Dallineation

Today I finished reading a book I have been meaning to read for a long time called “The Crucible of Doubt” by Terryl Givens and Fiona Givens. This is a book I have heard recommended by several faithful LDS who have struggled doubts and questions.

The book was written in 2014 and is out of print, so it's hard to track down. I ended up purchasing the Kindle edition because it was the cheapest version I could find at $20 USD. But before I was even finished reading it, I ordered a used hardcover copy on eBay for $30, because it moved me profoundly to the point of tears more than once.

It's a short book – one could easily read it in a few hours. I devoured the Kindle edition but I plan to more carefully study and ponder the physical copy when it arrives.

I came away from my first reading with the following thoughts:

• There is so much we still do not know or understand and we need to have epistemic humility.
• I am not evil, broken, or wrong for having doubts.
• There is room in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for people who have doubts.
• Core LDS doctrines and theology are beautiful, rich, and vibrant.
• Beware of hero worship. Human beings are flawed and even those with the noblest of intentions are going to mess up and get stuff wrong.
• Regard the earthly instruments of church and religion as a means to an end, not the end in itself.
• No church has a monopoly on truth. We should seek truth wherever we can find it, and it can be found everywhere, including in other faiths.
• It ultimately comes down to what we choose to believe and how we live according to that belief.

I'm thankful I finally read this book, and I now understand why it has been so highly recommended.

To be fair, it is difficult for me to articulate how and why this book impacted me the way it has, but I hope to share more specific insights during my next reading.

#100DaysToOffload (No. 147) #faith #Lent #Christianity