Do you attend a ward that isn't the ward you geographically belong to?

[Indy Coug]

If so, why?

[TripletDaddy]

Im glad you read all of my posts and think about them.

[Indy Coug]

Im glad you read all of my posts and think about them.

It's been a serious issue where I currently live, so I was curious what others had to say on the subject. I'm glad you think everything is about you.

[TripletDaddy]

It's been a serious issue where I currently live, so I was curious what others had to say on the subject. I'm glad you think everything is about you.

why is it a "serious" issue?

[Indy Coug]

why is it a "serious" issue?

When you have a branch to which multiple active families belong, but refuse to attend because

1. It has too many poor, uncouth minorities that may or may not speak English.

2. Because they know they will have to shoulder most of the load with leadership positions, bigger home/visiting teaching lists, etc. etc. etc.

Which then leaves the remaining attending people having to shoulder that much more of the burden in their absence.

[TripletDaddy]

When you have a branch to which multiple active families belong, but refuse to attend because

1. It has too many poor, uncouth minorities that may or may not speak English.

2. Because they know they will have to shoulder most of the load with leadership positions, bigger home/visiting teaching lists, etc. etc. etc.

Which then leaves the remaining attending people having to shoulder that much more of the burden in their absence.

If you already have the reasons, why start a poll? Generally, people attend a different ward because the assigned ward isn't meeting their needs. what sorts of answers are you expecting to receive?

Sorry that you have to shoulder more burden within the ward. That must be horrible.

[LA Ute]

We had a SP who was very strict about this. The current one is not.

Story time: Some years ago a group of teen-aged sisters whose active LDS parents had died moved in with their Evangelical Christian aunt. She allowed them to go to our church because she was a good soul, but the ward they lived in had no youth and the girls all went to the high school that our ward's kids also attended. So we just moved their records into our ward, with the other bishop's permission and the SP's permission. A few months later we got a letter from the church, saying that the girls didn't live in our boundaries and we needed to ask permission to keep their records in our ward. I was ward clerk and ended up writing (for the bishop's signature) a letter to the First Presidency making our case for having the records with us. We got a letter signed by President Faust, authorizing the exception. This was in about 1996. I was amazed at that level of micro-management and I doubt that this still goes on.

[Indy Coug]

If you already have the reasons, why start a poll?

Because I'm pretty sure the rest of you don't meet in my building.

[marsupial]

We had a SP who was very strict about this. The current one is not.

Story time: Some years ago a group of teen-aged sisters whose active LDS parents had died moved in with their Evangelical Christian aunt. She allowed them to go to our church because she was a good soul, but the ward they lived in had no youth and the girls all went to the high school that our ward's kids also attended. So we just moved their records into our ward, with the other bishop's permission and the SP's permission. A few months later we got a letter from the church, saying that the girls didn't live in our boundaries and we needed to ask permission to keep their records in our ward. I was ward clerk and ended up writing (for the bishop's signature) a letter to the First Presidency making our case for having the records with us. We got a letter signed by President Faust, authorizing the exception. This was in about 1996. I was amazed at that level of micro-management and I doubt that this still goes on.

We have some people in our ward that technically are in another ward but because of the screwy ward boundaries, the ward they are supposed to be in is actually quite a bit further away.

We also have people in our ward that attend another ward to keep the peace with an ex.

I have never had a reason to attend a ward other than my own on a regular basis. I think that's the case for most people.

[Marvin Hardtospell]

I live in London and the ward I technically belong to is just over an hour away via public transport. Even longer when I have to use replacement bus services due to line closures for track replacement which is pretty much every weekend. The ward I attend is only a 20 minute cycle ride away or 25 minutes on the underground. Additionally, this girl I really like goes to the ward that is closer geographically. Finally, I have 7 AM meetings on a regular basis in the building that is only 25 minutes away. As such, it was an easy decision.

[TripletDaddy]

We had a SP who was very strict about this. The current one is not.

Story time: Some years ago a group of teen-aged sisters whose active LDS parents had died moved in with their Evangelical Christian aunt. She allowed them to go to our church because she was a good soul, but the ward they lived in had no youth and the girls all went to the high school that our ward's kids also attended. So we just moved their records into our ward, with the other bishop's permission and the SP's permission. A few months later we got a letter from the church, saying that the girls didn't live in our boundaries and we needed to ask permission to keep their records in our ward. I was ward clerk and ended up writing (for the bishop's signature) a letter to the First Presidency making our case for having the records with us. We got a letter signed by President Faust, authorizing the exception. This was in about 1996. I was amazed at that level of micro-management and I doubt that this still goes on.

I think it is still in full-effect. The wording in Book 1 hasn't changed and this was the policy that the Bishop was quoting us.

My thought is, "who cares?" Why does it matter where your records sit? If I go to a different ward but my records are somewhere else, what is the net effect?

I didnt want to get into it with the Bishop, but the tithing thing is irrelevant. You dont have to pay tithing to any specific ward these days. Just send it to SLC directly.

As for callings, if my memory serves me correctly, Book 1 states specifically that callings may be extended when the members' records are in the ward OR the current Bishop calls the previous Bishop to ensure the member's worthiness. The way it was worded was not prohibitive. Can someone verify this?

Also, non-members can receive certain callings, as well, so from a technical standpoint, Bishop Fobby was misinformed and passing along bad info.

He ended the meeting on a sort of down note, as though we would be crushed by the news. We weren't crushed.

[Clark Addison]

We have some people in our ward that technically are in another ward but because of the screwy ward boundaries, the ward they are supposed to be in is actually quite a bit further away.

For most of the first 6 years we lived in our current home, we attended a building that was 30 to 35 minutes away from us. The Stake Center is 15 minutes from us, there is another building 20 minutes from us, and another one 25 to 30 minutes from us. I know at least one family in our ward that attended a ward in the Stake Center during that time. We now have a brand new building 8 minutes from us, for which I am very grateful.

In my experience, this is one of the things that non-LDS people think is very weird. I would tell people about our situation, and they would say "Why don't you just go to the one 15 minutes away from you?" I would give an explanation, but they never would seem to think it made any sense.

[TripletDaddy]

Because I'm pretty sure the rest of you don't meet in my building.

So you want people here to specify to you the specific needs that are not being met in their current ward, thereby causing them to attend a different ward? I am sure your comments in response would be very supportive.

[thesaint258]

My records are in a different ward, but then I go to YSA wards in Utah, so it's not as big of a deal. The ward I should go to is full of guys who are a year or two off their missions. For a guy who has been home for nearly ten years, it wasn't the place for me. So I had my records sent to another ward that had a much better mix of people. It doesn't hurt that this ward also has more attractive women either.

[Indy Coug]

So you want people here to specify to you the specific needs that are not being met in their current ward, thereby causing them to attend a different ward? I am sure your comments in response would be very supportive.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.