I learned in church today

[TripletDaddy]

You poor thing!

Really though, I agree that Mormon culture has some significant problems and hypocrisies. I cannot think of many times on CUF when someone has defended the more strange parts of Mormon culture. What people have defended are those who you implicate without cause, namely every person living in Utah. An example in your recent post of describing every teenage girl living in the state, except your daughter, as a Stepford and vanilla. Do you not see how this undermines your valid critiques of LDS culture?

hey!!!

[woot]

I am fairly certain I stopped learning truly "new" things back when I was in my teens, or maybe even as a missionary. Part of the beauty of the gospel is in its simplicity, I guess.

However I continually learn new nuances. Usually it depends greatly upon the instructor's level of preparation. I cannot remember the last time I learned something new in Sacrament Meeting.

I would wager I learned more on my mission than I did in the previous 19 years combined. This information was of the less essential variety from a correlated standpoint, but I sure loved it. I wonder whether most members of the church realize just how much more they could get from scripture if they learned the context and looked into what the author might have meant instead of just trusting the correlation department to shoehorn it into some point of essential doctrine.

I spent 6 months on my mission just studying Isaiah. Not the best use of time, but it was amazing for me. I still only scratched the surface of it. Like the posts of SIEQ, Pelligrino, Solon, and others often demonstrate, the intent of a passage and the way it is interpreted by modern believers are often not similar. For example, many scholars (perhaps most or almost all; I forget) think that Isaiah was writing only to a contemporary audience about contemporary events and made no intention of prophesying. This is why "prophecy" has been largely re-interpreted to refer to political or social commentary rather than divine forecasting.

[YOhio]

hey!!!

☑ Lives in Utah

☑ Large family

☑ BYU alum

☑ Balding

Yep. You're a Utah Mormon.

[DU Ute]

☑ Lives in Utah

☑ Large family

☑ BYU alum

☑ Balding

Yep. You're a Utah Mormon.

The only difference between California Mormons and Utah Mormons is the California variety think that for some reason they're more cool and hip than their Utah counterparts. I'd say DDD is a California Mormon.

[RobinFinderson]

☑ Lives in Utah

☑ Large family

☑ BYU alum

☑ Balding

Yep. You're a Utah Mormon.

My hair stopped thinning when I left the church.

[Blueintheface]

My hair stopped thinning when I left the church.

So it all just fell out at once then? Lightning will do that.

[Non Sequitur]

The only difference between California Mormons and Utah Mormons is the California variety think that for some reason they're more cool and hip than their Utah counterparts. I'd say DDD is a California Mormon.

DDD used to be a California Mormon. Now he's shopping at Reams, just like the rest of the herd.

[TripletDaddy]

You all are much more cruel to me than you are to FM.

Also, how did YOhio create those checkboxes?

[RobinFinderson]

Also, how did YOhio create those checkboxes?

Easy! Like this:

☑ Is DDD easily confounded?
☑ Is DDD technologically challenged?
☑ Is DDD a California Mormon?

[TripletDaddy]

Easy! Like this:

☑ Is DDD easily confounded?
☑ Is DDD technologically challenged?
☑ Is DDD a California Mormon?

☑ Is RobinFinderson cool?
☑ Is RobinFinderson a great teacher of technology?

[RobinFinderson]

☑ Is RobinFinderson cool?
☑ Is RobinFinderson a great teacher of technology?

☑ Is DDD making a gross attempt to infiltrate yet another sig line?
☑ Will RobinFinderson resist
☑ But is DDD nonetheless correct in his points?

[wuapinmon]

Fair enough. You chose to skip the main point of the post (the sacrament meeting talk) and targe my words in the second part. Fine.

It's clear a rational discussion of these things can't be had if it involves me.

The Stepford comment was what pissed people off, regardless of whether or not it was your main point.

[SteelBlue]

Life in the church is a lot easier when you don't really care what opinions your fellow ward members happen to espouse and preach as gospel. I'm not claiming I've fully reached this stage, but I'm closer than I've ever been and as a result the instances of the type brought up in this thread are usually amusing.

[Jeff Lebowski]

It's clear a rational discussion of these things can't be had if it involves me.

Truer words were never spoken.

[pellegrino]

This thread is somewhat ironic, or maybe not depending on the intent of the author. But it has me wondering whether people actually learn "new" stuff in Church, and if so, how often.

I don't think "new" is in the title of the thread. I always saw it as a place to share what was taught (and potentially learned) in church, regardless of whether or not it was new information.

In think these things are easier to navigate if you don't go around promoting yourself as an intellectual.

I highly doubt SIEQ introduces himself as Dr. SIEQ, or makes it a point to insinuate that he is an intellectual. Most people who do so do it to assert their superiority over those around them. That just doesn't fit SIEQ's m.o.

My hair stopped thinning when I left the church.

We need more of these kind of jokes. The checked boxes was pretty good too.