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What Do You Do During Sacrament Meeting?


  

48 members have voted

  1. 1. What do you do during sacrament meeting?

    • I listen attentively to all talks
      21
    • I take naps
      2
    • I read a book
      3
    • I play with my phone/tablet
      3
    • I try to manage my kids
      9
    • I just sit and look around and wait it out
      1
    • I think or meditate
      8
    • I listen to mp3
      0
    • Sit in the hall with my kid(s)
      2
    • Just sit in the hall
      0
    • I prepare the next lesson (if you have sac meeting first)
      0
    • All of the above at times
      9
    • Only ever some of the appropriate ones above
      4
    • Usually just some of the inappropriate ones above
      0
    • Something else (see post below)
      5


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I have basically done the same thing in almost every sacrament meeting since I was 3 years old....I draw. Of course I wait until the sacrament is passed then I am allow my self to draw. I am actually an artist by trade so it just comes naturally. I just recently started a blog with some of my best sacrament work. Now my kids do the same thing. Anyways here's the link to a few of my pieces of sacrament best....plenty more to come.

www.peculiarpeopleillustrations.blogspot.com

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I have basically done the same thing in almost every sacrament meeting since I was 3 years old....I draw. Of course I wait until the sacrament is passed then I am allow my self to draw. I am actually an artist by trade so it just comes naturally. I just recently started a blog with some of my best sacrament work. Now my kids do the same thing. Anyways here's the link to a few of my pieces of sacrament best....plenty more to come.

www.peculiarpeopleillustrations.blogspot.com

Well done! I'm impressed!

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Well done! I'm impressed!

thanks, I have about 12 more sketches that I've done this year so far that I need to update...ironically while I draw in sacrament meeting I feel it helps me listen to the talks a bit better...thus I hope it works for my kids as well..

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I have basically done the same thing in almost every sacrament meeting since I was 3 years old....I draw. Of course I wait until the sacrament is passed then I am allow my self to draw. I am actually an artist by trade so it just comes naturally. I just recently started a blog with some of my best sacrament work. Now my kids do the same thing. Anyways here's the link to a few of my pieces of sacrament best....plenty more to come.

www.peculiarpeopleillustrations.blogspot.com

Very nice.

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We had "reverence" mascots in one of my previous wards, a young person would stand at the front at each aisle with their arms folded to remind people that socializing was to take place elsewhere. Having a quiet start was helpful.

It might not be a bad idea if it was really noisy with the kids to start out with a primary song or use one as a rest song (warning the pianist so they had one practiced enough) to get the kids to refocus. There are some reverence songs in Primary. My ward had a stake conference booklet to hand out for the kids, one could adapt this with something from the manuals being copied on the back of the bulletin to color or having a 'kid's bulletin' to hand out to them along with a few crayons or those inexpensive short pencils with a basket by the back doors for them to drop them back into for next week. Easy to find activities in old friends (finding hidden items in pictures give them two things to do, for example).

I take finger puppets in the pocket of my scripture tote so if kids seated next to me look like they are becoming frustrated or their parents are, I can pull them out and distract them for a bit (just don't give them to babies if the pieces are glued on!). I also work in the library and each week we have one little girl stop by the window on her way into her SM to grab some crayons and 'recycled' paper (where we've made errors in printing on one side, the other side all pristine to colour).

I think I will ask my bishop if he would like me to prepare some kids' activities booklets for our ward even though I haven't really noticed a problem with reverence in our ward.

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Benadryl.

I know this was said as a joke, but for those thinking of giving them to their kid for an allergy attack....

Just so long as they don't have restless legs syndrome (or ADD as sometimes the first is confused with the second as well as often those with the second have the first). For those kinds of kids, benadryl (and most other antihistamenes...and antidepressants btw) will likely wire them even if it makes them drowsy at the same time (there are few tortures I've gone through that compare to the one of being drugged to the point of almost being comatose while experiencing an overwhelming need to move).

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Right now I manage kids when at sac meeting.

I have a 6 year old 4 year old twins and a 18 month old.

What would you do?

Does your 6 year old like responsibility? Would it work to give him the job of helping to keep his siblings quietly entertained during SM?He (or she) could have his own bag of fun things to do with his siblings just like Mom or Dad has.

For those of you who are desperate, there is an app out there that has a candle that lights up or out if one touches it. My husband has kept many a kid entertained for quite some time with that (he's had it both on his Ipad and one of his phones) outside of church and occasionally inside. This may make it harder to discourage others from using electronic stuff to entertain them and if I am paying attention I generally give him a 'look' unless the kid is really disruptive. A different solution is a small real life 'candle' one can get from magic shops, but that requires blowing on it which can be quite loud in toddlers. He also has a fake thumb tip that has a light in it that the kids love (you make it disappear into their ear or tummies like coins)...or you can just do the disappearing coin trick. Big distraction there.....just don't do it with a kid that gets the giggles.

Edited by calmoriah
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Too bad you don't remember what was said, sounds like it was pretty profound if it made that big of a difference--and would have been helpful to some on the thread who are trying to teach reverence to their children.

Actually I do remember, but I think that some may take it the wrong way. And to be honest, I didn’t know what to think about it when he said it. Basically, he was saying that everyone needed to understand that reverence prior and during sacrament meeting was just as important as reverence in the temple chapel. He gave several examples, then he said, the problem isn’t with the children ... it’s with the parents.

I am a parent, but my kids are all grown up. I'm not sure how I would have taken that. But I know my bishop pretty well; I would hope that I would have found out what I was missing. He also invited parents to call him up and work with him on it.

In the end, the jist of it is that when we feel the spirit we tend to be reverent. When children feel it, its automatic - they get quiet. Perhaps, when we don’t have the spirit in our home we tend to not have it other places. I mean, have you ever been in a noisy ward and someone gives a talk and the spirit is so strong everyone is silently listening? His point, at least to me, was that we needed to be in that mental state where we are ready, and listening for direction, ready to be fed from the spirit. If we aren’t, how would our children ever be?

The next week, and every week after that was just like the temple chapel.

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As I have pondered how we might best provide such examples, I have thought of an experience I had some years ago while attending a stake conference. During the general session, I observed a young boy sitting with his family on the front row of the stake center. I was seated on the stand. As the meeting progressed, I began to notice that if I crossed one leg over the other, the young boy would do the same thing. If I reversed the motion and crossed the other leg, he would follow suit. I would put my hands in my lap, and he would do the same. I rested my chin in my hand, and he also did so. Whatever I did, he would imitate my actions. This continued until the time approached for me to address the congregation. I decided to put him to the test. I looked squarely at him, certain I had his attention, and then I wiggled my ears. He made a vain attempt to do the same, but I had him! He just couldn’t quite get his ears to wiggle. He turned to his father, who was sitting next to him, and whispered something to him. He pointed to his ears and then to me. As his father looked in my direction, obviously to see my ears wiggle, I sat solemnly with my arms folded, not moving a muscle. The father glanced back skeptically at his son, who looked slightly defeated. He finally gave me a sheepish grin and shrugged his shoulders.

Reverent?

Edited by mercyngrace
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Reverent?

That story shows one of the things I love about Pres. Monson. He's not too serious about himself... and behaves more in the spirit of things rather than the letter of things =).

Best Wishes,

-TAO

Edited by TAO
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A poll for all ordinary members out there: no sitting on the podium, no talk to give, no halls to monitor, no heads to count - what do you do after the sacrament has been passed? I've drawn from personal experience for the options, so I guess I would have to choose "All of the above at times".

Edited to allow multiple answers. I'm not an experienced pollster but I can take a hint - at least if it is made explicit enough ;-)

I enjoy Sacrament meeting because what is said is heartfelt. I really enjoy the time to hold my sweethearts hand. Occasionally I am distracted by sweet toddlers dressed to the nines who always seem to be eating cheese crackers or gummy fruity snacks during Sacrament meeting.

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Occasionally I'll use my phone to come over here and look at the board to see if anything new and interesting is up.

I find that is usually a mistake and ends up ruining the spirit of the meeting for me.

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I find the use of smart phones and other electronic devices (iPads, etc.) to be a problem. Rather than using them to look up scriptures read or cited by the speaker, they are used to post on Facebook, surf, or play games. The primary "offenders" in our ward are adults. They are not only cheating themselves, but they are teaching their children and the children around them to do the same.

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I find the use of smart phones and other electronic devices (iPads, etc.) to be a problem. Rather than using them to look up scriptures read or cited by the speaker, they are used to post on Facebook, surf, or play games. The primary "offenders" in our ward are adults. They are not only cheating themselves, but they are teaching their children and the children around them to do the same.

I used mine yesterday to document each time our amateur (and incredibly narcissistic) EQP and his counselors taught false doctrine and went against the Church Handbook of Instructions. :diablo:

I find the use of iPads to be incredibly helpful in lessons, particularly in comparison to some of the 40 lb. RS bags being toted to Church.

But, the time will come when this won't be an issue. The older generation will die and the new generation will come up with some fancy trinket that ticks the upcoming one off.

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I used mine yesterday to document each time our amateur (and incredibly narcissistic) EQP and his counselors taught false doctrine and went against the Church Handbook of Instructions. :diablo:

I find the use of iPads to be incredibly helpful in lessons, particularly in comparison to some of the 40 lb. RS bags being toted to Church.

But, the time will come when this won't be an issue. The older generation will die and the new generation will come up with some fancy trinket that ticks the upcoming one off.

I'm a relative late-comer to this kind of tech, mostly because I love the feel of my scriptures in my hands and I enjoy writing notes in my scriptures, marking up the books and margins, etc. In fact, were it not for my son forgetting his scriptures on occasion, I'd would not even bring my phone into church. That said, I'd guess that more than half my ward has gone to smartphones, ipads, or an ereader and I've never seen them being misused. Wherever I sit in RS, I can see the sisters around me reading along in the scriptures or manual. Same has been my experience in Gospel Doctrine. I can't speak to sacrament mtg as I've rarely noticed them in use there as most people in my ward, myself included, seem to be trying to listen to the speakers. :pardon:

I agree they can be a distraction. In my experience, the distraction is usually because the phone unexpectedly sounds off. I've seen that happen probably a dozen times.

Edited by mercyngrace
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I used mine yesterday to document each time our amateur (and incredibly narcissistic) EQP and his counselors taught false doctrine and went against the Church Handbook of Instructions. :diablo:

I find the use of iPads to be incredibly helpful in lessons, particularly in comparison to some of the 40 lb. RS bags being toted to Church.

But, the time will come when this won't be an issue. The older generation will die and the new generation will come up with some fancy trinket that ticks the upcoming one off.

I get the not so subtle backhanded remark. Nevertheless, like other electronic devices and media, they cause distractions in meetings, Sunday classes, and early morning Seminary, whether you recognize it or not. Are there appropriate uses for them? Certainly. By the same token, they can be misused. Elder Bednar's talk "Things as They Really Are" addresses this to a degree.

For the moment, missionaries are using printed scriptures. If our youth are to enter the mission field prepared to serve, they need to know how to locate a passage on the printed page, not by using a search engine. Printed scriptures may not be for everyone, but this group certainly needs to be facile in their use.

This isn't a matter of ticking off the old folks.

Btw, all local leaders are amateurs.

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