Muslims praying in a relief society room with images of Christ covered

[drumdude]

I think it used to be the room that all the adult women had their meeting for 3rd hour. I remember it being used a lot for baptisms (the font was in the same room) and for 2nd hour gospel principle classes. It had a piano which made it a good room for musical stuff, I think I’ve seen a video of DCP giving a talk in one.

Mostly a general purpose room, but since the older men get a high priest room, the relief society also gets their own room.

It’s been almost 10 years since I’ve been in a meetinghouse. I wonder if those rooms aren’t universal to all of them?

Was that not a joke? Do you guys not have relief society rooms?

Probably lol. I feel like something must have gone over my head.

[ceeboo]

Hey DD,

Would you do me a solid and explain what a "relief society room" is?

Thanks in advance.

I think it used to be the room that all the adult women had their meeting for 3rd hour. I remember it being used a lot for baptisms (the font was in the same room) and for 2nd hour gospel principle classes. It had a piano which made it a good room for musical stuff, I think I’ve seen a video of DCP giving a talk in one.

Mostly a general purpose room, but since the older men get a high priest room, the relief society also gets their own room.

It’s been almost 10 years since I’ve been in a meetinghouse. I wonder if those rooms aren’t universal to all of them?

Thanks.

If I am understanding, this room is a room found in LDS wards (or whatever y'all call the building that Mormon's gather) - So why are these Muslims there to begin with? To be clear, I am not suggesting anything about Muslims, I would be just as confused/curious if the group of people were Catholic or Hindu or etc.

[drumdude]

I think it used to be the room that all the adult women had their meeting for 3rd hour. I remember it being used a lot for baptisms (the font was in the same room) and for 2nd hour gospel principle classes. It had a piano which made it a good room for musical stuff, I think I’ve seen a video of DCP giving a talk in one.

Mostly a general purpose room, but since the older men get a high priest room, the relief society also gets their own room.

It’s been almost 10 years since I’ve been in a meetinghouse. I wonder if those rooms aren’t universal to all of them?

Thanks.

If I am understanding, this room is a room found in LDS wards (or whatever y'all call the building that Mormon's gather) - So why are these Muslims there to begin with? To be clear, I am not suggesting anything about Muslims, I would be just as confused/curious if the group of people were Catholic or Hindu or etc.

DCP speculated that it could have been in a place where a local mosque burned down and they needed a temporary place to pray. I’m not sure the source of the image has been tracked down definitively yet.

[Doctor Steuss]

Thanks.

If I am understanding, this room is a room found in LDS wards (or whatever y'all call the building that Mormon's gather) - So why are these Muslims there to begin with? To be clear, I am not suggesting anything about Muslims, I would be just as confused/curious if the group of people were Catholic or Hindu or etc.

LDS Meetinghouses have a long history of being used by other faiths when other faiths need them. Muslims (like in Bellevue Washington when their mosque was firebombed), Catholics (for a few years back in I think the late 90's, the Catholic Church in Provo used the Tabernacle for Christmas Eve services because their church wasn't large enough for the amount of people that would show for Mass). Baptists (ironically, given the SBC classifies Mormonism as a cult, but in Ohio (I think?) after a tornado in the mid-90s, they used the LDS chapel which survived).

The Church has pretty robust interfaith efforts. My less-than-charitable opinion is that it is covert missionary work. My somewhat-more-charitable opinion is that it's to maintain strong allies for fights for religious freedom. I imagine a representative of the Church would sell it simply as "we follow Christ, and he didn't put religious qualifiers on loving thy neighbor."


ETA: Here's the Church's presser from when the mosque in Washington was destroyed. Church Offers Chapel for Worship to Members of Islamic Community. If I get a wild hair, I'll see if I can track down the other ones I mention above... assuming my memory is right. Incidentally, I think this was the second time that mosque was attacked by an arsonist.

[ceeboo]

Thanks.

If I am understanding, this room is a room found in LDS wards (or whatever y'all call the building that Mormon's gather) - So why are these Muslims there to begin with? To be clear, I am not suggesting anything about Muslims, I would be just as confused/curious if the group of people were Catholic or Hindu or etc.

LDS Meetinghouses have a long history of being used by other faiths when other faiths need them. Muslims (like in Bellevue Washington when their mosque was firebombed), Catholics (for a few years back in I think the late 90's, the Catholic Church in Provo used the Tabernacle for Christmas Eve services because their church wasn't large enough for the amount of people that would show for Mass). Baptists (ironically, given the SBC classifies Mormonism as a cult, but in Ohio (I think?) after a tornado in the mid-90s, they used the LDS chapel which survived).

The Church has pretty robust interfaith efforts. My less-than-charitable opinion is that it is covert missionary work. My somewhat-more-charitable opinion is that it's to maintain strong allies for fights for religious freedom. I imagine a representative of the Church would sell it simply as "we follow Christ, and he didn't put religious qualifiers on loving thy neighbor."


ETA: Here's the Church's presser from when the mosque in Washington was destroyed. Church Offers Chapel for Worship to Members of Islamic Community. If I get a wild hair, I'll see if I can track down the other ones I mention above... assuming my memory is right. Incidentally, I think this was the second time that mosque was attacked by an arsonist.

Thanks, Stuess! I appreciate you taking the time to provide all of this information. I am no longer confused/curious by the OP.

[Hound of Heaven]

If the LDS church permitted Muslims to use their facilities at no cost, this situation transcends conservative or liberal viewpoints; it centers on respect. When another religious group offers their space for free, it is respectful not to cover the paintings of the individuals they honor or revere. It has been quite some time since I last attended church, but do most LDS buildings still have what we referred to as a cultural hall? I can't recall any paintings or pictures displayed on the walls of the cultural hall, probably because they might get struck by a basketball or volleyball. The Muslims, out of respect, could hold their worship in the cultural hall. Now, if they rented the space, my perspective shifts completely; they have the option to take down the paintings.

[drumdude]

If the LDS church permitted Muslims to use their facilities at no cost, this situation transcends conservative or liberal viewpoints; it centers on respect. When another religious group offers their space for free, it is respectful not to cover the paintings of the individuals they honor or revere. It has been quite some time since I last attended church, but do most LDS buildings still have what we referred to as a cultural hall? I can't recall any paintings or pictures displayed on the walls of the cultural hall, probably because they might get struck by a basketball or volleyball. The Muslims, out of respect, could hold their worship in the cultural hall. Now, if they rented the space, my perspective shifts completely; they have the option to take down the paintings.

The cultural hall at my stake center was very large and had a ton of doors that people were constantly opening and closing to come and go. Easy access to the other side of the building. It definitely wasn't an ideal place for worship.

[IWMP]

If the LDS church permitted Muslims to use their facilities at no cost, this situation transcends conservative or liberal viewpoints; it centers on respect. When another religious group offers their space for free, it is respectful not to cover the paintings of the individuals they honor or revere. It has been quite some time since I last attended church, but do most LDS buildings still have what we referred to as a cultural hall? I can't recall any paintings or pictures displayed on the walls of the cultural hall, probably because they might get struck by a basketball or volleyball. The Muslims, out of respect, could hold their worship in the cultural hall. Now, if they rented the space, my perspective shifts completely; they have the option to take down the paintings.

Generally I would agree but when you are talking about a fundamental core belief, really it would be disrespectful not to let them cover. Especially when even in Christianity, idolism is supposed to be frowned upon. But yes, they could have been given a different area that wouldn't have had images. I suppose you could say covering the images could be disrespectful but should we be holding artist depictions of Christ that are probably wrong in such high esteem as to be offended? I don't know. Maybe I have the wrong perspective. If it wasn't relative to something they view very strongly then it could be considered rude.

[ceeboo]

The cultural hall at my stake center was very large and had a ton of doors that people were constantly opening and closing to come and go. Easy access to the other side of the building.

I think they should nickname this cultural hall "the border."

[drumdude]

The cultural hall at my stake center was very large and had a ton of doors that people were constantly opening and closing to come and go. Easy access to the other side of the building.

I think they should nickname this cultural hall "the border."

I didn't realize you were a nevermo, Ceeboo! What got you into Mormonism?