Specialty Wards

I thought this was so funny, Hope you enjoy!



Robert Kirby
Tribune columnist - Salt Lake Tribune


Most Sunday mornings, you'll find me on a pew in the Rosecrest 1st Ward chapel. It's where I'm supposed to go to church. Lucky for me, it's also where I want to go. Technically, Mormons don't have a choice. For church, we're bound by the geography of the ward boundary. We worship where we live.

The only time Mormons can switch wards without also contacting a Realtor is when we attend specialty wards. For example, I went to a Spanish-speaking ward in West Jordan for a while.

Specialty wards allow members with specific common needs to worship together and support each other in their exclusive part of the Lord's vineyard. There are (or have been) lots of LDS specialty wards, including singles wards, college wards, deaf wards, ethnic wards and nudist wards. OK, I made up that last one. There are even seasonal "snowbird wards" in places where Mormon RV owners congregate.

I talked it over with my friend (despite a restraining order) Ken Wallentine. We think the specialty-ward idea needs to be improved on in our ever-changing and increasingly divided culture.

For example, there needs to be a late ward, a ward Mormons who are perpetually late for church could attend and not feel bad about dragging their herd in 15 minutes late. The only problem with a late ward would be showing up late for a meeting that was supposed to start late in the first place. Eventually, you would end up with a ward that ran out of time before it started. "Welcome to the Tardy 3rd Ward, brothers and sisters. We will close now by singing hymn No. 145."

Given the high birthrate among Mormons, I thought about the need for maternity wards. Except that we already have those. They're called married student wards.

A Star Trek ward might do well. The bishop would preside from "the bridge" instead of the stand. High-council Sunday would be referred to as a "Klingon Sunday."

Harley riders congregate to the exclusion of just about everyone else. Why not an LDS biker ward? White shirts and neckties go well with black leather.

Ken really wants to attend a concealed-weapons ward. He says church would be a lot more interesting if real personal risks were involved in disagreeing with a lesson.

There could be a texting ward for teenagers. Bear your testimony with your thumb. In 25 years, they'll all belong to carpal-tunnel wards.

At the less-active ward, maybe there'll be a meeting and maybe there won't.

Testimony meeting in an anger-management ward might be interesting. Nobody's going to sleep through, "HEY! I KNOW THE CHURCH IS TRUE, STUPID!"

A big hit would be the Multi Level Marketing ward, also known as a "Gadianton Robber Ward." With all the financial scamming that goes on in this culture, it would be nice to have them all in one place for a three-hour block weekly.

I think a Democrat ward is a good idea, although in Utah the best we could probably hope for is a Democrat branch.

BURNEY FALLS

We decided to go up to Burney falls, It was soooo beautiful, I can't believe it took us a year to get there, next time any one comes out to visit we have to go, it was so fun all the kids did great hiking themselves in, we ate lunch at the top of the falls and then went down to the lake, I am so glad that we moved here, it really is beautiful,it reminds me of crescent city, just alot less rain. I can always feel the spirit when I am in the forest, it speaks to me and makes things become much more clear.I will always be grateful to my parents for moving us to CC, I was able to really fine tune my spiritual listening skills there, and even though I'm not perfect, the lord still whispers to me in the forest , just like when I was a kid.

SOFIA TURN'S 1 YEAR OLD.

Sofia's birthday was a hit, we all had fun, Sofia was a princess and the boys made sure she knew it.( they each took turns wearing her crown, Ryan wouldn't take it off,) I can't believe she's 1 already, this year has really flown bye, but it was our first girly party and I think I had more fun than she did, she'll remember this day only through pictures ,but I will never forget it, sometimes birthdays aren't just for the birthday person, they're for the people around you who love you and want you to be happy. Someday when she has kids she'll understand.

SOFIA TURN'S 1 YEAR OLD.

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