I told myself I would never write a religious blog…
I’ve had requests to do it, but I always turned them down. Why? I’m a non-confrontational person. I don’t like arguing and when you put yourself out there and write a blog it’s an invitation to put oneself in the public light. To do this is to say, “Hey, I have something to say and I want people to read it.” Now, you might say, “Well, hey, you write books. That’s an invitation to put oneself in the public light. So, what’s the big deal about a blog?” My answer would be: books don’t have an online comment option, books have links to buy and books have general feedback comments, but they aren’t dynamically available and they allow me the time to ponder a topic for months (sometimes years) before I open my big mouth. Conversely, blogs are much more “in the moment.”
In consequence, writing a blog also invites arguing and confrontation. People want to disagree with you. They want to give you heck for being bold enough to speak out, especially if they don’t agree. They want to silence you and make you appear the fool. They want to turn life into a battle of who’s right and who’s wrong and there can only be a victory if they’re the ones who come out on top and their opinion rules. People—in general—are rarely sincere seekers of truth. Some people are humble enough to see truth outside their own and make compromises. A few want to find hope, belief, doctrine, and peace.
People will almost always think what they want to think and do what they want to do, so to offer something that I think will help them when they don’t even want it is another invitation to get mud thrown in my face. In fact, my view has always been, that “I know what I know to be true. I know why I know it’s true. I know who I am and I’ve worked long and hard, studied long and hard, to get to this point. That’s all that matters to me.” As well, I respect other people’s right to believe what they want. I don’t want to force anyone to think like I think, to believe what I believe, or to do what I do. Do you all hear that? Think how you want to think. Do what you want to do. It’s not my goal to discount or belittle what mores you hold dear.
So, why am I writing a blog? Because, like Jeremiah (20:9) said, “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” I’m writing this blog because life is not about who’s right and who’s wrong. This life is about God’s will. It’s His world, His plan, and we can all fuss and fight and bicker. But, in the long run, when all is said and done, it’s His rights and His wrongs that matter, whether we understand them or not; whether we like them or not; whether we believe them or not. He’s either real or He’s not. And if He’s real, then His will is real. If His will is real, then what more is there to argue about? Who are we, as mere mortals, to fight over things we have no true authority to change?
So, I’ve decided to make my moniker The Doctrine Lady because I hope to back up everything I write, as much as possible, with good sound doctrine i.e. core truths. However, if ever doctrine fails or if people discount it, I will fall back on personal testimony because people can complain and argue and persecute me, but “so persecuted they the prophets” before me (Matthew 5:12; Acts 7:52), and they can’t change my own personal witness of truth. They can’t tell me I haven’t seen what I’ve seen. They can’t tell me I haven’t felt what I’ve felt. And they certainly can’t do anything to make me pretend otherwise.
If credentials matter, then let me just say I’ve been reading and studying my scriptures (the Bible, Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price) since I was fourteen years old—along with multitudinous other resources and manuals. I have completed four years of Seminary—equivalent to what a trained, professional preacher would attend. I have taught the same Seminary for six years as a volunteer. I have been teaching in volunteer capacities the very doctrines I will use since January 1999. I have been writing books, both fiction and non-fiction, since the year 2000. I have a BA in Business Administration, an MA in Curriculum and Instructional Design, and I have been working in business, finance, marketing, and retail since 1998. But, my biggest credential, the one I count of greatest worth, is my personal testimony of Jesus Christ.
Well, I’m going to make mistakes. There are going to be typos. I may not explain something in the way that best suits every person. I may fail to include something… So, for those who might seek to ridicule or persecute I simply quote the following (The Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 33:10-11):
“And now my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye shall believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.”
“And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.”
So, there’s my intro, for what’s it’s worth.
Now, onto the doctrine.
BT
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