Volunteering for Katrina/Rita today - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

MikeWaters · 10-06-2005, 07:58 PM

So I picked up a member of my ward this morning to go volunteer. He is a great man. Always volunteers for everything despite poor health and modest means. True salt of the earth.

He mentioned, "well I guess when the church needed people, they could turn to the church because of this amazing organization."

I had to bite my tongue. I was thinking, "Actually many churches organized and volunteered immediately, perhaps without even getting a specific request from the Red Cross. Here we are weeks later, yeah it's a great thing that we said yes when they came to us, but let's not pat ourselves on the back too much as the only church who gets things done."

Instead I said "yup."

Where does this pride come from, the assumption that we are more on the ball than other churches?

Being the "true church" certainly does not mean we are the most service-oriented church, nor does it mean that we are the most involved in local communities providing charity.

The question is, should we? I'm afraid that most members feel so overwhelmed with all the things they do or ought be doing for church, they have little energy to take those good things and spread them with others. Meetings, callings, home and visiting teaching, temple work, geneaology, family home evening, scripture study.....

Makes me wonder if this is a contributing factor to flagging missionary efforts here in the United States. Feel free to forward this to people in charge of the church.

bluegoose · 10-06-2005, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Feel free to forward this to people in charge of the church.

Done.

My "people" tell me that the big man himself is a frequent visitor to this site.

By the way, I think it's great stuff you guys are doing there with the relief effort. One of our local family practicioners (he's LDS) recently returned from a couple of weeks of volunteer work in the area. Keep up the good work.

10-06-2005, 07:58 PM	#1
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	Volunteering for Katrina/Rita today So I picked up a member of my ward this morning to go volunteer. He is a great man. Always volunteers for everything despite poor health and modest means. True salt of the earth. He mentioned, "well I guess when the church needed people, they could turn to the church because of this amazing organization." I had to bite my tongue. I was thinking, "Actually many churches organized and volunteered immediately, perhaps without even getting a specific request from the Red Cross. Here we are weeks later, yeah it's a great thing that we said yes when they came to us, but let's not pat ourselves on the back too much as the only church who gets things done." Instead I said "yup." Where does this pride come from, the assumption that we are more on the ball than other churches? Being the "true church" certainly does not mean we are the most service-oriented church, nor does it mean that we are the most involved in local communities providing charity. The question is, should we? I'm afraid that most members feel so overwhelmed with all the things they do or ought be doing for church, they have little energy to take those good things and spread them with others. Meetings, callings, home and visiting teaching, temple work, geneaology, family home evening, scripture study..... Makes me wonder if this is a contributing factor to flagging missionary efforts here in the United States. Feel free to forward this to people in charge of the church.