LDS Spirituality

[DonBradley]

All,

My journey in the Church once again continues to be very, very good. I am growing and greatly enjoying the renewed fellowship. I am also hungering...for more.

I want to learn more from the experience of others in their own spiritual lives. Ideally, this would probably take the form of having some really close, very spiritual friends here locally, with whom I could talk and perhaps even do occasional shared scripture study. But this isn't something I have right now. So, in the interim, I'm wondering if there are good places online to discuss spiritual life as a Latter-day Saint. Any recommendations?

Also, are there blogs, books, or other sources--in addition to the scriptures and the official Church sources--you've found particularly helpful and would recommend?

I particularly feel like I need to pray more deeply and meaningfully, strengthen my faith, experience the Spirit more fully and consistently, and do better at seeing my life in the context of the eternal/spiritual "big picture." I'm not in the Church to do this halfway, and I want to learn how to greatly deepen my spiritual life.

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Don

[Kevin Christensen]

All,

My journey in the Church once again continues to be very, very good. I am growing and greatly enjoying the renewed fellowship. I am also hungering...for more.

I want to learn more from the experience of others in their own spiritual lives. Ideally, this would probably take the form of having some really close, very spiritual friends here locally, with whom I could talk and perhaps even do occasional shared scripture study. But this isn't something I have right now. So, in the interim, I'm wondering if there are good places online to discuss spiritual life as a Latter-day Saint. Any recommendations?

Also, are there blogs, books, or other sources--in addition to the scriptures and the official Church sources--you've found particularly helpful and would recommend?

I particularly feel like I need to pray more deeply and meaningfully, strengthen my faith, experience the Spirit more fully and consistently, and do better at seeing my life in the context of the eternal/spiritual "big picture." I'm not in the Church to do this halfway, and I want to learn how to greatly deepen my spiritual life.

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Don

There are these:

http://www.meridianm...ticle/647?&ac=1

http://www.meridianm...ticle/646?&ac=1

http://www.meridianm...ticle/636?&ac=1

And of course, you could also talk to your local bishop about service opportunities and, depending on where you are, institute classes or such.

Kevin Christensen

Bethel Park, PA

[mercyngrace]

Don,

If you don't find a place, create a place. You establish a virtual front porch and I promise to come sit on the steps and chat your ears off

MnG

[Mortal Man]

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Have you read The Razor's Edge?

[mfbukowski]

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Don

I had no clue about the depth of "temple lore" available through conversations with ordinance workers- in the temple of course, the only place where such open conversation can happen.

Becoming an ordinance worker changed my life. Just ask your bishop.

[DonBradley]

There are these:

http://www.meridianm...ticle/647?&ac=1

http://www.meridianm...ticle/646?&ac=1

http://www.meridianm...ticle/636?&ac=1

And of course, you could also talk to your local bishop about service opportunities and, depending on where you are, institute classes or such.

Kevin Christensen

Bethel Park, PA

Thanks, Kevin. I'm checking out Institute, and I will check with my bishop on service opportunities. I'm sure he would have some for me. I'm interested in the Meridian articles you linked, but unfortunately the links aren't working for me. What articles are they?

Don

[DonBradley]

M&G,

I like the idea of creating a venue if I can't find one!

MFB,

You've got me intrigued about what that experience would be like. It wouldn't be a near-future event for me, since I was only recently baptized and can't yet go to the temple. But I'm filing it in my mind. Any idea whether I would be eligible for this, given my having left the church and then returned?

MM,

I wasn't aware of this novel, but I like Maugham and it sounds cool. I'll get hold of the The Razor's Edge. (Ouch!)

Thank you to each of you.

Don

[Duncan]

M&G,

I like the idea of creating a venue if I can't find one!

MFB,

You've got me intrigued about what that experience would be like. It wouldn't be a near-future event for me, since I was only recently baptized and can't yet go to the temple. But I'm filing it in my mind. Any idea whether I would be eligible for this, given my having left the church and then returned?

MM,

I wasn't aware of this novel, but I like Maugham and it sounds cool. I'll get hold of the The Razor's Edge. (Ouch!)

Thank you to each of you.

Don

I can't imagine them not allowing you! I think they would welcome you with open arms!

[DonBradley]

I can't imagine them not allowing you! I think they would welcome you with open arms!

I'll have to find out. Either way, your own enthusiastic embrace of that potential for me makes me smile.

Don

[Duncan]

I'll have to find out. Either way, your own enthusiastic embrace of that potential for me makes me smile.

Don

Like! I figure if you got baptized then whatever is in the past is in the past and you have moved forward, as evidenced by your baptism, and so should the local leaders-who obviously I don't know but I would imagine they would be eager to see you in the Temple!

[Kevin Christensen]

Thanks, Kevin. I'm checking out Institute, and I will check with my bishop on service opportunities. I'm sure he would have some for me. I'm interested in the Meridian articles you linked, but unfortunately the links aren't working for me. What articles are they?

Don

You are welcome Don.

I don't know why the links don't work in my post, but they do work in my MAD profile. They're to a three part essay I did for the Meridian a few years back called "A Model of Mormon Spiritual Experience." It my theory of everything.

Some of our LDS spirituality this week will involve cleaning the church. Then in a few weeks, standing outside in the cold for a few hours during a live nativity. I prefer feeding the missionaries and showing them my books, but some balance of solitude, intellectual interchange, and comfort-zone stretching service goes with what Eugene England describes in "Why the Church is as True as the Gospel."

Kevin Christensen

Pittsburgh, PA

[Calm]

Then in a few weeks, standing outside in the cold for a few hours during a live nativity.

Oh, that reminds me! Got to go find a goat.

[Kenngo1969]

MFB,

You've got me intrigued about what that experience [serving in the temple]would be like. It wouldn't be a near-future event for me, since I was only recently baptized and can't yet go to the temple. But I'm filing it in my mind. Any idea whether I would be eligible for this, given my having left the church and then returned? ...

Perhaps there is no hard-and-fast rule for this sort of thing and it depends, instead, on the inspiration/discernment of your local leaders. Perhaps in some cases a background akin to yours would disqualify one from serving as an ordinance worker, but I have extended family members who were excommunicated, rebaptized, serve a temple mission to Nauvoo and are now ordinance workers in the St. George temple, so I don't see why you couldn't do the same.

[rockslider]

did you follow any of this

http://www.mormonapologetics.org/topic/49663-hyrum-andrus/page__p__1208859324__hl__%2Bthe+%2Borator__fromsearch__1#entry1208859324

If interested pm me a mailing address

[mfbukowski]

MFB,

You've got me intrigued about what that experience would be like. It wouldn't be a near-future event for me, since I was only recently baptized and can't yet go to the temple. But I'm filing it in my mind. Any idea whether I would be eligible for this, given my having left the church and then returned?

I have been away a few days- I am doing additional research on this, hope I can help.