I learned in church today

[myboynoah]

When my kids were little they liked Edward Scissorhands. I don't think they had any idea what it was about, but I do think it was visually interesting

[YOUTUBE]j2A9vRjwfQY[/YOUTUBE]

[Uncle Ted]

Maybe we need and "I was an asshole in Church today" thread.

Seriously though, I think the answer to this is in the middle somewhere. I get Tim's point, but as a parent I also realize it's not quite as cut and dry as some make it sound. I will say this though, kids CAN be taught to be reverent in Sacrament meeting, at a very young age. I've done it 4 times.

It is inevitable that little kids will be noisy, cry, etc. in Sacrament meeting. The more clueless parents just ignore it to others' detriment. The standard MO though seems to be to take the kid out, let them run in the halls or run around in the foyer, etc. This of course teaches the kid that they can cry in Sacrament meeting and get to go play. Duh.

Here is what we did with all 4 of ours.

1. Bring age-appropriate, quiet toys / activities to church.
2. If they cry or are loud, give them a warning.
3. If they don't stop, they go to the foyer with Dad.
4. In the foyer, they have to sit on Dad's lap with their arm's folded for the rest of the meeting.

It doesn't take long for them to figure out that the foyer is much more miserable than quietly coloring, looking at a book, etc. in the chapel will be.

Obviously I'm not talking about infants. And my sample size is 4 (girls at that) so I'm not saying this will work for every kid. But the point is, an awful lot of parents do just the opposite and get the expected results.

And if the child refuses to sit on Dad's lap with their arm's folded then what?

This reminds me of when I was in a ward a while back a father was taking his child out to the foyer in the middle of Sacrament meeting and the child screamed, "Bishop save me! Dad is going to spank me!" I don't recall if the Bishop ever intervened.

We had a 5th Sunday discussion once on reverence during sacrament and various ideas were being injected on what one should do to keep their small children quite. I simply suggest that parents with small children should just hire a babysitter or ask one of the young women if they need some service hours toward their person progress.

[Clark Addison]

Our Stake President, who is a member of are ward, spoke yesterday and related an incident that is relevant to the discussion here.

Years ago, as a member of a bishopric and a father of a young family, he was up on the stand during Sacrament Meeting, when his children, in a front pew on one side of the chapel, started making a bit of a tumult. The bishop leaned over to him and gently counseled him that he may want to consider a Family Home Evening lesson on reverence the following night. Future SP was mortified.

A few minutes later, there was a large crashing sound from the other side of the chapel, where the bishop's family sat. A couple of the bishop's sons had snuck in some tools to church, and had disassembled the hymn book holder, which had then come crashing to the floor. The bishop looked sheepishly at future SP, and said, "Never mind".

I didn't say it was the best story in the world, I said it was relevant.

[YOhio]

Our Stake President, who is a member of are ward, spoke yesterday and related an incident that is relevant to the discussion here.

Years ago, as a member of a bishopric and a father of a young family, he was up on the stand during Sacrament Meeting, when his children, in a front pew on one side of the chapel, started making a bit of a tumult. The bishop leaned over to him and gently counseled him that he may want to consider a Family Home Evening lesson on reverence the following night. Future SP was mortified.

A few minutes later, there was a large crashing sound from the other side of the chapel, where the bishop's family sat. A couple of the bishop's sons had snuck in some tools to church, and had disassembled the hymn book holder, which had then come crashing to the floor. The bishop looked sheepishly at future SP, and said, "Never mind".

I didn't say it was the best story in the world, I said it was relevant.

That story would kill it in Priesthood Session. Chapels across the land would be filled with old man laughter.

[smokymountainrain]

Not sure how inspirational it is, but how about Brian's Song? The boys would love the football action, and the girls, if they can get past that part, would love the interaction between Sonny Corleone Brian Piccolo and Lando Calrissian Gale Sayers, especially as they help each other through knee injuries and cancer.

Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions so far - some very good ones and I think this may have taken a slight lead, despite the fact that it may not necessarily be "inspirational".

[Donuthole]

Apollo 13 and Gettysburg are two of my favorite movies that fit the content you are looking for...although Gettysburg is really long.

In that same vein, Glory.

[CJF]

Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions so far - some very good ones and I think this may have taken a slight lead, despite the fact that it may not necessarily be "inspirational".

I was going to suggest Shadowlands. As a 12 year old I would have hated it. As a 17 year old, I loved it.

[YOhio]

I didn't really learn this in church, but it seemed as good a thread as any to share it. A few days ago I was playing around with my phone apps and I opened the Mormon Channel. It was the first time I opened the app and I didn't really know what it did. But it started playing a GC talk by Elder Baxter addressing single parents. He did a wonderful job of conveying the Lord's love and relying on faith to overcome challenges. Its a message I've heard hundreds of times before, but it spoke to me in ways I haven't felt previously. Kind of funny considering that I wasn't in his target audience. For those who like to review GC talks I'd recommend giving this one a shot.

Although you may at times have asked, why me? it is through the hardships of life that we grow toward godhood as our character is shaped in the crucible of affliction, as the events of life take place while God respects the agency of man. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell commented, we cannot do all the sums or make it all add up because “we do not have all the numbers.”1

Whatever your circumstances or the reasons for them, how wonderful you are. Day to day you face the struggles of life, doing the work that was always meant for two but doing it largely alone. You have to be father as well as mother. You run your household, watch over your family, sometimes struggle to make ends meet, and miraculously you even find the wherewithal to serve in the Church in significant ways. You nurture your children. You cry and pray with them and for them. You want the very best for them but fret every night that your best may never be good enough.

Whilst reluctant to be overly personal, I am the product of such a home. For most of my childhood and teenage years, my mother raised us on her own in poor circumstances. Money was carefully rationed. She coped with an inner loneliness, desperate at times for support and companionship. Yet despite all of this, there was a dignity about my mother, a tremendous source of determination and sheer Scottish grit.

[smokymountainrain]

I learned the guy who played Elder Green in Saturday's Warrior is in my ward. To think prior to that, I was impressed he and his wife were in the Tab choir.

[Solon]

And if the child refuses to sit on Dad's lap with their arm's folded then what?

This reminds me of when I was in a ward a while back a father was taking his child out to the foyer in the middle of Sacrament meeting and the child screamed, "Bishop save me! Dad is going to spank me!" I don't recall if the Bishop ever intervened.

We had a 5th Sunday discussion once on reverence during sacrament and various ideas were being injected on what one should do to keep their small children quite. I simply suggest that parents with small children should just hire a babysitter or ask one of the young women if they need some service hours toward their person progress.

I think Latter-day Saints could benefit from some introspection about what reverence is and what, exactly, they might revere.

Most church-meeting admonitions to keep quiet and cross the arms (Bravo, DDD) are for convenience or courtesy, not reverence (IMO).

[DU Ute]

I think Latter-day Saints could benefit from some introspection about what reverence is and what, exactly, they might revere.

Most church-meeting admonitions to keep quiet and cross the arms (Bravo, DDD) are for convenience or courtesy, not reverence (IMO).

Reverence is shutting up and modesty is keeping your shoulders covered.

[myboynoah]

I think Latter-day Saints could benefit from some introspection about what reverence is and what, exactly, they might revere.

Most church-meeting admonitions to keep quiet and cross the arms (Bravo, DDD) are for convenience or courtesy, not reverence (IMO).

I think we get plenty of calls for introspection on reverence. And while many Mormons would opt for the easy Primary answer when asked about reverence (folded arms and being quiet), if asked to go further I'm sure they could talk about why it is important and what they revere.

[Mormon Red Death]

Yesterday we had a sacrament talk on what clothing was appropriate to wear to the temple. I kept thinking "is this a problem? People are wearing jeans and flipflops to the temple? Btw should it matter what clothes you were as you go to a place where the first thing you do is change clothes"

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[San Juan Sun]

Yesterday we had a sacrament talk on what clothing was appropriate to wear to the temple. I kept thinking "is this a problem? People are wearing jeans and flipflops to the temple? Btw should it matter what clothes you were as you go to a place where the first thing you do is change clothes"

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Anything is possible in the <name redacted> stake.

[Solon]

I think we get plenty of calls for introspection on reverence. And while many Mormons would opt for the easy Primary answer when asked about reverence (folded arms and being quiet), if asked to go further I'm sure they could talk about why it is important and what they revere.

In my opinion, the Mormon concept of God is a difficult concept to revere, since God has been made so familiar, accessible, and rationally human. The Mormon God is most often portrayed (problematically, IMO) as a loving father.

My children's relationship to me is not one of reverence and I hope it never will be.

Just my opinion, though. I'm sure each has his/her own way of expressing one's conception of and relationship to The Almighty. But maybe we need a different word for describing the need to keep enough Cheerios on hand to prevent the kiddies from yelling during the Youth Speaker's message.