Mormon Direction

We all know of what God said about faith and what diminishes it. The most common thing is sin, or to be wicked, to abide in Satan’s rule or influence and so forth, but what many people do not realize is there are other things that also diminishes faith, such as the act of remaining in fear or fear based thoughts, choices and actions. Allow me to explain.

Everyone has shortcomings, personal faults that affect their life. God gave us shortcomings so that we may be made humble by them (Ether 12:27), but also by them, through faith and enduring, God can help us make these weaknesses into a strength when these shortcomings or faults are overcome in the right way (2 Nephi 3:13 / 2 Corinthians 12:10 / Hebrews 11:34).

What many do not realize is that by these inward personal faults, a person can easily diminish his or her faith instead of increasing it and this is all by their own doing, in how they use free will and choice and the manner of beliefs they carry and choose to live. This speaks of two sides, the good and the bad.

When a person chooses to overcome their shortcomings or personal faults, this is the good side, but only if they choose the help of the Holy Spirit and that person allows the Spirit to humble them. Then that person’s faith is increased, made deeper and more rooted and he or she gains an inner spiritual strength that withstands negative spiritual influences. This is a process that takes time if a person perseveres, abides in the Spirit, journals, prays, repents, remains obedient, that person will overcome their fault, made stronger and faith surer.

When a person chooses not to overcome their shortcomings or personal faults, ignores the Holy Spirit, whether or not they pray, chooses to forsake humbleness as part of the process, gives in to their faults or justifies them in any way to keep them, ignore them or both, that person’s faith is diminished, and the scriptures say so.

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It is known, from the scriptures that many saints will fall in these latter-days. How the saints fall, I am sure will be by many ways. We see in these latter days members of this Church falling into apostasy and members who left the membership because they chose to take issue with other members or with the Church. When I read the many personal accounts of ex-Mormons on the Internet, I found that “taking issue” seems to be the dominate cause.

Recently, I read a blog belonging to an ex-Mormon. His blog is rather new and the content did not provide much detail as to why he left the Church. In fact it was rather vague with many generalized brief statements. He did not explain why certain things caused him to loose his belief in the Church, but what he did state was sufficient to see what caused his disbelief and it had nothing to do with the truth. It had to do his own personal distaste for things he read in the historic information about this Church.

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Scanning some of the testimonies of anti-Mormons, some have become atheist, others joined other churches, but all of these have proclaimed that they are now “free”.

Free from what? When reading their “testimonies” of their proclaimed freedom(s), they do not speak of spiritual freedom as Jesus Christ promises, they show their freedoms to be at a temporal base; a relative & personal freedom based on personal likes and dislikes.

The question that remains is, “what kind of freedom and from what?”

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There are countless blogs, stories and claims from numerous disbelievers and contenders to our faith. In their ranks are some ex-Mormons, who through their discontentment and impatience, joined their ranks. (As I write this I keep getting the thoughts of the “large spacious building” in Nephi’s vision, 1 Nephi 12:18, and how these people who attack Mormons now live within that structure. )What I would like to do is provide to those who seek understanding, information on a method to detect and understand the true spiritual nature of these complainers. This so you can know by their fruits, who they are.

Complaining is one trait that these contenders use. It is a common trait used by everyone when they are upset about something and wish some answers, action or even justice. This trait is common among people in the world who rally the governments to change policies. There are complaint oriented commissions, complaint departments, complaint forms, etc. The practice of complaint is considered by the world as a “normal” thing and, in general, something that good people use. Despite how some evil people also use this method, it is still considered an acceptable thing.

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One of the challenges of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is whether a particular doctrine or practice is believable or acceptable. I have read and heard so many claims by ex-Mormons of how they were fooled or blinded to some of the doctrines or activities of the Church.

Some of the common complaints surround tithing, lack of answers to prayers, Adam-God Theory, Blacks previously refused the priesthood, men oriented church, and so on. When I looked at these claims or complaints and the stories behind them I see that they are just personal, which means that their issues are specific to them. For some things the Church has done, such as restrict Black men from the priesthood, are true, but making personal issue out of these things certainly does not gain the ear of the Lord neither does it gain any help or witness from the Holy Ghost. Why is this? It is because making personal issue is the act of contention which is the spirit of contention and such is not of God.

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One day, while in Church, a bishop, stake president or one of the General Authorities of the Church says or does something that upsets you or that you take issue with it. Before you know it you are at odds with the Church and even resign your membership.

Taking issue is dangerous to the health of your faith.
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