Feeling the spirit

[Cindy]

I do think there's a feeling that I felt attending the mormon church and around Mormons that is lacking at other churches and around other good people. I used to think this was the "Spirit". Now I am struggling to pinpoint exactly what that was / is. Is it because Mormons feel such a sense of significance about themselves? Is it just because most of the pillars of mormonism I knew were rich and that's what money looks like? Is it just the tight knit "sorority" that made them seem a cut above? Then again, maybe it's my inferiority complex? What do you think?

[Jeff]

Cindy, I think it's probably the tight knit "sorority", as you said, and the fact that Mormonism is very a structured religion that shows well.... at least on the surface. I agree with you and certainly don't think they have anything "spiritual" (whatever that really means) over anyone else.

Jeff

[Nate]

Cindy, I think that it is a combination of things. In general, the feeling is that comforting feeling of companionship, yes, sorority. We all know that everyone feels most comfortable along like-minded people. When in the church setting, it is not merely a religious setting, but also a cultural one. Because the Mormon beliefs reach into every corner of your life, the church soon becomes your culture, not just your religion. It is something that you live, not just believe. Therefore, when you are in the actual church, surrounded by other Mormons, you know that all these great people around you do not just have the same religious beliefs, but almost every aspect of their lives is a mirror of your own. That is comforting. It makes you feel that you are doing something right. It makes you feel a strong kinship for all those around you. But it also makes you deny any doubt that may try and surface while you are there, because you don't want to be different. You don't want to be on a lower level than those around you (the elitism), so you soon have the dangerous ability to subconsciously supress doubt, and constantly maintain that comfortable feeling.

This is the general feeling of heightened comfort, and it sets the stage for the more dramatic feeling of the burning busom. When you are in a state of comfort, with no immediate doubts or worries, this feeling comes much more easily. I hope that you can attest to the fact that the church does not have a monopoly on this feeling. I can truthfully tell you that I know it does not.

This is something that has had me questioning and searching for years. I've come to the realization, that since I have left the church, I have "felt the spirit" or the "burning busom" more often than when I was actually attending. I know exactly how to have this feeling, and I'm sure that it is different for all. For me, all I have to do is go hiking, or even just walk 50 feet into the woods so I cannot see the road. Next, all I have to do is get comfortable, and concentrate on the beauty surrounding me. Works every time, without fail, and it's absolutely marvelous; each and every time.
That is the jist of it. Do the same thing that you did at church.
First be comfortable, then focus on the beauty.

[mushbelly]

I have felt the"spirit" many times in my life - both at church and not. I can feel the same feeling when I'm reading a book and a certain passage just hits home....or when I look at my daughter, or when I go out in nature.... I have really been thinking about this a lot lately. I've been trying to remember the times I felt the spirit and church and what was happening when I felt it. The times I can remember were when we were singing about Jesus Christ, or talking about the importance of families or something else that I belive strongly in....but never about such things as Joseph Smith being a prophet - or the BOM being true - and I never felt it in the temple...except when I married my husband - but I'm sure I would have felt that no matter where I married him. The feeling is overwhelming love or appreciation or gratiutude....that is how I have come to interpret the feelings of the "spirit" It is something that we can feel everyday - no matter if we go to church or not. And it is certainly NOT something that Mormons have a monopoly on.

Mushbelly

[Born Free]

I do think there's a feeling that I felt attending the mormon church and around Mormons that is lacking at other churches and around other good people. I used to think this was the "Spirit". Now I am struggling to pinpoint exactly what that was / is. Is it because Mormons feel such a sense of significance about themselves? Is it just because most of the pillars of mormonism I knew were rich and that's what money looks like? Is it just the tight knit "sorority" that made them seem a cut above? Then again, maybe it's my inferiority complex? What do you think?

A week or two back I started a thread titled 'Post mormon spirituality'. It seemed to surface some great learnings and observations from various people, which seemed to have a general concensus about how they now defined spirituality.

I was telling a psychologist friend about it, and he raised the observation that many people have never tried to define what they mean by spiritual, and that in his observation, many people were hard pressed to define a meaningful difference between 'spiritual' and 'emotional'.

For me, that is a valuable exercise to go through. Language has real limitation, and none worse that when we fail to check out what we mean by certain words. A few of my favourites are: God, communism, socialism, capitalism, to name just a few.

When asked to clarify, many people respond with "You know what I mean". Well, sorry, no I don't, and I value the time we spend together to be sure we both know what the other is referring to when we use those words.

Many people describe something like feeling really good. William James said of such a basis for deciding:

If merely 'feeling good' could decide, [then] drunkenness would be the supremely valid human experience. - William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience

I suspect that the belief that we are in the company of some special group of people is an element. Sadly, in my case, one of my reasons for leaving was the realisation that it was all I could stand to spend Sunday services with some of these people, so the prospect of eternity was daunting! Their active critical faculties had gone inactive, and what was more scary, they regarded that as a virtue.

From my experience, when you expand your circle of acquaintences, (and I would suggest you include some agnostics and athiests in the mix), you might discover the sort of human connection that came up again and again in that PostMo Spirituality thread. Check it out. I think you will find the experiences shared that will inform your question.

Daryl

[nikki]

I do think there's a feeling that I felt attending the mormon church and around Mormons that is lacking at other churches and around other good people. I used to think this was the "Spirit". Now I am struggling to pinpoint exactly what that was / is. Is it because Mormons feel such a sense of significance about themselves? Is it just because most of the pillars of mormonism I knew were rich and that's what money looks like? Is it just the tight knit "sorority" that made them seem a cut above? Then again, maybe it's my inferiority complex? What do you think?

Mormon's do feel a sinificance about themselves, a sense of "more blessed" for being in the "true fold", and within the LDS faith there is a 'soroity" feeling better know as the "Mormon Clique", and a lot of esteem, if one is in certain positions.

The LDS faith is well noted for it's "cliques", the groups and inner groups which promote each other, stroke each others back, and give each other and their families opportuinites, sometimes at the expense of others.


There are element of 'eliteism' within the LDS faith, money and position seem to go hand in hand with it. The money factor will depend on the wealth of the ward and stake. But, I have not known too many 'poor' stake presidents.

Doesn't one feel 'selected', or 'chosen' when given callings in postion of authority! Have you ever noted a case of 'calling jealousy'?!


On spirituality, I will refer to a book, "Man's Search of Meaning" by Victor Frankle. He tells quite a story of his experience in a concentration camp, and some of the interesting parts are when he mentions the "impressions" he received to be at a certain place, and by following the "impressions" it saved his life.

Mormon's do not have a corner on 'spirituality', and no group does. The 'burning in the bossom' for some is the sense of entitlement, or control they received as a conformation of their 'cut above' status.

I once heard a Bishop say he enjoyed being a Bishop because it gave him control over others, and he enjoyed having that ability, when he was not in a postion of domination over others lives, he was not as happy. If that does not make on stop and think!

I am sure some in the LDS faith have at times experience 'spirituality', of reaching a centerness within ones soul. But, much of the striving is reduced to inner stugglings with 'Is the Book of Mormon true?', or 'Is the Church true?', any seeking spiritual guidance is often reduced to groveling and repetitive thinking.

The bond in the church, is the bond of a common belief in belonging to the only 'true' church on the "face of the earth", and building it's power in strenegth "over the face of the earth". Truly the bond of 'worker bee's', with a few king and queen bee's.
Ouch, I got stung!

[pokatator]

I think it might be that thing called "Stockholm Syndrome" or was it Hell-sinky?

Randy