The power of choice: dealing with criticism within our faith community

In episode 75 of “The Closet of Mormon” my wife Isabel and I had a candid conversation about feminism within our church. We investigated how the church deals with gender roles and its impact on our members. Isabel shared her thoughts that while some may view our church as patriarchal, she appreciates and supports the structures in place, including leadership roles.

After publishing this podcast, we received several responses, including critical feedback suggesting that we may be making too light of certain issues within the church. This criticism touched me deeply and made me think about the nature of our discussions and the perception of them by our community. I even have to admit that at times it hurt me personally and I had a hard time staying calm. Maybe not entirely fair, but I can't deny that my faith is part of my identity and I think attacks on your identity always hurt.

This experience has made me realize that our attitudes toward the shortcomings within our church, or any organization for that matter, often reflect our personal choices and beliefs. It is true that mistakes are made and that there is always room for improvement. Some may not like to hear that because, after all, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a church founded and restored by Jesus Christ himself. We believe that Christ is at the head and inspires leaders in their choices.

I believe that, but since I have had a calling as a leader myself a few times, I also know that you first think for yourself and then submit your choice to the Lord. Sometimes the answer is clear, sometimes not. Sometimes there just isn't an answer and you move on. The Holy Spirit is a chatbot that provides clear instructions. Central to the Plan of Salvation is your own freedom of choice and learning to deal with it. This is no different within our calling and so yes, mistakes are made. These mistakes cannot be attributed to God, but to people.

At the same time, it is a conscious choice to continue to believe in the positive intentions and the foundations of goodness within our community. Just because mistakes happen doesn't mean everything happens with bad intentions. Mistakes here and there do not mean that the entire church is one big mistake. Anyone who draws that conclusion has misunderstood the message and gives too little nuance to the fact that only Christ is perfect. He has given us this church as a means to help us in our imperfection. To then claim that there can be no mistakes is, for me, a sign of courage. And we all know that pride is a favorite sin of the adversary.

I choose to believe that Christ leads our church despite its imperfections. This does not mean that we should ignore critical voices or minimize the problems. Instead, it means actively listening to our brothers and sisters and striving for continuous improvement, while recognizing that most actions and decisions come from a place of goodness and faith.

We must not make the mistake of condemning the entire church at once. Let alone that we deny the existence of God because people make mistakes. Consequently, we must continue to believe in heavenly correction. This also means accepting that despite its mistakes, our church is not an institution like any other where people determine what the rules are. Then you immediately renounce belief in one of the foundations of what our faith is built on, namely continuous revelation. So I choose to acknowledge that mistakes happen, but that those mistakes do not outweigh the good.

This choice reflects who I am and who I want to be: someone who builds on faith and hope, while remaining realistic about the challenges we face. It is an invitation to all who read my blog and listen to our podcast to join us on this journey, a journey of dialogue, reflection, and growth, led by the Holy Spirit and our leaders.

So it ultimately comes down to the choice of who you want to be: someone who focuses their faith and hope on God or someone who gets stuck in the darkness. To me, all this is again the symbolism of the fruit of the tree of good and evil. That tree is there and we occasionally bite into the fruit, but what do we choose next? I hope that more and more people will look at the good fruits instead of the worms in the bad apples.