If they are hyper-focused on being perfect. Then "No", they lack a sense of humor.
If they are keeping someone happy, they have a deep sarcastic humor. For example:
One time I was told I was taking away from the spirit during a Sunday morning priesthood class with a suggestion I leave if I could not get into the spirit. So I shrugged my shoulders, stood, and walked out. As I was leaving the back row of about 5 of the age 40+ group was pumping their fists and smiling. While one called out my name and said something related to "you rock".
Telling temple goers to avoid loud laughter did seem a little redundant.
My TBM up high in the church older brother prides himself on his sense of humor. He even mentions it quite often along with how humble he is. Not kidding.
All I'll say is it's a good thing he didn't try to make a living in Stand-up Comedy. Bednar would probably be funnier.
After being out of Utah a long time I noticed when I went back a very sarcastic type humor all their own like Silence is Golden mentions. It's more teasing than actually humorous.
Done & Done Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Telling temple goers to avoid loud laughter did > seem a little redundant.
Yeah. Not much to laugh about in there. Unless the temple clothes maybe?
I went to the one in SLC where the play was done with live actors. I couldn't follow it at all and it seemed painfully repetitious to me. And no jokes. At least, not ones done on purpose.
I was a different time. When I was a kid--50's-- there was tons of laughter but there were road shows and ward breakfasts and hay rides, the war bazaar and gold and green balls and youth stake dances and more.
Now there is obedience, now there is go to the temple a lot, and hold to the rod. Maybe Russ rebranded because no one really is a Mormon anymore. They don't even know what they are.
It depends on the setting. In the temple, you are not allowed to laugh anywhere. As unsettling and disturbing as my first visit to the temple was at the end of the session, I found a good reason to laugh.
We attempted to find our way back to the men's locker room. There were no signs. My dad trying to impress the bishop and proceeded to lead us thru an unmarked door. He opened a broom closet and we bumped into a vacuum cleaner in the dark. The bishop started laughing then my dad and finally I realized that I could laugh again (having just sworn an oath to avoid loud laughter). The three of us were enjoying ourselves at trying to exit thru a broom closet.
Naturally we attracted the attention of a temple worker who should have been present near a dimly lit stairwell directing people towards the changing rooms. Of course, we were rebuked for not honoring the covenants we had just sworn to. And it was the bishop who was smitten with giggle juice. The bishop couldn't keep a straight face and my dad would make his usual funny faces and the poor bishop received a second warning to settle down. We were escorted back to the locker room with reminders to change as quickly as possible because our humor was unwanted in the house of the lord.
messygoop Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > We were escorted back to the locker > room with reminders to change as quickly as > possible because our humor was unwanted in the > house of the lord.
That's pretty darn sad. "A joyful heart is good medicine". I read that somewhere once. (Prov. 17:22) :)
Never got that vibe as a youth in the church, as a recall there was a lot of humor, even some poking fun of the church. Now there are humorless people in the church, but overall Mormons have a sense of humor, but they have always had their versions of political correctness so certain topics are off limits.
It's the stuffy ones who act offended if you say something funny. They were the ones who waited long after Sacrament meeting was long over to approach me to tell me that my sense of humor was neither funny nor appreciated. Keep in mind that I probably spoke in Sacrament as a youth 3 or 4 times. And I never went to the pulpit to bear my testimony (we got called upon to utter crap in Sunday School and Priesthood Quorum if the lesson ended early). So here's Brother and Sister Persnickety lecturing me of how I drive away the spirit and how childish and selfish for trying to be funny. Never mind that this boorish couple had to wait for a half dozen members who never spoken to me with praises of how church would be more interesting if only I would give talks several times per year.
Yes, some members have no sense of humor and others are funny and appreciative of those who do possess humor.