Some Latter-day Saints get so caught up with Church life that they don’t participate much in their communities, don’t get to know their neighbors, and stay uninformed about world events around them. Might as well live in a Mormon monastery. OK, a co-ed monastery for those already married. So, let’s make it official. Anybody interested in funding an official LDS monastery for those who don’t want to strike a better balance in life?

On the other hand, there are many Latter-day Saints I truly admire who provide great service through the Church and their families while also being heavily involved in the community. For example, I think of the former mayor of Appleton, Dorothy Johnson, who stays involved with so much of the community and yet renders solid faithful service to the Church and the Hmong people here. How do these people do all that they do? I think the truly “non-monastic” LDS people must be a lot better organized than most, or they sleep less, or they just have a lot of drive. In any case, it’s great having their examples among us.

The Church demands a lot from us. So do our families. So should our communities, schools, and nation. It’s our choice how we respond. We must not try to run faster than we have strength, but we should run. Paul uses the imagery of a race, for example. Being somewhat out of breath may be normal, but passing out is not.

That raises a point I’ll discuss when I have more time later: there are times when we can and even should say no to a Church calling. Hush – don’t say this too loudly – but there are times. I might even tell you my story of turning down a major calling, as a result of significant prayer, fasting, and pondering in the Temple.