Latter-day Saints: What doubts do you have about your religion?

Question

I don't think it's a weakness to have doubts. Some things are harder to understand than others. We aren't expected to be perfect in this life, so, never beat yourself up if you've got doubts. I'm sure we all do at some point.

Answer 1

An LDS testimony excludes each Mormon from doubt. They have meetings once a month (Fast and Testimony Meeting) there they stand and proclaim that they know Joseph Smith to be a prophet that the Book of Mormon and the church as a whole is God's ONLY church. That they know that Gordan Hickley in a living prophet who guides and directs the church by direct revelation today. This almost a mantra to them and in so pounded into their culture and mind that they did doubt not for a second. It takes a miracle of God to break through that and bring active LDS people out of that darkness into the light of the Jesus Christ of the Bible.. Jim

Answer 2

While I don't really have any doubts, I know that there are some that do and it can be difficult. Time comes to many where we have our doubts, and I think we've all gone through those periods.
Faith comes as the Lord said - Line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. It takes time - and while none of us will be perfect in this life, but we are always striving to be perfect in some things.
Read your scriptures, say your prayers, keep your covenants, and do the best that you can, and things will work out as they are supposed to.
S.M.I.L.E. - Spiritually Minded Is Life Eternal.

Answer 3

None anymore... But does having a gripe about my religion count? I can't stand all the perfectionism and guilt trips that people like to send each other on... It's not part of the Gospel. I think people should think more deeply about the effect that their "motivating" stories can have on sensitive people.

We work from the heart... we should focus on increasing the love in those hearts (by emphasising that we are saved through the grace of Jesus Christ... sure we need to do our bit... but the emphasis has been skewed, IMO).

Giving people love, acceptance and good examples to rev up their heart fires will naturally motivate them with both desire to do good and to love their fellow man, and the courage and self-confidence to carry it out.

Down with Molly and Marvin Mormon!!!

Added: Hey soccomum! I think this Q was asking for trouble, lol, but I get where you're coming from. We have testimony... but we have areas where we are still learning, as well. I don't really have any troubling doubts... just some areas of grey where I don't yet know the answer. But all things will be revealed over the passage of time... as has been occurring during my last 29 years in the Gospel. "Line upon line, precept upon precept..."

Answer 4

Everyone has doubts until they are truly coverted. But once you have recieved your own personal revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world then everything falls into place. You live by the spirit that guides you and tells you when things are good and true. It is an overwhelming feeling of peace and happiness to know of a suriety that God has an eternal plan for us. That we arn't all just floating around in the universe by chance. There are things that I myself don't understand about the Gospel but that is why I continue to study so that I can learn them. There are things that I will not understand until I leave this life and go on to the next. I would never say I have doubts there are just things I havn't learned yet. But there is one thing that no amount of studying will ever come to my understanding. That is why do people say such awful things about a religion that they are not a part of. I am not speaking only of LDS but any religion. All most religions do is give people hope and teach them to be kind to other people. I have never stood up and said anything negative about another religion nor have i ever heard anyone say from the pulpit of my chruch that another religion is bad or wrong or their members are going to Hell. So why make fun of us and make rude comments about things that we hold very sacred. I would never do that to you or your kin. We are not polygamists. There are polygamists out there that are part of a reformed church but they are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Before you go on a rant about Brigham Young being a polygamist perhaps, to save your face, you should do a little research further than the most anti-mormon publication you can find. Which brings me to another point. If my religion was so untrue why do others work so hard to disprove it, which by the way cannot be done. Satan works hard to keep people from believeing in Christ. Because true believers will not succomb to the temptations that arise from the grasp of satan. Anyway just let us be. Don't call us names, don't speak of things we hold sacred with a voice more that reverence.

I believe that Jesus Christ is our savior and he died so that we could all be forgive of our sins and live eternally with our father in heaven. I believe the Book of Mormon to true. I believe that the Book of Mormon and the Bible work hand in hand. I belive that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he was divinely called to translate the anciet writings of anciet America prophets. I believe that we have a living prophet to day, Gordon B. Hinckley, who guides us and teaches us the things that the Lord would have us do. I am so thankful for the sacrifice of all those saints that came before me. They were willing to withstand persecution to bring forth this beautiful gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for my eternal family we have been sealed together so that we will never be apart. I love this gospel and I cherish it. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Answer 5

Well, mainly that there is no real evidence to back up some of the claims.

Random chance seems to rule over prayer, which seems to sometimes work, and sometimes not.

Some of the claims made in the Bible are sometimes downright bizarre. How can you know that it really happened?

The people seem to be so hypocritical, and preach to others, but then go out and do worse things themselves.

And really do not understand why the world has some of the horrible things that it does.

Answer 6

The Holy Ghost has born witness to me of the truthfulness of the Gospel and I have faith that by living its precepts that I can receive of a fullness of Christ's love and atonement. I would not characterize things as doubts, but I have wondered about somethings. When I do, I search, ponder, prayer about it and therefore I am able to receive a witness again from the Holy Ghost about each individual precept.

Answer 7

I love archaology, and so while it's not really a doubt, I wonder why it takes so long to find evidence, not only of the BOM, but also the Bible. Heck, David was king of Israel, and they only found hard evidence of him in the last 15 years. I wonder if the Lord deliberately withholds evidence so we'll operate on faith. But then, every once in a while, when they do find the evidence, it seems to make little or no difference in people's faith, so who knows.

Answer 8

I don't have doubts about the truthfulness of the church. I do often have doubts about some people of the church. And I don't mean the leaders of the church.

gw

Answer 9

I don't expect to understand all the great mysteries of this world. If I come across something that makes we stop and wonder, I usually ask someone else and pray about it.

James 1:5 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Answer 10

If you don't have any, you should.