Children

If anyone knows what it is like for children to walk away from them, it is our Heavenly Father, because a third of his children didn’t even make it to earth.

They chose not to follow him even in the days before. And how many children since coming to earth have been in that same boat?

He knows we can’t control our kids’ agency any more than we can control the weather. We don’t have control over that.

“Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled”

He did not give us control over that for a good purpose, because agency is critical to his plan.

Yet he still says: “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

That brings me comfort, because when I hear those words in regard to this big important task of raising and preparing children, what I hear is: “Hey, Lynette.”

“You Cannot Save Your Children, But I Can”

Because sometimes that’s how the Lord sounds in my mind. It’s not formal. It’s,

“Hey, you listen up. Hey, Lynette. You cannot save your children, but I can.

So do the very best that you can. Teach them about me. Teach them how to find me. Teach them how to develop a relationship with me.

Do your best with your work. And then trust that my grace is sufficient to cover you—to cover all of the mistakes that you make as a parent, to cover your children and all of the mistakes that they will make on their way back to me, to cover all of the things that you do not now understand or that don’t seem to make sense for you.”

Trusting in His Grace

“My grace is sufficient. So trust me to do my work.”

To me, that brings great peace, because I know that I’m not doing this work alone.

He’s on my team, and he’s reaching out to my kids in ways that I cannot. So I can trust him with that.

What We Can Still Do as Parents

But just because we can’t guarantee any outcomes of how our kids will turn out in the end, and whether or not they will choose God, that does not mean we should throw up our hands and say, “Well, they’re going to do what they’re going to do, so I guess I just won’t try.”

That’s not going to get any of us anywhere.

And there is a lot we can do.

Finding a Blueprint for Raising Children

So we’re going to talk about what we can do to prepare our kids in the best way that we know how to do the great work that God is counting on them to do.

Now, what I have learned about this—as I have thought about it and studied about it and prayed about it as I’ve raised my five kids. (I just have one 16-year-old left at home—so we’ve spent a lot of time on our knees praying about these children.)

And not until relatively recently did I find what I believe is a blueprint that we can follow as parents as we’re trying to raise righteous children.

A Blueprint Worth Sharing

This would have been helpful information 25 years ago, but hey, I’m sharing it with you so hopefully you can take it and run with it.

A Blueprint for Parents

This blueprint I discovered was from a group of women who all went from lives of sin to lives of covenants and commandments and faith.

And once they were converted unto the Lord, not a single one of them ever fell away. That is how converted they were.

And not only that, but they were able to raise a generation of young people—their children—who were strong and firm and courageous and undaunted and perfectly obedient in the face of really challenging circumstances.

Who Were These Women?

Now, who were these women and what can we learn from them about raising modern children today? You might recognize them from this verse:

“They had been taught by their mothers that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed the words of their mothers, saying, ‘We do not doubt our mothers knew it.’”

You probably recognize this if you’ve been in the Church for any period of time—that this scripture comes from the story of the stripling warriors.

Why Did Mormon Include This Detail?

And we all know this story. We’ve read it a million times. We’ve taught it a million times. And we all know what happens.

But have you ever thought about why Mormon, when he was compiling the plates and abridging and leaving some things in and taking others out and adding his commentary here and there—why did he choose to include this little detail about their mothers?

I cannot speak for Mormon, but I know that he saw our day.

A Message for Parents Today

He told us that he saw the widespread wickedness and commotion that would be happening in our day.

And I like to think that he also saw faithful parents like me and you doing our best to raise faithful children and struggling to know how to do that.

And I wonder if he thought, Well, maybe if I include this little detail about their mothers, that might pique their interest and make them think: How did these women do it?

The Faith of the Stripling Mothers

Because these mothers of these stripling warriors—or as I like to call them, stripling mothers—were somehow able to raise their children to walk off to war at a moment’s notice, with no prior experience, even though they were all very young.

And they did so with courage and faith and hope in God.

Some experts believe these boys could have been as young as 12 to 15 years old.

Can You Imagine It Today?

So imagine with me, if you will, modern-day deacons, teachers, maybe some really young priests—2,000 of them—marching off to war with courage and faith, singing the praises of their mothers.

Can you picture it? Because I have a 16-year-old and I can’t.

It’s a little bit hard to imagine. But these women were somehow able to do it.

Looking for Clues in the Scriptures

So who were they? What do we know about them?

Now, there’s a lot that we do not know about them.

But a friend recently taught me that success leaves clues.

Putting on Our Detective Hat

And so, for the next few minutes, I invite you to put on your detective hat with me and we’re going to look for clues in the scriptures about these women—about these mothers—about how they were able to do the things that they did in preparing their kids.

So let’s talk about some of the things that we know.

A Past Marked by Sin and Conversion

We know that these were Lamanite women who were converted by the missionary efforts of Ammon and the sons of Mosiah.

And prior to their conversion, they were in the darkest abyss and the most lost of all mankind because of the traditions of their wicked fathers and the many sins and murders they committed.

So they had a past. They had a colorful past.

Leaving the Past Behind Completely

And after their conversion, they left that sinful past behind, completely removed themselves physically from it. They changed their names. They didn’t want to be known as Lamanites anymore. That brought a lot of baggage that they didn’t want to carry.

So they changed their names to Anti-Nephi-Lehies. Now, that’s kind of a mouthful. So sometimes I call them the Ammonites or the people of Ammon.

And I may use those three terms interchangeably here today.

Burying Their Weapons at the Moment of Crisis

We know that they buried their weapons of rebellion, and they covenanted never to dig them up again lest they lose their souls.

Again, this is one of those iconic stories. We know about them burying their weapons.

But I didn’t know, until I really went back and studied the timeline and the context of this decision, that they made that choice when war was upon them.

Choosing Faith When War Was Imminent

This was not an arbitrary decision because they had already decided that they didn’t want to fight anymore.

But they had heard that some of their old friends—the Lamanites who didn’t convert with them—weren’t happy with these new converts.

And so, rather than accepting their former friends’ decision, they decided that they were going to destroy them.

A Defining Moment of Commitment

And so they were making preparations to come to war against these Ammonite converts.

That is when they had to decide: We already said we weren’t going to fight, but are we really going to stick with that? Are we really going to do it?

And so the king called everyone together into this big meeting, and he gave a rousing speech where he thanked God for allowing them to repent of their many sins and murders, for taking away their guilt, and helping them to feel light and peace and turn their lives around.

A Covenant of Complete Transformation

And then he pled with everyone in attendance that day to keep their swords bright by burying them as a testimony to the Lord that they would never again shed blood.

And with that testimony, they would make a three-part covenant: that they would die before they killed anyone else, that they would give rather than take, and that they would labor abundantly with their hands rather than spend their days in idleness.

No killing, no stealing, no idleness.

Guarding Against Returning to Old Ways

These three things must have been the three things that they were most worried about going back to.

Maybe they were even as much as addictions—that if they had a little bit, they might totally turn back.

And they didn’t want any part of that.

Faith in the Face of Death

So everyone there that day—all these Ammonite converts—made this covenant.

They buried their weapons deep in the earth. And they did so with war knocking on their doorstep.

An Unimaginable Sacrifice

Pretty soon the Lamanites did come upon them in battle.

All these Ammonite men marched onto the battlefield, unarmed, and laid down upon the ground and prayed to God and praised God, while their former friends killed 1,005 of them with no resistance.

This courageous demonstration of faith inspired some of these Lamanites to throw down their weapons and join them on the ground.

A Legacy of Faithfulness

And they became, from that point forward, part of this group that was forever faithful.

And this was eleven years prior to Helaman’s march with his stripling warriors.

So the men who were on the battlefield that day—these were the fathers, the grandfathers, perhaps some of the older brothers of the stripling warriors.

The Mothers Who Carried On

And those women— their mothers– they probably weren’t in battle that day. But they were there to pick up the pieces.

They had to decide what they were going to do from that point forward.

Did they go back and dig up those weapons and say, “We didn’t realize how much this covenant would cost us. I think maybe we can defend ourselves. Is that okay?”

Choosing Faith Over Fear

They didn’t do that. They turned their faces to the future and they marched forward with faith.

And they were, from that point forward, forever faithful.

What the Children Learned

They didn’t question God.

They believed in his ability to deliver them, even if they had to sacrifice everything in the process.

Now, what do you think these future stripling warriors, who were children at that time, learned about faith from their parents from this one scenario alone?

The Power of Their Example

They knew that their fathers were martyrs—that they gave up everything for their faith.

And they knew that their mothers were forever faithful after that—that they did not question their faith, that they picked things up and moved forward.

And not only that, but remember these more than 1,005 Lamanites—we don’t have an exact number—who joined them that day after participating in the slaughter of their loved ones, they joined them.

Radical Forgiveness and Faith

And these Ammonite women welcomed them, along with any men who were left.

I don’t know how many there were in total. But they welcomed these repentant sinners into their midst.

  • even though they had participated in the murders of their husbands,
  • their sons,
  • their brothers.

Compassion as a Mark of True Discipleship

And I think about that in the context of this quote from President Nelson: “One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people.”

So what did these stripling warriors learn about being a true follower of Jesus Christ by watching how their mothers treated these people who participated in this horrible act?

They had a past too, though, remember, because they also had sins and murders on their conscience.

Understanding Through Shared Experience

And they knew what it was like to repent and change their lives.

And they told these Lamanites who joined them that day: You are welcome here. We will welcome you in.

And they treated them with compassion.

Continuing the Search for Clues

So what else do we know? What else do we know about these Ammonite women?

What We Know About These Women

  • We know that they were perfectly honest and upright in all things. Those are some pretty strong descriptors.
  • We know that they were obedient to the law of Moses. Even though they did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses, they kept the law because it strengthened their faith in Christ.

So they were obedient. They were honest. They were upright.

Teaching Exact Obedience

This concept of obedience shows up again later when Helaman’s young army—Helaman observed that they “observed to keep God’s statutes and his judgments and his commandments continually.”

So they were obedient to God, these young warriors.

And in battle, they did obey and observe every word of command with exactness.

Helaman Credits Their Mothers

It is also interesting to note that right after Helaman praises their obedience, he says this: “And I did remember the words which they said unto me—that their mothers had taught them.”

So who did Helaman credit for the perfect obedience of these young warriors? Their mothers.

I invite you to imagine an alternate scenario for just a minute.

What If They Had Not Been Obedient?

Imagine that Helaman took command of these 2,000 young men. It’s not like he was a military commander before that—he was a prophet.

He was out preaching the word, and they wanted him to be their leader. And so he agreed to be their leader—of these 2,000, again, deacons, teachers, priests who had no prior experience.

And it was his responsibility to make sure that they were as safe as possible.

The Potential for Chaos

He was leading them into battle. So there were some risks, and they knew that.

I imagine that Helaman felt a little overwhelmed. I think I would have in that instance.

But what if these young men had decided, “Well, I am just going to do whatever I want because I don’t need Helaman telling me what to do. He’s not the boss of me. I can do whatever I want”?

Obedience vs. Destruction

It’s not hard to imagine the scene of chaos and carnage and likely bloodshed that would have ensued had these young men decided to be stubborn instead of obedient and compliant.

And in looking back with the lens of history, and the words that Mormon has given us about them, it’s clear that their obedience is what saved them—their obedience to Helaman’s every word of command and their obedience to God, who then stepped in and orchestrated this miracle.

Saved Through Obedience

So it’s not hard for me to connect those dots and say they were saved because of their obedience, right?

That’s how they were able to successfully get through those battles—not without wounds, but without death.

Raising Latter-day Spiritual Warriors

And I think about that in the context of what we’re trying to do today, in raising latter-day spiritual warriors in a culture where obedience is not really glorified at all.

Right? It’s like my personal authority is king over everything else, and I can do what I want, and I can discover my own truth, and this is what is prized in society.

But we’re trying to raise children who can be obedient.

Why Obedience Matters

Because if we want latter-day spiritual warriors, is it hard to connect the dots to say, “Well, Helaman’s army was saved because of their obedience. Will our kids be saved in the battles for their faith because of their obedience?”

I don’t think it’s hard to make that connection, for me.

If we want our kids to be saved spiritually, they have to learn to be obedient, because obedience is the first law of heaven.

Where Obedience Is Learned

But kids learn obedience at home.

And so if we’re not emphasizing that, if they don’t learn to be obedient to us as their parents, they’re likely going to struggle to be obedient to prophets, to be obedient to commandments and covenants, and to God.

Again, obedience is the first law of heaven.

Preparing Children for What’s Ahead

So that’s something to think about as you’re preparing your kids for what’s coming.

Obedience is a vital piece of that.

Our Personal Conversion

As I have thought about all that I have learned from these incredible women—which I don’t even have time today to scratch the surface, there’s so much—I invite you to go home and study the story on your own and try to find those pieces that are relevant to your life.

But what I have learned, I think, that transcends everything, is that if we want to raise modern-day spiritual warriors, we first have to be converted.

Because our personal conversion is going to be our kids’ first line of defense in the latter-day battles for their faith.

The First Line of Defense

It’s not going to be their only line of defense, but it’s going to be their first line of defense.

Because who do they learn about conversion from? Who do they learn what faith looks like in action from?

They’re first going to learn that at home.

What Do Our Children See in Us?

Like these Ammonite women, who never gave their kids a reason to doubt where their loyalties lay, I think we have to think about that in our own homes.

Do our kids know what we believe? Do they know because of what we say?

Do they know because of what we do? Do they know because those things are congruent?

What Are We Teaching Through Our Example?

How do they know? What do they learn from us about conversion?

I love these words from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

“Our children take their flight into the future with our thrust and with our aim. And even as we anxiously watch that arrow in flight and know all the evils that can deflect its course after it has left our hand, nevertheless, we take courage in remembering that the most important mortal factor in determining that arrow’s destination will be the stability, strength, and unwavering certainty of the holder of the bow.”

As latter-day parents and leaders and grandparents in Zion, we are the holders of the bow for the rising generation. The significance and importance of our work cannot be understated.

Doubt

And because of that, I want to go back to the stripling mothers and their parting counsel to their sons as they were going off to battle.

This is the counsel: If you do not doubt, God will deliver you.

I think about that in the context of this is the last thing their mothers had taught them.

Faith That Withstands Battle

And this is the counsel that gave them courage to walk into battle when they were so young, and to believe that God would deliver them if they did not doubt.

Because their mothers had never given them any reason to doubt that they knew what they were talking about.

And so in today’s world, I think a lot about doubt.

A Culture That Elevates Doubt

It’s kind of on the forefront of a lot of the work that I do on social media and online.

It almost feels like doubt is elevated above faith in importance or significance, like a badge of honor.

If you’re doubting your faith, it’s like this gateway to personal authority and freedom.

Navigating Faith in a Doubting World

And it’s hard to navigate that world and hold on to your faith without falling into that pit of doubt.

So how can we do that? That’s a big thing we’re trying to do.

Many years ago—like 20 years ago—I came to a crossroads in my faith that I was not expecting, that I didn’t know how to navigate.

A Personal Crisis of Faith

It threw me for a major loop.

I was in my young 20s at this point.

Prior to this, I had always just believed.

A Sudden Shift in Perspective

I had had experiences that reinforced that belief and that testimony, and I never had any reason to doubt that all the things I had been taught by my parents and at church were true and real and good.

When my husband graduated from BYU, we moved our two young kids across the country to Ohio.

Prior to that point, I grew up mostly in Gilbert, Arizona, which is like “mini Utah.”

Culture Shock and New Questions

Then I went to BYU, which is a culture in and of itself.

And then I moved to Ohio, where a lot of the people that I interacted with hadn’t even heard of our Church.

And if they had, they had some interesting misconceptions about what we believed or how we lived our lives.

A New Religious Perspective

They lived their lives very differently than I did.

So it was – almost–culture shock for me.

It threw me for a major loop that I was not expecting.

Encounters That Challenged Belief

Shortly thereafter, my husband was called to serve as the ward mission leader in our ward.

And so we often had missionaries in our home, and they would bring their investigators—or as they call them now, their friends.

They would bring their friends over, and we would have missionary lessons in our home.

A Moment That Changed Everything

There was this one time where they were teaching a Muslim man.

He was not interested in joining the Church, but he was curious enough to listen to the lessons and to see what it is that we believed.

During one of these lessons, he was talking about his belief of Jesus Christ—what he believed as a Muslim.

Questioning What I Knew

He believed that Jesus was a good man and a prophet, but not the Son of God, not the Savior of the world.

And as this young twenty-something, I listened to him talk about his view of Jesus Christ.

It hit me, maybe for the first time, that I was part of this tiny religious minority.

The Weight of Doubt

Who was I to claim that I had the truth?

There were so many people in the world that didn’t even believe in Jesus Christ, let alone in the Book of Mormon.

So how did I know that it was true? Who was I to say that?

Struggling Through Uncertainty

For months after that, I wrestled with some really difficult questions about my faith.

Where everything had once felt so clear, now everything was muddy.

I didn’t know what I believed.

Holding On While Feeling Lost

I questioned everything—down to the reality of Jesus Christ as my Savior. I couldn’t even claim that anymore.

And I didn’t really know how to navigate this.

Going Through the Motions

Thankfully, it was in the days before social media, because I think that would have complicated it a million times.

But I continued to go through the motions—to go to church, to say my prayers, to do the things.

But this cloud was heavy in the air.

A Quiet Answer

One night I was praying. I honestly don’t remember what I said—probably just praying for clarity, to know the truth.

And then I heard these simple words, with such clarity in my mind: You already know it’s true.

Remembering What I Already Knew

And with those words, peace rushed over me. It brought warmth to my heart and tears to my eyes.

I thought back to everything that I had experienced up to that point in my young life.

Faith Restored Through Memory

The ways that God had shown up for me and testified to me again and again that the gospel was true—that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that, because Joseph Smith was a prophet, the Book of Mormon was the work of God and the word of God.

I had miraculous answers to prayers while studying the revelations found in the Doctrine and Covenants.

And as I thought back on all of those things in the context of all of this doubt that I was trying to navigate, it just became clear in a second.

God has testified to me all throughout my life that this Church is true.

When Doubt Replaces Faith

And I just forgot about that for a minute because doubts came up and just kind of took the place of all of that experience and that faith that I had had up to that point.

Trust God With What We Don’t Understand

And so I learned a lot. I learned a lot from that experience.

One of the things being that our questions, our doubts, the things that feel challenging to us right now, they do not throw a wrench in God’s plan.

They do invite us to trust him with all of the things that we do not understand.

Wanting to See the Whole Path

And as I’ve thought about this trust, this building of faith, I’m kind of a person who likes to know the end from the beginning.

I want to know how this path is going to end up before I ever take one step on it.

I want to see the whole path.

Learning How God Works

And that’s not how God usually works with me, unfortunately.

But I want to know all that God knows. I want to see all that God sees. And I’ve thought about that—can I do that? Can I know all that God knows?

Why We Don’t Know Everything

In thinking about that, and thinking about the reason why we’re here in mortality, I asked myself: what would it have been like if we already knew everything that God knows?

We could still have our agency to choose, but would we want to choose anything other than eternal life with our Father if we knew that that was the reward at the end of the path?

And it just kind of made it clear to me that agency, as we know it, would be different.

The Role of Opposition

It would eliminate all or most of the opposition that we face, because we’d already know everything.

It would already be clear.

In 2 Nephi, in Lehi’s beautiful discourse about the plan of salvation, we learn that without opposition, there could be no righteousness nor wickedness, holiness nor misery, good nor bad.

Why Opposition Is Essential

And without those opposites, “there would have been no purpose in the end of [our] creation,” which would effectively “destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes.”

So without opposition, there would be no purpose to our creation.

And that would destroy the whole plan of God and his purpose.

God’s Purpose and Our Growth

His work and his glory is to save each one of us—to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man.

That is his whole goal, and everything that he does supports that singular goal.

And if that’s the case, then we can’t know all that he knows, because in order for him to save us, we have to experience opposition.

Why Faith Comes First

And that is where faith comes in.

And that’s perhaps why faith is the first principle of the gospel—because everything else hinges upon our ability to have faith.

But that doesn’t make it easy.

When Answers Don’t Come

That doesn’t mean that we’re going to be here in mortality, especially now, when there are huge questions that don’t seem to have good, clear answers.

And we pray for those answers.

And sometimes those answers don’t come, because maybe that’s just not something that God has revealed quite yet.

Choosing to Trust God

And so it invites us to trust him—to trust in his omniscience, and to trust that he’s got it all under control.

Because if his plan is to save me, then can I trust him with all the parts of that plan that I don’t now understand?

Because I have to learn to walk by faith.

A Personal Decision to Trust

For me, that answer has been yes. I can trust him. And I don’t know all the things and I don’t have all the answers.

And I imagine that I probably won’t in this life have all the answers or know all the things.

When We Face Our Own Questions

But I know that he does.

And that is enough for me.

But each one of us is going to come to some point in our lives where we have to wrestle with some of these big questions.

Different Struggles, Same Savior

Maybe it’s that we’re having a hard time aligning our personal experiences with the doctrine of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Or maybe we’re having a hard time navigating a really challenging relationship with one of our kids, and we don’t know how that’s all going to work out.

For all of us, it’s going to be different.

The Only Way Forward

We’re all going to be asked to wrestle with different things. But the only way that we will be saved is through Jesus Christ.

He is the way, the truth, and the life.

Do You Trust God?

And so, I invite you to consider, as you’re wrestling with whatever it is that you’re wrestling: do you trust God?

Do you trust him enough to anchor yourself to him no matter how hard the wind blows, no matter how many people you know and love decide to walk away from the Church?

Will you anchor yourself to him?

Choosing to Believe

Will you choose to believe that he’s got it all under control?

That he’s going to cross every “t” and dot every “i” and make every person who turns to him whole?

That’s his goal.

Belief Is a Choice

Will you do that? Will you choose to believe?

Because belief is a choice.

This isn’t something that just happens or it doesn’t.

Teaching Our Children to Believe

We can choose to believe even if we don’t have all the answers.

Will you choose to believe that if you do not doubt, God will deliver you?

Will you choose to teach that to your kids with all the energy of your heart—that if they do not doubt, God will deliver them?

“We Do Not Doubt Our Mothers Knew It”

And if we do that, if we have that unwavering certainty, as Elder Holland said, then our kids will always be able to say:

  • no matter what happens,
  • no matter where they end up on the path,
  • no matter what choices they make, they will always be able to say:

We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

And I leave that with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 1: Preface/Introduction

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In the wake of the CES Letter, several other similar “letters” began making the rounds online. None of them have the reach and influence of the CES Letter, but the distant second-most popular letter appears to be the Letter For My Wife by Thomas Faulk. Because of its second-place status, there are virtually no rebuttals to it. The only one I’ve been able to find is the one at FAIR.

This particular letter is favored by two groups. The first is the group who were themselves turned off by the hostility of the CES Letter. They wanted something similar but much more neutral in tone to help explain their faith struggles with their loved ones. That’s a position I can fully respect. The second group, however, is the group who discovers that many believers are put off by the CES Letter’s tone. They prefer something more neutral in order to rope their loved ones into reading it so they start questioning their own testimonies. I don’t have any respect for this position. It’s manipulative, and that’s gross to do to someone you claim to love. [Read more…] about Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 1: Preface/Introduction

The Enlightenment of Neo-Mormons

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In Greek, the word neos means “new.” In English, the prefix “neo” generally refers to something that is new, revived, or newly refreshed. We have compounds such as neo-classic, neo-Darwinism, neo-Nazis, neo-Hellenism, neo-Platonism, neo-orthodox Mormons, and more.

While Neo-Mormons might refer to Mormons who take a new or modified approach to Mormon matters, for the purpose of this post Neo-Mormons refer to those who compare their exit from Mormonism to the character in the fictional movie, The Matrix.

For those who haven’t seen the movie, Keanu Reeves plays the character of Thomas Anderson, a computer programmer and infamous hacker known as “Neo” (the name by which he is known throughout the movie). Morpheus, another infamous hacker (who is almost as much myth as legend), contacts Neo to warn him that his life in danger.

After meeting face to face, Morpheus explains that the world in which Neo lives is not “real” but offers Neo the opportunity to transition to the real world. Neo can either swallow a red pill which will extract him from the “Matrix” (the computer-generated world in which he lives) or he can choose to swallow the blue pill which will cause Neo to wake up in his bed at home, forgetting the entire conversation and everything about the Matrix. If he takes the red pill, he could never go back to the way things were. If he takes the blue pill, he could be happily ignorant to reality. Neo takes the red pill, wakes up in the “real” world and discovers that the Matrix was a world of little more than digital smoke and mirrors.

Neo’s red pill vs. blue pill dilemma has frequently been commandeered by former Mormons in their attempt to explain their new perspective of reality once they left Mormonism. According to several ex-Mormons, they, like Neo, were confronted at some point with information that caused (or even forced) them to choose between the red pill and blue pill. In every case in which I’ve seen the analogy used, the former (or teetering) member took the red pill. They became “enlightened,” and discovered the “truth,” or “reality” of Mormonism.

This new enlightenment allowed them, like Neo, to see (sometimes for the first time) truth with eyes wide open. That truth, they claim, destroyed the untruths found in Mormonism and exposed it as a man-made institution sitting on a continuum somewhere between an evil enterprise and a well-meaning assembly of honorable but gullible dupes.

While I understand that there is no such thing as a perfect analogy, I think the Neo Mormon/Matrix analogy falls flat. First, the red pill vs blue pill analogy implies that ex-Mormons are not only open to the truth but can see the truth, while believing Mormons stick their heads in the sand (taking the blue pill) and don’t want to see the new information that comes with taking the red pill.

The fact is, however, that myriad of LDS scholars, lay members, and believing students of Mormonism, are equally as informed about the supposedly troubling Mormon information. Despite seeing this same information they still accept the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith and the continuation of modern prophets today. There’s no hiding of heads in the sand, no rejecting the red pill because they don’t want to see allegedly challenging issues. The eyes of informed Latter-day Saints are at least as wide open to all the same information as any critic.

Secondly, the new information doesn’t automatically destroy basic Mormon beliefs. Taking the red pill does not automatically prove that Mormonism is false. While some people may find the critics’ interpretations of the data to be convincing, such interpretations are not the automatic definitive conclusions to understanding the data. To insist that there is only one way to interpret the data is naïve and sophomoric. There are no slam dunks proving nor debunking Mormonism. There is only evidence, and evidence must be weighed.

Thirdly, everyone assumes they are “right.” We have reasons for our beliefs. Those reasons may not be transferrable; they may not, for example, convince others, even when they make sense to us. The fact is—and a growing number of studies bear this out—intellect alone does not impel humans to believe or disbelieve. In other words, despite the ridicule by some critics who claim that believers rely on “feelings” while they (the critics) rely on reason, the simple fact is that all people’s beliefs are influenced, at least to some degree, by “feelings.” No human is a purely rational creature.

Differences in religious opinions and beliefs are not anything like what we might imagine with a fictional Neo-Mormon who takes the red pill and a believing Mormon who takes the blue pill. Instead, the differences are much more akin to what we find among people who embrace divergent political views. If you are a staunch Democrat it doesn’t mean that you’ve taken the red pill—that your eyes are wide open—and that Republicans have swallowed the blue pill. If you are a staunch Republican, you are not seeing reality while your Democrat friends hide their heads in the sand. Some members of each party may like to think that’s the case, but it isn’t.

Lastly, we run into the problem of changing minds. Just as some Democrats become Republicans and some Republicans become Democrats, some members go through periods of disbelief, doubt, and possibly even separation from Mormonism. I have a couple of friends who have been married to the same spouse several times. They get divorced, then remarried, more than once—each time to the same person. Some members or former members seem to have a similar relationship with the Church. They are members (perhaps from birth), then leave the church over “troubling” issues, then return because of spiritual or intellectual resolution, then leave again over spiritual or intellectual quandaries, and so forth.

In which phase of their change can they claim to be the surest of their beliefs? Obviously, it would be the most current phase. They can look back and tell themselves that in their earlier phase they were duped, but this time they got it right. The problem is, however, that we all tell ourselves this same story (it’s a form of confirmation bias). Studies show that our memories of the past are influenced by our present selves—in other words, we can’t accurately remember how we felt about our past situation because we can’t escape our current situation.

As I’ve matured in life, wisdom, and Gospel understanding, I’ve had to modify paradigms many times—rejecting those things that I’ve found to be weak, and embracing those things which I’ve found to be strong. It would be foolish of me to think that I’ve reach a zenith—that I’ve reached a point where I’m right about everything I reject, and never wrong about everything I accept. I’m among those who has seen all the details supposedly hidden in the Matrix. I’ve seen the same data which allegedly is revealed to those Neo-Mormons who swallow the red pill. And yet, I believe.

For me, the same data that causes some members to falter simply illuminates the world I already knew. I absolutely had to modify my worldview by absorbing new facts, rejecting common myths, and by recontextualizing some of the things which didn’t seem to fit my previous world-view (which, by the way, is the same modification process we find in the evolution and revolution of scientific paradigms). From my current perspective, however, I find that most of the data fits comfortably within a framework that I embraced.

While I like to think that my eyes are opened wider with every new bit of data, I’ve found that new discoveries haven’t forced (or enticed) me into rejecting Mormonism as a mirage, a fabrication, or a Matrix of human creation. And just because someone else comes to a different conclusion than my own (based on the same data) doesn’t mean that they are more correct, that they’ve swallowed the red pill while I swallowed the blue pill, hid my head in the sand, and simply ignored conflicting information.

From a Matrix analogy, I don’t think that there are any real Neo-Mormons. There are no red pills and blue pills which ultimately expose or conceal the truth. As both science and religion tells us, we are all related and part of something greater than our individual selves. All humans are very similar—including the fact that we are faced with similar cognitive, physical, psychological, and emotional challenges and strengths— and we are also all unique in interesting and complex ways.

This, to me, is what makes God’s plan—as expressed in the LDS faith—so appealing. It’s impossible for you to fully know me, or me to fully know you. We can’t escape our own heads, or our physiological influences or impediments. We can never fully know when we are the ones who are doing the “acting” or when we are being “acted upon” (2 Ne. 2:14).

We are told not to judge others (outside of specific instances involving ecclesiastical or legislative authority) because we are not only weak ourselves and influenced by too many factors to be good judges, but because we cannot know all the factors involved in someone else’s choices. Only God knows. He knows why we do the things we do, say the things we say, and make the choices we make.

While some of those who have left Mormonism (or who consider leaving Mormonism) believe that they can see reality, the truth is that their eyesight is no better than that of believers. Their logic and reasoning is no better than that of believers. And they certainly are no more open to the “truth” because they decided to reject Mormonism, than those who accept Mormonism. Swallowing the red pill simply means that you consciously chose to reject Mormonism because of how you interpret the data. Swallowing the blue pill means that you consciously chose to accept Mormonism because of how you interpret the data.

If there is an analogy to be made with the movie The Matrix it is this: If we believe that a rejection of Mormonism automatically comes with seeing the ambiguities in Mormon history or the scriptures—that the data automatically compels the intellectually honest to reject the LDS faith and that the data cannot be honestly accepted as consistent with LDS faith claims—then we are believing in an illusion and we are still trapped in the Matrix.

—

Michael R. Ash is the author of: Of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting The Prophet Joseph Smith. He is the owner and operator of MormonFortress.com and is on the management team for FairMormon. He has been published in Sunstone, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, the Maxwell Institute’s FARMS Review, and is the author of Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt. He and his wife live in Ogden, Utah, and have three daughters.

The Purpose and Mission of FairMormon

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LynchDo FairMormon volunteers lack empathy? Where does the organization get its money, and who is really pulling the strings behind FairMormon? Julianne Dehlin Hatton proposes these and other questions to Chairman of the Board John Lynch on the Mormon FAIR-Cast.

Lynch is a Silicon Valley executive and convert to the church, who has served as Elders Quorum President, Ward Mission Leader, Stake Mission President and Young Men’s President. He is currently a counselor to the Bishop of his congregation. Hatton is a media personality and event manager from Kentucky. She has been a News Director at an NPR affiliate, Broadcast Journalist, and Airborne Traffic Reporter.

Music for this edition of the Mormon FAIR-Cast is provided by Arthur Hatton.

Articles of Faith Podcast: In The Gospel, Faith Must Come First – Interview with Taylor Halverson

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taylor-halverson-60Bio: Dr. Taylor Halverson received a B.A. from Brigham Young University in Ancient Near Eastern Studies in 1997, an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Yale University in 2001 and an M.S. in Instructional Technology from Indiana University in 2004. He completed Ph.D.s in Instructional Technology and Judaism & Christianity in Antiquity—both from Indiana University in 2006.

Dr. Halverson currently works at BYU full-time at the Center for Teaching and Learning. He is also the founder and co-chair of the Creativity, Innovation, and Design group, acting associate director of the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, and has taught a variety of courses at BYU including: “Old Testament,” “Book of Mormon,” “History of Creativity,” “Innovation Lab: The Design Thinking Experience,” and “Illuminating the Scriptures: Designing Innovative Scripture Study Tools.” Dr. Halverson is a contributor to the popular LDS Bible Videos project and the LDS Scripture Citation Index site and a columnist for the Deseret News. He and his wife Lisa lead travel tours to Israel, the Mediterranean, and Mesoamerica.

Questions addressed in the interview:

In preparation for this interview I went to TaylorHalverson.com, and in reading over the many things you are involved in, various chair positions at BYU, a tour guide for LDS themed travel, writer of multiple text books, articles for various publications and media outlets, this may seem like a judgmental question, and it is not meant to be, but where do you find to study the scriptures, and give time to your own personal faith development?

You are multi-lingual, Spanish, Biblical Hebrew, Greek, and a slew of others considered secondary languages. How has learning and knowing multiple languages changed your approach to learning the scriptures?

The article you wrote for the Deseret News, addresses a challenge or at least a shift in approach that we have seen with the world at large, and that is an evidence first approach. Disbelieve until proven logically true. At first, it seems like this is a prudent approach, but you call it difficult if not outright outlandish. Could you expound on that conclusion?

This relates to an exchange you had while attending Yale as follows:

Yale student: Where is the original Book of Mormon today? Where are the gold plates?

Taylor: They are gone.

Yale student: What do you mean that the original plates are gone?

Taylor: When Joseph Smith completed the translation of the gold plates into the Book of Mormon, he returned the plates to the angel Moroni. So we no longer have access to them. All that remains is Joseph Smith’s translation of the plates.

Yale student: I mean no disrespect, but this sounds both incredible and convenient for the story of the Book of Mormon. (Remember that the word “incredible” means unbelievable.) We have no way of source checking Joseph Smith’s story because the plates he claims to have worked with are no longer available. How can anyone even believe Joseph Smith or the Book of Mormon?

Taylor: Great questions. I have several questions for you.

Yale student: Sure.

Taylor: Are you a Christian?

Yale student: Yes.

Taylor: Do you believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ?

Yale student: Of course. That is the fundamental foundation of Christianity! Without the belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ there is nothing for Christianity.

Taylor: OK, then show me Jesus’ body.

Yale student: (Pausing to think with dawning comprehension) Oh, I see.

Taylor: What is more implausible: That someone claims to have translated a book and now the original book is missing, or that a physically dead body is now alive again? Just as Christians throughout the centuries have exercised faith in the claim that Jesus Christ died and rose again, so too members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints exercise faith in that original claim as well as in the claim that God has brought forth additional scriptural witnesses, such as the Book of Mormon, for the life and mission of Jesus Christ

Sometimes people find themselves in a faith crisis, not simply a position of unknowing something, but that they feel they know something that has caused some cognitive dissonance. How does faith apply to someone in this intellectually conflicted position?

The article title asserts that faith must come first, that it is a matter of approaching spiritual matters with faith first. What tends to be the end result if faith comes second, or third or somewhere down the line?

This idea that we wait to act till we have knowledge is the opposite of what you inject at the end of your article, “As we act in faith, our knowledge increases and our views enlarge.” What sorts of things can we ONLY learn through faith as opposed to traditional empirical learning models?

Taylor Halverson is the author of the article In the Gospel, Faith Must Come First published by the Deseret News.

RiseUp Podcast: Helping People in Faith Crisis

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Faith Crisis is a term describing a period of time or event where someone has serious doubts about their belief’s. You may have even experienced a faith crisis yourself. But how are we to approach those who are experiencing or have experienced this “faith crisis?” We have a few ideas….

There is a website called Millennial Mormon’s. It is a blog site that posts some decent articles but does so from a perspective and understanding shared by the rising generation, those of you who are in seminary or institute programs. The tag line of the site is “your grandpa’s gospel, now with #hashtags.

On that site was posted an article by Tanner Gilliland on November 4th, 2014. The article is entitled, “4 “DO NOTs” for Treating People in a Faith Crisis.” I actually found the article to be a pretty good opening reference that addresses some of the things that we may find ourselves doing or thinking with respect to people that experience a faith crisis. While I don’t agree with all the assertions they are minor and I trust that you will be smart enough and in tune enough to take in the correct spirit of the article, and not haggle over a couple of words.

4 “DO NOTs” for Treating People in a Faith Crisis

BY TANNER GILLILAND · NOVEMBER 4, 2014

With more and more information becoming available on the internet, more and more people are asking important questions about the church and its history. Sometimes these questions lead to serious doubts. Many of these doubts and concerns are not easily solved and require much prayerful effort, patience, and study.

Some people feel that they can’t find adequate answers to their questions so they leave the church. This usually is not an easy decision for them. Some lose friends or family, and others even lose their employment.

It is imperative that faithful members of the church, particularly millennials, learn how to appropriately interact with those who wrestle with doubt. To that end, I have created this list of things NOT to do when someone you know raises serious questions about religion:

1) Do NOT assume they are sinning

While sin is certainly darkens our minds, it is not always the cause of doubt. We must eliminate the stigma that those who doubt have some lurking evil, and that those who leave the church were just looking for a way out. This unrighteous judgment can be both harmful to us (it is a sin) and detrimental to the person we are judging.

2) Do NOT pretend that you know all the facts

Our religion is very complex. There are aspects of our doctrine and history that are very difficult to understand and we don’t claim to know all the answers. People who are deeply concerned with these issues have often given them many hours of study and consideration, so the “seminary answers” often don’t quite cut it. Rather than throwing out platitudes, try to understand their perspective. Share what you know and understand, and acknowledge that you don’t know everything. Always be honest.

3) Do NOT belittle their concerns

As one who ventures “down the rabbit hole” so to speak, I can testify of the frustration that comes when someone tells you not to worry so much. If we believe that our religious convictions will affect the our eternal destiny then of course we should worry about getting it right! What seems like a minuscule molehill to you may be a monstrous mountain for another. We can’t solve problems by ignoring them. Remember that our religion started with a boy who had some serious religious questions. Instead of disregarding the question, listen to the concerns and help find the answers.

4) Do NOT ostracize them

Though this is the last item, it is probably the most important. Nobody should feel like they aren’t able to express their concerns for fear of losing friends or family. Our love cannot be conditional upon someone’s level of belief. Christlike love is unconditional.To individuals with spouses whose beliefs are different, remember the counsel of Paul: “And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband.” (1 Cor 7:13-14)People need your love, not your diagnosis. Expressing doubt or even leaving the church does not equate to being a bad person. In the end, even the acts of good by atheists will be accounted to them as righteousness. God’s love does not have a membership number or require a temple recommend. Neither should ours.From the Joseph Smith Papers project to the video about temple clothing, the church is taking progressive steps toward transparency and more open dialogue about controversial issues. I believe that our generation will be instrumental in continuing that trend. Let us always be quick to lend a listening ear, a supportive shoulder, and most importantly, an open heart.”

– End Article –

Wether you know someone right now experiencing some challenges to their faith or not, you will likely encounter someone in the not so distant future. So it is best to have this information and resource at the ready should this come up.

Should you be experiencing a faith crisis right now yourself, and someone is not following these 4 basic principles, try to do your best to also extend the same level of understanding you want others to have with you. Take these 4 things and reverse them…with a slight adjustment.

1) Don’t assume that people are judging you harshly.

2) Don’t assume that people know nothing about faith challenges – many go through them, and many come through them with even stronger faith than when they entered the faith crisis.

3) Do not belittle people who are trying to show concern but may not be the best at being crisis counselors.

4) Do not ostracize yourself. I once heard the analogy that the worst time to leave the storm shelter is when the hurricane is passing over you. In other words, if you are having a faith crisis and you are scared or upset and don’t know where to turn for help or answers, it is best to not leave the church, the source of strength that you need to help you through this time, especially when you are in the middle of the trial.

We don’t always know how to respond to people when they encounter difficulties in life, wether they be faith related or not. So, remember to be patient with others, as you would want them to be patient with you.

In conclusion I want to share with you a thought that was kind of sneaky from the October 2014 General Conference. Elder Anderson gave a talk and in the foot note of that talk was a quote from President Eyring that says this about how to approach those in faith crisis:

“In your love for them you may decide to try to give them what they ask. You may be tempted to go with them through their doubts, with the hope that you can find proof or reasoning to dispel their doubts. Persons with doubts often want to talk about what they think are the facts or the arguments that have caused their doubts, and about how much it hurts… You and I can do better if we do not stay long with what our students see as the source of their doubts… Their problem does not lie in what they think they see; it lies in what they cannot yet see… We do best if we turn the conversation soon to the things of the heart, those changes of heart that open spiritual eyes.”

(“‘And Thus We See’: Helping a Student in a Moment of Doubt” [address to Church Educational System religious educators, Feb. 5, 1993], 3, 4

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Articles of Faith 16: Margaret Blair Young – The Heart of Africa and The Welcome Table

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Margaret-Blair-Young-150x150Margaret Blair Young was raised in the Church and learned the standard Mormon clichés and customary phrases of a Mormon testimony. As a child, she could imitate the strokes and expressions of Mormonism well, in time she came to understand these were expressions of an immature, inexperienced faith. Time propelled her further into the faith. In time she began to be immersed in more controversial areas of LDS history: race issues and the priesthood restriction, keeping those of African lineage from receiving the priesthood or temple blessings for over a century. She wrote three books and made two documentaries on these subjects with Darius Gray, a black man who joined the Church in 1964, fourteen years before the restriction was lifted.

Margaret Blair Young is the past president of the Association for Mormon Letters and has published eight books—novels and short stories. Three of these were co-authored with Darius Gray and give the history of Black Latter-day Saints. She and Gray also made the documentary Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons. She has written six encyclopedia articles and other scholarly papers on Blacks in the western USA, and particularly on Black Mormons. She used to teach creative writing at BYU but now travels the world in her off time.

Questions addressed during the interview:

You just got back from Africa. Where were you and what were you doing there?

How is the church doing in Africa? What is it like on a day to day basis?

What are some of the difficult questions or situations for which the African Saints are seeking answers or solutions?

There is an article on your blog through patheos, The Welcome Table, the article is entitled Developing Spiritual Taste. In your world travels and in your film directing efforts on church related themes, you have no doubt encountered critics or at least statements that seem to be critical of at least perceptions of church doctrines and culture. You even address the motivation for the article, at least in part, by offering this brief anecdote: When I was in my late twenties, someone said to me, “You’re too smart to be a Mormon.” Clearly, I’m not. But the picture of Mormonism this person had in mind does not represent the kind of Mormonism I live.” What is the kind of Mormonism that you live, the kind that you layout in this article?

You talk about, in your Mormon Scholars Testify Page, a story where your husband once gave you a priesthood blessing during a particularly trying moment. He said these words: “I bless you that your memories will be sanctified as the larger picture unfolds, and you will view all of the difficulties and trials you’re enduring now with gratitude and love.”This is the blessing of perspective. It illuminates not only my personal history, but the hard historical episodes of my religion. What has that blessing meant in your research into as you put it, the more controversial parts of Mormon History?

Margaret Blair Young is the author of several titles as well as director and producer of several documentaries on the history of Black members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Click here for more information on Margaret Blair Young’s upcoming Film Project, The Heart of Africa.

Click here to read from Margaret Blair Young’s entries at Patheos under the heading, The Welcome Table.

Mormon FairCast-Book Review: The Crucible of Doubt: Reflections on the Quest For Faith by Terryl and Fiona Givens

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Terryl and Fiona GivensTerryl Givens holds the James A. Bostwick chair of English and is Professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond and the author of several books. His writing has been praised by the new York Times as “provocative reading” and includes the most recent title, When Souls Had Wings, a history of the idea of pre-mortal life in Western Thought.

 

Fiona Givens is a retired modern language teacher with undergraduate degree’s in French and German and a graduate degree in European History. She is now an independent scholar who has published in several journals and reviews in Mormon studies, including the Journal of Mormon History, Exponent II, and LDS Living.

 

Terryl and Fiona are the grandparents of five, and parents of six. Welcome Terrly and Fiona Givens. They co-authored the book The Crucible of Doubt: Reflections on the Quest For Faith published by Deseret Book.

 

Questions addressed in this interview:

 

With two authors to a title I am always a bit curious as to who wrote what, or how that process took place. So how did that process take place?

 

This book is entitled The Crucible of Doubt and subtitled, Reflections on the Question for Faith. You have written on having doubts or experiencing what has been termed a faith crisis, would you call yourselves doubt scholars?

 

Now another word for crucible is trial, so the title itself implies that you approach having doubts or questions about LDS beliefs is a trial, but what makes these doubts such a trial? Why can’t they simply be viewed as a natural occurrence and something to address in some sense of normalcy rather than a “trial?”

 

While the book is primarily a devotional text, there does seem to have an apologetic subtext to it in that it helps the reader to reframe themselves with respect to the LDS Theology is such a way that questions are more answerable. What that part of the intent in your writing or did it simply speak to me that way?

 

Some introductions to books are superfluous. Your’s does not fit in that category, in fact, I would venture to say that if you skip over the introduction to the book, you will miss a good bit of the remainder of the text. That introduction starts out with a profound analogy using James Mossman’s front door in Scotland. Please help me to not sound so random in my reference. Please explain that story.

 

What are some of the common “wrong questions” that we encounter in current discourse?

 

The book continues to give an appraisal on the value of reason or in another sense the place of scientific information as the foundation upon which reason is based. Your argument sounds a little like a literature professor seeking to give more weight to their subject of scholarship.\

 

Let’s talk for a minute about the role of suffering.

 

It is the position of some today that questioning certain teachings, or even publicly advocating for things that shake up the norm is the act of an apostate, while others praise their actions as bringing people to a higher plane of Christianity through their advocacy. The next chapter of your book The Crucible of Doubt, deals with this idea and is entitled On Provocation and Peace: Of Life’s Fundamental Incompleteness. So is Christianity. What then is the role of questioning, of even experiencing a gospel that shakes us to our very core?

 

The Role and Function of the Church, a chapter that walks a line that few have articulated the way you have. There are those that feel that the church is the answer to all problems, and others that feel that church is the cause of all their problems. In order to talk about this concept we need to first put out your definition of religion, and your definition of church—then if you could go into what is the role of true religion and a true church in our spiritual journey?

 

Much has been talked about with the role of grace and works. A quote from your book comes from the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoffer, “cheap grace is the mortal enemy of the church” and one version of cheap grace is “baptism without discipline of community.” As we are talking about the disciples journey through doubt to greater faith and spirituality, what then do you attribute the role of ordinances and spiritual ritual in the overcoming of doubts?

 

There is a progression in your material as you address various paradigms that some have adopted, The Use and Abuse of Scripture, The Perils of Hero Worship, another interesting chapter is the Mormon’s and Monopolies chapters, and I am going to go ahead and leave those sections as a tease to go get the book, but these chapters lead in some ways to this idea of Spiritual Self-sufficiency, subtitled, Find Your Watering Place. What does Spiritual Self-sufficiency look like?

 

Let’s conclude with the articulation of what just might be at the heart of true faith, and that is the risk it presents. There is this quote, “The question may remain, how does one lock onto the propositional assertions of a restored gospel that is also laden with claims about gold plates and the Book of Abraham and a male priesthood and a polygamous past and a thousand other details we may find difficult? One might consider that the contingencies of history and culture and the human element will always constitute the garment in which God’s word and will are clothed. And one might refuse to allow our desire for the perfect to be the enemy of the present good. Finally we might ask ourselves, with the early disciples, “to whom [else] shall we go?” The Worst risk such a life of faith entails is not that such a life might be wrong—but that it might be incomprehensible to those unprepared to take such a risk.” It then goes to assert that to be faithful or to be a Christian disciple (that is my word not yours) that to live in faith is to live in such a way that one’s life would not make sense if God did not exist.”

 

Terryl and Fiona Givens are the co-authors of The Crucible of Doubt: Reflections on the Quest for Faith. Available now through Deseret Book at Deseret Book.com and other LDS retailers.

 

Letters to a Former Missionary Companion – Letter 2

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MAThe following series of articles is a fictional dialogue between Shane and Doug, two former missionary companions many years after their missions. Shane writes to his friend Doug who has posted comments about his on-going faith crisis on Facebook. The characters are fictionalized composites of members who have faced these same dilemmas but the issues are based on very real problems which have caused some to stumble. Likewise, the responding arguments are based on the author’s own personal engagement with these same concerns as well as his discussion of these issues with other members who have struggled. (By Michael R. Ash, author of Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, and Of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith.)

Dear Doug,

I’m glad to hear that you received my previous letter and have thought about some of the things I mentioned. I can certainly appreciate how overwhelming this can be. You are getting different information from different sources and it’s difficult to know what information (or really which conclusions based on the information) is reliable. The turmoil you are engaging will eventually drive you to seek relief—most likely by choosing one side or the other. Since I’ve been there myself, I hope that I can show you how I found this relief and strengthened my testimony.

In my last letter I explained how I discovered that the Church was not involved in a “cover up” regarding the truth–––and especially the truth of early Mormon history. I mentioned that my studies have shown that many of these things have been discussed in previous official LDS publications as well as publications officially associated with the Church. In response to your query about where you can find such pro-LDS discussions, let me offer a few sources. A 1993 Ensign article by Russell M. Nelson (“A Treasured Testament”) mentions Joseph Smith’s use of a stone in a hat to translate the Book of Mormon. The Kinderhook Plates were addressed in an Ensign article in 1981. Joseph’s revelation about plural marriage was discussed in the Sunday School manuals in 1979 (and that manual was used for many years) and again in 1986 (which, again, was utilized for many years). The changes and revisions made to the Book of Commandments and early editions of the Doctrine and Covenants have been addressed in Ensign articles published in 1984, 1985, 2009, and 2013. The various accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision were examined in the Ensign in 1985 and again in 1996. Joseph’s treasure digging days were discussed in 1984 in a series of articles in BYU’s own BYU Studies. Many of the tougher issues have also been discussed in the earlier FARMS Review (mentioned in my previous letter)—a group that is officially under BYU’s umbrella (currently known as the Maxwell Institute).

You ask, “Why aren’t these things discussed in Church? Why should someone have to be a scholar and read the FARMS Review to find discussions on these topics? Why can’t we discuss them in Sunday School?” Those are good questions, Doug, and questions I’ve contemplatedmyself. Think about it though. We’ve both taught Gospel Doctrine classes, and if your priesthood quorums are anything like mine, do you really think these topics are the best way to spend two thirds of our three-hour block? When I go to Church I want to be spiritually renewed. I want to hear things that will lift my soul, to help me contemplate areas in my life I need to change, to feel fed as I contemplate Christ’s sacrifice, atonement, and the goodness of God. I want help in overcoming my weaknesses. I want spiritual enlightenment of how I can be a better father and husband, and to feel the peace that comes when I know I’ve recommitted myself to the Savior.

As a universal Church, the correlation of materials and teachings is aimed at harmonizing lessons and instructions and to accommodate the tender new member with basic Gospel principals—those teachings that affect our relationships with God and fellow brothers and sisters. Thousands of virtually untrained volunteers, with varying degrees of gospel and historical knowledge and education (or lack thereof) attempt to bring the Spirit into the classroom so that class members can be spiritually edified. While some Gospel Doctrine teachers may be knowledgeable enough to share detailed historical information (Dad could have), the manuals generally give basic historical outlines that specifically relate to lessons focusing on one or more gospel principles and how to apply those principals in the lives of members. In short, Church is a place for worship, spiritual edification, and enlightenment, not for in-depth historical discussion.

That’s why I used to think that my Dad was really just pursuing fluff in his spare time. The historical, scientific, and scholarly things don’t really matter in the end. In the end, it’s about relationships. Relationships with your parents, children, and spouse; relationships with those who are in need, as well as your enemies.Most importantly, your relationship with Heavenly Father and His Son. None of the secular stuff will secure those relationships.

Having said this however, I know only too well from firsthand experience that my relationship with Heavenly Father took a hit when I began struggling with critical arguments. How ironic, right? The secular stuff cannot create those relationships, but they can hinder those relationships. Conversely, I’ve found that some secular information can strengthen those relationships by giving them an environment wherein the testimony can grow. In Matthew13 we find the parable of the sower. In that parable the seed (the Word) grew or died depending on the soil (which allowed the seed to take root or not) as well as well as if it was nurtured or killed off by thorns. So likewise with a testimony: the Word of God may or may not take root and may or not may not flourish depending on if it is nurtured or chocked off by thorns. Our relationship with the divine needs to be nurtured spiritually, and for some people intellectually. A lack of spiritual and/or intellectual nourishment can stunt or kill growth. The thorns, thistles, and weeds–––the challenges to our testimony–––can kill our spiritual growth. When these weeds appear there is a need to do some gardening and weed pulling. While some intellectual arguments can cause a testimony to wither and die, other intellectual arguments can pull those weeds and allow growth to take place.

Many years ago the Church didn’t need to discuss the difficult issues. The events happened and the Church moved on. In the context of the day, histories were written as evangelizations of movements–––political or religious. Strict accuracy was less important than retelling events in heroic fashion. This wasn’t limited to Mormons but was the typical style of most historical biographies. Subsequent histories drew upon earlier histories. The more critical details of the events weren’t so much buried under the rug as they were all but forgotten (mentioned only in scholarly literature).

For the average member, there was no need for Sunday lessons to address the fuller historical accounts–––which required greater historical understanding for context and background. This would have been a waste of  valuable (and limited) time which was better utilized for perfecting the Saints. The Internet, however, has brought these issues to the forefront among new generations that aren’t always familiar with the past events or issues, and I can guarantee the Church is noticing the problem and is finding ways to address them. Policies and procedures change according to changing needs. Not every generation needs an Ark. In past times bishops didn’t need much in the way of policies on pornography–—sure there were always a few guys that read girlie magazines, but because of the pervasiveness of Internet porn new policies and procedures have been established. The Church is currently addressing many of the historical issues on the LDS.org website and we will likely see more open discussion in future Sunday School classes—not because it was purposely covered up in the past, but simply because in previous years there was no immediate need to address the issues. Now there is.

The more we (as in the World) learn, the more answers we’ll have on some things and the more questions will be raised for other things. The great thing about a living Church is we have not only the ability to receive new revelation as new questions arise, but also to receive inspiration for changing circumstances. Lastly, we Latter-day Saints don’t believe that all truth is contained within the walls of the Chapel. We acknowledge and welcome the discoveries of science and secular scholarship. While such secular findings may present temporary speed bumps or unseat erroneous traditions among the faithful (both within the Church as well as among the members of other denominations), we can welcome truth from all sources knowing with confidence that all truth ultimately comes from God.

Your friend,

Shane