deadinside

Yes it is tax deductible. Comes right off the top so if you are taxed at 25% you will get back 25% of what you paid more than likely unless other factors are involved. At the end of the year in December, you will likely be invited to sit with the bishop in a tithing settlement. He will have a paper with all that you have paid to date. That form is what you will keep for your taxes unless you pay something else after that tithing settlement and they will usually give you an updated for in that case.

My wife would not like this either. She thinks there should be no fantasizing about anyone. True, but it's still the real world and I'm only human. I can be respectful and not say anything, but to expect people to not think about anyone else to me is unrealistic and a fantasy world in itself. She may actually be able to do that, but I can't at this point. But more to the point, I'm right there with you, bytor2112.

Much of this is good stuff, but submission has to be defined. Such as should my wife just submit to me and allow me to do whatever I want? That is submission. Should I just do whatever she wants? I do not believe in 100% submission, but there is definitely something to be said for selfishness. I'm sure my wife would love it if I did the dishes, the laundry, cooked, cleaned, and took care of the kids, but what is left for her to do? People still need to feel needed and like they are giving. I need to feel those things as well. That doesn't mean I'm submitting, but being unselfish. You should not do things that are not who you are as a person such as I should not pretend so I can have a temple recommend. My wife should not pretend like she doesn't care that I don't believe the gospel. Those are things you should not submit to. 100% is not possible IMO. Thanks for your comments. The address the submission in a realistic manner that can be agreed upon. I laughed out loud at the Angelina/Brad comment on if you actually are Brad or Angelina.

Knowledge

I know it is a personal thing, but as I am married, that becomes something that affects the whole family. I would like to take the time to just worry about myself in this, but I may not have that luxury if I wish to stay married. If I don't now, then there's nothing more I can do in this area, but work on other aspects. I would much rather work on our marriage first, but this seems to be the biggest issue for her and a possible deal breaker.

So why does everyone come up with a different answer on such topics? Once you say you have faith, you have basically just made a choice to believe so now your mind will tell you what you need to justify your actions. Thus if you pray, you will feel like you got an answer because you want to. I think most ... or at least many people have common sense. What about religion makes any common sense? I can see that if people don't know how to explain something they will want it to be miracles even though the church even says that everything uses the laws of physics so a miricle is just us not understanding how it came to be. Much like a magician's trick. It's great until you see how it's done, then it looses some of the fun even though it is now truth.

I find myself in a predicament. I was raised LDS and married LDS and see it as a good thing, but in the last few years I found myself doubting more and more. Long story short, I am currently lacking in faith and trying for the sake of my marriage to research and find answers to some of the things that lead me to believe the way I do. I do not mean for this in any way as trying to pursuade people to my view, but rather want to state my views and have someone direct me on how I may be wrong or how I can change these views or get them answered from a church prospective. If this is not allowed, just delete the thread. I do not want it to be seen as anti material in any way. I'm just not sure where to go for answers to see if I can find my faith again. So we'll start with Faith. What is it? How do we get it? My personal views at this time are that faith is the power of the mind. I like to look at things from a theological or philosophical point of view. My wife hates this and always thinks I am trying to sell her on my views, when I am really trying to state my views and see how they can be wrong or fit within the LDS view. She does not wish to have these conversations with me even though she wants me to be active in the church again. She just seems to be fine with just faith and believing what you are told from that point on. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but my mind doesn't work like that. I need more than just mindlessly telling myself what to believe in. I had lots of feelings like this years ago, but never spent time actually thinking about them. Just mindlessly going through the motions. I never feel I get answers to prayers, but amazingly my research and thoughts always seemed to be the same as my wife got through prayer. Was my research inspired by god or was her prayer inspired by my research? I think a big part of my current views actually started from reading "The Secret" oddly enough. It highly stresses the power of the mind and thinking what you want then making it happen. It has some obvious logic to it, but at the same time, you can tell yourself you want to believe anything and "trick" or believe what you want. I am seeking "truth", not just something that can make me happy. My wife sees the church as truth and happiness and I think that's great that she thinks like that and I have no desire to take that away from her. Just like missionaries though, if you believe something, you want to share it with others. I enjoy researching things and discussing it, but if it's not church related, she isn't interested so I will try and keep that stuff to myself. I was reading the missionary scripture or BOM promise as it is said. Moroni 10:3. "Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." So there you have the first problem I see. How do you have faith in something before you have even prayed about it? Shouldn't you gain faith through prayer and answers? Maybe I am not understanding what faith is or how to get it. I see this as the case with anything you want to decide to have faith about. Why does everyone that reads this not come to the same conclusion if they have a sincere heart with real intent? I can do that, but the faith thing I can't grasp. With the huge number of different religions, there has to be many in each religion that truly believe what they are doing is true and they will attest to knowing it's true because God told them it was. I'm sure there are many many more that don't truly believe, but say they do. I'm just worried about those that actually are living it and believe they really have the truth, when it is so different from what LDS teach as truth. Not even just christianity, but anything. That's why I see faith as a brain power more than a truth. I could go on and on, but I'll stop there and hope for some responses on thoughts and ideas. Thanks in advance.

Answered. Thanks all.

The church follows the law of the land as well. You may be sealed in heaven, but on earth you are divorced. Thus fornication or adultery.

Is there any published information about divorce from a Gospel Doctrine aspect? Thanks everyone.

I don't believe you pay tithing unless you are a member so until you get baptized I don't think you would pay, but you would need to be willing to once baptized. It is required for a temple recommend, but not as just a member either. I don't see why a believer wouldn't pay though.

Thanks. I just wanted 2 be sure. She can still give fast offering then. I don't see a problem with that.

I'm not sure which area this question should be in so if it needs moved, feel free to do so. If a woman is active and their spouse is not and the spouse is the one that makes the money, how does tithing work in this situation? The woman wants to maintain her temple worthy status.

Thanks again for all your comments. I'll take them to heart.

OK, here is a complaint I have about my wife. I can't ask her opinion on anything and just get her opinion. She has to pray about everything. I want to do things nice for her and I ask what she wants and that's always her response. Why can't she just have her own opinion on anything? Why does everything have to involve God? Even when I did believe more, I only went to the lord when I had a problem or over more spiritual decisions. We can't do anything without it being a threesome and not in the perverted way. That I don't like. I want HER opinion, not her opinion of what God wants.