My fight with Love and God

I'm about as purebred Mormon as you can find. My ancestors first joined the church in 19th century England and Wales and eventually made it across the plains and settled in Utah and the surrounding area. I grew up going to primary and singing about "following the prophet" and learning about Joseph Smith translating golden plates as a child. Being raised in the church made all of the doctrine seem very logical to a little boy. I have great parents who are very selfless and their devotion made me trust the Church all that much more.

As a teenager, I learned to think a bit for myself. I realized that there were things in the church that didn't quite make sense. Why did the church teach that the earth was only 6,000 years old, when it was obviously much older? (I realize that the apologetics have answers to this question, but it was one that first got me thinking). Why did church leaders seem to discourage anyone who questioned the doctrine of the church? Why was so much based on praying to get a witness of the Book of Mormon? Why was I never happy at church, when I was taught that the Church brings ultimate happiness?

Like most teenagers, I wasn't particularly engrossed with these types of questions. They ate at me for a few hours during church each Sunday and then remained largely forgotten for the rest of the week when more important things such as girls and sports occupied my mind. It wasn't until I neared the magic Mormon age of 19 that I started to really think about religion and the role it was playing in my life. But that's a story for another day.

To be continued...