Heartbreaking question from my 9 year old

[Anonymous]

SilentDawning wrote:

Then GBH stood up in conference or a fireside and said the Church was big on education because “it improves the members’ capacity to serve in the Church”.

When I went to the job search portion of LDS social services after my mission, I was counseled to choose a career path that would leave weekends open for church service and/or one that I could walk away from at some point and still get income (like a small business owner or law firm partner) so I could serve the church full time. But I guess that is not entirely unexpected given that we promise to lay it all on the line (explicitly stated as everything that we have or ever will have, up to and including our very lives) for the Kingdom of God (aka the church).

I suppose the Perpetual Education Fund can be looked at the same way. Giving a hand up to help groom the local church leaders of tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

SilentDawning wrote:

Then GBH stood up in conference or a fireside and said the Church was big on education because “it improves the members’ capacity to serve in the Church”.

Well what was he supposed to say? He’s the head of a church! It’s just like my employer encouraging us to exercise and stay healthy. It’s not because they want us to be healthy, it’s because healthy workers are more productive!

I don’t see any problem with GBH putting a church spin on anything, because he was the church spokesman and leader.

[Anonymous]

Brown wrote:

SilentDawning wrote:

Then GBH stood up in conference or a fireside and said the Church was big on education because “it improves the members’ capacity to serve in the Church”.

Well what was he supposed to say? He’s the head of a church! It’s just like my employer encouraging us to exercise and stay healthy. It’s not because they want us to be healthy, it’s because healthy workers are more productive!

I don’t see any problem with GBH putting a church spin on anything, because he was the church spokesman and leader.

Perhaps SD was saying that he was disappointed to find that he was mistaken in his assumption that the prophet of God might be concerned with aspects of people’s lives that had no direct correlation to how they could be useful to the church.

[sarcasm (sort of ) off]

[Anonymous]

But there is no other aspect of our lives than the church. According to doctrine, it’s really the only thing that matters.

[Anonymous]

Brown, help me understand what you said in your last posting. Can you expand it, please?

You said…

Quote:

But there is no other aspect of our lives than the church. According to doctrine, it’s really the only thing that matters.

For me, the focus of my life is Jesus Christ. The church is a means or tool for me to understand & get closer to what He (God & JC) wants me to do.

I’m trying to understand your focus & if it has changed as a result of your experience from the 1st posting above.

Are we missing something?

Mike from Milton.

[Anonymous]

I’m going to go out on a limb and say Brown was being sarcastic. It takes one to know one.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know if I was being sarcastic. Personally, I don’t believe that the church is the only thing that matters, but temple covenants do imply it. Either way, the church really isn’t too interested in our worldy success. It’s the afterlife that matters. What good is a business degree going to do on the other side? Not much. But if it can help you be a good ward clerk, why that’s great!

I’m just saying I don’t fault the prophets for looking at it from a church perspective.

[Anonymous]

Brown,

For what it’s worth, I sent you a Private Message.

I hope it helps. If it doesn’t, delete it.

Mike from Milton

[Author]

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