It's not all about the RULES you big dummy!

I get it, I get it. I really get it on Friday night as everyone at work heads for the bar, a party, or to sit at home & drink away the 60-80 hour work week. Actually, we kind of laugh at 60 hour work weeks out here in North Dakota...but that's a WHOLE other post. You get it right, what I'm talking about? People are SO ready to go home, get wasted, & forget about another insane week of work that they can't possibly fathom someone wouldn't want to do the same. In fact, when it comes to meeting & talking to a Latter-day Saint (you probably call them Mormons), it seems like all anyone wants to talk about is what we "can" and "can't" do. First, the idea the "the Church tells you what to do" means that a person saying that has never been to a 3-hour meeting block & certainly hasn't watched a full 2-hour session of General Conference. Church is much more about sharing our experience with each other and offering helpful advice and spiritual insights we have gained as a result of our own earthly experience. Second, no one will ever be barred from coming to Church because they drink, or smoke, or cuss, or a multitude of other "sins". We don't have a confessional (although breaking the law of chastity, or severely breaking the word of wisdom in the form of alcoholism and/or drugs probably means you'll want to talk with a Bishop to get help to get back on track), so there is no place for you to go to openly admit your guilt for anything. For some reason, people will talk about their sins from the pulpit during "Fast & Testimony Meeting" on the 1st Sunday of each month when there is an "open pulpit"...but we actually prefer you don't do that. It's usually never fast, and it's not much of a testimony either. If you have a serious issue that needs resolving, start with your spouse & family, then your home teachers if you need outside help, & then the Bishop if you need Priesthood Authority...but DON'T talk about it from the pulpit. Third, when it comes to "rulebooks" in the Church, they are usually more about "how to" then "what to" or "what not to". BUT, despite our lived experience, those not of our faith constantly ask: "Can you do this?" "Are you allowed to do that?" "If this happens then can you...?" They always want to talk about things we can't do...it boggles many minds to think that we would so voluntarily give up "fun" things. That's where the...well, no on would ever give that up, so they must be FORCED to stop doing all those things. People...people...people, you have it all wrong. It's not about what we can or can't do; it's about what we do and don't believe. THAT is why everyone who ultimately becomes a Latter-day Saint (a Mormon) STAYS a Saint. See, what we really want you to ask about are the following: What or who was I before I lived here on Earth? Does G_d REALLY have a body? Is G_d REALLY omnipotent...or omniscient...or omnipresent? Why do terrible, horrible things happen to good people? Does G_d interact with the world, and to what degree? Should I be scared that at my wedding they said: "till death do you part"? Is it true that your Church says I can still be married when I'm resurrected? Can I have my children after this life as my children? Is G_d married? See, the answer to ALL of these questions are REALLY important. Their answers and the sum of our experience that often confirm the truthfulness of the answers is why so many of us (now over 14 million people world wide) are Latter-day Saints. It's the DOCTRINE silly! Imagine that you are interviewing for a new job. You go, they ask you questions, you ask them questions, they tell you a little about the job. You are presented with an offer that is better than what you currently have and you start going to work without really knowing the full range of everything you'll be asked to for work. You are excited because you know it's a better job. But, in the beginning, things are tough. There are all sorts of new people and procedures to work through. You often find you have questions about what to do next or if this or that should be avoided. You even learn that there are some people at work that you probably don't want to have to work with. You have to learn who to listen to (who has good advice) and who should be avoided as much as possible. You get a few questions and you just end up with more questions the more you work. Eventually, you settle into your grove, you feel good about your new life, & you handle challenges when they come up. You put out fires as they pop up. You don't necessarily look for a promotion, but if you do a good job you may get offered one. You learn who the other people are that are committed to excellence and you work with them as often as possible. They make you feel good about being a part of the team. One day you may even do well enough that the company offers you your own store, or a district, or area to be in charge of. YOU get to be the boss now that you've proven yourself able to be trusted with the responsibility of running your own show...even though you still technically have a boss. Yes, being a Latter-day Saint is like that. You start a new believe system because it offers you a promise of a better life. You don't have all the answers up front, but you learn and grow. You become "part of the team". Eventually you have lots of questions, all of which get answered. It's the answered questions that endures us to the LDS Church. It's like Radio Shack (not the going bankrupt part), where they say: "You've got questions and we've got answers." The "rules" are the result of someone saying: "OK, I did this thing...I'm a Mormon now...what do I do differently now?" The "rules" help people answer the question of what changes should I make in my life now that I'm LDS? What should I eat? What should I drink? What should I watch or listen to? The rules don't come first & then you become LDS. You become LDS and you learn HOW to be a Latter-day Saint. It's a process. The rules don't keep you from happiness. Once you have happiness, the rules help you stay there. It's like buying something from Walmart...if you aren't completely satisfied, you can go back to your old life...but I bet you won't. Not if you are looking for a promotion you wont. We all know the people that you have worked with that were there for a week and realized that it was a lot more hard work than they planned on. Then they never show up the 2nd week & before you know it they've moved on, were fired, or quit. If you can make it six months, coming to Church every week, reading your scriptures, and attend General Conference. You'll get it...it's not about the rules at all. It's about what we believe. We can answer all the questions up above...and so many more. Even better YOU can have the answers to all those questions. You can find out for yourself as you ask in prayer and then read the scriptures and words of the modern prophets. See, we do think that one can have true happiness...right now...in this world. All they have to do is ask a few questions and get some answers. Then, if they decide they want more...we can help them learn how to live a different life. The rules are reminders of what will take our eye "off the prize". The rules help you stay out of trouble...out of jail...and out of despair. So, the next time you find out someone you know is a Mormon. Instead of asking them what they can and can't do...consider asking them what they can and do believe.