😨 Don't leave!¶
Estimated time to read: 6 minutes
In Brigham's iteration through the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church manuals, the book has an entire chapter dedicated to "Preventing Personal Apostasy." I had initially copied so many excerpts from that chapter that at some point, it's easier to just point you to the manual and say "read this, I pray thee." (it's not sealed, don't worry)
I'll still include some of the shorter passages for relevancy, but first, a glance at the chapter's subheadings, and some choices from the suggestions for study associated with each.
- Apostasy is turning away from the Church and ultimately denying the faith.
- What prophetic warning did President Young sound for those Saints who received the “power of God” and then turned “away from the commandments”?
- Why is intellectual reasoning not enough to keep us on the path to eternal life?
- When we find fault with Church leaders, we begin to separate ourselves from the Church.
- In what ways will attending to our own callings rather than questioning the inspiration of current leaders strengthen us as individuals, families, wards, and Church members collectively?
- What was President Young’s warning to those who criticize their ward or branch leadership? What can we do at church and at home to sustain the bishop of our ward, president of our branch, or other Church leaders?
- How does our willingness to sustain those leaders strengthen the whole Church? How does our unwillingness to sustain them weaken the Church?
- Those who lose the Spirit are filled with darkness and confusion.
- Why do some choose the “wisdom of men” rather than the wisdom of God as revealed by the Spirit?
- We can stand firm by living our religion and seeking the Holy Spirit.
- If we stay with the “Old Ship Zion,” what are we promised?
Those who leave the Church are like a feather blown to and fro in the air. They know not whither they are going; they do not understand anything about their own existence; their faith, judgment and the operation of their minds are as unstable as the movements of the feather floating in the air. We have not anything to cling to, only faith in the Gospel (DBY, 84).
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You know we are on the “Old Ship Zion.” We are in the midst of the ocean. A storm comes on, and, as sailors say, she labors very hard. “I am not going to stay here,” says one; “I don’t believe this is the ‘Ship Zion.’” “But we are in the midst of the ocean.” “I don’t care, I am not going to stay here.” Off goes the coat, and he jumps overboard. Will he not be drowned? Yes. So with those who leave this Church. It is the “Old Ship Zion,” let us stay in it (DBY, 85).
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Stay in the boat¶
Keep the eyes of the mission on the leaders of the Church. … We will not and … cannot lead [you] astray.
And as you teach your missionaries to focus their eyes on us, teach them to never follow those who think they know more about how to administer the affairs of the Church than … Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ do” through the priesthood leaders who have the keys to preside.
I have discovered in my ministry that those who have become lost [and] confused are typically those who have most often … forgotten that when the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve speak with a united voice, it is the voice of the Lord for that time. The Lord reminds us, ‘Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same’ D&C 1:38.”
— Stay in the Boat and Hold On!, Elder M. Russell Ballard, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, General Conference 2014 April
Am I hearing right that when the upper 15 leaders of the church "speak with a unified voice," that means it's divine communication? So... what does that mean? If I heard them all chanting in unison, that would be creepy and weird. They speak in sequence, and broadly the only overlap in their respective messages is what you hear in Primary. I haven't heard Elder Kearon also insist that saying "Mormon" is a victory for Satan. Does that mean it wasn't "the voice of the Lord?"
To whom shall we go¶
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? The decision to “walk no more” with Church members and the Lord’s chosen leaders will have a long-term impact that cannot always be seen right now. There may be some doctrine, some policy, some bit of history that puts you at odds with your faith, and you may feel that the only way to resolve that inner turmoil right now is to “walk no more” with the Saints. If you live as long as I have, you will come to know that things have a way of resolving themselves. An inspired insight or revelation may shed new light on an issue. Remember, the Restoration is not an event, but it continues to unfold.
Never abandon the great truths revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Never stop reading, pondering, and applying the doctrine of Christ contained in the Book of Mormon.
— To Whom Shall We Go?, Elder M. Russell Ballard, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, General Conference 2016 October
"What will [I] do?"
