http://www.mormonmentality.org/2008/07/16/ordinary-latter-day-saints.htm Thoughts and Asides by Peculiar People Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:54:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://www.mormonmentality.org/2008/07/16/ordinary-latter-day-saints.htm/comment-page-1#comment-88460 Jeff Bennion Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:18:29 +0000 http://www.mormonmentality.org/?p=893#comment-88460 My dear queno (#2). It is most certainly not about getting credit, my friend. What good you do, I salute, and certainly work in your hometown isn't somehow less honorable. The point is we, as Latter-day Saints, do things because we feel called, and because we have the opportunity. Those opportunities may call us far, or they may call to us near. If we can give, and give freely, then that is enough. If we want credit as do-gooders, then the quickest way to that is to buy a Prius or erect a sign, like they used to have at McDonald's, proclaiming how many tons of carbon credits you have earned. Frederick Buechner says it best when he wrote: <cite>The kind of work God usually calls you to is the kind of work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that the world most needs to have done. If you get a kick out of your work, you’ve presumably met requirement (a), but if your work is writing TV deodorant commercials, the chances are, you’ve missed requirement (b). On the other hand, if your work is being a doctor in a leper colony, you have probably met requirement (b), but if most of the time, you are bored and depressed by it, the chances are, you have not only bypassed (a), but you probably aren’t helping your patients much either.</cite> <cite><strong>Neither the hair shirt nor the soft berth will do. The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.</strong></cite> My dear queno (#2). It is most certainly not about getting credit, my friend. What good you do, I salute, and certainly work in your hometown isn’t somehow less honorable. The point is we, as Latter-day Saints, do things because we feel called, and because we have the opportunity. Those opportunities may call us far, or they may call to us near. If we can give, and give freely, then that is enough.
If we want credit as do-gooders, then the quickest way to that is to buy a Prius or erect a sign, like they used to have at McDonald’s, proclaiming how many tons of carbon credits you have earned.
Frederick Buechner says it best when he wrote:
The kind of work God usually calls you to is the kind of work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that the world most needs to have done. If you get a kick out of your work, you’ve presumably met requirement (a), but if your work is writing TV deodorant commercials, the chances are, you’ve missed requirement (b). On the other hand, if your work is being a doctor in a leper colony, you have probably met requirement (b), but if most of the time, you are bored and depressed by it, the chances are, you have not only bypassed (a), but you probably aren’t helping your patients much either.
Neither the hair shirt nor the soft berth will do. The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.

]]> http://www.mormonmentality.org/2008/07/16/ordinary-latter-day-saints.htm/comment-page-1#comment-88454 annegb Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:12:46 +0000 http://www.mormonmentality.org/?p=893#comment-88454 I'm glad to, Jeff, as much as I can. I'll be in touch. I’m glad to, Jeff, as much as I can. I’ll be in touch.

]]> http://www.mormonmentality.org/2008/07/16/ordinary-latter-day-saints.htm/comment-page-1#comment-88443 queuno Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:50:46 +0000 http://www.mormonmentality.org/?p=893#comment-88443 I really don't have any spare cash at the moment, but I volunteer at my children's schools and with their soccer teams, and I'm making plans to attend a city townhall event to offer input on the new library. I consider myself an ordinary LDSaint. Can I get any credit for worrying about my hometown? I really don’t have any spare cash at the moment, but I volunteer at my children’s schools and with their soccer teams, and I’m making plans to attend a city townhall event to offer input on the new library. I consider myself an ordinary LDSaint. Can I get any credit for worrying about my hometown?

]]> http://www.mormonmentality.org/2008/07/16/ordinary-latter-day-saints.htm/comment-page-1#comment-88439 Dan Ellsworth Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:06:40 +0000 http://www.mormonmentality.org/?p=893#comment-88439 That sounds like a good cause- I'm in. I'll donate to this, while I hope for <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9910823-7.html" rel="nofollow">my favorite idea for Africa</a> to come about. That sounds like a good cause- I’m in. I’ll donate to this, while I hope for my favorite idea for Africa to come about.

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