This story is supposed to be part of the lesson I teach 7-8 year olds later today. The manipulation, false promises, and unreasonable expectations that this story communicates really upsets me.
Story
Explain that just as the Lord helped Nephi, he will help each of us if we have faith in him and are willing to obey his commandments. Have the children listen as you relate a story about how Heavenly Father helped a young girl obey the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.
Ma-ling had a little food stand on the street near the river. Every day she would sell her rice and fish to the people who stopped at her shop. Each night as she returned to her home on the houseboat and counted the money she had earned, she would sigh and shake her head, for it was barely enough to buy rice for her family and fish to sell the next day.
One day Ma-ling met the missionaries, and they taught her the gospel. They taught her about Heavenly Father’s commandments and about keeping the Sabbath day holy. Ma-ling talked to Heavenly Father in prayer and promised him that she would not open her stand on Sunday anymore. She wanted to keep the Sabbath day holy and not work on Sunday.
From that time on, each night as Ma-ling counted her money, she found she had more money than ever before. She was able to buy more food to share with her family, and she was able to buy more fish to sell. Heavenly Father blessed Ma-ling because she kept the Sabbath day holy. Ma-ling was happy because she obeyed the commandments.
I think it is misleading and dangerous to make young kids think they will make more money if they don't work on the Sabbath. It is horrible, destructive advice to someone in Ma-ling's position. Ma-Ling might very well have starved to death or lost her house or something. It's the kind of story financially secure wealthy Utahns think is so inspiring because they've never had to worry about going hungry. This story is wrong on so many levels. This is the kind of crap in the Primary manuals that really pushes me over the edge.
"The truth is elegantly simple. The lie needs complex apologia. 4 simple words: Joe made it up. It answers everything with the perfect simplicity of Occam's Razor. Every convoluted excuse withers." - Some guy on Reddit called disposazelph
What I love is there are stories like the above, and similar ones about tithing, and then if you don't get financially blessed and wonder why you'll have people look down their noses at you in disdain while tutting, "Nobody promised you that you'd be blessed financially, just that you'd be blessed."
Yes, this is a deeply problematic story. The corollary is that Ma-ling also had to pay tithing and fast offerings on top of losing the profit from Sunday. That money paid to the church shows up in nice car and house that the mission president uses.
This is a further insulting story since a long list of authorized Sabbath breakers is sanctioned by the LDS church. There are obvious ones like fire fighters, police offers, and medical professionals. When I was a child, It definitely bothered me that General Conference definitely employed camera operators, sound engineers, and other television professionals that had to work on Sunday. "Music and the Spoken Word" with the Tabernacle Choir is not going to broadcast through priesthood power each Sunday Morning. We had plenty of stories about people making sacrifices to not work on the Sabbath, but supporting general authorities on Sunday was A-OK.
-A much needed break (the original intent, the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath)
-Increased time management skills. You have to be more organized to pull off Sabbath observance and not be playing catch up on Monday.
-Refreshers in ethical behavior. Will benefit a business long term.
--Helen business networking if you believe in doing business with members, which I don't.
Keep it firmly grounded in reality and the lesson has a point.
However, you're losing business by not being open, that day, and that's a plain fact.
At 70 years-old, my older self would tell my younger self to use the words, "f*ck off" much more frequently. --Helen Mirren
Oops. Looks like I accidentally posted this in Introductions. Sorry folks!
"The truth is elegantly simple. The lie needs complex apologia. 4 simple words: Joe made it up. It answers everything with the perfect simplicity of Occam's Razor. Every convoluted excuse withers." - Some guy on Reddit called disposazelph
Corsair wrote: ↑Sun May 21, 2017 8:25 amThis is a further insulting story since a long list of authorized Sabbath breakers is sanctioned by the LDS church.
I seriously thought Jesus was going to head your list.
There are 2 Gods. One who created us. The other you created. The God you made up is just like you-thrives on flattery-makes you live in fear.
Believe in the God who created us. And the God you created should be abolished.
PK
Corsair wrote: ↑Sun May 21, 2017 8:25 amThis is a further insulting story since a long list of authorized Sabbath breakers is sanctioned by the LDS church.
I seriously thought Jesus was going to head your list.
Exactly.
He made a point of breaking the letter of the law to show that that was not what was important.
Yes, the powers that be love these ridiculously ambiguous stories (no details on why she suddenly has more $$) because when someone does what the leaders want and the promised blessings don't materialize (Ma-ling was forgoing profit and her sacrifice was paid by in increased profit) it isn't the rule makers that get hurt. They don't care....just honor and obey them and make sure to never skimp on tithing!
When an honest man discovers he is mistaken, he will either cease being mistaken, or cease being honest. - Anonymous
Say what you want about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith, I consider a capacity for it terrifying. - Kurt Vonnegut
This story illustrates a one-sided "pollyanna" view of reality that is at best miss-leading, and at worse, a dangerous bald faced lie.
I am reading through Fawn Brodies book, and came across the failed healing attempts of JS. You never hear about those--the times he tried to bless someone and it didn't work--oh no,...don't talk about those. "Some history is just not very useful"...ad BKP would say. But the truth is, JS tried to heal several people and failed. So, teaching someone that all you need is faith and a blessing is evil.
Its the same thing with tithing and how this story teaches it. What about the people who paid their tithing and lost their home, their health, or their life as a direct or indirect response?
The LDS perspective is: "Well, they will be blessed in the next life for their sacrifice."
WOW!....You can justify anything...ANYTHING with a line like that! Its totally wrong...
Notice Maling is not a member when she has money problems, only after meeting the missionaries, and being taught the gospel, does she hit the jackpot. Heavenly Father does not care about those that are not part of the club, I guess that's why my non member neighbors have boats, and I don't.
I hate the fact that I oriented my life around the church's financial/spiritual planning. It is not too late to change, but damn I wish I had made some different choices.
It also ignores and disrespects the many people (like doctors, nurses, police, firemen etc) who heal or save lives in working on the Sabbath.
The manipulative idea of financial gain may be a bit of projection of greedy leaders who steal tithes from the poor and from members, and who, counter to Jesus stern discipline not to, use the temple (as recommend card membership fees) to make money.
This is a bit harsh. Perhaps true, but watching Disney channel really loads kids down with expectations. Every tv show tells kids that they need to be special, that they can change the world, and that extraordinary is the new ordinary.
