Thread by @hankrsmith

Church attendance, a thread:

Please don’t misunderstand me on this, I really like Church. I go weekly. I enjoy my ward and usually have a great experience.

With that said, the Lord is not confined by the four walls of a church. If we aren’t careful we can fall into the trap of

generalizing people into categories. Church attendance can become a filter by which we begin to see people as spiritual/non-spiritual. Many many of those we describe as “inactive” are very close to the Lord. They have big hearts, they pray, read scripture, serve others, and/or

repent daily. However, for some reason they choose not to participate in church. It can be health issues, anxiety, depression, grief, allergies, or any other myriad of reasons. Some have been hurt deeply by members or priesthood leaders. Some feel unwelcome or out of place. It is

wrong to think God cannot speak to them as much as he does with someone who attends. It is foolish to think God can’t renew covenants in other ways. He sees individuals. He is merciful with our weaknesses.

I think the vast majority of us attend church because we love God, our

community, and we want to renew our covenants with the sacrament. However, some “active” members can be those who are furthest from God. Perhaps they only attend church to keep up an image.

I’m hoping a post like this (besides getting criticized by some) can help us rethink our

assumptions, not categorize people, & see everyone in a more merciful way.

This has bothered a few of you & I understand why. I believe the sacrament is the way the Lord has designed for us to renew our covenants & I believe He expects the vast majority of us to attend our meetings.

But to think He can’t deal with unique situations in different ways other than the general rule is limiting the Atonement IMO.

Some are hung up on my “renew covenants in other ways” comment. I’m thinking of the mother with the special needs child, the farmer, the doctor, the mentally ill, the soldier, the refugee. Think of the saints who were behind the Berlin Wall. These people may not take the

sacrament for months or years. I believe the Lord understands these situations and gives them the blessings they would have obtained by participating in the ordinance.

Call me naive, but I don’t believe there are droves of members looking for excuses to not attend church.

The

point of all this is to say the Lord often meets us where we are, not where we “should” be.

I’m saddened that so many are missing the overall point because of one statement.

I hope we can rethink our assumptions on why some people aren’t in church and why some people are.

Ministering to everyone as individuals, learning their stories, and understanding their situation is obviously better than categorizing or assuming.

God bless.