I’m a new member and little overwhelmed. The church has its own culture and I feel like a lot of stuff is going over my head. How do I go about learning the jokes and culture of the church?
2 Responses to “I’m a new member and little overwhelmed. The church has its …”
Daniel Paz
2010-02-23 09:48:15
Hi friend. Congratulations on your recent baptism! I'm also a California Mormon. Welcome to the club! ;)
As you can probably tell from my site, I'm very passionate about our religion. It's brought me a tremendous amount of peace and happiness. I know it can do the same for you, and I wish you well during this exciting transitional time in your life.
You're right in recognizing that Mormons have a unique culture. The principles of the Gospel are divinely inspired; Mormon culture, on the other hand, is just like any other human culture. In some ways, it's a beautiful expression of humanity. In other ways, it's quirky and idiosyncratic. Sometimes, it's useful to distinguish between the Gospel, divinely inspired, and the culture, created by people who are trying their best to follow the true gospel.
Mormon culture is so unique, in fact, that we Mormons have made films poking fun at our own cultural practices. You might be interested in watching the movie "Singles Ward." Be forewarned; in my experience, people either think "Singles Ward" is hilarious or incredibly stupid, depending on who you talk to. ;)
Many new members do experience something of a culture shock when they first join the church. Don't worry. In time, you'll come to better understand the culture. Throughout the church's history, millions of converts have made the cultural transition.
If someone tells a joke or refers to a cultural practice that you're not familiar with, don't hesitate to ask them about it. We Mormons want those who join our church to feel comfortable so they can more easily grow and develop spiritually, just as all of us are trying to grow and develop.
If you prefer, you can post any questions you have on my site as well. I'd be happy to explain anything to you. In fact, your questions could benefit other new members as well, since you're hardly the only person trying to make this important transition. No worries. I'm sure you've already tasted much of the sweetness that comes from gospel living. It only gets better from here on out. :) Good luck to you.
Richard
2010-02-22 03:46:33
Start by have patience with yourself. Some of the jokes of the church are also region based. You'll get it eventually. Also pray for understanding than make sure you ask a lot of questions if something happens and you don't get it.
Remember the only wrong questions we have are those we never ask.
As you can probably tell from my site, I'm very passionate about our religion. It's brought me a tremendous amount of peace and happiness. I know it can do the same for you, and I wish you well during this exciting transitional time in your life.
You're right in recognizing that Mormons have a unique culture. The principles of the Gospel are divinely inspired; Mormon culture, on the other hand, is just like any other human culture. In some ways, it's a beautiful expression of humanity. In other ways, it's quirky and idiosyncratic. Sometimes, it's useful to distinguish between the Gospel, divinely inspired, and the culture, created by people who are trying their best to follow the true gospel.
Mormon culture is so unique, in fact, that we Mormons have made films poking fun at our own cultural practices. You might be interested in watching the movie "Singles Ward." Be forewarned; in my experience, people either think "Singles Ward" is hilarious or incredibly stupid, depending on who you talk to. ;)
Many new members do experience something of a culture shock when they first join the church. Don't worry. In time, you'll come to better understand the culture. Throughout the church's history, millions of converts have made the cultural transition.
If someone tells a joke or refers to a cultural practice that you're not familiar with, don't hesitate to ask them about it. We Mormons want those who join our church to feel comfortable so they can more easily grow and develop spiritually, just as all of us are trying to grow and develop.
If you prefer, you can post any questions you have on my site as well. I'd be happy to explain anything to you. In fact, your questions could benefit other new members as well, since you're hardly the only person trying to make this important transition. No worries. I'm sure you've already tasted much of the sweetness that comes from gospel living. It only gets better from here on out. :) Good luck to you.
Remember the only wrong questions we have are those we never ask.