80 grieving
Individuals who are surprised by new details in the Gospel Topics essays and from other accurate sources, may discover that their previous views of Joseph Smith and other Church leaders were sanitized and unrealistic. At that point they may feel as if they have lost something they had cherished, and may grieve at the loss.
- Some Church members may question their beliefs as they proceed through the stages of grief, but if they will continue to learn “by study and by faith,” they will find their testimonies are soon based upon a much more solid foundation.
- Richard Bushman cautioned against panicking. He noted:
We are in a period of transition with regard to our history. The narrative is in the process of reconstruction. Right now that means there is the standard, comforting story, and then a series of controversies. . . . In time I think this problem will go away. All the controversial questions will be absorbed into the standard narrative, and we won’t have a sense of two tracks. . . . There are already lots of surprising things in the standard narrative. We will simply flesh that out.[1]
- This requires patient study, which seem to be contrary to this Google generation accustomed to answers at a click of the mouse.
- Church members, families, and friends should provide with affirmation, support, empathy, and, importantly, more accurate information. Encouragement, validation, and direction will provide needed support as they grieve.
- If members who doubt don’t find this care within their congregations and families, they may feel their only option is to turn to other communities for support who may foster doubts, not faith.
[1] “Richard Bushman AMA, 3 pm to 6 pm, Eastern Time,” accessed July 25, 2015, https://www.reddit.com/r/latterdaysaints/comments/3dnmfn/richard_bushman_ama_3_pm_to_6_pm_eastern_time/.
Additional Resources:
Podcasts:
Best of Fair 11: “Believest thou…?”: Faith, Cognitive Dissonance, and the Psychology of Religious Experience, Dr. Wendy Ulrich, 0:53:25
Best of Fair 4: Shaken Faith Syndrome, Michael R. Ash, 0:53:15
Best of Fair 13: “Uh oh!” to “Ah ha!” in Apologetics: 20/20 Foresight for a Faithful Future in Defending the Church, John Lynch, 0:57:08
FAIR Questions 2: Recognizing the Voice of the Spirit 0:10:55
FairMormon Frameworks 9: Richard Bushman – Helping Those in Doubt, Richard L. Bushman, 0:49:17
Keeping the Faith 5a: Don Bradley–Seeing with an eye of faith, pt 1, Don Bradley, 1:22:46
Keeping the Faith 5b: Don Bradley–Seeing with an eye of faith, pt 2, Don Bradley, 1:19:34
Keeping the Faith 5c: Don Bradley–Seeing with an eye of faith, pt 3, Don Bradley, 1:26:24
Keeping the Faith 5d: Don Bradley–Seeing with an eye of faith, pt 4, Don Bradley, 1:03:01
Keeping the Faith 12: Janet Eyring–Lost then Found, Janet Eyring, 0:48:15
RiseUp Podcast: Building a Testimony on a Sure Foundation – Part 1, J. Max Wilson, 0:22:24
RiseUp Podcast: Building a Testimony on a Sure Foundation – Part 2, J. Max Wilson, 0:16:11
Best of Fair 18 – Mike Parker: The Challenge and Choice of Faith, Mike Parker, 1:00:15
RiseUp Podcast: Trying to Serve the Lord Without Offending the Devil, James E. Faust, 0:22:01
Keeping the Faith 14: Leaving and Returning–Lessons Learned pt. 1, Rich Millar, 1:00:31
Keeping the Faith 14: Leaving and Returning–Lessons Learned pt. 2, Rich Miller, 1:06:44
Articles of Faith Podcast #22 – Neal Rappleye – Making God in Our Own Image to Cast Aside His Prophets, Neal Rappleye, 0:19:29
RiseUp Podcast – Israel’s Faith Crisis 0:07:49
RiseUp Podcast: Small and Simple Truths Blog Interview, Blake, 0:18:45
RiseUp Podcast: Helping People in Faith Crisis, Tanner Gilliland, 0:12:49
Articles of Faith 20: Geoff Biddulph – Why Didn’t The Church Teach Me This Stuff?, Geoff Biddulph, 0:36:03
Articles of Faith Podcast: Dan Peterson – Reason, Experience, and the Existence of God, Daniel C. Peterson, 0:31:55
RiseUp Podcast: Building a Testimony on a Sure Foundation – Part 2, J. Max Wilson, 0:16:11
RiseUp Podcast: Building a Testimony on a Sure Foundation – Part 1, J. Max Wilson, 0:22:24
How I Lost and Regained my Faith pt 2
How I Lost and Regained my Faith pt 1
Our Own Image to Cast Aside His Prophets
Interview with Terryl and Fiona Givens: Crucible of Doubt
Why Didn’t the Church Teach Me This Stuff? Controversial Topics in the Church
Reason, Experience, and the Existence of God – Daniel C. Peterson
Building a Testimony on a Sure Foundation
To Help Advance the Pursuit of Truth as it Concerns our Way of Life — Ralph Hancock
Reflections on the Quest For Faith by Terryl and Fiona Givens
Defend Your Beliefs Game Show Podcast
Finding Answers to Your Prayers pdcast
Overcoming Struggles and Doubts Podcast
Keeping the Faith 10: Reconverted.Org
A Household of Partial Faith, pt 2–Keeping the Faith 6b
A Household of Partial Faith, pt 1–Keeping the Faith 6a
Seeing with an eye of faith-pt 4-Keeping the Faith 5d: Don Bradley
Seeing with an eye of faith, pt 3–Keeping the Faith 5c: Don Bradley
Seeing with an eye of faith, pt 2–Keeping the Faith 5b: Don Bradley
Seeing with an eye of faith, pt 1–Keeping the Faith 5a: Don Bradley–
Navigating difficult doctrinal, historical or political issues–Keeping the Faith 4: Mike Parker
Keeping the Faith 3b: Cody Anderson–Cultivating the seeds of faith, pt 2
Keeping the Faith 2b Michael Ash and Shaken Faith Syndrome, pt 2 — Fair Mormon Podcast
Keeping the Faith 2a Michael Ash and Shaken Faith Syndrome, pt 1 — Fair Mormon Podcast
Keeping the Faith 1: Letter to a Doubter by Terryl Givens– Fair Mormon Podcast
The Cure for an Intellectual Apostasy — Fair Mormon Podcast
Can Imperfect Scriptures Lead us to God? Part 2 Fair Mormon
Can Imperfect Scriptures Lead us to God? part 1 Fair Mormon Podcast
Are Prophets Perfect? — Fair Mormon
What are the Consequences for not Following the Prophet? Fair Mormon Podcast
Can we Pick and Choose When to Follow the Prophet? — Fair Mormon Podcast
Is an LDS testimony based only on emotional “feelings”? — Fair Mormon Podcast
Is it a sin to have doubts? — Fair Mormon Podcast
Shaken Faith Syndrome- Michael Ash- Fair Mormon Podcast
Tom Mould on Folklore and Personal Revelation- Fair Mormon Podcast
Dealing With Difficult Historical and Theological Puzzles–Terryl Givens–Fair Mormon Podcast
Testimony and Lifelong Conversion- Fair Mormon Podcast
4th Watch 2: Testimony and Lifelong Conversion, Ned Scarisbrick, 0:31:22
Videos:
pt 1 Autobiographical notes on my Testimony
pt 2 Autobiographical Notes on My Testimony
pt 3 Autobiographical Notes on My Testimony
pt 4 Autobiographical Notes on My Testimony
pt 5 Autobiographical Notes on My Testimony
pt 6 Autobiographical Notes on My Testimony
pt 7 Autobiographical Notes on My Testimony
pt 8 Autobiographical Notes on My Testimony
pt 1, Enlarging Ones Testimony with Answers and Evidences
pt 2, Enlarging Ones Testimony with Answers and Evidences
pt 3, Enlarging Ones Testimony with Answers and Evidences
Pt. 1, How to receive answers to your prayers
Pt. 2, How to receive answers to your prayers
pt 1, I Don’t Have a Testimony of the History of the Church
pt 2, I Don’t Have a Testimony of the History of the Church
pt 3, Don’t Have a Testimony of the History of the Church
pt 4, Don’t Have a Testimony of the History of the Church
pt 5, I Don’t Have a Testimony of the History of the Church
pt 6, I Don’t Have a Testimony of the History of the Church
pt 1, Spiritual Experiences As The Basis For Belief And Commitment
pt 2,Spiritual Experiences As The Basis For Belief And Commitment
pt 3,Spiritual Experiences As The Basis For Belief And Commitment
pt 4, Spiritual Experiences As The Basis For Belief And Commitment
pt 5, Spiritual Experiences As The Basis For Belief And Commitment
pt 6, Spiritual Experiences As The Basis For Belief And Commitment
pt 1, Seeing our Blindness: The Impact of Personal History on our Understanding of God
pt 2, Seeing our Blindness: The Impact of Personal History on our Understanding of God
pt 3, Seeing our Blindness: The Impact of Personal History on our Understanding of God
pt 4, Seeing our Blindness: The Impact of Personal History on our Understanding of God
pt 5, Seeing our Blindness: The Impact of Personal History on our Understanding of God
Autobiographical Notes of my Testimony by Daniel C. Peterson
Being a More Christian Christian- Elder Robert D. Hales
Endure ‘Til the End — Elder Kevin S. Hamilton
Finding Your Purpose in Life Does Faith Matter – His Grace
Great Advice on Life from Elder Busche
How to recieve answers to your prayers
I Don’t Have a Testimony of Church History by Davis Bitton
Karen Payne Joining the LDS Church
My Story – Finding Hope & Strength Through Trials
Obtaining Revelation for your Personal Life — Elder Richard G. Scott
Reading Between the Lines in Standing on the Promises
Spiritual Experiences as the Basis for Belief and Commitment by Blake Ostler
Strengthening Faith and Testimony — Elder Robert D. Hales
The Power of Personal Experiences
The Spirit of Revelation — Elder David A. Bednar
The Strength to Endure ‘Til the End
Things Will get Better — Jeffrey R. Holland
Wrestling with the Scriptures_ Informed Faith Vs. Ignorant Faith
Essays and Articles:
Autobiographical Notes on My Testimony (2004 FAIR Conference) by Daniel C. Peterson
Can We Trust Our Feelings? by J. Cooper Johnson
Disenchanted Mormonism (2013 FAIR Conference) by Rosalynde Welch
Education, Scholarship, and Mormonism by Scott Gordon
Feeding the Multitudes: Being Fishers of Men (2001 FAIR Conference) by Ross Baron
Hard Questions and Keeping the Faith (PDF) by Michael Ash
I Don’t Have a Testimony of the History of the Church (2004 FAIR Conference) by Davis Bitton
Letter From a Youth Pastor: Four LDS Responses to Frequently Asked Questions
Response to Leaving the Saints by Boyd Petersen
Shaken Faith Syndrome, Part Deux (2013 FAIR Conference) by Michael Ash
Shaken Faith Syndrome (PDF) (2008 FAIR Conference) by Michael Ash
Take Heed That Ye Be Not Deceived (online book) by Richard I. Winwood
The Loss and Rekindling of Faith (2013 FAIR Conference) Panel Discussion