> -----Original Message----- > From: Stacy Smith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: November 12, 2003 8:38 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [ZION] Conversion > > Social club? That was farthest from my mind while I was converting. In > fact, my old church had doughnuts during the Sunday school hour and people > who just sat around talking. Yes, it had degenerated into that. I was > looking for something much more and I found it. > > Stacy.
President Hinckley acknowledges the following need for every new convert (and for the rest of us I suppose), a friend, a responsibility and nurturing by the good word of God. To me those are the three things included in Moroni 6:4, where we are numbered (fellowshipped or friendshipped or if your don't mind, socialized) named (which is, for me, a code word for the process of being given a call where our name is read out before the congregation for a sustaining vote) and nourished by the good word of God (which is the teaching and spiritual worship that we enjoy together as "meet together oft" - following on in the next verse or two). Does that mean we are a social club. Well, in a sense yes, but a great deal more than that. President Hinckley recognizes that socialization is necessary as well as the spiritual and service components of the church. Incidentally, one of the reasons given in training that I have received, for the removal of missionary farewells and homecomings is so that the objective of nurturing by the good word of God can be increased and given greater emphasis. The homecoming and farewell model for sacrament meeting tends, very often, to deemphasize gospel topics and focus on individual and family issues that are exclusionary to those not in that family or closely aligned with it. Too many shaggy dog stories about the youngster now called as a missionary and not enough gospel teaching. We get the same counsel about funerals a lot too. Which is one reason that I speak at every funeral I attend in my stake. My point is to try to add some balance between the gospel message and the celebration of the life of the deceased. I started out only speaking when the balance needed to be tipped, in my opinion, but later decided that it could never be too much tipped in favour of the comforting and saving doctrines of the resurrection and redemption through Jesus Christ, so I always have something to say. But the family dinner after the funeral is sometimes as comforting and important as the service and the sermons, so there has to be some socialization, even if that means funeral potatoes instead of doughnuts. Tom > > At 11:17 PM 10/26/2003 +0000, you wrote: > > > >New converts are not often full-grown in their testimony. They depend > >somewhat on socializing and fellowship to support their faith. > > > >As do we all. > > > -- > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // > //// > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // > /// > ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html --^----------------------------------------------------------------
