I’ve been LDS since I was nine years old. Afterward, I went inactive, but I recently decided to come back and confess my sins. The only bad thing is that a few members of my ward have been somewhat judgmental. I know that our Heavenly Father is with me in this whole process, but I don’t understand the attitudes of these few members. There are moments when I think that maybe I shouldn’t have come back. I have a firm testimony, but it bothers me to have to face these people every Sunday. What should I do?
One Response to “I’ve been LDS since I was nine years old. Afterward, I went …”
Carlos Bravo
2010-02-13 07:48:20
Hi Rocio. I'm very happy to hear that you've come back to the church. You've not made a bad decision! It takes a lot of courage to recognize when we've made mistakes and to confess our sins. I'm sure God will honor you for having made this great effort to follow Him by confessing your sins and attending church regularly.
A missionary hugging a bishop in Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.
As you know, members of the church are hardly perfect people. Most are trying to do the right thing, but like all people, they make mistakes. Some are not as socially graceful as they should be. I'm sorry to hear about the challenging experience you've had with some members of your congregation. You're trying to change your life through Jesus Christ, and it's not fair that some people would impede your spiritual progress. I suggest you speak with your bishop or branch president about these challenges. Tell him that you're sincerely trying to change your life through Jesus Christ, but that you need the help and support of the members of your congregation. I don't know if your bishop will be able to solve all of these problems, but perhaps he could at least give you some good advice and maybe even talk to other members of the congregation to better explain your situation. I sincerely hope he can help.
In the end, as you know, we shouldn't go to church just because of social benefits like friendship. It's wonderful when all the members of a congregation come together to help one another. However, even when they fall short, we should continue to go to church because of our love for God. When we honor God's commandments and attend church regularly, He'll bless us with spiritual growth, independent of the support we may or may not receive from our fellow church members. God may not solve all of our problems, but if we are true disciples of Jesus Christ, He'll give us strength--spiritual strength--to face our challenges. May God bless you as you continue on your beautiful journey of spiritual growth and development.
In the end, as you know, we shouldn't go to church just because of social benefits like friendship. It's wonderful when all the members of a congregation come together to help one another. However, even when they fall short, we should continue to go to church because of our love for God. When we honor God's commandments and attend church regularly, He'll bless us with spiritual growth, independent of the support we may or may not receive from our fellow church members. God may not solve all of our problems, but if we are true disciples of Jesus Christ, He'll give us strength--spiritual strength--to face our challenges. May God bless you as you continue on your beautiful journey of spiritual growth and development.