Geography And Spirituality

[Duncan]

One of my pet peeves in the Church is when someone moves away to another city and then comes back and bears their testimony or whatever and say how much more spiritual and blessed they are because they live in their new place as if living here they and we were all spiritual yutz's and now because they live in Whocaresville, Canada they are just the peak of perfection. Do you think that geography impacts your spirituality? As in where you live as opposed to other places you have lived is somehow better for you spiritually speaking

[Maidservant]

It happens. Hate to say it, but where I live is one of those places where people just magically end up here (Mormon and non-Mormon until they get baptized, he he) and then from the pulpit, they tell about the magic, miracles and revelation that led them to our place. I can't count how many times I have heard "I was supposed to be here." and variations on: "This place is different." And it's not just the town I live in, it is our ward especially, and we really have our hearts knit together here and people comment on this all the time.

Even my friend (in my town, but not my ward) said to me the other day, "Our beehives have two cliques." I said, "Wha?" Because I could not conceive of this, thinking on my ward (not that we haven't had our problems). We had a family dance the other night, and we had some non-member people (friends) stand up and give us a comedy skit; people were passing around babies and letting the young couples dance; a young man danced with the down's syndrome lady; my son (age 11) danced with me, and then (with only a small suggestion by myself) danced with his sister (14); and tons of kids were be-bopping around, and when a 3 year old stumbled on to the ground, the 10 year old girl closest to him (not his sister) helped him up without any thought. EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE, in my ward are completely friends whether they are new, long time, recently baptized, old, young, married, not.

[Calm]

One of my pet peeves in the Church is when someone moves away to another city and then comes back and bears their testimony or whatever and say how much more spiritual and blessed they are because they live in their new place as if living here they and we were all spiritual yutz's and now because they live in Whocaresville, Canada they are just the peak of perfection. Do you think that geography impacts your spirituality? As in where you live as opposed to other places you have lived is somehow better for you spiritually speaking

I think some people don't realize that one of the ways to increase spirituality is to get out of one's comfort zone and moving can definitely do that for a person. And generally speaking i think this happens more as you get older for various reasons. So it can just be a perception issue. plus there is the issue that different people respond differently to the same environment and one may flourish when planted in soil another would starve in.

Having said that wards do have different personalities and I have been in ones that seem to promote greater spirituality...usually because of difficult situations that the ward/branch had to work together to overcome.

[CV75]

Do you think that geography impacts your spirituality?

Only in the same way a promised land can. If a person moves to a new place by the inspiration or hand of God, and takes inspired advantage of the opportunities there by keeping his covenants, then yes, the geography can impact spirituality.

It could also be said that anywhere a person keeps his covenants is a promised land for that person. But if the Lord directs him to a new place, then that relocation will impact his spirituality to the extent he fulfills the purposes of the Lord relocating him to new opportunities to grow spiritually.

I believe I have benefited from such, and the blessing started when the Lord worked in mysterious ways to relocate me. I have known others to express the same thing with utmost gratitude and humility. I've often thought of it as the "Lehi Phenomenon" though the same thing happened to Abraham, Joseph, the saints trekking to the American West, etc.

[Calm]

It is tacky not to make it clear it is not that the ward is better or to imply that it's a better fit...even when it is, someone sharing these types of experiences should emphasize they are happening because the Lord put you where you needed to be.

Edited September 29, 2011 by calmoriah

[Calm]

I believe I have benefited from such, and the blessing started when the Lord worked in mysterious ways to relocate me. I have known others to express the same thing with utmost gratitude and humility. I've often thought of it as the "Lehi Phenomenon"; though the same thing happened to Abraham, Joseph, the saints trekking to the American West, etc.

We have been very blessed in each of the moves we have made since leaving university. I never thought we could match our experience in Canada...especially by moving to the desert state of Utah. However, the medical blessings that are available to us here that wouldn't have been up there have made life livable and I have learned to be very grateful to being surrounded by LDS--something I've never expected--as it has allowed my husband to be much more involved with others which has become very important as my health has deteriorated and I can't meet his social needs myself and it has made it much easier for people to understand and therefore make allowances for my own and my daughter's health situations since members not only see me at church where I am high functioning but at home even on my worst days (coming to the door in pjs at 5 in the afternoon and having the lights on all night conveys the situation quite quickly, lol.)

The only thing I really miss church related (besides the actual individuals) is the pretty much no contact or work with the missionaries. We saw them a lot up in Canada, adopted a few. They always knew they had a place to come to clean up and get warm in bad weather or get dinner if they were canceled on and didn't have time to bike home before another appt.

Edited September 29, 2011 by calmoriah

[mfbukowski]

One of my pet peeves in the Church is when someone moves away to another city and then comes back and bears their testimony or whatever and say how much more spiritual and blessed they are because they live in their new place as if living here they and we were all spiritual yutz's and now because they live in Whocaresville, Canada they are just the peak of perfection. Do you think that geography impacts your spirituality? As in where you live as opposed to other places you have lived is somehow better for you spiritually speaking

Well I guess geography must make a difference in what kinds of things are talked about in testimonies.

I have never in my life heard such a testimony, thank goodness. That's horrible. I would look at someone who said that as not deserving of an alleged "testimony" if it was so dependent on their surroundings.

A testimony comes from what is inside you, not what is outside you. What is outside you is called "peer pressure".

Such a person is just admitting they are easily led by others. Why would you want to admit THAT??

[Duncan]

Well I guess geography must make a difference in what kinds of things are talked about in testimonies.

I have never in my life heard such a testimony, thank goodness. That's horrible. I would look at someone who said that as not deserving of an alleged "testimony" if it was so dependent on their surroundings.

A testimony comes from what is inside you, not what is outside you. What is outside you is called "peer pressure".

Such a person is just admitting they are easily led by others. Why would you want to admit THAT??

oh! where I live its a 20 year phenomenon and ongoing! There is a place in my country that people have flocked too and then visit us lower lifeforms who don't live there and tell us what we are "missing" and to that end I call it "...Appreciation Day" and by implication I'm less of a person or we are less then them because we don't live there

[mfbukowski]

oh! where I live its a 20 year phenomenon and ongoing! There is a place in my country that people have flocked too and then visit us lower lifeforms who don't live there and tell us what we are "missing" and to that end I call it "...Appreciation Day" and by implication I'm less of a person or we are less then them because we don't live there

Well I live in LA. That sounds like a small town attitude, which might also explain its existence in other small towns.

Am I right? Is it a "City folk" vs "country folk" thing?

[CV75]

We have been very blessed in each of the moves we have made since leaving university.

I hope you enjoy many more (blessings, not necessarily moves!)!

[Duncan]

Well I live in LA. That sounds like a small town attitude, which might also explain its existence in other small towns.

Am I right? Is it a "City folk" vs "country folk" thing?

no, it is a provincial thing... like "im holier then you because I live in South Carolina and you just live in Kentucky"

[mfbukowski]

no, it is a provincial thing... like "im holier then you because I live in South Carolina and you just live in Kentucky"

Incomprehensible.

I mean, I believe you, but I have never experienced that sort of thing, and I have been around the block once or twice.

[Duncan]

Incomprehensible.

I mean, I believe you, but I have never experienced that sort of thing, and I have been around the block once or twice.

it happens, here-not too often but occasionally. Funny thing too is when I visited Emerald City last year it wasn't any different people wise then where I live. The people are just as messed up as we are here! ha! I chalk that up to more Mormons more problems, so when people get up and say "when I lived in...it was so exceptional and..." and so you are wondering what they are talking about and so I was asking the question if geography impacts spirituality

[selek1]

no, it is a provincial thing... like "im holier then you because I live in South Carolina and you just live in Kentucky"

To be perfectly blunt, if you're not from Texas, I can't help you with your (well-justified) inferiority complex.

God simply loves some of us more/better than he does you.

The lack of a Texas birth certificate is simply a cross you will have to bear.

oh! where I live its a 20 year phenomenon and ongoing! There is a place in my country that people have flocked too and then visit us lower lifeforms who don't live there and tell us what we are "missing" and to that end I call it "...Appreciation Day" and by implication I'm less of a person or we are less then them because we don't live there

I've lived and attended in a number of wards in Texas (1), Israel (1), Virginia(2), Connecticut (2), Louisiana(1), Colorado(3), Michigan(1), and now, Utah(3).

In roughly twenty years of membership in this Church, I have never encountered the "holier-than-thou" attitude with which you are tarring your fellow Saints.

I might suggest- however difffidently- that (like beauty) envy and offense lie in the eye of the beholder, and that the fault might be within yourself rather than in your stars.

Not to be too terribly blunt or rude about it, Duncan- my experience suggests that the problem might very well lie in what you are hearing than in what is being said.

[Sargon]

"Geography and Spirituality"

And here I thought this was going to be about Rod Meldrum...