Seriously??

It struck me last night that I never blogged about my experience going to Sunday School and Relief Society at an LDS Church in December. Seriously? Is that not what this blog is suppose to be about (emphasis on suppose): my experiences living in Utah that are unique to Utah? What is my problem?

Oh yeah, I actually thought about blogging for a whole year about visiting the church and someone brought up a good point: it might make people uneasy to openly share if they knew someone was blogging about the services.

So, I will tell of my experience and try to refrain from breaching any confidentialities.

About a month ago, my friend, Amelia, invited me to attend Sunday School and a Relief Society meeting at her LDS church. (She attended First Presbyterian with me a week or so later!) I was nervous, but excited. I have been to a couple sacrament meetings, but never SS or RS.

Sunday School was about the family and the format of the lesson was that a bit was read from a document on the family and then discussion followed. There were many parts with which I agreed: family is important, addictions can hurt the family and it is important to support families.

What I had a hard time with was the definition of a family. I know families can come in all shapes and sizes and to me, that includes families with same-sex parents. It is so hard to find love in our world and if two people are committed to one another, regardless of their sex, I applaud and support them. If those two people want to have children and can provide stability, love and the basic needs, then I also support them.

The other thing that came up was having a Temple marriage. As a non-Mormon, and I'm going to be frank here, I see the Temple as a place that keeps people out. We have been unable to go to friends' weddings because we are not Mormon and it is hurtful. I try to understand the perspective of Mormons in this area, but unfortunately, I can't get past that point: my friends have been married in a building which I cannot go to. This may also stem from the belief with which I was raised, which is that friends and family form the supportive community at a person's wedding. When Steve and I were married, the congregation was asked to support our union and they take a sort of vow as well, to help our marriage if needed. I cannot imagine being married without all my family and friends being welcomed into the building at which the ceremony is taking place.

Now on to the good stuff!! Everyone was very welcoming and kind to me at the services and I felt a sense of peace and comfort within the community of gatherers. I also was assured that not everyone felt some of the extremes (regarding Temple Marriage and family orientation) that were spoken of. Ah, so like the rest of us, Mormons may have their individual beliefs regarding various matters that differ from the teachings of the religion! Very good for me to learn, because yes, I have been guilty of lumping Mormons together.

I was touched by the openness of one member I spoke to after the service, and again, without breaching confidentiality, she explained to me why she practices Mormonism and it sounded like it gives her life a secure foundation and helps her make choices that are right for her life. I applaud that. If a religion, belief or group gives a person support to make a life that is better for themselves without hurting others, then I think that is fabulous!!

I'd like to attend these meetings again, because I learned a lot and felt such a sense of community. And if you know me, you'll be impressed (I hope!) to know that I was a quiet observer of both meetings, but was encouraged to provide feedback by some of the members. People wanted to learn from me as much as I did from them!!

As a side note, I worry about being frank on here, because I do not want to offend anyone, so if I have, I apologize. I also want to use this format to be honest, because too much is assumed when we are not honest. When I lived here before, I left very angry and blamed a lot of it on the culture. This time around, if I'm going to blame anyone, it's going to be me!!