I don't pretend to understand the perspective of others, but I do know that Church was the place I wanted to be when I endured some serious challenges or even felt out of place (divorced, single mom, stepmother, etc.). I have used this quote many, many times in the last few weeks. Elder Clark Gilbert quoted Russell M. Nelson at Conference, "The truth is that it is much more exhausting to seek happiness where you can never find it." A story circulated awhile back about a family who was ostracized because of a sick daughter (not contagious). After much contemplation, the father informed the family that they were going back to church. It was their church also, they knew Heavenly Father wanted them to be there, and they were going to hold their heads up high and strive to do all He wanted them to do
GingerApril 17, 2026
Envy is one small reason yes. But you have a larger audience that deals with daily trauma. That is a bigger problem. Trauma makes going to church with the people you just described, painfully unrelatable. They live in a different reality, with different experiences and perspectives. They tend to be narrow-minded, who could learn a lot from the folks who have PTSD, if they choose to see them for who they are and what they have experienced, instead of focusing on their own worldly pursuits.
GaleApril 17, 2026
We had six kids and were a happy LDS family. It didn't matter what time church started, we were always slightly late--the baby would have a blowout, or someone couldn't find their shoes. Sometimes I'd work so hard preparing for Sabbath on Saturday, I was bedridden on Sunday. But we were fully involved. It's just that after we would get seated for sacrament meeting, I'd take a good look at my kids and realize how not-great they looked. How moms manage to curl and style their daughters' hair for church, I will never know. I never, ever succeeded with that!
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Rochelle HaleApril 17, 2026
I don't pretend to understand the perspective of others, but I do know that Church was the place I wanted to be when I endured some serious challenges or even felt out of place (divorced, single mom, stepmother, etc.). I have used this quote many, many times in the last few weeks. Elder Clark Gilbert quoted Russell M. Nelson at Conference, "The truth is that it is much more exhausting to seek happiness where you can never find it." A story circulated awhile back about a family who was ostracized because of a sick daughter (not contagious). After much contemplation, the father informed the family that they were going back to church. It was their church also, they knew Heavenly Father wanted them to be there, and they were going to hold their heads up high and strive to do all He wanted them to do
GingerApril 17, 2026
Envy is one small reason yes. But you have a larger audience that deals with daily trauma. That is a bigger problem. Trauma makes going to church with the people you just described, painfully unrelatable. They live in a different reality, with different experiences and perspectives. They tend to be narrow-minded, who could learn a lot from the folks who have PTSD, if they choose to see them for who they are and what they have experienced, instead of focusing on their own worldly pursuits.
GaleApril 17, 2026
We had six kids and were a happy LDS family. It didn't matter what time church started, we were always slightly late--the baby would have a blowout, or someone couldn't find their shoes. Sometimes I'd work so hard preparing for Sabbath on Saturday, I was bedridden on Sunday. But we were fully involved. It's just that after we would get seated for sacrament meeting, I'd take a good look at my kids and realize how not-great they looked. How moms manage to curl and style their daughters' hair for church, I will never know. I never, ever succeeded with that!
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