Terryl L. Givens' "Letter to a Doubter" at the Mormon Interpreter is definitely worth a read, especially if you are struggling with the very normal and frequently healthy process of questioning your faith. You are not alone. In fact, if you are completely free of troubling questions and areas of doubt, perhaps you need to do a little more scripture study, a little more prayer, a little more pondering and thinking, and a lot more listening to the Spirit, because chances are a lot of what you think you know so well is actually based on weak assumptions, misunderstanding, seriously incomplete knowledge and various sources of human error, all of which could use a little updating and refreshing.

It's OK to be puzzled, to have misgivings, to have questions unanswered. and to have areas where we yearn for further light and knowledge. If that describes you, then chances are you are a pretty interesting person. And if, in spite of doubts and questions, you are able to keep your bearings and maintain your LDS membership and hopefully your basic faith as a Latter-day Saint, then chances are you are also a pretty interesting Mormon.

Nephi's poetical yearnings in the Book of Mormon reflects a soul that had encountered the divine and yet struggled with doubts and contradictions in his own soul. The weaknesses and failings of many of the prophets remind us of the realities of mortality where we struggle with darkness and only a handful of incomplete answers in a cosmos of questions, all demanding faith, patience, and steady struggling to learn more. With that in mind, read "Letter to a Doubter" and apply his perspectives to your own situation. I hope it helps.

I like the fact that Givens recognizes that there are real issues we may struggle with, issues that should not be trivialized. But they can be managed or even conquered, with the Lord's help and a lot of patience. Got doubts? That's OK. You may be part of what Givens calls the "fellowship of the desolate" that includes great prophets of the past and others in our day, including Mother Theresa, who struggled with doubt and the the coldness of the world.

I hope you'll be able to press forward in spite of doubts. In any case, stay interested, and, please, stay interesting.
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