So, This is the last time I will hear from the Bishop and his wife since we have just sent them a "if you contact us again" letter.

Anyway- for your enjoyment here is their testimonies I would love your thoughts.

Bishop-


There are three forces that seem to affect my life:
There are those that build my faith, those that tear down my faith, and those who don't care about faith at all.

The greatest and, likely, most important question I can think of would be "If you have faith what do you have faith in and why?"

I have faith in Jesus Christ. Why? I have read the testimonies and prophecies of him and his coming, his travels and trials upon our earth. He lived a life as we live now. I have read of his literal conception from God the Father and I believe these writings to be true. The stories of miracles have always bothered me since my mind is so logical. It cannot understand how he did it. I've had my doubts many times on the same concepts, but through research, study, and prayer I came to the realization that even though I feel as Thomas at times I must put my logic aside and believe in Him so that he can return us to the Father.

Faith is a barrier that prevents so many of us from accepting our Savior's atonement that he willingly offered for us. He spent his whole life selfless to provide you and I the opportunity to give away our sins and come into his presence. I've passed through this barrier and stumbled many times since, but I have accepted my role as a follower of Christ, my redeemer.

There are many books, journals, letters, epistles, and scripture available to everyone on this earth, but they're just words. We can learn everything there is to know about anything we want, now more than ever before, but if we do not act then it will have all been for nothing. We must act on the teachings we learn; try them, test them, see if they work, then find out for ourselves how and why it works. Just because someone has written something does not mean it is true. Each of us must learn for ourselves what is good and what is bad. When we find the difference we must then seek to filter the good from the true.

If we believe that Jesus was our Christ then the path to heaven will be made known to those that seek it. It is not easy being a follower of Christ; it never has been. Many apostles and disciples have been described as having horrible deaths due to persecution. They have documented for our benefit, but it aids us naught if we do not learn of it, understand it, and then see how it applies to us. Many followers of Christ have been killed since His burial and rise from the earth; most notable would be the Holocaust where followers of that which is good and that which is true died no matter what religion they had come from. Simply upholding truth seems to stir the hearts of others either to compassion or to anger. I do not mind, either way, receiving the resulting attention as long as I do what I know to be right.

I’ve wondered why I can’t just believe that He will come again and restore our world to perfection. He made it, right? He could, but forcing everyone into heaven was Satan’s plan. He wants us to remember Him and to take His name upon us as we give Him our sins. He has already paid their price. We need not pay for them again. He knows us. He knows our most intimate secrets and our most shameful sins. He has seen us all and through His love has become our mediator with the Father shedding drops of blood in payment for our sins. I’ve since learned that if I were to willingly shed one single drop from my pore I would be dead before I finished. I’ve wondered how he could accomplish this for billions and billions of people. The answer came as a small, warm fuzzy. He is the son of God. No man could have done this.

Maybe it was just a story. Maybe it was just words on paper. We may never know, but what I did learn is that without acting on what we learn it will not matter what we have faith in.

After searching scriptures, gospels, scrolls, anti-Christian/anti-Mormon/anti-Catholic and Mythology I came to the conclusion that all religions have their taints, all people have their taints, all people sin, all sinners need to repent. We are all sinners and we must all repent if we hope to return to the Father. There are only three possible solutions to religion: Atheist, Catholic, and Mormon.

It really is up to each of us to learn for ourselves what we know to be correct and live up to those expectations. Teachings from our parents will only get us started. We must know why we do what we do. Once we know our search for happiness can begin.

I guess I could have simply said that if all worship across all religions were the same, but were instead stripped away, the Latter-day Saints would be the most Christ-like religion that I know of. My testimony though is not based on this; it is based on research, study, prayer, and fasting for truth. Logic tells me that everything except the worship is the best in the world, but my heart tells me that Christ has established this church, once again from scratch, because we need it to be here for His atonement to be effective for His brothers and His sisters. He has shown us how to worship and that is why I stay. This is how I feel and this is why I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Bishop's Wife-

I know the church is true.

I know that my Heavenly Father loves me, that His Son bled and died for my sins, and though I can't understand how or the incomprehensible amount of love it took, I know He did it for me (and you!). I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, sent here to restore God's full gospel to the Earth... I've felt such strong testimony from the Spirit, that I cannot ever doubt it! I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God! I have felt it's power in my life, I've had prayers answered in ways I would never have expected, but that I know are right, and that have helped me in so many countless ways. I've had more blessings than I feel I deserve while I've been striving to live the way the LDS church (or, really, my Heavenly Father) has taught me to. Every time I pray, read my scriptures, listen to the prophet/apostles and other church general authorities, I feel the spirit teaching me more and more, sometimes simply confirming what I already know to be true. I know Pres. Thomas S. Monson is a real prophet, called of God to help us and guide us back to our Heavenly Father...

I cannot doubt the things I know to be true, and I cannot choose to live another way, knowing what I know! I love being a member of the LDS church. I'm happy... even when I have a rough day or something goes wrong, it doesn't bother me for long, because I know that I have my Heavenly Father and my Savior looking out for me! I am a daughter of God, and I don't think I would have ever learned everything that that means in any other way!

One more thing- I cried when your calling was given to Sister Martin :(

At least the bishop had some actual thoughts.

His wife didn't say anything that you wouldn't hear in primary - well the crying part when someone else got the calling was more like something from young women's.

Joanne, do you live in the Moridor? Please don't answer if you feel uncomfortable. I ask because your situation sounds similar to someone who lives close to me.

I agree with bc that at least the bishop had something constructive to say.

I didn't say he had something constructive to say - just that he had something to say :)

You said 'actual thoughts' to me that's something constructive. Constructive doesn't mean right, just that it has more than the usual feelings drivel. At least thats my take on it :)

Fair enough. He at least was willing to put some thought into it. A number of things were absolutely ridiculous but some of them were pretty reasonable.

Here are some of my thoughts on the bishop's letter.

This one is a personal thing, but I'm sick and tired of people acting like religious faith is a great thing when it really means believing in stupid stuff. If they want to believe it fine - I don't need to tear it down - but quit espousing it as a virtue in a self-righteous way lording it over me.

The whole it must be Mormon, Catholic or Atheist is an absolutely ridiculous, narrow-minded world view.

I think there is a great pearl of wisdom in his letter:
"What I did learn is that without acting on what we learn, it will not matter what we have faith in.

Congratulations on acting on what you have learned.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2012 06:38PM by bc.

This is how I would respond --

"I think that it's lovely that you draw strength and comfort from your faith. I wish you well."

And we draw strenght from ours. Let's respect each others' beliefs.

From the context of this post and others I'm pretty sure she has no intention of responding. This was an unsolicited letter that came after the unsolicited visit with 6 people that came after the unsolicited visit where they stayed for 3 hours...

Ahh. An extra dose of harassment. Then it's probably best not to respond.

Apparently the get off our property before we call the cops didn't quite get the message across...

Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait.

"Many followers of Christ have been killed since His burial and rise from the earth; most notable would be the Holocaust where followers of that which is good and that which is true died no matter what religion they had come from."

WHAT.

IN THE ACTUAL.

FUCK.

?

He does understand that Jews don't believe in Jesus, right?

Right?

Good on you for telling them to stop contacting you. After what you already went through with these jerks, their "testiphonies" sound like stalking to me. What idiots.

Boy, that bishop's wife loves exclamation points. Perhaps if she had used a few more, you would have been persuaded not to leave The Church. Now we'll never know.

We could experiment:

I know He did it for me (and you!).

=>

I know He did it for me (and you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).


Does that give anyone warm fuzziness?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2012 06:10PM by bc.

Yes, yes it does.

"I’ve since learned that if I were to willingly shed one single drop from my pore I would be dead before I finished." ???

What a load of crap! A single drop of blood "willingly shed" will kill you? Sounds like one of those guilt-inducing stories to make you feel bad for how much Jesus suffered.

I don't know whether it's possible to shed blood through one's pores, but I've had some fierce rug burn that just oozed blood and hurt like hell. I imagine that having that sensation all over my entire body would be *nearly* unbearable, but I don't think it would kill.

You said ytou are attending a Catholic church if I remeber right. Do they think Catholics don't believe in Jesus? Geesh.

"There are only three possible solutions to religion: Atheist, Catholic, and Mormon."


Spoken like well trained Mormon who has no real understanding of the world outside of the US or his faith.

Those are the only possibilities? Funny, I can come up with a bunch more. I'm sure though he means that those are the only possibly valid options. Again, I think he's being pretty myopic.

The guy doesn't KNOW that. He's just parroting something that was once said in a GC talk. It's certainly not an original thought.

He's all over the place. Most of the stuff he's saying makes no sense. He knows nothing, including what he really believes. He's just hoping he's on the right track. After all they made him a bishop, and he has a wife who hasn't had a thought of her own since she was about 5 if even then.

She didn't say one single thing that was her own. I've heard GC talks that tell members to use the statements she uses. She's doing what she's told. She has no idea what the word true means. She's never given it a minutes thought.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2012 07:09PM by Mia.

That's all I hear when I read testimonies now. And then I skim, skim, skim.

Why do these people think you actually want to hear them go on and on?

As if you haven't heard it all before.

If there is one thing I've learned, it's not to respond point by point. That just prolongs the discussion and invites meddling. Something like "I'm glad it's working for you. I hope you'll understand that we've chosen another path. Have a nice life."

It has always amazed me that Mormons can go on and on about absolutely nothing. This letter is typical of what you would find in the church. I was once called to teach the New Testament to 10 and 11 year old boys, and I had them seriously reading the Bible even during primary. What frustrated me more than anything is that I was blasted for it. Geez, we wouldn't want our youth reading the bible would me!

Quick! Somebody brush the Mormon cooties off of me!!

;o)

The grand poo-ba of the universe will not let you back in the door without a blood sacrifice?

Even 2,500 years ago that was a pathetic policy, but for the last 500 or so years, it is completely bonkers.

It is the granddaddy of Stupid Policies. Elohim needs therapy.

Change all references of “the Church” “god” “Heavenly father” and “Jesus” to Squiggly Wiggly. Then send it back.

Maybe not if you’re Catholic.

No offense intended. One of the three possibilities is Atheist so it’s all good.

They are talking for their own benefit, not yours, and they're concerned with their own feelings. You're well rid of these "friends." I know it hurts, though.