How to Speak with Love When Referring to Those Who Have Left the Church

We all have heard the childhood rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” It seemed true as children, but in reality words really can hurt and cause a lot of damage.    Within the Church we can often refer to those who have left as wayward, lost sheep, or apostate. Coach Jennifer Barnhart has many members of her family who have stepped away from the Church and she finds that when we use this language we drive a bigger wedge between ourselves and those who have left. Equating one’s worth and value through our descriptions of them can be very hurtful.   There is a lot of improvement we as members can do to show love and support to those who have left through the language we use in describing them. Jennifer is a beautiful example of this. If you have someone in your life who has left the Church this is a great episode to listen to so that you can be more loving in your language not only around them but also about them.  

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