zenvis

As a former missionary I think that I can answer that question. No they cannot be baptized. We believe in honoring and sustaining the law. We cannot start our membership in sin or transgression and we cannot encourage others to do likewise or we become sinners ourselves. When I was a missionary in California, we came across a nanny that was a citizen of Scotland. She showed a lot of interest and could not be baptized because she had let her visa expire. A light hick up that needed to be rectified but after it was taken care of, the baptism went as planned. The young member went on to become a missionary in New Jersey. As members of the church we want people to become part of the happiness we have come to know but we want people to likewise be legal in their efforts to be good stewards of their citizenship and abide by the laws of the land they live in. Illegal aliens are encouraged to rectify the situation by returning to their homeland or talk to the representatives of the country that they reside and ask for a means to be legally in the country.

I don't know what to tell you Cassiopeia. Its true that some times when I am at church I just say nothing because I sense an aura of shallowness and anything that brought out a deeper, richer spiritual experience would just bounce off the wall does come now and then. I suspect that all (ok some) Saints feel that way. I when relate a spiritual experience its usually a small one, something to keep the conversation going. In my regular job I travel from Nebraska to Washington to Idaho to Arizona, so I see Saints all over the country. Some wards are just celestial suns and others are just stars if you get the reference. I really hope that you meet someone that is willing to know you better and share from your experience.

Cassiopeia, I completely agree with what you are saying. We do need to constantly be on our best guard and as for your husband, well, he's a.. I wont say. Agency is an individual thing I should know I have a wife that is very similar to you. She is a free spirit and prays to know what is true instead of taking it as gospel from the pulpit. Even my own inspired thoughts led by the spirit have been questioned and she again prayed to know if it was true. I didn't stop her because if it is then she will get the same feeling as I get. If there is a contradiction I look at myself, not her, for the answer. My wife has never been wrong when she followed the spirit and she knows me better then myself sometimes. When it comes to moments of spiritual weakness I have found comfort that I can talk to her about it. The great thing about my relationship is that she doesn't expect me to be some all powerful priesthood being that is untouchable by the devil. There is times when I have faltered and stumbled in my faith and to see the spirit in me have a human experience and show my weaknesses assures her that I am still progressing. Its about being teachable and child like that helps us recognize that there is more to learn. I like you have come across Saints that believe quirky things. I am still their friend (or family) but I have had to find confidence in the Lord and flexible people like myself and my wife. Perhaps you have encountered this your self where a Saint has a near panic attack from the personal faltering and it worries them but when they turn to people who are iron in the gospel (and sometimes as inflexible as it) it makes the matter worse. "How dare they have a faith problem" they say and push the troubled person away or hope that the issue goes away. I am grateful that I have had some real great friends, family and spiritual leaders that show compassion when they have encountered such a worried soul. Times like those, people should not be turned away because their faith is different but brought closer and helped out, not like a mental patient who's crazy but an honestly concerned human being. We do it for our investigators, a.k.a. the Gentiles, why not us, the Saints. My encouragement to you is keep the faith and remember that the people that inhabit this church are in no wise perfect but the church is true. We may be on the same path in the same direction, sure the obstacles in our path is different but if we endure and press forward we will see the goal. Take care of yourself.

I believe that sometimes people create this belief that truth is relevant and only facts hold some consistency. Each person at some time in their life has wavering in their faith and its because their faith is growing and/or changing. When it comes to those with strong testimonies, I compare it it to Mount Rushmore, those that have a strong faith are those who are closest to god or the top. Without a good group of friends and family supporting you in your testimony you can fall and the higher you are (or more truth you have) the harder the fall. A good example was the death of my brother that tore my parents marriage apart because communication collapsed between the two. They were both hurt but they failed to turn to each other for strength, because of their failure a divorce occurred and my father left the church. He honestly believed that the blessings and fasting was going to heal his son and my mother refused to get counseling and talk about their loss. My point was when life got tough and asked them to stretch their faith from new experiences they fell from the top. It happens to Saints. Its our responsibility to get up when that happens. We do not just dwell in the belly of the whale because our faith failed us we get out and try again.

Well the Spirit of Truth witnesses all truth, not facts. Those that research the scriptures get the facts and sometimes the truth comes out and get revealed by the Spirit. The scriptures say that you have to have a desire to know if its true. You cant just read a holy book for the truth without really wanting it, the Spirit doesn't always work that way.

My mom is dying and I was searching for info on death as she had not prepaired for her passing. Funny thing though she has had 20 years to prepair as she has renal failure. So the option of cremation came up and from what I searched there is a ritual that needs to take place but no information about it (probibly temple related). So does anyone have a clue as to what takes place in a LDS cremation?