Takin' a pole ......My Sunday Review

So I love writing about my Sundays so this post is nothing more than a Sunday in review. I guess it's because I'm trying to comment less on lessons. Sometimes I have a really hard time and I can feel the little girl in me want everybody to know that I know all the answers to the teachers questions. Thus, I have changed my policy on answering teachers questions: When a teacher asks a question or asks for comments I will only answer if I feel so prompted by the spirit. So now you all get to read the answers I would have said in church, or at least the thoughts that ran through my head.
But first off a question for all of you moms and class participants out there. So let's say you have an adorable baby boy who is in every essence joyful. And let's say during times in church when you should be let's say reverent that adorable joyful boy starts making joyful noises do you:

a) Take him out as quickly as possible without tripping on all of the people between you and the door.
b) Make the best of it and hope that he's not too distracting to all the people around him.
c) Pass him down the row and pretend he's not your irreverent child.

If anyone can help me answer this question I sure would appreciate it. I have my opinion and my husband has his so tell us who is right.

I'm kind of enjoying sitting back during Relief Society and I mean really sitting back, there's a rocking chair in the R.S. room and if I'm lucky enough I can nab it and rock little boy to sleep. I worry though it's making me a little too relaxed. This Sunday's lesson was taught by the R.S. Secretary who has been known to be deathly afraid of public speaking so I was super impressed that she took on the task of teaching. She started out really great talking about how work is a value that we all need in our lives. When we accomplish something we feel good about ourselves and so on. She also mentioned how as members of the church we can't completely rely on the ward to carry us through every little thing and sometimes we need to pull together as a family first before we ask the ward for help. I was really impressed with her boldness of words especially where I've been on both sides and seen how the whole thing runs. Then she said "Now I'm going to say something and I hope not to offend you." I could literally see everyone put there game faces on ready for battle. She then said that the same 5 families show up to clean the church when it's time to clean the church every time it's our turn. And then she went on to talk about how not very many women show up to Enrichment nights. I think I could have predicted the dialog that was to follow. Sister so-in-so complained that she didn't know about the church clean-up, sister blah-blah said she always forgets when enrichment is. Then sister helpful talked about in their old ward this was how the advertised much better.
Not to be rude but I had to hold in my chuckles with each comment. Just having gone through the whole ward camp out panic I understood the sister teaching the lessons point, having been one of the sisters who had just forgot the enrichment night I understood the sisters who needed help remembering when it was. But the part that really made me chuckle was we were acting just like Adam and Eve. Now I hope this isn't making too light of something but in Moses chapter 4 Satan tempts Adam and Eve and Eve partakes of the fruit. God comes and Adam and Eve hide in the garden. The best part is in vs 17-19 when God asks them what they did, Adam without missing a beat (to paraphrase) "Well that woman, you know the one you gave me, well she ate it and then told me to eat it." Then when Eve is asked she says, "That snake he tricked me and then I ate it." You see, they don't take the blame at first they start to blame others. Darn that whole natural man thing.
Anyhow at first that's how the women were acting. Then it turned into this guilt trip of "The church spends lots of money on things for you to be there. And when you're not there that's a lot of money, time and effort that has been wasted. So you need to be there for enrichment nights." And you could see all these sisters start to look like little kids who just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Now I have this theory on guilt. I am yet to find in the scriptures where Heavenly Father uses guilt to motivate his children to do something right. (If I'm wrong please tell me the reference so I can look it up and eat some crow.) When Heavenly Father chastens his people he's blunt about it but then it's always followed with an increase of love. He makes us want to do what's right not because we're scared of the consequence of not doing it but because it's the right thing to do. I know that guilt can work I am a product of guilt tripping parents. I could always know that after doing something my parents didn't want me to do that I should pack my bags because I was going on a guilt vacation. But now as a parent and a spouse I've tried to watch myself and remember that guilt doesn't build positive character. It may get the job done but I don't think it's the results that we really want. Those women started looking like cat's cornered in a garage. Some had their claws out. Others were hissing and some looked as if they had totally been beaten down. Now I know that wasn't what the sister giving the lesson had intended and I know her intentions were pure and good. I think that a lot of women could have reacted differently but for the most part they needed to remember why they came to church that Sunday. And the sister teaching the lesson brought it back to that she said that she loves the socializing with everyone, she enjoys the talks and singing the songs but the main reason she comes to church every week is because she knows that it's true. That God and Jesus Christ really did show themselves to Joseph Smith and it is through this church and the principles taught within that we can return to our Heavenly Father. And that is why she comes back week after week. So I'll leave it at that for tonight. I know that God lives. I know that he loves me and that is why he sent his son Jesus Christ to this earth. Christ lead the perfect life. And he died so that when I don't lead that perfect life through the atonement I may still return to my Heavenly Father. I love the gospel with all my heart and I'm so grateful for the knowledge and power that it gives to me. I know that President Monson truly is called of God and leads this church through the power of the spirit. I know that the Book of Mormon truly testifies of Jesus Christ and his role as our redeemer. My life has been blessed by following the precepts found in it's pages. The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints truly is His church. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen