WiserWomanNow Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The leadership would HAVE to change its stance if > members banded togetherand just said NO to this > demand, as they should! > > But of course, they won't. > > The leadership can rely on its sheeple to bow and > say "Baa...yes" to ANYTHING.
Reminds me of a line in a Carol Lynn Pearson poem, The Sheep .. Can't remember the exact line but something like:-
"Secure in following whose wool happens to be up front with blissful Baa and unsuspicious sniff dives off the cliff".
I think for members to come out in force and refuse to clean the chapels will be a long time coming.
There will be those who will grumble quietly to their spouse or closest friend but then will continue to follow the suits up front and stay in line, that's waht sheeple do.
BUT there will ALWAYS be those few who will do it anyway. You can always find at least 1 or 2 who will.
My aunt and uncle in their 70s (both work as they have no retirement--let alone have a ton of grandchildren they help care for)--and they help clean the conference center and some of the temples. OH, but they can't get tickets to conference at the conference center . . . never have yet.
Well, I suppose they would have to hire someone to clean the restrooms.
My last calling in the church was team captain for one of the cleaning crews. I was well on my way out when the toilet edict came, and I promptly resigned from that calling.
cl2 is right on - there will always be some few that will do it just because it is a "sacrifice" or because they feel it will endear them to the leadership. I call those folks chumps.
My tbm dh will be one of the last ones standing to clean the toilets. He can't see anything beyond Mormonism and will fight to the end to prove it is true.
And the two people who can't say no to anyone will end up being given the job as a "calling." Then you will hear a speech from the pulpit about obedience for the next month or so.
Assuming that people were even still going to church after such a series of events my guess is that they would let the buildings degrade and loudly blame the members disobedience for thier poor condition.
-Bishop: Do you clean the toilets when you're assigned to do so? -Morgbot: Yes! Oh, yes indeed I do! -Bishop: Then recommend granted.
OR
-Bishop: Do you clean the toilets when you're assigned to do so? -Slacking Morgbot: No. No sir. I haven't been able to do that. You see I've got work and 7 kids and my wife is the RS President.... -Bishop: There are no acceptable excuses when asked to serve as the Lord's janitor. Sorry. No cleaning toilets, no temple recommend.
OK If we accept the premis(sp?) that Ron set out, that 100% said FU, then I see the following happening;
1. Bishoprick will do cleaning for 1st week, and let everyone know. 2. They will assign talks that speak about the sacrifices the pioneers made while crossing the plains, and what sacrifices have you made for tscc? Also talks about Ole Joe, and Hyrum giving their lives for the church, etc. 3. Edict from on high that says "if no one will clean the building, then the building will only be used for what they deem essential, ie Sunday meetings, and tithing settlements. I think they would try to get YW/YM work projects to clean it on Weds. but again, we are accepting the premis they and the leaders say no. 4. Tell members that fast offerings can be made with a special note attached to tell them it is for paying a cleaning company. 5. Obeying the church ldrs will become very prominent in temple worthiness meetings. 6. Hold their breath, and kick their feet, until they pass out, or the members give in.
The church is very manipulative. I think they would start to withhold "blessings" like temple recommends until the members change their behavior. I also agree that cleaning the church would be a temple recommend question, or become a calling.
I wish I could see every member standing up against the church. Unfortunately there are still too many out there like my parents who see this extra sacrifice as another way to prove themselves to Jesus. They thrive on extra sacrifices, and they love to talk about how they are sacrificing.
Assuming every ward has members partaking of the Bishop's storehouse and/or LDS Social Services, Janitor duty is not a hard calling to fill.
The Bishop delegates to the Relief Society President who essentially says to the unfortunate, "if we're giving you free shit, then you can clean the toilets."
Of course she wouldn't say it exactly like that, even though that is exactly what she'll mean.
it's already there under the disguise of sustaining your leaders and keeping the covenants. The baptism and temple covenants include obedience to the church leadership no matter what they ask. I can see it as a follow up question, though.
"Do you REALLY sustain your leaders? I noticed the bathrooms were not cleaned when your family was assigned to this wonderful opportunity to serve ..."
I like the idea of a special cleaning fund, that means more money to the church.
I think they would fly Bednar to the rebellious ward to *inspire them* :P
I suppose the first thing they would do is take temple rec's away. But of course it will never in a million years happen. Remember we are talking about the sheeple here. However there are individuals that will and do refuse, like I myself did, when I was still active but no longer a believer.
The sheeple need to form a union so that they can demand wages for cleaning bathrooms, transparency in accounting for their "dues," and a voice for women at all levels of administration.