2. I am thankful for my wife. I wish it had not taken so long for me to understand what an incredible individual she is.

3. I am thankful for my loving parents and in – laws. They are my modern heroes!

4. I am thankful for the depth that this gospel has in regards to the nature of God and the atonement of Jesus Christ. I hope that I can humble myself enough to let it work completely before I leave this sphere.

5. I am thankful for the wise teacher who taught me that my ability to follow will be what will “exalt” me if I can master the principal.

6. I am thankful for every Bishop I have ever had.

7. I am thankful for the many teachers and leaders that I had in Primary, Sunday School, Young Mens, Seminary, Priesthood and my mission.

8. I am thankful for most of the callings I have had.

9. I am thankful and amazed by those who constantly sacrifice tirelessly.

10. I am thankful for the temple and the unique possibilities it offers to all.

The flat tax is not egalitarian because of the law of diminishing returns. That means that the first dollar you earn is worth more than the millionth. You need the first dollar for essentials such as food. The millionth dollar, you can afford to spend on a Ferrari.

That’s why a progressive tax, which is a conservative innovation, by the way, is more egalitarian than a flat tax.

I am grateful that the brethren understand that.

Joseph Campbell once said, “Every religion is true one way or another. It is true when understood metaphorically. But when it gets stuck in its own metaphors, interpreting them as facts, then you are in trouble.””

AMEN!

Some people would contend that I am here only to be a rabble-rouser. But it isn’t the case.

I was born and raised (by goodly parents) in the Mormon faith; I have a Mormon family with whom I have a great relationship. I live in a Mormon state. I have many Mormon friends. I am, for all intensive purposes, a Cultural Mormon. Mormonism isn’t just a religion, it’s a culture, a way of life and this entire state is STEEPED in it–for those who haven’t lived here their whole lives, the experience can range from quaint to out and out creepy.

I believe that Mormonism began with something all together different than what it is now. The Church of today is Brigham Young’s Church, not Joseph Smith’s. Joseph was a bit of a mystic; I daresay he was quite esoteric in his beliefs. I think if he had lived, this would be a very different Church today, one that is not so fundamental. My problem is this (with all religions): they take everything so darned literal. If people would stop adhering to the absolute letter of the law and grasp that the stories and ‘commandments’ are metaphorical, I think it would solve many problems, including judgmental attitudes, self-absorption, the obsessive need to ‘keep up appearances’ aka be perfect, and separatism–also the whole “One and Only True” business.

Joseph Campbell once said, “Every religion is true one way or another. It is true when understood metaphorically. But when it gets stuck in its own metaphors, interpreting them as facts, then you are in trouble.”

This is how I feel exactly. This is why I believe Jesus spoke in parables–things are not meant to be taken literally.

So to answer your question, I have a deep and abiding love for many Mormons and for the Mormon religion; it has given me many good things. I believe I could have stayed a Mormon if I had met people from this site and felt more free to question and doubt. And I believe that if more people like you existed within the Church, it might be a catalyst for change, the kind of change necessary to bring it to a place where more people could find acceptance, belief and associations with fluidity rather than with stringent rules and dogma.

I haunt this site because, at heart, I am still that doubtful, incorrigible, vocal Mormon girl wanting to voice my quandaries in a Church I desperately want to hear me.

You make an interesting point. It is definately something I have wondered about. It’s the old question of how involved is God in our lives. Does He care who we marry? Does He care what our job is? It goes on and on. When I meet Him someday, I plan on having that question near the top of my list.

I do have a question for you. I read on #2 your comment that you have been out of the church for 15 years. That brings up something I have noticed happens quite often on the ‘net. Why do you read and post on Mormon Matters if this isn’t your faith anymore? I had a conversation with a friend the other day about this practice. I guess my thought is if I left the church I wouldn’t be interested in thinking, reading or commenting on it. Are your intentions to come back to activity, or is it hard to leave the church?

I am sincerely glad you are alright, Robert. Truly.

What tends to raise my eyebrow is this: I know plenty of atheists who have had similar experiences. Would you say that because people sacrificed personal comfort for you, God had mercy on you? Are you saying that because you are Mormon, or a Christian, that God ‘blessed’ you over someone who perhaps doesn’t have people to miss a meal for them?

I don’t believe there is anything wrong with feeling grateful. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with asking people to pray for you (if you believe in that.) My perspective is this: to attribute a person surviving or getting better to God’s whim is somewhat insensitive–What about the child who didn’t survive? What about my friend’s husband, a really wonderful man, who died recently? Did they not pray enough? Were not enough MEALS forgone? Or is it simply the “God works in mysterious ways” card?

See, if your answer is that the child was SUPPOSE to die, or my friend’s husband was supposed to die because it was ‘their time’, then you also have to concede that you WEREN’T supposed to die; so the fasting and prayers were nice sentiments, but literally did nothing to aid in your recovery. If you say that the fasting and prayers were really what did it, changing God’s mind about your destiny, then your God is a cruel being indeed.

The thing I think you can be truly grateful for is that you have a loving and kind community who cared enough for you to send their prays and thoughts your way in a time of need. I think we could all use that kind of support.

I am thankful to be alive (one of my doctors said that the fact I’m still alive was “almost” a miracle), and I am grateful that people I’ve really only known for a few years, and probably haven’t been that nice to, were willing to sacrifice a few hours of personal comfort for me. I can tell you without a doubt that it worked.

2. I am thankful for a best boy “friend” in High School who was an excellent example of a worthy priesthood holder. I never had to worry about boundaries with him. He respected the moral codes and stood firm, even when I tried to tempt him to test his character. I only pray my girls have friends like him.

3. I am thankful for the Book of Mormon. Even as my faith gets tested on principals I don’t like (polygamy) my testimony of the Book of Mormon has never wavered.

4. I am thankful for my husband, who was worthy to marry me in Temple and who has sincerely tried to serve our family by using his priesthood properly.

5. I am thankful for Relief Society, especially for my RS president when I was young mother with 3 wild children. She was married to a lesser active man, and her grown children had major struggles. She even swore a time or two in front of me. I loved her humanness and she showed me what it was like to be a LDS mother in the real world.

6. I am thankful for the good church leaders I have watched from afar. Many people in leadership callings give insane amounts of time and emotion helping their fellow members. I appreciate their efforts, even when I disagree and I secretly pray my husband and I are never called to any of their positions.

7. I am thankful for the way the gospel has something for everyone. Family History, Scouting, RS, Primary, Young Women, Temple work, Welfare and more I can’t think of right now. For anyone who feels driven to investigate a prinicipal, there is a whole program already in place.

8. I am thankful for our perspective on the Atonement. I am a critical, snarky woman who struggles with many imperfections. I need to know that I am a work in progress and my Heavenly Father understands that.

9. I am thankful for our commercials. Hands down, I have never seen any other church produce better commercials than us. We are definately the funniest, most touching church on the the planet.

10. I am thankful for every calling I have ever had, even the jobs I hated. The miserable callings made it easier to judge the good callings. I am thankful for every crazy, mean-spirited person I have had to deal with in callings. They reminded me how great everyone else is.

I think it is always good to count our many blessings. Thanks Hawkgrrrl! Too often we focus on negative, and it is nice to accentuate the positive.

I love your list.

’nuff said.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Not in order of importance:

1) What I call “pure Mormonism”. I’ve never found anything as mind-blowingly awesome, and I’ve been exposed to just about everything imaginable.

2) The concept of eternal unity. Being married to your “split-apart” is wonderful, but the belief that we will not be split apart again is even better.

3) The WofW’s clear warning about addiction peddlers in the latter days. The rest can be debated ad infinitum; the focus is prophetic to the core.

4) Our own family’s Christmas star experience. (Sorry, no details here.) God truly does know the major events of our lives before they unfold.

5) Our children, both biological and otherwise.

6) My parents. (I have shared the story of my father’s sacrifice for my mother, and I can’t express adequately my thanks for that legacy that is uniquely Mormon.)

7) Some very difficult challenges that only make sense in hindsight; hence, the concept of enduring to the end.

8 ) The chance now to wake up each morning excited to go to work. (While my work is not LDS-related, getting here to it absolutely was – in a weird way.)

9) The chance to teach Seminary to our daughters in our home – and the secondary effect on our younger daughters.

10) The fellowship of the Saints, flawed though it may be.

Your positive vibe is something I am grateful for. Now if I can only learn to portray it in my current situation. Keep up the posts I enjoy reading what you write.

Thanks for the great reminder Hawk!!

The good people in the church. Even though I attend sacrament meeting only and hold no callings, I encourage my sons to attend church. I hope they find LDS spouses. They are good people. There is comfort in being friends with Mormons and having your kids do likewise.

Mormon Matters. I like hearing both sides of the issues.

I still hold a soft spot in my heart, from my days as a Ward Clerk, towards fast offering collections and their generous distribution from a non-discriminating Bishop. Probably due to the somewhat dominant conservative political culture of the Church, in Utah at least, it seems that a prevailing attitude among members is to be opposed to many forms of social welfare. I recently attended a stake conference where a presiding Stake authority made some strong remarks in this vein, which has always rubbed me wrong. I am also aware of some cases where incredible generosity was displayed annonymously from within wards. I always sat and watched weekly as a good Bishop would distribute funds to needy inidividuals within our Ward boundaries, who frankly weren’t really interested in the Church for much more than source of assistance. This left a strong impression on me. I am grateful for the Church’s encouragement that we help one another also.