Elephants in the Room

“And they also had horses, and asses, and there were elephants and cureloms and cumoms; all of which were useful unto man, and more especially the elephants and cureloms and cumoms.”  Ether 9:19

There are a few topics that tend to go untalked about at LDS functions, problems, past or present to which I’d like answers.  These are issues that I once held as surplus evidence against the LDS Church.  Now I try to avoid them, but if they are the elephant, I am the room.  Every so often it wells up inside of me, pushing me to the brink of explosion.  Ignoring these problems works only for fleeting moments, and then, when the elephant is aggravated, any faith progression I thought I made during its dormancy crumbles.  Living with this internal elephant is terrifying.  I never know when someone with a feather will come along and prod one of its soft spots.  It has many soft spots, or perhaps there are many elephants.

Book of Mormon archaeological elephant

Book of Abraham elephant

Blacks and the priesthood elephant

Spiritually dictated control elephant

Changes in scripture elephant

Equality elephant

Patriarchal predominance elephant

Church history elephant

Gender stereotypes elephant

Perpetuation of harmful thought patterns elephant

Unverifiable epistemology elephant

The character of Joseph Smith elephant

Secrets and lies elephant

Obscure rules elephant

Requirement of a family elephant

Questionable and contradicting Scripture elephant

I am hardly acquainted with some of these elephants, changes in scripture for example.  Nevertheless, I am bothered that changes have been made to the “most true book.”  Perhaps fear keeps me from delving into past records.  I fear the evidence against the church will be overwhelming.  If the elephants are as I dread, anyone of them is strong enough to shatter my faith.  Their combined weight is crushing.  Petrified by the thought, I avoid thinking of the uncomfortable.

But there are elephants in the room, a whole stampede that cannot be contained, will not be ignored.  If I don’t act, I will be the ground upon which they trample.  They demand my address.

Elephants!  I tell no secret when I admit that you far outnumber me.  You are a legion, I am one.  So, I will face you one-by-one.  Choose a fighter!  I will not back down.  We shall wrestle until I prove you a fraud, your threat a mere mirage, or I ride out of this church victoriously upon your back. 

Let the battles begin!  (oh yeah…  I don’t like violence, so let’s do this nicely.  Conversation, open dialogue, no name calling.  Wherever this leads us, let’s be friends)