Planted: Belief and Belonging in an Age of Doubt

This is a great read for those who are struggling to figure out how to maintain a relationship with the church while having opinions or beliefs about church history or current doctrines or policies that run contrary to most within the Church. Mason provides a framework to look at real issues in church history that can be troubling. While his discussions on problematic topics is not exhaustive, he provides a list of articles and books that individuals can read further on topics that tend to be particularly troubling.I hope people who have loved ones who struggle in the Church will consider reading this. Too often members paint those who struggle in a light that they can easily dismiss their honest questions and struggles. Patrick articulates how we can seek to live up to our baptismal covenants of mourning with those who mourn and comforting those who stand in need of comfort.

Review of Planted: Belief and Belonging in an Age of DoubtI brought this book (Kindle version) with the intent on reading more from up up-and-coming LDS scholar about why people leave and why people stay within the Mormon Church when the encounter difficulty. Mason broadly breaks the challenge of staying to two categories:Those who encounter difficulties in church history or in questionable behavior of prominent church leaders, creating a sense that they have been lied to or misled into believingThose that feel alienated from within the church due to friction over social norms, disagreement with the dominant political culture, feeling unappreciated or isolated.Each chapter is well thought out and well written. A person could very easily pick any chapter and read it without reading what came before or after. As a scholar, Mason thoroughly documents his work with easy to follow footnotes. I also love the biography of suggested reading at the end of the book. I found many suggestions for future study if I chose to pursue any of the topics discussed more deeply.I have heard a lot lately about living in “the age of secularism”. Doubt seems to be the default state for moderns where belief was the prevailing state for our forbearers. I am a person that is skeptical about many supernatural claims, yet my faith in a loving God and a Personal Savior are at the core of my outlook on life. It is the fuel that keeps me motivated and optimistic. I do understand why so many have come to doubt their core beliefs, not only from the perspective of Mormonism, but faith claims in general. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for giving a voice to both those with doubts and especially those who want to stay or be helpful to loved ones who feel like leaving their faith. I was impressed not only with the logic and narrative of Mason’s book, but his writing style is enjoyable. He mixes stories from his own life with well-worded verbal images. Here is just one short passage that I loved. “To forgive is not to be willfully ignorant in the face of human fallenness; it is rather to stare sin in the eye and declare that it will not triumph, no matter the suffering it has caused. The greater the sin, the more difficult the forgiveness. It does not come easily, and it rarely comes immediately. The scars may never heal; as far as we know, Jesus’s still haven’t.” Location 2443 of 3986I was impressed that this book was co-published by Deseret Book. Since it delves into the source of many people’s “faith crisis”, I didn’t expect Deseret Book to publish such a frank discussion of the questions raised by Mason. This book covers much of the same ground as Terryl and Fiona Given’s “Crucible of Doubt: Reflections on the Quest for Faith”. If I had to choose, I would probably read Planted. But if this topic is your interest, read them both!

Well written for clarity on many controversial topics in the church and how to process resulting doubts and confusion. I really enjoyed reading Planted and have recommended it to others.One point was not mentioned, which helps me tremendously when I am faced with issues that are hard to justify, and that is: though nothing or anyone in this world is perfect, even the 'mistakes' or oversights that occur (whether by a prophet of God or any individual) are still within God's plan. Knowing the end from the beginning as God does, no 'error' is in vain. No 'mistake' is not anticipated by the Lord. Nor is there any event so completely out of the realm of His power to control that the effects cannot ultimately be within His allowance. No matter how unjust or grievous we may judge a situation, not trusting that the final result is to the glory of God and suits His purposes, leaves us questioning and doubting and potentially being tossed on the winds of opinion and distrust. No matter how wrong or unfair or incongruent we may judge a circumstance, the bottom line is that: God Himself created this world, granted agency, and taught us correct principles so we can govern ourselves. Even when that agency is 'misused' we can trust that God always knew it would 'be that way' and uses the resultant effects to accomplish 'good' greater than any of us is capable of conceptualizing. When good things go 'wrong' or the innocent 'suffer' I trust the Lord has a purpose that no one will argue with on Judgement Day.I have experienced my own unfair circumstances (parents divorce, my own divorce, loss of opportunity due to the unkindness of others, etc....) and have observed the suffering of innocent people (a physically disabled child who now struggles as an adult; also, as a missionary to Cambodia, I witnessed the chasm of disparity between the typical citizen there compared to most lifestyles in the USA), and as I have prayed to reconcile these inconvruencies the Spirit whispers that none of what happens in this world blindsides God, He anticipated it all, and He can claim that it all falls within His plan for us.The real question is: Will we submit to all the will of the Lord? We don't have to love it, agree with it, or even understand it, but we clan trust that in the end it all makes sense and that the Lord allows it all to play out exactly the way that it does. For good purpose. And to His names glory.In other words, in the end, it is all good. Even when it doesn't appear that way today.

enjoyed all this book offers for two audiances. Is a helpful read.

An interesting read, aimed primarily at Mormons with doubts about aspects of church history and suggesting ways to deal with that doubt. I am a non-practising member of the Church so, I suppose, the book was aimed at me - the initial part is a long exhortation about the need to make "doubters" feel that they're valued, no doubt a good thing but I kept wondering when we would get to the causes of the doubt; the central part deals with just a few of the historical aspects of the Church that could cause doubts - Joseph Smith's "treasure hunting"; polygamy; racism; the Mountain Meadow Massacre; the fallibility or infallibility of the prophets; all interesting historical information but most churches have parts of their history they would prefer to ignore and I'm not sure they prompt people to leave that church. The difference with the Mormon Church is that so much rests on the truth or otherwise of Joseph Smith - undermine him and surely, the Church crumbles. The author does touch on this question but launches in the final part of the book, into another exhortation about why people should stay with the Church regardless - I felt a little cheated here as I'm sure the Church is all the good things described but I need to know it's built on rock, not sand. I enjoyed the book but, ultimately, it didn't convince me.

N/A: Did not really hate it, I just chose it thinking it was related to a different subject. My bad!