Huh?

I don’t usually take time on Sunday to blog but I will today as I have finished some studying and don’t want to take a nap (very weird for me!). I miss having the time to write each day and find the longer a span between writing the harder it is for me to come up with anything good to write about, Anyway....

I had a little laugh the other day when Grammy told me she hadn’t been posting much as she was busy with RS in her ward. It made me chuckle because if we didn’t belong to the same church I’d probably not even have a clue what she was talking about. It’s funny how Latter Day Saints have a language all their own, by way of translation here’s a little cheat sheet:

Ward: Not the loony bin in the local mental hospital (although could pass for that in some locations!) but rather the name for a group of us "Mormons" who live within a designated boundary and meet at the same church building.

Stake Center: Not "STEAK" center, and certainly not anything like Outback (kind of disappointing to our friends when we invite them to come with us for a fun evening at the stake center). Just a larger building where several "Wards" (see above) get together for food, fun, inspiration/instruction, service, and ....did I say food?

Saints: Another term for a group of "mormons", since our name is really not mormons at all, but "members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" we sometimes refer to ourselves (loosely in most cases) as just "Latter Day Saints", or "saints" . (Never let it be said we don’t think well of ourselves).

RS: Acronym for Relief Society, organization of "sisters" who meet together to learn about Jesus Christ, and how to serve their family, friends, neighbors (and to make/eat food).

YM/YW: Acronym for Young Men/Young Women, the youth program of the church formerly known as Mutual, MIA (Mutual Improvement Association), .....and in some "wards" those rowdy young people.

Primary: Not the election kind.....but rather youth not old enough to go to YW/YM ..... they meet in Primary to learn about Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father, the prophets and oh yes.....the Holy Ghost (aka to Sunbeams as "The holey goat"......sorry one little girl really said that ......too cute......).

Sister: The proper way to address any woman of the church (except when shouting at her from across Walmart........in which case everyone turns to see if there’s a nun in the store).

Brother: The address for men in the church.....as in.....Brother Hanson is married to Sister Hanson (you know the one we shouted at in Walmart?).

BOM: Book of Mormon, only the best book ever, not to mention the only way to understand other well used terms like 1 Ne, 2 Ne., 3 Ne., etc.

Sunbeams: Not streaming through the windows......more like screaming through the halls....aka three year olds trying to master "Primary".

FHE: Family Home Evening ....a night for spiritual instruction, fun, and what else....Food! Usually on Monday night, it's designed to help families have at least one night a week JUST to spend together. This is also known (depending on the age and hearing/speaking ability of your children) as Family Home Eating, Family Home Eviling, Family Home Meeting, or Family, our meeting!

And just for fun..... here’s something I read that illustrates the point.........

"I remember while I was serving my mission in Ohio (90-92) we received a memo from somewhere (I don’t remember if it was the COB) stating that we were to do away with acronyms in the mission field. No more DL, ZL, ZDM, AP, DA and so forth. So we tried not to use them in the MTC or at BYU or FHE. We encouraged the YM and YW not to use them, as well as the RS and MP; especially not in
PEC"

Sure Love Ya!