I am very vocal about this new direction the Church is taking. We were told on Sunday by one of the leaders from the Stake that the youth program has been using these councils for quite awhile and they have been successful. Our HP group leader then said "that adults are much harder to doing new things." Really.

Back to the youth. I do visit various wards with my friends. I have noticed over the past year or two that something is happening with the male youth. I could not put my finger on it until this comment last Sunday. Sisters need to attend the opening of priesthood and listen and ask questions about what their sons are doing. Or maybe its a sign that the Mormon members are giving up and just burned out.

During openning activities all the Presidents sit on the stand with the HP group leader and Bishopric. After the announcements each, each person is to give a report of what they have been doing the past week or what they will be doing today. They start with the Deacons, then teachers, then Priests, then Elders, then HP and then Missionary leader.

What I have noticed is a definite lack of leadership with the Deacons, Teachers and Priests. I have noticed a lack of any wholesome activities that I grew up with. To them their reports are given just like doing a school project and they laugh and joke around like they would at school. But that's not really what bothers me.

It's what they are reporting on in their groups. Last Sunday's report from Deacon's President. "Nobody showed up last week for the activity including me." Laughs. "This week we will discuss why nobody shows up." Laughs. The week before "we played War Games at Church." Laughs. The week before that "we did nothing." Laughs The teachers report was just as bad. The Priest at least reported an activity with the girls.

This is typical of wards I have attended. There is nothing about spiritual development, helping in the community, wholesome activities, etc. I am not being critical. But for tithe payers they need to ask themselves is this what my tithing dollars are buying? Kids playing war games in the Church!!

When I was in Mutual we had discussions, we sang songs not hymns, we had guest speakers, we had game nights, not war games, etc. It was fun.

So listening the the Stake guy talk about the success of the group discussions, how these groups receive inspiration revelation, it sounds like a complete disaster. And yes they sit around in a circle like I reported and share their personal revelation and inspiration and impressions and come up with this crap. And this ward has well educated parents. So I ask what is happening?

As an aside, we were informed that in the last 3 years this ward had 0 baptisms. They have had trouble lately getting people to feed the missionaries everyday. They again asked for more help to feed these kids everyday. Lunch and dinner.

If I was an active Mormon and had been feeding these kids for a few years, and I see 0 results for my actions, I think I would question why am I doing this. Why not keep the kids at home as they are doing nothing here. Why should I feed them and see nothing for my actions. Comments

But then I guess I do not have the spirit of love or whatever.

From what you've reported in your last three threads, even if I wanted to go back to the church I grew up in, I couldn't!!

I had less found memories of mutual activities. We had to do the more wholesome activities and learn about being wives and mothers. No push to continue an education or have a career.

The young men got to do much more than the young women because it was "scouting activities". Skiing, camping, ice fishing, winter camping...

I'm happy to hear of their lack of enthusiasm.

It is because we hold the Penishood, which makes us oh sooooo special in the eyes of the Lord. I truly wish people would wake up and just SEE that the church is one big scam, fraud and sexist/misogynist.

Many people thought atrophy would end Mormonism.

They were thinking the older generation dies off and the young ones aren't that into it...

A long time Mormon friend told me he met recently with his extended family for a reunion. They are descendants of pioneers. They went around and talked about their testimonies. My friend turned out to be the only "true believer" left.

Everyone else, young and old, no longer believed. They are all still active Mormons, however.

So it's a matter of everyone faltering and faking it, just like they were taught. If you've lost your testimony, go on mine...


Kathleen

It was about 8 years ago that the Goops tried to be nice to our local missionaries. While neither of us had been active for a long time, we agreed to do something nice for them. My wife had learned thru her FB acquaintances that nobody was regularly feeding them. So my wife went all out to prepare a home cooked meal for them. We invited them for dinner at 6:30 and had everything good-to-go at 6:20. At 7pm, I became annoyed that they had not called us to inform us that they were running late. A call to their recently mission-issued cell phones brought up their voice mail. Around 7:40 they arrived. They never acknowledged that they were late to dinner. They did not come across an angry pricks with attitudes as the ones that were normally sent to rescue us. No, they were very polite, but quiet. Dinner was extremely awkward.

After awhile, I felt as if I was having a private conversation with my wife and two invisible elders were eavesdropping. They weren't saying much and it took me awhile to get them to reveal where "home" was. We allowed them to serve themselves, but they didn't each much. Both of them left food on their plates. I looked over at Sister Goop to give her a stink eye look to not offer them dessert. She caught on and got up to clear the table.

The visit ended abruptly. They told us that it was time for them to go. There was no offer to help wash dishes, no parting spiritual thought and no closing prayer to plead Brother Goop to soften his heart and return to church. And just to set the record straight, I did not act hostile in any manner. I treated them respectfully.

That was the last time the Goops went to the trouble of feeding the missionaries. It was a waste of time, food and money.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2017 11:18PM by messygoop.

Obviously they'd had a better offer, had eaten their fill at the earlier dinner and decided that the truth would be awkward so they made it the most awkward it could possibly be.

I wonder how they reported on that evening's events in their happy, peppy, positive, P-day email home?

I think you nailed this, eod.

But they may also have been counseled to "observe conditions generally", and return and report. Missionaries love to spy on the members for the bishop.

Nice thread. If it’s indicative of larger trends, it’s hard to imagine today’s 13 year olds from a TBM family raising kids anything like the old days. Why would they?

Also, when are people going to tire from forking over 10% of their income? What are they getting? Nothing. So what is the church giving? Again, nothing.