I travel a lot and visit other wards in Canada and USA. I notice that on open mic Sunday few long term members are bearing their testimonies anymore. Also the Bishoprics seems to give their testimonies with a pep talk. I have been wondering why that is? Any ideas? I think its because they are confused because the Church is not what it used to be. The teachings today are different from 20 to 30 years ago. I feel they are struggling to know what is true so they say nothing.

The people that are getting up are new converts who have just had a "wow" experience and feel that that feeling conforms what they are feeling are from God. And if they have been in a church that has lots of revivals they like to get up and shout "amen." What i hear the new member say is really nothing about truths or doctrine that was taught when I was in my younger years and people knew before they got baptized what the Church taught.

What I am hearing too is new members get baptized, go to family history center and get family name and take it immediately to the temple to do baptisms before their baptismal clothes are dry. No wonder they feel special. But they re not staying!!!!

Comments

I thought you had to be in a year before you could go to the temple. Maybe I'm misremembering or never knew or they've changed it.

Only a small detail...

I basically only stayed in to get to the temple for the wonderful marvelous experience and high it would be.

So, uh, yeah - blech...

You do have to wait a year to get a recommend to do the endowment hocus-pocus. That does not apply to a limited recommend to do baptisms.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/26-temple-recommends?lang=eng

"26.4.2
Temple Recommends for Newly Baptized Members

The bishop interviews new members who are of an appropriate age to receive a temple recommend for proxy baptisms and confirmations only. He conducts this interview soon after the member’s confirmation, normally within a week (see 26.4.1). For brethren, this interview may be held as part of the interview to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. Male Church members must be ordained to a priesthood office before receiving a temple recommend.

Worthy adult members may receive their own endowment one full year after being confirmed a member of the Church (see 27.2.1.1)."

ALso see sections 26.5.1 and 26.5.2 in same link

God changed his mind.

Also, brace for this, 15 year old priests can now perform baptisms for the dead. The requirement to be an elder was changed.

>and people knew before they got baptized what the Church taught.

That's a fantasy world that never existed. Fifty plus years ago when I was on a mission, the investigators got 6 hour-long discussions, and much of that was boilerplate verbiage to get them to commit to baptism. They may have known more about the church than the converts now, but not much more.

I also remember from my childhood fairly frequent and uncomfortable silences in F&T Meeting. That's not new either. I was out in the mission field where there weren't that many members, so there was not much of an audience from which to volunteer.

You're seeing new members in wards these days? That's a bit of a surprise. I thought the North American wards were fairly stagnant.

These are people that Canada is bringing in. I think same in USA. Esp is a big problem so many church meetings in Canada have many translators and speakers can speak in their native tongue for prayers etc so often times I only understand half the talks and prayers. Toronto is a real melting pot of cultures.not

>> Toronto is a real melting pot of cultures.

It truly is. I haven't been to Toronto for many years, although there was a point in my life when I was visiting regularly. I loved the curtural diversity there. I felt that it was even more diverse than NYC. It's a delightful city.

summer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >> Toronto is a real melting pot of cultures.
>
> It truly is. I haven't been to Toronto for many
> years, although there was a point in my life when
> I was visiting regularly. I loved the curtural
> diversity there. I felt that it was even more
> diverse than NYC. It's a delightful city.

NYC is awful though. A lot of crime and isolation. I'm not sure why anyone would wish to emulate it.

Good museums and galleries, but an awful place to live.

Paul Krugman wrote a number of times recently about the myth of crime/murder in NYC. I’m too lazy to look up his stats right now, and I’m not sure NYTimes still has them available since he resigned a few months ago.

As I recall, the murder rate was about the same as places like Iowa. It was surprisingly low. Not even average for big cities. It was low. Krugman routinely took the subway to work, and was perfectly comfortable with it.

The biggest problem with NYC is it costs a small fortune to live there.

or the Grand Theft Auto video game.

I've been to downtown LA, Miami, Chicago, Buffalo, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, Baltimore, Seattle, Atlanta, and DC.

No CHUDs, either :)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/2025 08:37AM by anybody.