MoLent

Ash Wednesday...the beginning of Lent.  Or, for me, the beginning of MoLent...Mormon Lent.  I know I'm not Catholic.  And although the Catholics have had some pretty bad ideas in the past like:

Inquisitions

Indulgences

and

Incense (makes for stinky cathedrals)

...I do think they're on to something with the idea of Lent.  

I first learned a little about the Catholic traditions leading up to Easter while serving a mission in 90+% Catholic Argentina.  I didn't pay too much attention to the whole Lent and fasting thing until one evening, about six months into my time in Argentina, when my Uruguayan companion decided she wanted to stop by our local hamburger stand and order a hamburger on our way home that night...a hamburger at 9:30 p.m.?...I won't judge, I won't judge.  

Anyway, she stepped up to the counter and asked for a hamburger.  "A hamburger?," the man at the counter asked back.  "Yes, a hamburger," my companion reiterated.  "Oh, okay," the man said, "let me go see if we have any buns." Upon returning he told her, "we don't have any buns because we weren't planning on serving any hamburgers today, but we can serve your hamburger on bread instead if you'd like."  My companion and I looked at each other with a "what the heck kind of a hamburger stand doesn't have buns because they weren't planning on serving hamburgers?" look on our faces and left the stand after my companion kindly declined the man's hamburger sandwich offer.  

As we walked home we discussed the oddness of the hamburger stand that didn't want to serve hamburgers.  Back at our apartment, while planning for the next day, I noticed on my calendar the words "Good Friday" stamped across the day's date and instantly realized why the man at the hamburger stand was so perplexed that we wanted to order a hamburger from him.  It was Good Friday...and Argentina is Catholic...and Catholics don't eat meat on Good Friday.  Then we got the giggles.  At the thought of two sister missionaries trying to order a hamburger on the biggest anti-meat day of the year.  

Anyway, I quickly learned that I needed to know a little more about Catholicism since it seemed to be synonymous with being Argentine.  And I'm no expert for sure, but my time in Latin America, as well as the explanations of a good Catholic friend I made in SLC, have helped me understand their traditions a little more than I did on that Good Friday long ago.  

As I've learned more about Lent I've decided that it's a really good idea...to give up something that's maybe hard to give up...just for a short time.  This year for the first time, I decided to start a tradition (maybe a tradition, if this year doesn't kill me) of doing MoLent.  Catholic Lent is, I think, 46 days long...the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday because traditionally Sundays were already a day of sacrifice and fasting so they wouldn't count them as part of the 40 days.  But, as a Mormon, I think I'll just stick to the 40 days, like Jesus did.  Besides I'm going on a trip at the beginning of April and don't want to be all MoLenty and boring on the trip, so the 46 days of Catholic Lent just won't work for me this year.    

I decided to start off my MoLent tradition with a bang (hopefully a good bang)...giving up sugar and t.v./movies for 40 days and 40 nights. 

So, wish me luck...or join me if you want.  I'd love to hear what you'd be willing to give up for MoLent...candy, pop, the SNOOZE button, t.v., the Internet, Facebook?...What would you like to see yourself survive without for a time?  You should do it...I dare you...