A guy I worked with who I became friends with is a very devout Mormon in the Southeastern US, so there are not many Mormons around here. I was moving out of the city my and lease ended a few weeks before my last day at that job, he invited me to crash on his couch, which was very nice of him. I had worked for a company with SLC office in the past, so I knew some Mormons we even had a few people transfer from SLC. I had heard about 'families forever'and the prohibition of coffee and tea ( one girl though she was a total badass for drinking multiple cups of coffee and in the land of sweet tea a prohibition on tea is unthinkable!)

I grew up in a family where all my cousins were different religions. We were High Church Episcopalian, some were Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Eastern Orthodox and Catholic. And there is a sizable Jewish community here as well( yes in the Deep South) Every religion is different, I figured that Mormons would be just a bit odd,,, like Church of God women have to wear long skirts.

Living in the Bible belt I learned long ago to not ask about people's religion unless you want to get invited to church or become their 'salvation project' really I am just curious, I don't need your salvation I have my own path thanks. So that's how I came found this site. Doing research on LDS instead of asking my friend. I was convinced he and his family were love-bombing me but thankfully it never came to that

But one thing that bothered me was the title of 'Elder' given to some kid barley out of high school proselytizing. Elder implies some life experience and wisdom that comes with age.

And then Seminary for high school Sunday School or Religion classes. Seminary for Catholics and Episcopalians is essentially a masters degree. You learn scriptures in the original Hebrew, Latin, Greek and even Aramaic. History of the church, historical context is given. The seminarian learns the psycology of pastoral counselling etc.

And the title Bishop is given not to just some dude from the congregation, it is a priest of many years experience etc

Wards, Stakes, Temples, Churches now I know what that all means

I have enjoyed the insight into the the world of LDS. thanks for all the posts.

The seminary example is really good. It's one thing to be a 20 year old Elder and hear your cousin, the Bishop's daughter, complaining about early morning seminary... You know exactly what she means.

But it's entirely different when the elderly Vicar of Upper Lowershire hears a mormon missionary say he attended seminary for 4 years.

titularity, Mormon is thy name

Titularly, La Saucie is one foxy girlfriend...

Apostle, high priest, teacher, etc. and the overarching nothing-to-back-it-up-with----priesthood authority.

It isn't limited to just titles. Mormonism uses many of the same words but have a different dictionary. They seem a little more mainstream then they are by using them.

"gentile"

Isnt that most of them!?

I always loved the question while on my mission: "Why do you guys all have the same first name of Elder?"

I only met one kid on my mission in Mexico with the first name Elder. I though for sure it would be more common.

And did you know it is very deep doctrine that no man with the last name Bishop can be called to be a Bishop? Would I lie?

You do lie. I know of a Bishop Bishop. :-)

In Catch 22, a man with the name 'Major Major Major' was awarded the rank of Major, by an "IBM Machine with a sense of humour"

I can easily imagine a church computer having a similar hiccup with a person who's surname was 'Bishop'

Bishop Bishop, Elder Elder, and Deacon Deacon (accidentally) walk into a bar.

Just as they turn to leave, they notice Brother Brother at the bar drinking with Jack Moorman...

I shan't fault you, because I couldn't do it either... It would so lovely to work in Sister Sister and Twisted Sister.

When you consider that mormon boys are made deacons at 12, teachers at 14, and priests as 16, "elder" (which usually comes at 18 or so) *is* somebody with "experience." It's just "experience" holding their do-nothing "priesthood," passing or blessing the sacrament, and learning how to do what you're told.

There's one thing they kinda "got right" (amazingly enough) from very early christianity, though. "Bishops" were early on chosen from the congregations in a city/area, and weren't any kind of professional clergyman. The Catholic (Roman and Orthodox) offices of "bishop" today are far removed from the early ones.

Which just goes to show that all religions make this stuff up as they go along...:)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/2016 06:48PM by ificouldhietokolob.

I was also curious about titles, which seem to be a way to make a member feel "special", I mean they're telling an 18-year-old they are a Priest and Elder while their Catholic friend of the same age is just an average Joe, and will be for life unless he goes into the Priesthood or, rarely, goes through all the training to be a Deacon. Was this a recruiting tool introduced by Joe Smith or later?

The system of advancing through the priesthood according to age was not invented by Joseph Smith. The titles have been taken from protestant churches like presbyterians and , that believed they were restoring the church government of the ancient church, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elder_(Christianity) and http://global.britannica.com/topic/elder-Christianity . In the early Mormon church elders, priests etc. grown men functioning in the leadership of the church and the congregation. That is the way it still is in the early split-offs of Smith's church like Community of Christ, Church of Christ Temple lot etc.

They have a penis, that's the title! Any questions?

Well, TBM's believe that TS Monson is an actual Prophet of God, how's THAT for a title.

The only title I care about is my kids still calling me Daddy when they're taller than me.

My stepdaughter (21, not quite taller than me) has been through a lot, more than anyone her age should have had to endure.

On Father's Day this beautiful young woman, with a heart of gold and a mind and character to match, called me "Daddy."

You're damn right, CNB. There's no better title in the world.

It's all to play to people's ego's so the cult doesn't know how to deal with people who aren't interested in play titles that have no meaning.

The whole LDS system is designed for Type A, narcissistic, extroverts. Since that's what all the leaders are, they can't conceive of anyone not wanting a "cool title," or anyone having a different personality type.

So, not only do you have elders, but everyone is the President of something. There are dozens "presidents" of something in every ward. Don't call members by their names but by their title, so everyone is calling each other President, Bishop, Elder, etc. Being a member of the LDS church means never growing past being an 8 year old with secret passwords and handshakes, all boys clubhouse, where everyone gets a cool title.

...and I've asked a lot of people in that denomination. Nobody seems to know.Is a "Most Reverend" more pious than a "Very Reverend?" And if an Episcopalian clergypersonman tilts left, politically, is he/she/it still a "Right Reverend," or now a "Left Reverend," or only when his ride left him behind at the parson/personage?

"the Right Reverend" (Rt.Rev.)
"the Very Reverend" (V.Rev.)
"the Most Reverend" (?? Rev.)

And what's the difference between a vicar, a rector, a pastor, and a priest?

And what do you call a Unitarian Nun, anyway?

(Signed)

"The Rt. IrRev. Caffiend" M.H.*

*That's my Master of Humility, an earned degree from the Institute of Higher Humility



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2016 07:40PM by caffiend.

>
> "the Right Reverend"
> "the Very Reverend"
> "the Most Reverend"


Il Vente Reverend
Il Grande Reverend
Il Popocatepetl Reverend

Il Reverendo Magnifico
Il Reverendissimo Humungo

List of people in TSCC that are called "president"
3 members of the FP
Senior apostle
3 members of the SP
MP and his counsellors
SS president
Primary president
RS president
EQP
can anyone think of any others?
So when they all meet together, do they say "president, president, president", like in MASH?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-6YxhTJzlA

YM President?

Would she be an older woman from the Relief Society, supervising Laurels and other YMs, or would she be a teenage girl herself, with her two counselors (#1 @ Mia Maids, #2 @ Beehives)?