Success as a Mormon requires a sense of humor. The reason is that our culture is filled with little ironies or paradoxes that are often cured best by a laugh.
For example:
1. We Latter-day Saints often proclaim that the world does not pay us enough attention, but when it does, such as Broadway producing a new show called The Book of Mormon, we don't like it. I guess we need to be careful about what we wish for. There is something funny about that.
2. Ostensibly, the top leaders of the Church are men, but every Mormon knows that women really run the Church. If women were taken away, decisions would not get made correctly, little actual work would get done, and the men would have no one to settle their arguments. There is something funny about that.
3. Many Mormons (probably too many) equate promoting B.Y.U. with building the kingdom. For example, phone solicitors from B.Y.U. asking us for donations sometimes act surprised when we donate monies to non-L.D.S. universities instead. There is something really funny about equating B.Y.U. with the gospel. (I extend my apologies to those B.Y.U. fans going through NCAA withdrawals, but the gospel does NOT collapse even when B.Y.U. does).
4. Many Mormons proclaim (without documentation) that we do not drink coffee because of the caffeine. I know almost no Mormons who stay away from chocolate, which is filled with the stuff. There is something funny about that.
5. Mormons love meetings. There is definitely something funny about that.
6. If we ranked the importance of Mormon doctrines based upon their frequency of being spoken in the Church, then the most important Mormon doctrine would be Home Teaching. I love my Home Teachers, but still… there is something funny about that.
7. Mormons want to change the world. We have a lot of work to do, since non-Latter-day Saints outnumber us by 400 to 1. In fact, the majority may be having more influence on the minority than the other way around. There is something funny (or sad) about that.
8. Mormon blogs like to argue: Where did Adam's body come from? Should we love Bruce R. McConkie? Is the spirit conscious? Why is the word "Bible" not in the Bible? Are all Wards the same? (I am guilty of writing on all these topics). Most people would consider these NOT to be burning issues – or maybe just worth burning. There is something funny about that.
9. Mormons don't like jokes with swearing, unless, of course, they come from J. Golden Kimball. There is something VERY funny about that.
10. We preach against materialism. We promote provident living. Yet, Mormon-dominated cities, like Provo-Orem, have some of the highest rates of foreclosure in the nation. There is something both strange and sad about that.
We Latter-day Saints are NOT a perfect people, as much as we would like to be. Actually, we are a very good people, but sometimes our ways are quirky. And, sometimes it is necessary to have a good sense of humor to get past the little paradoxes of Mormon life.
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11 comments:
I like your post. There is something funny about it.
Yeah, but ... but ... but ...
You're right. And I still love us, just as much as you do.
This blog seems to be progressively criticizing Mormon doctrines and traditions while ignoring their virtues. There is something that unfortunately can be inferred from that.
John:
You are welcome to your perception, but I think it is unfortunate. From my point of view, I am NOT in the business of criticizing doctrine, because I am a believing practitioner.
Perhaps you are referring to my essays on evolution. If so, I would merely inform you that there are MANY Mormon evolutionists. In fact, I have been trained by some of them. One was my Stake President.
In any case, feel free to give me feedback where you feel I have misspoken. I am not perfect.
Great observations. One thought occurred to me as I read point number 6. If one looks at home teaching (however in/effective it is in practice) as a direct outgrowth of the commandment to love one another, it actually kind of makes sense that it is so often addressed. :)
Matthew:
Great comment. I do wonder sometime, though, whether the great emphasis on Home Teaching unintentionally dilutes the acts of service we can make to those whom we have not been "assigned." In any case, I am just poking a little fun.
Some interesting thoughts.
I am curious about your beliefs on chocolate and caffiene. Other than some interpretable idea presented by someone on Wikipedia I can't find anything but opposition to the idea.
Cocoa doesn't contain any caffiene of itself. And while all beans and grains that are roasted are considered to produce some little bit of such in the process, no one seems to be able to measure it because of its insignificance.
This seems to be another one of those fallacies that gets passed around.
Also while I'd support that women are really the head of the home and the church, it hasn't been by men's design. In fact the vast majority of men seriously oppose it.
As to women settling arguments that is only because men give up as they can't out-talk a woman.
As to the rest, good stuff.
Doug Towers:
Click on the chocolate link in the essay, and it will take you to an accurate assessment of caffeine concentrations by brand of chocolate.
You are right about the attitudes of men, but we really do over estimate our importance.
Thanks for your reactions.
I strongly disagree with number one. We all want attention, but we don't want to be bullied or made fun of. Who does? If that is the kind of attention we get, maybe its best to do as the Jehovah Witnesses (who I greatly admire for how they do things) and recede in the background while making quiet gains.
Feminists in and out of the Church strongly disagree with number two. There is something funny about that.
Having gone to both BYU and a non-Mormon University (with admittedly high numbers of Mormons) I don't see much funny with number three. When you have a concentration of Mormons for the most part trying to live the Gospel in a school where the board is made up of the General Priesthood Authorities, its hard not to consider BYU less than The Lord's University. To me its funny there are Mormons who don't see the connection. The Church is part of the Gospel and the University is controlled by the Church.
I think four is good, but in a "scientific world" its not any wonder mere faith cannot be accepted at face value. The liberal enlightenment dictates we must have a reason or the inquisition isn't far behind.
Five is no comment and I agree with a comment response to six. I don't know if we can call Home teaching a "doctrine" so much as a practice. I find it funny that Mormons mix up practices as doctrines so much.
Agree with the last half of seven. The first half about the numbers has been predicted to be the case in the Scriptures. For that matter, so has the second half.
Agree with number eight. Isn't it fun though so we don't have to worry about what really is important? Who wants to talk about faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, and enduring to the end?
Nine is self evident. We laugh because we know its a paradox and J. Golden knew it too.
It is sad, but I know a lot of Mormons who truly do live provident lives.
Jettboy:
I don't like the Broadway thing anymore than you do. We LDS can crave positive attention, but the more we get, the more negative there will be as well.
I am glad you are happy with BYU, but I wish the phone solicitors would call you, not me.
Is Home Teaching a doctrine or a practice? "Thou shalt Home Teach" sure seems like a doctrine to me. No matter.
Don't take me too seriously in the main essay. I am merely making some observations with a smile on my face.
Thanks for your comments!!!!
Funny Dad.
Son #1
PS: Feel free to post any of my Facebook notes as a guest blog if you want.
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