Living away from the church community

After a recent visit from President Boyd and his family, who joined us for our simple church service, I have been reflecting on both the difficulties and blessings of living away from the church fellowship.

Pres. Boyd and his family of 7 left KL around 6am while we were still asleep. They drove the 3-4 hours to Kuantan with children ranging from 3-16 years old. They even found our house without having to call for directions! They brought food and together with our chicken curry, we had quite a feast after our meeting. Their son made the most delightful pumpkin pie I have ever tasted! We really need to get together again sometime soon!

But they also brought fellowship and the opportunity to be in the company of people who possess the same beliefs and standards as us. After living for months on end away from communion with church friends, times like this are priceless to us. 

Thanks to the good and thoughtful people including the Boyds who have visited us over the years, we have renewed motivation to continue in the faith and to hold Sunday meetings for just the four of us in our family which are normally so difficult and challenging to do.

Have a look at this recent video diary where I addressed these thoughts:

Starting Anew

This post is a response to a post last month titled Swamped down by the world where I revealed my struggles with getting away from worldly things as it interfered with my spirituality.

Below is my video message addressing those issues and how I have tried to overcome them for the last month:

Swamped down by the world; lifted by the word

I have had a lot of worldly things on my mind for a long time. While it can be exciting, important and oftentimes necessary, being too absorbed in these things has rather swamped me down a little. I have had a recent desire for a return to balance and a larger space for spirituality.

The bulk of this post is contained in this video I prepared where I talk candidly about this topic. Have a look and see if there is anything you can relate to:

I'll be posting a follow-up post soon to let you know how my dip in the word of God went.

Open-minded Mormon

This is one post in an A-Z series of 26 where I am writing about living as a Mormon in the wilderness of Kuantan

Why did I choose to name my blog 'Open-minded Mormon?'

There is a perception that Mormons are stuck in their own bubble, blindly follow church orders, and are ignorant of all else. And there are those who fit that description.

However, I don't like generalising things and I don't like being generalised.

In addition to submitting to the requirements of belonging to this organisation, I have a brain and a conscience and can think things through for myself.

Open-minded Mormon represents my personal thoughts about church doctrine, policy and stances. It's a place for me to state gospel teachings and/or history and share my own perspectives on it.

I think it's an unfortunate perception people have of Mormons that we are a people who don't entertain anything outside of Mormonism as valid (the Mormon doctrine of exact obedience is often mistakenly taken as a war cry in rejection of all else). That we accept the church's stance on issues without thinking for ourselves. Or that we never feel any sense of disagreement with leaders on certain issues.

For a religion that accepts wild and wonderful events as part of its established history as well as previous periods of polygamy and racism (which are thankfully over), we should be amongst the most open-minded people in the world.

As I've matured, I have determined that there is a far greater value and a much richer experience in opening my mind outside the circle of Mormonism, getting away from Mormon cliches, and reaching a point where pure faith once was - 

me and God.

And that is not something that should seem alien to us. We are repeatedly urged not to trust in the arm of flesh (ie. church leaders or others great or small) but to personally consider and pray about things in order to receive a spiritual confirmation of the truth and of the way in which we should lead our personal and family lives.

As a result, I spend more time thinking. Wondering. Contemplating. I carefully question things I had automatically accepted before. I take responsibility for my own spiritual development.

It is just me and God.

I love being in that place where it's just me and God. Where there is no distraction of other people. Where there is no doctrine but what thoughts and impressions occupy the human mind when contemplating Space, Divinity, Eternity, and God.

Just me and God.

That's where deeper perspectives are formed. It has happened for me in prayer. When staring out the window into the skies. When sitting in a quiet part of the house getting lost in silent thoughts. In scribbling down ideas that seem to be whispered into my conscious mind.

Me and God.