11 January 2011

Practice What You Preach

I'm not saying that this is typical.  I'm not saying that this is true of everyone.  It doesn't happen every week.  I am very aware that for every person that does this, there are probably at least a hundred that don't do this.  But it does happen quite a bit, and I feel the need to gripe about it for just a minute.

If you've followed this blog for awhile, you know that I work in a restaurant.  This particular restaurant is closed exactly two days a year: Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.  We are open every other day, holidays and weekends, and especially on Sunday.

I would say that at least once in a two month span, we get people who come and eat on Sunday, dressed in their Sunday best, and wearing their "Elder Somebody" or "Sister Somebody" nametag.  That's right, missionaries eating in the restaurant on Sunday.  More often than not, it's an older couple, enjoying a meal together or with friends.

Now, really, I don't mind the business.  I hate working on Sundays.  So if I have to be there, I may as well stay busy.  But I was raised LDS.  I remember the lessons on keeping the Sabbath Day holy.  I remember not swimming or playing basketball or shopping on Sundays.  Has that gone away?  Is this no longer part of LDS doctrine?  Because I would think, of all people, the ones out teaching the gospel to potential followers would be the ones you want putting on the best example.  Whether or not these couples are in positions of leadership, I don't know, but if they are, I would think they should be held to an even higher standard.  Maybe I'm crazy though.

I gotta say, if there's one thing that really gets to me, it's "do as I say and not as I do."

3 comments:

Kelly slash FindingMyWay said...

Wow! Yeah, that would get to me too. I've always been a huge fan of keeping the Sabbath day holy, and I think that would bother me as well. I guess everyone is at a different place in their journey, and maybe those people are better at, say, paying tithing? than I am... but I'm better at not shopping on Sundays? I don't know. That would bug me too though.

Anonymous said...

Maybe for them they are keeping the Sabbath day holy.

When I was a kid, Sunday was my Mom's day of rest. Often on Sunday, instead of Mom slaving away by cooking a large meal to feed her ravenous brood, we'd go to the buffet.

Suzanne Neilsen

jen said...

I have a hard time with this too... I go shopping on Sundays, but I don't go to church first...

For me, its so weird having two different ways of thinking in my head. One, I don't really care what other people do. I believe everyone is doing the very best they can. But when it comes to members of the Church, I still want to hold them to the standard I held myself to.

Why? I don't know. I was miserable trying to live that way... but...

I hope one day I can lose the Mormon judgmentalness and just love people.