candyprpl

Don't stop going -- there is strength you'll gain by attending all your meetings -- I promise! It just may not seem evident right now. (I'll look for that article and see what I can find) Someone may find it before me. I've suffered with similar coping skills. It's hard to break free of those well worn skills. It helps knowing that Jesus knows what has happened to us to develop those skills. We must now learn to turn the burden over to Him and follow his path. It's hard, I know. You sound better and that's good. Don't give up -- hang in there.

Thanks Generally_Me No I'm not going to say anything -- that's the answer I've been getting in my prayers. I'm not worried about the missionaries either. I'll trust their judgment. It's just hard sometimes to know what's best. I don't want to rob her and her children's opportunity to hear the gospel and I don't want to let my knowledge of her past(?) get in the way of her hearing the message. I want the Spirit with me when I visit with the missionaries and her. So please pray for me and let me be an example of forgiveness. Thanks all.

I can only speak for myself -- but when I joined the LDS church and truly repented of my sins -- the sins I thought were fun or easier to do became less and less attractive. True repentence brings a change of heart. So.....are they really converted if they haven't had a change of heart?

I'm really sorry you are having a hard time with the people who are suppose to support you and love you. It's not how it should be and we can't know exactly why it is that people sometimes give up on us or whatever. Those are hard tests we have to deal with. I've led a pretty lonely life -- but as I've gotten older I've been able to see my part in that loneliness. It's times like those that I turn it over to the Lord. I know you don't feel Him like you use to and I'm not going to speculate on the reasons for that. There have been times when I have felt the Spirit withdraw -- those were teaching times for me. Heavenly Father wants us to find out for ourselves how to deal with different situations. He's trying to perfect us. I know -- who needs perfection -- we just want to be happy and live a normal life! He wants more for us. We have to always think of this time here as a small moment -- cause it is if we think about having an eternal life. Do the best you can -- serve the best you can. Go to the meetings for you and not for anyone else. Don't look for the praise of man or listen to the angry words of another. They are struggling also. Maybe it's a time to step back from the situation and know that this will all pass. Remember Joseph Smith in Liberty jail. He was doing everything right and still he felt the Lord wasn't listening to him (see D&C 121). So try not the despair too much -- that is when satan has a lot of power. For me, I don't want him to have that power over me -- he had it once and I was miserable!

I didn't think he was talking about me -- just that the topic got forgotten -- oh well.

I live in this state and it's been all over the news -- every station, every airing. Very disappointing!!! It's unbelievable! I hope she is banned for good. There's no excuse for that kind of behavior!

I just added a new signature statement that I came across today -- Elder Oaks said "Testimony is to know and to feel, conversion is to do and become." I guess that is what I was trying to say.

I think what Justice said is the truth. Conversion is an ongoing process and until we are fully converted (if that is possible in this life) then we will make mistakes -- mistakes that make us appear un-Christlike. I'm not sure I'm getting my point across very well. Yes, we should be better performers and that is the conversion process in my way of thinking.

Very inspiring Repentant1!! It took a lot of courage on your part and your spouses to work on this and to have come so far. I hope Torn listens.

Maybe because I was wanting a serious discussion.

Wingnut -- I'm not sure why you're worried about me.

Both my children were a part of that world and I was always sick with worry. I also had my problems with drugs. Not a pretty story and I no longer like to dwell on it. I don't condemn this person because I've been there, done that. The yucky feeling (I guess I didn't explain that very well) is because I know what will make her life more complete and her sweet little children I worry about. When I was baptized my kids were blessed with the fortitude to turn their lives around and I thank the Lord every day for that blessing. I know this woman through my son's (past) relationship with her. And I know about the parties that go on in that house. I haven't said anything -- I've only prayed about it. Thanks for explaining about the missionaries. I mean, I knew they had special blessings and I guess that's why I wanted to ask you guys what I needed to do. I was just worried about how sometimes genuine concern can just turn into gossip and I didn't want to be a part of that. My whole life has changed because of the Atonement and I want everyone to have that healing power. I already love her children from our first brief moment at the door and would love nothing more than to see them in our primary!!!

When does concern for someone's well-being turn to gossip? Here's the deal. I've been asked to help the missionaries with this single mom who is investigating. The missionaries have only had one meeting with her -- other's have been cancelled or she's not been there. The first time I was asked to do this I pulled up in front of the house and thought -- oh no. I've lived in this small town for twenty years and know this neighborhood's reputation for drug activity. My son (grown) was into drugs and that scene for quite a while and he went to parties at this house often. He changed and is living a very good life now raising my two granddaughters -- I'm very thankful for this blessing. I know that the person who lives in this house may also have had a change of heart and turned her life around. However, I do have my doubts. Last night I met the missionaries there for a scheduled appointment but her little girl came to the door and said that she had a migraine. I haven't told the missionaries any of what I've just said. I want to believe that they have been led to this person and I don't want to put doubt into their minds. But when I got back into my car there was a yucky feeling in the pit of my stomach. What should I do?

In primary, we sometimes pose situations to the kids that gives them ready defenses when faced with a problem -- all the 'what ifs' in our lives. I think it's wonderful to think about those 'what ifs' and have ready plans. When I first joined the Church and was reading the Book of Mormon for the first time through, a scripture hit me like a ton of bricks. I was having questions about how to stay faithful and would I be able to, etc. And then I read Alma 24:30 "And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things." That verse scared me to death -- I knew how hard my heart had been before and I could see how it would have to become even harder after falling away. It was one of the first scripture verses that I marked and because I always wanted that reminder I wrote in the front of my scriptures on the blank page, "reason to not fall away!" I have family members who have fallen away and I see the truth of this scripture in their lives now. About 3 weeks after my baptism I was out in Ca. visiting my daughter (who is not a member). She is a recovering addict and I went with her to a celebration of someone else's 1 year sobriety birthday (as they call it). It was a dinner party and quite a few people were sitting at this long table. Across from me and my daughter sat this young woman and I caught part of her conversation when she mentioned having been married in a mormon temple. I started listening to her -- it was really quite sad to hear her talk badly about the church and temple marriage in particular. I leaned over to my daughter and told her that what she was saying was not the truth. My daughter looked at me with sadness in her eyes and said, 'even though I don't know anything about the mormon church I can tell she's just bitter.' I still wonder about that young woman -- I still wonder, had she stayed steadfast how would her life be different? I mean clearly it would have been. So sad. She is still in my prayers today. For me personally, I think you must remember the little things and stay on top of them. Some of us are too easily swayed and we must be prepared for the lies of the deceiver.

Take everyone's advice -- the Bishop will gladly meet with you. Good luck and God bless.:)

Do you have family members or friends that are LDS? You might start with them?

It took me many, many years before I decided to join the Church. The missionaries sent to teach me were inspiring and helpful in making sure I was prepared to be baptized. I loved having the missionaries in my home!

My husband had a person just the other day tell him that if he had to live 'as strict as you mormons have to live I'd rather go to hell'.

I haven't heard it put into law but I have heard of some school administrations no longer doing it. I don't know......

I had a companion once who seemed to think that VTing was about turning in numbers of 'done.' If we sent a card, that counted. It made me uncomfortable that she never really wanted to meet the needs of our dear sisters. I don't like talking bad about her, it doesn't make me feel very good but it was frustrating. She wasn't very interested in getting to know me either. I hadn't been a member very long and so I didn't really know how to handle it. One day I went to the RS president and asked her if I could have a different companion. She asked me why -- I didn't exactly lie when I told her that our schedules were really hard to correlate. That was true, but it wasn't the biggest reason. Anyway.....that was really off topic, sorry. In our ward I haven't seen gift-giving other than on special occasions or maybe now and then 'just because.' I've done it occasionally when I see something at the store that maybe reminds me of one of my sisters or I've baked a bunch of cookies (etc) and it happens to be a day appointments are set. I definitely agree that it shouldn't be about what or how much we take to our sisters, but how much we really care about what's going on in their lives. Like the other day when miss1/2 was kind of out of sorts on a thread -- someone offered her symbolic chocolate and I added a hug!

Sometimes people get wayyyyyy to serious on these forums. I still love reading all the comments. I even got wayyyy to serious in responding to wingnut!

I DON'T KNOW!! But who cares! I just thought the sentiment was worth sharing. If you've seen this before -- sorry. I get emails all the time that have been passed around several times over the years.

Believed to be written by a 15 yr. old school kid in Ohio -- since the Pledge of Allegiance and the Lord's Prayer are not allowed in schools anymore, because the word 'God' is mentioned ... a kid in Ohio wrote ... NEW School Prayer: Now I sit me down in school Where praying is against the rule For this great nation under God Finds mention of Him very odd. If Scripture now the class recites, It violates the Bill of Rights. And anytime my head I bow Becomes a Federal matter now. Our hair can be purple, orange or green, That's no offense; it's freedom scene. The law is specific, the law is precise.. Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice. For praying in a public hall Might offend someone with no faith at all. In silence alone we must meditate, God's name is prohibited by the state. We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks, And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.. They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible. To quote the Good Book makes me liable. We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen, And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King. It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong, We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong. We can get our condoms and birth controls, Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles. But the Ten Commandments are not allowed, No word of God must reach this crowd. It's scary here I must confess, When chaos reigns the school's a mess. So, Lord, this silent plea I make: Should I be shot; My soul please take! Amen.

Tis true Vort. There is one that I will share because it's a little bit of my testimony. On the day of my baptism I was still confused about why I needed to be baptized again. I believed everything that I was being taught by the missionaries and I did hear the words of needing to be baptized by someone having authority so I entered the baptismal waters on faith. When I came up out of the water and was just leaving the font, I turned to look at the Elder and then I knew. He didn't actually appear as John the Baptist, but the feeling I got (it might as well have been John the Baptist) testified to me the truth.:)

Ditto on all that's been posted! I'm sure that your experience of being forgiven is valid and it may be that you are still being prompted to talk with your Bishop just because you need validation from the Lord's servant.