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As some of you might realize, I tend to be a little more heavy handed and less diplomatic and tactful than I should be sometimes. It’s a blessing. And a curse. I’m working on a talk for this Sunday and in it I have just finished a section that talks about the core principles of the gospel being love and the testimony of Christ (my favorite subject). I then have this line: “Because human nature desires rules, it is easy for us to get caught up in how far one should walk on the Sabbath and what color shirt one should wear to church and forget what it’s really all about.” I intend to leave it at that and switch gears at that point.
OK? Harsh? Not clear enough? Condemning? Could it be put slightly differently to have a better effect? Your input is appreciated.
I think it’s fine – as long as you can steer the lesson so it doesn’t turn into a free-for-all. I might introduce that statement with the scripture that says the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.
I wouldn’t target the shirt color because you have die hards who think its the “uniform of the priesthood” and they expect the young men to wear white shirts and ties. But if you said “we get caught up in how people dress rather than what it’s really all about”, for example, that would be better. Yeah, a talk. Wow, I must be tired. I really like SD’s suggestion about keeping it generic – teaching a correct principle as broadly as possible.
I like the line as you had it originally. You might get a few of the young men to like you and sometimes a specific but not hurtful example gets the point across better than a generality. You active local leaders and members will need to address the Pharasacial order of things eventually. The white shirt may as well be a start. Why mince words? Just call a spade a spade. These issues are bleeding the church. The church bleeds, and the prophets are silent.
An Uchtdorf quote comes to mind, something about how we list so many things that eventually we “‘should’ all over ourselves.” Orson wrote:An Uchtdorf quote comes to mind, something about how we list so many things that eventually we “‘should’ all over ourselves.”
The prophets are silent. …except Uchtdorf.And the people will not listen to him.
I’d keep the original: DarkJedi wrote:“Because human nature desires rules, it is easy for us to get caught up in how far one should walk on the Sabbath and what color shirt one should wear to church and forget what it’s really all about.”
But then, I believe in being assertive and telling it like it is too. You could follow it up by talking about the importance of how Christ would make everyone feel welcome, no matter how they looked and I don’t think anyone can deny that.
Let those who teach the young men cover the white shirt thing as part of the lessons in their respective quorums about how to treat the sacrament.
I do have some Uchtdorf quotes in there already, Orson, but I love him and am certainly open to quoting him more. Can you be a little more specific about the quote you’re referring to? It’s not coming to mind for me. I’m curious cwald, why do you think the members won’t listen to Uchtdorf? I’ve generally found acceptance for what he says, but I will admit that I have had a conversation with a TBM about how “doubt your doubts” is often taken out of context and he could not seem to understand (and IMO was unwilling to try to understand) that there is great context to that statement. Is that the kind of thing you’re referring to? I do agree with you that it’s very easy for members of the church to become very much like the Pharisees, and that is a tiny little point I’m trying to make to the ones who will be listening.
Hi DJ. I try to give a grave of reference. I grew up in a heavy handed house. In that reference based on the things I heard through-out my life I would place that on a 2 2.5 at most out of 10, 10 being the most heavy handed. In they light I don’t see at at all as heavy handed. It would be one of the least heavy handed things I have heard even in things like GC. DJ, The original phrasing sounds good to me. I think its good for people to hear things directly and what you stated is not, IMO, harsh at all.
I was thinking about starting a similar thread this evening and posting what I have for my talk for this coming Sunday to get some advice as well. My topic has not been so easy this month.
This is not the exact quote I was thinking of but is the same general idea. From October 2009: “The Love of God”
Quote:…This is the essence of what it means to be a true disciple: those who receive Christ Jesus walk with Him.
But this may present a problem for some because there are so many “shoulds” and “should nots” that merely keeping track of them can be a challenge. Sometimes, well-meaning amplifications of divine principles—many coming from uninspired sources—complicate matters further, diluting the purity of divine truth with man-made addenda. One person’s good idea—something that may work for him or her—takes root and becomes an expectation. And gradually, eternal principles can get lost within the labyrinth of “good ideas.”
The quote I am thinking of may be from a BYU devotional or some other setting. I will keep looking.
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