Montag

Thanks for the welcome, jarheads! I was an airwinger when I was in. I was stationed at New River Air Station, Cherry Point, NAS millington, TN, and several floats. My dad retired from the Corps as Master-Gunnery Sgt. and was the one who convinced me to go into the Airwing instead of being a grunt, which is what I wanted to do. I was trained in Avionics on the F-4 but ended up on CH53 Helo's. My brother just retired from the Corps, and I have another brother in the Army getting ready to retire. Needless to say, my whole family is military.. Thanks again for the Welcome! Montag....

Hello, I am new to this forum and thought I'd drop in and say Hi. I am a former Marine with two young boys and a wife who's a nurse in the Air Force. She recently came back from Iraq. While I'm not a Mormon, I am familiar with the tenets of your faith and have many friends, and even relatives, who are LDS. My family and I attend a protestant church. Ever since I was in the service, and made an LDS friend, I have found your religion intriguing. However, I have never been able to make the leap of faith. At one point, about 10 years ago, I was at a training seminar for two weeks in Salt Lake City during one of your church conferences and was able to hear Mr. Monson speak on the television and was quite impressed. He came across as an honest down to earth kinda guy. I'm not sure what his position was at that time. Having heard him speak, I took the time to go down and visit the Temple and purchased about 10 or so substantive books on your religion's history, faith, and conversion stories and read them over the following months. While I still wasn't convinced enough to be converted, I found Salt Lake City beautiful and I liked the atmosphere, so I asked to be transferred there. God evidently had other plans for me so I never made it. Over the last 20 years I've had many good friends, coworkers, and other people whom I really admire attempt to convince me of the veracity of the LDS faith. I had one good friend who had converted years ago tell me that the only thing I need to pray about, and be convinced of is whether or not Joseph Smith was a prophet. Everything else will follow. As of yet, God hasn't given me the faith to believe that. My Uncle, who converted to LDS about 10 years ago, is always trying to win me over. As a Christmas present one year, I bought him a ticket to Salt Lake City and paid for a weeks stay. He never had much money and always said he hoped to go there one day before he died. Needless to say he was moved to tears when he saw the gift. He had a great time and it was worth every penny. Sorry to be so long winded, but I thought I'd just throw this out there and see what happens. Uncle Larry, if you're out there reading this, sorry about the money comment. You're one of the most humble and honest persons I know, and one of the best Christian examples the LDS Church could possibly have. If I ever convert, your life of faith will be one of the main reasons I do so. Thanks for reading!! Montag...

Hello, As you can tell, I'm new here, so I'm not quite sure what you mean by being "thanked." I guess I'll go over to the "newguy" area and introduce myself. I felt compelled to make my initial post because I had just read an online article about how the LDS church was being viciously attacked for voting, and supporting their beliefs. I can't stand idly by while good people are under seige. Our forefathers gave up everything so that we might be able to believe and think as we wish without fear of reprisal. It seems there is a new political "group think" out there now and anyone who dissagrees with it is thrown to the wolves. I guess it's ok for everyone to be tolerant of the homosexual agenda, but not the LDS church and the beliefs they died for. Ironic, isn't it?

I would just like to voice my admiration and support of the members of the LDS church for taking a stand on "gay" marriage. Without a doubt, your leaders knew of the whithering attacks that would be leveled against the church if they took the only moral and common sense stand they could. Nevertheless, they refused to hide in their temples while the world went to hell in a handbasket. I am a member of a traditional protestant religion, one who's speakers often criticize the LDS church, and I can say without reservation, that the stature and Christian credentials of the church have never before been more firmly establish and respected than they are now. I have always supported your church when they were attacked by other members of my denomination. I didn't try to defend your theology or history or anything else. I simply quoted the phrase "you will know them by their fruits." I now point to your courage in the face of the attacks you knew would come. I ask how many of them would risk ridicule by standing up against this onslaught of depravity? Most now avert their eyes in humble, albeit silent, acknowledgement of your bravery. I encourage you not to give up and run like the "traditional" church did when the Anita Bryant attacks began. Many Churches at that time closed their doors to her for fear of retribution from the homosexual community. They were cowards then, and irretrievably lost much of their credibility. Even as the attacks increase, I know you will persevere, just as you did in the 1800's when the attacks against you were even greater. Once again, to all of you who are fighting the good fight, we salute you.