Sometimes I'm very religious, doing everything I should be doing. I'm excited to go to church on Sunday. I read my scriptures daily. I give up coffee, wear modest clothes, have family prayer, pay tithing, have family home evening, do missionary work, do genealogy, and attend the temple. I'm an all around good Mormon.
At other times I've let most of it go. Family home evening is the first activity to go while my morning coffee is the first to return. Eventually I'm down to attending church occasionally and wishing the time would go faster. It's hard to see the logic in some rules. Take modesty, a changing concept. Why should somebody somewhere decide what is modest for the entire LDS population? We don't wear the same styles as the first Latter-day Saints wore. At some point someone decided the definition of modesty changed. When will it happen again? Who knows, but I have no doubt it will.
I don't pay tithing because I can't afford it. Some can quote chapter and verse why I should. Others can tell personal accounts of blessings they received from paying their tithes. I don't have that much faith. Andrea and I are already living hand to mouth and sick of it. If I payed tithing I'd come up short. If I come up short that would put in motion a lot of unnecessary activity. First I'd have to see the clerk to make an appointment with the bishop. Now I've got the inconvience of getting to church for an appointment during the week or staying after church to see the bishop. Now I've got to tell the bishop I'm short and need help with whatever I'm short on. The bishop then authorizes the clerk to write checks to the companies I need to pay. I'm still living hand to mouth but with more appointments.
I have trouble believing Heavenly Father or Jesus is interested in hearing about every little thing we're thinking about. Some people pray about the simplest things; should I buy a car or truck, Should I take the job in town or out of town, Should I date this one or that one. If we're all God's children and he wants to hear from us, why yammer at him about such trivial matters. I've been know to zone out when Andrea asks me what I think of yet another outfit or hair style. Just imagine Heavenly Father listening to us going on and on about one small thing after another. How can her hear from and take care of the sick, injured, desperate, and others in true need when multitudes are whining because they got their feelings hurt by someone who probably didn't mean to but they're hurt anyway. They know they shouldn't feel this was but they can't help it. Will you please help me understand what was going on in that person's mind because I know they didn't mean to hurt my feelings but they did. Why do we try Heavenly Father's patience with our ramblings? That's what blogs are for.
"Please God, don't let that be my house on fire." What! Think about it. There's a fire. It either is or is not your house. Why are you not praying, "Please god help the fire fighters to put the fire out quickly. Please help anyone inside be able to get out." Maybe not the best example but listen to people around you and you'll hear other illogical prayers.
I was twenty-two years old before I joined a church. I can't imagine being a member of another denomination. I just have trouble keeping up with all the things they think important. We believe there are three degrees of glory in the afterlife. I truly believe I'd enjoy the middle degree better than the top. I like to use my school days as an analogy. If I attended classes, did my homework, and didn't study for tests, I'd get B's in everything except math. People would reason with me, if you study for the tests you would probably get A's. I'd rather had the free time over the A. Religion wise if I can do as I'm doing and get the Terrestrial Kingdom ( B) I'm satisfied.
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