[rebeccad]

I think all three depend on who you associate within the church.

1. I don’t think there is too much focus on perfection as there is a focus on making sure we all commit the same kinds of sins. Some things are allowed, some are not. What would we do if everyone took the directions on meat in the WoW as seriously as the ones for coffee?

2. There are some great leaders that don’t put more pressure on, but they are few and far between. My former bishop had two great sons that passed the expected missionary ages without serving a mission. If it was brought up he would put on a friendly smile and say lovingly: “I don’t know what their plans for the future are, but they are great boys, and they will make the right choice for them.” It wasn’t long before everyone else just wasn’t interested anymore.

I also liked when our Stake Patriarch was talking to the youth and someone asked about promises in blessings that didn’t come true. Instead of trotting out the old “it depends on faithfulness” line he said, “Well maybe the Patriarch was having a bad day when he gave the blessing” I thought it was fantastic that he could have the humility to allow for that possibility.

3. Yes, and I heard a rumor that M isn’t even mentioned in the CHI anymore, don’t know if it is true though. :clap:

[rebeccad]

I spent many many tedious hours in college translating Biblical Hebrew into english.

After tearing apart words and phrases trying to get the right shade of meaning and nuace into english I would go to the KJV to see how they did it.

IMO the KJV translators were masters.

[rebeccad]

Assignments are used all the time in my ward, but not quite as egregiously as they were in your case.

We are assigned

-church cleaning

-driving and chaperoning at dances

-driving and chaperoning at the temple

Both dances and the temple are a long drive, and driving to the temple requires going on a toll road, toll bridge and paying for parking (Manhattan). So the cost is easily $40-$50.

Our family has also been assigned to donate $X to missionary funds and to help needy families in the ward.

In all cases I don’t mind helping, but would like to be able to choose to serve in a way that works for me.

I feel like they change the nature of the choice from “Sister Rebecca would you like to be helpful and charitable” to “Sister Rebecca are you going to obey your leaders no matter what they tell you.”

I would rather be charitable than obedient.

[rebeccad]

Thank you Heber, your words are so helpful and calming to me.

The middle way is not for the faint of heart or the lazy.

So deep breath, and try to get through one more day.

[rebeccad]

Quote:

I’d like to see an accounting of the tithes and offerings for CY2011. I’m a tithe payer, and would like to know where my money went. Can I see that?

I’d like to know what the operating budget for BYU, BYU-I, BYU-H and the other Church schools is. Can I see that?

I’d like to know how much money the GAs make for being GAs. Can I see that?

I’m writing a history of early Church doctrine as compared to current doctrine. Could I please have unfettered, unrestricted access to the Church archives?

I’d like to know if I’m being investigated by any Church committees. Will you give me copies of any record the Church has containing my personal info?

These aren’t secret, they are just sacred. 😈

I agree you should email the author, it would be interesting to see the response. Honestly, there are somethings on this list that bother me and some that don’t.

Accounting of tithing: YES there should be way more transparency here!

School Budgets: I think that church schools are worth it for the church for self-propagation. Putting members of marriageable age together makes it worth the cost. I assume their operating budgets are similar to other schools of similar size. Except as would be disclosed in a general accounting of tithing expenditures this doesn’t worry me in particular.

I’m not worried about GA’s salaries, I assume they are commensurate with what other people on the board of directors of major corporations make.

Doctrine: Yeah, that would be really great. I can see only opening the full archives to serious researchers, not the general public. But I would like to see it. I don’t think it will ever happen though.

Church Committees: ABSOLUTELY! There is no reason you shouldn’t be able to know what is going on when it comes to your own information.

I always thought it was ironic that the Family History Library has millions of church records, but our own records are the most restricted.

[rebeccad]

I have really enjoyed reading your posts.

As women we are told to be mothers and nurture: Men are told to be fathers and provide for their family. Yet no one tells men which profession they should pick to provide for their family, each individual finds the best way to do it. There is no reason you can’t do that as a woman. There is no one way to be a good mother.

As for your temple experience. Different things are meaningful to different people. Sometimes I have really learned a lot going to the temple and it is a great experience, sometimes it simply isn’t. I would go once in a while as long as you have a recommend, just to see if something good comes of it, but if it doesn’t, don’t worry.

[rebeccad]

Quote:

change the message rules to automatically forward any messages from the bishop’s/counselors/teacher’s email addresses to yours

This is a great idea. I’ll figure out how to do it.

I sent what my husband approved as a reasonable email to him yesterday, basically stating that I had seen he hadn’t been keeping with the our request, that we both had previously understood, and again requesting him to comply.

Today I got this response: “Will do”

Often the biggest challenge to protecting your children is knowing who the bad guys are. I don’t know if my bishop is one or not. But to me disregaring a direct request from parents regarding your children is a big step in the bad guy direction.

Hopefully that isn’t the case, hopefully he is just vain, or forgetful, or thinks he is beyond rules. (all bad, but not a direct danger to my family)

[rebeccad]

Quote:

“Sorry, we blocked that number, because some creeper was impersonating you and sending messages we knew you wouldn’t send since this is a family-oriented church and no leader would intentionally circumvent the righteous desires of parents when it comes to their kids.”

^^ Genius

Quote:

Post a Craigslist add for “Please text me if you are interested in buying a used coffee grinder. $5 OBO”. List the bishop’s number.

^^Evil Genius

[rebeccad]

I sent the email today, the most recent text was sent two days before that. It was a group text. Why we have not been added to the group email list after all the conversations we have had is beyond me.

The text prior to that was a text sent only to my kids; welcoming them back from vacation and asking for their email addresses.

Good point about going to the SP, it would be quite hard to get past the SP’s inherent bias toward the bishop. He hardly knows us at all, while he hand picked the bishop and works with him a lot.

[rebeccad]

SIGH…….

I talked to one of daughters about this situation today. She said the bishop had sent her TWO TEXTS IN THE LAST WEEK!

Sorry for shouting but I am literally at my wit’s end.

They were group texts but there is no reason that we shouldn’t be on the group text list. It isn’t like this is a new issue.

Seriously. I am so upset right now I can’t do anything because anything I do will be an overreaction because I am so frustrated with this issue. (egging his house comes to mind)

Maybe when I have calmed down a little I’ll send a email to the SP or something.

Clearly emailing the bishop will do no good.

I am stunned that this has happened.

[rebeccad]

Thanks everyone, I sent him this email from our family account.

Quote:

My daughters told me yesterday you had asked for their email addresses.

The email I am sending this from is the family email address and it is the best way to contact anyone in our family as it goes to a computer that is used regularly by all family members.

As usual, we ask that any communication sent to our children be sent to us as well. Sending email to our family account simplifies that.

Thanks

[rebeccad]

Thank you for validating my feelings. It is hard to tell sometimes what is reasonable, and what is just me being oversensitive.

Quote:

“Dear Bishop So-and-so,

As we have discussed on many occasions, it is inappropriate for you to text or email my daughters without copying me. Discontinue any attempts to communicate with my daughters without involving me.

Sincerely,

Rebeccad”

A very similar message has been sent to the bishop on more than one occasion. But sending a copy to the stake president is a great idea.

He already has our family email address and an email address for my husband and myself, I will inform him that our family email address is the best way to contact anyone in the family, and make sure my kids tell him the same.

[rebeccad]

Quote:

She replied back and said “no, that is a incorrect answer and rather foolish. She then sked does anyone know the real answer and what is wrong with that one. Several raised ther hands and said “it’s the temple” and his answer is very worldly”. She turned to me and looked and said “that’s right. “

IMO the temple isn’t even the most beautiful place in the church. The most spiritual experiences I have had on church property have been in the cannery. A bunch of brothers and sisters all getting together to preserve food that will be given to the hungry. Working with sweat dripping and backs aching in plastic aprons and hair nets.

[rebeccad]

Some of it does, there is some really good stuff in there.

It is also the #1 factor in me believing that JS was a good guy. If it weren’t for the fact that he somehow produced the BoM (not knowing exactly how) I think I could totally dismiss his other contributions, but he really had something there.

[rebeccad]

Quote:

You <----> God. That’s the model. Not You <----> every human with an opinion <----> God

I think I am going to cross stitch this and put it in my house. I love it!

[Author]

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