Culture And The Church

[Stone holm]

Clearly someone with authority second only to the prophet himself!

We are talking about culture here.

[mfbukowski]

We are talking about culture here.

Of course- but that point is irrelevant. Within the culture she has no authority.

All there is to talk about anywhere is culture. You open your mouth in a language and all that comes out is culture.

[Scott Lloyd]

Some things I remember growing up in Utah I was counseled to do or not do, are:

1. Wearing your Sunday clothes all day long on Sunday, to keep the Sabbath Day holy.

2. No playing face cards, this was taught while I was really young.

3. No gambling.

4. No second piercings or tattoos (fairly recent).

5. No barefeet when the home teachers visit, this was probably localised.

6. No levi/jean skirts/dresses on Sunday, this from my RS president.

7. No Christus statues or figurines, this was from my sister in law's Stake President, when they wanted to order these from a local company and mount some of them on wood for a Homemaking meeting.

8. No BUNKO parties, too close to gambling, where women gather together and bring money and put into a pot. I went one time to sub for someone, and won the pot/prize.

These are probably very localised in good ole' Utah!

Gambling is very much condemned by the leaders of the Church, and if avoidance of it is localized to Utah, more's the pity.

I've heard of Bunko, but don't know much about it. But if it is as you describe it, it is definitely gambling and ought to be condemned.

Edited to add:

The directive against tattoos and piercings is Church-wide as well; nothing localized about it. And it has been reiterated more than once.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Scott Lloyd

[thesometimesaint]

My dad taught me one very important lesson about gambling. Never wager any more than you can afford to loose. Bill Harrah didn't build those fancy casinos to give away money.

[Scott Lloyd]

My dad taught me one very important lesson about gambling. Never wager any more than you can afford to loose. Bill Harrah didn't build those fancy casinos to give away money.

Alas, I've never been in a position where I could afford to lose anything.

But bad as it is, I don't see the potential to lose money as the worst thing about gambling.

[Stone holm]

Alas, I've never been in a position where I could afford to lose anything.

But bad as it is, I don't see the potential to lose money as the worst thing about gambling.

You don't hear so much anymore about the Church's opposition to gambling and the lottery. I remember the admonition against it being much stronger in by-gone days. The lottery is the most regressive form of taxation that we have, but I don't complain because I don't have to pay the tax directly.

[Scott Lloyd]

You don't hear so much anymore about the Church's opposition to gambling and the lottery. I remember the admonition against it being much stronger in by-gone days.

President Hinckley's ringing denunciation of it in general conference is comparatively recent.

The lottery is the most regressive form of taxation that we have, but I don't complain because I don't have to pay the tax directly.

I daresay there are societal costs that impact everyone to some degree.

Edited to add:

Here is standing content on the Church website. The text is drawn from "True to the Faith" which is a gospel reference work published by the Church:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is opposed to gambling, including lotteries sponsored by governments. Church leaders have encouraged Church members to join with others in opposing the legalization and government sponsorship of any form of gambling.

Additional Information

Gambling is motivated by a desire to get something for nothing. This desire is spiritually destructive. It leads participants away from the Savior's teachings of love and service and toward the selfishness of the adversary. It undermines the virtues of work and thrift and the desire to give honest effort in all we do.

Those who participate in gambling soon discover the deception in the idea that they can give little or nothing and receive something of value in return. They find that they give up large amounts of money, their own honor, and the respect of family members and friends. Deceived and addicted, they often gamble with funds they should use for other purposes, such as meeting the basic needs of their families. Gamblers sometimes become so enslaved and so desperate to pay gambling debts that they turn to stealing, giving up their own good name.

See also Temptation

—See True to the Faith (2004), 72-73

Edited May 16, 2013 by Scott Lloyd

[Stone holm]

Of course- but that point is irrelevant. Within the culture she has no authority.

All there is to talk about anywhere is culture. You open your mouth in a language and all that comes out is culture.

And you think sister in laws aren't culture cops? What planet do you live on?

[Ahab]

Of course- but that point is irrelevant. Within the culture she has no authority.

All there is to talk about anywhere is culture. You open your mouth in a language and all that comes out is culture.

What "she" are you talking about? She said her sister in law's Stake President, and when they wanted to order these from a local company and mount some of them on wood for a Homemaking meeting.

And who knows, he might have been talking about not wanting to use Church funds to reimburse funds for that project, rather than banning anyone in the stake from buying them with their own money.

Has anyone mentioned jello with fruit? That's got to be a Mormon thing, right? Don't tell me that regular people do that.

[Tacenda]

Gambling is very much condemned by the leaders of the Church, and if avoidance of it is localized to Utah, more's the pity.

I've heard of Bunko, but don't know much about it. But if it is as you describe it, it is definitely gambling and ought to be condemned.

Edited to add:

The directive against tattoos and piercings is Church-wide as well; nothing localized about it. And it has been reiterated more than once.

I know that avoiding gambling, tattoos, double piercings, are worldwide church policy but I just figured that only the Utahns follow these rules....

[bluebell]

Gambling is very much condemned by the leaders of the Church, and if avoidance of it is localized to Utah, more's the pity.

I've heard of Bunko, but don't know much about it. But if it is as you describe it, it is definitely gambling and ought to be condemned.

I had never heard of it either until moving to ND, where it is all the rage in my town. The two wards here have a thriving bunco group which meets every friday night! I believe every one is supposed to bring 2 dollars to add to the pot (or sometimes it's a small themed based 'gift' depending on who's hosting).

[Tacenda]

I vaguely remember reading Utah had the highest consumption of ice cream.

[Stone holm]

I vaguely remember reading Utah had the highest consumption of ice cream.

Well I do remember back in the late 70's or early 80's the Church kind of liked doing statistical studies hitch normally showed us in a positive light and then they did one on teenage drug use and whoops .... Suddenly we were trying to train Bishop's to get the above average drug use stopped.

[BlueDreams]

I know that avoiding gambling, tattoos, double piercings, are worldwide church policy but I just figured that only the Utahns follow these rules....

Nope....it's about the same wherever you go. Where tatooing is traditional you may see more with them. But next to that.....nope.

With luv,

BD

[mfbukowski]

And you think sister in laws aren't culture cops? What planet do you live on?

ROLF! Ok I gotta give you that one!

[Stone holm]

Nope....it's about the same wherever you go. Where tatooing is traditional you may see more with them. But next to that.....nope.

With luv,

BD

Yeah, would have to agree with that...you may see more tatooing where there are more "not raised in the Church converts" -- but that is likely because they either got them before they joined, or the teenage peer pressure was just too strong.