Relief Society just a repeat of SM


Meerkatarmy
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Twice I have been to RS twice it has just been a repeat of the topics in Sacrement Meeting. It is just really boring and repetitive. O and the endless requests for baking or feeding the missionaries, I bet priesthood don't have all these requests. Also this week was a dozy when some one when discussing repentance said that homeless folk are willful sinners, what is their sin you may ask? Being homeless, yep in my ward being homeless and poor is a sin.

Basically feels like I am stuck in a meeting of the WI with a bunch of the nosest women ever, want to know the ins and outs of everything.

Is my situation unique or do others have the same issue? Should I just go to SM and Sunday school?

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Is my situation unique or do others have the same issue? Should I just go to SM and Sunday school?

No. The lessons, I have noticed, are designed to be cohesive with each other. Therefore, the norm is that Sacrament Meeting lessons coincide with RS/Priesthood lessons.

They are not intended to be repetitive. They are intended to discuss a specific topic that has many applications. Sacrament Meeting talks are addressed to the general congregation, therefore, the topic applies more on a general sense. RS takes that topic and applies it to specific challenges of women. EQ takes that same topic and applies it to specific challenges of men.

It is beautiful in design. Not an issue.

It may be that your ward has issues that go well beyond the teaching of gospel topics. Or it could be just a very few people in the ward that are mistaken in their application of gospel topics. But, regardless, they need to be corrected. And if the presidency is not doing it, then you can respectfully raise the question in the discussion.

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Meerkatarmy, you are right the guys don't have tons of requests to make dinners, or bake...they just help people move...no easy job considering that Mormons tend to have food storage and pianos!

They do discuss similar topics in both meetings, but in RS there is an opportunity to participate in the discussion. I made a rule for myself that I will only attend RS if I also give myself permission to speak up. If my RS had made that comment about homeless people, they would have gotten my opinion about mental illness and other issues, not to mention a reminder of the scripture "are we not all beggars?" as tactfully as possible, of course. :)

Give them a chance, they mean well. They are nice when you get to know them.

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Meerkatarmy: Am I right that you are the one getting baptized @ March 21? Congratulations!

I converted about 2 years ago. At first I felt very uncomfortable going to RS. It is not as *predictable*, I guess, as the other 2 meetings. My RS is a little more talkative or maybe interactive than the other 2 sessions.

Now I'm there and its ok, and I can't exactly say that anything has changed except I'm more comfortable. Certainly, there are those that don't go, but I would recommend hanging it a little longer to see if your perception changes.

OH yes, and I was called to teach in RS once a month about a year ago. (Me? You want me? My initial comment).

And by the way, my biggest dream when I teach is class participation. I would have loved it if I was teaching that session, if you would have said hey wait guys I don't understand. How is homelessness a willful sin? Because one thing I know: if you were sitting there having that thought, there were others in the room thinking the same thing.

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The bishopric (sometimes stake presidency) sets the direction for Sacrament meeting topics. Personally, I'm not a fan of keeping it on the same track as the RS/Priesthood curriculum, because it can feel like it's just harping (not that it is, but after awhile, and on some topics, it can seem that way). A few years ago, my bishopric chose to focus Sacrament meeting talks throughout the year on attributes of Christ. Another year, they chose of theme of Jesus's parables.

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Elders quorum is very close to what the video illustrated it was.

When I get bored in a class, I ask a question in my smooth diplomatic way that ignites debate or observations and most of the time, the teacher is grateful that I do, as reading the manual for everyone is boring as is the cliche answers.

Ask some questions! Be prepared for the usual retorts though, as inevitable someone infers that my faith is lacking and that is all that is required, but usually I am rewarded with some surprisings gems as I realize that others are thinking similar to me.

Participate!

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Meerkatarmy, you are right the guys don't have tons of requests to make dinners, or bake...they just help people move...no easy job considering that Mormons tend to have food storage and pianos!

They do discuss similar topics in both meetings, but in RS there is an opportunity to participate in the discussion. I made a rule for myself that I will only attend RS if I also give myself permission to speak up. If my RS had made that comment about homeless people, they would have gotten my opinion about mental illness and other issues, not to mention a reminder of the scripture "are we not all beggars?" as tactfully as possible, of course. :)

Give them a chance, they mean well. They are nice when you get to know them.

I'd rather move stuff, as would other folk if they tried my baking!

Yep I am getting Baptised on the 22nd, well I will be if the missionaries get back to me about my interview. I have a strong testomy I know this is the church for me. I just feel I can't be a very good mormon woman. Every one is so girly and so sub servant and accepting of their place as second class citizans doing the lesser work of the church. I am a strong indipendent feminst woman I will never be 2nd class to any one

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O and the endless requests for baking or feeding the missionaries, I bet priesthood don't have all these requests. Also this week was a dozy when some one when discussing repentance said that homeless folk are willful sinners, what is their sin you may ask? Being homeless, yep in my ward being homeless and poor is a sin.

Whoa, glad I'm not in that ward. Our RS has different topics than Sacrament Meeting. Yeah, we do get requests to feed the missionaries, but if you don't want to feed them, what's it to you? Somebody needs to feed them. If the person with that calling did a better job, you'd have a sign up sheet or website and they'd only have to make the request once a month. If the members did a better job, the missionaries' calendars would be full and there wouldn't be so many requests.

We do a lot of projects for the women's shelter and apparently we rotate with other churches to do some feeding for the homeless. I cannot imagine anyone in my RS saying that the homeless were sinful.

I know I have a rep in Sunday School and RS for asking difficult questions or taking a different approach than others in the meeting. Tough. If someone said the homeless were sinful (and look, I know a lot of them do sinful things) just by being homeless, I'd stand up and say something. Let 'em kick me out.

I enjoy our RS. An hour of free group therapy every week.

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Clearly I can not be trusted to serve dinner with out trying to seduce them. I know as a gay woman would be a really hard not to weigh them up for husband material.

No, there are mission rules designed to address concerns in a conservative manner following a protocol of "better safe than sorry." It's not a specific comment on your trustworthiness.

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Clearly I can not be trusted to serve dinner with out trying to seduce them.
It's not really about trust, and it's certainly not about women being lesser. It's about how the church goes about protecting its flock, and its good name.

A related policy:

Men Serving in Primary

When considering members who might serve in the Primary, the bishopric and the Primary presidency should remember the positive influence of worthy men in the ward. Children, especially those who do not have worthy priesthood holders in their homes, need to see examples of righteous, caring priesthood holders. Men may serve as teachers, music leaders, pianists, activity days leaders, and Scout leaders. They may also assist in the nursery.

When men are assigned to teach children, at least two responsible adults should be present at all times. The two adults could be two men, a husband and wife, or two members of the same family. In small branches, if it is not practical to have two teachers in a classroom, a member of the Primary presidency frequently visits and monitors each class that a man teaches alone.

It's not that men can't be trusted, it's that the vast majority of child molesters are male, and there have been incidents in classrooms in the past.

It's not that women can't be trusted, it's that the vast majority of sexual misdeeds with missionaries involving another person, involve women, and there have been incidents in the past.

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No, there are mission rules designed to address concerns in a conservative manner following a protocol of "better safe than sorry." It's not a specific comment on your trustworthiness.

There are tons of them, as I'm finding out in my calling as Ward Missionary.

I got assigned to organize the Missionary Dinner Calendar and the Missionary Service Calendar and the Missionary Transfers.

We have 3 pairs of missionaries in our ward (will be 4 next month). Imagine trying to fill up 4 Dinner Calendars and 4 Service Calendars. And, every first Tuesday of every month, we have about 30 missionaries getting transferred that would need one-night accomodation.

But, not only is it a challenge trying to find volunteers to feed missionaries in the weekends, I have to make sure that Elder Missionaries and Sister Missionaries are not having dinner together (even if it's a public place like a restaurant). Elder missionaries can't have dinner at a single woman's house without another man present, vice versa for Sister missionaries. Elder missionaries on transfers can't stay at a house without a man in the house and they can't ride in the car without that man and they can't stay at a house with a teen-age daughter even with the man in the house... vice versa for Sister missionaries... and they have to have separate beds even if it's two couches - two missionaries can't share a king-size bed or the same floor...

And that's not even my entire calling! That's just a small smidgen of my calling...

So anyway, I found that more people sign up for dinners if I send the dinner sign-up with the service sign-up... the missionaries do a service for a family and the family feeds them dinner. Works out quite good.

Edited by anatess
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I'd rather move stuff, as would other folk if they tried my baking!

Yep I am getting Baptised on the 22nd, well I will be if the missionaries get back to me about my interview. I have a strong testomy I know this is the church for me. I just feel I can't be a very good mormon woman. Every one is so girly and so sub servant and accepting of their place as second class citizans doing the lesser work of the church. I am a strong indipendent feminst woman I will never be 2nd class to any one

Is this just parody or is this for real? You think women are second class citizens doing the lesser work of the church? If so, I wouldn't join a church that you think treats women in this manner. This is not a Church of Jesus Christ.

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Is this just parody or is this for real? You think women are second class citizens doing the lesser work of the church? If so, I wouldn't join a church that you think treats women in this manner. This is not a Church of Jesus Christ.

Not what I think, what I have been shown the church believes. Women should stay in the home. Women aren't good enough to hold priesthood. Sister missionaries work is lesser than elders. Women can't be trusted round the elders.

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Not what I think, what I have been shown the church believes. Women should stay in the home. Women aren't good enough to hold priesthood. Sister missionaries work is lesser than elders. Women can't be trusted round the elders.

That's not what the Church believes. Have you figured all these out? Your baptism date is getting close! Some people here can help you if these are not addressed yet.

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That's not what the Church believes. Have you figured all these out? Your baptism date is getting close! Some people here can help you if these are not addressed yet.

This is what I am saying I am getting baptised because I have a strong testomy that this is the rightful church and the Book of Mormon is the truth. It is, just like any relgions, people that confuse me sometimes by not acting the gospol. But may be I should just chill out as I am not perfect and can act in an unchrist like manor too.

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I have no problem feeding the missionaries, but was told I couldn't being a single woman. Clearly I can not be trusted to serve dinner with out trying to seduce them. I know as a gay woman would be a really hard not to weigh them up for husband material.

I had the same issue, although I do have a son who would stay at home sometimes so I could give the elders dinner.

You can take them out for dinner. I did that when I couldn't bring them home.

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I didn't know that I will do that!

You can even drop off food at their apartment - or have them pick up food from your house if you're just wanting to feed them and not necessarily have a discussion.

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Twice I have been to RS twice it has just been a repeat of the topics in Sacrement Meeting. It is just really boring and repetitive. O and the endless requests for baking or feeding the missionaries, I bet priesthood don't have all these requests.

LM touched on this, but let's go through it all, shall we?

- Moving

- Cleaning the Building

- Help at the Employment Resource Center

- Ward/Stake Temple Trips

- Sacrament to those who can't make it to Church (usually the Priest Quorum advisor)

- Personal Priesthood Interviews (PPIs)

- Friends of Scouting

- Splits/Team-up with the missionaries to chaperone (oops, I meant team-teach).

and I'm sure I left a few off.

Also this week was a dozy when some one when discussing repentance said that homeless folk are willful sinners, what is their sin you may ask? Being homeless, yep in my ward being homeless and poor is a sin.

Mosiah 4:16-25

16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.

22 And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done.

23 I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those who are rich as pertaining to the things of this world.

24 And again, I say unto the poor, ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give.

25 And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain guiltless, otherwise ye are condemned; and your condemnation is just for ye covet that which ye have not received.

This chapter should've been read and referenced by someone who knows the scriptures during that meeting.

Basically feels like I am stuck in a meeting of the WI with a bunch of the nosest women ever, want to know the ins and outs of everything.

Is my situation unique or do others have the same issue? Should I just go to SM and Sunday school?

We do covenant to sustain our leaders, and that does include attending the meetings where they preside and teach. That does NOT mean to "blindly follow", but it does mean to be supportive.

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