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Pretty sure I wouldn't choose to say *compelled* by the Church. I suspect most cultures have a pretty strong influence particularly when one is surrounded by people saying the same thing and one wants to be part of it all. When young people are just stepping into the water, as it were, many adults certainly encourage them in what to say; but that's only natural and I'm sure is intended to build confidence. As for you and me, I don't think someone else can tell us whether our motivation is a mere desire to conform or to be liked, but I'm sure you already know that. Likewise, It's a little risky (for you and for me) to suggest to others that their expressions of conviction aren't what they ought to be.

His heartfelt blessings full of love A promised hope of calm and peace To all honest seekers thereof In prayers and tears that never cease I say, my brothers, sisters all Who, in goodness, still hold trust But question why they still feel small And deem are lower than the dust This meekness draws the eyes of God Who loves you more than you will know It’s humility He applauds Your willingness to let it show He answers every tear that falls With care towards your broken fate He guides you up above the walls And lifts you to a higher state Always there, He anxiously awaits A Parent watching you in stride For any chance to show His traits And lead you Home where He abides Oh then look up and never doubt About the love He has for you Pre-destined for a greater route In your heart of hearts, believe it’s true. Aeglyn Nov 2019

You can be wrong if you like, but you are wrong

On 23 Nov 1963 President Kennedy was assassinated. 5 days later on Thanksgiving morning my little sister Karen Louise [Sept 8 1953 - Nov 28 1963]passed away from a brain tumor. It has been 56 Thanksgivings ago. It took nearly a decade of thanksgivings for me to see them in gratitude and true thanksgiving, rather than as a holiday that my little sister no longer would be with us. Christmas' were really hard too. As were her birthdays. Easters, Halloween, our siblings birthdays, Mom & Dad's birthdays and wedding anniversaries. Karen brought a lot to the table in our home. She and I fought like most siblings do. She was a *dirty* fighter too ~ she would get me pinned down and then tickle me until I wet my pants. 😷 I once heard Mom telling the neighbor that Iggy and Karen were like two peas in the same pod. We would finish each others sentences, we were always together -arm in arm. She loved pedal pushers and I loathed them. Karen would initiate playing with others and if the little kid next door wanted our toys, she would just give it to them! I would run to Mom so she could get it back, and Mom would say - Give it time, they will put the toy down and then you can get it back. Karen instinctively knew this - how? She was 15 months younger than me, so how did she gain this knowledge? Karen also knew that she would die. After her brain surgery, she talked about Jesus and the Angels that were always surrounding Him and us. I was too young to understand that she was trying to ease the road for me, us. She was saying goodbye and doing her level best as a loving10 year old to let me, us, know that she was going to be okay. That she was going to be living with Jesus and Heavenly Father and all the Greats and Grands. The hole in my universe that ripped open the day she passed away is still there. For years and years I never thought the rawness would ease up. It has. Don't know exactly when the jaggedness smoothed out but it has. 56 years later it is a hole, a smoothed edged hole. In those 56 years there have been so many more of my family members who have passed away. They are there with Karen and the Greats, Grands, family members, Jesus and Heavenly Father. Karen was 10 when she passed. The proxy ordinances of baptism, confirmation, and sealing to our parents have been done. In June of 2001 I was sealed to our parents. The eternal link to my little sister and all my kindred dead is solid and it is now my responsibility to live my life in accordance to the gospel and obey the covenants I made with Heavenly Father and I will be joined with my eternal family. On all of these holidays the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation brings me peace.

There's nothing wrong with having opposite-gender friends at an age. Dating is a different thing.

Hello, Iggy. Mark Harrison (new kid on the block) here. Thank you for sharing this. I can relate to the challenge of dealing with the "hole". All my best to you. 🙏

Cracker Barrel has THE best pancakes I've ever had. Crispy edges, fluffy middle and full of flavor (before adding the butter and syrup). And for dinner, they have greens! My friends make fun of me because I'll often get 2 servings of their greens. Yum!

As I mentioned earlier I see no issue with stopping the support (giving rides) of behavior I disagree with. And being clear on why when asked. And I have no issues with informaing leadership (The Elder Quorum and Relief Society Presidents are also leaders) As for there being a double standard... That is a very real possibility. After all I was a young man once and I very likely would not have cared that an older lady was attending a singles ward with me. I am also the father of sons and a daughter and I am far more protective of my little girl then I am my boys. Is this a double standard? clearly... is it going to change? Nope I just do not see that happening.

First step would probably be to go talk to your RS President and tell her you want to be added to the email or text lists or whatever method they use to communicate. There's always a point to being friendly and getting to know people - the point is to be friendly and get to know people. It doesn't have to have conditions of success attached to it for someone to find being friendly and getting to know people worthwhile. Being friendly and get to know people should be a default state of being so that might be one of those things you can concentrate on - don't worry about how people react to your efforts. Just concentrate on feeling happy that you are able to make the effort. Just my 2 cents.

@Vort I guess I really am a Gentile...because there is no more magical animal than the glorious pig. And on the magic scale of 1-10 a turkey would be a muggle.

Ah yes, the curse of turkey. I wish some 8-year-old kid would yell from the roof top, "Turkey sucks! It's awful. It's dry, cheap, and has a distinctive flavor that must be covered up by gravy, special recipes, basting, infusions of butter, herbs, etc. Let's just admit it and move on!" [i.e. The Emperor Has No Clothes!] My family succumbs though. We buy the smallest Butterball turkey we can, cook it properly, and everyone gets an obligatory bite or two, so we can say it was a Thanksgiving dinner. Then we move on to copious amounts of ham, and all the other good stuff.

Even though we went Vegan some years ago, I was able to "veganize" your macaroni and cheese recipe (still one of my family's favorite dishes )We will be having Gardein crispy tenders, mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, green been casserole, corn, dinner rolls and Daiya New York cheezecake for dessert.

I'm just so surprised that you have even let your daughter know that boys exist. Shouldn't that wait until they are like 24 or something???

As a matter of fact they do...somewhat. The hereditary peers are allowed to elect 93 of their number to sit and vote in the Upper House. But compare that with the 600+ life peers who were NOT born noble. Tony Blair tried to get rid of the hereditaries altogether, and the residual 92 were a temporary compromise he had to agree to. Their days are numbered - I reckon in another generation they'll be gone and irrelevant. Even now we don't think about them anything like as much as you seem to think we do. Oh yes...absolutely. Every morning I put on my peasant's smock and go down to Lord Muck's pig farm, tug my forelock and say "OO arrr m'lord do you want me to shovel away all last night's pig muck, and then polish all the piglets shiny with patent piglet polish?" Actually he was a prince, not a noble. (He only got a noble title after the marriage.) But your point is...? You can lose a peerage. It's uncommon, but it does happen. You can do it voluntarily: Alec Douglas Home gave up his title Earl of Home in 1963 so he could stand for election to parliament. Tony Benn (Lord Stansgate) did the same thing the same year. Admittedly it is very uncommon for a peer to be stripped of their title involuntarily, but I think sooner or later there will be laws to allow this to happen more often. (A lot of people thought it should have happened to Jeffrey Archer after he got convicted of telling porkies in court!) Also marrying into the peerage doesn't make you a substantive peer. If you were for example to marry Lord Muck you could style yourself Lady Muck - but it would be a title and nothing else. Most peers of any importance these days are life peers - they were appointed by the government and they vote in the Upper House. The closest equivalent to them are the US Senate. To some very limited extent yes - but it's rapidly becoming a permanent nothing. If you don't have money and lands, what does it actually mean to be an Earl or a Marquis? Most of the great country estates collapsed during the 20th Century, and the few who are left are strapped for cash. Many had to marry into rich Anglophile American families to stay afloat. *BUUURRPP* It's a fing that's used to create objects, innit? 😁