Posted by:
Gordon Grant
(
)
Date: March 22, 2017 11:44AM
SHORT ANSWER (based on my own observations): Yes, most LDS members are bored with the tedium of their faith system. However, they are so conditioned that their salvation lies in Mormonism that they don’t/won’t/can’t address the issue. They are stuck. I feel empathy for them because Mormonism can’t be a source of inner light and joy as it is taught today.
LONG ANSWER: I joined the LDS church in 1970 when I was 14--no one else in my family joined. I was fortunate to be in an East Coast ward that had some great leaders and an excellent youth program. I was spiritually nourished there as I developed knowledge of LDS teachings.
I did the whole LDS journey: Mutual —> BYU—> Mission —> BYU.
While at BYU the first time, I was very active and enthused about the church. I took some of George W. Pace's classes at BYU and with his approach, I came to the highest level of conversion that I ever had. Pace's approach to the LDS gospel encouraged the individual to come to know Christ in a very real and personal way. In traditional Protestant terminology, Pace encouraged you to "become saved"—in effect, to seek a real spiritual conversion that is entirely distinct from LDS “conversion” based on emotionalism, groupthink, and emphasis on ordinances. What I had was very real and remains a very precious memory.
SIDE NOTE: Pace was on to something very important. Had Bruce McConkie not put the kibosh on Pace and his teachings in 1982, the LDS church would be in a very different—and much stronger—position today. He was on the path of changing how an entire generation of LDS youth would view their relationship with God. They would have gone on to infuse the church with a true spirituality.
On my mission, the lack of spiritual feeding in ward meetings just drained me. It was rare that a speaker said anything new, enlightening, or spiritual. The speakers gave trite, formulaic talks. As my two years in the mission experience progressed, the tedium of sitting through meetings that didn’t nourish became almost unbearable. I heard the same stuff over, and over, and over, and over—ad nauseum. And let’s not even discuss how embarrassing it was when we would have investigators come to church and see for themselves how little the church offered in the way of spiritual growth!
After my mission, I returned to BYU hoping to regain what I had lost, but it was over. I became inactive while at BYU. The first to go was Fast and Testimony meeting. It was truly unbearable to watch the monthly displays of emotionalism (BYU coeds cried A LOT in those days). I gradually began to miss more meetings. Ultimately, I attended about every third Sunday. I started the year with a calling to teach Gospel Doctrine, but I asked to be released after a few months. I was going to the Provo Temple frequently at first, but the repetitiveness of the Endowment Ceremony also became tedious.
The Branch President noticed my inactivity, and assigned a new home teacher to me. I guess they felt I needed some “big guns,” because the new home teacher was one of Boyd Packer’s sons. He was a sincere and very loving person who came to see me numerous times each month—often without his home teaching companion. He demonstrated genuine concern for me.
However, the message I received from him, and others who knew what I was going through, was: “We all experience this. It’s the way it works. We come to a point in the gospel where we are called to be leaders and to teach others. You’ve passed from the period where you find joy in church. Your calling from here on is to serve by helping and strengthening others.”
This made no sense to me. I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my church life with no spiritual nourishment. And I couldn’t imagine trying to lead others when I had no inner spiritual growth going on.
I left BYU after that year, transferring to a university on the East Coast. I made an occasional attempt to regain activity, but the tedium and lack of spiritual nourishment was everywhere and killed each attempt at becoming active again. I finally gave up entirely in about 1982. (Someday, in another post, I will describe the ecclesiastical abuse that I was subjected to during this phase.)
I’ve spent a lot of time wondering about what happened to the LDS church and me. It boils down to two things. One was a church-wide phenomenon, and the other was personal.
1. PRIESTHOOD CORRELATION: I joined the church before priesthood correlation was fully implemented. Correlation has been a potent force in stifling spirituality. It has reduced variety, spontaneity, and creativity. As correlation progressed, the interest, fun, and joy of being in the LDS church was extinguished. It has been replaced by a simplistic 4-part message: 1. Obey, 2. Obey, 3. Obey, and 4. Don’t ask questions. To my mind, the boredom that afflicts Mormonism today is rooted in priesthood correlation that fully took force beginning in 1967 and extending into the mid-1970’s.
2. FOWLER FAITH STAGES: I realize now that I was personally moving through the Fowler Faith Stages. At this point, I was transitioning from Stage 3 (Synthetic-Conventional) to Stage 4 (Individuative-Reflective). Mormonism just doesn’t have room for anyone who moves beyond Stage 3. Over the years, I have moved on to Stage 5 (Conjunctive Faith) and I am very comfortable with my current relationship with God. (
http://www.psychologycharts.com/james-fowler-stages-of-faith.html )
It seems unlikely that I will ever fully “recover” from Mormonism--I was in it for on about 14 years. I am out of it 35 years, and I am now 60 years old. Yet, for some reason, Mormonism still impacts my life every day. I'm not really optimistic about a complete recovery! Oh, well. I can live with that.
But, I’m happy and content. Each person’s faith journey is entirely personal, and follows a unique path. I gained some important life lessons from the LDS church. I met some wonderful people who influenced my life in a positive way. I grew up on my mission and gained some self-discipline and other habits that contributed in their own way to whatever professional success I have achieved.
But...Mormonism did not offer a lifelong path for me. Tedium in church is NOT a way to gain “further light and knowledge.”