Does anyone else tend to skip fast and testimony meetings?

[ksfisher]

2 hours ago, Keq82 said:

The worst is when people get up and say how hard their week was and complain about their life (especially here in the US). I just want to throw up in my mouth...go live in Afghanistan for a week and tell me how hard your life is when you come back to the US.  I think too many members (and Americans even) just live in a bubble, completely oblivious to the other 195 countries that exist on this earth.  

Everyone lives in a bubble.  Everyone has their own life and none of us really knows how if feels to be someone else.  Perhaps these people who get up in your meeting and complain about their lives just need someone to show them some compassion.

Edited March 30, 2016 by ksfisher
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[Okrahomer]

1 minute ago, ksfisher said:

Everyone lives i a bubble.  Everyone has their own life and none of us really knows how if feels to be someone else.  Perhaps these people who get up in your meeting and complain about their lives just need someone to show them some compassion.

I couldn't agree with you more, and wish I could give you 10 more rep points.

[Keq82]

19 minutes ago, ksfisher said:

Everyone lives in a bubble.  Everyone has their own life and none of us really knows how if feels to be someone else.  Perhaps these people who get up in your meeting and complain about their lives just need someone to show them some compassion.

 

19 minutes ago, ksfisher said:

Everyone lives in a bubble.  Everyone has their own life and none of us really knows how if feels to be someone else.  Perhaps these people who get up in your meeting and complain about their lives just need someone to show them some compassion.

Or perhaps they need a bigger dose of reality/perspective and they wouldn't complain about their first-world problems.  

[ksfisher]

16 minutes ago, Keq82 said:

 

Or perhaps they need a bigger dose of reality/perspective and they wouldn't complain about their first-world problems.  

Everyone could use a better perspective regardless of which world they live in.  However, I do believe that the gospel teaches us not to judge the problems of others as not being worthy of our compassion.  I have never felt, in taking my problems to the Lord, that they were not worthy of His attention.  In striving to be like Him I would hope that I've never dismissed the problems of others are being unimportant (though I probably have).

 

[toon]

I tend to skip lots of meetings, so you can take my comment with a grain of salt.  But I actually like fast and testimony meeting.  I used to enjoy it as an open mike event, where all kinds of awesome might happen.  But I also realize it's a meeting where people that I care about get the share their sincere feelings and opinions, and I enjoy that.  I usually come out of fast and testimony meeting feeling closer to and having more respect for my fellow ward members.  That includes those that give what would be called a travelogue or air personal problems as well as those rigidly stick to the four corners of what we've been instructed is supposed to be a testimony.  (And I won't say that I feel the spirit, because I don't believe I do.)

That said, my extremely minor pet peeve is all those who decide/feel prompted in the last five minutes of the meeting to go up and bear their testimonies, notwithstanding the long moments of silence in the middle of the meeting that they passed up on.

[Rain]

19 hours ago, Anijen said:

I love fast and testimony meetings. First for the Spiritual refilling, but also (spoiler alert of a guilty pleasure), because, it at times, can be downright entertaining.

Examples;

Sister testifying about a doctor who solved her pregnancy problems and thanked him for helping her get pregnant. The brother [the doctor] comes up right after her and said; he didn't get her pregnant "that credit goes to her husband."

All wards have that cat lady, who gives great testimonies about each cat.

The ones who end their testimony saying; "in the name of thy son...

The occasional crying testimony equipped with loud  nose snorts.

One of my favorites came from my son when he was eight years old and when Wayne's World was popular; "I'm gonna marry Tasha in the temple, Shwaaang!"

We have never had a cat lady, but I know my son would love it if we did!

I have had different feelings over the years about testimony meetings.  

In some wards I have rarely heard a testimony and that does get old.  I enjoy the different quirks of people and what they say, but it needs to be mixed with testimonies.  My current ward has a good mix.  Our last couple of meetings were very well centered on Christ and the Spirit was strong. When I have good meetings like that then I really don't mind the quirks. 

Some of the quirks:

When we one of the missionaries marched right up to the pulpit with his companion, called us out for being the only ward in the stake that didn't have an investigator, then marched out the side door with his companion following him.

When one of the men told how "the brethren" though he was so humble as he wrote a book about Christ.

 When someone called the ward out last Veteran's Day because nobody had mentioned it was Veteran's Day yet. 

I like going to testimony meetings.  No need to choose between it and volunteering. If I want to do service I can miss my TV show or chatting online. 

[Freedom]

Fast and Testimony meeting is bar non my favorite service. I recall the Sunday I gained a testimony of it. A woman was bearing her testimony and for the first time I paid close attention to what she was saying and I was struck not by what she said, but by the fact that she was testifying of Christ. From that moment on, I pay attention to the testimonies, no matter how unrefined they may be, and when ever I do, I feel the power of the holy ghost work through me. 

 

[Guest]

On March 29, 2016 at 7:41 PM, Keq82 said:

I usually avoid attending most fast and testimony sacrament meetings.  Moreover, on the first Sunday of every month, I tend to do volunteer at a homeless shelter (helping to prepare meals) to help feed the homeless.  In many ways, I do not get anything out of fast and testimony meetings; therefore, I simply choose not to go.  Perhaps some would argue that this is selfish…but I think my time can be better served doing volunteer work instead.

Does anyone else tend to skip fast and testimony meeting?  

I don't, it is usually the most Spirit filled week, because it is not a topic assigned, but all from the heart. Sometimes some what to talk only of themselves or use it for a travel log. 

[Gray]

On 3/29/2016 at 6:41 PM, Keq82 said:

I usually avoid attending most fast and testimony sacrament meetings.  Moreover, on the first Sunday of every month, I tend to do volunteer at a homeless shelter (helping to prepare meals) to help feed the homeless.  In many ways, I do not get anything out of fast and testimony meetings; therefore, I simply choose not to go.  Perhaps some would argue that this is selfish…but I think my time can be better served doing volunteer work instead.

Does anyone else tend to skip fast and testimony meeting?  

There is nothing selfish about volunteering at a homeless shelter!

[BlueDreams]

I like fast and testimony meetings because they're the sacrament meetings most likely to keep me alert. I have a hard time listening to talks in sacrament, particularly if they're not all that engaging. So short and sweet is better for me. If they're not interesting they're gone in less than 3 minutes. There's also more likelihood that I'll hear something that does touch me because they're flipping in and out. That's probably more "selfish" because I'm thinking about what it gives me . Most sundays, no matter the program, I'll be there. 

[cinepro]

On 3/29/2016 at 4:41 PM, Keq82 said:

I usually avoid attending most fast and testimony sacrament meetings.  Moreover, on the first Sunday of every month, I tend to do volunteer at a homeless shelter (helping to prepare meals) to help feed the homeless.  In many ways, I do not get anything out of fast and testimony meetings; therefore, I simply choose not to go.  Perhaps some would argue that this is selfish…but I think my time can be better served doing volunteer work instead.

Does anyone else tend to skip fast and testimony meeting?  

40 minutes where people can get up and say almost anything they want?  How could I miss that? 

Many of my favorite church memories happened during F&T meeting.  The best being when one elderly man shared the story of passing kidney stones the day before.  Then produced a pill bottle containing said stones and shook it like a maraca.