Even though we’ve probably never met, I feel like I know you—and I wish I knew you even better. You are not the first person in my life to face a crisis of faith in recent years. I understand that it can be frightening to find yourself questioning a faith you have accepted and embraced. Let me reassure you that there is nothing wrong with having serious questions about your faith. I say that, in part, because I am a questioner, too.
I appreciate your willingness to let me share some of my thoughts with you. I hope the things I write here will be helpful, and I hope you’ll sense the honesty of what I share. My prayer is that you’ll understand why I am so settled about my own religious convictions, my faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My convictions have never been deeper than they are today; I have never been more optimistic about the Church’s future than I am now.
[. . .]
Ok, now for my thoughts:
First, I believe that the battle being waged for the souls of men and women today is very serious. The critics who seek to tear down or attack faith are becoming louder, even if the noise they make is mostly just that—noise. Don’t forget that misery loves company, and be careful about your sources. Be especially wary of professional skeptics; there are plenty of those out there today.