Back as a TBM, this always floored me. Wouldn’t you expect the LEADERS of a ward to look glad about being at church on Sunday mornings?!

I'm not talking about cases where the bishop or his counselors were really tired and starting to drift off to sleep. They are all overworked and I completely sympathize with that situation! I am talking about when they are clearly awake but “not home.”

Of course, whoever is conducting must rouse himself and go to the podium from time to time. At those moments, it was like plugging in an electrical toy: They would come to life for the duration of what they had to say. Then they would go back to the chair and sit, and their face would revert to a mindless and joyless expression, as though someone had pulled the plug again.

If THEY don't feel enthusiastic about SM, how can they expect *members* to?!

Thanks, WWN. I had forgotten all about this. It must be the same all over, because I can clearly picture every expressionless face in my mind's eye. Some of them even looked a tad pissed to even be there!

Too funny!

I remember many years ago when I served a mission in New Zealand. Everyone there loved sunglasses. The bishopric would put them on then zone off to sleep for the rest of the meeting.

When were you there?

Not only bishops. If you really want to see some saggy faces devoid of all joy, just check out the GA's at GC!

She had a birds-eye view of the bishop, who usually sits directly behind the podium on ordinary Sundays. She said he spent the entire Sacrament meeting playing on his Iphone. Jerk - couldn't even pretend to pay attention to the little children. And worse, at that time his wife was the Primary music director and in charge of the whole program. Did I remember to call him a jerk?

WWN,that was funny. Loved the "plugged in" reference.As a nevermo I can't imagine seeing such a lack-luster individual wk after wk behave like that and STILL people go to see their so called leader lead.

Been at church since 7am, now it is 9am and there's nothing to do but watch the congregation. The speaker isn't even talking to you, they're in front of you talking to the congregation with their backside pointed right in your face. Sometimes that can be rather ummm, uncomfortable...

Plus, half the time you are sitting up there scanning the congregation trying to see who would be a good fit for the latest calling that needs filling. All the while tryingto stay awake or elbowing the Bishop who keeps nodding off.

And to make matters worse, you can see all the stunts the kids are pulling and your wife getting madder and there's not a thing you can do to support her.

Another thing that bothered me was the singing of the hymns. I've heard funeral dirges that were more upbeat than the hymn singing at a mormon sacrament meeting.

Which made me wonder. If the church is everything it says it is - it has the restored power of God on earth, has the full and true gospel, is the sure path to exaltation, etc., ect.

WHY DOES EVERYONE ACT SO DAMNED DEPRESSED ALL THE TIME?????

They were in keys that normal people don't sing in, monotonous and the lyrics were uninspiring. I think they'd be amazed at how much influence a few upbeat, move to the music hymns can be. But they're stupid so I wouldn't count on any musical changes for the better for quite some time (if ever).

REad Spencer Kimball's "The Miracle of Forgiveness" (it should actually be titled, "It's a Miracle to Be Forgiven") and you'll find out why. Guilt trips up the wazoo!

Lol. Yeah, every Sunday without fail, both my TBM parents would close their eyes at some point during sacrament meeting and at least one of them would start nodding off and quietly snoring! I remember my dad's sleepy red eyes when he'd wake up for the closing hymn. (I still can't believe we went through 3 hours of that every week!)

One game my dad played with me and my brother to help us (all) stay awake was draw two monster avatars on opposite sides of the program. We'd then take turns drawing violently creative attacks and counter-attacks against each other (a knife-storm-belching Tyrannosaurus Rex here, a knife-melting-nuclear-blast-radiating Triceratops there) until one side gave up.

We were desperate.

let's see you try holding a fart for an hour and a half with a pleasant expression on your face.

When I was in Middle and Highschool our bishop was the middle school gym teacher, he always had a smile on his face. A few years later when he was excommunicated, the rumor was that he was doing one of the middle school girls.

Before the three hour blocks our bishop fell asleep during sac meetings. He'd wake up after the speaker was done then nod off again during the second speaker's talk.

He was nice guy but the running joke in the ward was about how boring he was. He spoke in a monotone most of the time. When he got up to speak people thought it was funny to pretend to fall asleep instantly. He had to know but took it well.