Posted on 04/08/2012 6:19:43 PM PDT by Colofornian
There were some interesting comments from the poll yesterday. I won’t say that our poll is representative of Mormons in general, but I do agree with the results. As of the time I wrote this, 75% of people who responded to our poll say that “Mormons have sub-par Easter services”. Why is that?
Last Sunday was Palm Sunday. SteveS noted that there were “0 references to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, no shout outs to Palm Sunday festivities celebrating Christ as Lord and Son of God. No hosannas shouted that day. Hardly any references at all to the upcoming Easter holy day.”
Actually, I checked, and the word Easter was never mentioned.
Jared noted a 1994 talk from Dallin Oaks that “In too many of our classes, in too many of our worship services, we are not teaching of Christ and testifying of Christ in the way we should.”
So, I thought it would be interesting to see what Oaks spoke about in Conference. His talk was titled “Sacrifice”, and he does talk about the Atonement and sacrifice of Christ. But the word “Easter” is completely absent, as is “Palm Sunday.” Why? What is it about our leadership that seems to ignore Palm Sunday completely? And why was Easter (just one week away) never mentioned at General Conference? (I checked for the word “Easter” in every talk, and it was NEVER mentioned–I checked the Women’s meeting the week before and it wasn’t mentioned there either.)
I wish Mormons celebrated, rather than simply observed, the Easter holiday. It would be nice to have more of a celebration of Easter; I really like Easter gets the short shrift for celebrations, but I think that Christmas celebrations in our church are lacking as well. Four years ago, I posted the question, Why don’t Mormons celebrate Easter? It is my #2 post this month! I always receive a spike in hits for that post around Easter. If you do a Google search asking “do Mormons celebrate Easter”, my post comes up on the #8 position (In past years, it was as high as #2).
Is this one of those things we do to be a “peculiar people”? Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate Easter either. Are we trying to be more like them? No, because we love Easter Egg hunts, and candy. Why do we emphasize the wrong aspects of Easter?
Many of us read the Christmas story before Christmas. How many of you read the Easter story before Easter?
As interesting as this article is, the real story is in the comments below. Here’s one from “Non American” that I found particularly insightful:
Non American on April 8, 2012 at 6:14 AM
“This was the thing that finally pushed me over the edge. I was noticing that we were focusing more on “prophets” and “principles” and silly discussions on questions of whether or not vegetarians were breaking the Word of Wisdom! I didn’t say anything because this was just Satan putting thoughts into my mind, right? I went to church last Easter Sunday (2011) and Christ wasn’t mentioned once in Sacrament Meeting. Not in any capacity. His name was only mentioned in the opening and closing prayers and in the blessing of the Sacrament.When we left church that day, I said to my husband “Did you notice that Christ wasn’t mentioned once and it’s Easter Sunday for heaven’s sake! I feel so bad for Him after all He has done for us!”I had been struggling with some of the peculiarly Mormon teachings anyway but kept attending church because I liked being there but after that Easter Sunday I had enough and have decided that I can worship Christ better or as well elsewhere.”
This is another dumb thread about mormons. Apparently the originator of this thread has no idea how many different sects of christianity do not celebrate easter in any way shape or form. Singling out mormons because they “don’t celebrate easter enough” is beyond ridiculous.
Ping for later.
Yes, thank you.
Enjoy the religion that you’ve settled on in this diverse country we enjoy. You could have easily been born in India and would most likely be a Hindu or a Muslim...
Less than 7 weeks ago (Feb. 20), Magritte, you told Elsie: Sorry sport...the only anti I am is anti-religious bigot! Source: http://209.157.64.201/focus/f-religion/2848876/posts Post #41
What's interesting Magritte is that three minutes before this thread was posted, this one was: "A" Son of God??
Why didn't you venture into that thread & wade in re: the supposed "bigotry" exercised vs. Obama in that thread??? Between all the "Muslim-Obama" ties' comments made in that thread & at least two other threads today, posters like yourself might call this "religious bigotry" vs. Obama (I wouldn't)...
Now I can understand with that Easter invite you had today, you wouldn't have gotten around to those other two threads yet...see:
* Obama praised – and pummeled – on matters of faith [LA Times]
* Unfamiliar with his “Christian beliefs”, Obama declares “Jesus had doubts”
And then late last week, Obama's religious ties were thoroughly critiqued here:
Hatch: Obama camp will 'throw Mormon church' at Romney [opening Ldsism...not throwing tis enough]
My Q is: If you are so "anti-religious bigot," Magritte, then when are you going to wade into these four threads filled w/anti-religious comments & ties of Obama? [And I'm sure more will be added tomorrow]
Doesn't this conviction of yours apply evenly across the board?
Why the "weigh-in" on countless Lds/Romney threads, but apparently NONE in attempting to convince anti-religious comments pertaining to Obama?
Are you simply a hypocritical in this area?
You wanna generically stick up for the Hindu & Muslim in this thread, but not for the accusations accompanying an alleged specific "Muslim" (Obama)???
Why not???
Is it just easier to focus on a specific Mormon (Romney), but not a specific so-called "Muslim"???
When are you going to confess this two-faced approach of yours to whatever god you call upon?
Did not Jesus rail most vs. hypocrisy?
Another ignorant comment. Content-wise, I originated nothing of this article. It existed in cyberspace -- and before that in the mind of "Mormon Heretic."
Now if you want to castigate this Mormon author for writing this piece...and for taking an informal site survey where 75% of Mormons agreed with him...fine...be my guest.
The writer of the article "singled out" Mormons simply because he is one...and that's where his Easter experiences are based.
Other than that, a parallel here would be how newspapers run AP stories all the time...Your rant here is similar to complaining to a local editor for "originating" an AP article...
Just so you finally become a bit educated here, if, per chance, you don't like an AP story in the future...contact AP + run a letter to your editor in your local paper/paper's Web site...
But don't blame the local paper for originating the content of the article. They didn't.
(Raider Sam replied with rage)
Thank you for your comment.
If it was posted on the religion forum I appreciate that but I read these articles under “Latest Articles”.
yeah yeah. I know your posting history.
““Mormons have sub-par Easter services”. Why is that?”
But, I thought that a basic doctrine is that Mormonism is the only true church and all others are false?
So, why compare their services with the false churches at all?
From the Book of Mormon:
“Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the Church of the Lamb of God [i.e.. the Mormon Church] and the other is the church of the devil [i.e.. the Christian Church]; wherefore whosoever belongeth not to the church of the lamb of God belongeth to that great church; which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.” (The Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 14:10).
When Joseph Smith went out into the woods to pray to ask God which Christian denomination he should join, he explains that God allegedly commanded him:
“...I must join none of them [Christian Churches], for they were all wrong...that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight” (Joseph Smith History 1:19).
Good response! I tried talking with these people a year ago and it was like talking to a post. If you don’t like it go somewhere else to practice your religion. Why attach them? Why not attack Islam, which does way more harm than being Mormon.
I don’t subscribe to any organized religion but at the same time I don’t criticize any, except Islam. That is not a religion of peace.
So what about Joseph Smith Jr who described himself as a second Mohammed?
touche! well done.
read my post again. Why attack a peaceful religion that you disagree with. At least they are not killing their own children for being disrespectful. Happy Easter to you and your family.
> At least they are not killing their own children for being disrespectful.
Umm.... At least we hope not...
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/14779/flds-reinstituting-blood-atonement
Yes, I know the FLDS are no longer part of the LDS officially. But I find it interesting that the State of Utah, which is 60 percent Mormon and controlled at all levels by the GOP, more or less turned a blind eye to them at the expense of the “sweetness” of numerous children... er... “celestial brides”.
I find it interesting that the State of Utah was unable to prosecute or convict this guy: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2022139/Warren-Jeffs-trial-Heavy-breathing-sex-tape-3-wives-including-bride-12.html
While Texas (another heavy GOP state) put him away for life (plus 20 years) relatively quickly. To me, the blind eye turned to Warren Jeffs by Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff (R) is proof that the Utah GOP don’t share my values as a conservative Christian. Like Texas, I value the innocence and protection of children.
You need to get a real job. That is a real stretch. It amazes me that you completely ignore fathers killing daughters for no other reason than to listen to music.
But you can cite book and chapter for the most benign of what it means to be a Mormon. You need help.
I would applaud you, if you attacked Islam, but you don’t. You hide behind some mysterious code of, well these people are pushing a faults God. REALLY, that’s all you have????
By definition , any “sect of Christianity” that “does not celebrate Easter in a any way” IS NOT CHRISTIAN! Just because a wacko group misappropriates the name of Christian does NOT make it so. This holds for any heretical group that denies the essential and definitional truth of Christ’s atoning Crucifixion and bodily Resurrection. This has been common knowledge for 2,000 years, and no false prophet is gong to get away with defining away the very essence of Christianity.
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