DarthJ is a prophet

[Gadianton]

I'm not sure about this one. I think fencesitter is right that church has been boring a long time. It's this obligation you have to suffer through, but it's a great feeling walking out those doors knowing your at the maximum time before suffering again. From back in the day, the smartest friend and his equally smart wife are both totally active and have never questioned from what I gather. He basically told me this a couple years ago. Do I think he finds it interesting in the least? Impossible. And he has no intellectual interests in the Church or religion (like I say he's smart). He has no leadership interests either. He is relatively social and always had a pack of seminary friends around him back then, but I wouldn't say he's spiritual either, I honestly don't recall him ever talking about church.

He kind of bragged about not being a deep thinker and more social and fun loving even though he was basically a professional engineer by the time he graduated high school. I don't know his wife really, but I think she graduated in physics and then they got married and she stayed home to raise several kids who are all stem achievers and active in church. But yeah, from what I gather, as soon as he's done with his Sunday duties it's off to the lab. I'll make a note to make him admit church is boring next time I talk to him.

I think the boring factor may be a bigger deal in terms of activity in the age of social media and cell phones.

[Kishkumen]

It may have started out merely boring, but over time it descended to desiccated of all sentient human interest. I recall ward communities that had vibrant activities: road shows, potluck dinners, haunted houses, dances, scouting adventure trips. Now I would guess many of those things are either gone or so tamed as to be nearly lifeless.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

I think the boring factor may be a bigger deal in terms of activity in the age of social media and cell phones.

Yes, I believe that was DarthJ’s main point - I failed to include it in the original post.

- Doc

[Gadianton]

It may have started out merely boring, but over time it descended to desiccated of all sentient human interest. I recall ward communities that had vibrant activities: road shows, potluck dinners, haunted houses, dances, scouting adventure trips. Now I would guess many of those things are either gone or so tamed as to be nearly lifeless.

That's very true. If you're not an outlier family, then ward people can come close to being family. Disfunctional family, but family. In our time, Tuesday nights were the opposite of Sunday for what basically reduced to basketball night. Across the globe, church basketball is brutal and defines poor sportsmanship, leaders included, but everyone showed up including the inactive kids.

[Gadianton]

I'd think that as an authoritarian leader, all things being equal, you'd want your subjects to self-regulate, generally by feeling guilt or shame, or a sense of duty. You don't want to be forced to throw a bone because then they come back looking for more bones. You want them to feel lucky you took their last dime. In the long game, boredom should only be a problem if you were too weak of a leader to exploit vulnerabilities aside from the need to be entertained or cared about.