tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.comments2024-03-26T10:54:58.668-07:00I Glory In My JesusUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-55669033578847343902024-03-25T15:22:35.754-07:002024-03-25T15:22:35.754-07:00The scriptures you shared are teeming with energy ...The scriptures you shared are teeming with energy and vibrancy; the fact that our LDS wedding celebrations are so dreadful is perhaps an apt metaphor for the current condition of things. I went to Church yesterday and was mindful that I left with less of the Spirit than when I entered. I spent the evening pondering why that was.<br /><br />Yesterday the bishop in Sacrament Meeting expressed bewilderment at why people think we don't focus on Christ enough (it was Palm Sunday) when, he said, the Church's own "homepage on the internet has a beautiful picture depicting Him on it!" I wish I were kidding. We shuffled off to second hour and read from a General Conference talk. Maybe this is how Mormon felt at Cumorah.<br /><br />If I had read your post 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago, I probably would have resisted these ideas (even though you're just quoting the scriptures). Because if there's one thing we're taught growing up, it is the need for priesthood authority and getting our ordinances and covenants from lawful, authorized mortal administrators.<br /><br />Years ago I had a conversation with a family member about Albert Einstein. I had just read his biography and was enamored with some of Einstein's folk wisdom. Sharing my enthusiasm with my family member about what an amazing man he was, they were unimpressed. "Well, he won't get far in the next life without receiving baptism and temple work for the dead," they said.<br /><br />This was 25 years ago and was a very early "crack" in my false-armor: not the armor of God, but the spiritual armor of the adversary I had clothed myself in, believing (as Elder Bednar does) in salvation-as-legalism; being entrenched in the spirit of sectarianism.<br /><br />To use a football analogy: I used to care very much about who had "possession of the ball" on the field. But now I see how I had been deceived and distracted by the game being played on the field ― which was not the real game at all.<br /><br />I saw that the Lord was active in the bleachers, at the concession booth, in the parking lot. The Lord tried getting the attention of the players but they were too invested in the game. So the Lord was calling the destitute and downtrodden, the poor and marginalized to join him in playing a very different sort of game.<br /><br />Well, can you believe it? All my life I had been taught to keep my eyes on the quarterback and to follow his playbook. And gradually my eyes were opened, and I realized that the Lord didn't have a stake in which team won or in who took home the championship trophy. <br /><br />Instead, Christ was busy at work among those who hadn't even made the team ― the weak and simple things of the earth ― who didn't wear jerseys and who don't have letterman jackets. <br /><br />Then I saw that Satan was refereeing the field (how did I not see that before?), throwing flags and stirring up the players and the crowd. In their contentious rivalries, the fans in the stands cheered and cursed depending on who was winning. Satan worked to ensure that the game would go into double overtime.<br /><br />While everyone was caught up in the thrill of the competition, they failed to notice that one-by-one, the Lord was escorting a few here and few there away from the stadium. (End of analogy.)<br /><br />Thank you Ruth!Tim Merrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14066920043246009928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-50679236968960708412024-03-01T10:07:16.804-08:002024-03-01T10:07:16.804-08:00Ruth, your words sparked some creative impulse in ...Ruth, your words sparked some creative impulse in me; I stopped midway reading your post and put pen to paper. You've remarked in the past on the fact I like to write poetry; I suppose it's a way for me to express the ineffable; and this post inspired Fields of Asphodel: your vivid images of the filthy river containing miserable souls touched me deeply. Thank you. If you want to read the poem it is here: https://www.owlofthedesert.com/fields-of-asphodel.htmlTim Merrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14066920043246009928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-53336757296383537002024-02-12T09:02:17.330-08:002024-02-12T09:02:17.330-08:00BTW I wasn’t trying to find fault or tell anyone e...BTW I wasn’t trying to find fault or tell anyone else what to do. I was just sharing my experience. <br />LAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-36120684831321995642024-02-12T08:23:13.831-08:002024-02-12T08:23:13.831-08:00My experience is completely different. I was origi...My experience is completely different. I was originally taught to ask or command the spirits in the name of Jesus, but it never felt right to me. When I asked the Lord about it He told me to just turn it all over to Him. He knew what to do. It took some time and effort to let go of the way I had been taught because those teachings were so ingrained in me. But He helped me. Now I just ask Jesus to remove all spirits and the debris they leave behind from me and my home. He has never failed me. <br />LAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-77210430722137645252024-02-05T10:48:09.380-08:002024-02-05T10:48:09.380-08:00Thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate when peo...Thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate when people speak up so I can see how I'm being interpreted. <br /><br />I agree with everything you said. In the name of Jesus is THE way to cast out. I don't think trying to gain the demons name is a prerequisite to casting them out. <br /><br />I have had times when the spirit will not depart in the name of Jesus. For me, if the name is known, it has produced a greater component to the casting out. The names are typically quite simple, "The spirit of pride," "the spirit of hate," etc. <br /><br />There was a time many years ago when a young individual in our stake came and asked my husband and I for help. They had a twitch in their eye that they couldn't get to go away no matter how much potassium they took. They felt it was a dark spirit and asked us to pray for them. <br /><br />We prayed to cast it out in the name of Jesus Christ but it didn't relinquish the dark spirit. We asked the individual to pray and ask what the spirit's name was. We'd never done that before and I hadn't ever thought to do something like that. What was interesting was when they asked to know the name of the spirit and they vocalized the name they heard - both of their eyes began twitching uncontrollably. So, in the name of Jesus we cast out the spirit by the name they gave and the twitch stopped immediately and didn't come back. <br /><br />I think what you said is exactly right. And I also think that if the Lord prompts you cast it out by name, through the power of Jesus, that can be done as well. There is more I can say on this topic and I'll ponder on if I should make a post about it. Ruth Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12707770282148298264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-92013125809030516372024-02-04T15:38:45.703-08:002024-02-04T15:38:45.703-08:00What a thought provoking post! I resonate with so ...What a thought provoking post! I resonate with so much of what you share here and honestly wish that we were neighbors because it can be a lonely place to hold such views.<br /><br />Touching on the subject of casting out devils, I have personally witnessed evil spirits being cast out many times in the name of Jesus, restoring peace to a girl foaming at the mouth, causing a thrashing and gnashing spirit trying to tear at my body to immediately depart, and MANY others, without knowing the names of the demons. In the scriptures, I can only think of one instance of Christ applying a name to the evil before casting it out, but it was literally a host of evil spirits which he called “legion”. <br /><br />I have never been prompted to seek the name of the evil spirits to be cast out but have been instructed to cast evil out as soon as I could discern it’s presence because that was an indication that I now had authority over it in Jesus’s name and it works. But, if ever I get the prompt to discern a name, I will. -Mar G.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-79707581279379978532024-01-31T02:41:25.634-08:002024-01-31T02:41:25.634-08:00Thank youThank youAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-5280026747060437762024-01-30T15:14:19.603-08:002024-01-30T15:14:19.603-08:00I think I see your perspective. Though the example...I think I see your perspective. Though the examples you presented were extreme situations (like Nephi and Laban or lying for food during a time of war) - I can see your point. <br /><br />Satan is the Father of Lies. Jesus said He is the Truth (John 14:6). To believe that honesty lies on a spectrum from low to 'extreme' or 'rigid' may be the demon at play here. <br /><br />My perspective is this: I want honesty to always be the thing I default to. <br /><br />When we teach our kids we don't give extreme examples or say things like, "Be honest at the cost of your life! Die telling the truth!" The scenarios we present them with are, "Be honest, - it may cost you a lower grade. Be honest - It may mean you lose a friend. Be honest - It may mean you lose your job." etc. <br /><br />We've had the WWII scenario and similar morality conversations with our kids at dinner and we enjoy debating, "is it okay to like if...". Like you wisely said: the Holy Spirit must be the guide.<br /><br />Would to God that people defaulted to honesty rather than the lie. This would be a different world. But so often we lie first and that is the default we live in.<br /><br />Jordan Peterson said: <br /><br />“Truth builds edifices that can stand a thousand years. Truth feeds and clothes the poor, and makes nations wealthy and safe. Truth reduces the terrible complexity of a man to the simplicity of his word, so that he can become a partner, rather than an enemy. Truth makes the past truly past, and makes the best use of the future’s possibilities. Truth is the ultimate, inexhaustible natural resource. It’s the light in the darkness.”<br /><br />These days many people talk about being “authentic”. Yet there seems to be confusion about how best to embrace it. It becomes a catchword with people trying to conform to what they think it means.<br /><br />A better way to be authentic is to be honest. Be honest about the masks that society has placed on you. Be honest about your commitment to the relationships in your life. Be honest when you see injustice in the workplace or inequitable treatment of others in your community.<br /><br />When you can find a connection with the truth deep down inside, you start to live a more authentic life. It may cause some inconveniences and hardships in the short term. But over time, life will be more fulfilling, and happiness will start to emerge naturally.Ruth Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12707770282148298264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-15307048301864273602024-01-30T11:19:30.006-08:002024-01-30T11:19:30.006-08:00I love you Blog. Thank you for sharing! I do hav...I love you Blog. Thank you for sharing! I do have some other thoughts about being Totally Honest at all costs. I think this is another Demon on your back. It is a ridged 'Rule' that could back-fire. We are to take the Holy Spirit for our guide. What does he say in any given situation?<br />It takes discernment to be wise about this. <br />Nephi 'knew' he was deceiving Laban. He even 'knew' to take his life. It would NOT have been WISE for him to have been Totally Honest.<br />I've heard this example on another blog.--<br />If you were protecting Jews in WWII- type scenario, the last thing you would want to be, is Totally Honest!<br />Someone come to your door, and asks your child, Do you have Food Storage?<br />Sure, I'll show you. --NOT WISE!<br />I can think of MANY more situations, where it would NOT be WISE to be Totally Honest! <br />This IS WAR! The enemy is Satan. In WAR, you must be WISE!!!.<br />This is NOT a justification for lying, etc. Just pointing out, we need the Holy Spirit to guide us! Every situation will be different.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-36633656601253466102024-01-30T08:40:31.914-08:002024-01-30T08:40:31.914-08:00This was really very good. Thank you for sharing ...This was really very good. Thank you for sharing your passion and perspective. I felt a call to repentance. Aimee Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07844793503824194851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-43157336567264783202024-01-30T05:54:59.963-08:002024-01-30T05:54:59.963-08:00I will pray for you. I will pray for you. Ruth Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12707770282148298264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-89641861087197951752024-01-30T03:12:32.940-08:002024-01-30T03:12:32.940-08:00As one who literally feels like they are surrounde...As one who literally feels like they are surrounded by death and Hell your words and testimony here have really helped and lifted and given hope. I hope you keep writing your blog. I will be following. Thank you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-7959690695766332612024-01-04T04:55:13.759-08:002024-01-04T04:55:13.759-08:00Great post! I served in the Kobe/Osaka mission. I ...Great post! I served in the Kobe/Osaka mission. I share your sentiment on arrogant missionaries in leadership positions. As a ZL I had to shut down an AP in my zone meeting for the exact same garbage. I asked him to immediately leave. And he did leave. I then called the MP and banned this AP from ever conducting training in my zone again. <br /><br />Seperately, I agree with you that If an activity/group/object doesn't bring us to Christ it is a distraction. And, there are a lot of pius distractions in the Mormonism today. - Like think celestial.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-58886592441616354572023-12-30T12:16:49.010-08:002023-12-30T12:16:49.010-08:00What an excellent post as we orient ourselves towa...What an excellent post as we orient ourselves towards a new year. This was so timely, thank you! I'll be keeping it in my back pocket next time I am feeling critical of all the "deplorables" out there "keeping us from Zion."<br /><br />If Joseph's sin was levity, I have him beat four-fold because I can't keep a straight face amidst the absurdities and ironies of life. I liked the image of the angels tape recording all of us here on earth like we're on an episode of Candid Camera, clumsy and oblivious to what's really going on.<br /><br />Lately I have been feeling myself detach (transcend?) all the chatter online and at Church (and even at my family holiday gatherings) about was-joseph-a-polygamist/temples/current events/politics/President Nelson-Think-Celestial/etc, etc. So your words hit home because what you're describing is precisely what I am experiencing: feeling incurious about trivialities and craving something of substance. Keep up the good fight and, after your example, I won't let all those bullish Zone Leaders get me down! TimTim Merrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14066920043246009928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-55792286702843798772023-12-18T09:38:29.828-08:002023-12-18T09:38:29.828-08:00Thank you for this post; I have read and re-read t...Thank you for this post; I have read and re-read that quote from Alan Jones several times and fall in love with it a little more upon each reading. <br /><br />"One of our problems is that very few of us have developed any distinctive personal life."<br /><br />This struck me today in a new way, contemplating our communal, covenant-making temple rituals and rites. There is no personalization or distinctiveness to how we worship or express our faith in the temples, which, now that I think about it, is symbolic of a larger issue facing the Church.<br /><br />"In many cases we have to rely on second information in order to function."<br /><br />Well, that sums up nicely the hierarchal approach to just about everything in the Church; we have created a Church of Producers (the correlation department and leaders) and Consumers (the lay membership). <br /><br />"But when it comes to questions of meaning, purpose, and death, secondhand information will not do. I cannot survive on a secondhand faith in a secondhand God."<br /><br />Amen and amen!Tim Merrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14066920043246009928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-57659095561219172102023-11-25T23:47:20.128-08:002023-11-25T23:47:20.128-08:00Ruth,
I am sorry for the sadness you feel. I enj...Ruth, <br />I am sorry for the sadness you feel. I enjoy reading your blog and am grateful for it. I left the church 2 years ago. Covid opened my eyes after a life long membership. I am so thankful for that change. I live a life closer to my Savior than I ever had. I truly believe Heavenly Father is opening the eyes of many in the church. People can see things for how they really are. I harbor no anger against the church. I let everyone know who I serve and that is first and foremost my Heavenly Father and Savior. It is not possible to convince people who have been indoctrinated for years of the truth until their hearts are ready to hear it and only Heavenly Father can do that. <br />Your journey is real and full of truth. You also know who you serve. Hold your head high, speak your truths. All we can do is pray for those who have been unable to see the light yet. I am grateful for your efforts and look forward to your posts. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-49756191172370014232023-11-24T23:18:42.998-08:002023-11-24T23:18:42.998-08:00Sending you love and gratitude ❤️Sending you love and gratitude ❤️Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-3355531524981096202023-11-24T12:30:55.785-08:002023-11-24T12:30:55.785-08:00So much of what you share mirrors my own journey/e...So much of what you share mirrors my own journey/experiences. I just cringe at the 'don't be negative' comments. Nothing is more positive than delighting in the Lord! God bless you!Rebeccanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-51006337662446293182023-11-22T18:53:33.738-08:002023-11-22T18:53:33.738-08:00Dear Ruth. Please take comfort in knowing that you...Dear Ruth. Please take comfort in knowing that you have personally helped me open my eyes so that I could truly seek the Christ. Two years ago I came across your blog and it awoke inside me a desire to know Him and Love Him the way you did. These past two years have been the hardest but most spiritually rewarding of my life, but I know Him more than I thought possible. <br /><br />As I have tried to share my Love and excitement with others, I have come to realize that unless their hearts are ready, there is nothing I can say or do that will turn them to Him. I take comfort in knowing that they (those who have not yet found Him or at least started to seek Him) are His and he knows how to reach them and will do so in His own time and way. <br /><br />I admire your courage to be vulnerable enough to share your heart with others. I admire your willingness to stand up for what you know is true and right, even though it goes against what we have been taught at the pulpit. I admire your honesty and pure intentions. Surely our Savior must swell with love and joy as he watches His daughter Ruth as she stays true to the path He lead her to. Surely His heart aches when you cry with sadness at those who have rejected you, and who are really rejecting or at least not coming to know the real Him. <br />Jnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-91583693476282366452023-11-22T15:16:30.579-08:002023-11-22T15:16:30.579-08:00Love you Ruth! You and your husband are so filled...Love you Ruth! You and your husband are so filled with His light! Your children are so fortunate to have you. The truth is hard to swallow unless one is filled with His mercy. Your whole intent is to love others. You guys have changed my life for the Savior’s love!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!❤️❤️❤️Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-25742132351788984472023-11-22T06:01:26.937-08:002023-11-22T06:01:26.937-08:00My heart breaks with you. I have known others, inc...My heart breaks with you. I have known others, including a best friend, who have felt betrayed by the church and what they were taught to the point they turn away from everything, even God. I had to go through the uncomfortable experience of seeing that I had put Christ and the church in the same place and needed to separate them. Hugh Nibley said something like "no one likes to be suddenly awoken from a deep sleep." It’s uncomfortable and disorienting. We were trained that what the church did was what God wanted and, until I sought God and His will for myself, I just accepted that. It’s not an easy undertaking, and I hope my husband decides to take that step. Warm fuzzies and tradition does not create a broken heart and contrite spirit. I’m sorry your so called friends think you are being harsh, but so did Laman and Lemuel when they were taught by Nephi. It’s not your fault that the truth hurts, but we need to hear it. You can’t repent unless you are aware of the need to do so. I’m sending you love and a big hug from the Midwest. Continue to shine light on the darkness or rather directing others to see how bright the light of Christ is.Allison Wnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-34274413339002621502023-11-21T16:58:04.698-08:002023-11-21T16:58:04.698-08:00It is very difficult to do what you feel led to do...It is very difficult to do what you feel led to do by God when there is misunderstanding and opposition. I can see that you are doing what you are doing out of love. Perhaps one day, those upset with you will be able to see that.Tonihttps://ljnsvoice.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-6315238320495961352023-11-20T22:07:06.970-08:002023-11-20T22:07:06.970-08:00I am with you ❤️I am with you ❤️Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-81087282957185717332023-11-13T10:48:20.245-08:002023-11-13T10:48:20.245-08:00Wow, thank you for sharing that. I keep deleting w...Wow, thank you for sharing that. I keep deleting what I type in this response. I don't know how to say it. I will just say - your words came at a very timely moment and I sincerely thank you.Ruth Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12707770282148298264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4112869651598577594.post-1137780759285487632023-11-12T10:32:34.882-08:002023-11-12T10:32:34.882-08:00A while back I became aware of your blog through r...A while back I became aware of your blog through reading the endowment blog and book - which I still treasure! So it was a bit of a shock to discover you were "inactive," and it took me some time to swallow and digest the Ryan and Ruth Paper, which generated so many sorrowful feelings. I did NOT want to hear or know this! Surely the Lord couldn't want ME to give up the temple and stop attending His restored church!<br /><br />Well, as I got to know Him a little better, I discovered that He did indeed want me to sacrifice that, at least for now, and much more besides, and because of your courage in sharing your story this has been made a little easier. And, like you, I am finding the joy in finding Jesus far outweighs any sorrow for what's been left behind. Thanks again for sharing your journey!<br /><br />When I encounter beloved ward members and see the hurt and concern in their faces, I have found this quote from Rob Smith's blog helpful as I experience a flood of sadness and regret:<br /><br />"One of the cardinal errors in the LDS religion is the promotion of feeling above all: as the indication of truth, as the indication of what is right, as the indication of the Lord's presence. <br /><br />"You're going to need to upgrade to the understanding that:<br /><br />1. Feeling best long term requires feeling bad short term.<br />2. Feelings follow actions, not the other way around.<br />3. Feelings must be subordinated to reason.<br /><br />"Recall the struggle of the Lord with the Father in the garden of Gethsemane. Obedience to God is not about what we do when we feel good, but what we do in spite of feeling bad. What you do when you feel good is not worth much as a sacrifice."<br /><br />I also like the way Rob Smith defines courage in his book Through Faith:<br /><br />"In the faith framework, we can define courage as a willingness to act according to honest reason. Courage is nothing more and nothing less than preferring reason to the senses. It is to do something for mental reasons in spite of negative physical sensations. It is to act toward a rationally expected end in spite of the presence or expectation of fear, pain, grief, anxiety, depression, or sorrow. It is to persist in a well-reasoned path no matter how far away the desired outcome is in time, appearance, or experience. Courage, as defined here, is one and the same as trust in God....Trust in God is not some kind of superstitious willpower, despite the vast number of people whose beliefs limit it to that. Trust in God is a rational affair: do you have sufficient reasons to believe? If so, are you willing to follow them in action and desire, even when it requires actively changing how you feel about the issue at hand? Are you willing to reframe your perception of reality according to the evidence you possess? Or do you choose to embrace what your experience has shown is not true?"Charles Millernoreply@blogger.com