Sacrament at home prep

[anatess2]

3 hours ago, mrmarket said:

So now I’m pushing the gay agenda?

Hey look!  Your superheroes!

[anatess2]

2 hours ago, NeuroTypical said:

Moderator reminder - be nice people. 

I'm nice!  I mean... nicer than normal.  

[JohnsonJones]

5 hours ago, mrmarket said:

Sounds more like you are being triggered being called out on pharisaic nonsense. Yea I totally feel diminished by someone’s talk.. you’re killing me here. As for the charter school like dress code. Yea I think people should be able to wear whatever they want. If it was so important the chapel couldn’t be desecrated by a pants wearing woman or a  deacon wearing a nice colored shirt then we need to place the uniform cops at the doors and never let them in. The church even says it isn’t mandatory so why do we spend so much time treating the situation otherwise? Because that is how we Mormons visually display to our peers that we are at least as or more righteous than they are. Hi. This context we could replace righteous with perhaps unquestioning obedience even if the leadership states alternatives.
 

it is all about image. Why do we have to list our religious resumes like Eagle Scout, young women’s award, mission, temple, sealing x type callings? And don’t tell me people don’t do that . To tell everyone we checked the boxes is why. It isn’t any real measure of someone’s righteousness but it is the yardstick we tend to use and many of our leaders use that same metric as well.

There are parts I agree and parts I do not agree.

I agree that there are some that do it just to check a box or to show how righteous they are.  A prime example is the way the Members sought to get Eagle Scouts and be an Eagle Scout.  If it was such an important thing and they truly felt that the Scouting program and the measures set (scout oath, scout law which states to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent...something that MANY LDS Eagles did not actually really exhibit from my experience [though there were also those that DID more so than most Eagles as well] in their lives afterwards) than there would have been a great many that stuck with the scouting program AFTER the church no longer were sponsors of it.  Instead, we see that it was mostly virtue signaling for many.  They never truly believed in the program nor the things that it taught.  Instead, they were in it simply because it was the Church program and the Church sponsored it.  They had no true desire to actually be scouts.

In the same way, I think you are right with what many members do.  IT IS GOOD that they avoid R-rated movies or other such things, but the only reason they do it is because of the Church. The adhere for obedience...WHICH IS GOOD, but they truly don't have a desire to do this on their own.  Thus, they may avoid the technical ratings, but they will watch things FAR WORSE if it is rated PG-13 or has no rating at all reasoning that they are obeying the letter of the law...while not understanding the spirit of the law (invariably, if one keeps the spirit, which is to avoid ALL material which does not promote spiritually uplifting things, they will by default keep the letter of the law as well).  This also shows how they have no real desire of themselves to do what the Lord would have them do, but instead to simply mark a checkbox.

On the otherhand I think there are many who DO have a true desire to do what the Lord would have them do.  They want to go on a mission, not to mark a checkbox, but to serve the Lord because they love the Lord.  They want a temple marriage/sealing because they really do believe in eternal families and want to be sealed to theirs for eternity.

Which brings us to wearing white shirts and ties on Sunday.  Is it virtue signaling?  It could very well be for many.

ON the otherhand, that's not exactly WHY I wear a white shirt or tie on Sunday.  One of the things that can be hard for people is to get into the right mindset of reverence and respect for the Lord and his ordinances.  There are different ways one can do this.  One of the ways is the same way you would show respect to those in the real world.  If I go to teach a class I may wear a colored shirt and tie.  This is simply university ideas of how to bring a more formal and respectful attitude in class.  If I am meeting with someone that I am trying to get a grant from in a formal meeting, I will dress even more nicely.  I'll dress in a suit and a white shirt and a tie. 

In this way, you show respect for those you are meeting with, it puts you in the mind of formality, and engages you to be more mindful of your surroundings and what you are doing.  In this same way, dressing in the very best you have can help put you in a mindset of an even higher power.  This helps to remind one that this is not just a casual thing to do, but a holy ordinance in alignment with one who is even greater and more powerful than those who would give me grants or any human or mortal power or authority.  If I need to dress in a respectful way for the human powers and authority to help me in my formality and mindfulness, how much more should I with one that is far greater?

That does not mean a shirt and tie are required or necessary.  It is just one method that can help one develop the reverence they should have towards one who has far greater power and authority than any mortal or earthly being or creation.  If clothes help bring that reverence, even if one does not have suits and ties and white shirts, perhaps whatever is the nicest clothes they have.  Perhaps their is a formal dress code for their area which helps them to remind them of this manner even more than the custom of Western cultures (for example, in some Pacific Islands they wear some slightly different attire).

There are other ways that remind us than just clothes...it could be bathing and ensuring we are clean for the Sabbath.  It could be a period of intense prayer or other things.  Whatever we do, many cannot simply just become as cognizant of the reverence we should be exhibiting simply by getting up on the Sabbath and going about our daily routine.  Perhaps there are a few out there that can, but many cannot.  As such, we have various rituals of preparation to help us get in the right mindset.  For many of us, that is dressing in a certain manner.

In addition, doing such and showing others that one does this can help them also to attach a certain reverence in dressing so, and help them also attach a mindset of getting more reverent or respectful when dressing in such a manner.  Showing that one is dressed for the occasion is also a way to help others.

That does not mean it is required or necessary.  Each of us probably has ways which help us attain the proper mood and attitude in keeping the Sabbath day holy as well as respecting and honoring the Lord and his ordinances. 

I agree, there are many that probably do it simply as a checkmark, but I think there are also many valid reasons for people who dress up in their Sunday best for meetings and ordinances.  The biggest being it helps to put us in the mindset of respect and honor for the Lord.  In showing that one does this, it can also help others.

It is not necessarily for show, or pompousness in this, but as a value to help us be in the right mindset and to realize who it is that we are honoring and also to realize how important and holy the occasion actually is.  If we would dress up for the Queen and Crown Prince of England (or other rulers) how much more important is it for us to do so with the measures of the Ruler of Heaven and Earth itself, not as a show of our own importance, but out of respect.  If that means your Sunday best is your best pair of jeans and your cleanest T-shirt, and it gets you in the right attitude and mood to show that honor and respect, than it is probably just as good as one who wears a white shirt and tie. 

It is simply one method to put us in the right attitude that works for a great many people.  If there are other ways which one attains that mood and honor to the Lord, I would imagine he has just as much respect for them as those who are dressing up to do the same thing.

For me though, dressing in Sunday Bests helps to put me in the right attitude and emotional state to be better prepared to show honor, reverence and respect to the Lord and his ordinances.  This is why I do so.  Not to show off, but to try to be in the right attitude on the Sabbath towards the Lord and his day of rest as well as the ordinances he has us perform.

Edited March 19, 2020 by JohnsonJones