Beliefs

I've needed to say some things for a very long time. I finally can't get away from the feeling so I'm going to do it here. This year has been interesting as far as mormonism goes. I've had a few friends "quit" the church, and many movements have been spreading around to create "awareness" for certain issues and at times I wonder myself what is right and what is wrong. But there is a fix for that, for me at least. And that is the Book of Mormon. I haven't been reading it regularly as of late and that has been not so great for my spiritual health, but I still know it is true. That book is from God and it speaks to me. Or at least has spoken to me. And why should I forget the times it has spoken to me in the past? Those were very powerful experiences. And so when I hear "Joseph Smith did this" and "Joseph Smith lied about that" and stuff, the question should not be "Is the church he 'founded' a lie too?" Rather, I prefer to ask myself "Is the Book of Mormon still true?" Of course it is! I'm not going to be a Laman or a Lemuel and forget/disregard the spiritual experiences I have had. The Book of Mormon says itself "And if there be faults they be the faults of a man." Yes, Joseph Smith was a man. He probably had many faults. I prefer not to study them because that is not important. The important part is that The Book of Mormon came from God and Joseph Smith translated it and so he was a prophet. Just like that. Same thing in the church today. The question is not "Are the people in this church perfect?" but "Is this church directed by Jesus Christ?" I see around that there are many people with many faults. I choose to ignore them and go with what I know to be right, and that is the teachings of Jesus. Jesus would not hate another person, He would not shun somebody who has different views, He would not kick somebody out of church for not wearing best dress. Anybody who has read the Bible knows he said to "love one another" and "judge not" and "They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick." Everyone is welcome to come unto Him. Everyone is welcome to church. Everyone is welcome to be my friend (even if I am a horrible friend). I know that there are many members of the LDS church who may not fully understand these things, but that does not make me believe that it is not the Church of Jesus Christ. I believe that my church has the proper authority to administer sacred ordinances here on the earth and that I, personally, must still do my part to endure to the end, that I may find myself worthy to enter the Kingdom of God in the next life.