Another Sad Day in Sunday School

[_consiglieri]

You may remember a post I made a couple of weeks back about how in Sunday school the teacher emphasized how only faith, repentance, baptism and the Holy Ghost were to be taught.

She double-downed yesterday.

I thought there might be hope when discussing 3 Nephi 17:2-3, where Jesus tells the Nephites: "I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time. Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again."

It seems pretty straightforward. If you don't understand gospel stuff, you should ponder it and ask God in order to understand.

Sure enough, the teacher did hit on this verse, but instead of just stressing the two requirements in the scripture for obtaining greater light and knowledge, she allowed a bunch of other requirements to be added in there. Heck, she begged for it, by likening this verse to preparing for the sacrament and asking what we have to do to prepare for the sacrament.

As you can imagine, the typical list got regurgitated in chalk on the blackboard.

When she was done, she said that was how we learn more about the gospel.

Then, as if catching herself, she said that was really stuff we already know, so she wasn't exactly sure how this helped us learn more.

I was too busy reading my copy of This is my Doctrine by Charles Harrell in the back pew to help out with her dilemma.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_moksha]

Consiglieri, do you know if the book "Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Sunbeams" is still available at Deseret Book?

This class will obviously never be the same unless you are able to somehow able to man the helm again. I still wish you were my Gospel Doctrine teacher.

[_zeezrom]

...but instead of just stressing the two requirements in the scripture for obtaining greater light and knowledge, she allowed a bunch of other requirements to be added in there. Heck, she begged for it, by likening this verse to preparing for the sacrament and asking what we have to do to prepare for the sacrament.

As you can imagine, the typical list got regurgitated in chalk on the blackboard.

I just want to make sure I understand what the "typical list" is. Something like:

Go to church
Pray daily
Read your scriptures daily
Hold FHE
Magnify your calling
Pay your tithing
Don't swear
Don't drink caffeinated tea or any type of hot drink with the coffee bean
Fast monthly if you aren't preggo or younger than 8
Wear your garments and make sure nobody sees the hem of your garment if you are a woman
etc?


Or, are you talking about some sort of study to-do list?

[_thews]

You may remember a post I made a couple of weeks back about how in Sunday school the teacher emphasized how only faith, repentance, baptism and the Holy Ghost were to be taught.

She double-downed yesterday.

I thought there might be hope when discussing 3 Nephi 17:2-3, where Jesus tells the Nephites: "I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time. Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again."

It seems pretty straightforward. If you don't understand gospel stuff, you should ponder it and ask God in order to understand.

Sure enough, the teacher did hit on this verse, but instead of just stressing the two requirements in the scripture for obtaining greater light and knowledge, she allowed a bunch of other requirements to be added in there. Heck, she begged for it, by likening this verse to preparing for the sacrament and asking what we have to do to prepare for the sacrament.

As you can imagine, the typical list got regurgitated in chalk on the blackboard.

When she was done, she said that was how we learn more about the gospel.

Then, as if catching herself, she said that was really stuff we already know, so she wasn't exactly sure how this helped us learn more.

I was too busy reading my copy of This is my Doctrine by Charles Harrell in the back pew to help out with her dilemma.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

When is this push-me pull-you tired BS going to stop? Joseph Smith is a charlatan and you know it. As you constantly pretend the magic rocks of this con man hold some truth and peddle these rants is nothing more than a further testament of how much you know Mormonism is nothing more than pure BS. Play your game consig... you're nothing but a poser trapped in the truth. Wake the F up already. Book of Abraham... magical seer stones... polygamy/polyandry with 13 year-old girls... really? You actually believe this charlatan? I'm not buying it... you aren't that stupid.

[_Droopy]

It seems pretty straightforward. If you don't understand gospel stuff, you should ponder it and ask God in order to understand.

And what is your excuse?

[_Drifting]

It seems pretty straightforward. If you don't understand gospel stuff, you should ponder it and ask God in order to understand.

And what is your excuse?

Razor sharp, insightful, cutting to the quick, intelligent, humorous...Droopy, you are non of those...

[_Drifting]

Sure enough, the teacher did hit on this verse, but instead of just stressing the two requirements in the scripture for obtaining greater light and knowledge, she allowed a bunch of other requirements to be added in there. Heck, she begged for it, by likening this verse to preparing for the sacrament and asking what we have to do to prepare for the sacrament.

As you can imagine, the typical list got regurgitated in chalk on the blackboard.

1. Check the bread has been brought
2. Check the bread that has been brought isn't stale...well, isn't displaying signs of mould
3. Check the bread isn't brown (yeah we had a member complain about that once)
4. Check there is enough Priesthood to pass and bless
5. Check the available Priesthood for earings, white shirts, facial hair, clean hands...well, that last one is optional
6. Check there is enough Cheerio's to keep the swarm quiet during the Sacrament
7. Check that some mischievous Teacher hasn't put fizzy water in some of the cups (yeah we had a Teacher do that once causing some members to feel extra special that week {I'm not kidding})
8. Check who doesn't take the Sacrament and report their names to the Bishop (as a Deacon I was told to do that on more than one occasion and by more than one Bishop)
9. Check you take and pass the Sacrament with your right hand

That's it...oh wait...
10. Remember Christ

[_consiglieri]

I'm not buying it... you aren't that stupid.

That is quite possibly the nicest thing you've ever said to me, thews.

[_consiglieri]

I think the main dilemma Mormons get into when they really want to learn more is that they are put into this vicious circle (as opposed to a viscous circle, Droopy), where they want to learn more, but are told there is nothing more to learn.

They keep reading the scriptures while simultaneously reading into the scriptures contemporary Mormonism, with the result they are ever learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Perhaps this thread would be more valuable if we discussed how this hurdle can be surmounted. In other words, how do you take somebody who is unconsciously reading one particular preconceived view into the scriptures and help them see there is a world of meaning beyond that myopic understanding?

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_Sethbag]

You may remember a post I made a couple of weeks back about how in Sunday school the teacher emphasized how only faith, repentance, baptism and the Holy Ghost were to be taught.

She double-downed yesterday.
...

Then, as if catching herself, she said that was really stuff we already know, so she wasn't exactly sure how this helped us learn more.

I was too busy reading my copy of This is my Doctrine by Charles Harrell in the back pew to help out with her dilemma.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

Well you really showed her.

I don't want to be too confrontational about this, but it sounds a little rude for you to sit in the back of someone's class and read your own book instead of paying attention to the teacher. I have an idea. If you don't like what the teacher has to say then do what many of us have done and stop going. Sitting in the back contemptuously not paying attention is a little passive-aggressive, don't you think? Don't you think the teacher knows you're doing it, and is reading your message loud and clear that you think you're a lot smarter than she is? Isn't it a little rude to do that?

You've seen how vacuous and empty the church's lessons are. You have complained about them for years on this board. If the church sucks this bad, what is still drawing you to it, like a moth to the flame? If it's really true then maybe you're doing it wrong and should show the church a lot more respect, and if it's not really true, then why are you still playing the game at all?