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Mormons can RUN, but Mormons can't HIDE!

Ever notice how the focus of some Branches or Wards are on activities?

If a survey were conducted most would agree that they enjoy coming to the chapel to spend time with friends. However, if at the same time that survey included how many do their home and visiting teaching it would be less positive if not sickening.

Priorities forgotten

The Lord taught well that at the last day all will be accountable for what they have done. Those who will receive most praise from the Lord will be those who 'visited in prison', 'visited the sick', 'helped the poor and needy'. I doubt very much focus will be on how many activities you had or if their were enough balloons in the cultural hall. Activities are not much if the focus is not on the people to which they are to make happier. This does not mean much either if those who may be unhappy (possibly those less active, or without) are not invited and seen as the focus of the activity rather than the activity itself.

Can a man...
Can a man be baptised at eight live his teen life clean, go an return from an honorable mission, be married for time and all eternity, do all his genealogy and serve active in a call, BUT not visit anyone on his home teaching list... Can that man enter the Kingdom of God?

I remember...
I remember attending many meetings in which the focus was on everything but people. I had thought about several families I visited and they had needs so great - such as hunger, but no one presented opportunity to discuss these people and how help could be brought to them. These people go hungry still... Until someone takes TIME to see to them rather than activities for those already fed.

HIDE cant Mormons RUN Mormons

You're so right JB. I see it all the time. I think it's good to have fun and all that, but can we have fun when we know there is a brother who is need? I don't think. We need to take responsibility of our actions and covenants we made when we were baptized . It makes me sick when I was a VT leader and have to ask resport to the sisters about Visiting Teaching and when you have to ask why they didn't do the visits this month, the answer is something stupid like 'I don't know really, no special reason'. It makes me want to give them a good lash!.
Activities, Activities, Activities! like if they are going to bring you closer to Heaven or make you save!
Sometimes I feel I'm the only one seeing all this non-sense going on. Maybe I am not in a leadership position to take decision regards to these matters, but I make sure I open my mouth to disagree in those issues to the leaders so they can see what's really going on and if they care enough, they will do something about it.
We need to work on the basic basic...Visiting and Home Teaching. Remembering the scripture that describe Zion, the pure of heart it says 'there was no poor among them' why? because they help each other.
Now we can say the same in our Districts and Stakes? 'there are no poor among them'??

Mormons can RUN, but Mormons can't HIDE! Studies Doctrine Mormon

I have no doubt that serving whole heartedly in a calling is a great way to spiritually grow.

The activities are important too IMO. I believe they help members friendships.

The work is really where the blessings are at. It just takes alot of work to make it happen and its not easy.

However, no matter how hard it is,  :whp it is worth it.

:brght

HIDE cant Mormons RUN Mormons

You can rate spiritual level of the members by the way they percieve an activity too. For instance, if you tell them we are going to the beach and there will be plenty of food and drink then you get truck loads of people very excited and willing. If you tell them it is service for a a member that is in need... suddenly everyone is busy.

HIDE cant Mormons RUN Mormons

JB this is so true!. It is sad to know that Home and Visiting Teaching are not a priority in the lives of some members, but when is time to have fun everyone is always ready : it is really sad, what do you all think is the reason for it? the person itself? the leaders? what?

Mormons can RUN, but Mormons can't HIDE!

And LDS_Forever wrote:

In my opinion, I think many members don't understand the blessings that come to them when they serve, and what a great source of self-happiness (is that a word?) comes from giving of ourselves to others in need.

And others may not understand the urgent need for service.

As far as leaders, many of them depend on the visiting and home teachers to identify need in the ward or district. If not many are doing this simple service, how can the leaders know what is needed? Especially if the people in need are too ashamed or proud to ask for help themselves? it's a sad situation.

I am friends with a lady widowed about a year and a half, and she just received a call from the relief society president asking if she needed anything. This is the new presidency after a ward boundary change. Why did the previous leaders not call her? I personally know her visiting teacher, who has been very diligent in calling on her each month.


In my opinion, of course.

Roz

Mormons RUN Mormons can't HIDE!

I agree that Visiting Teaching and Home Teaching are important.  However so are Ward activities.  When we get together as a group and socialize, we get to better know and love each other.  In an ideal world it wouldn't matter whether or not I felt a friendship with you, I would make time to help you when in need.  In reality, we are all very busy people.  If I consider you my friend, I am much more likely to arrange my schedule or sacrifice my pleasure or leisure time to help you when you are in need.

Also, by providing wholesome activities for members of all ages, we give them a place to go, have a good time, but while maintaining a righteous atmosphere.

Mormons RUN Mormons can't HIDE! Mormon Doctrine Studies

Sorry, but ideal or not ideal world if we are followers of Christ and since our Church preaches about caring after the poor and the needy, whether you are or not a friend of them doesn't make a difference. This is real world, and this is what we are supposed to do...because if not, anything our leaders say we may interpret it in the light of 'Well, that would be nice in an ideal world' but as members of the Church, that's our responsibility.
I will not say that all of us are 'very busy people', there are people that say they're busy but they're not and others who may be busy but they do not want to sacrifice their own time for the benefit of somebody else. Selfishness, that's the word. if our own family is in need we will leave everything to help them... what difference does it make when a sister or brother in the Church needs? didn't we promise when we were baptize to mourn to those who mourn and comfort those that need comfort?
Can you imagine Christ saying he 'was too busy' to heal a leper but he wasn't too busy to see after his brother?

True that's how the natural man operates but Christ teachings are to help everybody, friends or not friends.

Of course, this is my opinion.