I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The name is a mouthful so people often refer to us as Mormon . I would hope that those of you who know me would consider me a good example of what a Mormon should be. I'm not perfect, but I have tried to live according to the best understanding I have of how to be a good person. When I learn better I try to do better.
I just read this article about how many Mormons are leaving the Church. It made me sad. My brother is among the number of Mormons I know who have left the church for various reasons. I know that our free agency and ability to make choices is one of the most valuable gifts we have in this life. That doesn't stop me from feeling unhappy about people I love giving up something I firmly believe will bring good things into their lives.
I'm not sure what it would take for me to get to a point where I would quit attending church. It's too much a part of who I am and what I know to be true. Even at my lowest points, when I felt completely miserable and unloved, when I gave up on almost everything else, I continued going to church. Just showing up brought me some comfort. There have been times when I have felt it was very hard to live the way I do. There have been things I have sacrificed to live the way I know I should. Life is like weight training, there has to be resistance or you won't gain anything. The harder life is, the stronger you grow.
