LDS Families: A Decaying Zion

Tristi Pinkston (10229) 31 Mar 2006 01:27 AM

Very true! Saying 'keep church and business separate' is in my mind a lot like saying 'boys will be boys' -- an excuse for bad behavior. If we don't obey the commandments all the time, what good are they?

GypsyGirlElliott (15) 31 Mar 2006 06:06 AM

If you can truly keep your religion and your business lives completely seperated, then you're using your religion all wrong!! The point of religion is to guide your entire life and lifestyle - it should never be seperate from any other part of your life.

I once heard a quote that I think about often - "If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" I don't think your examples have to worry about being thrown to the lions any time soon.

Candace Salima (1593) 31 Mar 2006 01:13 PM

Both of you are absolutely right. I remember my first experience of when someone clearly drew that line between church and business, defending their behavior with that argument. The sadness in my heart was great, overwhelmed only by the shock. But I must say, I have also met untold numbers of people who do live their religion 24/7 -- for these people I am very grateful.

Bill Gardner (15) 31 Mar 2006 04:11 PM

Suspending your religious or spiritual identitiy for any reason is like space walking without a tether.

Candace Salima (1593) 31 Mar 2006 05:42 PM

Very nicely put.

donnagenealogy (70) 31 Mar 2006 06:51 PM

AH, the one foot in Zion and one in Babylon myth. One cannot do both. Either you are 24/7 your religion or you are both feet in Babylon and only delude yourself that you can do both. For as the Savior said, no man can serve two masters.

I do not think that people should use the resources of their employer, without their consent for church uses, as that would be theft. Id do not think people should use the time their employer is paying them, to do personal things or things not related to the business at hand.

On the other hand, I am in agreement with GypsyGirlElliot "The Point of religion is to guide your entire life and lifestyle.

We own two businesses. I even tithe my gross. Because what I choose to spend to enlarge or maintain my business, is my choice. I could spend it all. I tithe it because I recognize where it came from and who it really belongs to. God is the loving provider, and not like the tax man, whom you figure out what you owe after expenses:) Ok that is how I do it. I hope people I serve in my businesses feel that I am living my religion in all I do.

ShannaMB (48) 01 Apr 2006 01:02 AM

Wow. It always amazes me when I hear stories like this. Whoever feels that way kind of missed the whole point of our religion, wouldn't you say?

I mean we obviously don't always uphold our religion because none of us are perfect, but to actually say that it was okay that I did something like that, just...I'm dumbfounded.

Candace Salima (1593) 01 Apr 2006 04:30 PM

Yeah, it really is much too prevalent in the church. We have to hope that when the light is shed, these people recognize this behavior in themselves and make the necessary corrections. I know this is what I do when I see a fault in myself so blatantly in others. I then hasten to do all I can to correct it. Am I always successful? Not always, but I keep at it until I am.

baldeguy (55) 04 Apr 2006 01:47 AM

As a convert to the church in a rural area of the US, I learned to do business with members because I was taught that they hold a higher value and standard than the average American does (I still believe this too). I still live outside of "Mormonville" and still try to do business with members. I have also learned to use the Spirit of Discernment in these matters as all members of the church are not equal. I would be surprised if a large percentage of the church followed this path of Sunday Mormonism in their business lives. If at any time in our lives we need to hold the standard high it is in the world. We need to act well our part to a more precise exactness when we interact with others for we never know if we are entertaining angels or not.

Candace Salima (1593) 04 Apr 2006 02:16 PM

"If at any time in our lives we need to hold the standard high it is in the world. We need to act well our part to a more precise exactness when we interact with others for we never know if we are entertaining angels or not."

Well said, well said. We literally do have to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We hold ourselves as representatives of God on the earth. Meaning, not that we are God, but that we want to spread His word, His truth, His love . . . how do we do that if we are doing one thing on one hand and something on the other?

I, too, have worked many wonderful people, but have sadly worked with others who do exactly as I described in my blog. They live their religion only on Sundays.