when people talk about LDS (Austin, Colorado City: live in, law, non-denominational)

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

What are they talking about when they say wards? Also, is this the group that has as many wives as they want?

[love roses]

I don't think so, at least not in this immediate area. However, last night we were at my sisters and her husbands uncle was over (he's with DPS in Austin) and he and my husband got to talking about fringe groups for some reason and that recent LDS case in the news with all the kids getting taken away, etc came up...and he says that for the most part that group is back to business as usual, with only a few arrests actually made.

[TexasHorseLady]

LDS means Church of Later Day Saints. (aka Mormons.) Long ago, they had multiple wives, but the main church no longer allows that. (Bad reaction, run out of town on a rail, don't you dare be different from the rest of us or we'll shoot you, type stuff pretty much forced the change.)

Wards, as I understand it, are somewhat similar to congregations, but I don't know the details.

However, there are some splinter groups that still hold to the old ways and beliefs, of which one is evidently the one that got so much press lately. I'd no more tar all (or even most) LDS members with that brush than I'd think that all Catholics (or all priests) are guilty of child abuse just because a few rogue priests out of millions of Catholics were. Or that the members of any other religion are all guilty of whatever spectacular TV-soundbite-worthy action a small number of members are guilty of.

[jobert]

LDS: proof you can perpetuate your agenda through breeding. They are the fastest growing population in the country. Basically 50 years from now, almost the entire US will be Hispanic or Mormon.

[love roses]

For the record, my sister in law is Mormon, as is her husband and all 4 of her kids so, no, I personally don't think they are all like the fringe group.

[jobert]

FLDS is the fringe group in Colorado City, Arizona that has received the press. I am a product of Mormons (both parents) and like all other Mormon decendants, I'm related to one of the presidents of the church. No joke. I don't practice and never plan on it, either.

[gb0610]

To simply answer your question, a "ward" is the actual area that a Mormon lives in. It dictates what church or "ward" they go to. Unlike others, who get a choice of which church they go to, say if they are a non-denominational Christian, Mormons are directed to a church/ward based on which part of town they live in.

[NC_newcomer]

Originally Posted by gb0610

To simply answer your question, a "ward" is the actual area that a Mormon lives in. It dictates what church or "ward" they go to. Unlike others, who get a choice of which church they go to, say if they are a non-denominational Christian, Mormons are directed to a church/ward based on which part of town they live in.

To make a Catholic or Episcopalian analogy: ward = parish, stake = diocese.

[Trainwreck20]

This is not an Austin topic. I believe that this is discussed in the Religion forum.