Yes and No

I had trouble deciding what to call this post.

So Close and Yet So Far.
Close, But No Cigar.
Every Cloud Has Its Silver Lining.

Basically what it comes down to is this:  Yes!  Really?  I agree with your words but not your intent.

It didn't take long for news of Elder Russell M. Nelson's commencement address to reach the Mormon internet hangouts.  Deseret News even covered it. For the record, their coverage isn't surprising in any way.  They usually have something about all the commencements at all the BYU campuses.   Before I read the Deseret News story, I had already seen reports in a few Facebook groups and I had read some blog responses, and I'll be honest, responses were not happy.  And in reading the Deseret News story, neither was I.  OK, I'll be honest again.  I'm still not happy, but I took the time to watch the video and it's not as bad as I expected.  I watched the video because the title that Deseret News used and a couple of the places where they paraphrased instead of quoting actually seemed to be the most offensive parts of the talk.

This is the title of the Deseret News piece by Marianne Holman.

Elder Russell M. Nelson speaks at BYU commencement: Disciples of Jesus Christ are defenders of marriage

These are the two problem spots from the article.

Because of that, true disciples — those who are able to stand for what is right — are needed, especially those who are defenders of marriage, he said.

and

Although the “burden of discipleship is heavy,” he said that disciples of the Lord will have help and protection as they stand as defenders of marriage.  

Most of the comments I was reading online, including this blog and this blog interpreted that as "true disciples of Christ are defenders of traditional marriage (meaning they will fight against marriage equality for gays)." Because I am always one to give a person the benefit of the doubt, I actually watched the entire address (three or four times if you count searching for and typing the parts I want to share here).  I specifically listened for "true disciples" and either "traditional marriage" or "same-sex marriage" to be used in the same sentence.  I'm happy to say that he chose his words very carefully.  It's not there.  No easy sound bite.  But the way he frames it leaves no doubt about the intent, at least not to me.  He wants people engaged in the fight against legalizing same-sex marriage.  And this is the part that is troubling to the Mormon LGBT community and allies.  A man that we sustain as a prophet, seer, and revelator used commencement (not even General Conference or a fireside or a talk in regular church, but commencement!) to address this touchy political and religious subject.  And I'm sorry, but I have to agree with some commenters.  If disciples of Christ are defenders of traditional marriage, the opposite seems implied:  if you in favor of marriage equality you are not a disciple of Christ.  Who gets to decide if I actually qualify as a disciple of Christ?  Me and Christ. Nobody else.  Unfortunately, many people in the Mormon church believe that publicly disagreeing with the words of a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, like the bloggers I linked to above did or as I am doing now, is wrong.  (How wrong seems to be linked to how vocal you are, how public you are, and if you are male or female.)

__________

Moving on because this post really is about the good stuff in the talk.

__________

What I found as I listened is that there are many good and beautiful things expressed here if you can read between the lines or remove his obvious agenda.  That is what this post is really about--all the things that he and I agree on, and my slightly different take on some of what he said.

He started out great.  He does talk about families and eternal families, but he also talks about the power of strong partnerships and working together and even mentions examples of other kinds of partnerships.  (The Mayo brothers, lawyers, and others.) Improvements depend upon collaboration and agreement.   He talks about the skills of sharing insights, efforts, and building consensus.   Even though he keeps referencing husband and wife I like this because he also included other kinds of partnerships.  He even says that we need to develop our own attributes and character.  So far so good.

He says, it's time for you to define your own goals and expectations. Rather than focusing on what you need to do,  zero in on what you are to be.  Still good.

He asks what you would like to have said about you at your funeral?  The first things he references are being a good father or mother, and I let that slide because I know it is important to many even though it will probably never be a part of my life.  He lists some other great things, and then shifts to virtues, segueing into more family/marriage talk.  He uses the word relationships and I love that.  I also think that our biggest opportunities for growth happen in relationships.  He would probably say that that happens in families.  I think it can happen in lots of kinds of relationships.

Male and female are created for what they can do and become together.

I love this idea.  Not so much as one male plus one female can accomplish X, but as the need to be interdependent, to view relationships and every part of the world as an essential part of our own experience.

He says that by our individual and family examples, we can tell the world how God defines marriage.  I'm with him on this, but I just don't think that there is sufficient evidence for us to really know what God thinks about this. I think this is one of those areas that we just plain don't have all the light and truth about yet.

Slight tangent--I'm looking forward to the day when we hear something similar to this quote from Bruce R. McConkie given shortly after the the change in policy and doctrine related to the priesthood and temple ordinances for blacks.

Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world.
We get our truth and our light line upon line and precept upon precept. We have now had added a new flood of intelligence and light on this particular subject, and it erases all the darkness and all the views and all the thoughts of the past. They don’t matter any more.
It doesn’t make a particle of difference what anybody ever said about the Negro matter before the first day of June of this year, 1978. It is a new day and a new arrangement, and the Lord has now given the revelation that sheds light out into the world on this subject.

Back to Elder Nelson.

He gives a great quote from Paul that I think many people on both sides of this issue can relate to.  In the world at large, some Mormons are feeling persecuted because they are defending traditional marriage.  But it applies the other way too.  LGBT Mormons and allies within the church don't have an easy road either.

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2 Timothy 3:12 

Elder Nelson says,

It will not be comfortable for true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

(See the second blog post above for another perspective on true disciples.)

The day is gone when you can be a quiet and comfortable Christian. Your religion is not just about showing up for church on Sunday.  It's about showing up as a true disciple from Sunday morning through Saturday night,  24/7.  There is no such thing as a part-time disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Amen!!!!  I can no longer just sit in the pews and nod and pretend smile when I don't agree.  I can't sit and watch people hurt my friends.  I have to proclaim the truth with kindness even when it is unpopular.

I believe you will be courageous and proclaim God's truth with clarity and kindness even when his truth is politically unpopular.

Again, a fabulous quote.  I will just add this, what about when it's unpopular at church?

Disciples of the Lord are defenders of marriage.  We cannot yield.  

Yes.  I am all about defending marriage.  Although I'm not currently married, I see it as a good and wonderful thing and I do think that God is pleased when there are strong marriages. But defending marriage isn't about preventing certain people from being able to marry.  It's about making sure your own marriage is strong.  Can we be defenders of marriage that speak out about abuse?  Can we be defenders of marriage that advocate for more family time?  Can we be defenders of marriage that support and love our same-sex married friends?  I feel called to defend those marriages too.

The future of marriage and of countless human lives will be determined by your willingness to bear solemn witness of the Lord and live according to his Gospel. 

I'm with him on this too although we might disagree about what the gospel is.

Elder Nelson reminds us that we take upon ourselves the name of Christ, and renew that covenant every time we take the sacrament.  I'm totally with him on this too, but I think we have some different ideas about what this means.  He seems to mean that we need to fall in line and do whatever the church leaders say.  To me, it means that we remember the most important thing Jesus taught:  love.  That is what the gospel is, not a bunch of rules and not trying to keep other people from having the opportunity for happiness, growth, and love in their lives.

I'm totally open to the possibility that I'm wrong and he's totally right.  But I still feel that we are a long way from having the full truth, all the light and knowledge, that God wants us to have about this issue.  We've come a long way, but there is still a long way to go.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer:  The thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog post are mine and do not represent and are not sponsored by and church or other organization.  

Also, I am well aware that this might be the post in which I cross the line and get myself into trouble.  

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints recently made changes to the Church Handbook of Instructions, specifically with regards to internet use and social media. You can see some of the changes here.  In that article they also link to the Handbook itself where you can read more.  I followed that link and read this in the section about the personal use of the internet by the members.

Members are encouraged to share messages from official Church websites and social accounts, as well as their own words, images, and media. As members express their own thoughts and feelings, they should not give the impression that they represent or are sponsored by the Church.

It concerns me because we are repeatedly asked to be representatives of the church, to share the gospel with everyone we come in contact with.  In that context, I think this has the potential to back fire.

"I'm a Mormon! Ask me about the LDS church! But you should know that nothing I say actually counts. It's just my opinion, not church doctrine."

Even when I was a child we were asked to write our testimonies in the front cover of Books of Mormon and give them to people. Now it seems like if we want people to follow this rule regarding things that the church might not want reflecting poorly on them, we also need to add a disclaimer to every testimony shared.

"I know the church is true. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet. But those are just my own thoughts and feelings and do not represent and are not sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints."

It's messy.  We are the church (the body of Christ, diverse individuals with one purpose) but we are not the Church (First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, PR department).

On one level, this instruction is great because it acknowledges that we are one church but we don't necessarily all think and feel and believe the same things.  But it also gives the impression that anything that doesn't come stamped with the Church's famous trademarked logo doesn't count for anything, when in reality, it is the testimonies, thoughts, and feelings of the members that are at the core of what many believe the church to be.

It's good to stop and think about what you are sharing.  Using phrases like, "In my opinion," or "In my experience," or even, "I believe," would make some church meetings far more bearable.  There are a lot of things that aren't exactly doctrinal that get shared in Sunday School and other meetings.

The hard part is determining what is actually doctrine and what is not.  In the Mormon world lines get blurry between doctrine, policy, and culture.  And don't think you can look to past and present General Authorities to sort things out.  For a wide-range of ideas, I can find conflicting statements from different prophets, seers, and revelators.  Part of that comes from the fact that we believe in continuing revelation.  Generally what we are taught is that the doctrine that counts is what we have heard most recently from our leaders.  Brigham Young and Bruce R. McConkie (and a lot of others) were wrong about black people.

The other thing that bothers me is that the Church (capital C) makes statements on my behalf that I don't necessarily agree with (especially regarding same-sex marriage).  Because I am a member, people judge me by the actions and statements of the entire Church.  But…I am only a member, and the Church (whoever The Church is) doesn't want my thoughts and actions reflecting poorly on them.  I get it, but I don't like it.

Therefore, I am publishing this blog post as a disclaimer for all things I say or write anywhere regarding any topic at any time in the future.  I do not represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, nor am I sponsored by them in any way.  

I will continue to speak and write about the Church, both the good and the bad.  I've lived my life trying not to make other people or organizations look bad.  It's not a bad ideal, but it means that I've silenced myself too much.  I have to talk and share and discuss and debate if I am to grow.  I can no longer just sit and listen and keep my thoughts to myself if I don't agree.

There is a Season

I'm a planner.  I like to set goals and map out how I can get there.  I can make any plan look good on paper.  My 2010 New Year's Resolutions are awesome.  And they are still posted on my refrigerator because although they were great goals, I haven't accomplished many of them.

Life is really about making plans and being flexible enough to adjust as other things come your way.  That is what this summer has been.

My summer plans:

• Read a lot and do reviews for my book blog.  
• Add boot camp to the two times a week I was already at the gym so I'd get a good cardio and strength training workout at least 3 times a week.  
• Gradually build up my endurance so that by the end of the summer I could walk to the gym, do my circuit training or boot camp and walk home.  
• Daily tai chi and qigong to help prepare for the classes I will be a teaching assistant for in the fall.  
• Revise lesson plans, studio documents, and website for my voice studio.  
• Update my song catalog.
• Explore new musical theatre repertoire.
• Do most of the work for my NCTM.  (National music teacher certification program offered through MTNA.)
• Deep clean my house and keep up with regular cleaning. 
• Cut out dairy, chocolate, and sugar (all of which I know cause more pain, depression, inflammation, etc.) 
• Blog a lot on all 3 blogs.  

What I've really done towards those goals:

• Almost completed reading one book about teaching.  Read a few other books, but haven't really done any book reviews yet.  
• Cut back at the gym because I couldn't pay for boot camp or personal training. 
• Dealt with Fibromyalgia flare ups.  If I'm in pain at half a mile, it doesn't really matter if I have the physical endurance to go longer.  This kind of pain is not good to push through.  I definitely won't be achieving my walk to the gym goal.  
• I'm not even close to the daily tai chi practice that was my goal, but I did do 4 tai chi depth classes, teacher certification for seated tai chi and fall prevention, and a 1 day Shibashi workshop.
• I'm actually doing well with the goal to revise lesson plans, studio documents, and website for my voice studio.  It's not all done, but I am on target to be there by the time school starts.  
• Song catalog updates are slower than I planned.  This got bumped to the bottom of the priority list.  
• I have explored a little more musical theatre rep.  Again, not as much as I wanted, but not a total fail.  
• I had to drop the NCTM classes because I couldn't pay for them or the application.  I thought I would do more on my own, but other things got in the way.  
• Total fail on the cleaning stuff.  Again, other things got in the way or if I did actually have time, I didn't have energy.  
• Grief asked for chocolate ice cream (among other things.)  I could only cope with so much at once.  I'm doing better.  Today is day 3 sugar free.  I'm not cutting out all the dairy yet.  
• I've done some blogging, but it's been a hard summer for writing.  

What I wasn't planning on but spent more time and energy on instead:

• Grieving.  
• Stressing over money.  
• Exploring options to bring in more money.  I have some great plans for the future.  We'll see what actually gets done.  
• Digging, exploring, examining, and reflecting on what I believe and why.
• Planning for a big part I have in an upcoming fundraiser.
• I got involved in a new scripture study group in a new (to me) FB group.  
• Salad everyday (or almost every day.)  I can't get enough.  

I just have to keep reminding myself that I can't do everything right now. And as much as I plan, I have to also be flexible enough to deal with what life throws at me.  "To everything there is a season."  Unfortunately, I don't always get a lot of say in which season I'm in.  

Summer isn't over yet.  I'm interested to see what actually happens in these next few weeks.  

Armor Up: Final Post

Last post.  Someone needs to remind me that I should never tackle subjects that will take this many posts to cover.  We went a lot places I didn't expect to go.  And this final post is not about the energy aspect of armoring up at all.  No.  It actually kind of is.  Prayer, peace, love, grace, and maybe even faith are really just different words for energy and different ways of using it.

Prayer

You can't finish a discussion of this chapter without saying something about prayer.  So here are my deep thoughts.  Whatever it means to you, do it.  Prayer doesn't have to follow a formula to count.  It just needs to be a way of opening yourself to guidance from whoever or whatever you believe in.  Read Anne Lamott's Help, Thanks, Wow: Three Essential Prayers.

Peace

I mentioned early on in these posts that this whole armor of God thing never really resonated with me because I am such a pacifist.  This morning I realized that this chapter really is all about peace, but Paul needed to use something the people understood, which unfortunately was war.  Right before he starts into the description of the armor, Paul says this:

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

He's not saying, "Go to battle for God."
He's saying you can be protected and strong through God, through truth, righteousness, the preparation of the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God.

Even today, the rhetoric is colored with war.  We talk about a battle against sin and evil, because that is the only way that some people can conceptualize it.  But the real truth (or at least what I believe and feel as truth) is that peace will never come through war.  Peace will only come when we choose peace and love above all else.

Post by Jeannine Robinett.

Paul ends this letter to the Ephesians with these words. 

23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

We quote the verses about armor and battle a lot.  Maybe it's time to start quoting the ones about peace, love, faith, and grace a little bit more.

Armor Up: The Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit

Paul threw these two together into the same verse (OK, technically that was probably scribes and translators), so I feel just fine about doing one quick, short post to cover both.

The Helmet

The helmet protects the skull which in turn protects the brain.  If you have any doubts about how important brain health is, spend some time exploring this site.  Brain damage doesn't just affect the physical things you do.  It affects your personality, how you think, and how you interact with others.  Paul might not have know all the details of how the brain works, but they certainly knew back then how important it was to protect the head.  

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, two very important energy points are found on the head.  (These correspond roughly with the 6th and 7th Chakras).  Located at the forehead between the eyebrows, the upper dan tien is often associated with spirit.  The Bai Hui point at the crown of the head is sometimes called the Hundred Meetings or Hundred Convergences point because of all the meridians that start or end there.  From an energetic standpoint, both of these points make the head something well worth protecting.  

Although the people of Paul's time probably had some different ways of thinking about the head, we tend to associate it with the mind, with awareness, with consciousness, and with understanding.  

Salvation

Salvation is literally to save.  Most people believe it to mean deliverance from our sins and the consequences of those sins through the atonement of Jesus Christ.  

The helmet of salvation might just simply be our understanding of the atonement.  

And that means that I need to share my definition of atonement.  Again, I have many words that I get, but I don't get.  It was actually the study of tai chi and some Buddhist principles that helped me come up with this definition that makes sense to me.  (And it's fine if it doesn't make sense to you this way.)

Atonement is empathy across time and space (Jesus taking on all the pains and sins of the world while in the Garden of Gethsemane) creating a oneness, a wholeness, and a unity which enables us to transform any sin, weakness, pain, or sorrow into something better and stronger. The Atonement is empathy and transformation.

The Sword of the Spirit

There's all sorts of symbolism we could explore about swords.  For my purposes right now, the sword is simply an instrument or tool.  As weapons, swords are used both offensively, and defensively.  You won't last long in a sword fight unless you know how to block your opponents attack.  The parry may be even more important than the strike.  

Here's your interesting little tidbit from tai chi about weapons.  In the weapons forms of tai chi, the weapon (sword, saber, fan, staff, etc.) is seen as an extension of the qi of the user.  My qi flows through my fan.  

The Word of God

Revelation, whether delivered directly to an individual or through an individual to a group, is often what we think of when we talk about the word of God.  Scriptures are one source of the word of God.  

The word of God is not a weapon of offense.  It is part of the defense.  It is a tool that we can use to strengthens ourselves.  

Perhaps Paul (or scribes and translators) put the helmet and the sword together because they saw that the word of God helps us to understand the atonement.  As I embrace compassion, empathy, unity and transformation (which I've learned more about in tai chi and qigong than in church), I am carrying the sword of the spirit and wearing the helmet of salvation.  

Armor Up: The Shield of Faith

This little project turned in to something much bigger for me.  I anticipate one or two posts, not a post per part of the armor.  But I was thinking a lot and writing a lot and it was a good focus for me. I had some nice insights, but now it's time to wrap it all up.  Hopefully, I'll be done this weekend.  We just have shields, helmets, and swords left to talk about and then we'll finish with a little insight I had this morning.  

The Shield 

When you think about shields as part of traditional armor, they're actually pretty amazing.  They're movable.  Assuming you're well trained and fast enough, a shield can provide an extra layer of protection over any vulnerable point of the body.  One source explained it this way:

The shield moves with the attack, no matter the direction.  

The usefulness of this type of shield is limited by its size and shape and the fact that most people just carry one so the other arm can hold a weapon.  (I'm much more interested in the sci-fi energy shield that basically just put you in a bubble that nothing can penetrate.  But, since Paul didn't know about those and since "nothing can penetrate" goes back to the draw-backs of armoring up that Brene Brown talks about, we won't go there today.)

Faith

Faith is one of my problem words, the words I can define, and give you scripture references for, and maybe even inspire you to have more, but I don't really get it.  (See this post for more information on concepts I struggle with and why.)  I think one of the reasons I struggle with faith is that I equate it with trust and at various points in my life, I have had major trust issues.  

In Alma Chapter 32, we read about experimenting on the word by planting a seed. If it's good and true, that seed begins to grow and we can recognize the truth of that thing by what it does.

It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

At this point in my life, I'm choosing those three criteria for how to proceed with faith.  Does it enlarge my soul or does it crush my spirit?  Do I feel enlightened (love that word!) or burdened and confused?  Is it delicious to me in a way that makes me want more, or does if feel like I have to choke it down whether I want to or not?

I find it very interesting that the answers to those same three questions are why I continue to study, practice, and teach tai chi and qigong.

The Shield of Faith

When used as a shield, faith creates a buffer zone between us and the enemy's attacks.  It covers those places that the basic pieces of armor don't.  It moves with you.  You can put it wherever it is needed the most.  Faith fills in the gaps.  (And there are oh so many gaps in our understanding.)

But this faith, like a shield, is still limited.  It's not perfect knowledge.  And you can't do the shield thing with both hands (all your time, energy, etc.) You still have to live your life and all that that entails with your other hand.  

Maybe the shield of faith is about learning to work with both real life AND faith at the same time, both interacting and protecting.  

All the other armor is something that I put on (or that someone puts on me), and I hope it works.  But the shield is something that I either pick up, or accept when someone hands it to me.  It's operation is not automatic.  I must do something to benefit from this piece of equipment.  The breastplate itself will lesson the effect of a blow to the chest just by being there.  But I am in charge of where my shield of faith is and which blows I attempt to block with it.  

The Shield of Faith as Energy

When I think about how energy ties into this shield of faith thing (and actually all the armor of God), I think about zipping up.  There is not a way to explain this quickly and easily that doesn't sound a little crazy, but this link has a fairly simple version.  Energetically, zipping up is about protecting you from the negative energy around you, deflecting the blows and arrows that the world throws at you (intentional or unintentionally).  "Quenching the fiery darts" seems like another great description.  In theory, you can block the negative energy and prevent people from drawing away your energy, and still be open to receiving love and feeling compassion and empathy for those around you.

Faith is belief with some trust mixed in.

In qigong we sometimes talk about "Yi dao, qi dao," which means where your intention (or attention or awareness) goes, qi (energy) follows.

Perhaps faith is intention.

I'm an Explorer

I've been having a wonderful conversation with a friend through FB messenger and thought that these sections were good enough to share for blog post.  

I believe in God. I believe that he cares for us deeply and wants for us those things that will help us to grow and become more like him. I believe that his influence can be seen and felt in many ways in this world. I'm not planning to convert to Catholicism, but I do see God working through Pope Francis. And I see God when I look at the Dalai Lama or Desmond Tutu. I think they are among the most Christ-like people alive today.

 

…

You asked, "What parts of other religions appeal to you?" The simplest answer is that many religions talk about similar concepts but talk about them in different ways, using a different vocabulary. As you're probably well aware, I'm a word nerd. Each word carries a slightly different connotation than it's synonyms. By exploring different religions, I open up my perspective. 

As a voice teacher, I know that every student learns differently and will need to find their own best way to approach vocal technique. Although I taught the same principles to you and other students, the actual exercises and ways of talking about the technique that I used with you might be very different from another student that I was teaching at the same time. To take this comparison even further, when you went to college, you were ready for new ways to approach vocal technique. The goals of your college teacher and my goals are probably pretty similar, but how you learn, what you are ready to learn, and the insights and experiences of your teachers all effect what you learn. That's where I feel like I am religion. 

I mentioned before that Mormons believe that we existed before we began this life and we will continue to exist after it. We also believe that the choices we make in this life affect where we will spend the afterlife. Although I'm not sure I totally believe in reincarnation, studying it in the context of religions that do helps me to gain insight about this idea of eternal progression. I'm not content to think that when I die, I have done everything that I can to learn and grow and will be assigned to stay at that level for the rest of eternity. I think I will continue to have learning experiences. 

I'm very interested in Catholic saints. Although I don't really agree with the process of how that church declares them saints, I am fascinated by their lives and find a lot of insights as I read about them, or read their words. As a musician, you'd probably be interested in Saint Hildegard of Bingen. Fascinating woman with a great story. 

I'm also very interested in religions that talk about the Divine Feminine or goddesses. Although it is not talked about a lot, Mormons do believe that we have a Heavenly Mother in addition to our Heavenly Father (God the Father). It fits well into the Mormon belief that our God has a physical body like ours, only perfected. Because there isn't much known about her and we don't really worship her exactly, I like to explore religions with goddesses, looking for major concepts or ideas about Her that maybe we have lost. Catholics don't really consider Mary a goddess, but they do revere her, certainly more than Mormons do, and look to her for guidance. (Just read the Ave Maria text.) 

The thing about exploring religions is that it really is an extremely broad topic. I've explored some of Islam, a little Buddhism, a very little Hinduism, and a lot of other branches of Christianity. I also have some pagan friends who have shared things with me. And although you don't really call atheism a religion, my atheist friends have taught me a lot about being a good and moral person without needing the incentives of punishment or reward from God. I've also done a little exploring into more New Age approaches to spirituality reading authors like Eckhart Tolle and Neale David Walsch. In fact, I love Walsch's take on the 10 commandments. He says that God explained to him that they're not really "do this to be good" statements. They are "you will notice this happening when you are on the right path" signposts. 

The world of Christianity alone is so huge and diverse that you could study just that for an entire lifetime and still not understand everything about every sect. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, had some fascinating ideas. As I read her work, their were many things that I just said, "Nope, doesn't work for me." But there were other ideas that I really like. I remember reading her explanation of the atonement and it clicked with me more than any other thing I had learned up to that point. 

This link takes you to a religion tree. It's not 100% accurate, but it does give you a wonderful idea about just how diverse the world of spirituality is. (If I remember correctly, it lists Mormonism as growing out of Methodism. Joseph Smith did have exposure to Methodism, which is probably why the chart maker put it there, but Mormons believe that the LDS church is not a branch, but actually the restoration of the true gospel of Jesus Christ that he taught and organized when he was on earth. Also, you'll see branches on the Eastern religions sides that take you to tai chi and yoga. Neither one is a religion in and of itself, but they grew out of and are influenced by their parent religions. Many practitioners do use tai chi and yoga as part of a spiritual practice. 

I'd love to hear more about what you believe and why. No rush or time limit, just get back to me when you can. 

The invitation I gave her is open to you to.  What do you believe?  Why? What difference does it make in your life and the way you live?