Weirdness of the LDS faithful

[Mackman]

Does anyone like me grow tired of all the weird stuff in our church ? I am referring to stuff like Temple worship, underwear, masonic rituals etc etc cant we just be like most evangelicals ???? Too much weirdness that you are not told about as an investigator.

[Red Ryder]

Keep Mormonism Weird!

[Palerider]

You don't want to go down the evangelical road. Crazy music. Electric guitars. Sappy lyrics in their songs. Hands waving and jumping up and down.....mostly crazy money grubbing preachers.

HmmMmm.... don't go there.....

The real Peter, James and John would look at that and say, "What the heck happened!"

But yeah, Mormonism? Totally off kilter. Money grubbing with a touch of solemnity and faux righteousness. But still money grubbing.

[Corsair]

Keep Mormonism Weird!

Mormonism was more interesting when it was more weird. But, it feels like the current leadership trend is to turn it into a Protestant denomination yet still retain the "One True Church" status somehow.

[Raylan Givens]

Does anyone like me grow tired of all the weird stuff in our church ? I am referring to stuff like Temple worship, underwear, masonic rituals etc etc cant we just be like most evangelicals ???? Too much weirdness that you are not told about as an investigator.

Mormonism is weird on the outside. Evangelicalism is weird on the inside. So literal in their view of things, the Bible says this. That church (other evangelical church) interprets the Bible wrong...

Put me with a group of TBM Mormons, way before staunch Evangelicals.

[annotatedbom]

You don't want to go down the evangelical road. Crazy music. Electric guitars. Sappy lyrics in their songs. Hands waving and jumping up and down.....mostly crazy money grubbing preachers.

HmmMmm.... don't go there.....

The real Peter, James and John would look at that and say, "What the heck happened!"

But yeah, Mormonism? Totally off kilter. Money grubbing with a touch of solemnity and faux righteousness. But still money grubbing.

Totally agree with Palerider here. I don't mind weird, unless part of your definition of weird is something like, "harmful." Silly underwear? So what? Shame me for not wearing your silly underwear? Then shame on them. And don't get me started on the money grabbing of la Iglesia Mormon, or some evangelical churches. I'm no longer a believer in any deity, but I think I've know an honest, kind minister or two. I think they were the salt of the earth, we're-all-better-off-because-of-their-existence types. I wonder if the money grabbers, the shame throwers, the predators among clergy hinder the honest, kind clergy's ability to help those in need.

But yeah, Mormonism ≅ Weird.

[MoPag]

Keep Mormonism Weird!

Mormonism was more interesting when it was more weird. But, it feels like the current leadership trend is to turn it into a Protestant denomination yet still retain the "One True Church" status somehow.

Yes! The weirder the better!!

[2bizE]

Bring back road shows...and Hee Haw, too.

[Tacenda]

I'm old enough to remember all the fun weirdness. Cake walks, cupcake sales, and many more. Back in the day when my mom and the rest of the RS ladies tried to earn money to put in their account because they had their own budget they could do what they wanted in helping their fellowman. They also had their own magazine, if I recall, and the PH wasn't over them, And roadshows, that weren't spiritual at all! What's happened?!? Now it's to the point that the wards I've been in lately, or in the last 2 or 4 years, have gotten to the point that it's like a to-do thing. But other wards elsewhere do some fun things I'm sure. Just not in mine lately. But I've been inactive for a bit. But do notice any announcements, and they're few and far between for the RS.

[hmb]

I also remember the fun stuff. Christmas ward dinners with Santa, Wednesday night MIA that was both fun and churchy, ice skating, bowling, mini golf, roadshows, dances, etc. I don't know if it was fun because I was a youth/kid or if it was more fun. As an adult working in YW, we didn't do fun outings any longer. Well, the girls didn't. The boys had scouts; now they don't even have that. Not sure what they have. I haven't been involved for quite awhile now.

[Ghost]

When I experienced the temple ceremonies for the first time, I was surprised and glad that I had something new and unusual to think about, in contrast to the usual repetitive lessons and things. It was fascinating, but also kind of disappointing to eventually discover many of the pieces that they are built out of.

Many traditions and cultural elements are pretty weird if you think about them enough, religious or otherwise. The things that actually strike us as weird are often simply those that differ from the mainstream. (By definition, I guess.)

[Random]

Continuing with the thoughts of the past, I remember
road shows
ward movie nights (complete with a concession stand)
stake movie nights (ditto the concession stand)
Dime-a-Dip dinners
Bazaars
Stake plays
Gold-n-Green Ball (I only remember one; my older sister went to it, and I think that's the last year they did it.)
Volleyball matches
Softball (for girls of mutual age)
A young women's sleepover at the stake center*
Firesides (where anyone could invite anyone to speak)
Relief Society Magazine
My mom telling me how she had to pay to join RS when she was a kid (apparently, it was a club; didn't cost much to join)
My mom telling me about the dances they had at the church and/or school when she was a kid (the whole family was invited)




*The stake center was where the sports, movies, and plays happened. We had stake conferences in the assembly hall on temple square.

[Hagoth]

We are a peculiar people. Fist bump.

[Reuben]

We are a peculiar people. Fist bump.

The more peculiar the better?

Unless potential converts think we're too peculiar. Straddle that line, brothers and sisters.

[2bizE]

Continuing with the thoughts of the past, I remember
road shows
ward movie nights (complete with a concession stand)
stake movie nights (ditto the concession stand)
Dime-a-Dip dinners
Bazaars
Stake plays
Gold-n-Green Ball (I only remember one; my older sister went to it, and I think that's the last year they did it.)
Volleyball matches
Softball (for girls of mutual age)
A young women's sleepover at the stake center*
Firesides (where anyone could invite anyone to speak)
Relief Society Magazine
My mom telling me how she had to pay to join RS when she was a kid (apparently, it was a club; didn't cost much to join)
My mom telling me about the dances they had at the church and/or school when she was a kid (the whole family was invited)




*The stake center was where the sports, movies, and plays happened. We had stake conferences in the assembly hall on temple square.

I don't ever recall the dime-a-dip dinners. Please explain.

[Random]

I don't ever recall the dime-a-dip dinners. Please explain.

It was a fund raiser dinner. You got one serving of whatever was offered for a dime each, so if you wanted one scoop of potatoes, one roll, and one serving of salad, it would cost 30 cents. If you wanted two scoops of potatoes, you paid an extra dime. There would be a person on the opposite side of the table(s) doing the serving.

I don't remember what was actually on the menu (the above is just an example of the principle of the dinners), but I do remember that the food was good, and that you were not required to have a serving of everything on the tables in front of you.

[wtfluff]

We are a peculiar people. Fist bump.

Or: Keep MORmONism Weird!

[iwanttotalk]

Does anyone like me grow tired of all the weird stuff in our church ? I am referring to stuff like Temple worship, underwear, masonic rituals etc etc cant we just be like most evangelicals ???? Too much weirdness that you are not told about as an investigator.

Weirndness is a secondary effect of the propaganda. As they seek to impliment in their own lives the precepts, which are antithetical to healthy development, they become strange.

[Tacenda]

Does anyone have a ward that does talent shows or hawaiian luau's, or skits for their ward Christmas parties? My last ward in the last few years have been only spiritual events, but I have fond memories of my older wards that did all the fun things I mentioned.

[Hagoth]

Does anyone have a ward that does talent shows or hawaiian luau's, or skits for their ward Christmas parties? My last ward in the last few years have been only spiritual events, but I have fond memories of my older wards that did all the fun things I mentioned.

We had Polynesian dancers last year. It was great.