love What makes us different

[anatess2]

17 minutes ago, Traveler said:

 

As strange as this may seem - I can count a greater number of guys have been converted or re-activated through church basketball - than just about any other single benevolence church program.  Yah - I know this makes no sense - especially to those of us the hold to b, love and intelligence.  I do not understand how sports converts - only that it does????

 

The Traveler

There's this wisdom (or old wives tale) that I heard over the pulpit one Sunday that it takes an average of 10 "exposures" to the LDS Church for someone to be interested enough to be curious about it and seek out a missionary.  This holds true in my case.  My first exposure to the LDS Church is the one-and-only-at-that-time LDS building in my town that I pass by on my way to and from school.  That building has a very well-maintained full-size outdoor basketball court and anybody can just go there are play on it!  So, as our school's basketball court has cracks in the cement, students from the school would go there to play.  This made the LDS church familiar to the Catholic school.

Then we see these 2 Americans in white shirts walking around town with a purse.  We eventually found out they were Mormons and they hold Bibles in those purses.  So, it is a common thing in our town to know that we can't talk bad about Americans or Mormons when they're around because they completely understand our language and they even speak the language without a trace of American accent!  So they just became "one of us".

So between basketball - Filipinos love basketball! - and the language, Mormons become not so strange in a sea of Catholics.

[warnerfranklin]

On 3/27/2018 at 1:07 PM, bytebear said:

I love that we have "other beliefs" sections and instead of telling them what they believe, and why they are wrong, we let them speak for themselves, with the real intent to learn from them.

To my experience that is very true. I found on so many other sites people are so inclined to tell me “what they think I believe” instead of being interested in a dialogue.  I think it is helpful that our leadership (Hinkley, Uchtdorf, others) has repeatedly said truth is truth and it belongs in our church.  I think that helps in our being able to reach out and work with other groups in common causes. 

[Guest]

21 hours ago, Grunt said:

I meant the fact that they were referring to it as a fight club.  Is it really that brutal?

Every ward is going to be different.  Just remember that Omega has a tendency to speak of the more negative end of the spectrum.  How true that is depends on your personal experience.  

I've been to enough wards to say that there are wards like that (really brutal). I've also been to enough wards to say that there are many more wards like what Jane Doe is describing.

[anatess2]

1 hour ago, Carborendum said:

Every ward is going to be different.  Just remember that Omega has a tendency to speak of the more negative end of the spectrum.  How true that is depends on your personal experience.  

I've been to enough wards to say that there are wards like that (really brutal). I've also been to enough wards to say that there are many more wards like what Jane Doe is describing.

In my neck of the woods, ward ball is not brutal at all.  It's the Stake tournaments that are brutal.  

[Grunt]

On 3/29/2018 at 6:01 PM, anatess2 said:

In my neck of the woods, ward ball is not brutal at all.  It's the Stake tournaments that are brutal.  

Do you live here?

https://www.ksl.com/?sid=46311746&nid=148&title=heavy-hit-during-church-game-leads-to-child-abuse-charge

[anatess2]

7 minutes ago, Grunt said:

Do you live here?

https://www.ksl.com/?sid=46311746&nid=148&title=heavy-hit-during-church-game-leads-to-child-abuse-charge

Whoa mama!

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Grunt said:

Do you live here?

https://www.ksl.com/?sid=46311746&nid=148&title=heavy-hit-during-church-game-leads-to-child-abuse-charge

That is unfortunate. 

[Lost Boy]

What really sticks out to me is the optimism.  The church does not teach hell fire and brim stone.  It teaches loving and being kind to everyone.  If you listened to GC, you would notice that there were a number of talks that mentioned not getting wrapped up in nationalism.. that we are all Gods children in this together.  It is a church of love.  priesthood is there to share God's love.  The temples are there to share God's love.

We don't teach repentance to keep people from going to hell.  No, we teach repentance so people can progress and move forward to a Christlike person.  We teach that even though Christ atoned for our sins, we still have the responsibility to try to be as perfect as we can and to learn of Christ.  We don't worship statues or crosses, or whatever, we worship God, the giver of all.

 

[MarginOfError]

To be honest, I've never felt anything exceptional about the Church that wasn't present in other churches. I don't believe Mormons are at all different from other denominations.

[Vort]

10 minutes ago, MarginOfError said:

To be honest, I've never felt anything exceptional about the Church that wasn't present in other churches. I don't believe Mormons are at all different from other denominations.

Let me ask for clarification. Do you mean that there is literally nothing about our (Latter-day Saints) actions or our claim to divine authority that differs from those of other churches? That is, you claim that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is fundamentally no different in actions or in divine authority than any other church that calls itself Christian, and that our doctrinal peculiarities are incidental and unimportant? Or are you responding more narrowly to someone's comment about e.g. basketball?

[MarginOfError]

Warnerfranklin started off describing how Mormons are different as people. My statement is only intended to say that I haven't found Mormons to be all that different. I've seen other faith groups that were as unified and uplifting as the best LDS wards. I've seen LDS wards so dysfunctional it's embarrassing. 

I find Mormons are every bit as human as everyone else is what I meant.

[Vort]

Just now, MarginOfError said:

Warnerfranklin started off describing how Mormons are different as people. My statement is only intended to say that I haven't found Mormons to be all that different. I've seen other faith groups that were as unified and uplifting as the best LDS wards. I've seen LDS wards so dysfunctional it's embarrassing. 

I find Mormons are every bit as human as everyone else is what I meant.

Thanks for the clarification. I have found Mormons as a group to be different in that they tend to be more optimistic and honest. But I can certainly find those qualities in non-Latter-day Saint individuals and congregations.

[wenglund]

1 hour ago, Vort said:

Thanks for the clarification. I have found Mormons as a group to be different in that they tend to be more optimistic and honest. But I can certainly find those qualities in non-Latter-day Saint individuals and congregations.

Some would also claim that we are unusually gullible and trusting, and point to scam statistics (particularly of the MLM kind) as evidence. But, maybe MOE is right, we aren't all that different as people.

Thanks, -Wade Enlgund-

[JohnsonJones]

7 hours ago, wenglund said:

Some would also claim that we are unusually gullible and trusting, and point to scam statistics (particularly of the MLM kind) as evidence. But, maybe MOE is right, we aren't all that different as people.

Thanks, -Wade Enlgund-

We have better statistics overall in regards to teenagers following the Law of Chastity in general.  There is still a major problem with the youth of the church, but it is far more marked of a problem among other churches typically.  I find that those who are active among our church tend to be a peculiar people and are markedly different. 

However, when taking into account ALL the membership, many of the statistics seem to veer towards the averages found in each nation the members are in, inclusive of various aspects of divorce and other items.

[BJ64]

What tells me that I’m in the right place as a member of the church is the doctrine. 

The things I’ve learned from the prophets, studying scripture, attending the temple and through personal revelation are so sharp and clear. Everything important to know is clearly laid out to those who seek it and everything makes sense. By comparison, other churches don’t have a clue. 

I know where I came from, I know why I am here and I know my God given potential in this life and the next. 

Through diligent study, pondering, prayer and temple learning I have come to know and understand many of what might be considered mysteries to others. 

There is no possible way that this is not the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Shortly before his death Elder Bruce R. McConkie said, 

“I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears.

But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.”

I believe I could make that same statement and everyone with a testimony of this gospel should be able to make that same statement. If this is not His Church and if we do not believe He is our Savior and Redeemer, then why are we here?

It doesn’t matter how friendly the ward members are or how much we feel welcome. It is The Lord’s Church and our way to salvation and exaltation.