I am hanfing out with my friend who is a Mormon today- I am not. I know they can't spend money and I don't want to hurt her feelings suggesting going somewhere where she spends money.

Any ideas what she can do?

It depends on how strict she is. When I was growing up, we were always told we couldn't do anything that required others to work on Sunday, but we usually went to the store after church anyway. My mother used the excuse that we lived in the country and needed to get things when we could.

I know families who can't watch TV, play any sort of game, or read anything but spiritual material. They're allowed to visit people in the hospital or nursing home, or visit an old neighbor or write letters. Thats about it.

So it really depends on your friend, how she was raised, and how she interprets the rules. I'd probably just ask her, what do you want to do today? And go from there.

depends on the mormon.

I know bishops who have had no problem going to a restaurant, spending money and making a chef & a waiter break the sabbath.

from my Utah experience, movies are not okay, but Baskin and Robbins after 5 is.

Playing tennis is not okay, but swearing while watching football or basketball on tv is.

Swimming is not okay, but sitting in a hot tub is.

Restaurants are not okay, except on Mother's Day, when it's perfectly okay to make the waitress-mothers (who must be less important than your own mom) work.

And you can go to the convienience store after midnight in your pajamas to load up on junk food.

Clear as mud, isn't it.

Ask her. It depends. We generally tried not to spend money, but there were exceptions. It varies widely from family to family. Some people confine it to church, scriptures, religious music etc and others go to church and do what they like afterward.There are lots of people in between. My TBM sister will go out to dinner or even to a movie so long as it doesn't interrfere with church.

A lot depends on whether she is a "Letter of the Law" or "Spirit of the Law" Mormon.
Go for a walk. It's a great thing to do.

In our home, we usually spent it with our immediate family only - which was the only time we did that. They had one day to spend with each other playing games, etc. Sometimes they built "Forts" in the living room that stayed up for weeks! Anyone that came to the door got a tour - including the Home Teachers that willingly got down on all fours and went through -- room by room! :-)

The rest of the week was filled with school, friends, sleep overs, and dozens of other activities, some at church.

If there's one thing a super-sized Mormon family has in abundance, it's fort-building material. Chairs, blankets, pillows, couch cushions, TV trays and sheets were plentiful.

The best forts had both chambers and connecting tunnels. The boys would scare the girls by acting like roving bulldogs, crawling on all fours and barking. Mom and Dad retreated to their master bedroom to watch TV.

they can gossip about each other

It widely varies. My family (myself and wife and daughter) have never cared about TV, movies, etc, but we always tried not to go out to the store, etc, until recently. Some families are reading/watching nothing that isn't church related or spiritual, etc... depends on the TBMs.

obey the commandments of God, serve others, love others with all your heart, might, mind and strength. Learn of Christ, Preach of Christ, and worship only God and remember your covenants you made with him, and remember what Christ did for you as you renew your commitment to follow him during the week.

Ha! Good one!

I have no patience for preachy Mormons today.

;o)

Oh, I thought it was sarcasm.

Loved your post. We hit "send" at the exact same time and yours went first. I was talking to the Mor(m)on, too. Already hit the "report" button on 'em for "defending the faith." I'm expecting the 3 of us will probably get nuked by Susan I/S here shortly.

;o)

I'm terrible at it. Maybe you are right? It's parody? Crap, I'm thick.

The screen name is a variation of "active Mormon." I was just taking them at their word.

;o)

P.S. And just to stay on topic since I totally hijacked this thread, take the non-member friend to the park today. Wait. Unless you are in Utah. Lots of snow there. Sigh. I give up.

no sex

Kaitlyn Wrote:
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> no sex


On the contrary. Sunday afternoon "naps" are all the rage. I worked as a labor and delivery nurse in Utah County for years. Sunday afternoons were the busiest times for women coming in, thinking they were in labor. Sex leads to fake contractions which leads to busy L&D nurses :)

Are you kidding? In our newlywed days, Sunday after-church sex was a ritual. Even today after 18 years of marriage and children, I can count on a nooner just about every other Sunday.

I'm trying to imagine -- it would be quite unromantic to have sex post church!

The only real hard and fast rule (if you can call it that) is don't work or cause anyone else to do work. Of course, the question then becomes: what constitutes causing someone to work?

Most Mormons are fine watching TV on Sunday. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir even puts on a show every few weeks or something (It might even be every Sunday, IDK. I hated MoTab even as a TBM!). And the vast majority of Mormons watch General Conference on TV. However, when you stop and think about it, running a TV station, broadcasting a program, and maintaining all the infrastructure that gets that program to your house requires a ton people working!

The MTC employs a large number of BYU students serving food in the cafeteria. I was surprised to learn that the Morg doesn't give them Sundays off! Can't the missionaries scoop slop onto their own plates once a week? Temples on the other hand are all closed on Sundays. How in the world does that make sense? Being paid to serve up food doesn't count as work but "volunteering" to "serve God" in the temple does?

So clearly, not even the Mormon leadership knows what the rules are. Tell your friend to come do whatever the heck she wants.

This is definately one of those "your mileage may vary" topics. Growing up I was allowed to play quietly, not have friends over, no movies,dinner at my Grandparents and Football on tv. My parents weren't to wound up over it, while we did not go to the store it was permissable to run to the 7-11 for a Slurpee.

I think the main rule of thumb was as long as you suffered through church you were left alone to a point afterwards.

Everyone is right - it varies from family to family. We couldn't go anywhere that required people to work on Sunday such as the movies, ice skating, grocery store, shopping in general. We also couldn't do sports like swimming or biking or sailing. You could walk the dog, read, write letters, write in your journal, watch TV, visit people in the hospital (which we almost never did), nap, attend church activities, maybe have a picnic (Mom went back and forth on that one).

If I were you, I'd plan a couple of things that don't require you to spend money and ask her if any of them are OK. Or, just ask her what she'd like to do. Also, some parents don't let their kids do stuff on Sunday because it's a family day.

This topic was the subject of more headed debates in elder’s Quorum than any other subject. It seemed that the only hard and fast rule was that whatever the instructor though was okay was permissible.
I’ve seen ad hoc justifications for just about anything.
“Well the General authorities have to shop on Sunday. They don’t have time to go home and make dinner during conference.”
“Well my wife is a nurse and she has to work Sundays so we have to eat out on Sundays.”
“Most of my Clients are overseas so I have to start work when they open for business and that’s late Sunday night.”
I had one EQ pres seriously tell me that hunting was fine but backpacking wasn’t. “So if cover the same terrain but I take a camera rather than a rifle, I’m breaking the Sabbath?” Wish I was making that up.

I'll throw the wrench, why not just invite her to do something you enjoy doing that isn't over the top, but shows some spirituality, charity, or consideration. If she objects to an activity that has any of those things going for it then you've learned about your friend some good information.

I can always give you the advice to Rocky about dating Adrian, take her to the zoo.

Any thing they want to, there is not invisible force stopping them from doing anything.

As a new convert family in the Deep South (mid-70's), we attended a Stake Conference one spring Sunday. During a break, my mother, who had a severe headache, drove to an open McDonald's for a small Coke to take with a couple of Excedrin. When questioned where she'd been by a devout, NOSY female stranger, the look of horror on said stranger's face when told what Mom had ingested and how she'd broken the MO Sabbath AND the WOW was pricesless.

You'd a thunk my mom had pissed on her leg or something.

Well, if they were like my Dad, when he was on holidays and in Vegas....whatever TF he pleased....he and Mom went to shows where there was nudity, played the slots, didn't go to church many times and generally enjoyed himself, because it was nobody elses business.....this at the time he was EQP or HC....

Ron Burr

What ever you want.
But the only thing that you can not do is, get caught by a overmormon.
My experience was, do what ever you want but don't talk about it.

I wish they all would die. This is as fake as it gets. They judge others but yet they drink swear, have sex out of wed lock, Joe smith was a fake we all know that. They shop on sundays in Utah all the time. But in time we wont see any more churches on every street. They are racist of non Mormons and non whites. They are against gay people. But hey the church wants 10% before taxes. What a joke you pay more money and you get higher in heaven. What a joke. Dosnt it say money is the root of all evil ?
Most of the Mormons I know are not bright at all. Most of the kids have some sort of down. Could it be no it couldn't be. Well I don't put it past the Mormons to rape the off spring.The IRS needs to start taxing the Mormons. The church says they should not be taxed because the money is a gift and the people who do give 10% was taxed already. Yes that is what this fake church says