Comments on: Beloved

By: Kori

Kori — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:46:40 +0000

I like this cantwealljustgetalong post. It is nice to be reminded to see the divinity in the people around us.

I also like the title beloved, but (unfortunately) my strongest association is with that Prince song. Dearly beloved, we are gathered today to get through this thing called life.

By: guy Noir, Private Eye

guy Noir, Private Eye — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:32:49 +0000

B. Johns, #5: do you have the reference-citation for that?
‘Not that I’m doubting’, but….
so many/much of quotes are false/exaggerated/passed along & lose accuracy…
Thanks

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:22:59 +0000

I should add that I generally call people by their first names unless, after I have done so, they continue to refer to themselves as Brother or Sister so-and-so and call me Brother, as well. In that case, I honor what appears to be their wish and call them Brother or Sister whatever.

By: Kristine

Kristine — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:59:40 +0000

:) A good cautionary tale, perhaps: don’t name your daughters Kristine (with a K) or they’ll turn out uppity!

By: kris

kris — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:15:59 +0000

Thanks Kristine for this thought provoking post. As a convert, I found Sister/Brother titles bizarre, but like many oddities of Mormon culture, (such as hieing to Kolob), I have come to love it. At the same time, I have known some people who have found it as a distancing tool, such as a woman who lamented that nobody called her by her first name, or another who noted that younger (women in their thirties) often called each other by their first names, but saw her sister title as a designation of age. I like the reminder that all are beloved of in Christ and might use some kind of Mormonized hybrid next time I speak.

P.S. Overheard in our car last week, as one child practiced his Primary talk aloud on the way to swimming lessons:

Eli: “Good Morning, Sisters and Brothers …”
Jacob: “Sisters and Brothers!!?? Who says that?”
Eli: “I guess Mom does, she typed my talk”

By: Kevin Barney

Kevin Barney — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:01:32 +0000

I generally use first names. I work closely with the 2C in the stake presidency in my calling, and he has told me how much he appreciates me doing that; he gets tired of being called “President X” all the time, and to his ears the use of the first name bespeaks friendship.

By: CAW

CAW — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:24:12 +0000

My point was merely that in some non-Mormon congregations, “beloved” may have become as routine and meaningless as “brothers and sisters” has become in some Mormon congregations.

This past year, as I was living in Lagos Nigeria and I really missed my scripture study discussion group in Texas, I joined a local (mostly expatriate) Bible study group. I really enjoyed the group as we worked through several studies. Our studies were mostly packaged Bible study programs with a video segment and study manual. The one that REALLY bugged me was the program where the video study leader was constantly addressing her audience using “Beloved,” and “Dear One,” and “Precious One.” It was just a bit much for me. I don’t need someone who doesn’t know me trying to remind me that I’m someone special. Maybe it feel different if it was someone like a bishop who was acquainted with those to which he was speaking. But I found it very annoying.

By: Jim Donaldson

Jim Donaldson — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:07:58 +0000

I hereby resolve to start calling people at church ‘Sister Firstname” and “Brother Firstname” more. I like it. And it if is truly a southern tradition, maybe the cooking in the ward will improve.

By: cahkaylahlee

cahkaylahlee — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:05:31 +0000

One of the first things I thought of is that President Hinkley used "beloved" frequently. I searched Google for the phrase "my beloved brethren and sisters" and this is the first page that came up. Maybe I'm just weird, but as a 20-something without kids, I like the Brother/Sister title. It reaffirms my adult capabilities and responsibilities. It also differentiated me from the young women I was supposed to be in charge of. One of my Latin profs at BYU called everyone Ms. or Mr. Lastname. Everyone I talked to loved it because it was respectful, nerdy, and put everyone on equal footing. When I found out Miss Miller was one of my friend's roommates, it was hard to call her by her first name. One of the things that I noticed at other universities is that the professors and secretaries don't treat students like adults, so the students don't feel obligated to behave like adults. Perhaps I'm missing other cultural differences, but that was my sense.

By: hpm

hpm — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:48:53 +0000

I have been grateful for the Sister/Brother designation, if only to bail me out when I have forgotten a Primary child’s given name (but not surname) during Sharing Time. :|

Kristine, I think you’re right that Brother/Sister does not call forth the same emotion/devotion as “Beloved” of Christ. Maybe that’s for the good, since we (or maybe I) barely meet the criteria for acceptable sibling-ness as it is. It’s the rare Church speaker who could invest this title with the sincerity it warrants.