Any LDS here? A few questions

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We currently attend a CoE church but lately I'm finding it very uninspiring and am not getting much out of it. I love the Bible and what it has given my family but don't feel our current church is right for us. We've been on holiday and have met a few of LDS families. (Being English) I didn't want to be overly nosy about their faith but I did really admire their focus on family.

Has anyone joined the LDS church? What is the church like in London? Is it very Bible focused?

And no tea.

People, are you getting this. NO TEA. Forget about the gay hating and Satan and multiple gods, all that is minor stuff. I could get over that in time.

But....NO TEA

I don't think this is sinking in with everyone, and they are underestimating the seriousness of the situation.

Ok, so to address some things. I was a member, I guess officially I still am, but for 32 years, raised in the church, and was "endowed" which means I took out higher commitments and lived a "higher law", both myself and my husband served in leadership positions. I was fully committed at the time.

The hot drinks thing, the church specifies this to mean tea and coffee, some members chose to avoid certain other drinks like caffeinated drinks, but there is no actual rules about this. I personally avoided them but my husband didn't. Honestly I'm kind of with them in it to an extent. Things that are addictive are clearly joy good for your body, however, members frequently seem to avoid the things like "hot drinks" and alcohol but then can eat themselves into diabetes, so it's health code is sort of counter intrusive at times. However, it has been stated numerous times by the "powers that be" that caffeine isn't the reason for the ban on tea and coffee.

Yes, Saturn/lucifer is Jesus' brother, but so are all of mankind. All humans are gods children. christ was the first born though.

Homosexuality, like sex before marriage is seen as a sin, but MOST of the time it's a love the sinner, hate the sin. I had homosexual friends, I didn't see people as any different than anyone else, people all live their lives differently. I never drank, but I would go out with people who did. I do see how "love the sinner, hate the sin" that idea is harmful now though.

As for the debate on the if you were to wear trousers to church. Possibly wouldn't have a reason, bu5 equally could, mental health problems seem rife in the church, I have never felt so judged than when I was in church. If you Ward is so embracing and lovely, I would love to know where you are. Mine isn't like that at all.

Someonesayroadtrip

You raise some interesting points0 and he one about mental health is a really important one. I believe Utah has the highest rate of suicide od young homosexual men anywhere in the US.

I know a lot of church members personally and I can see that the church sees mental health problems as spiritual rather than medical. Members struggling with mental health are steered into finding a soirituall solution through prayer, rather than seek medical help.
This is particularly true of young missionaries, I have known quite a number over the years, usually male, many from the US. These poor kids ( and often just 19 or so) are far from home, isolated, and have to live a daily regime that would surprise many.
They have to always be with a companion, not allowed to travel outside the ward, they have their reading material and media controlled, no radio newspapers etc. Daily timetables for sleep, wakening etc.

These guys are often so out of their depth and many struggle badly.
Depression rates are very high amongst missionaries. I have seen a few in a desperate state, they are not even allowed to see a doctor without permission, and the church want to deal with these problems internally, again suggesting prayer and spiritual guidance.

I view this as abuse.

I view this as abuse.

Coercive control is woven throughout the entire framework, not just for missionaries, but it is particularly bad for them.

There are plenty of evangelical Church of England churches about with a strong focus on family, the church community and bible study. Where are you located roughly OP?

@speakout - yes, defiantly, especially I'm society as it is today. I don't know the figures but we still talk to and have missionaries over (mostly as the ward don't feed them meals at all and they just can't afford to eat). But there is massive issues with missionaries being sent home early for mental health issues. I've seen it on member forums too. They just struggle so much.

My husband served a mission and it was really rare then. He knows no one that was sent home from his era.

I think there is so much focus on giving the right impression. The idea we should be smiley and happy, pleasant, forgiving, meek, etc. The stake president here very much focuses on the positive mental attitude and now anger or sadness is a choice. I see the point to an extent, but it's at complete elimination of all "negative" emotions, the hush hush of anything that seems less than perfect. It's just so artificial and unhealthy. I get not dwelling on negative emotions but I actually believe it's healthy to have a range of emotions. i think this artificial life creates a lot of issues.

There is a lot I like and respect about the religion but a lot that really concerns me. The biggest shocker I guess for me is the realisation that it has so little impact in a positive way. If the ward I attended had never existed then nothing would have changed in the community, it's not had any impact on anything. Its daily efforts don't change people's lives, they have unproductive meetings which achieve nothing, it's just keeping them busy, taking about things but not really doing anything, if that makes sense. They have the potential do be such a great change but unfortunately it's really unproductive.

There is no safeguarding and no complaints, if you have a problem with anyone in leadership then there is no way of raising those concerns. You can write but it's handed back to the local leadership (who the compliant could ever about) so you can see how that goes. It's a bit like the Catholic Church, it's wealthy and things can easy be covered up. I really really wish they took reports of abuse more seriously and didn't just pass them back to the person being reported.