Provo City Center Temple cultural celebration event

It sounds like you had a fantastic time. I love those soul soaring moments. I don’t however share your conclusions.

the common desire to worship God

As a one time full on orthodox person I might concur with some of your assessments but a couple of them actually embarrass me, and would have then. I have never believed that other people in other churches don’t have a common desire to worship God. I grew up in a strong Catholic area, in my time there, they were devoted to God as he had been taught to them. Even the secular society around us was deeply influenced by it. They set their calendars by Catholic calendars and respected their worship as much as they did.

the focus on service

It was while I was growing up that my Catholic boss pointed out to me that our church didn’t have anything close to the Catholic Charities. She was correct. We didn’t even have a welfare square type deal as we know it – until my teens. Yes as a church we had rallied to send humanitarian aid during WW2 but after that it was back to caring for ourselves only. I know this because my husbands uncle was the first “head of Welfare Square” as it now functions. Our previous efforts were LDS to LDS. Bishops storehouse type stuff.

the strength of our youth

Over the past 15 years – my kids have associated with Evangelical kids. They attended a unique public school where 90% of the student body, and most of the teaching staff, were practicing Evangelicals. Later my kids joined a local Christian theater performing group – again 90% evangelical. Those kids are strong in their faith. Mormon kids don’t usually pray over their food in a restaurant. These kids do. They know their bible, etc. Every one of them worked hard, were gregarious, virtuous, reliable. By LDS standards they were “Mormon Teens” if you could call it that. A perfect example is from my daughters senior trip. The school takes kids back east. Each year it varies where back east, but their particular year they ended up in Boston. Their bus dropped them off to visit the grounds of the Old North Church (You know the Paul Revere Church). As they were getting ready to board the bus one of the kids realized a church service was do up in within the hour. The kids asked if they could stay and respectfully attend. The bus driver was stunned. No other tour group had asked for this. By the end of the tour, he was a nearly converted Christian thanks to a group of Evangelical kids with one Mormon in tow (my daughter).

In short I disagree with your final conclusion

I will be so bold to include no other church on the face of the earth.

I come from convert stock. My mom was the only member, but her parents and family were noble, honest, hard working, charitable, considerate, neighborly, and clean living. Though they didn’t church – they honored The Divine. My grandparents were, even as I was growing up LDS, my greatest example of true Christendom in action. As LDS people we are so busy being LDS we rarely have time to neighbor, to slow down and connect with other humans, or to be lights in a way that many need. We are so busy being list checkers and church only do-gooders we don’t have time for much else. Unless it’s participating in community service the church sets up for us.

So no our church does do good, it does create much positive, but it doesn’t hold the corner on the market. We have a long way to go before we can love as He admonished us to do. Until then I choose to set aside the comparison lists. Rather take up Joseph’s call to find “Good and True where ever it may be.”

It sounds like you had a fantastic time. I love those soul soaring moments. I don’t however share your conclusions.

the common desire to worship God

As a one time full on orthodox person I might concur with some of your assessments but a couple of them actually embarrass me, and would have then. I have never believed that other people in other churches don’t have a common desire to worship God. I grew up in a strong Catholic area, in my time there, they were devoted to God as he had been taught to them. Even the secular society around us was deeply influenced by it. They set their calendars by Catholic calendars and respected their worship as much as they did.

the focus on service

It was while I was growing up that my Catholic boss pointed out to me that our church didn’t have anything close to the Catholic Charities. She was correct. We didn’t even have a welfare square type deal as we know it – until my teens. Yes as a church we had rallied to send humanitarian aid during WW2 but after that it was back to caring for ourselves only. I know this because my husbands uncle was the first “head of Welfare Square” as it now functions. Our previous efforts were LDS to LDS. Bishops storehouse type stuff.

the strength of our youth

Over the past 15 years – my kids have associated with Evangelical kids. They attended a unique public school where 90% of the student body, and most of the teaching staff, were practicing Evangelicals. Later my kids joined a local Christian theater performing group – again 90% evangelical. Those kids are strong in their faith. Mormon kids don’t usually pray over their food in a restaurant. These kids do. They know their bible, etc. Every one of them worked hard, were gregarious, virtuous, reliable. By LDS standards they were “Mormon Teens” if you could call it that. A perfect example is from my daughters senior trip. The school takes kids back east. Each year it varies where back east, but their particular year they ended up in Boston. Their bus dropped them off to visit the grounds of the Old North Church (You know the Paul Revere Church). As they were getting ready to board the bus one of the kids realized a church service was do up in within the hour. The kids asked if they could stay and respectfully attend. The bus driver was stunned. No other tour group had asked for this. By the end of the tour, he was a nearly converted Christian thanks to a group of Evangelical kids with one Mormon in tow (my daughter).

In short I disagree with your final conclusion

I will be so bold to include no other church on the face of the earth.

I come from convert stock. My mom was the only member, but her parents and family were noble, honest, hard working, charitable, considerate, neighborly, and clean living. Though they didn’t church – they honored The Divine. My grandparents were, even as I was growing up LDS, my greatest example of true Christendom in action. As LDS people we are so busy being LDS we rarely have time to neighbor, to slow down and connect with other humans, or to be lights in a way that many need. We are so busy being list checkers and church only do-gooders we don’t have time for much else. Unless it’s participating in community service the church sets up for us.

So no our church does do good, it does create much positive, but it doesn’t hold the corner on the market. We have a long way to go before we can love as He admonished us to do. Until then I choose to set aside the comparison lists. Rather take up Joseph’s call to find “Good and True where ever it may be.”

My opinion is that the sum total of those, not any one, is what sets Mormonism up as being unique, in my mind.

The comparison to other churches, I was bursting with Mormon pride and probably overstated my position. Sure, I agree truth and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and sure others might see their religion meeting those needs more consistently or at a higher level than LDS. I will agree to disagree on that one if push comes to shove.

The comparison to secular organizations, I stand by my assertion. Go ahead and toss out “common desire to worship God”, and I still don’t see a secular organization providing those tangible benefits that the LDS church does.

My opinion is that the sum total of those, not any one, is what sets Mormonism up as being unique, in my mind.

The comparison to other churches, I was bursting with Mormon pride and probably overstated my position. Sure, I agree truth and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and sure others might see their religion meeting those needs more consistently or at a higher level than LDS. I will agree to disagree on that one if push comes to shove.

The comparison to secular organizations, I stand by my assertion. Go ahead and toss out “common desire to worship God”, and I still don’t see a secular organization providing those tangible benefits that the LDS church does.

That’s great CIT. For you “it works wonderfully.” Please recognize that it doesn’t work wonderfully for everyone (and I think you do recognize that). For some (and I’m thinking of one regular poster here in particular) those secular organizations work wonderfully.

Is there “culture” in Provo??????

These “culture” celebrations started when the prophet would visit foreign locations, and the locals would put on a show to demonstrate the different cultural of the area. It was not associated with a Temple dedication. I attended one in 1977 in Santiago Chile when Pres Hinckley visited. Later this celebration was moved to being associated with temple dedications. But I wonder what culture is being demonstrated in Provo that the “visiting authorities” are not already familiar with? When the Star Valley temple is dedicated, will the cultural celebration include steer roping and cow chip tossing?

P.S. I have sat in an Priesthood meeting in Star Valley where the topic of conversation was who would provide the cow chips for the 24th of July celebration. They made light of the fact that brother so-and-so brought them last year, and they were too soft and made a mess of everything!