hypocrites

[Maya]

Dear Danz... I did not read all this I am in abit hurry, but I want to say a few words. No you are not the only one, but be carefull many start with that and end up at least inactive. The problem is we all hope to be better and try to be better, but often we dont manage it. We are just human with our many mistakes. Dont be too hard on people. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to such people they ahve to find that out themselves, we cant change them... it is like a marriage, you can only try to change yourself.

[applepansy]

This is a great talk that I hope will be helpful in this thead.

LDS.org - Ensign Article - And Nothing Shall Offend Them

[Michael_Newman]

Maybe joining the church is the easiest thing to do. But living the church is the greater challenge.

Our church is one of the hardest (if not the hardest) church to live up to. It is not an easy church by any means.

Even the 5% that go to the temple struggle. Yet, 95% who do not attend the temple still have an opportunity.

We lost 33% in the War in Heaven, and I seriously doubt that the remaining 64% will be among the highest glory in the end - except for maybe 5%.

Life in the church is much more than the Word of Wisdom, Tithes, Fasting, Callings, and what we "see" in the wards.

My suggestion? Get around the 5% group, even if it means moving. "Go where the Saints are!"

All my best,

Michael

[Jamie123]

I think because the gospel is so pure and so inviting, that we get unrealistic expectations on how those how have accepted the gospel should live their lives.

This is very true. Several times I've been put in my place by someone (supposedly) "older, wiser and better" than myself, when I dared to point out she was not living up to the standards she was expecting from me. Spiritual "rank-pulling" is not confined to any one church.

Example:

[Older, Wiser and Better Person] (Some negative observation about my habits/lifestyle)

[Me] Yes, but what about you....?

[Older, Wiser and Better Person] Me? How dare you criticize me! What do you know about me?

[Me] Well, i seems to me you're doing the same thing that...

[Older, Wiser and Better Person] You need to learn some humility! I spent five years in Bible college, and I've been round the world on a missionary ship, and I've read the Bible ten times, and I've been slain in the Spirit! I know better than you!

[Me] Yes, but that doesn't alter the fact that...

[Older, Wiser and Better Person] You need to earn the right to criticize me...

[Me] (thinks: When did you earn the right to criticize me?)

[Older, Wiser and Better Person] ...and you've got unrealistic expectations! You don't live up to what you're expecting from me!

[Me] (thinks: Isn't that exactly what I was saying to you? And anyway, you make such extravagant claims about your own spirituality, you can hardly blame me for having high expectations.) OK....you win.

I exaggerate slightly :) But there are some very enthusiastic Christians who see themselves as "mature believers" but are actually nothing of the sort. They understand the theory, but they do not see that they are failing to put it into practice. They confuse what they are with what they ought to be. On the other hand, they all too readily see the faults of other people (particularly those whom they consider "younger" Christians than themselves) and are continually pointing the finger at them.

Those "young" Christians are in something of a dilemma: They see the faults in themselves that the "mature" Christians point out, but also see the same (or similar) faults in their spiritual "elders". If they react one way, they add "lack of humility" to their own list of sins (and get accused of the dreaded ad hominem). If they blinker themselves to their elders' faults and pretend that these people are perfect, they (i) encourage them to become more judgmental than ever and (ii) make false idols out of them - neither of which is good.

I think that "true" humility requires a middle road. If you were a younger sibling in your family, you probably saw your elder siblings as more experienced (and possibly wiser) than yourself, but not as perfect role models. You probably didn't take their haughty behavior very seriously, and yet still loved them in spite of it. I think it has to be the same in the "spiritual" family of the Church.

Edited March 31, 2009 by Jamie123

[teddyk]

Yup john,I know the feeling of seeing students busy trying to find funds for over priced education...I do have sympathy, but sorry my PO box remains empty,except for the junk mail that helps heat up the wood stove :)

[lestertheemt]

Not sure if this has already been stated, so if it has, my apologies.....

IMO, I think we as members of our LDS faith tend to put any one that is of our faith high on a pedestal. When they (either as a individuals or as a group) fall from that pedestal we can have a heard time forgiving them of their acts. However, when we do this we are only hurting ourselves. Our faith is full of unique individuals who are all attempting to live the gospel to the best of their abilities. Their "best" can only be seen as such in our Heavenly Father's eyes...........

I am guilty of holding the bar higher for individuals when I myself need to work on raising my own bar.

Just my 2 cents........

[Maxel]

People are people. There are as many cultural Mormons as there are cultural Christians, cultural Atheists, etc. Cultural <enter religion/philosophy here> adhere to their religion or philosophy because it is cool and/or the norm. In the case of Mormons, most of the time cultural Mormon = hypocritical Mormon.

The one place in the world where it's cool to be a Mormon- Utah- will also be the one place in the world where you'll find the highest concentration of hypocritical Mormons. That being said, sometimes it's easier to see the faults in others when they reflect our own shortcomings.