annamaureen

I'd consider getting plastic surgery after I'm finished having children... but I would only want to attempt to return my body to the way it looked beforehand, not make any drastic alterations.

Wow, neat!

I don't think we should refrain from discussing our history of polygamy and possibilities in the eternities, just in case an investigator might stumble across it.

Yasmin (the woman who went to the opposite tribe) was so obnoxious. She was yelling at that one guy about how he should've "gone easy" on her during the challenge since she was a woman... which was ridiculous. Do you want to be treated as an equal or not?

My husband didn't really understand my fear and concerns about polygamy, until I asked him to imagine me being intimate with another man, in the same house, right under his nose. Trust me, that definitely helped him see my point of view! (Although he still doesn't quite "get it" fully, since that's not actually a threat to him...)

I wouldn't go so far as to say I don't have a testimony of Joseph - it's just very low on my list, if that makes sense. Out of everything in the church, there are other things I feel much more strongly faithful about than him.

I had a similar problem for a while. The issue of polygamy was both horryifing and confusing to me. Eventually I had to tell myself, "Do I understand polygamy? No. Have I had that "burning in the bosom" testimony of Joseph Smith? No. But essentially, do I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God? Yes." It seems like I'm simplifying a bit, but it's what worked for me. Just rationalizing out that if I believe in the church, then it must be that I believe in JS, since he was God's tool to restore it.

I have my wedding photos in front of the temple, scriptures on the table, and some books on the temple, but that's about it.

I used to be a huge Survivor fan - and I'd always wonder, why do the women show up dressed in heels and a skimpy dress? Have they not watched the show? You think they'd figure out that they need to be wearing something more practical!

When I was engaged, I honestly didn't care about diamond size. It was more about the overall appearance of the ring - I had a particular look in mind. My diamond is .33 carats and slightly-below-average quality, but I love it - my husband could easily afford more, but I wouldn't change it. A huge fancy rock isn't important to me.

Same for me.

I really wanted an IUD, but the attempted insertion was so agonizing that I was literally sobbing in pain. I'll try it again after I have kids!

I hate that! Both my visiting teachers and home teachers do this. Once they came by on the last day of the month, at nearly 10 pm. My husband and I were sitting around in our garments watching TV, and I was half asleep on the couch! We had to scramble to get dressed and look vaguely presentable.

Same here. Recently, I passed the request box on my way out of the temple, and suddenly had the thought that I should write down the name of my very troubled, inactive ex.

I moved around a lot as a kid, and I remember my dad doing a blessing on each of our new homes. I don't know the "official" word on the subject, though.

Just for fun... how did you know that your spouse was the one? You always hear the mind-blowing stories like "we knew it was right on our first date," or "I had a dream about him before we met," but I'd like to hear a wide range of experiences! When I was dating my husband, and we began considering marriage, I kept stressing because I wasn't getting that "lightning bolt" experience I thought was de-facto for all engaged couples. Eventually I figured out that, hey, the Spirit has never spoken to me in that way; why should it now? And I realized (by way of D&C 58:26) that God trusted me with this decision, and knew I would make the right choice without Him spoonfeeding it to me. Our relationship was so strong and we were so right for each other, that seemed like it wouldn't make sense not to marry - which was, of course, what God wanted me to see for myself, without just relying on Him to tell me what to do.

I definitely agree that nobody should be pressured into such an important decision as marriage. However, as far as finances go, if you want to wait to be perfectly financially stable, it may never happen. There will always be something - debt, mortgage, a sudden accident, etc. Just a thought.

Those are the kind of stories you read in church magazines and hear about in rumors and secondhand stories... but really, the Spirit doesn't work that way for everyone. For some, the Spirit is like a lightning bolt; but for many, many people, it's not. :)

If a young woman won't date a convert simply because he hasn't been on a mission... well, I'd say she isn't worth it.

I don't like the weird bar at the bottom...

That's a great way to describe them.

So true... it seems like in today's society, tolerance is used to mean "acceptance and support" instead of "respectful but neutral," which is how I view tolerance. I'm perfectly tolerant of other people's choices and lifestyles, but that doesn't mean I have to validate them.

A somewhat lighthearted story... in high school, I knew a girl whose sixteenth birthday was two days before prom. Her parents wouldn't allow her to go because "you can't date before you're sixteen!"

I'm somewhat overly sensitive to antis. God gives us all trials and weaknesses, and I think this may be one of mine. It always affects me more then it should. Usually I have to just ignore it - or, if someone's addressing me directly, I'll say something like, "My beliefs make me happy and I'd rather not argue" and end it at that. If someone is asking polite questions, that's one thing, but if they're being deliberately combative and belligerent, it's best not to get involved.

My parents converted when I was three, and I was sealed to them... it's one of my earliest memories. :)