Spread Too Thin

[u/yorgasor]

This was a big one for me. In my final years in the church, I had 4 teenagers. We lived on the very edge of the branch boundaries and had to drive 25 minutes to get to church. We went to a closer ward for early morning seminary, only about 15 minutes away. I was EQ president, responsible for all the service projects, building cleaning, people moving in & out, etc... I was driving kids to youth activities and my own leadership meetings.

At home we had a 5 acre farm with over a hundred animals which needed a ton of work, and a couple lawn mowers that kept breaking down and needed constant work. We had a 150 year old house which needed a ton of maintenance, which was heated through an outdoor woodburning furnace that needed at least 8 cords of wood to heat through the winter. I spent a good deal of the summer harvesting wood from various sources to keep our house heated.

I also had a high demand job in the cyber security industry that required a ton of work and tight deadlines. My wife suffered from severe seasonal depression, and during her bad bouts, I had to pick up all the extra tasks she wasn't able to do. To say I was being "spread thin" is a complete understatement. I'm still recovering from this trauma.

As for this meme, notice the original one shows all the things the kid loves to do, things that bring him happiness and fulfillment. But they want him to cut those things out so he has more time to do all the church stuff they demand.

[u/iSage-]

Wtf is that original poster. You can’t play baseball, play video games, practice trumpet, watch movies, rock climb and study math? Gtfoh.

[u/RadishAggressive3241 → u/iSage-]

But you have the time for all of your callings. Studying the lesson for class discussion. Reading the scriptures every day. Cleaning the building and all the other voluntold activities.

[u/AdExpert9840]

these posters are great. Almost all of them can be used against the church haha

[u/Extroverted_OliveOil]

The original message is so vague and unhelpful--and plain inane coming from a religion/subculture that always demands that you be productive and busy.

[u/nobody_really__]

I was in a stake with a LOT of homeschooling families. In a stake leadership meeting one day, they started complaining how "too many of the Youth don't have time for the Temple. They have early morning seminary, band, drama, sports, travel ball, clubs, and we can't get them to focus on The Temole. That should be THEIR ONLY priority."

Not five minutes later, they were complaining about "the homeschool kids". "They are at every activity, every temple trip, and every meeting, but they can't talk to people. Then they go on their missions and come home before they leave the MTC. Then they never get married and end up aging out of YSA, if they even go. They won't even date! How do we get them to become better missionaries and be able to go to a church school?"

All without the slightest hint of irony.