The lowdown on us Mormons... (Salt Lake City, Park City: condominium, places to live, safe)

[irman]

Originally Posted by hilgi

Boy, people are no fun. Ok, I politely interact with the missionaries in order to learn about their beliefs. Happy?

Yep.

[Woody1950]

To clarify a earlier reply: People should not treat you any different if you are not LDS. If they do let me apologize for them and say they are not practicing their faith. What I was trying to point out people treat us (LDS) differently if we live in the MISSION FIELD (anywhere outside UTAH). The Extermination Order of October 27,1838 in Missouri, was not taken off the books until 1976. This order made it legal to kill Mormons. I am a direct descendant of Gen. Donovan of the Missouri Militia. Who refused to carry out the order to kill Joseph and Hyrum Smith,and went on to defend the Saints in Missouri. (Just found that out,isn't geneology great.)

[GlasirGirl]

Do LDS have an obligation to attend the temple (church building?) nearest their home? In the area where I live the density of homes seems a bit sparse in ratio to the density of temples. I wonder if that makes things get a bit political, or what's the purpose of so much divvying up.

[SportyandMisty]

Originally Posted by irman

You can *walk in*, *run in*, *crawl in* at any time there are people at the church.

You will be surprised how few *members* will actually talk to you ......

Keep in mind that the *first Sunday* of the month is a *Testimony bearing* service.

What occurs that is special about "testimony bearing" service and how does that differ from non-first Sundays?

I just discovered this thread and have read it front to back. Thank you to starting it & taking time to educate the rest of us.

One dumb question - perhaps etiquette, perhaps substance.

When is it proper to use the term "Mormon" and when is it proper to say "LDS"? Do you refer to a person as Mormon or LDS? To the religion? to the institutions? etc.

I have come to love Utah - for skiing, and for how functional it is. Things just seem to work. I even have a condo in Park City but I don't get to enjoy it more than a week (two at most) per year.

What is the special regard I have heard referenced that Mormons hold for Jews? Are Jews welcome in Utah?

As a non-LDS (or should I say non-Mormon?) I love Utah, and would think about settling down there but since LDS are so busy between family, work & the church, I am a bit afraid I would find it lonely.

[SportyandMisty]

Originally Posted by irman

As they say in many circles ...
The secret of a long happy marriage is ... *Yes Dear ...*

All seriousness aside, a Marriage is 95% give and 5% take ...
On BOTH sides !!!!!

My wife and I have a system that works well for us.

I make all the BIG decisions.
She makes all the little ones.

... and she decides which decisions are BIG and which are little.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by GlasirGirl

Do LDS have an obligation to attend the temple (church building?) nearest their home?

Okay, I'm not quite sure whether you are referring to a temple or to a church, because they're not the same thing. Churches (aka ward houses, meeting houses, chapels) are where we meet for regular Sunday worship services and sometimes in the middle of the week for special social activities, etc. Two or three separate congregations, called "wards," can sometimes meet in the same building, staggering the meeting times on Sunday. One ward might have Sacrament Meeting at 9:00 A.M., another at 11:00 A.M. and a third at 1:00 P.M. A "ward" is roughly the same thing as a parish. LDS people are assigned to a ward depending on where they live. It's not that they are forbidden from attending another ward in another part of town, but when they do, they attend as a visitor, since their own membership records are maintained by the ward in which they live. Since we do not have a paid clergy, all administrative and teaching positions are held by ward members. We refer to these positions as "callings." Pretty much every adult member of a ward who is willing to accept a calling has one of some kind or another. Logistically, It would be almost impossible for a ward to function if people could just attend any ward they felt like attending. Does that make sense?

In the area where I live the density of homes seems a bit sparse in ratio to the density of temples. I wonder if that makes things get a bit political, or what's the purpose of so much divvying up.

Well, in this case, it might be that the ward boundaries are just larger than in more densely populated areas. In some areas, the ward boundaries might extend for just a few blocks, while in other areas, the ward boundaries might extend for quite a few miles. Either way, there are generally somewhere around 500 people in a ward (as I recall).

Temples, on the other hand, are not used for regular Sunday services. There are tens of thousands of LDS churches in the world, but only about 130 temples. My guess it that you weren't thinking of temples, but churches, when you asked your question. If I misunderstood, let me know and I'll explain how it all works with respect to temples.

[SportyandMisty]

back to the "hot drinks" question.

It is possible to brew tea without heating water (so-called "sun tea" is made in jugs of tap water left in the sun).

One coffee beverage is "iced coffee".

In fact, one can "brew" coffee without heating the water.

How might these beverages be viewed by the LDS Church?

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by SportyandMisty

What occurs that is special about "testimony bearing" service and how does that differ from non-first Sundays?

It's just a lot less structured. Normally, there are two to three pre-assigned talks given by members of the congregation or occasionally by members of the Stake High Council, the 12-member group that is over a group of 8 or 10 wards in a stake. (You could probably consider a ward to be roughly the equivalent to a parish and a stake to be equivalent to a diocese.) We have no paid clergy, so no regular minister or pastor who gives a sermon each week. The talks (you could think of them as "sermonette," I guess) are prepared by the members of the Church, who generally have a week or two to get their thoughts together on a subject most often assigned by the member of their bishopric. They might be asked to speak on charity, on temple work, on the importance of the scriptures, on the Holy Ghost, or any one of a number of other topics. Testimony Meeting, on the other hand, takes the place of the regular Sacrament Meeting the first Sunday of the months. For about 30 to 40 minutes, ward members can stand up as they feel prompted to do so and express their feelings about the gospel. They are encouraged to share faith-promoting stories, interesting insights that they've discovered through scripture study and prayer, and to generally try to uplift the other members of the congregation through a short, spontaneous message. Sometimes as many as 12 to 15 people take turns speaking to the congregation, either standing up at the pews where they're sitting and using a roving microphone or going up front to the pulpit and speaking from there. Sometimes Testimony Meetings are really good. At other times, they turn into travelogues and what-not. I generally suggest that visitors not make them their first experience seeing the Church in action for the simple reason that they're kind of unpredictable and offer no real insights into the kind of things you'd normally hear taught at an average Sacrament Meeting.

I just discovered this thread and have read it front to back. Thank you to starting it & taking time to educate the rest of us.

Happy to do so, although I wish a few other members of the Church would participate more often.

One dumb question - perhaps etiquette, perhaps substance.

When is it proper to use the term "Mormon" and when is it proper to say "LDS"? Do you refer to a person as Mormon or LDS? To the religion? to the institutions? etc.

Well, there is no "Mormon Church." There is only a "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," which is quite a mouthful. Sometimes we say "LDS Church," even though there isn't technically one of those either. Most of us probably have a slight preference for "LDS" over "Mormon," but it serviously doesn't bother 9 out of 10 of us to be referred to as "Mormon." I sometimes call myself a Mormon and sometimes LDS. We're really not all that picky, as we've been called a lot worse.

I have come to love Utah - for skiing, and for how functional it is. Things just seem to work. I even have a condo in Park City but I don't get to enjoy it more than a week (two at most) per year.

I'm so glad you like it!

What is the special regard I have heard referenced that Mormons hold for Jews? Are Jews welcome in Utah?

If you don't mind, I'm going to hold off till tomorrow in answering this question. I took my Ambien almost a half an hour ago, and any minute now, I expect to start typing gibberish and then fall asleep on my keyboard.

As a non-LDS (or should I say non-Mormon?) I love Utah, and would think about settling down there but since LDS are so busy between family, work & the church, I am a bit afraid I would find it lonely.

Check out the other threads from people who've been where you are and let them tell you what their experiences have been. Their input would probably be more valid than mine in that regard.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by SportyandMisty

back to the "hot drinks" question.

It is possible to brew tea without heating water (so-called "sun tea" is made in jugs of tap water left in the sun).

One coffee beverage is "iced coffee".

In fact, one can "brew" coffee without heating the water.

How might these beverages be viewed by the LDS Church?

As nonsensical as it might seem, "hot drinks" has been interpreted pretty much from the beginning (1838) to mean coffee and tea. At this point, it doesn't matter whether they're served hot or cold, lukewarm or frozen. Any way you want to serve them, we don't want to drink them.

A lot of people assume that it's because of the caffeine that they are no-nos, but the LDS Church leadership has never come out and said that. Consequently, Diet Coke continues to be one of the staples of my diet. It probably seems kind of hypocritical, and I guess maybe it is. For me, though, I'll keep keeping the Coca-Cola Company in business until the leadership makes an official statement that Coke is now off-limits. Then, I will regretfully give it up. I know it's not good for you, but I reserve the right to have a couple of vices.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by kaytidid

You really should attend! Although my own Catholic faith is very strong, I have attended LDS services and my dd attends with her boyfriend several times a month. There are some aspects of that faith that I find very comforting.

What do you find comforting?

I have a friend in Knoxville who is LDS. I adore him and his parents so I thought I'd stop by and find out what the religion is all about. Currently, I am atheist. I used to be Lutheran. I like people that are sincere about their faith.

I've read the last several pages and just as I got to the end, Katzpur nodded off. That's okay, though. I hope that when he wakes he will read that I am very thankful for his informative answers.