Do you consider Church attendance mandatory for everyone?

[Anonymous]

dande48 wrote:

DarkJedi wrote:

So other than withholding a TR, how else is the church to enforce a policy of mandatory attendance? Don’t call me as EQP?

FWIW, refering to the original questions “Do you consider Church attendance mandatory for everyone?” and “is church attendance necessary for our salvation?”, I was using the holding of a temple recommend as the minimum requirements, in the view of the Church, for salvation (defined as exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom). A rule doesn’t have to be super enforceable to be mandatory. It is, by definition, “mandatory” to obey the speed limit. There are exceptions left open to the interpretation of the “authorities”, speeding a “little” is rarely enforced, BUT technically if you go over the speed limit, you’re subject to a fine and possibly jail time.

I don’t think our doctrine is that the temple is necessary for salvation. I think our doctrine is that baptism, including the GotHG, is necessary for salvation. The doctrine is that the temple is necessary for exaltation, and I do recognize there are a fair number of members who conflate salvation and exaltation and that the lines are not always clear. There may be policies in place regarding sacrament attendance, although they appear to be secondary (as in it is a TR question). I am not aware of any doctrine that states church attendance, or temple attendance beyond your own endowment, are actually necessary. They certainly don’t hurt anything, and again I find significance in the sacrament, but necessary or mandatory? Not in the “law.”

[Anonymous]

Old Timer wrote:

Technically, in our theology salvation is a gift to all who are born, except the few Children of Perdition, for their premortal choice. Exaltation is different.

From the LDS website:

Quote:

“Salvation” and “saved” are also used in the scriptures in other contexts with several different meanings.

Again, it’s important to define what exactly is meant by “salvation” with discussions like these. If you broaden the term salvation, the question becomes meaningless. Even the children of perdition (#LadyMonsters #feminism) receive salvation, in the broadest sense, because they are resurrected through the atonement of Christ and “saved” from death. I narrowed it down to “exaltation”, and also narrowed to what’s taught by the Church combined with Church policy, which is even MORE restrictive. I think defining “salvation” broader goes against the original intent of the question.

But by your definition, and under the assumption that the theology of the Church is correct, I agree.

[Anonymous]

Minyan Man, I’ve asked those questions about attendance and see that answers depend on who you talk to and their point of view.

As was stated, there are exceptions and people understand that.

And there is tradition, which many people allude to…they are saying basically “yes… everyone should go every Sunday.”

When I ask “why?” The answers are usually:

– you need to take the sacrament, it is an ordinance and the most important reason

– you need to continually exercise faith like you do for nutrition in your body and exercise to be healthy

– you need to stay in the boat and close to the flock to be safe from outside predators in life that steal you away and slowly drag you down to hell.

Now…for each of these…they can be debated from person to person. It becomes opinion, not doctrine. There are general underlying gospel principles that support arguments.

But there is no black and white answer. Circumstances vary, and so I find it best to understand what people say and how they feel about it to check my thinking, but I find mostly the teaching that “it is mandatory” does not hold up as an absolute, and is often more about pleasing others (family, leaders, friends) than anything specific for myself or my God.

So it falls back to my faith, what I feel I should do.

I like your thoughts that if it causes stress or anxiety, that should be addressed. It is just sometimes stress and anxiety to not go and feel people are judging you as “less than.”. So there is that part too…the peer pressure. That doesn’t make it doctrine, or even right, but it is part of a social construct. Some families just need rules because youth can’t be left to decide yet totally…and the family needs a rule to be committed to to make it easy.

When I work on letting go of caring what others think…I find very little at church matters one way or another. You just do what you feel is good for your soul. And I find little doctrine that very much if anything is mandatory because there are so many varying circumstances. So it just becomes…be a good person and become what God intends you to become.” For some that is mandatory church, for some not.

But, for sure…reducing stress is a good guide on deciding for yourself if it is mandatory for you or not.

[Author]

Posts