I pondered:
and got several replies:
- Joy Shayne Laughter Really? Interesting! I'll take Buddhism's non-attachment and meditations on impermanence any day.about an hour ago · ·
1 
- Hope E Golightly I don't want to click "Like" because I don't like it, but I definitely agree. Maybe I was too poor to stay Mormon!about an hour ago · · 1
Nan HarveyInteresting. Does the Mormon family history thing include keeping items that belonged to their ancestors? I'm not Mormon, but the genealogy thing does make me hang on to old photos and heirlooms more than I might have otherwise. I'm driven more by puzzle solving when I work on genealogy, though there is a spiritual aspect to feeling the connection between myself and those became before, as well as the interconnection with people living today....See More49 minutes ago ·
- Sarah Pechin Pacheco Born and raised Mormon, and have never put a spiritual attachment to an object, nor have I ever heard of that. Ever. I know a lot of hoarders who aren't Mormon, it seems to be a personality trait more than anything.29 minutes ago ·
- Hope E Golightly The Spirit of the Lord is the spirit of love that may eventually overcome all human family estrangements as it builds bridges between the generations. It binds beloved grandparents, now deceased, with the grandchildren who never knew them by preserving and sharing their histories and keepsakes. (From Mormon dot org.)21 minutes ago ·
- Hope E GolightlyDiaries, scrapbooks, letters, and copies of speeches will yield more information about your relatives than a lock of hair, a handcrafted item, or a personal belonging. But don’t disregard such personal artifacts! They evoke a love and emotion more informational items cannot reproduce. Such artifacts can also contribute photographic and emotional substance to a compiled personal history. (Ensign Magazine February 1987).13 minutes ago ·
- Hope E Golightly I'm sure there is more documentation, but I need to do my bedtime rituals and I am not an arguer.9 minutes ago ·
But the true observation is that those who are still "safely" ensconced in Mormonism had one perspective, the Ex-Mormons recognize it in the same way I do (except Joe, who seems strangely passive!), and the Never Mormons just seem curious. I don't really intend to ever spark a political or religious discussion, I seriously just don't care for it. I venture to say, however, that I am glad my little question quickly rendered some comments. When I watch Hoarders or Biggest Loser or shows about morbid obesity it is often with a dual reason 1) To scare myself out of unhealthy behavior by observing how negative results can be 2) a little Schadenfreude, "at least I'm not that bad." I think my feelings tonight were sparked by my own recent joy in a fucking grapefruit spoon.
I want to be able to enjoy my favorite things, but I need to remember that the joy is truly the memory of the person and events that the objects represent. There is no intrinsic spiritual value and no reward except personal satisfaction or historical knowledge to be gained in the retention or maintenance of such items.
It sounds silly, but I am grateful for Hoarders! I'm also grateful that I have the intellectual capacity and the ability to enjoy it as entertainment and at the same time to gain a little knowledge that should help me in my personal growth - I'm not flawed or bad because I value objects and keep too many, I was trained that way, not only by the behaviors of my family of origin, but by the belief system in which I was emerged.
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