Do you think a 60 year old
 

guy who has served a mission, gone to church since he was born, has no children at home, has no wife to please, has read the scriptures numerous times, shouldn't feel obligated going to Priesthood meeting if he doesn't need the comraderie (sp).

If he uses the time to listen to a good conference talk or devotional, don't you agree with me it isn't any big deal if he doesn't show up to Priesthood meeting.

does he care about having a temple recommend?

I think he should go once a month so he can qualify for a recommend.

That's a terrestial kingdom effort.

Good question. It will certainly come up and I will have to prepare for it. Knowing how I feel, if it comes down to that I might just forgo the privilege.

Unless my Bishop can come up with a better reason of why I should attend other than compliance. Unless I missed something, I think Sacrament is the only meeting we are commanded to attend.

What do you mean by obligated? You describe attending Priesthood as some type of litmus test or rite of passage without offering to us unwashed masses what great privilege your inspired Priesthood leaders are depriving you.

If you are asking would I find you worthy for a temple recommend, assuming you hit all the other worthiness checkmarks, my answer would be it depends but probably yes. I would ask some question, as to why you choose not to go and then give it to you because I am a big tent guy and believe in giving all the latitude to God and erring on the side of inclusion. My logic would be perhaps temple attendance might motivate you to better participate in the meetings of the Church.

You do realize whittling down the demands to the exact commands of what we are commanded to do is pharisitical and actually counterproductive to what you are trying to accomplish. The act of whittling down to the specific commands is the very reason that there is some quanifiable amount of attendances to various meetings expected to be card carrying.

Your attitude is the reason why things are the way they are. It is a vicious cycle!

LOL.

I have gone through stages where I really didn't enjoy going to church. I did it out of a sense of duty. Ok, a lot of my life has been that stage.

But I enjoy church a lot more now. Why? Because I became invested in the people around me. I started to know them and care about them. I became interested in what they had to say.

If you don't like church meetings--I am very accustomed to that feeling. But I also have figured out how you can get from that place to a different place.

Just a thought, not a conlcusion I have come to. Going to the Temple is a peaceful and spritual experience. For me that is especially true when I feel like I have been moved to go. Not by a Priesthood leader, not by a challenge by the SP, but because I feel a desire to feel the spirit that is there. Perhaps that is selfish and I don't see the grand vision of what great good I am doing for others by going.

I find Priesthood attendance has become a function of I should, not I want. At least in my class, the discussions are dominated by the Tex's of the world. Not meant to be a knock on Tex, but only the orthodox members speak in HP meetings. I feel like I have heard it all before. Absolutely nothing new. I am asking myself why, is it just a meeting for me at this stage of my life.

The reason I am even thinking about this is because of what Ma'ake said. His point rang true in my case. That one hour could be spent doing more productive things.