Saturday, February 26, 2011

A testimony building experience I had...

In my internship there a lot of people who aren't LDS. I have heard a lot of swearing, I have see a lot of people smoking, drinking, and all sorts of stuff. Here's an encounter I had with a girl while doing my blood drawing rotation this past week.
I can honestly say that SLC is a lot different then just Temple Square and the SL temple, but I have known this for years. There are a lot of people who have grow up LDS and who have just taken a different road in their life. Some people absolutely hate LDS people and just don't care about the church anymore, and some who are tolerant because they aren't sure how they feel about the church. I had a conversation with someone the other day where she asked me where I got married. I told her I got married in the temple. She then went on to say, "I thought so, if I ever stepped in to a temple I'm sure that it would fall down around me." I guess she left the church when she was 13 and hasn't had any desire to go back. She is also married and is going to be having a baby. Someone had told her that she would have to pay for all of the horrible things that she has done in this life in the next life. This is what she told me after that, "I am married and having a kid. I believe in God, but I think that some of the ideals that people within the church place upon themselves aren't necessarily what the church wants us to. They teach their children that everyone who isn't Mormon is a terrible person, and I hate that because I don't think I'm a terrible person for believing in God, and not being a member of the LDS church."
It was kind of an eye opener for me. I realized more that my actions can really either help or hinder someone in the church. I don't judge her for leaving the church. I'm sure she had her reasons, or just wanted to have her own "freedom," but I'm not sure which. I have always been really grateful for the church and everything it stands for, but I to hate it when people teach others that other people are bad because they aren't members of the church. Does that make sense? I know a lot of people who aren't members who are really good people and are God fearing people. I know that judgement will only be passed by God and not by me. Here's what I said to her statement, "People have the right to choose where ever they want to go, it's not for me or anyone to decide how a persons life is going to go. That's what God is for." Was that right thing to say? I was going to say more, but we got interrupted. I was going to go on to say that I hope that my children will learn to love the church I like have, but it's up to them to gain a testimony of it, and not for me to force a testimony on them. If they start to go down a path that I don't think will be good for them, I will counsel with them to see if they need any help from me. If they continue to do things that are not what they grew up learning, then I will seek to help them in any way that I can, but I can't take away their freedom of choice. Sometimes people have to learn for themselves what the LDS church really means, but have to lose their way before they can come back. Many they don't come back in this life, maybe it's the next life they choose the Savior. All in all, I know that everything is in the Lord's hands and if we trust in that...then we have no need to fear.
I hope I have made myself clear. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make a situation like this a good one instead of a bad one? I hope I did well and didn't offend her at all. She didn't seem to be.