Comments about ‘Intellectuals don't have to leave church, Sunstone panel says’

Well...It's just like President Hinckley said,"They leave the church, but they can't leave the church alone". I suppose they can't leave it alone for various reasons i.e. Some do it for profit and gain by writing books. Some are like the persons above, that are really a continuous part of the church but have some "intellectual" ego they can't help themselves by trumpeting some self-learned, alleged chink in the armor of their testimony. And then you have the angered and embittered ones who take something personally as an offense, are unwilling to forgive and use that to trumpet and stay home and watch the NFL on Sundays.

Intellectuals? How is it defined? The best definition I ever heard was: "Anyone who can listen to the William Tell overture and NOT think of the "Lone Ranger."

I had all the same reasons for staying as these speakers. But then I realized that my family was being hurt by being marginalized and treated as outcasts. Just because their father was not a "mainstream LDS", they were suffering. I cannot stand to see my children being treated that way. So I sat them all down, told them "I don't believe the Church is true" (they already figured that out), and that I would not be going back. If they wanted to continue to go to Church and seminary, I would support them, but I would not be attending. Every one of them said they were tired of being hurt by the people in the Church. None of us have been back since. We are happier, more fulfilled, and have many more sincere friends than ever before! It was an inspired decision.

Maybe anonymous should use his great intellectual ability that saved his family from the insidious, unkind Mormons to read what some of the psychology journals have published on the "negative effects of perceived victimhood." Wah, Wah, Wah Wah. Life is a mirror; if you scowl at it it will scowl back. If you look for faults, you will surely see some. Fault-finding has very little to do with finding the truth.

re: Anonymous

What is "a 'mainstream LDS'"? There is a big difference from what is a stereotypical Latter-day Saint (e.g. conservative, minivan-driving, large family from Utah), and someone who is openly antagonistic towards the Church.

Most of us are busy enough trying to work out our own salvation to wrestle over where Kolob is or to bother debating the merits of "Origin of Species" ad ad nauseam.

Don't get me wrong, I am a scientist (microbiologist) and have some pretty strong views regarding the physical and natural history of the planet we live on. But as with my own personal faith I also recognize intellectually, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."

An intellectual curiosity is what drove Joseph Smith to ask questions and seek answers. To condem others for this same thing goes against the Gospel. We should all be asking questions and then studying to find answers. This also includes prayer and listening. Why do so many become so scared to ask questions. This is the way we learn. When you stop asking questions, you stop learning and growing. This is true of the Gospel as well as life.