Yesterday was Monday, which means family home evening for those with a family. The local college wards of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sometime schedule activities under the same name for that night. Often, it is some type of sporting event here at the Worthen park. They haven’t done so for a while, and I was beginning to wonder whether they were still there, it is summer break after all.
Well, they showed up yesterday. As a matter of fact, it looked like several different wards all showed up at the same time. They were obviously different groups, and they were even doing different activities. One group looked like they were going to some kind of picnic or dinner, one was playing touch runningball [American football], one was playing football [soccer], and yet another was playing volleyball.
I have mixed feelings concerning these events. First, family home evening should be spent with the family, not a bunch of adults who have chosen academics instead of raising a family (a travesty according to the current, living prophet). Second, it should be a time to teach and learn the gospel. What gospel precepts can be gleaned from any competitive sporting event? Third, the concept of a singles ward negates the principle of family. They are nothing but a bunch of idiots who seek comfort from others like them who have refused to start a family of their own.
A fourth reason, and the reason I shall expand upon in this article, is that I’ve never seen these sporting events as conducts becoming a LDS. Nor do I consider it an appropriate example of the Church. The Church teaches love, mercy, justice, compassion, and doing good to name a few. Competition, however, often leads to strife, discontent, anger, hatred, and so on.
I know I’m setting myself up for disappointment when I see these groups on a Monday night, or similar LDS group activities throughout the week, but with them comes hope of acceptance and friendship. When I see them meet nearby, I expect them as LDS to invite me over or befriend me, that has never happened. I know they are aware of me, when I look at them many are already staring at me.
I went home even more disappointed last night than usual. The ward that was setting up for a meal of some kind was doing so at the tables around me. Being a hungry homeless man I saw the preparation and hoped they would offer to share with me. I also thought that since they were sitting around me they would talk to me. Well, I guess that makes me the biggest idiot.
Instead, what I got was rude invitation to leave. Here I am sitting at the table facing the park, my laptop beside me in my backpack, and some fat chick starts launching water balloons. This park is large. There is plenty of room for a water balloon fight out in the grass. But this fatso, as though she didn’t attract enough attention, has to stir up those preparing the food with no concern for the people not a part of their group. Did I get an apology? Not so much as an “oops, I should have thought that out better”. The spirit was withdrawn from them so much that they didn’t have care in the world for others.
Now, I believe in sharing everything. This whole world belongs to God. So, if they wanted to sit and visit near me when there were several other places for them to do so, I have no problem with it. I’m a little guy and only take up a small portion of one table. But if they were planning on getting rowdy why not go to one of the unoccupied portions of the park. There was plenty of other places available. But no, they had to get me wet.
What was I to these “good” Mormon college students? They stared at me and all they saw was my sun-darkened skin, a backpack, and a bicycle. Nothing says bum better in materialistic Satan George, Utah. All I was to them was a scum of lifeform [if you can call it that] that need not exist, in their opinion.
I guess, in all their wisdom as LDS college students they need not heed scripture such as Matthew 25:40, or D&C 42:37-38, and so on. In fact, why don’t they just flush the whole Book of Mormon down the toilet. Only then would there be justification for their behavior last night.
I left disgruntled (though not too visibly) much to their satisfaction. If I were their leader, I would never allow another “family home evening” at the park. They need to learn the gospel and how to act around others. They need to learn how to treat those around them and how to have respect for others. They would benefit a great deal from a lesson on “the golden rule”.
While your disappointment in them getting you wet is justified, the rest of your tirade doesn’t feel right. People in singles’ wards don’t “choose academics over a family,” but rather they’re part of a singles’ ward–as set up by inspiration to the prophet–because they’re looking for someone who matches them.
We’ve been encouraged, also, by the prophet to gain an education, so you clearly are misinterpreting something. Family Home Evening is set up for singles because their ward *is* their family, at least for that time in their lives. And I might ask you the same: where is your family? Circumstances sometimes beyond our control often prevent us from seeing our righteous desires fulfilled when we hope for them to be, and sometimes not even in this lifetime. Something to think about, I hope, the next time you expect to be catered to by others, while all the while judging them unrighteously.
You mean someone actually reads my blog? 😀 Thanks for the comment. Might I suggest you acquire a dictionary? It would greatly benefit your comprehension of English.
Now, I admit, I suffer from a form of dyslexia, and I find many flaws in some of my posts, however, with respect to this post and your comment, it is your misunderstanding of the meanings of the plain and simple words I used. Education and academics to name a couple.
I am not misinterpreting anything, the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not meant to be “interpreted”. In fact it is obvious that you are struggling with much of the doctrine itself. I direct you to Mark 12:25, and D&C 132:16 if you think you’ll get to achieve certain goals after this mortal life.
Also, pertaining to your imaginative take on the “singles’ ward–as set up by inspiration to the prophet”. I know that singles wards were instituted by divine inspiration to the prophet. However, such inspiration was not a result of righteous behavior, but a necessary response to an overwhelming amount of LDS singles who leave the Church because they do not feel comfortable attending services of ‘family’ wards.
Like Moses and the Ten Commandments, the Lord decreed an acceptable alternative to help nourish the seed of the gospel instead of casting them out under damnation for not adhering to a law they were too wicked to accept. It’s called mercy, and current Church History is replete with it to this day. It is the same reason Church Headquarters is currently located in Salt Lake City, Utah instead of Jackson County Missouri.
I would also like to point out, that though I was disappointed in their behavior towards me, I was not expecting them to cater to me, nor did I disagree with their presence. I was also very friendly towards them, as I ALWAYS treat others the way I would like to be treated.
Nor did I ever judge them unrighteously. I assessed their behavior, got discouraged, and left. It is entirely within the realm of possibility, that had I not been so concerned about the possible damage to my laptop, that I would have stayed long enough for them to extend their friendship.
As pertaining to your feelings about this post, I cannot blame you. I wrote it in the spirit of contention, which comes of the devil. I regret that I had used the unrighteous terms “fatso” and so forth. Were I to write that entry today, I would have left that fact out. 🙁