I hear from my source in Utah that church numbers are down even with spaced seating and 45 minute service. The answer is that people are not bothering to attend since they have no meetings to go to, so are simply staying home. Any thoughts on this or alternate explanations?

It’s been closed here since March

I think it's been closed here too. My neighbors attend religiously (ha ha) and they haven't left the house on a Sunday since Spring.

Lack of callings = lack of incentive.

I wish when posters refer to 'here' or such in their posts, they'd tell us where 'here' is, even just a region!

My wife hasn’t attended in-person or via Zoom since March. She’s in no hurry to start attending again.

That's good, for you both!!
There's nothing there anyway.
Nothing that's not in here-

Met up spring 2014, SLC
It's been a while...

I hope y'all are well.

Indeed. I think she likes having an excuse to not attend. She says she does miss the social connection, but that seems to be all.

The group is doing well. Some of us still get together over Zoom to make fun of the Lard's anointed and engage in random conversation on Sunday mornings.

Mine as well.

It has now been close to a year that I have not attended a meeting.
Having Sundays available to work on restoring my motorhome is really nice

Do you work a grind of 40 per week??

Elder Berry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do you work a grind of 40 per week??
Who Me?
For the last 23 years I have been on social insecurity

Thanks you all. To answer the "here" question, my source is from an area near SLC.

It is my opinion, which is always the correct one, that an educated society will generally reject "organized religion" out of hand.
You may not disagree with me because I am, pure, holy, and right!!
So there
Also I would do great as the PROFIT



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/21/2021 01:51PM by thedesertrat1.

It will be interesting to see what happens to church attendance post pandemic. I am a moderately active LDS person but have really enjoyed not going to church on Sunday. We don't miss our ward "family" and have enjoyed the extra time with our family.I honestly don't know if I will go back. N.B. I live in the PCNW.

I suspect there are a lot of people in your boat. It will be interesting to see what happens.

I would think more than a few members have had their eyes opened in the past year. Their lives have not fallen apart without the far too many communal stupefying, boring meetings and incessant frenetic dashing about with make work. Some may even dare to admit that they are much more fulfilled and happier without it. It will indeed be interesting to see how many return post-COVID, given the sheer habit of it all has been ruptured.

I c/would go (Vomitus Optional) if a family member has some 'special occasion' that I'm invited to...

Last time I attended LDS / ChurchCo was in Toledo, OH about 23 yrs ago.

Sitting thru a SM or SS would cause me a great deal of stress - PIA knowing it's all based on Lies.

My late father was obsessed with attendance. Every Sunday or die, was his motto. When all the abuse I received from him became too much to bear, I lashed out. He made it easy. All I had to do was disappear shortly before the family left for church. It made him nuts, because he had to tell his fellow sycophants why I was absent. There is no good reason.

Mormons have always seemed to me the kind of people who falsely present their weaknesses as strengths. A jumpy, squeamish person is one with "high standards." A dullard is "spiritually obedient." A nasty, spiteful Mormon is "concerned." I'm glad that their attendance-obsessed culture has been disrupted by the pandemic. They needed a good shot of reality.

my daughter and her husband go to church every week now. It is usually only an hour or so. Sometimes they have zoom meetings and have since March.

My daughter is so TBM that she and her husband (I'm sure it was her idea) would get dressed for church and watch the meeting in their Sunday best. She did actually say on fb that her biggest fear was that she'd get used to not going and not go back. So I guess she had to protect herself. She overdoes everything with church and I just see it as her fears.

When I was young, I allowed myself some space, although I was devout. Can you imagine dressing up to watch conference??? She might be going back to Alaska in a few months for work and then she'll be 5 hours from the closest lds chapel.

I've thought for a long time that Mormons are most comfortable at the extremes of life.

cl2 wrote: Can you imagine dressing up to watch conference???

Yes, I had to endure that. We went both days (really my TBM Mom and I) to see GC air at our stake center with about a dozen other ultra-pious mormons.

We had recently acquired cable TV (late 1980s) and our local media rep had pressure the cable co to air ETB's grandiose general conference. My Mom said that watching conference from the comfort of home was unsatisfying.

With so few people, we chose a pew along the wall. I always feigned the task of doing school homework. Amid the drone of church leader's, I sketched my ideas, read books (sneaked inside the old scripture carrier) and read my magazines. All I had to do was to say Amen and agree with my Mom that conference was very spiritual. I even got treated to fast food between sessions (yes on Sunday too, my Mom didn't share the church 's position of Sabbath) which was a treat because we rarely ate out.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2021 04:20PM by messygoop.

What amazes me is tCoJCoLdS, with its wealth, talent pool, commercial broadcast assets and experience did not immediately set up substitute on-line church services, daily devotions, scripture studies, etc.

Early in the pandemic, I'd have identified a few of the best preacher-type GAs, told them to produce 45-minute programs, had them introduced by the prophet, and distributed that over every Bonneville-owned broadcast facility we owned. Meanwhile, I'd be having the techies set up Facebook Live, Mixlr, Zoom, everything, and getting bishops and stake presidents to make sure that every member had access. Daily devotions and meditations. Then ward meetings once the accounts were set up. And so on.

My independent Baptist church has done that sort of stuff and actually gained a few members, even while dealing with a rented hall because of major flood damage to our own building. Members who don't drive are picked up and "attend" church in somebody's living room. We've even had remote budget meetings. We'll move back in (limited functioning) next week, starting with a revival/celebration service and a few baptisms.

If a small church without denominational resources can do that, why can't tCoJCoLd$ do that? Any thoughts?

caffiend Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> If a small church without denominational resources
> can do that, why can't tCoJCoLd$ do that? Any
> thoughts?

Wrong Question!


LD$ Clearly Can, the real Q is 'why not'; I believe the true answer is also obvious, because the GAs only think inside the(ir) box.

Doing anything to serve, enlighten the members / membership isn't on their agenda, probably never will be.

I wondered the same thing. I'm guessing it probably has something to do with Satan.

If a small church without denominational resources can do that, why can't tCoJCoLd$ do that? Any thoughts?

I think there was a sharp divide or schism among the top leaders. I think part of their disagreement arose from the thought of "we are the church, we are the govt of Utah = we do as we damn please vs we are a global church and we don't want to look uncooperative to the governments that we deal with."

So I think they argued among themselves what course LDS Corp ought to take.

However, I agree that LDS Corp was very slow, if not reluctant to move its meeting online and use zoom.

Nicely put messygoop

I say they don't know what to do but it's - simply put - infighting within Mormonisms ego.

Don't have leaders
Don't want to invest

Aren't interested in inclusivity
Aren't interested in collaboration

DOESN'T want discussion
Doesn't know what to do

Can't dance
Doesn't wear pants

ANYTHING that is 'hip' Mormonism deplores, detests, and denies.

Mormonism Is NEVER on the cutting edge.

Not when Joey made it up
And NOT now

It looks around to see and hear what [not cults] sages, prophets, faith traditions/(real) churches/ "leaders", musicians, trend setters, hipsters, and [actual] SAINTS (people like you and me, and no I ain't) and the like, are thinking and seeing, saying and doing. And then it does the opposite, or it follow and parrots them, but it NEVER leads.

It's Such A Bad "religion".
It's probably embarrassed...

It is also aware that 90% of the world's living species KNOW that Mormonism IS (not only) NOT "true", but patently false... the rest have never heard of it, don't care, don't remember, don't bother, don't know, are in the cult of the mislead followers of Joseph "Mormon" Smith, are nice neighbors, or just go along with it- to humor them.

AS FAR AS MORMONISM GOES it is losing members due to: (1) disinterest/ boredom/ dullness/ NOISE...; (2) DISTRUST of TSCC and/ or 'leaders' or individuals, harmful statements, activities or intents, abuses of power or spirit or anything, stockings, creeps, Negative Experiences, wonder, questions, doubt, etc., ...; (3) TRUTH/ people waking up...; (4) LIES/ stories/ fables/ [tall and fairy] tales TSCC-member-followers have told all along, and people learning THE TRUTH of Mormonism....

It's such a Deceptive "church".

It's disgraceful!
Despicable.
Disposable.

JUST LIKE TITHING

Thiefs and Liars

Family haters and dividers

A Mormon Sunday service

Where is the most boring place on earth (including heaven and hell).