Thank you for this illuminating article. It can be so difficult to tease out the various components to a "faith crisis". Using the lens/filter of "attachment" is just brilliant and has given me so much insight as well as a functional template to move forward with. Many many thanks. God bless you
R CNovember 20, 2019
And if you don't understand that, it is not you who is incompetent!
Kerri DavenportNovember 20, 2019
Thank you for equating emotional hurt in relation to the Church or spiritual things in association with attachment injury. This gives me insight into some of my adult children's current difficulties. I look forward to hearing more about the results of your studies!
LoriNovember 20, 2019
WOW!!!! Thank you, Thank you!!! What a brilliant and illuminating article!!! I have been studying Susan Johnson's work for a few years - and healing a lot of attachment wounds. I really get this. It makes sense. Your insights will provide us with greater capacity to support our loved ones who are estranged from the church right now. Clearly, they need our love, not another attachment wound, as many who leave the fold experience from loved ones.
Please keep the great insights coming:)
MelanieNovember 20, 2019
Thank you for this very insightful article. I am currently experiencing a faith injury/crisis of sorts, but it is allowing to more fully understand the power of the Atonement and it’s infinite reach. I have hope to Heal. The alternative would be unbearable.
I do have a thought about the parents of the “gay” son. Could it be there is a more appropriate response to such a “confession”? According to President Oaks (Women's Session 2019) “for reasons we do not understand, we have different challenges in our mortal experiences. But we do know that God will help each of us overcome these challenges if we sincerely seek His help.” And “our walk must be considerate of children who are uncertain about their sexual orientation, but it discourages premature labeling because, in most children, such uncertainty decreases significantly over time.” The adversary uses hopeless to sabotage with hasty conclusions such as “no mission, no marriage, no family”. A more mindful response would be a loving challenge of the assumption, with the conviction that “all things are possible through him which strengtheneth me.” Parental response is critical. The only true label for each of us is “Child of God.” Focusing on the light and power of the Savior at such moments can lessen the crisis and lead to healing.
Charles McClellandNovember 20, 2019
This article provide a very helpful perspective on working through the faith challenges we all have from time to time.
DeeNovember 20, 2019
Without giving specifics of all the things that brought about my crisis where my faith was suddenly, and I mean suddenly becoming a distant memory, I can say that many significant things happened all at once. I went into both emotional and spiritual shock. The spiritual shock was facilitated by the church community's abandonment as I went through my emotional pain, and leaders seemed to shun me because of the choices of my loved ones and my standing in the church seemed to be questioned. I was a faithful member who always kept my covenants, yet it seemed I was being treated like a leper. I went 4 years without a calling. Week after week, month after month, year after year I kept doing the things I needed to do but the isolation and shock remained. One night I received a message from a missionary I had served with from the other side of the world. I didn't really know her, but she felt prompted to reach out and ask me to join her in the 90 day Book of Mormon challenge. Alongside her, I opened my scriptures every day for months and NOTHING. The feeling, the revelation, even seeing the words was gone! But I knew that years before for all my life I had been blessed with 1000s of spiritual experiences and I knew that the Book of Mormon had been a daily power in my life and a conduit for revelation. I knew God lived and had spoken to me even though I couldn't feel it now. I knew he wouldn't abandon me forever. Then one day it happened. 2 good things happened at once. I received revelation for my son who as a result of his action came back to church and I received a calling that was life changing. Now the shock didn't go, that didn't happen until a year later when I was teaching a RS lesson and bore testimony of Joseph Smith. As I did so, a spiritual bolt of lightening penetrated me and I was not only healed but was filled with God's love. I could keep going through the spiritual famine because of a memory of what was, I hope God has something else in mind for those who don't have a bank of experiences to sustain them on such occasions.
Comments | Return to Story
Mother in DraperNovember 20, 2019
Thank you for this illuminating article. It can be so difficult to tease out the various components to a "faith crisis". Using the lens/filter of "attachment" is just brilliant and has given me so much insight as well as a functional template to move forward with. Many many thanks. God bless you
R CNovember 20, 2019
And if you don't understand that, it is not you who is incompetent!
Kerri DavenportNovember 20, 2019
Thank you for equating emotional hurt in relation to the Church or spiritual things in association with attachment injury. This gives me insight into some of my adult children's current difficulties. I look forward to hearing more about the results of your studies!
LoriNovember 20, 2019
WOW!!!! Thank you, Thank you!!! What a brilliant and illuminating article!!! I have been studying Susan Johnson's work for a few years - and healing a lot of attachment wounds. I really get this. It makes sense. Your insights will provide us with greater capacity to support our loved ones who are estranged from the church right now. Clearly, they need our love, not another attachment wound, as many who leave the fold experience from loved ones. Please keep the great insights coming:)
MelanieNovember 20, 2019
Thank you for this very insightful article. I am currently experiencing a faith injury/crisis of sorts, but it is allowing to more fully understand the power of the Atonement and it’s infinite reach. I have hope to Heal. The alternative would be unbearable. I do have a thought about the parents of the “gay” son. Could it be there is a more appropriate response to such a “confession”? According to President Oaks (Women's Session 2019) “for reasons we do not understand, we have different challenges in our mortal experiences. But we do know that God will help each of us overcome these challenges if we sincerely seek His help.” And “our walk must be considerate of children who are uncertain about their sexual orientation, but it discourages premature labeling because, in most children, such uncertainty decreases significantly over time.” The adversary uses hopeless to sabotage with hasty conclusions such as “no mission, no marriage, no family”. A more mindful response would be a loving challenge of the assumption, with the conviction that “all things are possible through him which strengtheneth me.” Parental response is critical. The only true label for each of us is “Child of God.” Focusing on the light and power of the Savior at such moments can lessen the crisis and lead to healing.
Charles McClellandNovember 20, 2019
This article provide a very helpful perspective on working through the faith challenges we all have from time to time.
DeeNovember 20, 2019
Without giving specifics of all the things that brought about my crisis where my faith was suddenly, and I mean suddenly becoming a distant memory, I can say that many significant things happened all at once. I went into both emotional and spiritual shock. The spiritual shock was facilitated by the church community's abandonment as I went through my emotional pain, and leaders seemed to shun me because of the choices of my loved ones and my standing in the church seemed to be questioned. I was a faithful member who always kept my covenants, yet it seemed I was being treated like a leper. I went 4 years without a calling. Week after week, month after month, year after year I kept doing the things I needed to do but the isolation and shock remained. One night I received a message from a missionary I had served with from the other side of the world. I didn't really know her, but she felt prompted to reach out and ask me to join her in the 90 day Book of Mormon challenge. Alongside her, I opened my scriptures every day for months and NOTHING. The feeling, the revelation, even seeing the words was gone! But I knew that years before for all my life I had been blessed with 1000s of spiritual experiences and I knew that the Book of Mormon had been a daily power in my life and a conduit for revelation. I knew God lived and had spoken to me even though I couldn't feel it now. I knew he wouldn't abandon me forever. Then one day it happened. 2 good things happened at once. I received revelation for my son who as a result of his action came back to church and I received a calling that was life changing. Now the shock didn't go, that didn't happen until a year later when I was teaching a RS lesson and bore testimony of Joseph Smith. As I did so, a spiritual bolt of lightening penetrated me and I was not only healed but was filled with God's love. I could keep going through the spiritual famine because of a memory of what was, I hope God has something else in mind for those who don't have a bank of experiences to sustain them on such occasions.
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