Staying in the Church

Quotes

1) “Show kindness and respect for all people everywhere. The world in which we live is filled with diversity. We can and should demonstrate respect toward those whose beliefs differ from ours.” (Monson, Thomas S. “Looking Back and Moving Forward.” General Conference. April 2008.)

2) “A strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety.” (Monson, Thomas S. “The Power of the Book of Mormon.” General Conference. April 2017.)

3) “It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times, for the testimonies of others will only carry you so far. However, once obtained, a testimony needs to be kept vital and alive through continued obedience to the commandments of God and through daily prayer and scripture study.” (Monson, Thomas S. “The Power of the Book of Mormon.” General Conference. April 2017.)

4) “We are on the old ship Zion. (God) is at the helm and will stay there… All is right, sing Hallelujah, for the Lord is here. He dictates, guides and directs. If the people will have implicit confidence in their God, never forsake their covenants nor their God, He will guide us right.” (Brigham, Young. “Remarks.” Desert News, 18 Nov 1857.)

5) “Stay in the boat… if any one of you have fallen out of the boat, we will seek you, find you, minister to you, and pull you safely back onto the Old Ship Zion, where God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are at the helm and will guide us right.” (Ballard, M. Russell “Stay in the Boat and Hold On!” General Conference. October 2016)

6) “Sharing the gospel is not a burden but a joy…an attitude of love and outreach to help those around us. It is also an opportunity to witness how we feel about the restored gospel of our Savior.” (Oaks, Dallin H. “Sharing the Restored Gospel.” General Conference. October 2016.)

7) “For some, Christ’s invitation to believe and remain continues to be hard—or difficult to accept. Some disciples struggle to understand a specific Church policy or teaching. Others find concerns in our history or in the imperfections of some members and leaders, past and present. Still others find it difficult to live a religion that requires so much. Finally, some have become ‘weary in well-doing.’ For these and other reasons, some Church members vacillate in their faith, wondering if perhaps they should follow those who ‘went back and walked no more’ with Jesus. If any one of you is faltering in your faith, I ask you the same question that Peter asked: ‘To whom shall (you) go?’ If you choose to become inactive or to leave the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where will you go? What will you do?” (Ballard, M. Russell. “To Whom Shall We Go?” General Conference. October 2016.)

8) “Believe in yourself, and believe in Him. Don’t demean your worth or denigrate your contribution. Above all, don’t abandon your role in the chorus. Why? Because you are unique; you are irreplaceable. The loss of even one voice diminishes every other singer in this great mortal choir of ours; including the loss of those who feel they are on the margins of society or the margins of the church.” (Holland, Jeffery R. “Songs Sung and Unsung.” General Conference. April 2017.)

9) “We trust that especially you…whom the Lord must rely for the success of His work…will sustain the teachings of the gospel and the standards of the Church in public as well as in private. Do not abandon those who would welcome truth to floundering and failing in ignorance. Do not succumb to false notions of tolerance or to fear—fear of inconvenience, disapproval, or even suffering.” (Christofferson, D. Todd. “The Voice of Warning.” General Conference. April 2017.)

10) “There is an important principle that governs the doctrine of the Church. The doctrine is taught by all 15 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. It is not hidden in an obscure paragraph of one talk. True principles are taught frequently and by many. Our doctrine is not difficult to find.” (Anderson, Neil L. “Trial of Your Faith.” General Conference. October 2012.)

11) “Remember that the Savior himself was tormented, ridiculed, spat upon, and finally crucified because he would not waver in his conviction.” (Stevenson, Gary A. “Be Valient in Courage, Strength, and Activity.” General Conference. October 2012.)

Position Statement

I chose this topic because it's been a major issue in our church today. It's vital that we understand this principle because when it comes time when we might want to leave the church, we will have the testimony necessary to combat the urge. As faithful members, we shouldn't put down those of another faith because it just makes us look bad. We also shouldn't stoop to the world's standards just because it's convenient for us. For people who might be considering leaving the church, it's important to understand that you should have a plan of where you want to go. You should know that when you leave, people will still seek you out to bring you back to the church. Leaving the church is a serious decision, and one that shouldn't be taken lightly. God loves all of his children, and since he has revealed his truths to this church, no other church will have all of the truth. I'm so grateful that our apostles today are talking about this issue. It's always sad when someone we are close to leaves the church. We shouldn't condemn those who choose to leave, but we should make sure that they feel loved and that they know where our own loyalties lie.