Why Do You Go?

[seashmore]

Why is it you go to church on Sundays? 

 

Currently, I go because I am looking for opportunities to serve and uplift others because that's what helps me to be like Jesus. At another point in my life, my main reason for going was to be spiritually educated and understand my Savior better. When I'm in the throes of depression, I go because it's a habit and I need hugs. 

[The Folk Prophet]

Love of God and fellow man. Duty. To learn. To teach. And, primarily, to partake of the Sacrament and renew my covenants with God.

[NeuroTypical]

I go because I am a sinner who walks imperfectly, and need the weekly reminder of the sacrament, and the weekly sacred experience to help me walk better during the week.

 

[Backroads]

Because I was raised to be regular in my attendance, I find the ritual of going important to my religious mindset, I like the weekly spiritual boost, I like my daughter going to Primary.

[Guest]

I've been lucky enough that most of my life I've gone because, besides renewing my covenants, I loved being there.

 

Now I go to renew my covenants, keep my promises, and set a good example to my children. 

[Iggy]

To renew my baptismal & temple covenants by partaking of the sacrament. To hear the speakers during sacrament and be enriched by what the Lord has prompted them to say. To sing the hymns that lift my soul. To attend the classes, learn of the gospel as the Lord has prompted those who are teaching/facilitating/ and participating in class.

And basically because I really enjoy those who also come to Sunday meetings.

[Fether]

To bless everyone else with my intelligent comments in class and to show off my overall righteousness.

[mirkwood]

To take the sacrament.  To feel the spirit.  To be around good people.  To be around good people and be reminded that those I talk to at work at the worst of humanity but are a small part of the population.  To fulfill my covenants. 

[NeuroTypical]

4 hours ago, Fether said:

To bless everyone else with my intelligent comments in class and to show off my overall righteousness.

Yeah, that reason is tied for second for me.  Along with "see if sister whatsername gets up to bear another testimony about not wearing denim or peeing on trees again".

[Guest]

To see the way things are supposed to be.  To see the kind of people that I'm supposed to be like.  To see others who need as much help or more than I do.

[Guest]

I don't really like or enjoy going to church. So I go because that's what Heavenly Father wants to do. Probably not the best answer, but it does get me to church each week.

[askandanswer]

19 hours ago, seashmore said:

, I go because it's a habit and I need hugs. 

Hugs to you. If not needed now, then save them for later

ps

These are multi-use, multi-purpose hugs, so use them frequently, and not just for depression 

Edited June 18, 2017 by askandanswer

[Sunday21]

@seashmore. I also send hugs! Also multipurpose, carry with you everywhere, anytime hugs!

[Jamie123]

We have chocolate biscuits afterwards.

[askandanswer]

I go so that others will have a reason to come  

Edited June 20, 2017 by askandanswer

[seashmore]

On 6/18/2017 at 1:03 AM, miav said:

I don't really like or enjoy going to church. So I go because that's what Heavenly Father wants to do. Probably not the best answer, but it does get me to church each week.

I've gone through spells where this is why I go. Like the three weeks after a YSA bishop announced over the pulpit that we wouldn't be having any Sunday meetings over Christmas and New Years because "there wouldn't be enough people here to be worth it." I get that 75% of the ward would have gone to their family ward, anyway, but there are more tactful ways of announcing it. Also, I was depressed and feeling extra far away from family, so I had to use all my strength and then some to fight off the temptation to take it personally, saying that I wasn't worth it. (Something I knew as an intellectual truth, but had a hard time understanding it emotionally.) I mentioned it to a stake counselor a few months later in an interview and felt much better.

[seashmore]

@askandanswer @Sunday21 group e-hug!!

[NightSG]

On 6/17/2017 at 11:22 PM, NeuroTypical said:

Along with "see if sister whatsername gets up to bear another testimony about not wearing denim or peeing on trees again".

So we should only do one or the other but not both?

[NeuroTypical]

Sister whatsername is a rare treasure.  She's a convert from another Christian denomination and she's, shall we say, on a journey to see what notions to keep and what to discard in the restored gospel.

She's used testimony meeting as a way to preach against various behaviors she sees other ward members engaged in.  She doesn't think young women should wear denim, she was shocked one time to see some young men peeing on a tree, she figures the hymnbook is scripture and is shocked that some members would let them rest on the floor.  All information conveyed across the pulpit in sacrament meeting.  I've talked to her enough to know she genuinely did believe her input would help other people walk more uprightly.

Last year or so she's calmed down a lot - these months her testimonies are rather edifying to hear.  But maybe she's saving a bunch of stuff up for one big testimony.