Anonymous
6/11/2025, 4:45:23 AM
No.17753325
Anon, I’m really sorry the church lied to you, whatever the issue may have been. I just want to share that my experience has been different.
In my case, the missionaries and Sunday School teachers mostly provide a basic, 100- or 090-level education on doctrine, exegesis, and history. I wish it were deeper from the start, but they’re not trained theologians. But I'm a theology autist and you and others here probably are too. Whenever I asked questions they couldn’t answer, they usually responded with an honest “I don’t know.” And then they pointed me toward LDS scholarship, like books, blogs, and articles from places like BYU-RSC. Often, they followed up later so we could talk more in-depth about where the scholarship is at.
That doesn’t mean I never encountered wrong answers or oversimplified explanations or misconceptions. But from what I’ve seen through my own study and conversion, the people I talked to gave me either sincere answers or sincere humility. They weren’t trying to deceive. They were just working within the limits of their training and understanding.
For example, I’ll be honest - unlike the rest of my rebuttals, I don’t yet have a satisfying answer for the BOA concerns. I’m still studying and trying to understand it better. At face value, some of it obviously doesn’t pass the smell test. But the robust strength and consistency I’ve found in almost all other areas of LDS theology gives me faith that there’s more to discover and come to understsnd. I believe I’ll eventually reach a place of confidence even on this issue.
“By study and also by faith” (D&C 109:7) has become a personal guide for me. And I try to take seriously the 13th Article of Faith, “We believe in being honest.”
God bless you, anon. I really do hope you find clarity and peace, whether in or out of the church. I wish we could discuss further in bona fide but 4chan really isn't a good place for anything but polemic apologetics.
In my case, the missionaries and Sunday School teachers mostly provide a basic, 100- or 090-level education on doctrine, exegesis, and history. I wish it were deeper from the start, but they’re not trained theologians. But I'm a theology autist and you and others here probably are too. Whenever I asked questions they couldn’t answer, they usually responded with an honest “I don’t know.” And then they pointed me toward LDS scholarship, like books, blogs, and articles from places like BYU-RSC. Often, they followed up later so we could talk more in-depth about where the scholarship is at.
That doesn’t mean I never encountered wrong answers or oversimplified explanations or misconceptions. But from what I’ve seen through my own study and conversion, the people I talked to gave me either sincere answers or sincere humility. They weren’t trying to deceive. They were just working within the limits of their training and understanding.
For example, I’ll be honest - unlike the rest of my rebuttals, I don’t yet have a satisfying answer for the BOA concerns. I’m still studying and trying to understand it better. At face value, some of it obviously doesn’t pass the smell test. But the robust strength and consistency I’ve found in almost all other areas of LDS theology gives me faith that there’s more to discover and come to understsnd. I believe I’ll eventually reach a place of confidence even on this issue.
“By study and also by faith” (D&C 109:7) has become a personal guide for me. And I try to take seriously the 13th Article of Faith, “We believe in being honest.”
God bless you, anon. I really do hope you find clarity and peace, whether in or out of the church. I wish we could discuss further in bona fide but 4chan really isn't a good place for anything but polemic apologetics.