Mission Statement?

[azflyer]

I'm curious if those that have put this site together intend to post some kind of mission statement. I see that the 'subtitle' on this forum is now, "A place for discussion and support of LDS faith Reevaluation". I don't know if anyone is taking suggestions, and if the answer is no, feel free to ignore this, but I really appreciated that on NOM 1.0 there was a sticky thread that kind of outlined what the mission of the forum actually was.

There are lots of people that come here and we all have different paths that we have followed and will continue to follow. Some of us have resigned, some want to resign and some of us feel stuck. There are others here that enjoy (to some extent at least) church, and hope to help other members see a more nuanced view of the church, and of faith and belief in general. It would be nice to have some kind of mission statement posted in a sticky thread, or somewhere that is easily accessible.

[Silver Girl]

It's good to see you again, AZFlyer! I agree - that would help people figure out their place here. NOM seems to have evolved from a site originally looking for a new way to stay in a church that had become increasingly difficult to sustain. Now, there are many of us who have been through the journey of being LDS and are recovering in some way, trying to live with TBM family members, or who otherwise appreciate having the support of those who can understand what the LDS experience means and does to you.

I'd also like to ask the Mods if the board about staying Faithful or Keeping the Faith (whatever) could expanded to include people who still believe in God and Christ (or want to believe) but are trying to find their way into a different church in which to worship? Faith, to me, means believe. The church (any church) is the organization or vehicle for following that belief.

I don't see a place designated for faith in general, only for faith within the LDS church.

[Red Ryder]

Why don't we officially use this thread to come up with a mission statement of our own and to make suggestions as Silver Girl has?

SG, write something up you would like to see added. We can then run it through the correlation committee and meet with the apostles in Thursday. Elder Gong said he had a short presentation so we can piggy back off his open time. Assuming Elder Oaks doesn't bring up the homosexual agenda again.

[Silver Girl]

[quote="Red Ryder"
SG, write something up you would like to see added. We can then run it through the correlation committee and meet with the apostles in Thursday. Elder Gong said he had a short presentation so we can piggy back off his open time. Assuming Elder Oaks doesn't bring up the homosexual agenda again.[/quote]

Thanks for being open to the idea, RR - here's the description of Staying Faithful as it now stands:

Discussion about holding and aligning beliefs when you want to stay in the church. The LDS church is true in this forum. Be kind to others.

Here's one suggestion that would broaden it to "faith" in general and would permit those who are exploring other churches to post in that forum. I hope others chime in with ideas and suggestions, too:

Discussion about holding onto your faith and beliefs, whether by staying in the LDS or by exploring and participating in other churches or faiths. The belief in a higher power (including God and Christ) is true in this forum. Be kind to others.

[alas]

[quote="Red Ryder"
SG, write something up you would like to see added. We can then run it through the correlation committee and meet with the apostles in Thursday. Elder Gong said he had a short presentation so we can piggy back off his open time. Assuming Elder Oaks doesn't bring up the homosexual agenda again.

Thanks for being open to the idea, RR - here's the description of Staying Faithful as it now stands:

Discussion about holding and aligning beliefs when you want to stay in the church. The LDS church is true in this forum. Be kind to others.

Here's one suggestion that would broaden it to "faith" in general and would permit those who are exploring other churches to post in that forum. I hope others chime in with ideas and suggestions, too:

Discussion about holding onto your faith and beliefs, whether by staying in the LDS or by exploring and participating in other churches or faiths. The belief in a higher power (including God and Christ) is true in this forum. Be kind to others.[/quote]


I like this. But can we open it even more to say belief in a higher power, not specific to Christianity. Some of us are exploring beyond Christianity because of problems we see throughout Christianity.

I see a need both to explore other possible religions and to explore finding ways to make Mormonism palatable to those who accept Christ and not JS as gods. For a long time, my only option for Christianity was Mormonism because my TBM DH can accept me not believing JS's claims, and he can accept me not being active, but attending a different church is off limits

[Red Ryder]

Good point alas!

How does this sound?

Discussions about holding onto faith and beliefs, whether by staying LDS or by exploring and participating in other churches or faiths. The belief in any higher power (including God, Christ, Buddha, or Jedi) is true in this forum. Be kind to others.

Ok people, keep the suggestions coming. I'm still waiting for mission statement ideas.

[AllieOop]

I really like these suggestions and agree with Silver Girl and alas's suggestions (and I like what you wrote up, Red Ryder).

[CaptainSalty]

Discussion about holding onto your faith and beliefs, whether by staying in the LDS or by exploring and participating in other churches or faiths. The belief in a higher power (including God and Christ) is true in this forum. Be kind to others.

Well stated. I can make this change shortly. Let me know if there are any other suggestions.

[sc89]

What about people who have let go of all faith in a higher power, but still respect friends and family that think differently? Atheists need respect here, just as they give respect to those who believe.

[Red Ryder]

What about people who have let go of all faith in a higher power, but still respect friends and family that think differently? Atheists need respect here, just as they give respect to those who believe.

We meet at the bar in person and post on reddit!

Good to see you again sc89!

[sc89]

Dang. I miss all the best bar meetings. I'm surprised you remember who i am. I am honored .

[Silver Girl]

What about people who have let go of all faith in a higher power, but still respect friends and family that think differently? Atheists need respect here, just as they give respect to those who believe.

I like the idea of adding something about relating to those who have faith - maybe the forum title could be changed to something more general, like "Faith Issues," or "Faith Journeys" - or just "Faith" - which could include things such as:

Hanging onto faith and navigating your own shifting beliefs in the LDS church
Finding your way through a Faith Crisis (when you actually start doubting but are seeking for what to believe)
Exploring a new faith, new church or new religion
Finding spiritual fulfillment through living a good life - serving others, respecting the universe, whatever
Respectfully relating to those who believe in a higher power when you have changed your own beliefs

The ground rules would be to respect where everyone is or is trying to go regarding faith, and not getting into debates about whether there is a God or a Jedi, etc.

Those are just thoughts based on the comments above - I appreciate our Apostles for their willingness to consider new ways to use that forum while still respecting its intent. I know those red chairs can make you sore after you sit in them for several hours every Thursday...

[moksha]

I think it was Socrates who said, "An unevaluated faith is not worth believing".

When you feel the ice cold promise of certain knowledge melting away in the light of day, it is time to reevaluate with the new Maytag Reevaluator. Guaranteed to keep your faith fresh by infusing it with things that actually make sense to you.

[trophywife26.2]

I always feel like my atheist type/heretical posts were welcome anywhere because I might need "support" about my new worldview or I might want to discuss old doctrine and philosophical discourse. I guess the new board doesn't say philosophical discourse anymore. Maybe we could change that. I always felt like atheist type stuff went there because I was discussing my life philosophy.

[trophywife26.2]

This is some stuff from the original site (I cut the text back by about half), but we can start from scratch. I'm good with either one. I don't need to re-invent the wheel, but if someone has some awesome ideas that's cool too.

NOM exists to benefit people who feel alienated because they do not believe some (or many) of the church's teachings. Most of these people are current LDS members who remain actively involved with the church, usually to support their LDS family.
People who do not feel alienated at church due to their beliefs have little to offer to the discussion. In particular, we do not want LDS believers to tell us that we simply don't understand the church's teachings, or that we'd be better off if we changed our beliefs.

Unlike a lot of sites for people who are disillusioned with the LDS church, this one is not mainly about how rotten the church is. It's more about how to live in harmony with people (spouses, parents, siblings, co-workers) who are faithful members.

The original included almost a statement of rules/guidelines as well. Moderators have drafted up a clear list or new rules (basically the same just written more explicitly or something), but I guess we're all trigger shy to lay it out yet.

[trophywife26.2]

Okay so speaking as a member (not as a moderator) I would like officially suggest/support adding philosophical discourse to the doctrinal forum because that is where sometimes people would post things about unpacking religion or a particular philosophy. It comes to mind that a few months ago someone was posting about nihlism there. Under the current description it kind of sounds like we are only supposed to talk about LDS stuff.

[moksha]

Under the current description it kind of sounds like we are only supposed to talk about LDS stuff.

I like to fire my philosophical rockets into the air and let God and the moderators sort things out.

[Zadok]

I served, (questionable), a mission in the North of England in 1967/69. From the time I got off the airplane at the Leeds-Bradford airport my "Mission Statement" has been. GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE. Is that the kind of mission statement we are looking for?