DiscussMormonism.com

Dropped a short one yesterday. This one brushes on the apologetic defense "Not in my ward" and then riffs a little on the real consequences of geographically assigned congregations.

https://youtu.be/KYjvy5FUOwY

In arguments between disaffected members and apologists, a common defense against criticisms of the LDS Church is to claim that criticisms represent an aberration in experience. "You say that, but that was not the case in my ward!" If a disillusioned member complains they knew nothing about polygamy or seer stones until finding the information online, a defender of the faith may pop in to say, "Not in my ward! We were talking about that stuff regularly." That can be frustrating, but is there a truth behind this disconnect in experience?

Hope you enjoy it!

A new term emerges: NIMWa

I wonder why correlation could never stop this phenomenon? I realize ward roulette is almost impossible to stage manage and there have been attempts from the pulpit to curtail certain cultural harassments like shunning, but the effectiveness varied.

Bishop roulette. LOL. In the Methodist church, or United Methodist church, you get the pastor they send you for like a number of years typically. I was young while a in the UMC, so I’m not up to snuff on the current particulars.

Since you mentioned school zones, this sparked a question in my mind. Do LDS ever rent a house in another ward’s boundaries so they can go to their ward of choice? My cousin used to have a rinky dink little house that people would rent so their kids could go to a better school. As you know, Kish, I too live in the mission field. I think I have visited 3-4 different wards in our state, and I don’t think I’d ever hear mention of polygamy, and if I did, I think it would be the church’s scripted version.

I’m calling BS on “Not in my ward.” Except maybe out in the, as the old discussion board was aptly named, A View From the Foyer, foyer.

msnobody wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 10:18 pm

Do LDS ever rent a house in another ward’s boundaries so they can go to their ward of choice?

No, not that I've ever heard of. It'd be easier to just attend the preferred ward.

Nolan wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 4:27 pm

A new term emerges: NIMWa

Yeah, I tried it out, and I wasn't feeling it. So, I didn't actually say it in the episode, but, I agree, it is NIMWa.

Rivendale wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 8:26 pm

I wonder why correlation could never stop this phenomenon? I realize ward roulette is almost impossible to stage manage and there have been attempts from the pulpit to curtail certain cultural harassments like shunning, but the effectiveness varied.

I cut out a huge autobiographical section about my experience in different wards around the country. The absolute worst wards were in Utah and the South. The best for me were urban wards that the LDS Church somehow managed to treat poorly. Go figure.

Kishkumen wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 17, 2025 4:36 pm

Rivendale wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 8:26 pm

I wonder why correlation could never stop this phenomenon? I realize ward roulette is almost impossible to stage manage and there have been attempts from the pulpit to curtail certain cultural harassments like shunning, but the effectiveness varied.

I cut out a huge autobiographical section about my experience in different wards around the country. The absolute worst wards were in Utah and the South. The best for me were urban wards that the LDS Church somehow managed to treat poorly. Go figure.

The South? Were they bad in similar ways that Utah wards were?

msnobody wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 10:18 pm

Bishop roulette. LOL. In the Methodist church, or United Methodist church, you get the pastor they send you for like a number of years typically. I was young while a in the UMC, so I’m not up to snuff on the current particulars.

Ah! OK. Some churches allow congregations to vote out pastors. So, in UMC, you are stuck with the one they give you for a certain period?

Since you mentioned school zones, this sparked a question in my mind. Do LDS ever rent a house in another ward’s boundaries so they can go to their ward of choice? My cousin used to have a rinky dink little house that people would rent so their kids could go to a better school.

Wow! I had not heard of this with LDS wards. Ego, a new DMer who recently joined us, told me through other channels that his family would shop for wards before they moved so that they would be sure not to land in a dud. That bit about the small rental house and school districts is wild.

As you know, Kish, I too live in the mission field. I think I have visited 3-4 different wards in our state, and I don’t think I’d ever hear mention of polygamy, and if I did, I think it would be the church’s scripted version.

I’m calling BS on “Not in my ward.” Except maybe out in the, as the old discussion board was aptly named, A View From the Foyer, foyer.

I did not really hear about polygamy growing up. Nor did I hear about seer stones. But, I was a kid, and it may be that I just didn't hear the adult conversations about these things. I did hear a lot of nutty stuff, and sometimes, even as a kid, I found myself correcting adults in some of their more zany flights of doctrinal fancy.

Rivendale wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 17, 2025 4:39 pm

The South? Were they bad in similar ways that Utah wards were?

Bad in different ways. In the South it was shallow cultural "conservatism" that was most oppressive. My favorite wards were in cities. Actual urban wards. Feel like I was spoiled growing up outside of DC. There were genuinely interesting people there of many different kinds. And, the people in your ward make a huge difference.