There is a man named Shawn McCraney that really makes me mad.
He is a returned missionary.
He is an ex-member of the church.
He is a man who likes to bring down the church on his television show.
The only reason I know about him is because my Mom was flipping around on the tv one day and heard a smidgen of what he was saying about the church and it made her mad. She kept watching just to see what he would say. She kept telling my family about him and how made he made her. Well one night, we were flipping around looking for something to watch and she saw him and went, "OH! Shelb! This is the guy!" I watched him for two seconds and started crying.
How could someone like him, being a returned missionary and used to be so strong in the church and then decide that it wasn't doing anything for him so he left? And now for a living, he has a tv show where he twists mormonism and puts lies into people's heads. How could someone do that!? I never would! I've heard the reason why this guy left the church. And it's a stupid reason. Obviously, he didn't have faith in the Lord and obviously he didn't love the Lord as much as he said he did because then he would never be in this situation. It reminds me of Elder David A. Bednar's conference talk a few years ago called "And Nothing Shall Offend Them." In it he says that those who have been offended by something in the church have chosen to be offended. In this case, Shawn McCraney has chosen to be offended by the church and some of the things that they did to him when he was having problems, when really, they were trying to get him back on track.
I remember reading in Mosiah a few weeks ago about this same sort of situation. I don't remember exactly where it was (cause I can't find it haha) but it was talking about the people that know the teachings of God are true and those who live by those teachings, and then those that know they are true but yet they deny the teachings and they deny God, they will be cast down to hell, or something to that effect. (If you remember where that is, please tell me cause I would love to remember!) I can only imagine what will happen to this man when he meets God. And I feel sorry for him. I'm sad for him.
I love the church! I've grown to love it even more the past few years of my life and especially now that Cody is out preaching the gospel. I've been taught and I constantly "...stand as witnesses of God at all times, in all things and in all places..." (Mosiah 18:9) I've learned to love the gospel, even after some of the trials that I go through and that I know I will go through. I can't imagine having the gospel in my life during these times and I can't imagine denying God and denying his teachings.
I got a letter from Cody yesterday, and in it he said, "Being out here has humbled me a lot, also makes me think about a lot of the stupid decisions that I have made in my life. Seeing the people that we teach struggle through their trials makes me feel bad for them. I've seen all kinds of crap down here, and it makes me sad that these people reject our wonderful message that we have. If they would just listen they would have a much better off life!! But that's part of the reason we are given the gift of 'Albedrio' (Agency)." It's so true. We can't make people listen to our message and we can't make people feel the same way about the church that we do. But it's the same for him. He can't make people listen to his message and he can't make people turn away from the church. Seeing some of the comments that people have left of his YouTube pages, obviously people have left the church just for him, but again, like Cody said, that's why we are given the gift of agency.
It's sad. It's sad that people think that way about God and his wonderful church. I rejoice. I rejoice in the fact that I know I have a friend in the Lord all the time. I rejoice in the fact that every day I continue to grow closer to the Lord and that I am growing closer to the gospel and relying on it more. I rejoice in the fact that I know all the things about the gospel that I do know. I odon't know everything, and even when I die I won't, but I will continue to learn and grow in the gospel my entire life and I love that fact! I rejoice for missionaries who give up 2 years of their lives to go out there and try to bring people into the wonderful love of the Lord and into living the gospel. I am grateful for them and all that they do, and all that the leaders of the church do.
I love the Lord. I love this gospel. No one or nothing can change that.
He is an ex-member of the church.
He is a man who likes to bring down the church on his television show.
The only reason I know about him is because my Mom was flipping around on the tv one day and heard a smidgen of what he was saying about the church and it made her mad. She kept watching just to see what he would say. She kept telling my family about him and how made he made her. Well one night, we were flipping around looking for something to watch and she saw him and went, "OH! Shelb! This is the guy!" I watched him for two seconds and started crying.
How could someone like him, being a returned missionary and used to be so strong in the church and then decide that it wasn't doing anything for him so he left? And now for a living, he has a tv show where he twists mormonism and puts lies into people's heads. How could someone do that!? I never would! I've heard the reason why this guy left the church. And it's a stupid reason. Obviously, he didn't have faith in the Lord and obviously he didn't love the Lord as much as he said he did because then he would never be in this situation. It reminds me of Elder David A. Bednar's conference talk a few years ago called "And Nothing Shall Offend Them." In it he says that those who have been offended by something in the church have chosen to be offended. In this case, Shawn McCraney has chosen to be offended by the church and some of the things that they did to him when he was having problems, when really, they were trying to get him back on track.
I remember reading in Mosiah a few weeks ago about this same sort of situation. I don't remember exactly where it was (cause I can't find it haha) but it was talking about the people that know the teachings of God are true and those who live by those teachings, and then those that know they are true but yet they deny the teachings and they deny God, they will be cast down to hell, or something to that effect. (If you remember where that is, please tell me cause I would love to remember!) I can only imagine what will happen to this man when he meets God. And I feel sorry for him. I'm sad for him.
I love the church! I've grown to love it even more the past few years of my life and especially now that Cody is out preaching the gospel. I've been taught and I constantly "...stand as witnesses of God at all times, in all things and in all places..." (Mosiah 18:9) I've learned to love the gospel, even after some of the trials that I go through and that I know I will go through. I can't imagine having the gospel in my life during these times and I can't imagine denying God and denying his teachings.
I got a letter from Cody yesterday, and in it he said, "Being out here has humbled me a lot, also makes me think about a lot of the stupid decisions that I have made in my life. Seeing the people that we teach struggle through their trials makes me feel bad for them. I've seen all kinds of crap down here, and it makes me sad that these people reject our wonderful message that we have. If they would just listen they would have a much better off life!! But that's part of the reason we are given the gift of 'Albedrio' (Agency)." It's so true. We can't make people listen to our message and we can't make people feel the same way about the church that we do. But it's the same for him. He can't make people listen to his message and he can't make people turn away from the church. Seeing some of the comments that people have left of his YouTube pages, obviously people have left the church just for him, but again, like Cody said, that's why we are given the gift of agency.
It's sad. It's sad that people think that way about God and his wonderful church. I rejoice. I rejoice in the fact that I know I have a friend in the Lord all the time. I rejoice in the fact that every day I continue to grow closer to the Lord and that I am growing closer to the gospel and relying on it more. I rejoice in the fact that I know all the things about the gospel that I do know. I odon't know everything, and even when I die I won't, but I will continue to learn and grow in the gospel my entire life and I love that fact! I rejoice for missionaries who give up 2 years of their lives to go out there and try to bring people into the wonderful love of the Lord and into living the gospel. I am grateful for them and all that they do, and all that the leaders of the church do.
I love the Lord. I love this gospel. No one or nothing can change that.
.JPG)
No comments:
Post a Comment