Posted on 09/08/2009 10:44:09 PM PDT by Colofornian
Today, Mormons work hand-in-hand with other faiths at the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County to feed the hungry throughout an area of some 280,000 people.
But it has not always been that way.
In 1992, Kristina Manning approached the "Loaves & Fishes" organization and asked to be a volunteer. But Manning, a new LDS convert, was turned down.
Two members of her bishopric at the time in the Paso Robles 1st Ward of the San Luis Obispo California Stake paid a visit to Loaves & Fishes and tried to resolve the situation. After being told they were not welcome, Bishop Kent Dimond and first counselor Doug Major decided there was a need to improve the local perception of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Most of the groceries provided to Loaves & Fishes came from the newly created Food Bank Coalition, which was open to volunteer support. After Major was called as bishop of the ward, he appointed an LDS liaison to the food bank. Floyd Butterfield, who was the elder's quorum president, was also a prominent resident of the community and was able to secure a position on the board of directors at the Food Bank.
"It was a win-win situation," Major said. The nearest bishop's storehouse was nearly three hours away and the Food Bank played prominently in the fast offering and welfare programs.
Over the years, the ward helped the Food Bank to grow by washing and repairing trucks and painting the warehouse. LDS missionaries served there once a week, providing "muscle power" that many of the older volunteers could not.
In 1999, President Butterfield became Bishop Butterfield and "he had to return the favor," Major said. "He called me to help on the board. Obviously I couldn't say no."
Helping the Food Bank is not a church calling, but both men are still involved. They now work in the Young Men's program in the ward.
"We have done a few Eagle (Scout) projects at the Food Bank," Major said.
Butterfield helped the Food Bank develop a program called "One Day, One Dollar," which was "based on the fast offering program and the power of everybody giving a little bit (so) you would have plenty of money to help those in need," he said.
Three years ago, $120,000 was raised to put the Food Bank in a solid financial position. The previous high had been $30,000. More than four million pounds of food were distributed last year.
Another fundraising drive was held in May 2009.
"The elders need to be recognized," Major said, adding that their service over 16 years totals more than 13,000 hours. "They have been nominated many times and won the county's Volunteer Group of the Year award. They could give it to them every year if they wanted to."
As chairman of the search committee in 2006, Major hired Dr. Carl Hansen, a retiring Episcopal minister, as executive director of the Food Bank.
Later that year, Hansen accompanied Major to a convention in Salt Lake City where they visited the Utah Food Bank and the church's humanitarian services. They also attended a performance of the Tabernacle Choir, after which Hansen turned to Major and said, "You must be very proud of your church."
Hansen was actually on the founding board for Loaves & Fishes, but Major emphasized that he was not involved in turning down Manning's request to serve.
As for that person, Major said, "We are close friends now."
Now, if Loaves & Fishes was a specific Christian based organization, I might have an issue with them putting a Mormon on its board. But from what I could tell from its Web site, that whatever Biblical undercurrent led to its genesis in 1980, I no longer see overt Christian references to its history other than taking its name from the New Testament. (And borrowing something from the Bible doesn't make an entity "Christian")
From the article's headline: Mormons work with other faiths at California food bank
OK, this headline, though, confuses me. The only other singled-out "faith" of an individual referenced in this article is Episcopalian -- which the Mormon Times editor says is part of "other faiths" -- which, BTW, I agree.
What confuses me is just 4 days earliers -- Sept. 4, is that the Mormon Times ran an article headlined, Faith-promoting music from fellow Christians -- meaning non-Lds Evangelical, etc. Christian recording artists. [See Faith-promotingMusicfromFellowChristians ]
So on Friday, these Lds journalists deem Christians as "fellow Christians" -- and by Tuesday Episcopalians is part of the "other faiths" umbrella.
No wonder Mormonism has been labeled a Maze -- with their jumbled belief system comparable to trying to nail jello to a tree.
Kil da mormos.
And the enemy of my enemy is my friend. And if he follows Jesus Christ, he's got a spot near the coffee pot.
It's amazing how much clearer these things are when you live where the wild critters actually eat people that you know.
/johnny
On its board is one thing. The one woman just wanted to volunteer. Does L&F still tell Mormons to take a hike?
Well, perhaps. My former mormon eyes see things a little differently.
"Mormons work with other faiths at California food bank" IMO could be entitled "Mormons Take Over California Food Bank".
Two members of her bishopric at the time in the Paso Robles 1st Ward of the San Luis Obispo California Stake paid a visit to Loaves & Fishes and tried to resolve the situation. After being told they were not welcome, Bishop Kent Dimond and first counselor Doug Major decided there was a need to improve the local perception of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Most of the groceries provided to Loaves & Fishes came from the newly created Food Bank Coalition, which was open to volunteer support. After Major was called as bishop of the ward, he appointed an LDS liaison to the food bank. Floyd Butterfield, who was the elder's quorum president, was also a prominent resident of the community and was able to secure a position on the board of directors at the Food Bank.
"It was a win-win situation," Major said. The nearest bishop's storehouse was nearly three hours away and the Food Bank played prominently in the fast offering and welfare programs.
Uhhh..WHAT? Since the Bishop's Storehouse is three hours away, the Food Bank has become the much-touted mormon welfare plan??
The fast offering and welfare plan of the mormon church is controlled by the mormon church. How is it that this ecumenical program morphed into "playing prominently into the fast offering and welfare programs of the mormon church"?
...."Floyd Butterfield, who was the elder's quorum president, was also a prominent resident of the community and was able to secure a position on the board of directors at the Food Bank."....From "improving the local perception of the LDS church to board of directors....how convenient....AND, In 1999, President Butterfield became Bishop Butterfield and "he had to return the favor," Major said. "He called me to help on the board. Obviously I couldn't say no." Obviously not!
Hmmm....mormons decide to improve their "perception"..."prominent members of the community" who just happen to be mormons "secure" board of director positions...the Food Bank plays "prominently" in the mormons' welfare program....mormon chairs "search committee"... hires Dr. Carl Hansen, a retiring Episcopal minister, (who was on the founding board for Loaves & Fishes, but "was not involved in turning down Manning's request to serve") as executive director of the Food Bank.
The Mormon Times article goes on to say, ""The elders need to be recognized," Major said, adding that their service over 16 years totals more than 13,000 hours. "They have been nominated many times and won the county's Volunteer Group of the Year award. They could give it to them every year if they wanted to."
I'm just wondering if those thousands of hours of labor by the elders would have been offered had the church not have been such a major factor in the Food Bank, and had the Food Bank not have " played prominently in the fast offering and welfare programs".
This thread fits nicely with a comment I made on another thread, "It's amazing how similar the mormon and democrat philosophy of "let's all get along and work together" is....meant as, "Let's all do it OUR way so we can "get along and work together"!
Helping the Food Bank is not a church calling
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Well it may not be a mormon thing to feed the poor...
After all theres no return in big tithes...
But it sure is a church calling among the Christians...
The Jesus of the Bible commands us to feed the poor...
Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But He answered, “You give them something to eat.” Mark 6:34, 35a
The elders need to be recognized,” Major said, adding that their service over 16 years totals more than 13,000 hours. “They have been nominated many times and won the county’s Volunteer Group of the Year award. They could give it to them every year if they wanted to.”
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Why do “The elders need to be recognized” ???
Are they just doing something to look good , to toot their own horn, to advertise the mormnon cult...look at us ???
How often are there lists of names and hours of service in the newspapers of Christians who spend time and money in service ???
CRICKETS
Those “elders” are on their “mission” and working like a dog for brownie points towards their after life and to give the Morg laurels...Looky here at us...
Those hours are divided up amongst how many so called “elders” ??? 16 years, 13,000 hours...
If you start off with only one thats less than 1,000 hours for one year - 812.5 actually..we’ll give them 813, half an hour for a coffee break...thats 15.625 hours a week...again we’ll round it up to 16, another nearly half hour coffee break...
But the article said “elderS” as in more than one so we are down to less than eight hours a week.. 7.8125..that extra time can be used to make some more coffee...we’ll be generous and call it 8 hours...
Three elders and its less than six hours a week, 5.2083 actually, ...well give them time to drink a cup pf coffee, replace what they’ve drunk by making fresh for the ladies (that will be a novelty) and a lunch break...The bishop is buying (yeah, and that afternoon he had that lobotomy) and so we round it up to 6 hours a week...
Four elders and its less than four hours a week...3.90625 actually. Time for only half a cup of coffee..
See how that goes ???
If those hours are among the time they spend anyway, why would they get special awards ???
Jesus said if you are rewarded here on Earth that you have your reward..
I wonder if that is why Christians dont call out the media if they do something for someone else ???
How do you know there was not more to the story ???
The one woman just wanted to volunteer ???
Women have been volunteering to preach in the pulpits of the Morg for decades and been turned down...
They just wanted to volunteer...
Making coffee for the ladies bump. ;)
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