Mormons, do you "Belong" to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?

Question

I hear this all the time. I got an email from someone saying they 'Belong' to the church. When I was a Mormon, my daughter came home from church with a tag on her that said "I belong to the church.." That was almost the last straw.

Does this bother you that the church assumes they Own You? Opinions please..

Answer 1

Just about everyone here knows that I am NOT LDS. Still your statement is ridiculous. This is just a way our language works. I can belong to a club like AAA, or a young man the Boy Scouts. At one time I belonged to the US Armed services. None of these things means they own the people involved. Come on you know better!!! Jim

Answer 2

Speaking as both a Mormon and an English major...the "Day" should also be capitalized. So should the "The" at the beginning. "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" Yes, the "the" is part of the name of the church. If your teacher gives you crap, have him look at any official publication from the church.

Answer 3

I "belong" to the Church inasmuch as I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have never thought of it in any other way. I don't know why anyone would assume that it means anything different.

Answer 4

So many of these Mormons think the church does not own them, but the Mormon culture has been brainwashing them since the day of there births.

Brainwashing is a form of control, and it is in that way the church owns and controls them.

Answer 5

I fail to see how you arrive at that conclusion. To belong to any organization is to be a member, not that said organization owns you. Before I belonged to the LDS church, I belonged to the United Methodist church. But neither owned or owns me. And I don't think they saw it that way, either.

Answer 6

It depends on which way you take that. I generally say that I am a part of XX church or go to XX church. Even though I am a member or "in fellowship". It gets around that "belonging" thing.

Answer 7

LDS saying "I belong to the CoJCoLDS" is the same as a Buddhist saying "I belong to the cosmos." It's not a matter of ownership BY the church/cosmos... it's more a matter of feeling a part of it...

I love the church. The church loves me. It's mutual ownership.

Answer 8

I really don't like it when a person asks me "do you belong to the church". I now respond "yes I am a Christian". You would probably not understand if you live outside of Utah.

Answer 9

be·long
/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[bi-lawng, -long] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–verb (used without object)
1. to be in the relation of a member, adherent, inhabitant, etc. (usually fol. by to): He belongs to the Knights of Columbus.
2. to have the proper qualifications, esp. social qualifications, to be a member of a group: You don't belong in this club.
3. to be proper or due; be properly or appropriately placed, situated, etc.: Books belong in every home. This belongs on the shelf. He is a statesman who belongs among the great.
—Verb phrase4. belong to, a. to be the property of: The book belongs to her.
b. to be a part or adjunct of: That cover belongs to this jar.
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[Origin: 1300–50; ME belongen, equiv. to be- be- + longen to belong, v. deriv. of long (adj.) belonging, OE gelang along1]


I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because I am a member of that church. If that offends you when you are a member, it means that you have some issues with the religion, not that the religion owns you like a lamp.
Those are my two cents.
I am PROUD to be a member of the LDS Church.
God Bless

Answer 10

No it is a volunteer church -- no one is owned by the church. You are interpreting the word "belong" as ownership instead of being a member of a group.

It all comes down to definition of words I think.