BluePlastic
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Posts posted by BluePlastic
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I took your survey- but I genuinely wonder of what use the results will be to you.
Your stated purpose was to assess the utility and effectiveness of Church produced media and the new media options (such as blogs and podcasts).
What troubles me is that your primary demographic (this group especially) is already fairly tech-savvy and our mere presence here makes it more likely that any of us is more likely to both have used- and to respond to- such media.
How, then, are you controlling for confirmation bias and obtaining a representative (unbiased) sample?
I'm not really comfortable with discussing particulars of my research methodology while I'm still conducting my research. I am taking steps to address the things you have concerns about, though.
Thank you for taking the survey :)
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Hello :) I was hoping some people here could help me out! I am conducting a research survey for my special project for my master's of library science degree.
The survey is for LDS Church members only, about the use of media by Church members.
If you could go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YVCVR5M and take the survey, I would really appreciate it.
It's only 19 questions and does not collect any information that could uniquely identify you. I am trying to get responses from all over the place, and I thank everyone who takes the time to take the survey in advance!
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Perhaps there is a singles ward or university student ward in your area where you will find people more in common with you in this phase of your life. Also, see if there are institute classes nearby (these are like LDS college courses).
The nearest YSA ward is an hour away from me, and there is institute about 45 minutes away but it is only for people 18 to 30, so I am too old.
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Sounds like you need to meet with your visiting teachers.
My visiting teacher is a very nice lady, and I probably should get together with her, but she is a mother in her 50s so I don't know how much we would have in common.
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First of all, thank you for your posts, netgood and LDSValley. :)
Lest you misunderstand, the people in my ward are very, very nice people who are very friendly to me. But, since most of them are parents of little kids or busy career people, they don't really have time to hang out or a lifestyle that has much in common with me (31, unmarried, no kids, graduate student). I am also geographically separated from almost all of my friends from outside the church, so I really treasured my time with the sisters for social reasons.
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I am really bummed out right now. For the past year, we have had female missionaries in our ward (different ones, obviously, but always with one staying and a new one coming in). Now, they are being double-transferred out and I am really upset. I only joined six months ago so all I have known is sister missionaries and I am really upset that we will be getting elders now. I don't relate well to young boys like that (they scare me for some reason and make me feel really shy) and anyway, it would be really hard for them to meet with me since I am a single woman and they would always have to have a guy with them to meet with me. I will really miss my weekly meetings with the missionaries. How do people deal with this? It's so depressing.
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I was just thinking, "I'd love to have more people to talk to on Facebook" :)
If anyone would like to befriend me, this is me: Me!
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Also, since I'm a convert and missed out on everything, I'm going through the Young Women program (although I'm 44) and will probably go through the Seminary and Institute(?) programs myself as well.
I'm 30 myself, and I wish I could go to Institute. In my area, though, the cutoff for Institute is 30, and it's also 45 minutes away from me. A lot of stuff seems to close me out, as a 30 yr old woman who isn't married.
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I am a new member (almost two months now!
) and I was just thinking about something that I keep forgetting to ask my missionaries. :)I have heard that young people in the church are encouraged to keep journals by articles in the New Era, etc. Does this extend to adults as well? And if it does, about what percentage of adults in the church actually do keep journals?
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I have experienced that very same thing. Normally nice people have suddenly just turned really nasty to me, almost as if they were channeling something evil. It's definitely upsetting.
Definitely. And in my case, it was very eerie, because the things they were berating me about were exactly the type of things that would hurt me the most -- basically, trying to equate my religious beliefs with hatred/prejudice against people, and also trying to convince me that the church will force me to stop doing all the things I love and turn me into a boring housewife-bot. It was like the person knew how to hurt me most -- and they don't even know me that well, so it was really weird.
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Congratulations on your baptism! :)
My DH and I are both converts and we both experienced extreme opposition around the times of our baptisms and have continued to experience opposition from friends, family members and coworkers ever since.
From what I've heard, this is a very common thing for converts to experience. It's just one more bit of proof to me that this church is true, as Satan seems to try so hard to keep people from joining it. I just don't hear about this kind of opposition occurring for those who are being baptized into other faiths. I'm sure it happens, but it just doesn't seem to occur with the frequency or intensity that it does for LDS converts.
Thanks :)
That does seem to be the case -- I have a lot of people who are neutral to fine, but then there are startling, upsetting incidents, like the one in the chat room -- I really felt like I was being rebuked by something really awful, through this person. It didn't even sound like them.
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I stayed in the chat because other people were talking to me too, and I was sort of talking around the people berating me.
I will be participating in ward activities when they happen, since I was baptized today I might have more things I can do. It's a little hard for me because I am too old for things aimed at young single people, but I'm not married so I don't have much in common with most of the women my age in the church and in life in general, who are mostly married with kids.
If you are getting hate e-mail/messages--delete it. You don't have to read it.
In the chat room--why did you stay once it turned hateful and you stopped replying? Just leave next time (or don't go back at all).
You may lose friends but you will make new ones both in and out of the church. Also, keep in mind that friendships start and end throughout life even without an event like this.
Try to participate in ward activities and community service things. You'll feel better helping those in need.
Some phrases to maybe halt comments from those who you think you may be able to maintain a friendship anyway (courtesy of Miss Manners
). Remember, keep the sarcasm OUT.--Thank you for your comments/ideas/views. I will be sure to give them the consideration they deserve.
--Why do you ask?
(If asked to attend a meeting or group where you suspect they might try to change your mind)--Thanks for asking, but I really can't. (repeat as needed--you don't owe an explanation)
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Hi all :)
Just to update -- I was in fact baptized today :) It was quite nice -- even with the holiday, a good number of people came and we had a nice service with cake afterward. I was touched that people actually shifted their fast around in order to be able to have cake with me. :) I am disappointed though, that it was fast and testimony meeting this week and so I'll have to wait a whole month to bear my own testimony.
Ah well, I will have time to think of what to say... -
Okay.
You have nice penmanship.
Hee hee...this only proves you've never seen it
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Thanks to all who have posted so far.
Vanhin: I have encountered resistance from a friend from my former church, who I am afraid I might not be able to be friends with anymore. And, last night, I was ganged up on in a chat room I frequent with no provocation, and harangued for almost an hour, even after I stopped replying. I was called a bad person just for my religion, and accused of supporting and endorsing all sorts of prejudices and bad things. It really hurt my feelings.
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Hi everyone.
I'm getting baptized on Sunday (7/4), and I have been having a lot of incidences of people aggressively opposing my beliefs in the last few days, in ways that are very offensive to me and have made me sad. I could really use some cheering up and encouragement in this time of worry, and assurances that it will be okay.
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Technically I introduced myself before, last August, when I was doing research for a book with a Mormon character in it. I got some good answers to a few questions I asked and I thank everyone for those :)
But, I thought a reintroduction was in order, since things have changed a lot :) I recently began to study with missionaries (I caught them in my neighborhood :)), at first asking them questions for my story, but then quickly realizing that all the things I had found interesting about the doctrine in my research added up to a compelling feeling that this was the church I should belong to. So, I am now scheduled for baptism on July 4. :) I am nervous, but excited. :)
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Welcome, blue. May i ask if you've had something else published that i might be able to read? If not, then I will wait for this one to come out...got a title yet?
Nothing else published, but I do have some stuff available to be read...here are two chapters of a story I started in a magical world sort of like Harry Potter. :)
The book with Cecilia in it is titled Silver Key, after an important thing around which the story turns, and in which Cecilia has a major part
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One thing that you may want to keep in mind when writing is that the LDS church has a certain type of sub-culture, much like those who are online a good bit become aware of an internet sub-culture. Basically people in the church, especially those who have been born in or grew up in the church often use terms at church or with people at church that those who have not grown up in the church may find confusing. Such as the many accronyms that are thrown around, or the different terms for things which a person who is not a member or is new to the church may not be familiar with right away.
Such things as Relief Society, Mutual, Stakecenter, Wardhouse, MTC, MoTab, CTR, the list goes on and on. Much as different professions use and understand terms that are difficult to understand by those who are not of the profession so is it the same inside the church. This site is a great resource for talking with people who are very used to using the terms that are common inside the LDS church. I know you are currently doing research based on our beliefs, which is fantastic, however you may also want to consider talking to some members and/or visiting an LDS church a few Sundays just to observe how the ward and the members function.
I do plan to go to a few meetings, when I can sneak away...it's hard because I'm a night person and my parents (who I live with, unfortunately, due to misfortune) would be really suspicious if I woke up so early :)
I talk out my ideas with a few friends of mine, who are writers/creative types themselves. It really does grant perspective and good ideas, and helps keep my stuff on track -- one friend, especially, is very, very astute at knowing just how I want each character to come across, and he lets me know when I stray from that :)
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Wow, thanks everyone for the wealth of responses! :)
In all, it's about what I figured -- people will try to be nice usually, but some people won't know what to do or will be insensitive.
beefche, that would be interesting, especially as the book progresses (without giving away too much, let's just say that disabilities become incredibly rare after the disaster in my book, so people would really not be expecting someone to be disabled and would assume the worst).
BluePlastic~~ Will your character, Cecilia, have a service dog? That might have an impact on the acceptance of her and her disability.
No, she doesn't have a service dog. She uses the white cane sometimes but usually she is led by her parents or husband, and, after his death, by her friends Michael and Jeremy who sort of watch over her.
Excellent. Here's a random thought I had about the church welfare system: The church looks out for it's own members, and if people need food or some critical bills paid, they meet with their Bishop who helps them. The backbone of the welfare system, is that there is no such thing as a free handout. You work for what you are given. If a blind member ever went to a bishop for help, that blind member would be given work to do in exchange for the assistance given. It would be work that a blind person could do, of course. I could see such a person assigned to visit and care for an elderly person, or play the organ during Sacrament meeting, or even teach a class if the person was able.
Ah, okay :) Cecilia would be glad to help in any way she can if she needed help. She already is very involved with the music program in her ward because she's an excellent singer, and she's the kind of person who would like teaching little children so that would definitely be a possibility. :)
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Thanks for your honest answers :)
I should add that while Cecilia needs some help constantly since there are always limits to what you can or should do when you can't see, she tries to be as self-sufficient as possible.
I know that in the end it's down to the individuals in a certain ward or group whether they're nice or not, but I don't want to be too Pollyanna-ish in describing the level of involvement/inclusion she experiences. :)
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Hi everybody,
I'm Connie. My family converted when I was two and that makes me raised in the church I guess. I served a mission in Germany and I loved it.
I love irony and am myself a little sarcastic sometimes. I love languages and communication. That's why I study English and French literature/linguistics.
Well, love to get to know you...
Hi there :)
My mom was born in Germany (my grandpa was in the Army) and then my dad served in the Army and was stationed in Germany as well, and really liked it there.
And, one of the characters in my book speaks German and used to live in Germany, too :)
(This character is a smartypants who speaks 5 languages. He's also a vampire but that's not important
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well, I think fluffy pink bunnies would not have caught my interest at all. So, go and create a catchy disaster
)I love to read and my appartement is filled with books. I'm studying English and French literature and linguistics. I even thought about writing myself but am lacking the time right now. Well, but who knows. Maybe I'll do it someday!
And yeah, feel free to ask -whatever it is.
Yay, catchy disaster!
(Sounds like a band name :)Oh, neat :) I went to school for English/Creative Writing and I love to read too. I also love French -- actually, all of the major characters in this book except for Cecilia speak French, and one of them is from France :) (My friends say I have an unhealthy interest in French things...:))
And, if you'd like, you can check out the thread I just posted here and see if you can answer the question. :)
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So, I am writing a story with an LDS woman as a major character (in case you didn't read my intro thread, heh. :)) Cecilia, my character, is blind and has been for her whole life.
Now, I know that the official position of the church as expressed on their official websites is very accepting of disabled members, and that a lot of church materials are available on tape or in Braille, etc., so she would be able to access all that information and materials.
But, I was wondering more about how accepting, in your experience, the members of the church are toward people with disabilities that might require someone needing extra help/accomodation during Sacrament meeting and the other church meetings and activities. Are people generally happy to help? I know that all the people who "work" in the church (teachers, group leaders, the bishop, etc.) are volunteers and that made me wonder if they might feel that someone who needs extra time and accomodation is a "pain" or what have you.
Any experiences you can share are much appreciated :)
LDS members: please take this survey for my Master's Degree research project
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Yes, it's just that one page :)
And I meant all the mobile apps. I will change the wording, thank you for your feedback. :)