I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and carried on. Move number nine was quite an adventure. Convert told me that we needed to move to Utah and start a life, over closer to the heart of the church.
We moved to another woman's place in Utah. She was someone we had known for a few years. Convert spent well over two months looking for a job before he got a managers job with Deseret Industries (similar to Goodwill) in Orem, Utah. We found an apartment in Provo, just south of Orem. I was excited! I'm finally back in Utah. I also got to be closer to my extended family, the people I grew up with.
We got moved into our apartment, and settled into church callings and regular temple attendance. I got to be a "stay at home mom" and be the Mormon mother I always dreamed of being.
Time went on and finances became tight which required Convert to get a part-time evening job. We also received food from the bishops' store house. We were able to get it because we paid our tithing, held church duties (callings), attended church regularly, and went to the temple meetings. I had the house schedule running smoothly and I thought that I was doing real well.
One day I got a visit from the Relief Society President and her counselors. They came in and asked how I was and then they addressed the reason for their visit. I was handed a piece of paper that laid out prescribed menus for my children. On this paper it showed me the type of food I was to get from the bishop's store house and what I was to feed my children for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They politely concluded their visit with a prayer that I would adhere to the bishop's counsel. I cordially showed them out.
When Convert got home I shared with him the event of the day and showed him the paper. I also told him that I will no longer get any food from the bishops store house. I said that it was not the bishop or relief society's responsibility to feed my children. I decided to take the 10% that the church was getting and buy food for my children from a grocery store. I refused to take anymore handouts.
Needless to say, I got a visit from the bishop due to the fact that he wasn't getting the churches money, our 10%. After a long visit, the bishop retracted the requirements of the menu and I started paying tithing again. I didn't go back to the bishops store house. I got a part time job to buy food.
Westward Bound
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
8 comments:
Whoa. I have heard some stories about how controlling the Mormon church can be, but that blows me away. They told you what meals to feed your kids; they didn't have anything better to do with their time than that? How insane. I think the choices you made were very brave. Convert must have been beside himself with his wonderful, perfect Mormon wife suddenly coming out and calling a spade a spade.
Nicely done!
I think I would have been hard pressed to begin paying again but I think I understand why you did. You are an amazing person to have dealt with all this and not go stark raving mad!
Hi guys, I'm real glad that you take the time to read what I have written. I want to let you know that I have just started with the events of my life. These things that I have written about are minimal and I will go into deeper things soon. Keep checking back. I owe my life to God.
Wow... what obi-dave said... I agree with all of it. Again, I'm just shocked.
I don't believe all of the information on this blog is accurate. I sincerely doubt the events that occured here. I would check with both the ladies that visited you, and your church leader for their sides of the story. Maybe your kids were being deprived in some way? I also know that the leader man of your church was not concerned about receiving money but was concerned about you and your family!
You say you owe your life to God, but then when you say "...the churches money, our 10%"... Even though Church members make many mistakes, this still IS the Lord's Church! I'm sure bishop and relief society ladies only meant to help, but at least they were trying by taking time to give you a visit and pray about how to help you...
Also I'm sure that you were entitled to more food from the church food storage than whatever you could buy from your tithing, simply because all the church members pay tithing and there is much smaller percent of people that actually use the food-help than there is tithing payers.
Why are you so quick to judge bishop and relief society members
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Hello Brother!!,
A few points to know:
*The Lord's church is the body of believers, not a church building.
*The Lord does not require a 10%, or any other amount. (Free will offerings replaced the Levitical tithing. Money is not the ONLY offering.)
*The bishop is not an authority for the Lord.
*Relief Society women are blind leading the blind.
*Meaning to help to benefit "the Church" is wrong.
*A visit from the sisters was not of good will, it was the church telling me what to do: not to help my children at all.
*The "entitlement" necessary was to let me be the judge over my children's diet.
*The Bishop and those in the Relief Society are representatives of the organization. The people are blind and the church is judged.
*The reference to motes and beams do not apply.
In the picture as a whole, the Mormon church requires their members to go according to the laws and ordinances that are laid out by the ones who sit in the hierarchy in SLC.
LDS, Inc. is not God breathed and is not spiritually run.
Tithing is not a part of God's true church. It was nailed to the cross with the rest of the laws and ordinances!
Jesus Christ is the church.
Jesus Christ is the tithing.
Jesus Christ is the authority.
Jesus Christ is the only perfect representative for GOD.
God bless brother.
No comment. Just continued prayer for you and this abomination that was spawned in the very bowels of hell.
Larry
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