One member of our ward was well-known for getting up every Fast Sunday and giving essentially the same testimony. He has a strong but simple testimony, one that many members might dismiss or ignore because it isn’t as “sophisticated” as what they would say. Illness now prevents him from attending our ward, but he remains well remembered. But since then we have had a number of people join our ward whose testimonies are similar to his. I think that such people are a blessing to the Church. These testimonies are balanced by a large variety of testimonies that are different in many ways. Some are sophisticated and others are not, some rely on higher education and research into the scriptures and theology, and others on a basic education and a literal understanding of the words on the page in the scriptures and church-provided materials.
I doubt my experience is unusual. You probably have a variety of people in your ward. Some likely find the testimonies or talks or lessons taught too simple or “boring.” Others may find the testimonies confusing or even against how they understand the gospel. Leaders often have a difficult job bridging these differences, especially when there are members inclined to complain. And, of course, these leaders have their own preferences and biases—biases that they often don’t even recognize. Heck, I’m quite sure that I have biases — perhaps even some that I don’t recognize (how would I know?)
So how do we address the variety of opinions about what should be done in talks and lessons? I think it’s easier when we know the people in our congregations well — I think branches often have it easier, simply because there are fewer people to know. When we know people, it’s often easier to love and respect them, to tolerate the ways that they are different from us. When the speaker in sacrament meeting is, like the friend in my ward who gave the same testimony every month, someone you know and love and care about, you listen, and you find a way to get something from what they say.
In fact, you might find that by actually listening to the people in your ward, you may grow to know them and even love and care about them.
So how do we listen to others and preserve our own ideals? It’s easier if you find things in what they say that you agree with, and react to that. Or if you disagree with something they say, you think carefully about what they say and examine why you disagree and why they think the way they do. Thinking carefully about it, while seeing others as real people, can give the listener (i.e., us) a way to get something positive out of what is said.
In these posts I am trying to suggest that each of us can have better experiences at Church if we take responsibility for our experiences, and if we are open to learning from what happens by pondering it — by thinking about it in many different ways. We can choose to learn and benefit from what happens regardless of whether it fits our perception of what is “good.” Thinking about our reactions and what we understand allows for revelation and for better understanding.
In this vein, I like the statement that President Hugh B. Brown made in a 1969 BYU devotional, President Hugh B. Brown declared that the Church is “not so much concerned with whether your thoughts are orthodox or heterodox as we are that you shall have thoughts.” We should be carefully considering what we hear at Church, regardless of whether what we heard is right or wrong, orthodox or heterodox.
A lot of our thought depends on how we look at it. It is not different from what many artists figure out—they understand that how you see the world before you is more important than what you see. You might call it ‘active listening’ or shifting perspective. It just means that you see differently. And seeing differently reveals a different world.
In my case, I tend to focus narrowly, thinking about groups of words or sentences, sometimes taking them out of context and thinking about what they say, even if the speaker didn’t intend what I heard. It’s not at all like what we’re taught in school, where the focus is on understanding accurately and completely what the speaker or text says. Its about pulling out useful or inspiring thoughts in spite of what was said.
So, if you aren’t thinking this way, maybe try it next Sunday, or the next time you are in a class or meeting. If you have already thoughts inspired by what happened at church, what are they? How did you react to what happened in Church yesterday? What did you notice? Did you end up thinking differently? Do you think your reactions were what they should be? Were they looking for what God had to tell you? Did your reactions make things better?
This is the latest invitation for reactions to local meetings, continuing a series of weekly posts that started with my post on September 25th about how we receive what happens in Church meetings—sermons, lessons and anything else—and enter a conversation with them, magnifying what was said or adding what we think. In these posts I’m asking us all to think about how we listen and receive what happens at Church. If we only listen for mistakes, or things that bother us, what does that say about us? Is it most important to criticize others? Or to try to change ourselves?
The point here is that no matter how poorly prepared the speaker or teacher is, or no matter how what happens triggers us, or is objectively or doctrinally wrong, we can still find elements in what is said and what happens that inspires and edifies us. Even if church meetings aren’t conducted in a way that reaches us, we can take responsibility and find a way to feel the spirit.
So please, write down reactions and thoughts to what happened in Church. You might keep your own ‘spiritual journal’, or, if you like, you can post your reactions below. I’m adding my own reactions and thoughts as a comment to this post — instead of as a part of this post, because my reactions aren’t any better than anyone else’s.
Let me emphasize that this is NOT a place to criticize what is wrong with church or your fellow congregants. The point is to post what you learned because of what happened at Church or how that led you to think. It’s about the good things we can get out of Church, not the negative things that disturbed or upset us. It doesn’t have to be orthodox, traditional or even on topic.
If you like, make your response in the format, “They said or did this, and I said or thought that.” Even the things you dislike the most can be turned into lessons for what the gospel teaches we should do.
My hope is that these reactions serve as an example of a better way to treat what happens at Church instead of the perennial complaints about speaker or teacher preparation or ability, or complaints that the Church should do things differently.
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