In Response to a Comment Written...

Today was a day for new experiences and adventures. I took time out of my afternoon to travel down to Temple Square in Salt Lake City. I saw for the very first time the Mormon Temple with the angel Moroni looking down on me. The whole experience left me quite sad and in tears, and it was during that state that I left an audioblog from my cell phone. *I will take a moment to state that my sadness wasn't for me, but every person I've ever known who found themselves in Mormon Church*

When I arrived back home I had an email waiting for me, from someone who kindly responded to my blog. This person identified themselves as "Non-Mormon Person" and went on to ask me several very good questions. I also thank this person for enlightening me to the areas of my blog that I seem vague concerning; namely, my faith and the stance I take in my relationship with Christ.

I grew up in the Mennonite Church (for more information concerning the Mennonite Church http://www.mennoniteusa.org/). Though, I'm baptized in the Church and hold with many of the doctrines of the Church, I don't appreciate the divisions that denominations bring. I'm more in support of believers the world over uniting as the Family of Christ.

It was my Senior year of High School when I was first introduced to the system known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (also known as Mormons). Over time I became quite familiar with the LDS Church, with many of my close friends being Mormon themselves. It was during this period in my life that I began investigating the Mormon Church in earnest, and actually for a short period fell into the belief system myself.

It wasn't until I began uncovering doctrines that I couldn't explain away (especially in relation to what is written in the Bible) that I really began questioning the LDS Church. Since that time I've been about trying to reach out to LDS believers in love and patience.

I know that I'm sounding fairly disjointed and unfocused at this time, but I'll try to bring it all together now with some scripture that I find comforting, especially in relation to the subject of ministry:

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move moutains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:1-7, 13