What are the benefits of the LDS Church?

[Anonymous]

I read Mormon America recently, and it gave a very temporal/research oriented, detached view of our religion, comparing it to other religions out there. It forced me to ask these questions, any of which you could answer here…as they are related.

1. What benefits does our Church provide that can’t be provided by other temporal humanitarian or educational institutions?

2. After a person has gained commitment to principles of honesty, charity, clean living, and overall goodness, what benefits does our Church provide? Are they significant enough given the high financial costs, and often emotional/peace costs of being exposed to the long checklists of things you must do that you can never accomplish without destroying balance in your life?

3. What value do you see in participating?

[Anonymous]

SilentDawning wrote:

2. After a person has gained commitment to principles of honesty, charity, clean living, and overall goodness, what benefits does our Church provide? Are they significant enough given the high financial costs, and often emotional/peace costs of being exposed to the long checklists of things you must do that you can never accomplish without destroying balance in your life?

Hi SD,

I thought the book was quite balanced in approach. There were many times while reading that I felt pride in my church for being so admirable.

But to answer your question, I speak personally. I don’t think the LDS church provides me personally with much that I couldn’t find by joining a church family of any local church that I might feel drawn to.

But indeed much of who I am, and why I veered left instead of right at pivotal moments during my adolescence and young adulthood can be attributed to the church. I am like the pickle in the conversion analogy, once it has been pickled and all the juices have percolated into the core, it will remain a pickle even if removed from the jar.

But what about my children? I surely can teach them good moral principles. But what about their exposures outside of the home?

I think there are advantages of immersing them in a culture of good moral principles. I can then support that in my home and also sand down some of the harsher edges – We not only want our children to be good moral people, but also good citizens, good neighbors, and good friends.

Now for the second part of the question:

I no longer feel guilt/angst/tension over things that I am supposed to do but can’t/don’t or what I am supposed to become but can’t/don’t. I realize that for others this may be easier said than done. But for myself, the principle cost of continued participation is to sit shoulder to shoulder for 3 hours every Sunday with some very good (but also flawed) individuals that are doing the best that they know how to get through this life in a meaningful way.

[Anonymous]

Just a few, immediate responses:

Quote:

1. What benefits does our Church provide that can’t be provided by other temporal humanitarian or educational institutions?

a) An over-arching, empowering, transcendent theology that is radically different than anything else in Christianity. It’s similar to the overall end-view of Buddhism, but it also provides a Brother-Savior and a Father-God, imagery that is MUCH more powerful for some people than the more amorphous within Buddhism. I could list many, many aspects of that theology, but it is the theological grandeur, in totality, that captivates and “benefits” me the most.

b) Theoretical balance and abundant paradox. Complexity that is baffling and unsettling to many, but which I value highly.

Quote:

2. After a person has gained commitment to principles of honesty, charity, clean living, and overall goodness, what benefits does our Church provide? Are they significant enough given the high financial costs, and often emotional/peace costs of being exposed to the long checklists of things you must do that you can never accomplish without destroying balance in your life?

Gaining those things is a foundational benefit that causes someone to “become” those things – and people who have become those things find a way to mitigate the general demands and find a balance that works for them. Yes, they are significant enough – IF a workable balance is found.

Quote:

3. What value do you see in participating?

Great, lasting, immeasurable value – as long as that participation is meaningful to me.

I know myself well enough to know that I need structure and general stability in order for my kite to fly without getting unhooked and burning up in the heat of the sun. I need that kite to fly (since I need to contemplate the cosmos, so to speak), but I also need the string that keeps it safely tethered – and the Church provides the tether to my kite.

Finally, I find GREAT value in trying to help others learn to fly – and I would feel extremely . . . ungrateful . . . if I didn’t make that effort within the community that gave me wings.

[Anonymous]

Quote:

2. After a person has gained commitment to principles of honesty, charity, clean living, and overall goodness, what benefits does our Church provide? Are they significant enough given the high financial costs, and often emotional/peace costs of being exposed to the long checklists of things you must do that you can never accomplish without destroying balance in your life?

Gaining those things is a foundational benefit that causes someone to “become” those things – and people who have become those things find a way to mitigate the general demands and find a balance that works for them. Yes, they are significant enough – IF a workable balance is found.[/quote]

Perhaps you can expound on what you mean in your quote there. I’m not sure of the meaning. Your use of the term “those things” seems ambiguous and I dont’ quite see the meaning here — if you care to reword it.

[Anonymous]

Old-Timer wrote:

Just a few, immediate responses:

Quote:

1. What benefits does our Church provide that can’t be provided by other temporal humanitarian or educational institutions?

a) An over-arching, empowering, transcendent theology that is radically different than anything else in Christianity. It’s similar to the overall end-view of Buddhism, but it also provides a Brother-Savior and a Father-God, imagery that is MUCH more powerful for some people than the more amorphous within Buddhism. I could list many, many aspects of that theology, but it is the theological grandeur, in totality, that captivates and “benefits” me the most.

b) Theoretical balance and abundant paradox. Complexity that is baffling and unsettling to many, but which I value highly.

This would only seem to be of value if it all were true. If it is fiction then I see no value other than to make you feel good which again you could get many places. If you had never heard of Mormonism and say you were a Muslim rom birth you would find the same beauty and grandeur in that doctrine most likely. Maybe not but people tend to be what their life experience dictates.

Personally I think it is an individual thing. Some may find value in LDS surroundings and others do not. I myself see a net negative if you emerse yourself totally into the church. If you do everything you are told you would be spending to much time and money that would take away from other things in life. Now if you can find a balance and participate to the degree that is healthy for you I think it can be a positive and be of value on an individual basis.

[Anonymous]

Quote:

Personally I think it is an individual thing.

Yep; hence, the qualifiers in my comment.

That actually is perhaps the simplest tagline for this site:

Quote:

It is an individual thing (so find what works for you as an individual).

[Anonymous]

Cadence wrote:

If you do everything you are told you would be spending too much time and money that would take away from other things in life.

I guess it depends on what you value. I once had a friendship with a practitioner of Wicca/Shamanism (I am not sure how well this friend represented his religion or how well I understand what he believed so I apologize in advance for any undue stereotypes). He told me that all religions produce energy in their ceremonies that could be used for spells or incantations. The Mormons particularly, he said, generate tons of energy in their temples but it just gets wasted. I replied that I guess it depends on your perspective. “We believe that we are sealing our families together for the eternities. After that, levitation or influencing the weather kinda’ pails in comparison.”

[Anonymous]

Quote:

The Mormons particularly, he said, generate tons of energy in their temples but it just gets wasted.

Not completely, I think some people do go out of there feeling the benefits…

Quote:

1. What benefits does our Church provide that can’t be provided by other temporal humanitarian or educational institutions?

It’s very hard to find genuine communities in the modern west, particularly in the cities. The LDS does provide a type of community.

Quote:

2. After a person has gained commitment to principles of honesty, charity, clean living, and overall goodness, what benefits does our Church provide? Are they significant enough given the high financial costs, and often emotional/peace costs of being exposed to the long checklists of things you must do that you can never accomplish without destroying balance in your life?

I have noticed certain health benefits. I am not in completely healthy condition, but several medical issues I had have disappeared. I also feel less depressed than I did outside the church. I have to admit this has really surprised me, I wasn’t expecting it.

I also like being in social situations where I don’t have to drink like a fish to join in.

Charity is something we should all be doing, although some abuse it. It creates a positive social bond between human beings.

[Author]

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