Why do I go to church?

This is a question that I feel commonly is brought up amongst those that either still try to attend to church or asked of them by those who have chosen not to attend.  Over the past 2 years or so my reasoning for attending church shifted to sincerely attending church for me.  If I want to go, or if I feel I need to go, I attend.  I don't go to meet other people or see friends or try to convince the Mormons to accept the gays and I certainly don't go to appease my family.  I attend church when I can feel spirituality lacking and I need to bring it back into balance.  This afternoon was questionable whether to go or not.  I went and I'm glad I did for two reasons:

1. As I was walking into Sacrament meeting this older lady, I sit by her & husband and their handicapped daughter, caught me and asked, "Were you running in the marathon yesterday?".  Keep in mind I don't attend church for anything social so while I sit by her and her family in the back corner of the chapel and I get a hymn book for them when I get mine and return theirs when I return mine, we don't really talk.  Yet, out of all of the thousands of runners, she identified me.  I admitted that I was running but only in the 10k and she said, "I thought that I knew you.  I cheered for you."  Sweet, kind lady.  We chatted for a minute before the meeting started and after the meeting she leaned over to me and said, "Now, tell me your first name so that I can cheer you on by name next time you run".  What an amazing lady.  I felt grateful that, though she has her own challenges to deal with regarding her family, she was aware of me and cared enough to cheer me on, a somewhat stranger, while running.  I was glad I went to church.
2. The last speaker shared something that struck me as so true and so powerful.  He was speaking of the talk that Elder Hallstrom gave in this past April conference titled "Turn to the Lord".  While this brother's talk was centered on this conference address, he focused on the excerpt included with the title of the talk: Never let an earthly circumstance disable you spiritually.  WOW!!  What an incredible statement.  I've been going through a course of events the last couple of weeks that have put me in some interesting positions emotionally and mentally and I really, really liked this reminder.  This, I know, is why I was at church today.

This concept of being spiritually disabled has been on my mind since hearing it at church today.  I think there was a time when I may have allowed myself to get this way.  However, I no longer feel that way.  I'm sure some of you will disagree with me on this but I do not see why anyone, in any situation, regardless of their circumstances, should allow themselves to become spiritually disabled.  Please note that I am not saying you have to live your life in any particular manner.  All I am saying is that you do not have to be spiritually disabled.  I think the two biggest problems we run into as humans and especially within religions is A. Telling others how we think they should live their lives and B. Feeling like others are telling us how we should live our lives.  If we as individuals can get to a place where we can understand that our spirituality is between us and our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ I truly believe that SO many problems would go away.  Think of how many judgmental comments, from all different aspects towards all different types of individuals, would dissipate.  Think about how much better church would be if everyone honestly attended church to develop and grow their own spirituality.  Of course there needs to be other aspects in organized religion such as caring for the members and preaching to others and what not but if everyone's primary focus was on avoiding becoming spiritually disabled and actually growing closer to God & Jesus...I imagine it would be a wonderful thing.

So, I now have a new answer to my first question.  Why do I go to church?  To keep myself from becoming spiritually disabled.