In my area, though, it really seems like private organizations, not government organizations, are the ones primarily making a difference on social issues like poverty and homelessness. Nearby Santa Monica has a soaring homeless population (it was 30,000 the last time I heard a figure quoted). There are lots of worthy private organizations that need help and support, but again, it seems like members are more interested in getting involved with moral issues, like p0rnography, gambling, etc. I’m not saying that these issues aren’t important as well, but there’s no lack of other private organizations out there fueling the fight against these problems. In my opinion, having 30,000 homeless people on the street in your community poses just as much of a problem as having too many strip bars in your community. But we don’t seem to care about that problem as much, or find it as worthy of our attention adn efforts.

I think there is an absence of government involvment in morality issues. In fact in many cases, such as gambling, the government endorses immorality because of the financial gain. Citizens groups need to be involved with these issues and I think we can make a huge difference as a church by standing with those who see the same battles being waged.

Perhaps the LDS population does not get so involved on national levels but who is to say how active we are in local issues, which are more of an immediate impact on us than national agendas. Also, its interesting to note activity or inactivity in politics is not the deciding factor in whether we are detached from the world at large.

I would hope that to a large degree we are. Counsel such as p0rnography, WoW, alcohol, entertainment choices etc certainly set us apart from the world but can also present oprotunities to discuss our beliefs with the outside world. One of the greatest votes we can cast is the vote with our pocket book.

Of course there is still politics and LDS activity again is not defiend by how many LDS serve and how high up in political power they serve. Politics is a dirty game. The fact that not many LDS participate goes a long way to say that we would prefer not to get swept up in corruption etc. Now, I understand this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t but thats why I think it is fair to say there is probably more involvement on local levels world wide.

Out here in the mission field I find a lot of socially active LDS. Most everyone in our ward participates. Maybe that is just the anomally, but I would say thats a strong contradiction to Poll’s assesment of a myopic people.

The church has scaled back on the meetings & their demands on our time. I’m home most nights and I suspect most of you are — judging by the regularity of your blogging posts (unless you’re posting during bishopric or high council meetings). The last Dialogue has an interview with former Utah Demo Congressman David S. King who was also on the YM General Board. He described what Mutual was REALLY like (back in the 60s & 70s). These programs are much simpler then they used to be. So I’m among those who say we can & ought to do better.

But first, let me finish reading these blogs . . .

And on Sunday too. (Apropos of the thread on Ox-in-the-Mire of a while back.)

Terry Tempest Williams’ Refuge has a good description.

I don’t think in general that we are “myopic”; just maybe a bit preoccupied with all that we trying to do. And it is not easy to be “in the world and not of the world.” Sometimes it is easier to focus on the “not of the world” part and not spend as much time on being “in the world” (I have seen some families that do this–they seem to be completely out of touch with the real world-you know what I mean!). But our Church Leaders teach us that we need to be a part of making the world a better place, and I think that we do. We do have several LDS politicians who are doing their part to try to influence the world. But as fathers and mothers and teachers and doctors and lawyers and writers and citizens, we all have a voice in shaping the world, whether we realize it or not.

Part of me wants to say “Amen” loudly to the first part of your post, while the other wants to say it even louder to the last line.

It’s like my dad used to say to me, or the dog, “What do you think about when you’re not thinking about anything at all?” What do we do when we’re not being asked to do something?

The Latter-day Saints are very engaged in making the world a better place. We just do it in a slightly different way and a little more quietly. Having said that, we can always do better