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Awesome subject! I agree with many of these comments!
Folding arms was nothing I considered unusual until our non-member family asked us about it. Talk about being stumped. I had no idea.
Our ward’s SM talks are ALL based on general conference reports…we are reteaching what was just taught…over yet another pulpit. Members aren’t asked to research a topic and learn anything new. We are asked to regurgitate something that has already been hashed out recently. Ugh.
I would like a SM where we could just sit and listen to “Music and the Spoken word” or just music!
As for the Savior going out into the community…I would like to do that!! But, what do we do on Sundays? We go to church, slog home, eat lunch and then sleep the day away.
We visited a local community church for a Christmas program and as we waited in line, I read their (beautiful) bulletin board with envy. Each Sunday a group of their members gather on Sunday after church to visit the homeless “park” downtown. They sometimes bring lunch…sometimes they just sit and chat with the people. It’s a ministry of love and the photos showed some happy faces.
Instead of a half thrown together primary activity once every few years, why not open our doors in the summer time for a VBS? I used to take my children to VBS at some churches when they were younger. The set up for those events was amazing. *I* enjoyed myself. One year stood out to me b/c the program was taking donations to help a “city” of teens who escaped abusive homes and needed a place to live but were too old for the welfare system. We were assured that 100% of donations would go to this city…I happily gave what was in my wallet (all of $5). Why don’t we do things like that?
Ah well…maybe we are “comfortable” with how things work b/c that’s all we’ve known…and no one really wants to “work” at church attendance, ya know?
As for tithing settlement…we were just “assigned” a time to go. lol. How’s that for free agency?
:wtf: DarkJedi wrote:QuestionAbound wrote:And…so now I’m wondering…where is the “man bare” page?
Surely we believe in equal posing opportunities, right?
:clap: I agree.
So, you’ll be first in line when that opportunity comes along, right?
I may have an interesting story…at least it’s interesting to me…but it might help others? 
I used to see church rules as very black and white…at least, after I got married I did.
Before marriage, I dabbled in the grey quite a bit.
I dare not tell my “number”, but I did choose to share myself with others and I thought I was having a great time.
:shh: I will tell you that for SURE, those were my darkest days. Even my memory of those days is clouded. It’s the absolute strangest thing. I can look back and actually see the “darkness” of that time. I remember the boys I dated. I remember many things that we did…but I also don’t remember a great deal of it. I hate that I lost those years of my life.
Even with my daily activities (yes, daily…but in my defense, I did date the same young man for a few years
Finally, I was asked to be in a class president…and I had to say “no”. I wasn’t ready to “confess” b/c I wasn’t ready to stop my “fun”, but I knew I needed to stop, so I told my bishop all about my transgressions. I went through total heck and back with 2 bishops (first bishop was amazing…second was just not). I even had to go as high as the stake president (and stake disciplinary council…that was after two ward disciplinary councils) who handled it very poorly and threatened ex-communication if I didn’t tell my dad about my sins. Still can’t figure that one out.
Contrast that to my sister who moved in with her boyfriend for a few years, suddenly came back to church and never once faced disciplinary action…and now pretends that she has always been pure and holy.
🙄 But…I’m telling you this b/c I do believe that engaging in sexual activity before reaching a more mature age can really affect the mind and spirit and emotional well-being of an individual. I am sad that my memory is so clouded, but I honestly believe that I simply lost the light of Christ and that clouded my mind during those days. I don’t want MY kids to experience that same “loss”, so I will be encouraging them to wait for sex. I want them to have a healthy sexual relationship with their spouse when the time comes. I don’t want them to blush when they come back from their honeymoon and stupid people ask, “Did you have a good time?” lol. I want my kids to say, “Yes! It was amazing, thanks for asking.” and do so with a huge grin.
I’ve already had “the talk” with my older kids. I presented it as an incredible, amazing, super cool thing that will need to wait.
As far as a teen going solo…I’m still trying to figure that one out.
:geek: And…so now I’m wondering…where is the “man bare” page? Surely we believe in equal posing opportunities, right?
:clap: May I suggest something? If you’ve built friendships through meeting people at church, there should be no reason that you cannot continue those friendships outside of the church building.
If you genuinely want to help your friends, then do it!
Remember that the Savior has asked us to love others and one way we can show that love is by helping others when there is a need.
It sounds like the church organization has provided a way for you to meet some really great people – what a blessing.
I think you can step away from the church organization, but still be active in your social circle. If you like the ward’s potlucks, why not go to a few now and then? You could think of it as merely social play (which is what it is).
Remember, too, that the church organization is just that…a way to organize people and activities. If you want to get together with your friends each Friday night, then why not join in on an already planned activity?
I can honestly say that I am always befuddled when someone steps away from church activity and cuts off their friends at the same time. I have had a few of my friends step back from church activity…and they stopped talking to everyone. It was painful for me and those who were close to them. Not because they stopped coming to church (I don’t care what they do on Sundays), but because it felt like they threw away our friendships.
Please do hold on to those friends who bring you peace. You’ll not regret keeping friends.
Don’t know if this will help, but… In my very limited experience with any LGBT’s, I have found them to constantly be “on the offense”.
Even a routine, neutral conversation about say, our children’s new toys for Christmas, will turn into how “everyone is out to get ‘them.'”
You know how TBMs will find ways to bring religion up in conversation? My experience has shown me that LGBTs do the same thing…but in a way that allows them to vent or attack. And sometimes…they fight mean.
:wtf: In fact, I invited a bi-sexual woman currently living with a lesbian over for a playdate with her kids from her previous marriage. lol. She was great to talk to and we had an enjoyable time until…until she launched into how the deep south is not accepting of her lifestyle. Yep…she moved to the Bible Belt and was feeling like an outsider. We spent the remaining visit going over her anger at “everyone else”. She suddenly wasn’t this delightful woman that I was getting to know. She was showing a very ugly side. That was a long visit, I must say.
But I wonder…
Would legalizing their lifestyle make that any better?
Would “accepting” them make it any better?
To relate this to something else…I am so very glad that the civil rights movement took place. I truly am. But I also see how even now (again, remember that I am in the deep south), those who live around me are still “angry” about their past…and their perceived future…and their present state. It’s like they can’t win.
Would the LGBT community follow suit? Would we live forever hearing about the LGBT “past” and their hard struggle to be accepted? Would we have a LGBT history month? By the way, we homeschool as some of you know and we skip Black History Month. Not because I don’t want to learn about black history, but because we can learn about contributing black members of our society in our regular course of history. In my area, the world seems to stop for the month of February and everything is focused on Black History. The schools even stop teaching their regular curriculum in favor of specialized instruction. Would we see the same for LGBT? How many school months could be taken up by such instruction?
Anyway, I don’t know the answer, but to echo Silent Dawning’s response…it isn’t going to be pretty for a long time….no matter what happens.
Harmony wrote:I would like to say Thank You to everyone here. It is a lifeline in the storm of a faith crisis. I just wish we could all get together for a potluck. : ) Wouldn’t that be great? My husband makes a mean BBQ.
I bet that would be quite a party!
No lack of good conversation.
I bet we would all feel right at home and come into it with ready friends.
I’m in! Just name the time and place.
Old-Timer wrote:I think we have been hearing prophetic vision for a number of years now, whenever Pres. Uchtdorf stands and starts to talk. Seriously, I think that man has prophetic vision oozing out of his pores.
I’ve been largely out of the loop of GC … what are some of his most recent visions?
It’s all about the candy for me and my kids. Costumes are simply a “gateway” to get the candy. What I hate to see is the “spook alleys” at church. THAT is not okay in my book.
Reflexzero wrote:I think the better solution would be to get rid of all the special meetings and just improve the content of the remaining 8 hours of conference. Certainly that must be ample time.
I agree.
I’d like to hear something earth-shattering at GC.
I’d like to hear some true prophetic vision.
I’d also like to hear/see someone pounding the podium calling people to repentance.
But…I wanted to add that allowing members, 8+ is so odd to me for a few reasons…
1. If I am “escaping” my family to be with the women of RS, I don’t want rowdy 8yos behind me.
2. I am starting to view baptism as “necessary” but more as a sign of commitment and not as an essential washing away of sins (since 8yos “cant’ sin anyway)…I hate thinking that drawing another line at 8 is a weird way of drawing a line between the “haves” and the “have nots”. Surely the rule of 8/member of the church would be invisible if a nonmember were to attend.
Sorry if I didn’t articulate #2 very well. I just can’t imagine saying to my 7yo, no…you can’t go to the church meeting…YOU aren’t a member of the church yet!
If 8yos can go b/c they are members of the church, then we better start holding fast to the rule that NO one should take the sacrament unless they are members of the church. Sorry to all toddlers out there who love the bread and water…YOU aren’t members of the church.
AND… (lol) How many 6yos really don’t like going to church on Sunday? Don’t let them get word of this “rule” … I can see a lot of “But, MOM…I don’t need to go to church…I’m not a member yet!”
ha!
I say that the age of 8 is an awkward age to pick. Leave it as 12 and up if we have to have a separate meeting. AND…let some women speak at the priesthood session.
So odd.
I am largely unqualified to be commenting here, but here’s a “novice” and a slightly TBM thought… When looking at the teachings of the Bible, I try to remember that Jerome compiled what he/his contemporaries thought was needed in the Bible. It is possible, in my mind, that he/they excluded some things that, for whatever reason, he/they felt were okay to omit. Perhaps there were a number of teachings on the GoHG that were left out. Perhaps those teachings were so common of the time that he/they didn’t think they needed to be restated. Or perhaps they weren’t common at all, so much so uncommon that they were left out on purpose.
Along those same lines of his compilation of the Bible, perhaps the “fullness” of the gospel really was taught by Jesus while on earth. Perhaps some of those ideas were lost in translation or in compilation.
The Bible has different types of writing…poetry, genealogy, prophecy, etc. Why we need Song of Solomon is beyond me.
I don’t know if I am making any sense, but like the OP, I’m also trying to find the “core” of what the gospel. The Core of what we “need” to be doing here on earth.
Interesting stories and points. What I would hate to do is to confuse a brand new member. Perhaps if one questions (like my friend did), it is best to steer them clear of asking an actual leader?
Oh, my gosh. You are all so funny. 1 – If a TR interviewer asked ME that question, I am not sure I would be brave enough to admit the truth.
🙂 2 – I can’t believe a SP would give “that kind” of advice. I wonder if he was uncomfortable giving it out.
😆 3 – Me, myself, and I…good relationships there are essential.
So, let’s hope that the topic doesn’t come up again with my little circle of friends, but if it does, I’ll be more prepared. Prepared to say…it’s not anyone’s business. IMO, as long as you aren’t hurting anyone or doing anything illegal, who really cares?
Thanks, all.
