Public Apology

MichaelPAGuy · #1 (**permalink**) 07-16-2008, 03:10 PM

I would like to issue a public apology to everyone on this board for my actions and comments over the last several weeks. My problems with the LDS church are my own. For some reason I left the church but I can't seem to stay away. Something keeps drawing me back to it, and I need to figure out what that is. Once again, I am truly sorry if I have offended anyone on this forum, as that was not my intention. I need to figure out why I left the church, but why I keep wanting to come back.

cullenh · #2 (**permalink**) 07-16-2008, 04:31 PM

Michael no problem here!!! and yes you do need to figure those things out and I for one hope that you are able to do that and find the happiness and joy that you deserve! Keep us posted!

ruthiechan · #3 (**permalink**) 07-16-2008, 04:47 PM

I just figured you were a fellow trying to work things out and find his way. Such is a frustrating experience. Mayhaps you are looking at things backwards. You seem to focus on what you do not like, but instead focus on what you DO like. That may very well help you figure out why you keep coming back.

Just be patient with yourself. Soul-searching is not an easy thing, but it is a necessary thing if you want a happy life. *hugs*

StrawberryFields · #4 (**permalink**) 07-16-2008, 04:59 PM

Nice of you to consider posting this although I have not seen your posts.

I am not sure if this is the case with you but sometimes we let the "people of the church" get into the way of which we see truth.

Good Luck and I hope you stick around there are great people here.

Hugs, SF

Islander · #5 (**permalink**) 07-16-2008, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelPAGuy

I would like to issue a public apology to everyone on this board for my actions and comments over the last several weeks. My problems with the LDS church are my own. For some reason I left the church but I can't seem to stay away. Something keeps drawing me back to it, and I need to figure out what that is. Once again, I am truly sorry if I have offended anyone on this forum, as that was not my intention. I need to figure out why I left the church, but why I keep wanting to come back.

Love you man. I hope you come to understand your world and the desires of your heart that took you away from the church.

I am not the great theologian. I am one, however, greatly acquainted with repentance and the Atonement on account of my former life before finding the Gospel. I can tell you that it is the enemy of all flesh that convince man not to pray and to turn his back on God. Do not surrender to him who has lied from the foundation of the world.

Have faith and struggle to regain the desire to please and make peace with God so that your heart will also gain peace.

Take care and do not go away. Stay around.

MichaelPAGuy · #6 (**permalink**) 07-16-2008, 05:53 PM

Thank you everyone for your support and understanding. I have a vacation in about 5 weeks. I live about 3 hours away from 2 different temples. I was thinking about driving to one of them to visit the grounds. Walk along, do some thinking and praying. Maybe visiting the visitors center. Hopefully this will work itself out.

Tamrajh · #7 (**permalink**) 07-16-2008, 05:57 PM

It will only work itself out if you work on it with prayer and an open heart. Been there, done that myself. It's a long, lonely and awfully dark road you're on. I hope you find your way soon and feel good about what you find there.

FayetteIA · #8 (**permalink**) 07-17-2008, 07:54 PM

I'm a newbie so I missed all your reasons for the apology. As for questioning the church...we all do..some of us do it on a grander scale. My advice would be..The Gospel of Jesus Christ is simpl..do not let it become overwhelming, the Lord never meant for us to feel that way. If people have offended you, do the duck thing..we are all imperfect people who will say and do the wrong things at the worst times. I do not believe people ever mean to be hurtful..it just reaches our ears and hearts that way sometimes..because...we are in a fragile mode..for whatever reason. It's okay. Give yourself permission to ask the Lord if He loves you..once you know that..everything else is a cakewalk...

Joni

nannysherri · #9 (**permalink**) 07-17-2008, 10:16 PM

Just my own thoughts, but I think people tend to question the people in the church instead of the church. If what you are after is a testomony of truth then where you need to go is to is your desire and to be humble to ask God for an answer. If you are sitting in church on Sunday and not feeling part of it rember that is what Satin wants you to feel. When a prayer is offered spend some time after the amen meditating and ask in your heart to feel the Holy Ghost that he prayer was heard and you are feeling that union with Hevenly Father. Do your best to keep your thought and not let your eyes wonder around the chapel. What will all this do it will be a start of a testomony for you. The gospel is true but the people are not perfect and many can be cruel, it is not right but it happens. Don't just come back to church but come back into the fold of the Saviour, this is his Gospel.

FayetteIA · #10 (**permalink**) 07-18-2008, 01:03 PM

Nannysherrie..I love your comments

.. Actually as I was reading through the responses I thought of incidents in my own family. Btw my husband and myself we have 8 living adult children (we lost one 3 yrs ago), we also have sib's who are members of the church. Of the total family we have 19 church members. Of that number 5 are active. Last year my daughter and my sister were going through a repentance process, which neither "endured to the end"..yet..(I had to add the "yet") At some point in each of their progression(s) they reported feeling "outcast". To us, their Branch members were really going the extra mile to include them in the Branch Family. However, we only saw the "outer coating" At some point each of them became embittered and critical of any infraction they noticed in another. Most noticeable was the criticism of family members. As in "A worthy priesthood holder wouldn't use that word...." Well..it does happen and the Priesthood holder repents.

Looking back I realize that their hearts were not quite right yet either...you need an open mind. It amazes me that we can exist in our community allowing for all sorts of criticisms, judgements and oddities without a blink of an eye. However at church, more particular the LDS church we set a higher standard for our brothers and sisters than say our neighbor. I feel we need to be as accepting of failings in members of our wards/branches as we would i our neighborhood.

I guess my point is. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect. We are not. We can never be perfected in this life. We do and will err. I do not believe we ever intend to harm others, but it does happen. If we are aware of the offense we should appropriately deal with it. If we are the receiver of an offense, we also need to be responsible and go to that person and deal with it. After all. they maybe clueless it happened.

We tend to get so caught up in the details we lose sight of the goal...for a time, my sister and daughter have backslid again. I cannot give up, because the Lord won't give up on them. It is the same with us here...do not give up because someone is rude..or seemingly unfeeling..Most of the time that is not the case at all.

Joni