Women with Noisy Kids are Uncivilized

1 Peter 5:2; “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.”

Journal of Discourses 4:112; “I wish the most strict attention of the entire congregation… I shall require the people to be perfectly still, while they are here and we are trying to speak to them. Let there be no talking, whispering, nor shuffling of feet. …

I will say, in regard to the sisters who bring children here to make a noise, they have never yet sufficiently thought, nor sufficiently considered their own place in this world, nor the place of others, to know that there is any other person living on the earth  but themselves; and they think, when they hear people talk, that it is a noise through a dark veil. I cannot say much for the education, based on good feeling, that such persons have.

Were I to describe it in a plain way, I should say that they are people of no breeding, that they were never bred but came up; that is about as good a character as I can afford to give to any mother that will keep a squalling child in a meeting. I have never said to the congregation, look and see who they are, for you may distinguish by your ears, without looking, the mothers that have had good teaching and been brought up in a civilized society. … We shall have large congregations during the Conference, and we wish perfect order maintained.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, October 5, 1856

Proverbs 14:29; “He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.”

I can’t say for sure, but it stands to reason this might be where the Mormon tradition of not making any noise at all in Sacrament meetings came from. If you’ve never been to a Sacrament meeting (aka, worship service), you’ll witness something not heard of in Christian worship services.

On the day I was saved my friend drove us into the parking lot of the church where I saw kids running around, and people standing all around the parking lot, laughing and generally having a good time. I thought this is the most ‘irreverent’ thing I’d ever seen in my life. It was nothing I had experienced as a Mormon which was always beset with rules and regulations.

At the time what I thought was even worse, is how people were inside the church building carrying on like they had been in the parking lot. It was the first time I had ever heard laughing inside a church building. Instead of the Lord running my life, a judgmental attitude had permeated every fiber of my being, and was running the show.

While Mr. Young’s comment was horrendous, what’s worse is the impact it’s had all these years later. Pray for the Mormons who are burdened with this falsehood! Every time General Conference rolls around we still see articles on the front page of LDS.org filled with ideas on how to keep kids quiet during the services. Sigh…