The following guest post was submitted by a frequent commenter and past guest blogger at M*, Mike. He describes himself as “the husband of my wonderful wife, married five years, and father of two great kids. I am most proud of that. I’m a graduate of BYU in Computer Science, and currently work as a software developer in Wisconsin, where my wife grew up and where I am growing to love. My personal blog is The Horebite.
By: Mike
Last Sunday I broke the Sabbath. Yes, I confess. My wife had a severe pain in the neck (no, it wasn’t me this time), and we didn’t have any ibuprofen or icy-hot. I considered calling some friends to see if I could borrow some, but thinking of the hassle of calling around got the best of me (besides, how exactly do you borrow icy-hot), and so I decided to drive down the street to the grocery story. Yes, on Sunday.
As I drove I thought of what I would say if I saw someone else from church. The best line I came up with was, “Brother Jones, there you are. Your wife said I might find you here. I need to get your home teaching numbers for last month.” So I picked up the medicine, and her favorite candy on the way out (ok, I picked up mine also), and was glad to get out of there without being seen, as far as I know.
The thing is, I don’t feel any guilt. I stand by the decision I made to do what would help my wife feel better as quickly as possible.
Shopping on Sunday is not something most church members brag about. Strangely, though, watching TV on Sunday–such as, let’s say… a sporting event–is not so. I often hear conversations in church about games occurring later that day. But mention that the teachers quorum advisor had to run out to pick up bread for the sacrament from the nearby gas station, because someone forgot it, and what follows is awkwardness. As I drove home eating my candy bar, I wondered why this is so. Is watching TV less sinful than shopping on Sunday? Watching TV makes people work too, you know.
“If you are worshipping false gods—such as football, baseball, golf, tennis, or money or technology or automobiles or houses or gold or silver—and you can tell what a man worships by what he does on Sunday—repent and start worshipping the true and living God.”
Ouch.
But the point of my post is not to make anyone feel guilty or debate the finer points of what is acceptable Sunday behavior. Rather, I want to discuss whether the Mormon culture is contaminated with Pharisaical thinking.
Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and canise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Perhaps like the Pharisees of old, we Mormons have a list of no-nos such as shopping on Sunday, watching R-rated movies, or saying a curse word (or may I add, taking a swig of ice tea). Of course, I’m not suggesting that we should do any of those things, just as Jesus was not suggesting that the Pharisees should not pay tithing. But do we too often neglect the “weightier matters of the law” in favor of these rules? Do we spend too much time talking about how many steps we can take on the Sabbath, metaphorically speaking, and too little time
talking about following in Christ’s steps?