Envy of Non-Members

[_ajax18]

Imagine if you put your 10% in a savings account. Would you still have to pay tithing on all that retirement money that you had grown when you decided to come back to church?

[_sock puppet]

Yes, I felt that way from the time of my baptism at age 8, to the day that I got out of Mormonism.

* * * * *

When I was on a mission, this topic was asked of a visiting GA. The response was the parable of the prodigal son, and 'taught' from Luke 15:11-32. The jealous son who stayed helping the father, jealous of the celebration thrown for the prodigal son when he returned, was told:

31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

The GA (likely Ballard or Poelman) said that the Celestial reward would be much greater if we accepted Mormonism in this life and lived it valiantly to the end.

* * * * *

The running joke in our mission was that if you did not have any baptisms for the month, you were doing your fellow man a favor by allowing him to live life to the fullest, and only in the afterlife owuld they accept Mormonism and get glory anyway.

[_CaliforniaKid]

One could ask a similar question about the provisions many religions make for the salvation of infants. On this view, it would seem abortion is a mercy.

[_Jason Bourne]

I recently posted this on another thread, and thought it would make an interesting stand-alone topic:

Understand that I grew up a faithful Latter-Day Saint. I specifically remember envying non-members. It honestly seemed to me like they had the "best of both worlds". Since they did not have the "blessing"/burden of the gospel, they were ignorant of many of their sins. They would be taught the gospel in the Millenium, when Christ was reining personally upon the earth! How easy would it be to accept the gospel then? Their sins would automatically be forgiven, washed away with baptism, and then they would be eligible for the Celestial Kingdom because they would then be perfect! I, on the other hand, having been "blessed" with the gospel in this life, could die in my sins if I'm not perfect, and be separated forever from my family.

For those of you who are members...did anyone else feel this way? Buffalo mentioned that he felt this way as well.

If you did, how did you come to reconcile these feelings?

You bet at times. I think I feel it more today though, interestingly enough. And I feel it both currently and for my past lost life. Ok so I could change it for the future I guess. But I will probably stay the anonymous hypocritical coward.

[_LDSToronto]

You bet at times. I think I feel it more today though, interestingly enough. And I feel it both currently and for my past lost life. Ok so I could change it for the future I guess. But I will probably stay the anonymous hypocritical coward.

For the record, I don't think that you, Jason, or anyone who is sincerely caught between the LDS world and any other world, is a hypocritical coward. One's relationship with the church can be extremely complex and I'd wager that those who are more thoughtful and reflective tend to have the hardest time making a transition away from their past life. Anonymity is a valid and reasonable way to bridge this gap.

H.

[_Yahoo Bot]

You bet at times. I think I feel it more today though, interestingly enough. And I feel it both currently and for my past lost life. Ok so I could change it for the future I guess. But I will probably stay the anonymous hypocritical coward.

It doesn't seem to bother you. But some day every knee will bow including yours.

[_Yahoo Bot]

Anonymity is a valid and reasonable way to bridge this gap.

H.

if you are a sociopath.

[_LDSToronto]

You bet at times. I think I feel it more today though, interestingly enough. And I feel it both currently and for my past lost life. Ok so I could change it for the future I guess. But I will probably stay the anonymous hypocritical coward.

It doesn't seem to bother you. But some day every knee will bow including yours.

Ah, yes, another doctrinal hole the size of the space between your ears, Robert. You do realize for every knee to bow and every tongue to confess, either *nobody* will reject the gospel (and thus, no need for the lower kingdoms) or some will be forced by compulsory means, which sounds a lot like the removal of agency.

H.

[_LDSToronto]

Anonymity is a valid and reasonable way to bridge this gap.

H.

if you are a sociopath.

or deal with them on message boards...

H.

[_Themis]

if you are a sociopath.

or deal with them on message boards...

H.

Zing