Elder means several things to me. I could write to any one of my ancestors. I could write to any one of the leaders of the church. I could write to any one of the thousands of male missionaries currently serving their missions (at least one of which is an extended family member).
I thought about each option for most of my evening without a pull to do any of the above. So, we’ll see where this takes us.
Dear [insert name of leader of choice],
I’m struggling lately. You see, I read history, I ask hard questions, I see lots of inconsistency. Asking me to walk by faith and not pay attention to my doubts is not working.
I need you to embrace transparency. I need you to tell the truth, no matter how hard or ugly it is.
Sure, some people will have a crisis of faith or will walk away. I can understand that. But, there are others who will embrace the truth and use it to strengthen their faith and knowledge of what you teach.
For me, my faith doesn’t waver because I find out human beings do human things. Or if I find out the whole story. Because my relationship with God has never depended on the church. I found my faith straight from the horse’s mouth… so to speak. The things that come out of your mouth inspire me, but they have never defined that relationship.
Indomitable Bellatrix 