Reasons people stopped attending church

[Marcus]

I do believe those who seek Christ and further knowledge can be capable of looking elsewhere when they realise some Sundays have no mention of Jesus or God at all (excluding sacrament). I do think there is a small point to what you are making, in that, there must be a deeper lack of faith in order for someone to give up salvation I suppose....

That presumes they believe the LDS church offers "salvation" found no where else, and then left anyway.

I have never heard anyone state that, here or anywhere else, so I'm curious how you would come to that conclusion, unless it is your belief.

[IWMP]

I do believe those who seek Christ and further knowledge can be capable of looking elsewhere when they realise some Sundays have no mention of Jesus or God at all (excluding sacrament). I do think there is a small point to what you are making, in that, there must be a deeper lack of faith in order for someone to give up salvation i suppose....

That presumes they believe the LDS church offers "salvation" found no where else, and then left anyway.

I have never heard anyone state that, here or anywhere else, so I'm curious how you would come to that conclusion, unless it is your belief.

I think it's pretty evident in the whole, I know the church is true mantra and the teaching of the LDS church being the only true church. Ok maybe I used the wrong word. Forgive me, but I think the meaning was clear.

[I Have Questions]

I do believe those who seek Christ and further knowledge can be capable of looking elsewhere when they realise some Sundays have no mention of Jesus or God at all (excluding sacrament). I do think there is a small point to what you are making, in that, there must be a deeper lack of faith in order for someone to give up salvation I suppose and that leaving because it's not fun or whatever not faith related reasons doesn't feel like a good enough reason to turn your back on the true church but I don't think Christ is what keeps people going. This might be the case for you.

How does a person "give up" salvation when, according to most of Christianity including Mormonism, Salvation is a free gift given to all as a result of Christ's atonement?

Salvation
The gift of being resurrected from the dead and cleansed from sin through Jesus Christ...
The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that every person who has ever lived on the earth—regardless of his or her choices—will be resurrected and receive a perfected, immortal body (see Alma 40:23).

[Marcus]

That presumes they believe the LDS church offers "salvation" found no where else, and then left anyway.

I have never heard anyone state that, here or anywhere else, so I'm curious how you would come to that conclusion, unless it is your belief.

I think it's pretty evident in the whole, I know the church is true mantra and the teaching of the LDS church being the only true church. Ok maybe I used the wrong word. Forgive me, but I think the meaning was clear.

Yes. And my point was that people do NOT leave because of a lack of faith, as you and MG are saying, but because they know the LDS church is NOT "true." Knowing it is a fraud is why they leave.

[IWMP]

I think it's pretty evident in the whole, I know the church is true mantra and the teaching of the LDS church being the only true church. Ok maybe I used the wrong word. Forgive me, but I think the meaning was clear.

Yes. And my point was that people do NOT leave because of a lack of faith, as you and MG are saying, but because they know the LDS church is NOT "true." Knowing it is a fraud is why they leave.

I don't think you understood what I was saying. I wasn't agreeing with MG.

I do believe those who seek Christ and further knowledge can be capable of looking elsewhere when they realise some Sundays have no mention of Jesus or God at all (excluding sacrament). I do think there is a small point to what you are making, in that, there must be a deeper lack of faith in order for someone to give up salvation I suppose and that leaving because it's not fun or whatever not faith related reasons doesn't feel like a good enough reason to turn your back on the true church but I don't think Christ is what keeps people going. This might be the case for you.

I was expressing that whilst I can visualise and understand his perspective that it can seem like some people leave for petty reasons, I don't think that everyone who stays are staying because Christ can only be found there.

I was half expecting to be pulled up on my tongue in cheek attempt when saying turning their back on the true church because it wasn't me being literal. I don't believe people believe they are leaving the true church. Anyway clearly I missed the mark.

I grew up in the church being taught that it was the only true church. Only Mormons go to heaven (I guess the south park movie got it wrong with me with the episode where they say to the other group to be quiet because the Mormons think they are here by themselves. (I might need to double check that, maybe I've got it wrong).

[Marcus]

...I was expressing that whilst I can visualise and understand his perspective that it can seem like some people leave for petty reasons, I don't think that everyone who stays are staying because Christ can only be found there.

I was half expecting to be pulled up on my tongue in cheek attempt when saying turning their back on the true church because it wasn't me being literal. I don't believe people believe they are leaving the true church. Anyway clearly I missed the mark...

Yes. Thank you for explaining. His perspective is pretty standard bigotry because what it "seems" to those assuming It is then used to divide and hurt families. It was preached in general conference recently that families will NOT be together after death because of this. I don't find it easy to understand or visualize this perspective at all.

[I Have Questions]

I grew up in the church being taught that it was the only true church. Only Mormons go to heaven (I guess the south park movie got it wrong with me with the episode where they say to the other group to be quiet because the Mormons think they are here by themselves. (I might need to double check that, maybe I've got it wrong).

The Church still maintains that only Mormons will reside in "heaven" (the Celestial Kingdom).

[MG 2.0]

I grew up in the church being taught that it was the only true church. Only Mormons go to heaven (I guess the south park movie got it wrong with me with the episode where they say to the other group to be quiet because the Mormons think they are here by themselves. (I might need to double check that, maybe I've got it wrong).

The Church still maintains that only Mormons will reside in "heaven" (the Celestial Kingdom).

Ultimately, everyone will receive a degree of glory that aligns with their desires and actions.

Would you, IHQ, want to be in the Celestial Kingdom? Would you want to live the kind/type of life/existence that God lives?

Some do, and some don't.

But to think that God has provided a reward/mansion for all of His children and that these kingdoms are beyond our comprehension is difficult to wrap our minds around. Even if the Celestial glory is not your thing (not saying it isn't) that doesn't mean that God doesn't have something in store for you beyond imagination.

LDS theology has evolved from exclusivity to a broader understanding that nearly all people will inherit some form of heavenly glory, with the celestial kingdom being the ultimate goal for those who fully embrace and live by LDS teachings.

It ends up being kind of like the children's series, Choose Your Own Adventure. Multiple outcomes are available depending on choices and inclinations to follow God's will and keep His commandments.

Some are inclined to do so and others aren't.

Mormonism holds that to enter the Celestial Kingdom (the highest level in the Mormon version of the afterlife) you need to have completed all the Mormon ordinances from Baptism through to Temple Marriage, either directly yourself, or indirectly via a proxy session after you are deceased. It's the reason temples exist. For MG 2.0 to express a disbelief in that core tenet is a big statement of apostate thinking.

I don't disbelieve that core tenet. What I do believe is what I said in my previous post.

Regards,
MG

[Gadianton]

Would you, IHQ, want to be in the Celestial Kingdom?

How about you MG, would you really want to live in the Celestial Kingdom?

From your posts here, you seem exceptionally family oriented. You've also indicated not everyone in your life is in line with the Church, but that's okay, you still want to be with them.

For a family man such as yourself, the optimal choice is the Terrestrial Kingdom. You and I both know that nobody in a lower kingdom can visit a higher one, and the higher kingdoms can only visit down a single level. So if the unfortunate situation should happen that anyone important in your life should go to the Telestial, you'll never see that person again if you make the C. However, if you go to the Terrestrial, then you can visit anyone in the Telestial and anyone in the Celestial can visit you. It's the only kingdom that will guarantee you access to everyone from your life here on earth.

Plus, you strike me as one who will be happy just doing simple family things and getting your exercise in. Do you really want the stress of being a God and creating and managing an endless string of planets? You're really going to have a good time sending billions down to a planet to starve and die, get killed in wars, and just a few have materially comfortable lives and out of those, only a tiny fraction care about whatever scriptures you're sending down there. That's going to be more enjoyable than just chilling and going to dinner; stuff like that?

[Moksha]

The Church could always point to the Tide test, where the whitest outcome equaled the truest product.