Aquagirl...is Al Green a JW?...I thought he was a pastor.
Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread...
TOP TEN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MORMONS AND JEHOVAHS WITNESSES
by r51785 36 Replies latest jw friends
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peacefulpete
Al Green wasn't a JW last I heard. He is a pastor of his church. http://www.algreenmusic.com/fullgospeltabernacle.html
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undercover
Mormon: Donny and Marie Osmond
JW: Williams sisters, Prince, Michael Jackson (ret.)
Point: Mormons attract wholesome, clean living, dull people with big smiles and lots of teeth. JWs attract odd-balls and misfits, but definitely more entertaining
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blondie
So who on JWN has been a Mormon or is a Mormon and can compare a jw congregation with a Mormon stake from personal experience?
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Qcmbr
I can only help out from the mormon view (and that from the UK which is fairly different from Utah.)
Congregation - roughly 100-120 weekly attendance in a 'strong' ward (600 total members roughly 160 will be classed as active), 50-80 in a branch (a church unit normally running a slightly cut down programme). Roughly 9-10 wards/branches in a stake. One ward will be designated as the stake centre and will normally have a larger meeting house including expanded recreation facilities. There will be 10 or so stakes in a region (Like 'London- South' which covers teh bottom half of England amd several regions in an area (like the 'Europe Area'.)
Church leadership is centred on a presidency made up of three prophets, one of which is designated as the President of the church and the seer and revelator (i.e. his word alone is considered law though his statements will be issued as a Presidency message.)
The Presidency are supported by the Quorum of 12 apostles who travel across the world opening temples or overseeing large conferences.
Together the apostles are considered almost equal to the President and it from their ranks (in age seniority I think but may be time served) that the next President will come. All 15 are men and all are considered prophets however, only the president is considered authorised to use the right to receive revelation for the church.
These 15 are supported by several quorums of 70's who have the job of organising stakes, administering regions(called Area authorities), calling stake presidents etc.
At the Stake Level you have a Stake president with his presidency and then at the local level you have a Bishop and his presidency and , if a branch, a Branch President. Then you drop down to various local level priesthood callings.
At the same time there is a women's, young women's and young men's and Primary structure that are all subordinate to the Priesthood structure but are organised all the way up to church headquarters (so there is a General Relief Society President - female- and her counsellors (2) for the whole church and then the is a local RS president and counsellors for each church unit (ward / branch) ditto Young Womens/ Young Men's and Primary)
Each member is given a calling based upon worthiness, desire and ability (and what the 'spirit says') and that may be as simple as teaching a regular lesson through to giving Patriarchal blessings to the Stake (everyone is given one special patriarchal blessing which is a personal revelation for that individual from God.) Most adults are assigned to visit other members focusing on widows, those in need and the 'less active'.
Sunday is 3 hours, 1hr 10 mins for sacrament service (bread and water, hymns, 'talks' and prayers for everyone) then everyone goes to Sunday School and kids go to Primary (40 mins) and for the final hour the split is men and women (men to Priesthood for instruction on administering the gospel) and women to Relief Society (caring for each other etc.)
There are additional meetings throughout the week except on Monday (Family Home Evening - gospel discussion, fun activity , food and socialising) but these meetings are for specific people (so there is a Bishopric meeting for the bishop and his two counsellors to discuss callings, ward major problems, goals etc..) then there is the ward PEC (Priesthood executive Committee - discuss ward business) though this is getting phased out and Ward Council (head of each auxiliary like RS, Primary etc..) meeting to plan calendars, discuss budgets etc.
Occasionally there are reach out nights were active members try and visit those who haven't been contacted in a while.
Chapels must now be cleaned by members.
There is weekday early morning seminary for teenagers.
Wednesday night is activity night for teenagers.
Young Single Adults organise regular outings.
There are ward activities (I'm organising a giant Cluedo evening for later this month.)
Some members will go on 'splits'with the missionaries to fellowship 'investigators.'
There is a separate missionary structure where men (19 - 27) and women (21 - no age limit) or couples (usually retired couples) go out and serve for around 2 years knocking on doors , community service and so on (these will be the ones everyone sees .) These missionaries are assigned to the church unit but are under the authority of a Mission President who is under the control of ... let me think .. I think it would be either the Area Authority or maybe even the apostles - not certain.) So the missionaries are quite powerful and autonomous. In LDS culture it is encouraged to marry a returned missionary.
We used to do self builds until the church realised that the work standard was shoddy and now all buildings are done by approved contractors who build to one a several set designs. Normally when a congregation grows above 150-180 they split the unit and may share the building of hire a hall until a new building is procured.
Active members are expected abstain from tea, coffee, alcohol, sex outside of marriage, rude thoughts and media, swearing, being alone with the opposite sex.
Active members are expected to pay 10% income as tithing, additional money as offerings (monthly fast - money saved from missing two meals donated into welfare fund), monthly fast, attend church at least once a month, read scriptures regularly (with emphasis on Book of Mormon), eat healthily, get a good education, allow the male head of home to be the main breadwinner where possible (so ladies stay at home if poss. - working women aren't frowned upon anymore though), not be openly homosexual, not to read anti material, to bear testimony (state beliefs out loud ), visit the temple (whole different thread.) and have babies.
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undercover
Active members are expected to pay 10% income as tithing, additional money as offerings (monthly fast - money saved from missing two meals donated into welfare fund), monthly fast, attend church at least once a month...
So regular, weekly meeting attendance isn't drummed into their heads incessently? As long as you give your 10% and show up at a service every few weeks you're in good standing?
No wonder Mormons are out-pacing JWs. You can buy your way in with money and kinda skimp on the rest.
Not that it makes them any less a wacko religion but it must be easier to fade if you're not expected to be seen 3 or 4 times a week without fail.
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Qcmbr
You will risk getting made into a ward project if you are on the edge (i.e. like me - attending sporadically.) Then you get asked to do activity evenings and you get increased levels of home teachings visits grrr.
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undercover
You will risk getting made into a ward project if you are on the edge (i.e. like me - attending sporadically.) Then you get asked to do activity evenings and you get increased levels of home teachings visits grrr.
LOL... some things never change no matter what cult you're in...
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Lion Cask
The Mormons are far more generous than the Witnesses. They will welcome you into one of their 4,500 Family History Centers around the world or their Family History Library in Salt Lake City and give you practically unfettered access to the world's largest collection of genealogical microfilms and use of their equipment either free of charge or for the same small amounts they charge their own members. And they will do this without asking you to share the information you've collected or even once trying to get you to see their brand of the truth. Not even a hint of it. Not even a suggestion you take home a pamphlet or two. I have taken advantage of this generosity many times and have never once been put into an obliging position.
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designs
A Mormon woman lead millions gathered at the Mormon Convention in prayer.
Jean Stevens offered the closing prayer. 100,000 were in attendence and millions more LDS were tied in via satellite.
A Mormon feminist group began a campaign last year called: "Let Women Pray'. Leaders of the LDS said the group's actions had nothing to do with their decision to have a women give the closing prayer.
Can you imagine if JW women ever got the fortitude to start a freedom movement and demand equal rights within the Wt..