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Has anyone ever come to an understanding of some religious text, metaphor, ritual or event that strengthened your faith? ...and then come to find out that you had interpreted it much differently than someone (or everyone) else?

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See anarthria.

Hello tyresias,

As an investigator when I first read the Joseph Smith first vision account there was something there about other churches following the commandments of men. It seemed to me that since the only commandments God ever gave were the ones he gave to Moses that these were the ones he wanted us to follow rather than the commandments of men. Apparently what God really wanted was for us to follow new (and as yet undefined) commandments that he would give to Joseph Smith.

Tyresias wrote:Has anyone ever come to an understanding of some religious text, metaphor, ritual or event that strengthened your faith? ...and then come to find out that you had interpreted it much differently than someone (or everyone) else?

a few times, but each time someone/everyone else was pleased that i was able to clarify their misunderstanding and subsequently able to strengthen their own faith.

Tyresias wrote:Has anyone ever come to an understanding of some religious text, metaphor, ritual or event that strengthened your faith? ...and then come to find out that you had interpreted it much differently than someone (or everyone) else?

I think you will be hard pressed to find someone who has not had this happen sooner or later. Since most people engage religious texts, metaphors, etc., for reasons of personal spiritual growth, their understanding is bound to become a bit idiosyncratic.

...

If religious text weren't infinitely interpretable, we'd only have one religion. Even if you asked the same question about fortune cookies, the answer would still be of course.