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Ordinary Members - Page 2

In your edit you make a deduction based on how the world sees it, but we are not talking about the world, this is an Apostle giving the term 'ordinary', plus as I mentioned before I do not think the world would see us as ordinary, but peculiar. If something is peculiar it is far from ordinary.

Now within your words above you are describing a Member of the Church, not an ordinary Member. Do you get my point? A Member of the Church does what you described above, you do not have to be ordinary to do that, indeed a genuine Member would shine like a light set on a hill.

Members Ordinary

An ordinary member to me is the member who goes to Church every Sunday, does a little of his Home or Visiting Teaching (if any at all), pay his tithing when he can and try to serve when he/she has time. A peculiar member shines and does ALL the things described by dbackers. If we all were "ordinary" as defined by dbackers then we will not have so many issues with retention, family home evening, tithing and service.

Ordinary Members Studies Doctrine Mormon

To me we are all just Members and that is it. Only the Lord can decide if someone is of more worth than another. I guess my point is that giving any kind of adjective to a Member is to cause some sort of division, segregation or even start a motion of 'wishful thinking' as to I wish I could be like 'x' Member. It is like a status quo... who is the 'good' Member, the 'active' Member, the 'humble' Member, and of course the 'ordinary' Member. Although covered more in another Thread I will use the thought of what constitutes an 'active' Member as an example as to how such labels can often be either misunderstood, misinterpreted or even falsely judged, because rather than just say "Member" we seek after a label.

Page 2 Members Ordinary

JB
You are right about that.
There should be no labels in the church. We are all struggling and have gone through times in our life when we did really well, and times when we knew we should have done better.
I am humbled by your reply that we should not label others with active, non-active and when we do label members we are judging others when we do not understand or know their situations. A person's perceived activity in the church should not affect our desire to love them and serve them nor should it affect our desire to help the so called "non-member" in love and humility.
I would hope that we could all lengthen our strides and help each other become the Peculiar members as LDS_Forever mentioned.
Thank You for the points, they are opening my mind and strenghtening my desire to do better.

Members Ordinary

Correct, but sadly I still hear them all the time. How many times do you hear someone change the pitch of their voice when they introduce someone as "She is the Relief Society President" or "He is the President of 'x'". In many talks I hear people speak about callings and positions as though they were something to work towards or a show of how spiritual a person is in their life. I have learnt through the years that our perception of how things are is grossly in er and often fogged by social acceptance and favor more than humility. As the Lord well said... He sees in secret.

Correct, and I can add even that they may just have the inspired input if someone will listen. Just because they do not have a title or what some will consider a 'major' or 'high' calling does not mean that the Holy Ghost is not as strong with them or the priesthood more withdrawn from them.

Rather off topic, but... In the LDS Mature section I have many examples of how perception can often be from the wrong angle and I have surprising stories there from actual experience.

Ordinary Members

I just re-read the quote on this thread, it sounds to me that Elder Packer is making a distinction between an LDS member and one who is a General Authority. I do not know why he would make such distinction since both are members and no one is OVER the other. GA ARE members just like we do (prone to commit mistakes, fall into sin, etc).

Ordinary Members - Page 2

I'm not sure that Elder Packer would not include himself in the ranks of ordinary member in the context of the Ensign article.

The humility that I have heard from all the General Authories leads me to believe that they feel that they are in this race with all of us.

Ordinary Members Mormon Doctrine Studies - Page 2

"Everything that is done in the Church--the leading, the teaching, the calling, the ordaining, the praying, the singing, the preparation of the sacrament, the counseling, and everything else--is done by ordinary members, the 'weak things of the world.'

"We see in the Christian churches their struggle to fill the need for clergy. We do not have that problem. Once the gospel is preached and the Church is organized, there is an inexhaustible supply of faithful brothers and sisters who have that testimony and are willing to answer the call to serve. They commit themselves to the work of the Lord and live the standards required of them."
Ref. (Boyd K. Packer, "The Weak and the Simple of the Church." Ensign, Nov. 2007, 6-7)