PostSecret: The Mormon Edition
Yesterday, PostSecret had two secrets that ended up being about the LDS Church. You can see them here:
It reads:
Every Sunday I sneak off to an LDS Church. My family has no idea where I am. I don’t know whose approval means more to me, theirs or the Lord’s.
The other secret was the polar opposite:
It reads:
I am so scared that this (like everything else) will not be the answer.
When I went to the local Unitarian Universalist church, there were so many people who felt betrayed by the LDS Church and had been abandoned by their families. The animosity that these people expressed over the religion was uncomfortable to me because I have many friends who are LDS. It’s hard to not have LDS friends when you live in Salt Lake City, Utah. The hatred and anger that these people felt free to express was counter to the teaching of the Unitarian church, which allows for free and open spiritual growth:
“Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth”
I’ve seen happy and productive lives of intelligent people within the LDS faith. I’ve seen agonizing rejection and hatred of people within the LDS faith. I’ve seen it work wonderfully. I’ve seen it fail miserably.
What would I say to these two people who sent their secrets flowing on the wind?
Beats me…
PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.
I see so many people tied up with concept of the “LDS Church” rather than the gospel. The Church is an organization system. The gospel of Jesus Christ is found in the Book Of Mormon. The personal witness I have that this book is true… supersedes anything the Church or people in the Church or anti-LDS can do or say that would change that for me.
So many anti-LDS use the Church or people in the Chruch to justify their ill behavior… rather than going to the Book of Mormon and Bible as their source of making decisions in their lives. If they would do that… I believe that everything else… including the Church would fall into place.
For me… without my firm testimony of the Book of Mormon.. nothing else would make sense.
Comment by Kathryn — 8/25/2008 @ 8:27 am
We live in a world where a good portion of the people are so sure they know what’s right for everyone else that they feel they have to force it upon those people.
When I left the religion of my childhood, it didn’t matter what anyone else said or encouraged me to do. I had to resolve the issues myself.
I have learned that what people believe is none of my business. As long as it doesn’t affect anyone else’s freedom, why does it matter?
Comment by Stacey Vest — 8/28/2008 @ 12:51 pm