I think some members are/were continually tricked by false promises to show up and participate in church projects/services.

Some examples:

-Join us at the church farm on Saturday.
carrot- Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

-Send your kids to seminary. They'll have fun.
carrot- The teacher has donuts and hot chocolate every Friday.

-Be sure to attend stake priesthood meeting this Thursday night.
carrot- Root Beer floats will be served afterwards.

All to often, whatever was promised was not delivered. For example, I knew the sister that was the seminary teacher because I was home teaching her with my Dad. This sister didn't have enough bread for gas that she walked 3 blocks to the business that held seminary. There's no way that she could afford to feed 15 hungry teenagers once a week.

I clearly remember setting up those damn tables at the stake center (and accompanying chairs) in the cultural hall for tubs of ice cream that never came. After years of pulling this scam, somebody ( a leader) became embarrassed and went out to buy a bag of cheap candy at the last minute. A single Tootsie roll was given out. I think one of the HC was so proud, "And we really know how to take care of our members. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise."

The real reason that I wrote this was over a petty promise made by my asshat mission president. Allow me to set the scene.

At every zone conference, there was a carrot dangled in front of missionaries' eyes.

My MP bragged "At the end of your mission, you will have a grand meal. I will personally grill a Texas sized steak for each and every one of you. That is a promise. Just as you promise to obey and follow...blah...blah"

You know that this was a dream meal for missionaries that are eating noodles or PB-J sandwiches every day because $$$ was tight.

So on my last day a church missionary, everybody is piling on the hopes of a good meal at the mission home. "Dude, you're so lucky. Man that steak is going to taste great!" Sure your mind is focused that you're getting the hell out of the mission, but you also want your steak. Dammit, I earned it.

What was dinner at the mission home?

Tuna casserole

Another dangling carrot.

For me, growing up in the church formerly known as mormon was more like.....go to church and be a faithful mormon or I'll discipline you with this carrot.

There was no dangling involved.

Mormonism's carrots never interested me much. Be a faithful Mormon and qualify for the celestial kingdom? What, and spend eternity with people like the ones in my ward? Why would I want to do that? To avoid being sent to one of the lesser kingdoms? You mean where all the great thinkers, writers, artist, musicians, comics and sexually uninhibited women would be?

My MP promised that our obedience to the rules would allow us to teach more people. That was complete BS. He probably was just repeating what he heard from his MP training. Religion in general makes many promises that can't be verified at all... it is just people repeating what they heard. A tragically sad game of telephone.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/2018 02:20AM by chipace.

Free food gets people every time it seems. It's kind of like work though. Show up and do all these duties and jobs, carrot-get paper money to keep roof over your head. And the cycle goes on and on.

I had only the stick. No carrot was even shown.

The carrot is gone, so instead we will whip you with the string the carrot was dangling from and beat you with the stick.

I did once get a carrot but it was shredded in green Jell-O at grandpa's funeral dinner.

Ha ha!

Carrots a plenty—friends, activities, “you’re special,” and a stick—if you don’t live worthily, you be in Stan’s power!