Testimony Meeting and Texting

[Backroads]

So I learned an interesting tidbit yesterday. One of our bishopric counselors is a modern, technology-savvy lawyer with a cellphone. Apparently if there is too much of a lull, or the testimonies starting getting weird, he texts a few chosen ward members to "get up there and get us back on track."

I couldn't help but think if this is a common technique.

[arod31]

That’s a first for me. I always was under the impression that one got up to bare their testimony by the inclination of the Holy Spirit; at least that is what I do. But I do have to admit that this is a good tool to have and use to keep people from staring blankly into the walls.

[james12]

If the spirit doesn't prompt people to get up, should a person take it upon themselves?

[Dravin]

If the spirit doesn't prompt people to get up, should a person take it upon themselves?

Your comment seems to suggest it as some sort of stewardship issue and I could see that if this was some random member of the ward, but as it is a member of the Bishopric I'm not seeing a stewardship issue. Every other Sunday of the month it is within the Bishopric's stewardship to invite people to give talks and bear testimonies, I don't think that stewardship melts away the first Sunday of the month.

Edited August 4, 2013 by Dravin

[Roseslipper]

humm i never heard of this my phone is off totally @ church no vibration or anything. thou i did text someone in relief society today shes in another ward i forgot to do this last nite which i should of...to tell her bishop that a member from that ward who lives in a different county as well passed away....

[Roseslipper]

If the spirit doesn't prompt people to get up, should a person take it upon themselves?

usually it should be when the spirit prompts you. but if u have a testimony and u have a lag, why not go up and bear your testimony, The LOrd doesnt have to tell us everything, and a testimony is of good works....so go for it I say!

had to put another i in spirit since some one made a comment about me which i didnt think was nice will not say who, but if he wants to email me he can.

Edited August 4, 2013 by Roseslipper

[pam]

It's really just a way to find out which members are paying more attention to their cell phones than what is going on in church. :)

[Backroads]

The way I understood it, these individuals have agreed ahead of time to be the testimony meeting helpers, and the text is simply there notification they are needed.

[Wingnut]

The way I understood it, these individuals have agreed ahead of time to be the testimony meeting helpers, and the text is simply there notification they are needed.

That makes a difference then. If that's the case, I see the use of text as a discreet and appropriate method, as opposed to said bishopric member getting up and saying, "We'd like to invite Sister Jones, Brother Smith, and Brother Young to get up and share their testimonies now," which I've actually seen done before. When that happens, people come up after church to Sister Jones, et al, and said, "Oh man, that sucks! Well, you did great anyway!" Texting could help eliminate that, thus preserving the spirit of those testimonies.

[beefche]

I must be the odd one out. It has never bothered me to have lag time in between testimonies. I look at that time as time to reflect on what I just heard, allow the Spirit to teach me individually, ponder my own testimony, or just relax after a weird testimony. Seriously, why is it so uncomfortable for people to just sit and wait?

[Backroads]

I must be the odd one out. It has never bothered me to have lag time in between testimonies. I look at that time as time to reflect on what I just heard, allow the Spirit to teach me individually, ponder my own testimony, or just relax after a weird testimony. Seriously, why is it so uncomfortable for people to just sit and wait?

You are not the odd one out. I also enjoy that lull. Call me weird, but I like to use sacrament meeting as a meditation time.

[Lakumi]

I donno I don't plan on ever saying my testimony infront of others, it being rambling and rather nutty (like me...I do wonder if those missionaries really know what they are doing trying to convert me lol)

[Just_A_Guy]

Seriously, why is it so uncomfortable for people to just sit and wait?

It's human nature. Coming to terms with that tendency--in myself and in others--has been a game-changer when it comes to teaching and negotiating.

[james12]

We should not need to have anyone involved between us and the Spirit when bearing a testimony. If members cannot simply bear their testimony when promted then we are very unsure foundation. There needs not be a sterward between us and the Lord in this matter.

[jerome1232]

We should not need to have anyone involved between us and the Spirit when bearing a testimony. If members cannot simply bear their testimony when promted then we are very unsure foundation. There needs not be a sterward between us and the Lord in this matter.

So when an old member with alzheimer's get's up and rambles incoherently for half the meeting, it's all good and we should let him ramble?

I've seen a little direction vastly improve the quality of a testimony meeting here and there, seeing as the bishop does have stewardship over his ward, the spirit can work through him to push the meeting in the direction it needs to go.

[Backroads]

We should not need to have anyone involved between us and the Spirit when bearing a testimony. If members cannot simply bear their testimony when promted then we are very unsure foundation. There needs not be a sterward between us and the Lord in this matter.

I think the matter at hand is more of a temporal organization situation than a mediation between us and the Lord. Any sort of prompting from the bishop or whatever is often more of "help us out at this particular meeting" than spiritual intervention. It might be just so some boxes can be checked, but hey.

[james12]

So when an old member with alzheimer's get's up and rambles incoherently for half the meeting, it's all good and we should let him ramble?

I've seen a little direction vastly improve the quality of a testimony meeting here and there, seeing as the bishop does have stewardship over his ward, the spirit can work through him to push the meeting in the direction it needs to go.

I'm not sure I worded my last statement perfectly. My point is that the spirit prompts people to get up. There is little reason for another person to get in the way, particularly if there is just some silence. I am not talking about the length of the testimony nor particularly about it's content, simply the "why" of people get up. Isn't a testimony about what the Spirit has taught us? Shouldn't it then be the reason we stand? Don't you see that we loose something when we cut in the middle of that revelatory process? Must we be so regimented that the Spirit has no room to breath? I for one fear too much structure not too little.

[JodyTJ]

I hope this isn't a stupid question, but what is considered a "weird" testimony? Also, is a testimony basically your journey to the church and you finding truthfulness in the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and church? If so, I believe the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and the Church are true and follow the Gospel. :)

[Quin]

We should not need to have anyone involved between us and the Spirit when bearing a testimony. If members cannot simply bear their testimony when promted then we are very unsure foundation. There needs not be a sterward between us and the Lord in this matter.

I was just reading The Teachings of Joseph Smith a few days ago (yikes i hope it wasnt a different article,... Darn. im going to have to source this... but its probably from the book. Regardless, im paraphrasing, not quoting) and there was a part where it said to call each member in turn alphabetically down the list to share their testimony... Even if the person thought they had nothing to share... As one often finds unexplored depths & promptings where shyness/uncertainty/etc would otherwise hold them back... Until we are out of time. The next meeting to do so again. Starting up where one had left off.

While its obviously not how most fast Sundays are run today... There is still a great deal of wisdom in having each member search inside themselves to share. That creating such a space ALLOWS for prompting a of the spirit, whereas with self selection, we obviously miss a great deal... As many of the same people stand over and over, while others stay silent. Over and over.

Point being... I don't think that there's "one right way" to allow for or encourage spiritual promptings.

[TalkativeIntrovert]

I hope this isn't a stupid question, but what is considered a "weird" testimony? Also, is a testimony basically your journey to the church and you finding truthfulness in the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and church? If so, I believe the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and the Church are true and follow the Gospel. :)

Jodytj - your testimony is what you said in the last sentence. Basically it is a declaration of what you believe in or know to be true.

I am not sure what is meant by "weird" but we often have ramblers - they talk of everything that happened during the week and only occasionally relate it back to a testimony. It is hard work listening to them sometimes and I feel the it detracts from the spirit of the meeting. That's just my opinion.

I love the testimonies of the children, they are often very basic and very pure. The most powerful heard was a 4 yr old saying that they love their family and love their heavenly father and Jesus Christ.

As to texting in Sacrament - I would have to wonder why the phones are on at all!!! I would be a little cranky if someone texted me to get my attention during sacrament and my phone is either at home or turned off.

I totally lost the spirit and my temper one sacrament meeting when my husband (inactive) received a text from someone who should know a lot better (had been on the bishopric) to arrange to go to the basketball that afternoon!

[Backroads]

I'm not sure I worded my last statement perfectly. My point is that the spirit prompts people to get up. There is little reason for another person to get in the way, particularly if there is just some silence. I am not talking about the length of the testimony nor particularly about it's content, simply the "why" of people get up. Isn't a testimony about what the Spirit has taught us? Shouldn't it then be the reason we stand? Don't you see that we loose something when we cut in the middle of that revelatory process? Must we be so regimented that the Spirit has no room to breath? I for one fear too much structure not too little.

I definitely see your point here, and I agree.

Though I do think a bit of intervention in the cases of weird and inappropriate testimonies is alright.

[Backroads]

I hope this isn't a stupid question, but what is considered a "weird" testimony? Also, is a testimony basically your journey to the church and you finding truthfulness in the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and church? If so, I believe the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and the Church are true and follow the Gospel. :)

I define weird as anything outside what you stated here and even beyond the thankamonies and travelogues. I have seen testimonies of questionable doctrine, testimonies that attacked other ward members, etc. Those are weird.

[TalkativeIntrovert]

Yes - my first testimony meeting, I was not even a member at that stage, had a member on the pulpit spitting fire and brimstone and full criticism to the catholic church - the great abominable church. The missionaries sitting next to me apologised!

Another older member would get up and pick out who his future wives would be beyond the veil - he would actually point them out. Very awkward.

Those things are weird, uncomfortable and all sorts of other wrong!

[james12]

I was just reading The Teachings of Joseph Smith a few days ago (yikes i hope it wasnt a different article,... Darn. im going to have to source this... but its probably from the book. Regardless, im paraphrasing, not quoting) and there was a part where it said to call each member in turn alphabetically down the list to share their testimony... Even if the person thought they had nothing to share... As one often finds unexplored depths & promptings where shyness/uncertainty/etc would otherwise hold them back... Until we are out of time. The next meeting to do so again. Starting up where one had left off.

While its obviously not how most fast Sundays are run today... There is still a great deal of wisdom in having each member search inside themselves to share. That creating such a space ALLOWS for prompting a of the spirit, whereas with self selection, we obviously miss a great deal... As many of the same people stand over and over, while others stay silent. Over and over.

Point being... I don't think that there's "one right way" to allow for or encourage spiritual promptings.

As I recall it was advice from Brigham Young to leaders of youth. I have seen testimony meetings with youth where only one person bore a testimony and all the others sat for about 1/2 an hour. In cases like these, unfortunately a leader might need to march down the list and ask the youth to get up. However, I see a significant difference between one who stands because he is prompted of the Spirit and one who stands because a leader told him he needs to get up. One is directly following the Lord and the other is directly following a man or woman.

[lagarthaaz]

Our bishop routinely "invites" random members (who always look shocked) to get up and bare their testimonies - even when it's not fast and testimony meeting.

As for phones in church - I can't stand them. I seem to be always sitting behind someone who has their ipad or phone out, texting and looking up facebook or other random sites during sacrament meeting. It's distracting and annoying.