With another high profile disciplinary meeting, and possible excommunication on the horizon this week, there are some things that we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints need to remember. This is applicable to those who consider themselves “mainstream” or “conservative” and those that consider themselves, “liberal,” “progressive,” “uncorrelated,” and so on.

The Church gets to make up the rules that govern itself — as does any church. For Mormons, those rules come from the Lord via His prophet. As members of the Church we should have a testimony of the declaration found in Doctrine & Covenants 1:38, “What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” The prophet speaks for the Lord in all things. The Church gets to set up the rules and terms of membership. If you are a temple attending member of the Church, every other year, when you go in to renew your temple recommend, you have the chance to declare your belief in these things.

We also covenant at baptism and then re-covenant later on in the temple to be obedient. Stake presidents and bishops are totally within their rights and required as a judges in Israel to make sure the members of their flocks, the people over which they have stewardship, are abiding by the rules and doing what they have covenanted to do. So, if a person or groups of people are actively promoting ideas that are contrary to the doctrines and rules of the Church, they are going to account for their actions with their stake presidents and bishops. It is not unfair, judgmental, patriarchal, or full of unrighteous dominion to have to account for ourselves if we wish to be counted among the Latter-day Saints.

The Book of Joshua, tells us, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) This sentiment is repeated in the Book of Matthew (6:24) and in The Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 13:24), “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” As we wade through the sometimes murky waters of the Bloggernacle, we have to choose – who we follow, who we serve, and which way we face.

There are many members of the Church who are in the middle of a crisis of faith for various reasons. I think it’s safe to say that we all have these crises at times in our life. I am a lifelong member of the Church. I have even had my doubts about doctrines of the gospel, about my place in the Church, about my place in God’s kingdom, and if I wanted to stay. When I was 27, I was visiting a non-member friend in Toronto. She started to ask me about the Book of Mormon and the things Mormons believed. I found myself standing on the frozen banks of the St. Lawrence Seaway, having my own “Rev Tevye” moment. Did I really, truly, actually believe the things I was about to tell her? I did believe them. But I also realized at that moment, I had some work to do on my testimony and my wavering faith. There have been other times in my life as well, when I have had to make a choice and be accountable for my faith and beliefs. Faith and the maintenance of a testimony is an everyday, and a lifelong endeavor. We cannot do “all the right things” for a period of time, and expect that to carry us through the rough waters of life for years and years. We have to continually add oil to our spiritual lamps and reserves. We must become familiar with how God speaks to us, so that we will not be deceived. Make no mistake, the adversary knows us, he knows how to speak to us, and he will use any and all means at his disposal to trick, dupe, blind, and mislead us. We have to draw our spiritual oil from the scriptures, the words of the modern and living prophets and from the teachings and example of Jesus Christ, so that when we are confronted with false teachings we can see them for what they really are.

Moroni chapter 7, the in The Book of Mormon, gives us a good litmus test to use for time when we struggle and doubt. Verses 11-17 read,

“ 11 For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil. 12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually. 13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. 14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil. 15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. 16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. 17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.”

If the things we are engaging in take us away from the Church, if they are at odds with the revealed doctrines of the Church, and more in line with popular sentiments and trends, if they cause contention in our families, and among our ward members, that should serve as a large red flag waving at us, and warning us to rethink, reassess, and repent. When it comes down to it as well, the Church is not going to bend its doctrines to line up with pop-culture and sentiment. The Lord does love us, and wants all of us in His kingdom, but he has outlined in the scriptures, and via His prophets what that way is.

In the October 2014 General Conference, Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the Presidency of the 70, in his talk, “Which Way Do You Face?”, stated, “Trying to please others before pleasing God is inverting the first and second great commandments.” In that same talk he also asked us, “Which way do you face?” In the end, every single one of us will have to declare who we serve and which way we face. We cannot continue to believe that we can embrace the philosophies of the world as truth and not be held accountable for those choices and beliefs. Again, as Doctrine & Covenants 134:10 states, “We believe that all religious societies have a right to deal with their members for disorderly conduct, according to the rules and regulations of such societies; provided that such dealings be for fellowship and good standing.” When individuals or groups are acting outside of the “rules and regulations” of the Church, the Church is within its rights to ask them to stop and to disassociate with them, if they refuse. The Church and the individual priesthood leaders do not rejoice in these times. Nor should we as members of the Church.

A final word to those who read this who feel they are in a crisis of faith. Know that you are loved and cared for by our Heavenly Father. Know that you probably have people like your family, a bishop, a home or visiting teacher, a Relief Society President, and friends praying for you, and who want to help you. If you are not currently in a crisis of faith, but know someone who is, approach them in the spirit of service, to comfort and mourn with them as they need. Allow them the space they need to think, ponder, pray, repent and to grow. No one wants to feel like their struggles are not important or valid. No one wants to be reminded of “who they once were” after they have had a “mighty change of heart”, as Alma called it. Once a person has changed and has come thru their crisis, let the crisis be in the past, and help them move forward in faith.

This being said, there will be a time for all of us to account for our actions and the things we believe in. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminds us in his talk, “Come Join With Us” (October, 2013, General Conference), “My dear brothers and sisters—my dear friends—please, first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” When in doubt, seek Jesus Christ. When you have a question, seek Jesus Christ. When you are hurting, seek Jesus Christ. When you do not fully understand the situations before you, seek Jesus Christ, and have faith in His promise in John 14: 27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”