I love the phrase in Tim Ernst's quote
I love this part of Tim Ernst's comment: "we are somehow lesser because of their absence, our heart aches to not have them with us, and we wish with all our might that they might come back,"
I wish I could express this to friends as they decide to leave. We suffer and the Church/Ward suffers for what the person will no long be contributing.
Grandpa ClydeApril 20, 2020
I have seen the same thing in personal relationships, such as when someone who wants to terminate a relationship (usually to pursue another) says something like, "I never loved you," to justify their actions.
Tim ErnstApril 17, 2020
All of us know someone who was once incredibly committed to the church who has now gone astray. Where once their beacon shone brightly, it is now lost or hidden under some bushel-basket somewhere. Sometimes they attempt to explain away their previously once-held strong beliefs and testimony by denying they ever had them or that they had somehow been deceived. Invariably, the person you knew back then bears little resemblance to the shell of a person, --according to them, they are now the improved version 2.0, the newly "rediscovered" person -- that you now know. You can certainly see the difference, but they are blind to the fact, insisting that now they are "woke" to the realities of the deficiencies of the Gospel, the Brethren, Joseph Smith, the Book of Abraham, Polygamy, feminism or whatever grievance they so skillfully, deftly and wholeheartedly enwrap their new lives around. The light dims within them, and it's almost painfully visible from our point-of-view. Ultimately, we move on, but we are somehow lesser because of their absence, our heart aches to not have them with us, and we wish with all our might that they might come back, but ultimately, we can't stand still, we must move on. Thus are our lives within the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether we recognize it or not, we are always moving forward, growing, developing, being nurtured line-upon-line, precept-upon-precept. It takes a long time to whittle us down to what we need to become. It takes a lot of knocking off of corners to take us to where it is we're destined to end up, but if we can stay upon the covenant path, holding fast to the Iron Rod, we'll one day be grateful we endured. I'm certain we'll still wish that our friends, loved-ones and acquaintances had managed to make the journey with us. I'm somehow certain that someday, they'll wish that they had.
Comments | Return to Story
CarolApril 25, 2020
I love the phrase in Tim Ernst's quote I love this part of Tim Ernst's comment: "we are somehow lesser because of their absence, our heart aches to not have them with us, and we wish with all our might that they might come back," I wish I could express this to friends as they decide to leave. We suffer and the Church/Ward suffers for what the person will no long be contributing.
Grandpa ClydeApril 20, 2020
I have seen the same thing in personal relationships, such as when someone who wants to terminate a relationship (usually to pursue another) says something like, "I never loved you," to justify their actions.
Tim ErnstApril 17, 2020
All of us know someone who was once incredibly committed to the church who has now gone astray. Where once their beacon shone brightly, it is now lost or hidden under some bushel-basket somewhere. Sometimes they attempt to explain away their previously once-held strong beliefs and testimony by denying they ever had them or that they had somehow been deceived. Invariably, the person you knew back then bears little resemblance to the shell of a person, --according to them, they are now the improved version 2.0, the newly "rediscovered" person -- that you now know. You can certainly see the difference, but they are blind to the fact, insisting that now they are "woke" to the realities of the deficiencies of the Gospel, the Brethren, Joseph Smith, the Book of Abraham, Polygamy, feminism or whatever grievance they so skillfully, deftly and wholeheartedly enwrap their new lives around. The light dims within them, and it's almost painfully visible from our point-of-view. Ultimately, we move on, but we are somehow lesser because of their absence, our heart aches to not have them with us, and we wish with all our might that they might come back, but ultimately, we can't stand still, we must move on. Thus are our lives within the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether we recognize it or not, we are always moving forward, growing, developing, being nurtured line-upon-line, precept-upon-precept. It takes a long time to whittle us down to what we need to become. It takes a lot of knocking off of corners to take us to where it is we're destined to end up, but if we can stay upon the covenant path, holding fast to the Iron Rod, we'll one day be grateful we endured. I'm certain we'll still wish that our friends, loved-ones and acquaintances had managed to make the journey with us. I'm somehow certain that someday, they'll wish that they had.
ADD A COMMENT