Week #5

As I reflect on General Conference and the message from each of the brethren, I can't help much ponder on the importance of sincerity. I feel as though the topic of sincerity is at the root of each brethren's message. Elder Ballard's message had the strongest initial impact on me, as he discussed the concerns that come as individuals consider pursuing life without the Gospel.

In recent weeks I have had a lot of my closest friends open up to me about no longer being very active in the Gospel, and that their testimonies are dwindling. I have always been the go-to friend in the group when people are having gospel doubts or struggles. I was not raised in the church, and the majority of my closest friends and family are still nonmembers of the church.  Because of this, my active, LDS friends feel as though I am a safe haven for advice. What is unfortunate, however, is that I often times feel that I downplay the severity of their actions/decisions. I find myself usually trying to console these friends and help them see that where their at spiritually isn't so far off the mark, that getting back on track isn't out of the question. When these spiritually, struggling friends discuss their gospel concerns with me, I find myself giving them immediate response and answers. Although I feel that I usually give them correct answers to their concerns, I recently have realized that I could disprove every question they may have, but if they don't want to accept the truth than I am just spinning my wheels.

Elder Ballard's message opened my eyes on where I have errored in handling these situations, rather than having a back-and-forth conversation about the pros-cons of the church, talking to these friends about how the gospel makes them feel, discussing what fruits they have seen from the gospel, and discussing where they intend to go as they leave the church, are the best routes for these conversations. People with questions typically respond much better to answers that they find on their own, rather than the answers they are force-fed by their peers, church leaders, and family.