I give up 10% of my income directly to the church, plus more to charities, some church-related and some not. My income would be stretched even without paying that. (For information on the purpose and disbursement of this tithing, click here.)
I attend church services for three hours every Sunday. I’m usually so tired from working the night before that I struggle to stay awake, and my four kids make sure to interrupt anything interesting in the main portion of the services. Most of my religious education comes from reading the scriptures and other books at home.
The LDS church does not have professional clergy. Instead, leaders and teachers are called from the congregation, and they perform unpaid in addition to their regular jobs. I have a calling as an assistant ward financial clerk. It means that every Sunday, I spend hours entering financial data into a computer.
And at the Sunday services, you never know what someone is going to say. Testimony meetings, held monthly, are sort of an “open-mike” experience. I’ve seen a guy stand up and talk about the alien that nearly abducted him when he was using drugs with his live-in girlfriend. It very rarely gets that weird, but people do preach things that do not fit in with my understanding of the gospel.
I find that I can’t just sit back and agree with what I hear. I feel a need to actively sort what I am hearing into doctrinal fact and personal opinions, and then to make up my own mind about what to believe. It never helps that so many people present their personal opinions as doctrinal fact.
So why do I do it? It’s not easy, but it is worth it.
I have a close, personal relationship with God. Someone trying to debate the existence of God with me might as well be debating the existence of my dad. Maybe I can’t prove it to you, but I talked with him just this morning, and I know I can speak with him again anytime.
I have seen miracles. I have participated in miracles. I have performed miracles. Rather, God has performed miracles through me. These have been far too personal to share in an open blog such as this, but they have been real, and to me undeniable.
And even on a day like today, when I was tired, had a headache, had four children to wrestle with to keep them from disturbing everyone, I can still feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. During our closing hymn, I was struck by the words we were singing:
“How blessed the day when the lamb and the lion
Shall lie down together without any ire…”
The song continues with further images from Revelations, but I was inspired by that image of peace. The world once fought in a war that was called “the war to end all wars.” Then they fought World War II. We’ve had numerous wars since then. I don’t believe that the world will ever find peace until Jesus Christ returns. I look forward to the day, whenever it may be.
Until that day, I’ll be a practicing member of the LDS church. I invite you to join me.
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