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

[statman]

Nice spin.

Holding out a temple recommend as a threat in reaction to something as trivial as attending a different ward seems awfully pharisaical to me.

It's not trivial at all. The people who are needed are attending elsewhere specifically because they are needed. Their behavior indicates CLEARLY that they're not even willing to pretend to keep temple covenants. They shouldn't have recommends.

All this is doubly true if the SP asks them to attend their home ward and they refuse...

Also, if I were their bishop, there's no way I'd give them a recommend - I'd tell them I don't know them well enough to give them one. Go ask the guy where you're attending. Also, a male priesthood holder is not regularly attending his priesthood meetings if he's not in his actual quorum or group...

[statman]

BTW, for many years we had a family in our ward boundary that chose to attend the neighboring ward. They had temple recommends and their sons went on missions. Nobody seemed to care. We also have some YW from the neighboring ward that attend our ward. Their parents are non-members and they have friends in our ward.

And were they attending your ward specifically because they didn't want to serve in their home ward?

If not, why bring it up?

The issue is people breaking temple covenants by not being willing to serve. And they're even too cowardly to just tell the bishop/BP "no."

[Jeff Lebowski]

It's not trivial at all. The people who are needed are attending elsewhere specifically because they are needed. Their behavior indicates CLEARLY that they're not even willing to pretend to keep temple covenants. They shouldn't have recommends.

All this is doubly true if the SP asks them to attend their home ward and they refuse...

Also, if I were their bishop, there's no way I'd give them a recommend - I'd tell them I don't know them well enough to give them one. Go ask the guy where you're attending. Also, a male priesthood holder is not regularly attending his priesthood meetings if he's not in his actual quorum or group...

Jawohl. Let's coerce those bastards into service.

[Indy Coug]

Jawohl. Let's coerce those bastards into service.

Nah. Just have a whale swallow them up and let them stew in their own juices for awhile.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Nah. Just have a whale swallow them up and let them stew in their own juices for awhile.

If we are going to go old testament on their asses, I would prefer having the she-bear eat their kids.

[Jeff Lebowski]

And were they attending your ward specifically because they didn't want to serve in their home ward?

If not, why bring it up?

Well, that's just it. Nobody cared about their reasons. I know this may be difficult for you to wrap your head around, but everyone figured it was none of our business.

[Moliere]

There's a reason that a church that is locally ran by volunteers doesn't allow pervasive ward shopping. I understand one off exceptions (and obviously church HQ does as well).

[grapevine]

I grew up in an area were people passed each other on the way to church. Finally First Presidency came down and told people were to go. People that went to school one way got permission to go to church there. Some people that wanted to go were there taxes were to school got permission to go to church there too. Passing one town to go to school and church in other town. Moved out.

Now everyone goes to ward fp said too. Shortly after letter family moved in came to ward in boundaries than went to old ward south not in boundaries. Bishop always said need fp permission to go somewere else.

there is no controversy now. Ward split almost two years ago. Some people from neighboring town come in here. Salt Lake was watching us like hawk. Was told as clerk not to request records of someone that would move in a few months. Someone wanted to go to other ward bishop said President Monson has more pressing issues to worry about have to go to assigned ward.

Not to much complaining from people in other town. One mile to seven hard on some. But strict. I do remember seeing records moved out that people requested. Had to request them back. Are strict on Ward Boundaries now were I am at.

[Jeff Lebowski]

There's a reason that a church that is locally ran by volunteers doesn't allow pervasive ward shopping. I understand one off exceptions (and obviously church HQ does as well).

My brother is in the bishopric of a young single adult ward. You want to talk ward hopping, this is the prime example. He said their numbers are constantly fluctuating up and down as YSA's from his stake and several of the neighboring stakes shuffle in and out of the ward. You know what? They don't care one bit. They are just happy to have them attending church at a critical point in their lives.

That being said, I will concede that singles are a special case. But looking at families, your post implies that ward hopping is a pervasive problem that would gut the church of leaders if we don't keep it under our thumb. I have a tough time believing that. I think those generally inclined to ward hop are probably those on the periphery of the church tent, so to speak. I think they are the type that are not likely to respond to "Get your ass back here and help or we pull your recommend". Call me crazy, but I suspect that "Brother and Sister _____, you are free to continue to attend that ward, but we miss you and we would love to have you come back and join us" would be a far more effective approach.

As for recommends, I certainly understand and appreciate the concept of consecration and making a sincere show of devotion in preparation for our highest form of worship. But it seems that we sometimes cross a fine line and recommends become a literal badge of righteousness that we can use to separate the good mormons from the bad mormons. How many times do you hear someone say "Well I can't understand how _______ has a temple recommend"? I have even witnessed the sad spectacle of family members calling each other's SP and demanding that a recommend be pulled as a result of a personal battle. And it grates me when, through subtle or non-subtle means, leaders use the threat of pulling a recommend to shame people into certain behaviors. It just doesn't seem compatible with my understanding of Christianity.

[Art Vandelay]

A strangely apropos thread. Last night at our YW in excellence we were joined by a laurel from a neighboring ward. She is a very sweet girl, but I think perceived by many of her schoolmates as somewhat nerdy. I've known her family for years. Her dad asked me if was ok if she started attending our ward and mutual. Some of the other girls in her ward have been giving her a hard time. Her parents are very humble and very faithful. They have already spoken with the SP and received his approval and they will attend their own, much smaller, ward to continue in their callings. We have great youth in our ward and amazing leaders so I'm excited for this addition. I think it will be good for the ward and I hope it will be good for her.

[ERCougar]

I don't get the impulse to ward-hop. We've been in wards with huge primaries and wards with almost no primary, and our kids liked both. We've been in inner-city wards and affluent wards and to be honest, I like the inner-city a lot better. Our current ward is a nice mix of about every income level and I like that; our last ward was a fairly affluent one and I didn't really like that. I hate our meeting time (12:30), but can deal with it for a year. In Indiana, we drove a half hour to the chapel, when there was one about 15 minutes away. Same thing when we moved here--I counted 5 meetinghouses we would drive past to get to church every week (JIC can verify this one...). For some reason, I never really considered the option to choose my own place.

But I also don't get the need to crack down on ward-hopping. If someone doesn't really want to be in your ward, do you really want them there anyway?

[jay santos]

My brother is in the bishopric of a young single adult ward. You want to talk ward hopping, this is the prime example. He said their numbers are constantly fluctuating up and down as YSA's from his stake and several of the neighboring stakes shuffle in and out of the ward. You know what? They don't care one bit. They are just happy to have them attending church at a critical point in their lives.

That's a pretty chill attitude. Everything I've heard from singles ward leaders is that they absolutely obsess over ward hopping.

[TripletDaddy]

I don't get the impulse to ward-hop. We've been in wards with huge primaries and wards with almost no primary, and our kids liked both. We've been in inner-city wards and affluent wards and to be honest, I like the inner-city a lot better. Our current ward is a nice mix of about every income level and I like that; our last ward was a fairly affluent one and I didn't really like that. I hate our meeting time (12:30), but can deal with it for a year. In Indiana, we drove a half hour to the chapel, when there was one about 15 minutes away. Same thing when we moved here--I counted 5 meetinghouses we would drive past to get to church every week (JIC can verify this one...). For some reason, I never really considered the option to choose my own place.

[ERCougar]

Moving.

[LA Ute]

I think the only time I've seen leaders take action to stop ward-hopping is when it starts to create problems for the overall functioning of a congregation. Most people let it go if it meets an individual need and isn't causing bigger problems. Our SP does.