Mormon Holidays

[PaulDupre1]

So very true Paul. Sadly, even as a Mormon I guess I never knew the wonder bread was thrown out

That’s because you never “held the priesthood” and administered “the sacrament”. I was really shocked the 1st time I blessed the sacrament (I was a recent convert, 21 years old and newly ordained a priest). After sacrament meeting, the other priest (a 16 year-old kid) threw the leftover Wonder Bread and water into the garbage pail. I asked him

“Is that what you always do with the leftovers?”.

“Sure”, he answered, “what did you expect?”.

“I thought maybe you had some special procedure for disposing of the leftover sacrament.”

“Like what??”

“I don’t know - just something more reverent.”

“Reverent of what? It’s just bread and water.”

“But it represents Jesus’ body and blood.”

“Yeah, it’s just a symbol. What’s the big deal?”

I found during the remainder of my time as a Mormon that indeed this was SOP. The “sacrament” is just a symbol and so it deserves no reverence or special treatment.

Quite a disappointment. I think this was the first little hole in the wall.

Paul (formerly LDS, now happily Catholic)

 

[RebeccaJ]

That’s because you never “held the priesthood” and administered “the sacrament”. I was really shocked the 1st time I blessed the sacrament (I was a recent convert, 21 years old and newly ordained a priest). After sacrament meeting, the other priest (a 16 year-old kid) threw the leftover Wonder Bread and water into the garbage pail. I asked him

“Is that what you always do with the leftovers?”.

“Sure”, he answered, “what did you expect?”.

“I thought maybe you had some special procedure for disposing of the leftover sacrament.”

“Like what??”

“I don’t know - just something more reverent.”

“Reverent of what? It’s just bread and water.”

“But it represents Jesus’ body and blood.”

“Yeah, it’s just a symbol. What’s the big deal?”

I found during the remainder of my time as a Mormon that indeed this was SOP. The “sacrament” is just a symbol and so it deserves no reverence or special treatment.

Quite a disappointment. I think this was the first little hole in the wall.

Paul (formerly LDS, now happily Catholic)

So, why do temple garments get treated as one would expect the bread and water from a sacrament?

 

[LivingWaters7]

So, why do temple garments get treated as one would expect the bread and water from a sacrament?

Also the ceremonial clothing. While the blessed bread and water can be thrown down the drain and in the garbage, the ceremonial clothing shouldn’t be placed on the floor. I remember attending a session just after I was endowed, and I had placed the pouch of clothing on the ground, and on of the temple workers kindly picked it up and placed it on the chair next to me. Someone next to me whispered that we shouldn’t place it on the ground, and he usually just leaves it in his lap.

 

[Brandon_Cal]

I think we’re sort of stretching the commonly understood definition of ‘holiday’ here. In common parlance I believe ‘holiday’ is usually meant to refer to the celebration of some event. Without any corresponding celebration, activity, or some other setting-apart of the day, the historical event becomes more incidental to the day.

Quite frankly, the only LDS holidays I would put on a Calendar that was intended to show various religious holidays from many traditions are Christmas, Easter, and Pioneer Day. Maybe add the founding of the Church (April 6th) and call it “Restoration Day”, though again this isn’t much of a ‘holiday’.

I disagree with rcmcmullan that Pioneer Day is strictly a holiday for Utahans. While being from Utah I’ve lived in California on and off for the last 50 years. Every Ward I’ve been a part of has had Pioneer Day (or Pioneer Day Weekend) festivities. His point may stand outside of the United States, but it has been my experience all across the US and Canada that Pioneer Day is fairly important.

Adding General Conferences to the calendar may be a nice gesture, and in many ways they would make proper ‘holidays’, but besides actually “going to Conference” LDS don’t really do anything out of the ordinary on those days. Furthermore there are lots of denominations that hold annual or semiannual conferences. Will you be including the Episcopalian conferences? What about the Seventh-day Adventists? Churches of Christ? This calendar may fill up fast!

Adding historical events wouldn’t make much sense in my opinion either. I don’t usually see the birthdays of Popes or the anniversary of the Crusades on secular calendars that show “Christian” holidays, nor do I see the Bar Kochba Revolt or Destruction of the Temple alongside Hannukkah and Passover. It’s usually limited to the important ones on the Liturgical Calendars (Christmas, Easter, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Epiphany, etc.)

 

[NewSeeker]

That’s because you never “held the priesthood” and administered “the sacrament”. I was really shocked the 1st time I blessed the sacrament (I was a recent convert, 21 years old and newly ordained a priest). After sacrament meeting, the other priest (a 16 year-old kid) threw the leftover Wonder Bread and water into the garbage pail. I asked him

“Is that what you always do with the leftovers?”.

“Sure”, he answered, “what did you expect?”.

“I thought maybe you had some special procedure for disposing of the leftover sacrament.”

“Like what??”

“I don’t know - just something more reverent.”

“Reverent of what? It’s just bread and water.”

“But it represents Jesus’ body and blood.”

“Yeah, it’s just a symbol. What’s the big deal?”

I found during the remainder of my time as a Mormon that indeed this was SOP. The “sacrament” is just a symbol and so it deserves no reverence or special treatment.

Quite a disappointment. I think this was the first little hole in the wall.

Paul (formerly LDS, now happily Catholic)

Throwing the unconsumed bread and water out just scratches the surface of the disrespect shown to the sacramental emblems. Back, way back, when I was a 16 year old Mormon priest in Utah, we teenage males sitting behind the ‘altar’ would sometimes sneak some of the blessed bread to eat. We were hungry! As it was usually Wonder bread, you could take it and compress it into cubes. We would do that and surreptitiously pop it into our mouths when no one was looking, then get some more. Like Paul’s 16 year old priest said to him, it was no big deal. It was just bread and water. Nothing special.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Also the ceremonial clothing. While the blessed bread and water can be thrown down the drain and in the garbage, the ceremonial clothing shouldn’t be placed on the floor. I remember attending a session just after I was endowed, and I had placed the pouch of clothing on the ground, and on of the temple workers kindly picked it up and placed it on the chair next to me. Someone next to me whispered that we shouldn’t place it on the ground, and he usually just leaves it in his lap.

Like an American flag!

*It should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
*

But not like the flag.

*When the flag is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem, it should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.
*

…the flag is “just a symbol”.