The Pandemic's Lasting Impact on the Church and it's Members

[Rain]

9 minutes ago, Hamba Tuhan said:

Understood. But the Church's training materials have for years explained that missionary work belongs to wards and stakes, with the missionaries sent to assist us. The primary role of any WML is to provide meaningful teaching opportunities for the full-time missionaries, pandemic or no.

Definitely.  

9 minutes ago, Hamba Tuhan said:

When I was WML in my old ward, we set a goal of providing five teaching opportunities per week for each companionship. In the beginning (during the 'surge') we had three companionships and then this turned into four. We never actually reached our goal, but we got very close most weeks, with 15 to 18 lessons being common.

Because of COVID, we are down to only two companionships across our entire stake. We should be inundating them with meaningful teaching opportunities. I don't really care how people do that. I've had responsibility in the stake for missionary work for just over a year now, and we've been laser-focussed on helping ward leaders and WMLs perceive what they could be doing. This is one more example of what can be done.

My current ward is about about 170km by 140km. We'll be fine!

I figured that was probably the case.  😁

[Tacenda]

This may have already been shared. I'm banned from the main covid thread, so hopefully Fair Dinkum doesn't mind if I share this with a question.

I wonder if Jerold Ottley had been vaccinated yet. It's the saddest thing, I hope more and more people, as they lose those close to them, start taking the virus serious and not fight it, especially by taking precautions such as wearing masks.

I had a FB friend, former schoolmate, post yesterday that we should go back to living how we did before the pandemic (it's the c/p below) and wanted me to c/p to my FB. I did copy and paste, just not where he wanted me to lol, here! Although it's not a laughing matter.

Shortly before seeing his post on FB I had read that Ottley passed away from covid complications and thought how his family would have done everything possible to prevent his death. And how this FB friend surely doesn't understand...yet.

I understand some of his feelings, but he's not comprehending that we all wish we could go back to normal, but we can't and it's good to have some fear in order to prevent. I'm sure Ottley's family would prefer he be among them still, instead of having such a reckless attitude like the c/p is saying in a way, like live and let live. But in this case, the letting, caused the non living. 

I haven't had anyone near me die, but last week my own granddaughter who isn't quite 18 months old, got it along with her mother, my daughter. My daughter can't smell or taste and I don't know what my poor granddaughter can do as far as that goes, because she can't put that into words yet. And my daughter thinks the same as my FB fiend. Oh, I mean friend.  

It angers me so much that my daughter has been duped. And our relationship is strained beyond belief. Not saying she believes QAnon anymore, but what QAnon put out as far as conspiracy theories, is where she was led down the rabbit hole. The evil man/group that started it needs to fess up and pay for what they've done and continue to do. 

Here's what the FB friend posted yesterday:

3 years from now, some of you will look back & admit that you spent an entire year of your life wearing a mask, cooped up in your house & avoiding all the people you love. A year in your life that you’ll never get back.

Every single day is a risk.

Car accident, flu, etc.

Our days were numbered from the moment we took our first breath. Life isn’t a race where we win against the inevitable! That has not changed since the beginning of time!

BUT, we should not be forced to live in fear.

We went from being a free nation to being told we:

couldn’t go to school

couldn’t go to church

couldn’t go to our grandma's house

couldn’t pay respects to a loved one through a funeral

couldn’t leave our homes

...and when we were allowed to do these things, we were told:

how long we could be there

how far apart we have to be

which direction to walk

what to wear

what we can buy/not buy

where we could shop/not shop

whether we could sing/worship/take communion

what time we had to be home

Yes, our health matters.

But you know what else matters?

Family.

Friends.

Church.

School.

Sporting events.

Family vacations.

Neighborhood BBQs.

Life.

Fitness.

Hugs.

visiting the hospitalized

Etc..etc...

One day, you’ll hug your grandma, mom, dad, or brother for the last time.

One day, your best friend will cry on your shoulder for the last time.

One day, your child will play their last ball game.

One day, they’ll have their last day of school.

One day, you’ll spend your last day laughing with a loved one.

One day, you’ll dance your last dance.

Don’t waste the days you have by living in fear.

Your time here on earth matters.

Live your life while you have the chance.

God is gonna call you home when it’s your time.

Virus or no virus.

 

Sadly Jerold Ottley left this world probably because the nation took far too long to take it seriously, IMO. Before seeing the article I had recently watched a video on YOUTUBE of the behind the scenes of the Salt Lake Temple and there was a part with Ottley.  Here is the news article of his passing. https://ksltv.com/455842/former-tabernacle-choir-director-jerold-ottley-dies-at-age-86/

 

Edited to add another article that specifies that it was due to a covid related illness. https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-02-19/jerold-ottley-tabernacle-choir-director-dies-covid-related-illness-204708

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by Tacenda

[bluebell]

1 hour ago, Tacenda said:

This may have already been shared. I'm banned from the main covid thread, so hopefully Fair Dinkum doesn't mind if I share this with a question.

I wonder if Jerold Ottley had been vaccinated yet. It's the saddest thing, I hope more and more people, as they lose those close to them, start taking the virus serious and not fight it, especially by taking precautions such as wearing masks.

I had a FB friend, former schoolmate, post yesterday that we should go back to living how we did before the pandemic (it's the c/p below) and wanted me to c/p to my FB. I did copy and paste, just not where he wanted me to lol, here! Although it's not a laughing matter.

Shortly before seeing his post on FB I had read that Ottley passed away from covid complications and thought how his family would have done everything possible to prevent his death. And how this FB friend surely doesn't understand...yet.

I understand some of his feelings, but he's not comprehending that we all wish we could go back to normal, but we can't and it's good to have some fear in order to prevent. I'm sure Ottley's family would prefer he be among them still, instead of having such a reckless attitude like the c/p is saying in a way, like live and let live. But in this case, the letting, caused the non living. 

I haven't had anyone near me die, but last week my own granddaughter who isn't quite 18 months old, got it along with her mother, my daughter. My daughter can't smell or taste and I don't know what my poor granddaughter can do as far as that goes, because she can't put that into words yet. And my daughter thinks the same as my FB fiend. Oh, I mean friend.  

It angers me so much that my daughter has been duped. And our relationship is strained beyond belief. Not saying she believes QAnon anymore, but what QAnon put out as far as conspiracy theories, is where she was led down the rabbit hole. The evil man/group that started it needs to fess up and pay for what they've done and continue to do. 

Here's what the FB friend posted yesterday:

3 years from now, some of you will look back & admit that you spent an entire year of your life wearing a mask, cooped up in your house & avoiding all the people you love. A year in your life that you’ll never get back.

Every single day is a risk.

Car accident, flu, etc.

Our days were numbered from the moment we took our first breath. Life isn’t a race where we win against the inevitable! That has not changed since the beginning of time!

BUT, we should not be forced to live in fear.

We went from being a free nation to being told we:

couldn’t go to school

couldn’t go to church

couldn’t go to our grandma's house

couldn’t pay respects to a loved one through a funeral

couldn’t leave our homes

...and when we were allowed to do these things, we were told:

how long we could be there

how far apart we have to be

which direction to walk

what to wear

what we can buy/not buy

where we could shop/not shop

whether we could sing/worship/take communion

what time we had to be home

Yes, our health matters.

But you know what else matters?

Family.

Friends.

Church.

School.

Sporting events.

Family vacations.

Neighborhood BBQs.

Life.

Fitness.

Hugs.

visiting the hospitalized

Etc..etc...

One day, you’ll hug your grandma, mom, dad, or brother for the last time.

One day, your best friend will cry on your shoulder for the last time.

One day, your child will play their last ball game.

One day, they’ll have their last day of school.

One day, you’ll spend your last day laughing with a loved one.

One day, you’ll dance your last dance.

Don’t waste the days you have by living in fear.

Your time here on earth matters.

Live your life while you have the chance.

God is gonna call you home when it’s your time.

Virus or no virus.

 

Sadly Jerold Ottley left this world probably because the nation took far too long to take it seriously, IMO. Before seeing the article I had recently watched a video on YOUTUBE of the behind the scenes of the Salt Lake Temple and there was a part with Ottley.  Here is the news article of his passing. https://ksltv.com/455842/former-tabernacle-choir-director-jerold-ottley-dies-at-age-86/

 

Edited to add another article that specifies that it was due to a covid related illness. https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2021-02-19/jerold-ottley-tabernacle-choir-director-dies-covid-related-illness-204708

 

I had a family member on my facebook who posted that exact same thing about covid.  I ignored it. 

I think in some ways the sentiment is important, in that we do need to stop and think what we are willing to risk and what we aren't, and especially what we are trading for limited risk.  Some things are worth the trade and others aren't (and what those things are will be different for each person). 

Personally, I wasn't willing to trade not seeing my parents or having my parents see their grandkids for months or a year or longer or miss out on holidays that we always spend together--that price was too high for me and it was also too high for them--so we got together for my grandma's funeral, a couple of camping trips, and all the holidays last year.  It all required traveling out of state and we tried to be safe and smart about it, but every trip was a risk and we acknowledged that and we're o.k. with it (thankfully, no one in the family or extended family has gotten COVID or had any exposure to it requiring quarantining so we've been lucky consider all the travel and group get togethers).

But the sentiment falls short in a lot of other ways because it does pretend like the risk doesn't exist and I don't think that's a healthy way to deal with the pandemic.  Pretending something isn't real or can't hurt you is not the same thing as recognizing that it could and doing your best to be as safe as possible while still doing the things that you find essential for your well being.

But I've learned not to try to argue with people who put up these kinds of things on Facebook.  It does no good and often causes hard feelings.

[Tacenda]

1 minute ago, bluebell said:

I had a family member on my facebook who posted that exact same thing about covid.  I ignored it. 

I think in some ways the sentiment is important, in that we do need to stop and think what we are willing to risk and what we aren't, and especially what we are trading for limited risk.  Some things are worth the trade and others aren't (and what those things are will be different for each person). 

Personally, I wasn't willing to trade not seeing my parents or having my parents see their grandkids for months or a year or longer or miss out on holidays that we always spend together--that price was too high for me and it was also too high for them--so we got together for my grandma's funeral, a couple of camping trips, and all the holidays last year.  It all required traveling out of state and we tried to be safe and smart about it, but every trip was a risk and we acknowledged that and we're o.k. with it (thankfully, no one in the family or extended family has gotten COVID or had any exposure to it requiring quarantining so we've been lucky consider all the travel and group get togethers).

But the sentiment falls short in a lot of other ways because it does pretend like the risk doesn't exist and I don't think that's a healthy way to deal with the pandemic.  Pretending something isn't real or can't hurt you is not the same thing as recognizing that it could and doing your best to be as safe as possible while still doing the things that you find essential for your well being.

But I've learned not to try to argue with people who put up these kinds of things on Facebook.  It does no good and often causes hard feelings.

I agree, I continued with visits from my sisters who visited from California, to visiting my MIL at her retirement community, to having Thanksgiving and Christmas with my immediate family, to eating in restaurants, to going to the movies, but always trying to be mindful of wearing the mask, washing constantly, and social distancing safely. Not sure if I did everything 100% perfect, but wasn't willing to completely throw caution to the wind. BTW, on another post by someone else I saw that they mentioned today is the end of Utah's mandated wearing of the masks. I hope the governor lengthens it. I like the masks and feeling that of being protected and being the protector. 

[bluebell]

3 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

I agree, I continued with visits from my sisters who visited from California, to visiting my MIL at her retirement community, to having Thanksgiving and Christmas with my immediate family, to eating in restaurants, to going to the movies, but always trying to be mindful of wearing the mask, washing constantly, and social distancing safely. Not sure if I did everything 100% perfect, but wasn't willing to completely throw caution to the wind. BTW, on another post by someone else I saw that they mentioned today is the end of Utah's mandated wearing of the masks. I hope the governor lengthens it. I like the masks and feeling that of being protected and being the protector. 

I haven't seen that anywhere.  It seems weird they would end it right now but who knows.

[Tacenda]

57 minutes ago, bluebell said:

I haven't seen that anywhere.  It seems weird they would end it right now but who knows.

This is the post I saw on FB: