StayLDS is proud to publish a new article discussing the establishment process and history of Official Doctrine in the LDS Church.  The author, Donald Ashton, is one of the participants in our support forums.

Official Doctrine is a topic we discuss often, being an issue that is confusing in the world of Mormonism.  There are many assumptions and expectations held by people that can be surprising for them when they examine the limited body of officially canonized doctrine versus the much broader body of Mormon culture and personal practices.

This article portrays Don’s excellent thoughts on the subject.   It pulls a lot of information found from many sources into a compact summary.  In particular, I think it is a resource that traditional members of the Church can feel more comfortable reading than other similar materials out there.  That quality is useful for those trying to bridge the gap between a wider range of people on the “faith” spectrum.

We encourage anyone interested in the topic to read the article.  It is found in our Additional Resources section.  You can also follow these links:

Web Version

Print Version

Someone has decided to engage in a form of cybersquatting by putting up an anti-mormon site using the .ORG extension of the same domain name we use for our site.  “StayLDS. ORG” is not affiliated with or produced by us.  The owner of that domain name is trying to confuse people who might type in the wrong URL.

Meeting People Wherever They Are

StayLDS.com is dedicated to helping people who are struggling in some way to remain involved in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after a major shift in (or challenge to) their faith. We are committed to being a supportive, positive environment in which people with any difficulty can commune openly and honestly in a spirit of love and support.

An overview of our approach to reconciling with the church after a crisis of faith can be found here.

Within our online support forum, no topic is off limits, as long as it is approached and discussed in a civil, non-threatening, understanding way. It is fine to express disappointment, frustration, despair, grief and any other manifestation of internal struggle; it is not acceptable to dwell on bitterness, anger and strident accusations. It is fine to voice institutional concerns; it is not acceptable to disparage or criticize individual leaders – or to condemn “The Church” itself.

We have also compiled a library of support resources to help people who are struggling to stay LDS, including:

• A multimedia presentation entitled “Why People Leave the Church” — to help family, friends and church leaders understand the point of view of someone struggling with the church
• A podcast feed (iTunes required) — including several audio interviews and presentations about staying in the church

This is not a place for polemics, debate or heated argument; it also is not a place for classic “apologetics”. While we would love to help anyone, this site is focused primarily on those who have moved past their initial feelings of bitterness and anger – or, at least, desire to do so and remain actively engaged with and/or within the LDS Church.

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We have a forum active where people can discuss the LDS faith and seek support in their journey.

See the sidebar to the right for the link to the forums.

As a starting point for those interested, please check out this essay.

The full library of MormonStories material is available again, officially hosted under the control of John Dehlin.  Here is the announcement:

http://mormonstories.org/?p=515

The interviews and other materials are of great historical value.  We are happy it is all available again online!

“Let those who seek continue seeking until they find.  When they find, they will become troubled. When they become troubled, they will be astonished, and will rule over the All.”

-Jesus Christ, Gospel of Thomas

What does this mean to you?

We have a new LIBRARY tab. On that tab you will find interviews and essays on various aspects of the LDS faith. We were recently given permission to host a sub-selection of the Mormon Stories interview podcasts. We are very thankful for the opportunity to host these. They are a wonderful resource. We will also start posting essays written for the site, and links to other useful resources.

We will soon add a new series of interviews called “Why I Still Believe.”  These will be interviews with people who have gone through their own personal faith crisis and found ways to rebuild their faith and integrate back into the LDS community.  There is no going backwards after we experience our crisis, but many move forward into a more rich and mature relationship with God and the Church.  There is no one single “right” way to do this when one chooses this path.  It is helpful to see how others approach the challenge.

James Fowler’s Stages of Faith, Mormon Interpretation, Part 1 of 3

 

 Standard Podcast [32:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

James Fowler’s Stages of Faith, Mormon Interpretation, Part 2 of 3

 

 Standard Podcast [51:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

James Fowler’s Stages of Faith, Mormon Interpretation, Part 3 of 3

 

 Standard Podcast [53:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Richard Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling Interview, Part 1 of 5

 

 Standard Podcast [50:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Richard Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling Interview, Part 2 of 5

 

 Standard Podcast [62:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Richard Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling Interview, Part 3 of 5

 

 Standard Podcast [64:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Richard Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling Interview, Part 4 of 5

 

 Standard Podcast [44:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Richard Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling Interview, Part 5 of 5

 

 Standard Podcast [40:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Claudia Bushman, Women in the LDS Church

 

 Standard Podcast [55:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Gregory Prince, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, Part 1 of 2

 

 Standard Podcast [51:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Gregory Prince, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, Part 2 of 2.

 

 Standard Podcast [58:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Greg Kearney, Mormonism and Masonry

 

 Standard Podcast [87:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Blacks and the Priesthood w/ Darius Gray and Margaret Young.

 

 Standard Podcast [136:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Dr. Ted Lyon Interview, Part 1 of 3

 

 Standard Podcast [22:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Dr. Ted Lyon Interview, Part 2 of 3.

 

 Standard Podcast [43:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Dr. Ted Lyon Interview, Part 3 of 3

 

 Standard Podcast [41:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Morris Thurston, Joseph Smith Papers Project.

 

 Standard Podcast [27:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Morris Thurston, Legal Battles in Nauvoo, Part 1 of 2.

 

 Standard Podcast [78:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Morris Thurston, Legal Battles in Nauvoo, Part 2 of 2.

 

 Standard Podcast [48:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

An LDS couple discusses their return to the LDS church (Part 1 of 2).

 

 Standard Podcast [52:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

An LDS couple discusses their return to the LDS church (Part 2 of 2).

 

 Standard Podcast [45:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

An interview with J. Bonner Ritchie on the nature of Organizations and Individuals.

 

 Standard Podcast [46:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

An interview with Nate Oman — Believing LDS Intellectual.

 

 Standard Podcast [62:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Interview with Chris Foster — LDS Convert & Former BYU Professor.

 

 Standard Podcast [31:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Breathe Life into Your Life Story w/ Dawn Thurston

 

 Standard Podcast [68:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

From the 2003 Salt Lake City Sunstone Symposium.

 

 Standard Podcast [79:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

From the 2004 Salt Lake City Sunstone Symposium.

 

 Standard Podcast [89:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

From the 2005 Salt Lake City Sunstone Symposium.

 

 Standard Podcast [86:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

From the 2006 Salt Lake City Sunstone Symposium.

 

 Standard Podcast [83:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download