Why does the Mormon church have wards I know some say control but what is the reasoning? On there end

  
  

They liked it better than warts... but they're both exactly the same anyway.

This is an excellent question! Stakes are the stakes of Zion that help anchor the big tent, but what indeed are wards? Maybe ward are wards of the stake, like abandoned children might be wards of the state.

Wards are gerrymandered, and sometimes they change the boundaries. One theory for changing is that they don't want a particular ward to be dominated by poor people.

Here's my beef. Norman Mormon grows up in the Clementine first ward. As an adult he rents an apartment two miles away. Now he is forced to attend the second ward. He must make friends at the address he's been given. He can't see his lifelong friends at church anymore. I think that's a deal killer. That alone.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2022 12:22AM by donbagley.

Agreed. It is dehumanizing.

The church does not like organic relationships; it wants to dictate who is who's friend and now long the friendship last. The result is to isolate the believer from friendships inside as well as, through other mechanisms, outside the church. So when one leaves the suffocating embrace of Mormonism, he is isolated, ostracized from his community, literally excommunicated.

As social animals, people are not designed to live in such an artificial and sterile environment.

This is why Solitary Confinement is considered to be punishment.

And for most social animals, it is.

But perhaps polygamy is naturel. Maybe they will ditch wards and fill the tents with Mormon making huge families.

The whole thing is rather bizarre. Even Jehovah's Witnesses are allowed to decide with which congregation they will worship.

"Joseph Smith, who was simultaneously mayor of the city and President of the Church, assigned a bishop to preside over each ward. The bishop's chief responsibility to begin with was temporal rather than spiritual leadership. To prevent hunger, he surveyed the physical needs of the members living within his ward boundaries. Second, the bishop organized his members for Church work assignments, particularly to serve one day in ten as laborers on the Nauvoo Temple. This was a form of paying tithing."

And JS has simultaneously

https://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Ward

And JS had simultaneously many wives. That man was a busy body. Return and report.
"Second, the bishop organized his members for Church work assignments, particularly to serve one day in ten as laborers on the Nauvoo Temple. This was a form of paying tithing."

I did not know that, the bishop assigned the people to work on the temple as form of paying tithing.

wards are or were political districts in Eastern U.S. cities, in the West the term is most often 'precinct'

after they spent 5 years in NM teaching on the reservation. Wouldn't go to the side of Idaho with Rexburg and Idaho Falls, so went to the TWin Falls area. The wards treated her kids poorly. They moved around a few times and finally found a ward in Wendell that they really liked. All her kids were raised at that point and not a one was still a mormon.

So she moved to I believe Hagerman? She hated the new RICH ward and asked if she could attend the ward in Wendell. They were told NO. Absolutely not. Not long after, COVID hit. They tried going back to the ward in Hagerman and again they were treated like outcasts (while at the time several of the leaders were having affairs with the women leaders or with each others wives). They quit going to church and are done with the church. I didn't think her husband would ever agree, but he did.

This ward it the nicest ward I had ever lived in, but then everyone loved the "husband." When he left, I knew it wouldn't be the same, so I quit going. When my daughter isn't in Alaska, she and her husband still attend this ward (he is from the ward, too) and they treat them well. His family is a great family. I've always liked them. They don't feel the need to fix us.

They only hurt themselves by keeping up this practice. Oh well. Not like I care.

"They tried going back to the ward in Hagerman and again they were treated like outcasts (while at the time several of the leaders were having affairs with the women leaders or with each others wives)."

Did the affairs come to light? Did the leaders got caught? Power of discernment once again the leaders having affairs and probably had a temple recommend while doing so. Lol

Lived for three or four months outside the boundary of the ward I regularly attended. I was told I should attend the ward where I now lived. I didn't and was told I would not be called to any position. The best way to get me to do the opposite is to tell me I MUST do something. Besides it is a great way to not get a "calling.

"and was told I would not be called to any position"

Reply: "That's not a threat, that's an offer – and I gladly accept. Thank you for the win. You really need to work on your negotiating skills."

How I daw it.

If you weren't a member of that ward, then you attended as a visitor, and we all know what the sign says!

In Seattle yrs back a very prominent LDS family - two generations of the Bean family who owned chains of drug, clothing, & hardware stores Tortured ward boundaries by getting FP permission;

the elder man lived in a pricey condo in downtown Seattle but had his membership in an adjoining stake…

One of his sons had a natural (waterway) boundary gerrymandered so he could avoid the Seattle First Ward.

Ward boundary Bingo is another example of how ChurchCo decisions can be manipulated by the elite.

Then ChurchCo wonders why the rank-and- file members lose faith / refuse leadership cred.

Every year there would be a ward boundary meeting; especially as stake presidencies would be released. Many were quite fussy about which ward they were supposed to attend.

One area near my house was known as Mormon Hill and Mormon Valley. A real Geo-cluster of dozen families living on one road and 3 crazy ward boundaries meticulously drawn so each house could attend the preferred ward.

And to make it crazier, there was only one set of missionaries assigned to the area. Two wards were attending the stake center and the other ward had its own chapel. The sisters never went to the chapel even though all 3 wards intersected on the same road.

This was not in Utah.

one chapel / one ward ?

I've only seen that in extremely remote locations far away from the IMW such as Duluth, MN & Huntington, IN.

I live 'in' Sequim, WA, I understand there are 3 wards in one chapel here...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2022 12:50PM by GNPE.

Church owned a branch building at the 3100 foot level in mountains. Roof leaked, no heat/ac in summer, plumbing nightmares. LDS Corp sold the money pit to the town for 2.5K. Town ended up demolishing building as heavy snows collapsed the roof.

Church also had property at the 2900 level, but sold it for property at 2200 level. Less snow issues. Built modern chapel for 2 wards.

One ward refused to drive an extra 10 minutes to attend a brand new building. Caused undue grief for stake presidency. So only one ward attended new building.

For better building utilization: Stake first sent the poorest people in the area to drive an extra 30 miles (Spanish speaking ward). Didn't last long- about 3 families showed up plus leaders.

Then they assigned a singles ward and that didn't last either.

In the PNW, the Worst roof possible is a flat ‘built-up’ roof; Seattle North stake, 10th ward is what I attended there b4 my mission.

Winters are a constant rotation of Rain, Freezing, & thaws repeated over & over again;

guess what happens there…



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2022 01:44AM by GNPE.

I explained "stakes" to someone who thought I meant "steaks"...they were disappointed hehe...

Steak Center is an exciting prospect!

Actually the Mormon church is one big ward. A mental ward.

I always wanted to be Bishop of a mental ward. I'd fit right in since I believe mental illness should be a lifestyle choice.