An Open Letter to the Guy in the Front Row of Sunday School

Zit

Thank you for sitting in the front row so that you could not see my face when you made your comment. The faces of several others were also classic. How would I describe them? Wide eyed, incredulous. Maybe even embarrassed for you.

While I agree that astrology is not something that we should get obsessed with, I think the cosmos are pretty interesting, and I like to see how people try to make sense of them. (Even the ancients tried to do this and because of their trying we have many advances.) However, I don't really see what your problem is with Tony Robbins. He's just a guy trying to motivate people and show them how to improve their lives with the tools he has. And what's wrong with the Law of Attraction? Sure people can get a little overboard with "The Secret," but why ignore a good thing when you see it just because it doesn't have your brand of shoes on? The Law of Attraction works when you work it. It's just another way of describing prayer and meditation and living life with intention. And if it inspires faith, what's wrong with that?

To say that I and other Mormons who also believe in this stuff are a blemish on the face of the Church is kind of funny--and sad. Do you really think that God doesn't reveal truth to others than us? And do you think that just because I'm Mormon I can't speak to others in the terms they understand?

Just the day before I was called a zit, I was thinking about two things:

1. The quote "All truth can be circumscribed into one great whole."  I looked up the word circumscribed and it basically means "to draw a circle around or encircle" and whole means "the full amount." So basically all truth is necessary for a completeness. And all truth will be encircled by God. I love this. I'm still pondering it. I think there ages of learning about just this sentence that could take place if one allowed. 
2. The second half of the 3th Article of Faith: "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." I love this particular article of our faith and I think we should pay more attention to it. I was even thinking of starting a blog called "Of Good Report" and just writing up or picturing great or virtuous or lovely things there. But of course, I have no time for another blog. But I can still "seek after these things." 

While you were talking, Rachel H. kept turning around and looking at  me wide eyed, because you kept going on and on. But I wasn't annoyed at you. In fact, I was chuckling under my breath, "What's wrong with Tony Robbins? What's wrong with the Law of Attraction?" This was probably not the most reverent thing I could have done, and it was cracking up the couple in front of me. Sorry if you heard any of that and thought I was making fun of you.

Even later, when I mentally examined your statement to see if there was any truth in it, I wasn't annoyed at you. I feel sorry for you because I judge you as missing a lot of wonderful things with this perspective, but I also don't know what it's like to be you. Perhaps your views are necessary for your survival. Perhaps on your own path, you are more spiritually evolved than ever before. Your ladder is not my ladder, and so I don't know whether you are coming up or going down.

So I guess all I can really say is I am grateful that you showed me how different we all can be and God loves all of us anyway, even with beams in our eyes.