I learned in church today

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Not going to church is much more enjoyable than going to church.

Best member missionary ever!

[DrumNFeather]

Our testimony meeting this week was an infomercial for the BYU-I Pathways program.

[Jacob]

You live in Wyoming. You can pretty much kiss being taught correct doctrine goodbye.

Half of it was correct doctrine. But that doesn't make it any better.

[MarkGrace]

Best member missionary ever!

Where is BITF? I need to deliver a spiritual message.

[ewth8tr]

Our testimony meeting this week was an infomercial for the BYU-I Pathways program.

Haha, ours too. Who knew that there is an entire class devoted to the proclamation on the family?

[PaloAltoCougar]

Our HP Group lesson centered around how a prophet will never lead us astray. I wanted to mention BY's comments on blacks, but lacked the energy. Besides, it's Easter and I didn't want to harsh the mellow.

On a brighter note, the flood of sister missionaries has brought us some very interesting young women over the past eighteen months. Our current pair includes a sister from the bayous of Louisiana and one from mainland China. The latter joined the Church three years ago and is very well-spoken. I know it's trite to observe, but the idea of "Red China" sending LDS missionaries to the Bay Area would have struck me as impossible during my formative years here.

[Moliere]

MJ is currently at stake choir. The SS lesson was on Moses. Third hour was a lesson on the Book of Mormon. At least sacrament meeting had a Christ centered theme on Easter.

Sometimes I wonder if Mormons give an eff about Easter at all...

[myboynoah]

MJ is currently at stake choir. The SS lesson was on Moses. Third hour was a lesson on the Book of Mormon. At least sacrament meeting had a Christ centered theme on Easter.

Sometimes I wonder if Mormons give an eff about Easter at all...

I do. I grilled flank steak marinated in yakiniku sauce.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

MJ is currently at stake choir. The SS lesson was on Moses. Third hour was a lesson on the Book of Mormon. At least sacrament meeting had a Christ centered theme on Easter.

Sometimes I wonder if Mormons give an eff about Easter at all...

We stayed home today. To mitigate our absence, we watched several of the videos about Christ on the Mormon Channel. Half way through the third one, I joked with my wife, "At least by staying home, we don't have to rob Jesus of the spot light."

[clackamascoug]

Our HP Group lesson centered around how a prophet will never lead us astray. I wanted to mention BY's comments on blacks, but lacked the energy. Besides, it's Easter and I didn't want to harsh the mellow.

On a brighter note, the flood of sister missionaries has brought us some very interesting young women over the past eighteen months. Our current pair includes a sister from the bayous of Louisiana and one from mainland China. The latter joined the Church three years ago and is very well-spoken. I know it's trite to observe, but the idea of "Red China" sending LDS missionaries to the Bay Area would have struck me as impossible during my formative years here.

As I prepared to teach lesson 8, I too wondered about the wandering in the wilderness for 100+ years on some issues that the prophet(s) should have had a better bead on, and as a teacher am I supposed to hold hands and sway to the music, or am I supposed to broaden the perspective and offer hope for future just causes. Before we even got to the lesson we had a report from the HPG leadership on an incarcerated member of our group, and the conversation lasted until 10 to. The discussion was a beautiful example of love and concern which was the essence of the lesson anyway, so with my shortened time, I wove service into the lesson, and with 5 minutes left I turned all focus on The Savior and His victory over death. What I was dreading turned into a really good meeting that edified all and still made the points of the lesson. It's amazing how things work out sometimes.

[PaloAltoCougar]

As I prepared to teach lesson 8, I too wondered about the wandering in the wilderness for 100+ years on some issues that the prophet(s) should have had a better bead on, and as a teacher am I supposed to hold hands and sway to the music, or am I supposed to broaden the perspective and offer hope for future just causes. Before we even got to the lesson we had a report from the HPG leadership on an incarcerated member of our group, and the conversation lasted until 10 to. The discussion was a beautiful example of love and concern which was the essence of the lesson anyway, so with my shortened time, I wove service into the lesson, and with 5 minutes left I turned all focus on The Savior and His victory over death. What I was dreading turned into a really good meeting that edified all and still made the points of the lesson. It's amazing how things work out sometimes.

For what offense was your group member sent up the river? Shortly after we moved into our current ward, a very active member began serving time in a fed pen for Madoff-like securities fraud. I assume members comprise a disproportionately low percentage of the prison population, but that financial crimes make up a relatively high percentage of their offenses.

[smokymountainrain]

MJ is currently at stake choir. The SS lesson was on Moses. Third hour was a lesson on the Book of Mormon. At least sacrament meeting had a Christ centered theme on Easter.

Sometimes I wonder if Mormons in Houston, TX give an eff about Easter at all...

FIFY.

We went to visit my parents in Payson to celebrate Easter. We are Mormons. All of the meetings in their ward were centered on Christ.

[Moliere]

FIFY.

We went to visit my parents in Payson to celebrate Easter. We are Mormons. All of the meetings in their ward were centered on Christ.

Part of my frustration started on Thursday as I was asked by a coworker what Mormons do to celebrate Easter. He's Coptic Orthodox but was really just curious. I told him we don't do much other than have church and easter egg hunts. There's really nothing organized by the church, at least nothing that even sniffs at what is done for Christmas.

It made me wonder if the whole "anti-Catholic" messaging of the early/mid 1900s was what led to the complete shunning of the more formal traditions like Lent, Good Friday, etc. I might be wrong in that regard as that stuff was probably shunned at Joseph Smith's time with the avid Puritanism going on, but that didn't stop us from going all out at Xmas time. I do find it interesting that a lot of younger Mormons are adopting things like Lent to bring a bit more meaning back to the Easter holiday. I find that to be a good thing.

[chrisrenrut]

FIFY.

We went to visit my parents in Payson to celebrate Easter. We are Mormons. All of the meetings in their ward were centered on Christ.

Mormons in Centerville (I hope elder Ballard isn't reading this) got lessons on Joseph and Hyrum Smith for P/RS, and Moses for SS, then Christ centered talks in SM. I'm going to recommend to the bishopric that the arrange lessons during the months of Easter and Christmas to have presidency instruction or teachings for our times the Sunday before each of these holidays instead of from the manual so we can at least have 2 out of the 3 be focused on Christ.

My wife and I had to talk in SM, and it kind of made this Easter special, since we were both studying and pondering the Savior, resurrection, and atonement for the weeks leading up to Easter.

[chrisrenrut]

For what offense was your group member sent up the river? Shortly after we moved into our current ward, a very active member began serving time in a fed pen for Madoff-like securities fraud. I assume members comprise a disproportionately low percentage of the prison population, but that financial crimes make up a relatively high percentage of their offenses.

There are two members of my ward that I know of that have served time. Both were for financial fraud. Both are working hard to put their lives back together. So my anecdotal evidence supports your theory.