Speaking Up In Church

[_consiglieri]

Another thread has evolved into a discussion of when it is appropriate to speak up in Church and when it is better to remain silent; and additionally, whether it is hypocritical to remain silent in Church and come to this board to share those unvoiced feelings.

Yesterday in Sunday School, the teacher had a class member read the introduction to the Book of Mormon in its entirety.

Ironically, the class member who did the reading had an old version of the Book of Mormon. When she was done, another member said this wasn't identical to her introduction (the new one).

The teacher mentioned the main difference, being as everyone here knows, I suspect, changing a blanket statement that the native Americans are the ancestors of the Lamanites to something softer and more generic in this regard.

The teacher then asked if anybody had something they wanted to say about the change.

The thought that came to my mind was, "What a difference a DNA makes."

But I didn't share it.

I didn't see any real point in sharing it. I didn't see it as leading to anything positive. So I kept it to myself.

Is this something I should have said in class?

Am I a hypocrite for not mentioning it at Church and coming here to talk about it?

What do you think?

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_sock puppet]

No, it is not. The COB correlates the lesson manuals down until you'd hardly know you are sitting in a Mormon meeting house during the Sunday School class. You know that going in. If you choose to endure that pablum for umpteenth time, while day dreaming about something interesting like flossing your teeth, then choosing not to disrupt the correlated flow is not hypocritical. It is most likely respectful, as there are others that came to that class for the very purpose of getting their weekly spoon-feeding of just what was presented without you speaking up.

Here, the expectation is to discuss Mormonism, not merely have the prepackaged lesson taken out of the cellophane, popped in the microwave for three minutes, eaten, and it is over for another week. So when you have something to say, saying it here, in a forum designed for discussion, not the cramming down your throat of a watered down version of olden times Mormonism, is perfectly appropriate.

You are just choosing to act and say those things that are appropriate for the two different settings.

[_Yoda]

If you choose to endure that pablum for umpteenth time, while day dreaming about something interesting like flossing your teeth,....

LOL!

Thanks for the morning chuckle, Sock Puppet!

As to the OP, Consig is exactly right. The point I was trying to make to Why Me is that those of us who are active are more familiar with the dynamic of the class itself. Therefore, we have a better understanding of what is appropriate in these types of situations and what isn't.

I have no problem with speaking out in class when it will actually forward the discussion. Consig forwarded the discussion quite often when he taught the Gospel Doctrine class. I would have loved to have been a participant in that class!

I think that Why Me is simply puzzled by the whole enigma which comes with being a NOM. He has tried to pigeon-hold us into the label of anti-Mormon, and we simply aren't. Speaking for myself, I have a very strong love for the Church, and for the potential of what it can be. I like to use this board as a springboard for bouncing off ideas which can ultimately make the Church better.

[_thews]

I didn't see any real point in sharing it. I didn't see it as leading to anything positive. So I kept it to myself.

You are conditioned to keep these observations to yourself, which is how a cult functions and continues to function.

Is this something I should have said in class?

Discussing the truth is frowned upon. I have a friend with a small child who got in trouble for stating gingerbread men couldn't be people in class when they were reading a holiday story (he's 4)... same thing.

Am I a hypocrite for not mentioning it at Church and coming here to talk about it?

What do you think?

You tell me:

http://biblelight.net/false-prophets.htm

Many Prefer The False Prophet:

2 Tim 4:2 [NIV] Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.
2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
2 Tim 4:4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

[_zeezrom]

Sunday school could be a bit more exciting if there wasn't a desperate need to protect a common point of view. It must be protected at all costs, apparently.

There is no solution. The manuals must stay correlated and the discussions must stay homogenous. Could the leadership handle anything more than that?

[_LDSToronto]

Sometimes you just look around, gauge the discussion, look at past frustrations, and say, "Nevermind". Other times, you say, "Eff it", and speak what's on your mind.

H.

[_harmony]

I didn't see any real point in sharing it. I didn't see it as leading to anything positive. So I kept it to myself.

You are conditioned to keep these observations to yourself, which is how a cult functions and continues to function.

No, that is how polite people function. Interesting that you can't see the difference.

Is this something I should have said in class?

Discussing the truth is frowned upon.

No, it's not. Your problem is no one wants to discuss YOUR version of the truth.

[_consiglieri]

I will add that, knowing the teacher shares a good deal of my perspective, I did make my unvoiced comment to him after class was over. He laughed and added not only the problems with DNA, but with blood types.

He knew perfectly well why the change was made to the introduction.

At another point in class, somebody said something about how the Book of Mormon was brought forth to restore the doctrines that had been lost from the Bible. I turned to the unfortunate friend sitting next to me and asked quietly, "And what doctrines would those be exactly?"

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_zeezrom]

What you added is encouraging, Consig.

[_Drifting]

Speaking up in Church in a manner that is questioning rather than reinforcing the faith promoting theme of the lesson will lead to you being labelled a maverick, a trouble causer, a person to be avoided.

I say that based on decades of observation.