Sunday is for Sharing*
I don’t often write about the things I believe in–in a spiritual sense–as I believe that my beliefs are my own and who am I to preach at you? I think faith is a very personal thing and that everyone is entitled to choose for themselves what they will or won’t believe in.
That being said, I don’t want it to be something that people think I won’t talk about either. I had a conversation with a good friend of mine a few weeks ago that has stayed with me ever since. She mentioned that in the 5 or so years we’ve known each other, we’d never had a conversation about religion. She knew that I went to church and lived my life a little differently, but aside from that, it was a big mystery that she thought I didn’t like to talk about.
Well, in case you’ve ever wondered (I know I’ve written that I attend church on here before), I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints–you probably know it as “Mormon”–and have been all my life. Before all the stereotypes go running through your head, I don’t have enormous blond Utah hair or wear high-necked, floor length dresses; and while I did marry young, I don’t have 15 children (yet. ha). While I’m not one to post my personal political views here, please know that not all of us wholly supported Prop 8.
I could spend a long time talking about what I believe and why, but if you’d like to know more please don’t ever hesitate to ask me, or you can always click the link on my sidebar– my “I Belong” button. The reason I chose to bring all this up now is that I was recently contacted by a small organization called Mormons Made Simple that produces short videos that simply explain the basic beliefs of my church and dispel some of the rumors I’m sure you’ve heard. My immediate reaction to their request that I check out their site was “Mmmm, no thanks.”, but then I decided it couldn’t hurt and I was actually quite entertained. So if you’ve ever wondered about who I am and the things I believe in, take a minute and watch the following video… I thought it covered some of the major “Mormon Myths” quite well. :)
One of the things that separates my church from other Christian religions is the Book of Mormon–a book that I love and have read several times. Contrary to what some people believe, the Book if Mormon is not our replacement for the Bible, it’s a companion to it. This video explains it much better than I ever could.
I really hope this hasn’t come across as ‘preachy’–the last thing I want is to become someone who shoves their beliefs down your throat. I guess I’ve just been reflecting on who I am and what makes me ME lately, and my faith is a big part of who I am. I love that it makes me feel uplifted, like I can be the best possible version of myself. I love that it promotes healthy living and strong families (although I believe there may be more than one definite definition of what makes a family these days).
I love my church and my faith, but then again, that’s just me… and I just wanted you to know.
…any questions? :)
20 Comments
KristinaP
OK, this is such a coincidence. I rarely post about the church on my blog either. I mention in it passing. But tomorrow, I'm participating in this blog tour thing, and I decided to post about Mormon stereotypes. Polygamy, tons of children, etc.
Mine might be a bit more sarcastic than the video. :) Thanks for sharing!
dearjennymac
This was great…and thanks for sharing this side of you!
misellebee
No coffee or tea? <– funny, that's the thing that sticks with me…
Thanks for sharing, miss. Those videos are really well-made… I like that they're disspelling myths.
LiLu
Educating is different than preaching. :-)
Thanks for sharing!
Meg
So is the coffee/tea thing about the caffeine? I was just wondering since it was with alcohol and tobacco, and caffeine is a drug, essentially.
Shop Girl*
Yes, the no coffee or tea thing is about the caffeine. For many people caffeine can be just as addictive as as alcohol or tobacco. It's really just about keep your body as clean as possible. :)
Shop Girl*
Thanks for that–I never thought about it in that way.
Shop Girl*
haha… that sticks out for a lot of people! Some of my friends are amazed that I survived my undergrad and teachers college without it!
And you're welcome, I thought they were pretty great too. I was a little leery when I saw they were cartoon, but I think they work!
Shop Girl*
I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
Shop Girl*
I just read your post–absolutely FABULOUS.
You win. haha
Erin
That's very cool. Faith is an area that a lot of people avoid discussing, but I find it fascinating to learn about what others believe!
Shop Girl*
Thanks… I was really hesitant to write this post, but after seeing how people have responded I won't be quite so nervous next time. :)
Classroom Confessions
You go girl! Although I am Catholic, I love learning about other religions and I think that most major world religions are basicically the same and I have never really understood all the hulabaloo and fighting over semantics. I mean as long as you believe in basic good and one God, which Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all do, why fight? It might sound cliche, but sometimes I wanna say, “Can't we all just get along?”
:) Thanks for sharing your beliefs!
Erin
Thank you for sharing this! I think it's wonderful that you are being so open about your faith and helping others to understand it!
Jill Pilgrim
That was really interesting. Thank you so much for sharing- I love to get to know my favorite bloggers a little better, you know?
Shop Girl*
Well, thanks for taking the time to stop by–it not something I'm good at speaking about, but at the same time it's part of who I am so who am I to hide it? :)
Shop Girl*
Thank you… that means a lot! :)
Shop Girl*
I TOTALLY agree with you.. I wish everyone could get along too.
Andhari
I like it that you share, telling people what I believe too is pretty hard for me as well. But you know I did it before fasting month started.
Shop Girl*
Yes you did, and I enjoyed following you through your month of fasting! I guess after I got it out it wasn't so scary after all. :)