KeithLBrown

My apologies Brenton. I was not saying that the names of the two countries were ever switched. What I said or meant to say is that having lived in Iceland and having flown over Greenland, the names should have been switched. Yes, I know that Iceland has always been Iceland and Greenland has always been Greenland. Sorry if I confused anyone. Thanks.

As a member of our Ward Bishopric I would suggest that you have a talk with the Bishop of the Ward that you are supposed to be attending and explain your situation to him. He should be understanding and willing to work with you in not only making sure that you receive some attention from the Relief Society, but he should also have no problem with you attending a Ward that meets at a later time especially due to your health conditions. He may also want to talk to the Bishop of the Ward that you would attend on your behalf. Your records should stay with the Ward to which you are assigned. I see no reason that they would need to be moved, but that is the decision of your Bishop. I know that we have people in my Ward that attend other Wards because of similar problems or even conflicting work schedules. The important thing is that they are at Church and that they are able to take the Sacrament.

I would have to say that I am in agreement with Hemidakota. You really need to find out why after 3 1/2 years of marriage there is such a sudden change in attitude. My advise is to not be too hasty and blame yourself for anything, but to look at the last 3 1/2 years as a whole. What suddenly or drastically changed to bring about the new attitude in your husband. I admire the fact that he still wants to support your daughter, but as a husband he still has an obligation to you as well. The whole thing does not sit quite right with me. There appears to be something going on in his life that he is not telling. Not to sound totally negative, but do not be surprised if it ends up being something that should have been brought to the table before you were ever married. It just appears to be some of amount of secrecy here. The best thing to do is to seek wisdom, guidance, and discernment from the Holy Spirit concerning this matter. Be still and listen and obey. I promise you that all things will be made known in their perfect time. God bless and keep the faith.

Pam, You are absolutely correct. Iceland is a beautiful country and there is quite a bit of green to be seen there. Temperatures are not as frigid as some people seem to think. While I was stationed there we had temperatures in the 50's at times. You can actually go swimming all year round because of the natural hot springs that are there. Don't get me wrong, the winters there are pretty bone chilling cold, but even then I saw more rain probably than snow. The biggest problems that we had were the high winds, white outs, and black ice. I had to fly over Greenland to get to Iceland. From the air, Greenland looks like a solid sheet of ice. So, yes, Greenland should have been called Iceland, and Iceland should have been called Greenland. The names were switched at one time for startegic purposes. Even to this day, a lot of the older generation Icelanders do not appreciate the Western culture trying to take over the old Nordic traditions. A lot of older folks I found will not even try to speak with you or help you if you do not know Icelandic. All in all, it is a beautiful place and well worth the visit some day. If you remember the whale from the movies "Free Willy", he was actually brought back to Iceland and set free there. Also, while I was stationed there, Good Morning America did a special on life in Iceland. I also understand that there is a new LDS chapel there now. As a bit of history, as far as anyone could tell at the time of my ordination, I was the first American to be ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood in Iceland.:) By the way, the picture above was taken at the NATO command that I was a part of in Keflavik Iceland. This was on the occcasion of the ending of 16 years of active duty service and reenlisting for my final 4 years of service to make a total of 20 years of active duty military service.

First, thanks for correcting the spelling of Keflavik for me. I seem to always want to spell it with a "c" at the end. As far as speaking Icelandic, I never really learned the language. Not knowing the language is one reason that as an American I had to live on the military base and not be allowed to live out in town. The chapel where I attended services was located in Reyjavik and we held conferences via translation with the Icelanders. It was a very interesting experience and I would love to visit there again some day. The nearest Temple was in London and we were a part of the Denmark/Coppenhagen Mission.

I would be interested. I was actually stationed in Keflavic Iceland for about a year when I was in the United States Navy. I was stationed at a NATO command there. I also became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while I was there. I was baptized on 10 March 1998 in Reyjavik Iceland.

The Testaments Of One Fold And One Shepherd is a movie also

Hello Kenny and welcome to the site. I am sure that you will enjoy your visits here.

Here are a few more to add to the list: The Restoration America's Choir - The Story of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir truth & conviction - the Helmuth Hubener Story Legacy

Here are a few that I have that I didn't see listed: Outlaw Trail Saints and Soldiers The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd Mr. Kruger's Christmas The Mountain Of The Lord The Other Side Of Heaven The RM Jane Manning James - Your Sisiter In The Gospel American Prophet - The Story of Joseph Smith The Lamb Of God The Field Is White

taisama, As FunkyTown has said, don't worry and don't be afraid. As a member of my Ward's Bishopric (First Counselor) and as a former High Council member, I know and have known members who are dealing with issues as difficult as the one you are dealing with. The thing that you need to understand is that although you may not be found worthy to become a Priest at this moment, that does not mean that you will never be worthy to be a Priest. We are not punished in the Church per se, but because of sins and misdeeds, we may have to go through a period of repentance. The beauty of the repentance process is that if we are faithful and obedient it makes us clean again and worthy to progress in the Lord's Kingdom. Your Bishop will be there to help you all along the way as he will meet with you from time to time to talk with you to see how you are progressing. Be of good cheer. All is not lost because of your current situation. If you are repentant, faithful, and obedient, you will one day soon be ordained and set apart as a worthy Priest. Of this I am sure. God bless.

Hello and welcome to the site. As a 20 year retired United States Navy veteran I salute you for your valiant service and for all that you do to preserve the freedoms that we so dearly cherish in this great nation of ours. May God bless, sustain, and keep you.

As Patriarchal Blessings are recorded, if you are still a member of the Stake where you received your Patriarchal Blessing, you should be able to contact your Stake Patriarch for a copy. Or, if you know how to contact the Patriarch that gave you the Blessing, you can probably get a copy from him as Patriarchs should keep copies of the Blessings on file.

You have come to the right place. Welcome!

This is a question that has come up from time to time when discussing missionary work. It was President David O. McKay who taught that every member is a missionary. With that thought in mind, we are all missionaries whether we are called to serve a full time mission or not. There is much work to be done in our Father's vineyard and so being a missionary is a full time endeavor. Yes, it is true that once a person has served their mission they are released by the Stake Presidency, but that does not mean (in my humble opinion) that their mission to proclaim the Gospel comes to an end at that time. Please see Doctrine and Covenants section 4. The field is truly white unto harvest. I am also reminded of these words by the Prophet Joseph Smith: “The Standard of Truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame. But the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and dependent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, until the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah will say, ‘The work is done.'”

Hello and welcome to the site. Also congratulations on your baptism and on your new calling.

Rough Stone Rolling is one of the many books that I have at home in my library that I have on my list to read. I understand from a friend that has read it that it is a very good book. Just so you know, there is also a DVD available of a fireside that Richard Bushman gave based on the book. You can find it at Deseret Books at DeseretBook.com - The Life and Times of Joseph Smith

Your question actually leads into two sepearte discussions -- tithing and Temple recommends. First, as a member of the Bishopric for my Ward, I have seen couples pay their tithing jointly, and I have seen couples who pay their tithing separately. As a general rule we set up couples in the financial system as one household, however, as some prefer to pay individual tithing, we have set up their family in the system in that manner as well. Now, as I have stated in a previous post, tithing is a matter of the heart. I also stated that the Lord truly knows each of our individual circumstances. As tithing is paid on our increases in life, you certainly cannot pay tithing if you have nothing (monetarily speaking) to tithe on. Temple recommends are also an individual matter. Both you and your spouse are interviewed separately for Temple recommends and the recommend is given based on individual worthiness, not combined worthiness. Therefore, there may be cases where one spouse is granted a recommend and another isn't. When you have your interview, that is the time to explain to your Bishop or member of the Bishopric (or Branch Presidency in some cases) your individual circumstances and to answer all questions asked of you honestly. The short answer is that I don't believe that a non-employed individual would be denied a Temple recommend. The denial would come if there were other worthiness issues in question. Further, you being granted a Temple recommend is based on your individual worthiness as your spouse is based on their individual worthiness. I hope that this helps. Keith L. Brown First Counselor Annapolis Maryland Ward Bishopric

I probably have $100 spare each month... Is tithing the 10% really worth it at that point? The short answer to that question is YES. I believe that first of all we must understand that our Heavenly Father knows each and everyone of us. He knows our needs and our struggles. Paying tithing is a way of thanking Him for the increases that we receive in life. The greater the increase, the greater the amount of tithing should be. It is all really a matter of the heart. The Lord judges our hearts. There are people who can pay large amounts of tithing and don't, and then there are people who have very little and are willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to pay their tithing. Who receives the greater blessing? In that case I also refer to the story in Scriptures about the Widow's Mite. Why did that poor widow go home more blessed than all the others that gave of their substance? Some would say it was because she gave all she had. I say that is only part of it. Again the Lord judges the heart. That poor widow gave all that she had and she gave it from the heart, not for the recognition of the others that were there. But, she gave out of her love for the Lord. How much you give in tithing is a matter between you and the Lord. He knows who pays an honest tithe and who doesn't. He is the ultimate "accountant" as it were. In my own personal life I have found that I have received some of the greatest blessings in my life when I have paid my tithing even when looking at my circumstances at the time, I did not think that I could afford to do so. But, then on the other hand, how could I afford not to?

I would absolutely date and/or marry a convert to the Church. May I take it one step further and give us all something to think about. As our testimonies grow, are we not all converts to the Church in a sense? We are all striving to be perfect, but we are not perfect. Only the Church is perfect. I have to say that I wholeheartedly agree that oftentimes converts are more true to the faith then those born into the Church or who have been members for quite some time.

Thank you so much for sharing this. As a 20 year retired United States Navy Veteran days like Memorial Day hold a special meaning for me. I humbly salute all of the valiant men and women who put their lives on the line daily defending the freedoms that we so dearly cherish. Every flag draped coffin that is brought home is a constant reminder that freedom is not free. The freedoms that we so enjoy come with a hefty price tag. May God bless all of our men and women of the armed forces and may God bless the United States of America. Keith Lionel Brown Electronics Technician First Class United States Navy, Retired The True Meaning of Memorial Day: YouTube - true meaning of memorial day

Chad, hello and welcome to the site. I wish for you all the best in returning to the Church. As a 20 year retired United States Navy Veteran, I personally salute you and thank you for your dedicated military service. I look forwrad to hearing more from you.

Being the First Counselor in our Ward's Bishopric, my counsel would be to take the Patriarchal blessing to your Bishop (Branch President) or to the Stake President or even your Patriarch. Probably the best thing is to give it to your Bishop (Branch President) and let them handle it from there. He would know the avenues to take in finding out who the Patriarchal Blessing belongs to and perhaps, if possible, getting it returned to its rightful owner.

Thank you very much for this post. This is a very interesting take on a subject that I think a lot of us often miss. In essence this poor widow gave what she had, not so much because of who she was, but because of whose she is. She was looking for the blessings from God and not the praises of men. Excellent post. Thanks again.

What an amazing job you have done in putting all of this together. Thank you so very much.