Keeping the Faith 7a: The Reel Story
by SteveDensleyJr on December 12th, 2012
Bill Reel talks about how he became converted to the Church, became a bishop and then nearly resigned his membership in the Church. He discusses the role the internet, on-line chat groups and podcasts played in both weakening his testimony as well as strengthening it. He also talks about how bad apologetics contributed to undermining his faith, how good apologetics reinforced his faith, and the central role the spirit plays in establishing a foundation for our testimonies.
Podcast: Download (30.0MB)
December 12th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
I thought of a couple of things today.
#1 – I could only describe my experience to prayer to the Book of Mormon as having seen something with my “spiritual eyes” or “spiritual ears” My future wife didn’t see what I saw or heard. I at one time was concerned over one of the witnesses describing it this way, yet that is how I would describe what I experienced as well.
#2 – I have been interviewed before and had the chance to share my conversion story twice recorded and multiple times outside of that. My two official versions differ slightly. I have multiple accounts therefore it must not be true…
just some thoughts
Bill Reel
December 13th, 2012 at 6:25 am
[...] http://www.fairblog.org/2012/12/12/keeping-the-faith-7a-the-reel-story/ [...]
December 13th, 2012 at 9:45 am
I think these podcasts do a great job adding that “personal touch” that is so hard to deliver in the intellectually-heavy answers found at FAIR. Well done!
December 13th, 2012 at 10:12 am
rkmorten: Thanks so much for the feedback! We really appreciate it.
December 13th, 2012 at 10:55 am
A listener has asked for the letter I read and thought perhaps it might be of use to each of you.
- Bill Reel
“There are not problems as you characterize them and the elephants in the room are not the baby elephants you keep hoping are going to trumpet an answer. In the very back corner is a humongous, Massive bull elephant who is sitting on his side, resting from all of the bellowing he has been doing hoping to get the attention over the mass of baby elephants making all the racket. He is obscured from your view because all you keep seeing are the baby elephants covering him from view.
There is a work underfoot that you do not grasp yet. It seems to you to be a work to hide and protect the church. Completely, incorrect. We can flush these thoughts out further if we need to but when you think of Bruce R. McConkie’s take on the 10 virgins and that they represent the members and that half will fall away, what do you think is going to separate the saints from one another. We do love each other and as a group are very tolerant when appropriate, but what is going to drive a wedge between the members to push them a part.
Faith is the big Elephant lying on its side resting. The 50 % that fall away are those who do not realize that theology is built upon a requirement of faith. Without it none can please God. One can never overcome the theological demands of faith by an appeal to empirical proof. They are at odds. The one destroy the other. Proof will only leave you weak and unable to stand when stand you must. The one leads to life eternal the other leaves one unable to call upon God when the time is ripe for destruction. The work that is underfoot is the sifting of the wheat from the tares.
In the coming days, I have no clue how long, but soon enough I am sure, the truths of the history of the church will save no lives. The only thing that will is in those, that live, breath, feel in their hearts and souls the faith that can stand this moment – the beginning onslaught against the church. It is the same ideological battle that pulled the third of heaven to follow Satan. It will escalate form here to becoming a physical battle and the world will be arrayed against us – It will take powerful faith, perhaps Enochian faith to turn the tides against those that would destroy the members of the church. You are only in the beginning stages of the battle of the war of words and ideals and you are already falling prey to the efforts. What will you do when destruction is between you and the powers of heaven to forestall.
Faith – so few understand it is a genuine power. Sometimes I think that members are hell-bent on avoiding, denying, and fleeing away from the opportunities to exercise faith – the power that holds worlds in their orbits and enables the creative efforts. We lip service it and then ignore it constantly. This day is a blessing to you. You are being tossed and torn and beaten and abused in the crucible of faith. The anxiety you feel is because you are slowly feeling the heat of the flames that will prepare some and destroy others.
You acknowledge the need for faith but it has not impressed upon your soul the power of what faith really is. Again I ask, what did you think it would look like when we were in the middle of the sifting. IT LOOKS LIKE WHAT YOU ARE SEEING. It is painful, until the faith provides the healing and there is no faith in questioning the motives of the church. They know exactly what is happening and they are stemming it as best they can within the boundaries of agency, and teaching correct principle. I’m not going to expand further, I’ll see where this takes you.”
December 13th, 2012 at 11:25 am
“I have been interviewed before and had the chance to share my conversion story twice recorded and multiple times outside of that. My two official versions differ slightly. I have multiple accounts therefore it must not be true…” – I see what you did there!! Clever sarcasm.
In all seriousness, thanks for sharing. I arrived at my “faith crisis” a different way but had to wade through all of the “warts” as Elder Holland stated much of the same way you did. I really appreciated the email that you shared. That is a great analogy. I think the hurt and the feelings of betrayal that we experience during such trials of faith are an interesting topic, one much deeper than “it’s just cognitive dissonance.” Please note that I don’t intend to be negative/demeaning towards that argument as it is extremely valid but feel that it is much deeper than that. As a person extremely ignorant of psychology, this would be interesting to learn about.
The one thing that I still don’t grasp 100% is polygamy/polyandry. I am OK with all of the other issues presented as arguments against the church but the polygamy/polyandry still bothers me a bit. I am still waiting upon the Lord with this issue. I just had to come to the realization that I can’t throw away all of the collective good that the church has to offer over one issue (or several). I just cannot explain away the all of the spiritual experiences I have had as just a chemical process in the brain or our evolutionary longing to believe in a superior being. This also requires humility on my part as I am a person that has to know. I have to have an answer and I honestly don’t have an answer for this. Any help/advice would be appreciated.
I must state that I am NOT on the verge of leaving the church over this. I am fine in my faith but would just like a healthy conversation from my friends at FAIR over said issue.
December 13th, 2012 at 11:49 am
THE_BANDIT: Thanks for your comment. It sounds like you have a specific question or questions you would like answered. You may find it helpful to submit your question here for a personal response: http://www.fairlds.org/contact.php
December 13th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Thanks Steve. I don’t know if I have a question or not as I have read much on the subject. Just still struggling to come to terms with it I guess but I will email the group and maybe someone has had the same problem(s) as I.
As always thanks for the work that FAIR does!