Gatekeepers of the Sabbath

[Reluctant Watchman]

I read the post (below) on Reddit this morning and it struck a cord w/ me. Since I no longer have a calling in the church, nor do I attend church services, my life has really become much more... hmmm... how would I put it.... much more relaxed and less judgmental. I would have followed the investigator who got up and walked out. I'm curious if y'all have experiences like this. I actually had a stake president say that wearing denim clothing was inappropriate for Sunday worship.

———

I was at church yesterday and the bishop spoke. The topic was the Sabbath and he began by quoting many past church leaders, starting with Joseph Fielding Smith (a prophet I deeply dislike due to his super harsh writings) and going on from there, all about how what we wear is so essential. White shirt and tie, women in neat, modest skirts and dresses, no flip-flops, no casual shirts. Then he went on to say how napping or relaxing on the Sabbath is inappropriate, how we need to be doing good and doing more good and anything less is making a mockery of a sacred day. We also aren't good enough coming to church - we have to come and focus and learn and take notes etc. He called the ward to repentance and said we don't love God if we don't utilize the Sabbath in this way.

Those things really struck a nerve.

I wear dress pants to church and am a woman. I allow my kids to wear nice clothes but don't force the white shirt and tie. I don't like flip-flops but I do wear sandals in the summer. I nap sometimes. Sometimes my family and I do an activity. Sometimes we get some yard or house work done because we are busy, my husband works a ton of overtime and we have things that need to get done. I also have been sporadic in my church attendance because I have been working out my feelings toward the church. I have landed on the side of stepping away from the church and having no calling or assignment, although I go occasionally to support my husband. The bishop's talk, while irritating, didn't matter to me because I don't care too much about how the bishop sees me anymore. But my kids felt bad. And the investigators with the missionaries felt bad - one even got up mid-talk and left, wearing his blue jeans and t-shirt. And a lady in RS felt bad as she cried about how stressful her life is and how she always napped on Sunday but now knows she needs to repent. And I'm sure many others felt bad who also use the Sabbath to rejuvenate themselve.

I hate when people feel they have the right to gatekeep how other people live the gospel.

[4Joshua8]

I read the post (below) on Reddit this morning and it struck a cord w/ me. Since I no longer have a calling in the church, nor do I attend church services, my life has really become much more... hmmm... how would I put it.... much more relaxed and less judgmental. I would have followed the investigator who got up and walked out. I'm curious if y'all have experiences like this. I actually had a stake president say that wearing denim clothing was inappropriate for Sunday worship.

———

I was at church yesterday and the bishop spoke. The topic was the Sabbath and he began by quoting many past church leaders, starting with Joseph Fielding Smith (a prophet I deeply dislike due to his super harsh writings) and going on from there, all about how what we wear is so essential. White shirt and tie, women in neat, modest skirts and dresses, no flip-flops, no casual shirts. Then he went on to say how napping or relaxing on the Sabbath is inappropriate, how we need to be doing good and doing more good and anything less is making a mockery of a sacred day. We also aren't good enough coming to church - we have to come and focus and learn and take notes etc. He called the ward to repentance and said we don't love God if we don't utilize the Sabbath in this way.

Those things really struck a nerve.

I wear dress pants to church and am a woman. I allow my kids to wear nice clothes but don't force the white shirt and tie. I don't like flip-flops but I do wear sandals in the summer. I nap sometimes. Sometimes my family and I do an activity. Sometimes we get some yard or house work done because we are busy, my husband works a ton of overtime and we have things that need to get done. I also have been sporadic in my church attendance because I have been working out my feelings toward the church. I have landed on the side of stepping away from the church and having no calling or assignment, although I go occasionally to support my husband. The bishop's talk, while irritating, didn't matter to me because I don't care too much about how the bishop sees me anymore. But my kids felt bad. And the investigators with the missionaries felt bad - one even got up mid-talk and left, wearing his blue jeans and t-shirt. And a lady in RS felt bad as she cried about how stressful her life is and how she always napped on Sunday but now knows she needs to repent. And I'm sure many others felt bad who also use the Sabbath to rejuvenate themselve.

I hate when people feel they have the right to gatekeep how other people live the gospel.

The point of the Sabbath is literally to rest from our labors. I recommend a good nap if it is truly needed.

[blitzinstripes]

The Sabbath was created for man. Not man for the Sabbath.

[Redpilled Mormon]

Because the last thing you should be able to do on the day of rest is nap.... oh, wait...

[LostCreekAcres]

I read the post (below) on Reddit this morning and it struck a cord w/ me. Since I no longer have a calling in the church, nor do I attend church services, my life has really become much more... hmmm... how would I put it.... much more relaxed and less judgmental. I would have followed the investigator who got up and walked out. I'm curious if y'all have experiences like this. I actually had a stake president say that wearing denim clothing was inappropriate for Sunday worship.

———

I was at church yesterday and the bishop spoke. The topic was the Sabbath and he began by quoting many past church leaders, starting with Joseph Fielding Smith (a prophet I deeply dislike due to his super harsh writings) and going on from there, all about how what we wear is so essential. White shirt and tie, women in neat, modest skirts and dresses, no flip-flops, no casual shirts. Then he went on to say how napping or relaxing on the Sabbath is inappropriate, how we need to be doing good and doing more good and anything less is making a mockery of a sacred day. We also aren't good enough coming to church - we have to come and focus and learn and take notes etc. He called the ward to repentance and said we don't love God if we don't utilize the Sabbath in this way.

Those things really struck a nerve.

I wear dress pants to church and am a woman. I allow my kids to wear nice clothes but don't force the white shirt and tie. I don't like flip-flops but I do wear sandals in the summer. I nap sometimes. Sometimes my family and I do an activity. Sometimes we get some yard or house work done because we are busy, my husband works a ton of overtime and we have things that need to get done. I also have been sporadic in my church attendance because I have been working out my feelings toward the church. I have landed on the side of stepping away from the church and having no calling or assignment, although I go occasionally to support my husband. The bishop's talk, while irritating, didn't matter to me because I don't care too much about how the bishop sees me anymore. But my kids felt bad. And the investigators with the missionaries felt bad - one even got up mid-talk and left, wearing his blue jeans and t-shirt. And a lady in RS felt bad as she cried about how stressful her life is and how she always napped on Sunday but now knows she needs to repent. And I'm sure many others felt bad who also use the Sabbath to rejuvenate themselve.

I hate when people feel they have the right to gatekeep how other people live the gospel.

Ugh... I was asked to give a talk on this in Sacrament meeting one time with all the things you mentioned, flip-flops, denim, etc. Someone even mentioned women's cleavage showing or their garments showing because their skirts were "too short"... I could not do it. Ended not giving a talk at all. I'm non-confrontational and talking in front of folks is difficult for me anyway, but to call folks out... no way. We were in a small branch and folks were generally poor, investigators would come with jeans and tennis shoes, tank tops, etc. NO way was I going to call anyone out for coming to worship the Lord based on how they were dressed. Disgusting.

[Reluctant Watchman]

Ugh... I was asked to give a talk on this in Sacrament meeting one time with all the things you mentioned, flip-flops, denim, etc. Someone even mentioned women's cleavage showing or their garments showing because their skirts were "too short"... I could not do it. Ended not giving a talk at all. I'm non-confrontational and talking in front of folks is difficult for me anyway, but to call folks out... no way. We were in a small branch and folks were generally poor, investigators would come with jeans and tennis shoes, tank tops, etc. NO way was I going to call anyone out for coming to worship the Lord based on how they were dressed. Disgusting.

It's kind of interesting to note one of the first signs of pride among the people in the BoM is their costly apparel. It became an outward expression of their inward commitment. They stopped caring for the poor and cared more about their vanity.

[4Joshua8]

I read the post (below) on Reddit this morning and it struck a cord w/ me. Since I no longer have a calling in the church, nor do I attend church services, my life has really become much more... hmmm... how would I put it.... much more relaxed and less judgmental. I would have followed the investigator who got up and walked out. I'm curious if y'all have experiences like this. I actually had a stake president say that wearing denim clothing was inappropriate for Sunday worship.

———

I was at church yesterday and the bishop spoke. The topic was the Sabbath and he began by quoting many past church leaders, starting with Joseph Fielding Smith (a prophet I deeply dislike due to his super harsh writings) and going on from there, all about how what we wear is so essential. White shirt and tie, women in neat, modest skirts and dresses, no flip-flops, no casual shirts. Then he went on to say how napping or relaxing on the Sabbath is inappropriate, how we need to be doing good and doing more good and anything less is making a mockery of a sacred day. We also aren't good enough coming to church - we have to come and focus and learn and take notes etc. He called the ward to repentance and said we don't love God if we don't utilize the Sabbath in this way.

Those things really struck a nerve.

I wear dress pants to church and am a woman. I allow my kids to wear nice clothes but don't force the white shirt and tie. I don't like flip-flops but I do wear sandals in the summer. I nap sometimes. Sometimes my family and I do an activity. Sometimes we get some yard or house work done because we are busy, my husband works a ton of overtime and we have things that need to get done. I also have been sporadic in my church attendance because I have been working out my feelings toward the church. I have landed on the side of stepping away from the church and having no calling or assignment, although I go occasionally to support my husband. The bishop's talk, while irritating, didn't matter to me because I don't care too much about how the bishop sees me anymore. But my kids felt bad. And the investigators with the missionaries felt bad - one even got up mid-talk and left, wearing his blue jeans and t-shirt. And a lady in RS felt bad as she cried about how stressful her life is and how she always napped on Sunday but now knows she needs to repent. And I'm sure many others felt bad who also use the Sabbath to rejuvenate themselve.

I hate when people feel they have the right to gatekeep how other people live the gospel.

Ugh... I was asked to give a talk on this in Sacrament meeting one time with all the things you mentioned, flip-flops, denim, etc. Someone even mentioned women's cleavage showing or their garments showing because their skirts were "too short"... I could not do it. Ended not giving a talk at all. I'm non-confrontational and talking in front of folks is difficult for me anyway, but to call folks out... no way. We were in a small branch and folks were generally poor, investigators would come with jeans and tennis shoes, tank tops, etc. NO way was I going to call anyone out for coming to worship the Lord based on how they were dressed. Disgusting.

Modesty, being an eternal principle, is a legitimate concern; but, denim, shoe type, whether white shirts are worn, etc., are not legitimate concerns. They're false traditions and completely avoidable stumbling blocks.

[LateOutOfBed]

This is a laughable talk! I rest a LOT on the Sabbath. I need it.

[inho]

Even if the bishop whole-heartedly believed every word he said, he must be really stupid to say things like that when there were investigators present. Nothing makes you feel more welcome than hearing from the pulpit that you need to repent because you wore jeans to church.

[Reluctant Watchman]

And people laugh when I claim Pharisaical law has returned.

[Luke]

Joseph Fielding Smith actually got a lot right (especially in private), but he was clearly wrong here.

[inho]

And the investigators with the missionaries felt bad - one even got up mid-talk and left, wearing his blue jeans and t-shirt.

I remember my mission. It was always a bit nervous to bring investigators to the church, because you couldn't know what would be said in the sacrament meeting. Perhaps these missionaries were first happy to see that the bishop was speaking that Sunday. They likely thought that the bishop would give a good talk. And the result was this. If someone leaves mid-talk, there isn't typically much you can do. Most people would wait till the end of meeting and then tell that they are no longer interested. Someone leaving mid-talk is a former investigator for sure.

[h_p]

And people laugh when I claim Pharisaical law has returned.

Maybe they laugh because they know it never actually left?

[MikeMaillet]

I find it interesting that the "uniform of the Priesthood" is also the uniform of Babylon, the business suit.

Mike Maillet
Ingleside, Ontario

[endlessQuestions]

Ugh... I was asked to give a talk on this in Sacrament meeting one time with all the things you mentioned, flip-flops, denim, etc. Someone even mentioned women's cleavage showing or their garments showing because their skirts were "too short"... I could not do it. Ended not giving a talk at all. I'm non-confrontational and talking in front of folks is difficult for me anyway, but to call folks out... no way. We were in a small branch and folks were generally poor, investigators would come with jeans and tennis shoes, tank tops, etc. NO way was I going to call anyone out for coming to worship the Lord based on how they were dressed. Disgusting.

It's kind of interesting to note one of the first signs of pride among the people in the BoM is their costly apparel. It became an outward expression of their inward commitment. They stopped caring for the poor and cared more about their vanity.

Let’s quote some scripture because it’s instructive:

Helaman 3:33 - And in the fifty and first year of the reign of the judges there was peace also, save it were the pride which began to enter into the church—not into the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God—

Interesting, yes?

And fascinating how some people confuse “professing” with “prophesying”. Let’s not make that mistake ourselves, my friends.

[Reluctant Watchman]

Let’s quote some scripture because it’s instructive:

Helaman 3:33 - And in the fifty and first year of the reign of the judges there was peace also, save it were the pride which began to enter into the church—not into the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God—

Interesting, yes?

And fascinating how some people confuse “professing” with “prophesying”. Let’s not make that mistake ourselves, my friends.

In our day we have both, pride is rampant among leaders and members alike. There are extremely “prideful” philosophies of men paraded around as Christ’s doctrine.

[Reluctant Watchman]

Moroni is talking to us btw:

36 And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.