Doubt

I started attending church regularly again at 29, was endowed at 32, and felt I was on the right path. But I was still filled with so much doubt.

Beyond the obvious sand-versus-rock analysis, this story teaches us something essential about building a testimony.

How do I accept the power to define myself according to God’s view? The answer is simple.

How we deal with our brothers’ and sisters’ questions and doubts in the Church today is one of the most pressing tests of our collective discipleship.

Courses are taught by experts in their fields and range from how to improve your scripture study to overcoming doubts to talking to your kids about tough topics like pornography.

This article is part of a series called “12 Days of Christmas: A daily study guide to bring the Savior into the season.” See the full list of days in the study guide and learn more about how it’s formatted here.

The following excerpt from To My Friends originally ran on LDS Living in December 2017. To My Friends is now available as a Pocket Gospel Classic.

This is the third part of a four-part series from Elder Bruce C. Hafen about helping those who may be dealing with questions or doubts based on Faith Is Not Blind, the book he and his wife, Marie, co-authored.This series is adapted from an address Elder Hafen gave to religious educators.

This is the second part of a four-part series from Elder Bruce C. Hafen about helping those who may be dealing with questions or doubts based on Faith Is Not Blind, the book he and his wife, Marie, co-authored.This series is adapted from an address Elder Hafen gave to religious educators.

Editor’s note: Dr. Debra Theobald McClendon is a clinical psychologist who specializes in scrupulosity, a religiously themed subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This is the final article in a series discussing McClendon’s thoughts on how anxiety impacts a personal faith crisis and how individuals can navigate their anxiety with faith. McClendon was recently a guest on LDS Living’s All In podcast. You can listen to the podcast and find more resources on the topic here.

Concerns about faith can be very painful, at times rocking the core of one’s belief system. Anxiety can further complicate one’s emotional landscape and add panic and desperation to the faith journey, creating a “faith crisis.”

Not all faith questions need constitute a “faith crisis.” We need not be afraid of our questions, but can journey with them as we seek to address them with honest intent.

William T. Bruner represented most religions’ take on the fall of Adam and Eve when he wrote, “There was nothing fortunate about the fall of man. It was a total tragedy for God and man.” However, as Latter-day Saints, our doctrinal beliefs surrounding the fall are quite different. Daniel K. Judd outlined that difference in his piece, “The Fortunate Fall of Adam and Eve”:

Asking questions about the gospel is encouraged in the Church, as doing so can bring more knowledge and personal growth into your life. But how do you handle questions that challenge your faith? The July 2020 issue of the Ensign features two articles on this topic, giving insights on how to look for answers in a faithful way.

This excerpt originally ran on LDS Living in June 2016.

What do we do in the times where God seems silent—when there seems to be no one on the receiving end of our prayers and pleadings? This seems to be one of our most frequently asked questions about questions and it is precisely the question Jared Halverson seeks to answer in this new video released by LDS Living and Gospel Day by Day.

We've been busy this year sharing uplifting stories and messages through video! Here are our most popular videos of 2019.

The following story originally ran on LDS Living in 2017.

As scary as talking (or asking) about problems with pornography may be, not talking about it can lead to devastating problems later. Each individual pornography problem is unique and challenging, and you may not even know if it’s an issue or how to bring it up with the person you’re dating, so it’s important that you seek guidance from the Spirit. There’s no single solution for every situation, but in this article, we offer some suggestions for those of you who might be wondering:

"I became so fixated with my faith and poking holes in that, my studies got pushed aside. My grades took a hit. I started to want to disbelieve," Adam says in a recent Church video "His Grace: Choosing to Believe." "And I think that's when the darkness for me personally really set in."

The following article originally ran on LDS Living in May 2015.

As a BYU history professor and director of the Maxwell Institute, Spencer Fluhman is the go-to guy of sorts for students with questions about the Church, according to an article by KUER.

A few weeks ago, a brother stood at the pulpit in my ward in Arkansas and humbly shared his testimony. He spoke about his journey toward faith, his struggles with doubt, and his hope to keep moving forward. A feeling of love and gratitude arose from the congregation because many of us had gone through similar experiences.

For the first time during a Face to Face event, Elder Soares and Elder Christensen answered a few questions in Portuguese and Spanish. The devotional was broadcast live from a studio on the Brigham Young University campus in Provo, Utah.

The following has been republished with permission from taylorhalverson.com.

Let me make sure that you understand this important point. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions or investigating our history, doctrine, and practices. The Restoration began when Joseph Smith sought an answer to a sincere question.

LDS Living wants to invite you on a journey to become better seekers of truth, better receivers of personal revelation, and better answerers of difficult, soul-stretching questions.

Have you ever needed to see a doctor, but when you call the office no one answers? You hear the automated message that says, “If this is an emergency, please hang up and dial 911.” This doesn’t just happen when we are physically ill. If you are reading this and find yourself in the middle of a great spiritual tailspin—that dark night of the soul, the notorious faith crisis—you may indeed feel like this is an emergency. What you’re experiencing is real and probably terrifying, or at least, at times, anxiety-ridden. It can be disorienting and exhausting, but I want you to know that things will be okay. Trust me, I’m a doctor (it’s true, I’m a literal doctor).

Two years ago I wrote an article titled “Why People Leave The Church and Never Come Back.” Since then, the article has been read nearly a million times. Rarely does a week go by without someone reaching out to say, “Hey Nate, I don’t know you, but I read your article. Can we talk?”

Many have found themselves in this situation: Religion is brought up, and we share that we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Questions follow that we don’t know how to answer.

I often overhear people talking about their fears of being more than one thing. One side of the conversation regularly goes something like this: “I can’t be both _____________ and a member of the Church.” And if they’re not saying it about themselves, they’re talking about somebody else. Sometimes it comes in the form of a question: “Can you be gay and still be a member of the Church?”

If you are a believing Latter-day Saint parent, your greatest hope is that you and your children will all be together in eternity. But—with increased disaffiliation from the Church—many parents, maybe even most, have or will have adult children who no longer believe.

The following content has been republished with permission from bridgeslds.com.

On Friday, the general presidents of all the women-led organizations in the Church met for a historic Sister-to-Sister event at BYU Women's Conference.

For Holy Week, LDS Living is preparing for Easter in two simple ways: 1) by focusing on the events leading up to Easter on our Instagram account @brightly.beams and 2) by releasing a video a day focusing on the perspective of those who witnessed the life and resurrection of our Savior. Here is the sixth video (watch the first five here), featuring Emily Belle Freeman and David Butler of Don't Miss This as they explain what we can learn about Easter and our Savior from Thomas. While many focus on Thomas's doubt following the Savior's resurrection, what is even more beautiful is our Savior's reaction to Thomas's questions.

There are so many Church doctrines and gospel principles that giving you only 14 explanations didn't cover nearly enough. So here are 13 more explanations to help you clarify certain concepts for your nonmember friends and neighbors.

What should we do if we have questions about what we once knew to be true? This powerful Ensignarticle by Jakob R. Jones shares eight insights into how we can work through our doubts while reminding us that God doesn't love us any less when we have questions.

The following has been republished with permission from faithmatters.org.

I have this running list of all the questions I want to ask when I die. It may sound morbid to think about my death so often, but I'm actually really looking forward to learning the answers to questions like is the Oak Island treasure real? What happened to Amelia Earhart?

How do we explain Church doctrine and gospel principles to our friends and neighbors who are not Latter-day Saints? If you’re having trouble knowing how to clarify certain concepts, here are some ideas.

Will you stand forever? Or will you go away?

“I know that the Church is true, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.”

What happens when you can no longer feel your Heavenly Parents or Savior near? When you can't feel the Spirit? When you can't find the answer to the questions troubling soul?

Elder Renlund and his wife, Sister Ruth L. Renlund, spoke in tandem during the devotional Sunday night which originated from the Brigham Young University–Hawaii campus in Laie, Hawaii, and was broadcast via satellite for young adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world.

While at the Church of Oxford's Pembroke College Chapel, Elder Holland answered questions concerning family life, mental health, Church policy, and many other concerns members have.