Comments on: Community Mormon

By: Angst: A Boon to Literature, A Burden to Religion « Course Correction

Angst: A Boon to Literature, A Burden to Religion « Course Correction — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:57:40 +0000

[...] privately speak of what Church membership means to them, they usually talk about the love and sense of community they feel with one another and the concept of eternal families. I suspect these are the core values [...]

By: Melissa M.

Melissa M. — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:36:04 +0000

Lol, Rose. I think you meant that comment for the “Good Graciousness” post.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking about this post and I have to say I enjoy my community of church members. While I think that, like Sue, I could live on my own as a Mormon because I have a deeply-ingrained testimony (and yes, my church community has helped me develop that testimony), it would be very lonely. There’s a reason why the scriptures tell us to meet together often: we need each other. I so admire people like Karinae. And I hope she’s found a little community of saints to belong to.

By: Sue

Sue — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:13:01 +0000

I could live in isolation as a Mormon, but that’s probably because I’ve had a whole lifetime to internalize it. And at least a portion of that internalization took place as a direct result of being raised in a religious community.

It would be hard to convert and then go home to a village with no support. I don’t think it’s impossible, but I would deeply admire and respect anyone who did that successfully.

By: Rose

Rose — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:19:37 +0000

I try really hard during moments like those you have described to put myself in the other persons shoes and try to decide that if I were them what sort of response wouldn’t be offensive.
For example:
If I offered someone some jello and they didn’t want it, how could they do so without offending me?
If I went to give someone a handshake but they didn’t want to receive one how could they not shake and not offend me?
I guess we just need to learn to be gracious about everything even if we don’t necessarily partake.
And about the kisses.
I found myself receiving these from my husbands family when I first married into his family. I was quite uncomfortable at first about it.
I’ve found that it doesn’t really matter how you kiss, air kiss, sound effects, both cheeks, as long as you don’t completely push them away and say,
“Eeeew!”
it’ll be fine.

By: m&m

m&m — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:36:37 +0000

…ultimately, I should go to bed. That last bit was not supposed to be there.

By: m&m

m&m — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:36:05 +0000

One of my fave posts from you, Marintha.

Tug-o-war indeed. I think community is part of the gospel, ultimately, a la Moroni 6 (and there is little that is more sweet when a community provides that kind of spiritual nurturing). But I also think that our religion invites the kind of faith that could mean existing w/o that for a time in a less-than-ideal situation…knowing that it’s true in and of itself, being willing to sacrifice for it and be true to it, even if that means not having others with whom to worship for a time.

But ultimately, I

By: Amira

Amira — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:40:55 +0000

Marintha, I completely agree. Some of the thing I missed most while we were in Central Asia were things that never even seemed to cross the minds of the local LDS women there who had never experienced those things. And I don’t think I could begin to understand what they hoped for themselves.

Thanks again for the great post.

By: Marintha

Marintha — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:29:02 +0000

Amira,
Quite right. However quite honestly, I’m not sure she had such a depth of understanding to miss all of that immediately (that is not to say she was not ready for baptism).

By: Amira

Amira — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

There certainly are some things that are difficult about being Mormon pretty much on your own, but those difficult things have very little to do with the social aspects of Mormonism, in my opinion.

For example, women in Karinae’s situation are usually cut off from all of the ordinances available to most members of the church. A priesthood-holding man can do a little for himself, but not much. It’s also different, in a church that places so much emphasis on authority, to not have an authority to turn to. There are so many examples that are a lot harder to deal with than the minor social aspects.

By: sar

sar — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:49:01 +0000

marintha – in brief, that’s exactly what I meant.