Employment Compromises?

How would you feel about holding a job that requires you to provide products or services against gospel principles? The inspiration for this is my own past job where I worked for a hospital foundation and part of my duties included working on their annual “Home Lottery”. I always felt a bit of conflict, however I loved that part of the job. I loved to work in a mansion often with an ocean view, loved to interact with the public when they were in a good mood. The pay was really good. I had flexible hours and felt great about being part of the #1 money maker for the hospital. I never bought a ticket because I considered it gambling and my money would do more good as a straight donation plus I could write it off. However, I know lots of LDS members that didn’t see it as gambling or maybe they did and bought tickets anyway. Sometimes there were awkward moments when they recognized me from church, sometimes not. “Hi there, Brother….I enjoyed your high council message last week.”

There are many members that are in similiar situations when you think about. Servers in licensed restaurants, clerks in stores that sell cigarettes or booze, video store clerks that have to rent X-rated and Disney movies…the list seems endless. I never felt completely comfortable with the lottery aspect of the job, but overall the job was rewarding and help my family through the college years. Share your thoughts.

4 thoughts on “Employment Compromises?

  1. hi duncan! welcome.

    hmmm, not really sure, i suppose it depends. for example i couldn’t work in a field where i am actively promoting something that could hurt someone else, but then i worked at tim horton’s years and years ago selling coffee of course and at gas stations selling cigarettes.

    also i bought a 50/50 ticket at a union christmas party once. right in front of the bishop. the money was for a good cause which was why i did it. actually the bishop had bought one too…. was this wrong??

  2. A local movie theatre owner, who is also a member, was quoted in the local paper this morning as saying that he doesn’t play the censor. He lets people be their own censors.

  3. I once had an opportunity to audition, as an actor, for a commercial promoting the Colorado lottery. I turned down the audition. I was motivated partly by a disapproval of gambling but more by a sense of not wanting to be seen as a public promoter of gambling.

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