I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, or make any judgmental assumptions about you, but I get the impression that you kind of view the Church more like a country club than what it truly is: The Church of Jesus Christ.
The Church of Jesus Christ is the Kingdom of God on earth. It was organized before the earth was popluated by mankind and was first established here in the Garden of Eden. It has been given to mankind, taken away because of apostasy, and given to mankind again many times. Each time it's here on earth it's called a "dispensation". There have been at least seven that I know of, and we are in the final one now. This is why the Church of Jesus Christ is known in this dispensation as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, to identify it as the old Church in the last dispensation.
The purpose of the Church is to teach mankind what we need to know and do in order to return to live with Heavenly Father in the Celestial Kingdom for eternity. If we do not do all that He expects us to do, we will not spend our eternity there, and I believe that would of necessity mean that eventually we would have an eternity of regret and "what if" to look forward to (my definition of hell). As you can see, membership in the Church means far more than membership in any other organization. The results of my attempts (or failures, if I don't repent) to obey the laws and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is revealed to us only by Propehts within the true Church of Jesus Christ, will last for the rest of eternity.
I can join a country club in order to schmooze with people who can give me things I want, but joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is an incredibly more significant proposition. I'm in this Church because I know it's the best way to honor my Heavenly Father and my Savior, and it's my only ticket to an eternity void of regret and sorrow. I don't want to make the ultimate failure, the one that cannot be undone, because of a test I can never re-take. This is very serious.
I don't mean to scare you away from the Church, but it would be a disservice to you if I didn't make it clear that joining the true Church of Jesus Christ isn't like joining some other religious organization which does not have authority from God to speak or act in His name, or the power to save souls. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints transcends other churches in importance the same way a Ferrari transcends a pair of roller skates, if you'll pardon the analogy.
It would be in your own best interest to join the Church, but you should do it because you love your Father in Heaven and your Savior Jesus Christ, and you want the opportunity to spend the rest of eternity trying to repay Them for what They have done for you, and because you are willing to obey all the laws and ordiances of the Gospel They place before you, even if they don't compliment any preconceived ideas you could possibly have about what is "orthodox". The true Gospel of Jesus Christ requires that we adapt to it, rather than adapting to us. And if it did try to adapt to one person, it would be unfair to everyone else, never mind that a "gospel" that is subject to some "authority" other than God cannot be the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You will not find the true Gospel of Jesus Christ anywhere other than in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
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