An excerpt from an article for returned sister missionaries found HERE
It’s Okay to Have Doubts and Questions After Your Mission.
If you have ever had a question about something in the Church as a returned missionary, you’re normal. We all have questions, especially the returned missionaries. When doubts arise, don’t just ignore them and pretend they aren’t there (fearing that you may go down the wrong path if you acknowledge their existence). Face the doubt, but make sure to remember a few things as you do:
1. Keep the commandments while you figure out the thing you are questioning and do all you can to bring the Spirit into your life. I know too many people who as soon as they start to have doubts, they somehow feel that it justifies doing whatever they want until God shows them the answer. The fastest way to get an answer from God is by doing things that will bring the Spirit, not the other way around. God is the Father of our spirits and that is how He will communicate with us, especially if we have doubts. Don’t forget this.
2. Read and ponder The Crucible of Doubt, by Terryl and Fiona Givens. This is probably the best resource for facing real doubts as Latter-day Saints. It not only helped me to resolve some concerns I had with specific issues, but it also helped give me a new way of seeing. They say in the book: “Questioning is not the problem…After all, the Restoration unfolded because a young man asked questions. The difficulty arises when questions are based on flawed assumptions or incorrect perceptions, which can point us in the wrong direction, misdirect our attention, or constrain the answers we are capable of hearing.”
3. Even in the moments where you feel like you don’t believe in God, remember that, even if you don’t believe in Him, He still believes in you. You’ll figure it out, and He will be patiently waiting for you whenever you are ready to reach up to Him again.
Read more about why doubt doesn’t have to be dangerous on Meridian Magazine here and here.
An excerpt from an article for returned sister missionaries found HERE
 |
image via ldsmag.com
|
It’s Okay to Have Doubts and Questions After Your Mission.
If you have ever had a question about something in the Church as a returned missionary, you’re normal. We all have questions, especially the returned missionaries. When doubts arise, don’t just ignore them and pretend they aren’t there (fearing that you may go down the wrong path if you acknowledge their existence). Face the doubt, but make sure to remember a few things as you do:
1. Keep the commandments while you figure out the thing you are questioning and do all you can to bring the Spirit into your life. I know too many people who as soon as they start to have doubts, they somehow feel that it justifies doing whatever they want until God shows them the answer. The fastest way to get an answer from God is by doing things that will bring the Spirit, not the other way around. God is the Father of our spirits and that is how He will communicate with us, especially if we have doubts. Don’t forget this.
2. Read and ponder The Crucible of Doubt, by Terryl and Fiona Givens. This is probably the best resource for facing real doubts as Latter-day Saints. It not only helped me to resolve some concerns I had with specific issues, but it also helped give me a new way of seeing. They say in the book: “Questioning is not the problem…After all, the Restoration unfolded because a young man asked questions. The difficulty arises when questions are based on flawed assumptions or incorrect perceptions, which can point us in the wrong direction, misdirect our attention, or constrain the answers we are capable of hearing.”
3. Even in the moments where you feel like you don’t believe in God, remember that, even if you don’t believe in Him, He still believes in you. You’ll figure it out, and He will be patiently waiting for you whenever you are ready to reach up to Him again.
Read more about why doubt doesn’t have to be dangerous on Meridian Magazine here and here.
An excerpt from an article for returned sister missionaries found HERE
Comments