The fourfold purposes of the LDS Church!

[Goatnapper'96]

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13965607

This is great, IMO.

[RC Vikings]

Nice move in a good direction.

[jay santos]

This is what TSM has always been about. Good move.

[TripletDaddy]

I see this as a big deal since we don't often see official add-ons like this. "Caring for the poor and the needy" is brilliant and definitely forces us as members to rethink our attitudes towards the poor.

I am interested to see how this is received/interpreted politically by those that are opposed to social programs, welfare, and other "liberal" policies. My guess is that those members will put limitations on the edict of the Church...something along the lines of "but they have to be trying to help themselves first...."

[pellegrino]

This made my day. I'm excited to see how it is implemented.

[Indy Coug]

Yeah, but does scottie like it?

[Coach McGuirk]

I see this as a big deal since we don't often see official add-ons like this. "Caring for the poor and the needy" is brilliant and definitely forces us as members to rethink our attitudes towards the poor.

I am interested to see how this is received/interpreted politically by those that are opposed to social programs, welfare, and other "liberal" policies. My guess is that those members will put limitations on the edict of the Church...something along the lines of "but they have to be trying to help themselves first...."

Nice troll. Religion, I would bet, is where "those" you talk of feel that these social programs, welfare and other policies should be.

[TripletDaddy]

Nice troll. Religion, I would bet, is where "those" you talk of feel that these social programs, welfare and other policies should be.

I don't understand your wording here. Please clarify.

I was being serious, btw. I think there will be a faction of the Church that has a really hard time with this new emphasis. We have people on this very board that complain about having their "taxes" go to fund programs and the like. This latest edict would obviously require some sort of reconciliation with the need for temporal administration to the poor and the need for someone to fund it.

It is very easy to say, "great, our new emphasis is to care for the poor." Well, what does that mean in implementation? Do we volunteer more at soup kitchens? Do we donate more money to shelters? I don't know these answers. but I am pretty confident that whatever the implementation may be, it will require more than we are currently doing...at least a greater focus.

It would be naive to think that personal politics would not come into play on this one, as this is the first of the 3- or 4-fold "missions" that has direct and tangible political ties.

[Solon]

I don't understand your wording here. Please clarify.

I was being serious, btw. I think there will be a faction of the Church that has a really hard time with this new emphasis. We have people on this very board that complain about having their "taxes" go to fund programs and the like. This latest edict would obviously require some sort of reconciliation with the need for temporal administration to the poor and the need for someone to fund it.

It is very easy to say, "great, our new emphasis is to care for the poor." Well, what does that mean in implementation? Do we volunteer more at soup kitchens? Do we donate more money to shelters? I don't know these answers. but I am pretty confident that whatever the implementation may be, it will require more than we are currently doing...at least a greater focus.

It would be naive to think that personal politics would not come into play on this one, as this is the first of the 3- or 4-fold "missions" that has direct and tangible political ties.

Triplett Daddy has data to back him up. The Pew Forum's US Religious Landscape Survey indicates that LDS/Mormons are less likely than average Americans to want the government to do more to help the poor (even if it means going into further debt), and also less likely than the average American to believe that "hard work and determination are no guarantee of success for most people."

See chapter 2 of "Report 2: Religious Beliefs & Practices / Social & Political Views" for the analysis. I've attached images of the tables to this post.

[scottie]

Yeah, but does scottie like it?

Creepy.

[Goatnapper'96]

I don't understand your wording here. Please clarify.

I was being serious, btw. I think there will be a faction of the Church that has a really hard time with this new emphasis. We have people on this very board that complain about having their "taxes" go to fund programs and the like. This latest edict would obviously require some sort of reconciliation with the need for temporal administration to the poor and the need for someone to fund it.

It is very easy to say, "great, our new emphasis is to care for the poor." Well, what does that mean in implementation? Do we volunteer more at soup kitchens? Do we donate more money to shelters? I don't know these answers. but I am pretty confident that whatever the implementation may be, it will require more than we are currently doing...at least a greater focus.

It would be naive to think that personal politics would not come into play on this one, as this is the first of the 3- or 4-fold "missions" that has direct and tangible political ties.

I have always felt one of the lasting beauties of LDS doctrine and culture was the flexibility it provides politically. Every mormon, whether Liberal or Conservative, can find as much support as they wish to convince themselves that their political perspective is undoubtedly the only true and living approach and that they have the Almighty's mutual approbation. Personally, I am better than that and just say render unto Caesar. I am not a fan of encroaching nanny state and I am ready to join an organized or unorganized militia if they tax a man's right to get his womenfolk a little more SMG's to hold onto and keep him warm at night.

That aside. This has come at a good time for me. I have spent many hours in this endeavor this past fall. Sometimes I have felt that mine and others' generoisity was being taken advantage of. To be honest it most likely was. However, this helps to remind me of King Benjamen's advice to give because that is how Christ lived. The Master peformed no litmus tests with respect to others' needs and I should not either. The big KingBenji also talked about the impact on actions of thoughts and words. I have the physical capacity to help others improve their circumstances even if at times I think I am more concerned about their circumstances than they are. I hope that just as thoughts and words influence actions, that the causal relationship works in reverse and that as I serve I can learn to love.

But next year if they don't come with me to yonder hills to harvest wood, I will ask them to dig holes and fill them up again while me and my bros are out there!

[Coach McGuirk]

I don't understand your wording here. Please clarify.

Lets talk in person some time. Me typing out my thoughts at work is difficult, I am at my desk intermittently.

[wuapinmon]

Triplett Daddy has data to back him up. The Pew Forum's US Religious Landscape Survey indicates that LDS/Mormons are less likely than average Americans to want the government to do more to help the poor (even if it means going into further debt), and also less likely than the average American to believe that "hard work and determination are no guarantee of success for most people."

See chapter 2 of "Report 2: Religious Beliefs & Practices / Social & Political Views" for the analysis. I've attached images of the tables to this post.

Sound familiar, garrapatas (Tick)?


Also, I'm all for this as long as I don't have to start doing Poor Teaching once a month.

[SoCalCoug]

I see this as a big deal since we don't often see official add-ons like this. "Caring for the poor and the needy" is brilliant and definitely forces us as members to rethink our attitudes towards the poor.

I am interested to see how this is received/interpreted politically by those that are opposed to social programs, welfare, and other "liberal" policies. My guess is that those members will put limitations on the edict of the Church...something along the lines of "but they have to be trying to help themselves first...."

This is going to be fun to see how both sides of the political spectrum twist it around to fit their platform.

[TripletDaddy]

This is going to be fun to see how both sides of the political spectrum twist it around to fit their platform.

First step is to see what the Church says. I wonder if anyone can get a leaked copy online of the new Church manual? I would be willing to go to a midnight release party at Deseret Book.....we could all dress up as our favorite General Authority or Latter-day prophet.