D-News Reports 63,500 Missionaries Are Serving

[smac97]

13 minutes ago, cinepro said:

In cases of perceived "fact", the psychological effects are amplified, not diminished, compared to "opinion."

Once you say "I know (such and such)", you've locked your mental machinery into place and your brain will work overtime to collect data that supports that statement, and diminish or reinterpret (or ignore) data that contradicts is.

I have long been uncomfortable with this affectation.  We hear it all the time in Fast and Testimony Meeting.  It's almost a mantra.  "I'd like to bear my testimony.  I know this Church is true."

Except that I think most of us don't "know."  We believe.  We erroneously say "I know" for emphasis, the same way some people erroneously use "literally" for emphasis ("I literally cannot wrap my head around the fact that Donald Trump is president!").

I often think of this passage from Alma 32:

Quote

17 Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe.

18 Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.

There is something quietly beautiful about sharing a testimony that more accurately reflects the reality that "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7).  For me, that means declaring what I believe.

13 minutes ago, cinepro said:

And a testimony is a statement of opinion worded as a statement of fact.

I don't think it is supposed to be either.  It is intended to be a statement of faith.  Of belief.  That we have experienced something given to us from God.  See this entry from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism (under "Testimony of Jesus Christ"):

Quote

For Latter-day Saints, the first principle of the gospel is faith in Jesus Christ. This faith is intertwined with "the testimony of Jesus," which is received from God, "for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Rev. 19:10). Joseph Smith said, "No man can know that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost" (TPJS, p. 223; 1 Cor. 12:3). The essence of a testimony is a personal inward assurance of Jesus Christ's divinity, and it provides the fundamental basis for a Christian life. One becomes a disciple of Christ in the fullest spiritual sense only when a personal testimony of Jesus is received.

To have such a testimony is to be conscious that God has borne witness within one's soul by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ (D&C 46:13). How is this witness obtained? As Paul wrote, "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). The testimony of Jesus Christ comes to those who hear of him. But to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ preached is not yet to have a testimony of him. Divine confirmation must also be received, usually in answer to sincere prayer. These three elements usually occur in a sequence: hearing, praying, receiving the divine witness by the Spirit.

It is my opinion that Capitalism is a superior economic model to Socialism.  I have arrived at this opinion through study and making up my own mind.

It is my testimony that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  I have arrived at this through study and confirmation from what I believe to be the Holy Spirit.

13 minutes ago, cinepro said:

No one says "I have had strong feelings that I interpret to be the supernatural influence of what we believe is God, and based on these strong feelings I am confident but not certain that the claims of the CoJCoLdS are true." 

Correct.  But plenty of people say "I believe..."

13 minutes ago, cinepro said:

We just use shorthand to present it as if it were knowledge, because if we were clear about the number of assumptions going into that line of reasoning, it would be obvious how tenuous that "knowledge" actually is.

I quite agree.  I don't like "I know that..." as a shorthand substitute for "I believe that..." or "I have faith that..."  In fact, I find it somewhat damaging.  It creates a feeling of one-upmanship.  If Person A shares a testimony that starts with "I believe..." and Person B shares a testimony that starts with "I know...", both are probably operating on faith, not knowledge.  But "I know" has come to be a flawed default expression of belief (sort of like "literally" has come to be a flawed expression of its antonym - "figuratively").

I would really like to see us dropping the "I know" stuff, as well as the other formulaic phrases that creep into testimonies and prayers.

Thanks,

-Smac

[california boy]

I just have to say, I am really saddened to read all of these accounts of missionaries not being dedicated to their missions.  But it was their choice.  And the effort they put into their mission is a reflection of what they got out of it.  Like I said earlier in this thread, I loved my mission.  It was really a valuable experience for me.  I look back on it with only fond memories.  I related that I decided to serve a mission so that I could say to God before the judgement bar as He weighed my fate that at least I served Him for 2 years.  But earlier on in my mission, I realized that it was me that was receiving the benefit of a mission.  Of course my mission had missionaries that were just filling their time.  As their Zone Leader, I would sit down with them and tell them it was entirely their choice.  They could continue on the course they were on and the end result would be that they got very little out of their mission.  Or they could make the best of the situation and really make a difference.  They would forever look back on these two years with pride, knowing that they did their very best for God.  I really believed that.  I still do.  Most of them changed and went on to have a wonderful mission that they could be proud of.  

I have several grand nieces and nephews currently serving missions.  The next generation, just beginning that phase of their lives.  I am on their email list, so get weekly letters from them.  I am grateful that my older sister included me.  They are having great missions.  They are working hard and having good experiences.  Their missions don't sound much different than mine.  They aren't sitting in their apartments playing video games.  So perhaps, just as in the past, each missionary has to decide what kind of mission they want to have.  And just like in the past, what you put into your mission is what you will get out.  You can't blame the church for that. You can only blame the individual that made that choice.

I may have my issues with the church. I may no longer believe that leaders of the church have any special connection with God.  And yes, some of the doctrine, claims and policies are very problematic.  But that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of good to be found in the Church.  It is not for everyone.  But for some, it can be a community that binds them with wonderful people trying to do what is right.

Edited August 25, 2018 by california boy

[JulieM]

12 hours ago, california boy said:

I just have to say, I am really saddened to read all of these accounts of missionaries not being dedicated to their missions.  But it was their choice.  And the effort they put into their mission is a reflection of what they got out of it.  Like I said earlier in this thread, I loved my mission.  It was really a valuable experience for me.  I look back on it with only fond memories.  I related that I decided to serve a mission so that I could say to God before the judgement bar as He weighed my fate that at least I served Him for 2 years.  But earlier on in my mission, I realized that it was me that was receiving the benefit of a mission.  Of course my mission had missionaries that were just filling their time.  As their Zone Leader, I would sit down with them and tell them it was entirely their choice.  They could continue on the course they were on and the end result would be that they got very little out of their mission.  Or they could make the best of the situation and really make a difference.  They would forever look back on these two years with pride, knowing that they did their very best for God.  I really believed that.  I still do.  Most of them changed and went on to have a wonderful mission that they could be proud of.  

I have several grand nieces and nephews currently serving missions.  The next generation, just beginning that phase of their lives.  I am on their email list, so get weekly letters from them.  I am grateful that my older sister included me.  They are having great missions.  They are working hard and having good experiences.  Their missions don't sound much different than mine.  They aren't sitting in their apartments playing video games.  So perhaps, just as in the past, each missionary has to decide what kind of mission they want to have.  And just like in the past, what you put into your mission is what you will get out.  You can't blame the church for that. You can only blame the individual that made that choice.

I may have my issues with the church. I may no longer believe that leaders of the church have any special connection with God.  And yes, some of the doctrine, claims and policies are very problematic.  But that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of good to be found in the Church.  It is not for everyone.  But for some, it can be a community that binds them with wonderful people trying to do what is right.

Great post!  Your attitude and you are pretty amazing, knowing what you've been through.  Thanks for sharing.