Yes.

Most certainly. It's their favorite thing.

I was recently at a game night with a bunch of exmo women. I was shocked when one of them recounted how their priesthood leaders banned playing BUNCO in their ward. I think they even threatened temple recommends. Everyone chipping in $10 for prizes was apparently just like gambling (even though it's basically the same as entering a raffle, and it wouldn't lead to compulsive betting).

AND the leadership cited the reason that it was a waste of time. Hmmm. The same leaders that spend 10 hours in meetings on Sunday and several hours per month doing service for dead people in the temple were passing judgement on wasting time?

The the appalling things is that leadership felt free to tell women how to spend their time and money, and the women went along with it. As if that were normal and acceptable, although they certainly weren't happy about it.

I had heard rumors that wards cracked down on Bunco a few years back, but this was my only first-hand account of it.

Part of me blames the women for not just telling their leadership to F*** Off for overstepping their bounds. But I realized how deep the programming goes, and that true believers would do literally anything they are asked to do.

In California, the women in our ward RS had exercise classes two mornings a week. The stake penishood leaders put a stop to that, for the same reason--it was wasting the women's time. They should be at home with the kids, or doing church work. They also objected to any "Yoga" influence.

Here in Utah, the RS women had a vital, interesting book club, which included working women, teachers, a professor, and about 8 non-Mormons. One of the women's husband was the stake president, and he imposed rules on our club: Only MORMON writing was to be read and reviewed--Mormon authors and Deseret books. The majority of the TBM women stayed in the book club, and read the boring, uninspiring third-grader Mormon junk. A Mormon wrote a series of about 8 volumes of fictional, childish pioneer-type stories, which they plowed through. They did allow the "Twilight" vampire series, written by a Mormon, LOL!

Understandably, the book club collapsed, and is now being substituted by a Bible study group, headed by the bishop's wife.

The non-Mormons, I, and some of my friends quit the book club immediately, and formed our own neighborhood book club, through a local bookstore, and we can choose the books we read! (Can you imagine not being able to choose what to read?)

Geez. It'll be just a matter of time until they disband that Bible group. I'm surprised they allowed it in the first place. When I was at BYU decades ago, they disbanded private gospel study groups. They were worried that discussions would go off track and they wouldn't be in control of the message.

Around the same time, I believe that there actually WERE some problems with polygamist offshoots starting up because people wanted to live the church the way it was practiced in the early days of the church. Gospel study is dangerous. DANGEROUS, I say! (LOL).

Come to think if it, thinking is dangerous! They need to put a stop to it.

Now I love golf, but I have no problem admitting that there are better ways to spend six hours a day, with travel time and buying beers...

But somehow golf has not been prohibited for the priesthood. Even if a husband and father only went to the course on Saturdays, that's six hours he could have spent preparing the family for the lord's day!

But I'm sure that someone from the church will notice this post of mine and golf will wind up being denounced and TRs will be pulled if members keep playing it. Which is as it should be!

On occasion I will visit one of my brother's favorite golf courses in a sunny day. It's a really beautiful, waterside course. Everyone there always looks so happy. It's a joyous place. It seems like a nice place to spend the day to me! I look forward to taking up golf in my retirement.