Mormons and funerals

[_moksha]

I think watching people stand in line for a viewing and the actual funeral service are two different things. My guess is that people will be crying during the service. I am not sure what the Mormon thought is of a joyful wake afterwards. I think for the average Mormon, it is funeral potatoes and casseroles made by the relief society afterwards in the gym.

[_Trinity]

I am in the dreadful process of putting my best original recipes online. This is one in honor of the weekend's event. As you can see from the ingredients, regular ingestion of this dish will result in your own funeral. Use with caution.

Smoky Au Gratin (or funeral) Potatoes

8 med medium potatoes, peeled and halved, cutting into ¼ inch slices
½ pt sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ c melted butter
¼ tsp onion salt
½ c grated smoked gouda cheese
1/3 c grated cheddar cheese
1/3 c parmesan cheese
pepper to taste
Parsley garnish

Heat ¼ c butter in frying pan. Fry sliced potatoes on high heat until they are browned. Remove from heat. Mix sour cream, cream of chicken soup, remaining ¼ c butter, onion salt and cheeses together in frying pan and heat to bubble. Layer potatoes and cheese mixture. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove cover, sprinkle parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley and broil for a few more minutes until cheese and parsley look crunchy brown.

[_Gadianton]

I like funerals especially when it's for a fun person. Celebrate their life and you have a great time. The funerals of losers tend to be dour. BOOOORING.

You're a pretty young guy Nehor, do you go to funerals often?

[_RebelYell]

I think it is wonderful that such talented people come forward to play or sing, unfortunately, that does not happen very often - it is the same old hymns sung with the same lack of enthusiasm that they are sung on Sunday mornings. No tribute videos, no personal possessions surrounding the casket, like a 14 year old really would choose, "Abide With Me" for their funeral! The lenghtly talk about the pre-existence from the monotone bishop....blah, blah, blah.

I like the smoked gouda idea in the "funeral potatos"

[_The Nehor]

I like funerals especially when it's for a fun person. Celebrate their life and you have a great time. The funerals of losers tend to be dour. BOOOORING.

You're a pretty young guy Nehor, do you go to funerals often?

Fairly often, I have a very large extended family and friends in the Church of all ages. I'd say one a year.

[_Tori]

Welcome Legend! Love the icon.

I find Mormon funerals to be boring affairs wherein the family who are not active or ever were Mormon is alienated by the service. Its a missionary opportunity for the Mormons and its largely treated as a burden for the bishop, slipshod at best.

I find many of them to be boring as well, however my daughter's funeral, 7 years ago was not. Our Bishop was absolutely wonderful and allowed us to show the video (we called it a "pictoral tribute") during the ceremony...not out in the foyer. The music during the video was a combination of Garth Brooks, Alabama, Tim McGraw and Michael McClean. The musical numbers consisted of some Saturday's Warrior, My Heart will go on (Titanic) and the most beautiful solo of "I Heard him come", sung acapella. The music was just what she would've chosen

The whole thing was a beautiful tribute to my teenage daughter and I am very grateful that our Bishop gave us full reign to do just as we wanted. I don't think that's the case any more, however. I understand there are some strict stipulations and I find that sad. I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't allow a Celine Dion song sung in a Chapel. I know that the Bishop of our ward now, would put a stop to our style of funeral, immediately.

I

[_harmony]

I know that the Bishop of our ward now, would put a stop to our style of funeral, immediately.

Let's hope you never have to ask him again. Bishops can surprise you sometimes though. My son got married in the chapel. That definitely surprised me.

I avoid all funerals as often as humanly possible. I will not go if I don't absolutely have to (close family member or close friend). Catholic funerals are the worst, though. Even with all the preaching at a Mormon funeral, at least it's over fairly quickly. Catholic funerals drag on forever.

Trinity, you work too hard for those funeral potatoes. I don't peel and slice potatoes if I don't have to. Here's my recipe:

1 bag frozen hash browns
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 can fat free cream of mushroom/celery/chicken soup (whatever you have in the pantry)
1/2 soup can skim milk
1 c fat free sour cream
1" of cheddar cheese, grated

Mix potatoes and green onions in a 8x10 pan. Mix the soup, milk, sour cream, and cheese together in a small bowl. Dump soup mixture onto the potatoes and stir until mixed. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 until done (up to an hour).

(can you tell we've had to change our eating habits since I first got this recipe? I'll leave you to figure out what was once something else).

[_Jason Bourne]

I've actually been to some very good Mormon funerals, where they talked and laughed and cried about the events in the deceased life. I sing, and have sung at dozens and dozens of funerals. When I was 17 I sang I am a Child of God at the funeral of a four year old boy who had been getting out of the back of his grandpas pickup when grandpa backed up, running over the boy and killing him. It was the saddest funeral I have ever attended and that's saying a lot because I have been to the funerals of three suicide victims in the past few years. Two weeks after the four year old's funeral, I sang for the funeral of the grandfather. His family said he had died from absolute grief from the accident and loss of the grandson.

One of the best funerals was my mother. She had planned the program. She was always a great lover of music and my entire family are accomplished musicians. There was more music than anything else in the program, about 35 minutes of the hour long funeral. It was nice. And beautiful. Solos, duets, family choir, ward choir.

Some LDS funerals are great, others are not. Hard to generalize really. Course the bitter exmo critics here are as extreme about anything LDS as they think the apologists are, just in the reverse. Another topic and another reason to beat the Church.

[_personage]

I've actually been to some very good Mormon funerals, where they talked and laughed and cried about the events in the deceased life. I sing, and have sung at dozens and dozens of funerals. When I was 17 I sang I am a Child of God at the funeral of a four year old boy who had been getting out of the back of his grandpas pickup when grandpa backed up, running over the boy and killing him. It was the saddest funeral I have ever attended and that's saying a lot because I have been to the funerals of three suicide victims in the past few years. Two weeks after the four year old's funeral, I sang for the funeral of the grandfather. His family said he had died from absolute grief from the accident and loss of the grandson.

One of the best funerals was my mother. She had planned the program. She was always a great lover of music and my entire family are accomplished musicians. There was more music than anything else in the program, about 35 minutes of the hour long funeral. It was nice. And beautiful. Solos, duets, family choir, ward choir.

Some LDS funerals are great, others are not. Hard to generalize really. Course the bitter exmo critics here are as extreme about anything LDS as they think the apologists are, just in the reverse. Another topic and another reason to beat the Church.

You make a good point JB. I truly respect you but I will not change my opinion on this. I hope that it's ok since it is only my opinion.

[_Trinity]

I know that the Bishop of our ward now, would put a stop to our style of funeral, immediately.

Let's hope you never have to ask him again. Bishops can surprise you sometimes though. My son got married in the chapel. That definitely surprised me.

I avoid all funerals as often as humanly possible. I will not go if I don't absolutely have to (close family member or close friend). Catholic funerals are the worst, though. Even with all the preaching at a Mormon funeral, at least it's over fairly quickly. Catholic funerals drag on forever.

Trinity, you work too hard for those funeral potatoes. I don't peel and slice potatoes if I don't have to. Here's my recipe:

1 bag frozen hash browns
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 can fat free cream of mushroom/celery/chicken soup (whatever you have in the pantry)
1/2 soup can skim milk
1 c fat free sour cream
1" of cheddar cheese, grated

Mix potatoes and green onions in a 8x10 pan. Mix the soup, milk, sour cream, and cheese together in a small bowl. Dump soup mixture onto the potatoes and stir until mixed. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 until done (up to an hour).

(can you tell we've had to change our eating habits since I first got this recipe? I'll leave you to figure out what was once something else).

Well, Harmony, this one is certainly easier to make and a heckuva lot better for you than mine. That is for sure!