This past Sunday I had to attend a Sacrament mtg in far N. Idaho, way up toward the Canadian border. About 125 people showed up, from a ward that I am told numbers 562 from the rolls of the church.

The opening prayer was given by a middle-aged man. Typical prayer, as always beginning with "we thank thee for this day". Then the word "grateful" was used umpteen times.

The opening song was "Praise to the man".

The first speaker said she was assigned by the bishop to talk on "obedience, with references to recent General Conference talks".

The last speaker was assigned to talk about "tithing, with reference to recent General Conference talks".

The closing hymn was "If you could hie to Kolob".

The mood, the atmosphere in the chapel was DEAD! No teaching from the word of God (the Bible), no excitement or LIFE through fervently singing praises to the Lord.

Instead, a drippy 2 yr old was spitting up soggy Cheerios in the pew in front of me, 3 screaming kids had to be taken out to the foyer, Joseph Smith was praised through song, uninspired Conference talks were sleepily, boringly regurgitated, and the stupid and false notion of a planet near the star Kolob was lauded in musical fashion. Sad, sad excuse for a church service....

Why did you have to attend? If you were on the road, what a better excuse to not show up.

The best part of church was watching toddlers wander up and down the aisles.

...I had to show up since I was visiting a friend and promised (several months ago) that I would attend.

I loved reading this. Thank you for posting it.

Yeah, looks like any typical Christian service, as TSCC would have us believe.

Your last paragraph made me spew Diet Coke laughing:

"Instead, a drippy 2 yr old was spitting up soggy Cheerios in the pew in front of me, 3 screaming kids had to be taken out to the foyer, Joseph Smith was praised through song, uninspired Conference talks were sleepily, boringly regurgitated, and the stupid and false notion of a planet near the star Kolob was lauded in musical fashion. Sad, sad excuse for a church service...."

Yep, that sounds exactly like the Christian church I attend. Well, except our music is upbeat and joyful, my toddler is in her own classroom having fun, the sermon is interesting and I do it all with a cup of free coffee in my hand. Yeah, pretty much the same.

Not those two bloody hymns again!Oh soo Christian!

I could see non-Mormons walking into that sacrament meeting and thinking, praise to whom? If I could hie to where? They would have no clue!

I keep expecting them to take "If I could Hie to Kolob" out of the hymn book. It's just too weird for the current image of the church. They can't change the words enough to make it politically correct and christian sounding enough to not sound like a Southpark episode.

My favorite kid in sacrement meeting, was a hyperactive son of one of the Bishopric counselors. The kid I believe nowdays would be diagnosed as austistic; we just thought he was a little wierd. The father always brought him up to the stand so he could keep him under control and the father always fell asleep during the talks. One sunday the kid was playing with the dad's clothing and while he was asleep reached down and pulled down Dad's Zipper... Dad stood up in shock .... it was a great meeting.

topping

22 years out and have not missed a thing!

Is it now The Church of Tithing and Obedience? It seems like that's all they teach now.