Borderlands
Over the past four years Jeff Burton has authored a series of articles, “Braving the Borderlands,” which explores the experiences of Latter-day Saints struggling in the borderlands of LDS activity and acceptance.
There articles are available for free download. Please click on “Borderlands Articles” at top of page.
We invite you to share your responses to these articles and your own experiences in the LDS Borderlands.
We benefit from reading about the successes (and failures) of others when given in the spirit of helpfulness and respect.
Most converts seem to be women and right-brained men like myself. It is the right-brained, intuitive, sensitive person, open to the spirit who feels IT and overlooks logical objections and obstacles. It tastes good. It feels good. It resonates with my spirit. At least that is what I felt. Did I ever really believe the whole magillah about the plates and all? I just suspended disbelief. My feelings or the Spirit, or whatever, told me , in terms too strong to disregard, \” this is where you belong.\”
Then people such as me soon collide with the left-brained, literal-thinking , armor-of-God, obedience folks who seem to dominate leadership positions. Oh, there are a few sheep who need to be told what to do and are lost without directives, but most of us joined precisely because we ARE individuals who make our own decisions.
Soon, the more perceptive among us see that some of our local leaders are stuffed shirts and control freaks and the really spiritual people are humble men and women who stay below the radar and do not attract attention with heroic testimonies, etc. You tell most leaders about your doubts and you are told to read scripture, go to the temple more, and pray more. They have no answers.
Sooner or later, you may see some things that are totally unacceptable — like a man who tried to molest my son\’s girlfriend left scott-free in a high calling. Or knowing full well that a man was abusing his wife and kids left totally alone in a high calling. This, while good people I knew who had a smoking or other problem were considered pariahs. And then they may come after you for something, like because you are a rabble rouser or are voicing unorthodox opinions.
All this happened to us and we came within a hairs breadth of leaving and joining the UU church. They and others are so left-brained and appealing to me and my wife. They mostly have women leading the congregations. I loved it. My wife was called to conduct sacrament meetings.
But our good old Mormon friends loved us back in and we finally saw through the literalism into the deeper meanings of things.
We are in the Borderlands, though.
We have been able to appreciate more fully that the literal teachings of the church camouflage many more profound concepts and that oversimplification is the only way to get some ideas across to children and some adults.
We don\’t yet want to subject ourselves to a temple recommend interview, but that is another matter. One of our girls wants to be married in the temple someday! She keeps dropping not-so-subtle hints to her mother about how she would love for us to be there. My wife is going to cave, I know it, and if she does, I will, too.
But, in summary, that is my theory about why so many converts leave the church and why, again, some stay, even if in the Borderlands.