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32 minutes ago, Thaidakar the Ghostblood said:

So the church is a cult?

We did it boys.

 

15 hours ago, Matrim's Dice said:

It’s not one though.

Not to burst the joke or anything, but it’s not.

[...]

While a technical definition is "a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object", the connotation it is always used in is "a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister".

So, yeah, definitely doesn't fit any major religions. And most small ones.

[...]

There’s a difference between club group things and actual cults, and there’s a difference between cults and actual religions. I’d just be careful throwing around that term in places where it might be taken seriously, because there’s enough misinformation as it is.

Ok this time it is to burst the joke. I, personally, would like it if the church wasn't called something it's not. Even as a joke. There are better subjects for jokes. Thanks! :D.

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1 minute ago, Matrim's Dice said:

 

Ok this time it is to burst the joke. I, personally, would like it if the church wasn't called something it's not. Even as a joke. There are better subjects for jokes. Thanks! :D.

I agree. While I find it funny and acceptable to say in a group of people who know it is a joke, we shouldn't just say that around a lot. And, yes, there are better jokes to be had.

 

This brings to mind a conversation I had with someone online who threw out once "Christianity is a cult." 

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Hi, I had a question. 

One of my coworkers is Mormon and going on a church based teaching volunteer 'mission' (sorry, I'm not sure what to properly call it).

From what I understand it involves going across the country for 18 months and apparently it is unpaid. Is going for that long on a volunteer basis... normal? Maybe it's because we know each other through our income stream but it feels weird to say the least.

For reference I am completely non-religious.

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5 hours ago, jamesbondsmith said:

Hi, I had a question. 

One of my coworkers is Mormon and going on a church based teaching volunteer 'mission' (sorry, I'm not sure what to properly call it).

Yeah, we call it a mission.  If you say your coworker is "going on a mission" or "on his/her mission" that sounds completely normal to us.

Quote

From what I understand it involves going across the country for 18 months and apparently it is unpaid. Is going for that long on a volunteer basis... normal? Maybe it's because we know each other through our income stream but it feels weird to say the least.

Yes.  And that means that your friend is most likely a girl in her late teens.

This is not a hard-and-fast rule so much as a cultural norm in the church, but it's expected that every young man soon after graduating high school will serve a mission for two years.  For young women, the typical service period is 18 months, and the expectation for all of them to serve is not there, but many young women do choose to.

And yeah, the idea of "putting your life on hold" for that long, right when you're "supposed to" be going to college and preparing for a career and all sorts of Very Important Things like that, and not even getting paid for it, does feel kind of weird from an outsider's perspective.  But the idea that missionary work is an important duty derives from the revelations that our church is founded on.

Quote

77 And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.

78 Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;

79 Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms—

80 That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you.

81 Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.

-- Doctrine and Covenants, section 88

The Lord calls it an act of warning here, and that puts it in perspective.  If you saw someone out on foot, on a cold, snowy highway at nighttime, frantically waving and trying to flag down the passing cars, you'd probably think they were being weird too.  Maybe there's something wrong with them?  That's definitely not what normal people do!  But if you actually stop and listen to them and find out that they're trying to tell you the bridge up ahead is out, suddenly your feelings on the subject change radically!  You might even feel inclined to join him in trying to warn other people.

That's how members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints view missionary work.  Our message is that important.

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9 hours ago, Mason Wheeler said:

Yeah, we call it a mission.  If you say your coworker is "going on a mission" or "on his/her mission" that sounds completely normal to us.

Yes.  And that means that your friend is most likely a girl in her late teens.

This is not a hard-and-fast rule so much as a cultural norm in the church, but it's expected that every young man soon after graduating high school will serve a mission for two years.  For young women, the typical service period is 18 months, and the expectation for all of them to serve is not there, but many young women do choose to.

And yeah, the idea of "putting your life on hold" for that long, right when you're "supposed to" be going to college and preparing for a career and all sorts of Very Important Things like that, and not even getting paid for it, does feel kind of weird from an outsider's perspective.  But the idea that missionary work is an important duty derives from the revelations that our church is founded on.

The Lord calls it an act of warning here, and that puts it in perspective.  If you saw someone out on foot, on a cold, snowy highway at nighttime, frantically waving and trying to flag down the passing cars, you'd probably think they were being weird too.  Maybe there's something wrong with them?  That's definitely not what normal people do!  But if you actually stop and listen to them and find out that they're trying to tell you the bridge up ahead is out, suddenly your feelings on the subject change radically!  You might even feel inclined to join him in trying to warn other people.

That's how members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints view missionary work.  Our message is that important.

That's an awesome summary. I agree and second this statement. 

Edited by Gregorio
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On 1/27/2023 at 0:16 PM, Tani said:

Y'know, at Girl's Camp last year and the year before, we all stood in a circle holding candles and singing...

I hope people don't base their opinions of the church on girls' camp. From what I've heard, girls' camp is weird.

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1 hour ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

Something amazing always happens, as well as something chaotic and slightly scary.

I remember my last night at my first girl's camp was INSANE.

I was super dehydrated and about to pass out, someone drank battery leakage, my friend started hyperventilating cuz she lost a super expensive flashlight and thought her parents would kill her for it (lol), and there were a ton of spiders and stuff in the tents, etc etc

Nobody slept before 1 lol

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13 minutes ago, Kajsa :) said:

I remember my last night at my first girl's camp was INSANE.

I was super dehydrated and about to pass out, someone drank battery leakage, my friend started hyperventilating cuz she lost a super expensive flashlight and thought her parents would kill her for it (lol), and there were a ton of spiders and stuff in the tents, etc etc

Nobody slept before 1 lol

My first year it stormed everynight and my tent flooded every night. But the last night there were tornado sirens and bad winds. A couple of tents collapsed. We all had to cing.ram into the storm shelters. I was okay once we got to the storm shelter but the rest of that night was terrifying. We didn't actually go to bed until 2 and then they woke us up at 7.

Second didn't exist cause Covid.

Third year I got heat exhaustion every day now matter how much water I drank. And it stormed while we were out there and we couldn't actually camp. 

Fourth year we didn't actually camp either. We pretty much did like FSY but girls' camp. We combined with a couple of other stakes. Sister Cordon came and spoke to us. But the terrifying part for me was my dorm room. I am terrified of heights and my room was on the 10th floor. When I got there I made the mistake of looking out the window and had a nic attack.

This summer we'll be back to actual camping (The campground we're staying at has cabins but they have a mouse problem so....) and I will be a lead YCL. And I am terrified. A lot of my amazing experiences have come in part because of the amazing YCLs I've had and I'm scared to have follow after them. 

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1 minute ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

Fourth year we didn't actually camp either. We pretty much did like FSY but girls' camp. We combined with a couple of other stakes. Sister Cordon came and spoke to us. But the terrifying part for me was my dorm room. I am terrified of heights and my room was on the 10th floor. When I got there I made the mistake of looking out the window and had a nic attack.

Hey! I was there too!

That was my second girl's camp lol

My room was on floor 8 and we gave up on the elevators on day 2 so we ran up and down 16 flights of stairs at least 3 times a day xD

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Just now, Kajsa :) said:

Hey! I was there too!

That was my second girl's camp lol

My room was on floor 8 and we gave up on the elevators on day 2 so we ran up and down 16 flights of stairs at least 3 times a day xD

Oh! Did you know about the ghost and the elevators?

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