LORD, IS IT I?

As you hear or read the words of the ancient and modern prophets, refrain from thinking about how the words apply to someone else and ask the simple question: “Lord, is it I?”

This is a sentence that can be easily read, nodded at, and just as speedily forgotten.

But this is something I find myself doing ALL THE TIME.

Being humble - oh, yeah, that applies to Sis. Smith.

Being teachable - my gosh, that's Bro. Jones.

But ME?!?! Gosh, NO!

It's difficult sometimes to point the finger of judgement at ourselves, but oh so easy to say, "oh, yeah, but THAT person...."

A PERFECTLY ORDINARY SUNDAY

Twice a year, my church has what it calls "General Conference."




We have a variety of speakers from our leadership, and it's broadcast from Salt Lake City.


Although some hard-core members seem to think spiritual brownie points are earned if you get dressed up and go actually watch the sessions at our local meetinghouse, I firmly hold to the ideal of watching it on BYU-TV in my pajamas.


But I do try to actual watch the sessions live.

It's a total of eight hours over the weekend.





And I always learn some really wonderful stuff.

CHURCH IN PAJAMAS

Twice a year, my church broadcasts a general conference.

And instead of having to get up, get dressed, and drive to church, I can sit and watch it at home in my p.j.s.

And as one with limited hearing, I especially appreciate the subtitles.

When at church, although I sit in the very front pew, it's difficult to hear everything that is said.

I watch the lips of the person speaking, but all the other noise of a normal LDS church meeting often drowns out any chance of actually hearing what they are saying.



And I have often wished for some way to project subtitling directly under the speaker.

General Conference does that for me, and I appreciate it.

NO, IT WAS NOT UTAH

Twice a year, church for us Mormons is televised from Salt Lake City. Extremely dedicated members will still dress up, go to the chapel to sit on uncomfortable metal folding chairs in the midst of the wildly echoing cultural hall and watch the broadcast.

But since these are usually the same people who frown at Diet Coke, chocolate, and shorts that end above your kneecap, I watch from the comfort of my home and my pajamas, with the cat on one side and my new iPhone on the other.

Most people in the U.S. are vaguely acquainted with someone who is LDS - this woman they worked with - a cousin who joined the Church - and isn't that cashier at Safeway one of them?

Certain associations always seem to pop up - BYU, polygamy, and aren't y'all Republicans?

But one of these links has been used several times in the last month, and has gotten under my skin enough that I am writing about it.

"The Mormons settled in Utah," "Mormons colonized Utah," and "Mormons fled to Utah in the 1846."

NO, THEY DIDN'T. They settled in MEXICO. 

Members of the church had an extermination order placed  on their heads (which interestingly enough, was not rescinded until 1976) in Missouri (and was based on a whole LOT of misinformation on BOTH sides) - so they weren't simply moving out of town...

THEY WERE LEAVING THE COUNTRY.

STILL ON A ROLL...

The last couple of blogs I've written about memory loss...

... wait a minute, was it about memory loss or something else?

Hmm.  I don't remember.

But our church's world-wide conference is coming up the first weekend of October. Which means the great majority of Latter-Day Saints in the United States stay at home and watch our church leaders on television in our pajamas while eating left-over popcorn and drinking diet soda.

Or maybe that is just me.

Anyway, this happens twice a year - April and October - and we got two days of live broadcasts (at least here in U.S.) of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and talks from our prophet (President Monson) and a wide variety our leaders, who range from heart surgeons, lawyers, nuclear engineers, pilots, and very regular teachers.

I find it amazing that no one is assigned a topic, but somehow there always seems to this incredible choreography of subjects that tie gracefully and magically into each other.

Okay, maybe I just find it reassuring.

But one complaint I have heard over and over again is "but why do they always talk about the same old things?! I mean, like prayer, scripture study, family home evening and attending the temple! We've heard it again and again!"

And this is where the old lady with no short-term memory can tell you exactly why -

Because we still don't get it.

Let's listen this time, people, and keep trying, okay?

P.S. And this has to be one of the funniest things I have ever seen about our work for the dead - click on the link, but I think you really have to be LDS to laugh at it.