Sunday, January 19, 2014

It's about time

How many Mormons have added up all the hours they dedicate to meeting the demands of righteous membership?

Monday:  15-30+ min personal scripture study
                15-30+ min family scripture study
                1-2 hrs family home evening preparation
                 20 min-2 hrs. family home evening
                 5 min family prayer
Tuesday:  15-30+ min personal scripture study             
                 15-30+ min family scripture study
                 5 min family prayer
Wednesday: 15-30+ min personal scripture study             
                 15-30+ min family scripture study
                 1-2 hrs + travel time for Mutual or Institute
                 1-2+ hrs lesson/activity preparation for Mutual and Institute instructors
                 5 min family prayer
Thursday: 15-30+ min personal scripture study             
                 15-30+ min family scripture study
                 5 min family prayer
Friday:     15-30+ min personal scripture study             
                 15-30+ min family scripture study
                 1.5 hrs + travel time for weekly temple attendance
                  5 min family prayer
Saturday:  1-4+ hrs talk and lesson preparation
Sunday:    3 hrs for church services + travel time
                 1 hr for leadership meetings + dead time between meetings
                 30 min choir practice
                 15+ min to set chairs up or put them away
                 15-30+ min personal scripture study             
                 15-30+ min family scripture study
                  5 min family prayer
 
      
I'm not entirely sure how to tally that all up. Not every member will have these exact duties and a good many will have more than these, especially in smaller congregations. A low-ball estimate puts us somewhere around 14.5 hrs/week dedicated to doing the things the Church wants you to do, the higher estimate puts us somewhere around 25+ hrs/week. That's essentially a part time job.

But, of course, there are even more duties that we have to add on.


Monthly: 2-3 hrs + travel time  to fill home teaching duties for 2-3 families
                2-3 hrs + travel time to fill visiting teaching duties for 2-3 women
                1 hr for any deacons in the family to collect fast offerings
                1-2 hrs + travel time to attend a fireside
                2+ hrs for Relief Society activities + 1-3+ hrs of food/activity preparation + travel time
Other:      1 hr. + travel time for high schoolers to attend Seminary
                1-2+ hrs preparation time for unpaid early morning seminary teachers
                20-24 hrs. to listen to all of the semiannual General Conference sessions
                ?? hrs helping your neighbors (yard work, baby sitting, comforting, socializing, etc.)
                ?? hrs collecting and maintaining food storage
                ?? hrs assisting in humanitarian aid following natural disasters
                1.5-2 years to serve a one-time proselytizing mission
                1.5 years each to serve as many service missions as desired when your kids are grown


Mormons are also instructed to be active in the communities and to get involved in local politics. And let's not forget that when you do have time to relax and seek out personal interests and entertainment it's always a good idea to engage in activities that bring the Spirit, like listening to hymns and Church-related music, reading faith promoting books, and watching wholesome Mormon movies.

Steven Hassan had a few ideas about groups that require "major time commitment... for indoctrination sessions and group rituals" and try to "keep members so busy they don't have time to think," and he included those ideas in his work on cults. But Mormonism isn't a cult! It's just a regular old Restoration-style church founded on the True Christ and the True Gospel and it only makes sense that anyone fully dedicated to loving God and neighbor would subscribe heart and soul to everything Christ has asked us to do through his church!

Jesus says: "Stop working to feed your families, dammit! This is MY work and MY glory, you ungrateful fucks!"

There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that we are on the Lord's time here. He paid our ransom and the least we can do is dedicate our lives to his work and our salvation, right?

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