Do you have a spiritual testimony?
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SilentDawning
- Posts: 7341
- Joined: 09 May 2010, 19:55
Do you have a spiritual testimony?
Note, this question is not asking if you have a testimony of the church....it's asking if you have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the LDS Church, focusing on Faith, Repentence, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost and temple ordinances.
"It doesn't have to be about the Church (church) all the time!" -- SD
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. No price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."
A man asked Jesus "do all roads lead to you?" Jesus responds,”most roads don’t lead anywhere, but I will travel any road to find you.” Adapted from The Shack, William Young
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. No price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."
A man asked Jesus "do all roads lead to you?" Jesus responds,”most roads don’t lead anywhere, but I will travel any road to find you.” Adapted from The Shack, William Young
Re: Do you have a spiritual testimony?
I went with somewhat agree. I do have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, mostly as taught by the church. I have some doubts about some of it as taught by the church.
In the absence of knowledge or faith there is always hope.
Once there was a gentile...who came before Hillel. He said "Convert me on the condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot." Hillel converted him, saying: That which is despicable to you, do not do to your fellow, this is the whole Torah, and the rest is commentary, go and learn it."
My Introduction
Once there was a gentile...who came before Hillel. He said "Convert me on the condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot." Hillel converted him, saying: That which is despicable to you, do not do to your fellow, this is the whole Torah, and the rest is commentary, go and learn it."
My Introduction
Re: Do you have a spiritual testimony?
I believe Jesus taught the way to salvation, even though I won't claim to know what salvation is exactly - I am confident it has something to do with charity, loving our neighbor, etc. I believe as the world is becoming more loving and less barbaric it is gradually becoming "saved."
My avatar - both physical and spiritual.
I first found faith, and thought I had all truth. I then discovered doubt, and claimed a more accurate truth. Now I’ve greeted paradox and a deeper truth than I have ever known.
I first found faith, and thought I had all truth. I then discovered doubt, and claimed a more accurate truth. Now I’ve greeted paradox and a deeper truth than I have ever known.
Re: Do you have a spiritual testimony?
I agree with DarkJedi. Most of my issues are how it is taught or interpreted at different times by the church, various leaders, and sometimes the manuals. But I have had my own type of personal spiritual experiences, and those I believe in.
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Curt Sunshine
- Site Admin
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- Joined: 21 Oct 2008, 20:24
Re: Do you have a spiritual testimony?
I think the distinction for most is going to be what "the gospel as taught by the LDS Church" means to each person.
I have some issues with the WAY the gospel is taught by many people (and how the gospel is confused with other things), at all levels, but I have a very strong spiritual testimony of the core of what I see as being taught by "The Church" when it comes to only what I define as "the Gospel". (See my signature lines for an example of that.)
I have some issues with the WAY the gospel is taught by many people (and how the gospel is confused with other things), at all levels, but I have a very strong spiritual testimony of the core of what I see as being taught by "The Church" when it comes to only what I define as "the Gospel". (See my signature lines for an example of that.)
I see through my glass, darkly - as I play my saxophone in harmony with the other instruments in God's orchestra. (h/t Elder Joseph Wirthlin)
Even if people view many things differently, the core Gospel principles (LOVE; belief in the unseen but hoped; self-reflective change; symbolic cleansing; striving to recognize the will of the divine; never giving up) are universal.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." H. L. Mencken
Even if people view many things differently, the core Gospel principles (LOVE; belief in the unseen but hoped; self-reflective change; symbolic cleansing; striving to recognize the will of the divine; never giving up) are universal.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." H. L. Mencken
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Life_Journey_of_Matt
- Posts: 92
- Joined: 11 Feb 2013, 12:23
- Location: Kansas
Re: Do you have a spiritual testimony?
I tried to say this very thing to my wife last night, though I would have to add something like "I believe Jesus taught the way to salvation [though not exclusively]..."Orson wrote:I believe Jesus taught the way to salvation, even though I won't claim to know what salvation is exactly - I am confident it has something to do with charity, loving our neighbor, etc. I believe as the world is becoming more loving and less barbaric it is gradually becoming "saved."
From my studies, the Buddha, various Muslim mystics, and even spiritual teachers like Eckhart Tolle teach beautifully about how to live peacefully and contently, with charity and loving kindness for our brothers and sisters.
But this:
This is absolutely beautiful to hear. I have the same sentiment.Orson wrote:even though I won't claim to know what salvation is exactly
Thanks for sharing."So oft in theologic wars / The disputants, I ween, / Rail on in utter ignorance / Of what each other mean / And prate about an Elephant / Not one of them has seen." -- from "The Blind Men and the Elephant" by John Godfrey Saxe
"The faith that stands on authority is not faith. The reliance on authority measures the decline of religion, the withdrawal of the soul." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
My ongoing story: http://precariousironrod.com/
"The faith that stands on authority is not faith. The reliance on authority measures the decline of religion, the withdrawal of the soul." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
My ongoing story: http://precariousironrod.com/
Re: Do you have a spiritual testimony?
No.SilentDawning wrote:Note, this question is not asking if you have a testimony of the church....it's asking if you have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the LDS Church, focusing on Faith, Repentence, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost and temple ordinances.
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Jesus gave us the gospel, but Satan invented church. It takes serious evil to formalize faith into something tedious and then pile guilt on anyone who doesn't participate enthusiastically. - Robert Kirby
Re: Do you have a spiritual testimony?
I believe strongly in Christ. I am not at all sure about temple ordinances.
"Preachers err by trying to talk people into belief; better they reveal the radiance of their own discovery." - Joseph Campbell
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust
"Therefore they said unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said unto them, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes...." - John 9:10-11
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust
"Therefore they said unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said unto them, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes...." - John 9:10-11
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DevilsAdvocate
- Posts: 1392
- Joined: 19 Feb 2010, 12:56
- Location: Utah
Re: Do you have a spiritual testimony?
I chose "Disagree Somewhat"; I would like to believe there was some inspiration and truth behind what Jesus, Paul, Luke, Peter, etc. said and did according to the Bible but at the same time I could easily see the possibility that maybe Jesus was just another man that was later made out to be a larger-than-life myth after the fact. I definitely believe in God and life-after-death but lately I have viewed them from more of a universalist perspective and I'm not sure about how much a final judgment makes sense much less the idea that God would actually condemn people eternally over some formality like baptism. Most of all I don't see why God should blame me for believing exactly what I do and admitting that there are still many unanswered questions where I'm not really sure what to think about them anymore. What bothers me about the whole testimony concept is the overbearing expectations that we absolutely need to believe some official list of points and if not then it's not alright. I disagree with this general idea, for all we know it's not that important for everyone to believe the same thing to begin with and sometimes believing things that are false is not nearly as serious as many people think.SilentDawning wrote:Note, this question is not asking if you have a testimony of the church....it's asking if you have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the LDS Church, focusing on Faith, Repentence, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost and temple ordinances.
"Truth is what works." - William James
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church0333
- Posts: 589
- Joined: 26 Aug 2012, 17:41
- Location: Springfield OR
Re: Do you have a spiritual testimony?
I voted somewhat disagreed because I believe in the idea of some of the teachings but doubt we got the teachings the way we are taught at church. I think man has embellished most of what we have today but I can not deny that I have felt the spirit very strongly a few times in my life.