The Project

I’ve been toying with this notion of A Russty Follower of Christ (formerly A Russty Mormon) for a few years now and what exactly that might mean. Anyone who knows me likely would never describe me as rusty, but the play on words was too irresistible to pass up.

As with any great art project I found that putting the first stroke on this canvas made it easier for me to see what this project is really all about and where it’s going from here. Sometimes you just have to start and then watch as things grow together into something far greater than originally planned.

The writing of my first ever post (which you can read here) really unlocked and redefined for me what I’m calling The Russty Follower of Christ Project. My initial intent was to address a much more specific audience and subset of topics, but writing The Rust On All of Us helped me see that a much broader understanding of the rust we all develop in life would allow me to reach a larger audience than I initially intended and to accomplish a lot more good in my own life and hopefully the lives of the people who happen upon my words.

With that said please know that I in no way am attempting to set myself up as a light to anyone. I completely support and sustain the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as prophets, seers, and revelators chosen by Christ to speak in His behalf and lead His church today. Yet I know the Lord has blessed me with a unique perspective of His gospel and a way with words to share that perspective which has in the past blessed those few who have had the chance to read them. And so I embark on this journey with the hope that this project blesses the lives of others as I learn for myself what it means to truly rely on Jesus Christ to cleanse our lives from the rust we let develop and to restore the metal which has been worn away.

So what is a “rusty follower of Christ?” Well based on my aforementioned post it is anyone whose faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His work of salvation is suffering from or incomplete as a result of his or her interaction with the world around them. And really, who of us can claim that our faith in Jesus Christ and God’s plan of happiness has not been rusted away and tarnished in some way by the experiences in our world which life has brought to us? I know I can’t. And so I need this project as much as – maybe more so than – anyone else.

This project is about fixing the rust in our lives. It’s about stopping the corrosive affect to our faith that is the result of misunderstanding, misinformation, and perhaps a lack of acting upon our beliefs and convictions. It’s about you and me doing just a little bit every day to build our faith in Jesus Christ and letting Him correct and heal the damage to our souls because of all the corrosive elements we encounter during our lives.

Some of you may be objecting, “But I’m not a follower of Christ or a member of your church! So this doesn’t apply to me!” Indeed this may be true, but no matter! You may not belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but you may still find something here which helps contribute to your own belief in God and faithful worship of and devotion to Him. And even still God’s plan of redemption is universal. It applies to all of us regardless of race, creed, or religion. And when the day comes in which we get to stand face to face with Him we will understand just how much this plan has been part of our lives all along the way.

This project is all about working to build faith in God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and Their plan of happiness for God’s children. It is my hope that even though my perspective comes from the doctrines and scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that we can look past differences we may have and work together in this project to build our faith in God, and develop the love for each other which Jesus Christ Himself taught should exist among His disciples. And even if your personal beliefs do not accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God, perhaps there is still something here which will help build your faith in God and to which you can contribute to help build our faith in Him as well.

So welcome to the project. The Russty Follower of Christ Project. May your lives be blessed from a journey towards knowing God better and trusting in all He has revealed to mankind.