NOM

I go to priesthood about once a month. I heard that’s the minimum to attend to be called active by the local leadership. Today in high priest group, the HP group leader announced that they are doing away with the presidents of the church lesson manuals, and the format will change to week 1: a quarum council with discussion by everyone on what we need to do in our area to magnify our priesthood. I can see this evolve into (How the activate those who aren’t coming, “gossip sessions.”). Week 2 and 3 will be lessons on recent conference talks chosen by the quarum presidency. Week 4: topic chosen by the first presidency of the church. (the 4 th week in January is already chosen and will be on the Sabath day.)

They have done away with teaching any doctrine or history, unless it’s in a recent conference talk. I’m hearing SNL’s church lady is n my mind saying “how convenient!”

HP group is the only meeting where I don't have enough charity to make it through a lesson. The old man dogma is just too hard to overcome. Interesting format change. I can see the gossip being terrible. Even worse than high counsel meetings.

I still attend. I don't know how I'm going to get through the first Sunday council meetings. They're going to be brutal.

Wow...they're still having PH meetings?

Man...I've been gone for a while.

I dislike lessons based on conference talks. Its just one GA quoting a previous GA. Whats the point of having scriptures anymore. We don't use them.

We really have become the most superficial of churches. No depth. Just a church of anecdotal stories passed out twice a year at conference.

Week 1 will be a train wreck. Without training on how to conduct a focused discussion with a large group of people, in most cases it will unravel, pretty quickly. One or two people having the same conversation once a month while everyone else looks at their phones. It's a really poorly thought through idea.

1smartdodog wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2017 8:30 pm I dislike lessons based on conference talks. Its just one GA quoting a previous GA. Whats the point of having scriptures anymore. We don't use them.

We really have become the most superficial of churches. No depth. Just a church of anecdotal stories passed out twice a year at conference.

I second that. The conference talks thing is intended to encourage GA worship, but most of those talks were pretty uninspired to begin with and get no better with the retelling.

Superficial, exactly. Superficial and boring. No wonder the youth have had enough!

Wow...they're still having PH meetings?

Man...I've been gone for a while.

If on weeks two or three, give me a shout out if the source talk is ever by a female speaker. I might just find a way to dress in reverse drag to be a fly on the wall for that lesson.

That is the basic train of thought I have for this change.

This opens up the possibility for female speaker's talks to be source talks for lessons:

For the men (they already are for the women, often with a male "companion talk"). I would love to see this, actually. My ex used to leave the room whenever a female approached the pulpit. He figured a woman wouldn't have anything to say he needed to hear.

For the general membership. I really wonder if there would be members who would get up and leave.

For the feminists. Feminists have been pointing out for a long time that women aren't quoted in church. This change doesn't specify the gender of the conference speaker. That makes talks by women fair game. I see this as a way of silencing feminists who are critical of the church for silencing women. Now, if feminists complain about women not being quoted, not being held up as authorities, the powers that be can truly point out that the individual wards decide the line up of talks and any misogyny is truly a part of an individual ward's culture. Pretty sneaky way to pass the buck, if you ask me and it wouldn't surprise if this occurred to the Brethren and they're fine with it.

It's also supposed to be the same format for Relief Society.

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1992

Jeffret wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2017 9:45 pm It's also supposed to be the same format for Relief Society.

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1992

Yup.

Not Buying It wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2017 8:36 pm Week 1 will be a train wreck. Without training on how to conduct a focused discussion with a large group of people, in most cases it will unravel, pretty quickly. One or two people having the same conversation once a month while everyone else looks at their phones. It's a really poorly thought through idea.

Is it bad that I'm kind of looking forward to this?

Not Buying It wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2017 8:36 pm One or two people having the same conversation once a month while everyone else looks at their phones.

AH YES! This is what I remember!!!!!!

Give It Time wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2017 9:50 pm

Jeffret wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2017 9:45 pm It's also supposed to be the same format for Relief Society.

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1992

Yup.

Do all the RS sisters sit and look at their phones?

What was that LDS show a few years back where they showed a PH meeting where no one knew who was giving the lesson and everyone was looking at their phones, and then they flipped to the RS meeting where the lady teaching it, with a twinkle in her eye, slowly uncovered her sculpture while the class members waited with held breaths and eager anticipation to see, participate, and enjoy the AWSOME LESSON they knew they were going to get?

I think the show was "The RM"...

Give it some time, you'll drop off the gossip radar simply because no one there will know you. It will happen faster if you're between the ages of Elders and High Priest because you aren't really in either group very deeply.

The people in leadership simply don't know me and I don't know them so there's nothing for them to gossip about.

Rob4Hope wrote: ↑Mon Nov 06, 2017 8:33 am
Do all the RS sisters sit and look at their phones?

What was that LDS show a few years back where they showed a PH meeting where no one knew who was giving the lesson and everyone was looking at their phones, and then they flipped to the RS meeting where the lady teaching it, with a twinkle in her eye, slowly uncovered her sculpture while the class members waited with held breaths and eager anticipation to see, participate, and enjoy the AWSOME LESSON they knew they were going to get?

I think the show was "The RM"...

That was a funny show. In my RS, lots of sisters look at their phones, but they are usually looking at the lesson or scriptures. I'm probably the only really bad one who is on FB.

Wow...they're still having PH meetings?

Man...I've been gone for a while.

dispirited wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:30 pmweek 1: a quarum council with discussion by everyone on what we need to do in our area to magnify our priesthood. I can see this evolve into (How the activate those who aren’t coming, “gossip sessions.”)

This fills me with dread.

dogbite wrote: ↑Mon Nov 06, 2017 10:08 am Give it some time, you'll drop off the gossip radar simply because no one there will know you.The people in leadership simply don't know me and I don't know them so there's nothing for them to gossip about.

They know me and I interact with a number of them in various ways. I finally got to the point where people stopped telling me how much they miss me, even though they see me all the time. Everyone thinks very highly of my wife and I'm sure they feel that I'm letting her down. It has been obvious in the past when they were talking about me and it will be interesting to see if that behavior pops up again once these new gossip sessions get up to speed.

I don't think it could get any worse than it has been. Elder's Quorum meeting has got to be the most boring meeting of all church meetings. I started skipping it on a regular basis even before my faith crisis. I don't think I have been to one in over 3 years.