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I have listened to the Masonic/Joseph Smith podcast, and the stages of faith podcasts with my husband. I love that my husband is totally understanding and listening with me and discussing with me. These podcasts have given me a new lease on life. I cannot wait to listen to all of them! Today I made the choice to go home after sacrament meeting. I can’t sit through Sunday School any more. Can’t. Do. It. It’s the same thing, over and over and over. We came home and listened to a podcast. Seriously. I had a very bad experience in RS last week so this week I was clearing my pallet. I might try to go back next week. My husband came home with me during Sunday School but he returned to attend his high priests quorum meeting. I had a WONDERFUL Sunday though, by choosing what I could handle and what I couldn’t.
Oh…I also listened to a podcast on organizational abuse. Wow. I have allowed myself to be abused….but no more and I have to be honest…I am feeling SO FREE. My attitude is influencing my family and they are getting the courage to refuse to do whatever they are “assigned” to do if it doesn’t feel right or work for them. (I think this is a healthy attitude to teach my daughter and I have explained organization abuse to her.) My husband has decided, for example, that he’s not going to get up on Saturday morning to set up chairs…he works 10 hour days and that’s his only day to sleep in. That isn’t going to work.
🙄 We went to the temple this week and did 60 baptisms for ancestors and had a wonderful experience. I’ve concluded that I can embrace the baptisms for the dead and marriage sealings (although I don’t understand the point of sealings to parents)…but the endowment? No. Making covenants, yes, I can deal with…but the teaching method of the endowment isn’t working for me. I believe it needs to be updated and revised AGAIN. The symbolism is wasted if the symbolism isn’t explained. Why the big mystery? So I’ve decided I’m not going to throw it all away because I don’t like one part…I’m going to focus on baptisms and sealings when I go to the temple and not be hearded into an endowment session any more. At least not for awhile until I can feel better about it.
Our son is currently in a situation on his mission that we feel is not safe. I am about to call the Mission President. Before I started reading here, I probably wouldn’t have done that…I wouldn’t want to be a helicopter parent….but now I don’t care. He will most likely be hearing from me this week.
I was asked by the RS this past week to make a dinner for a family up the street that just had a baby. I did it but I did it with a grudge. I don’t see why the RS is a catering service for new mothers. We are to be self-sufficient and plan for eventualities except having a baby? Huh? And what is wrong with the husband’s two arms? Why not save our meals for REAL NEEDS? I can see why this tradition began, in the days when cooking a meal was a huge task, but hello? We have washed, bagged and ready to eat lettuce in the store! We have the deli, and take out. Next time I will say no for new baby meals, and make meals for situations that I think are more needed. I don’t see why the RS’s job is to feed everyone until the day we die….and why the Young Women’s job is to babysit for everyone until they are old enough to start FEEDING everyone. UGH. I suppopse the errand of angels is given to women…yeah…the cooking and babysitting angels.
🙄 So…I’m thinking that I keep listening to podcasts, and continue empowering myself by choosing what I do and don’t do in the church. Any suggestions on what else I can do? I want to be an active member but I want to do it on my terms. I have no desire to attend ward activities, RS meetings (that aren’t on Sunday). If I am constantly being assigned things to do, then my time to be free to choose to do good on my own is hindered, you know? Any way, I’m open to suggestions, links, applause, thumbs up, etc.
😆 Quote:Oh…I also listened to a podcast on organizational abuse. Wow. I have allowed myself to be abused….but no more and I have to be honest…I am feeling SO FREE. My attitude is influencing my family and they are getting the courage to refuse to do whatever they are “assigned” to do if it doesn’t feel right or work for them.
Hi Daisy, do you have the links to this podcast? I can very much relate to what you have gone through, but I did not know there was a formal term for it, much less any help. My last calling was very intense and run by a dictator-type who kept piling on tasks, then micro-managing the details, so if things were not to her liking we would have to re-do them. All superfluous and costly, which was especially concerning to me in this economy when paying tithing has become such a hardship for people-I hated spending church funds on crafts, decorations and fancy refreshments. I could go on, but my greatest challenge was the total lack of respect for my time which was extremely valuable as I have a family, work, go to school, etc. This leader volunteered for extra responsibilities and assignments, then became very upset if anyone questioned this. One of the low points for me was serving refreshments on one of my kid’s b-days. I should have told her to take a hike, and I so regret that I put my kid off instead. It sounds like you are coming to a much more peaceful place with this than I am. And, I admire the example you are setting for your family to set healthy boundaries. I do believe that service is crucial to the church, but I also know that the focus can be misguided and end up being detrimental to those trying to serve.
Oh…yes….here’s the link: http://mormonstories.org/?p=225 You have to listen to this podcast. I see now what my problem was. I’m a convert and I believed when they said you should never turn down a calling…so I never did. As we moved from ward to ward through the years, the Bishop didn’t care what I’d been doing in my previous ward. He just had a calling to fill. So I eneded up in Primary for over 20 years. I’m practically brain dead now. I didn’t have an LDS mother to help guide me and give me clues about the LDS culture. I am planning to be that LDS mother for my daughter. I won’t let this happen to her.
Some people (women) are ridiculous in what they do to “magnify” their callings. I believe the church leaders have seen this and have tried to tell us less is more, but it’s the culture. I have noticed that LDS women are NUTS and do ridiculous things. Why? I don’t know. Competition? Trying to “look good”?
You are going to love this podcast. Enjoy. Come back and tell me how you liked it.
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