JudoMinja

How we interpret keep the Sabbath holy is completely left up to the individual. We are told to keep the Sabbath holy. There have been many talks which clarify that keeping the Sabbath holy means doing things that will bring us closer to God- things that focus on Him and worship Him. There have been many suggestions for things to do- go to church, read scriptures, visit the sick, engage in service, etc. However, leaders have said little, if anything, about what we should not do. I believe we've been instructed not to shop... but other than that, we are left to "govern ourselves". Personally- I think watching/playing sports is something to be avoided on Sunday. But there are many members who disagree with me. It's between you and the Lord. As long as you feel you are keeping the "spirit" of the Sabbath and focusing on the works and rest of God, nobody gets to tell you exactly what you should and shouldn't do.

God doesn't want us to know. He wants us to have faith. "And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." Alma 32:21 (emphasis added) Do you believe (not know) that the things you are taught are true and have hope? Then you are doing just fine. You don't need to beat yourself up for having doubts. Everyone has doubts. They come simply because our knowledge is lacking and we are imperfect in our ability and capacity to perceive the big picture. If you haven't already- I encourage you to re-read the rest of Alma 32 and take up the challenge to plant some seeds of faith in your heart. Pick whatever area of the gospel you are struggling the most with and keep a log of your goals so that you can measure your "growth". Keep looking back on that journal when you're having troubles. The doubts don't mean you're not progressing. Don't let it cloud the progress you are seeing. I can think of two possibilities why you are having trouble feeling/interpreting the spirit. 1. You need to do more "spiritual" things, so that the presence of the spirit will be there. and/or 2. You just aren't recognizing it when you feel it. Both of which you mentioned. So, how do you work on it now? Well, number one is easy. Think of ways to fill your time with more spiritual things by cutting out stuff that is unneccessary or detracts from the spirit, and then do more that will invite Him. Some simple possibilities that wouldn't require too much effort or clutter your time- 1. You could turn on a Christian radio station so that you have uplifting music in the background all the time. 2. Make sure you're remembering to spend at least half-an-hour on scripture study daily at whatever time of day fits your schedule best- first thing in the morning is a good idea if possible, because it sets the "mood" for the day. 3. Pray. Any time. All the time. Little prayers. Short prayers. Long prayers. Don't be afraid to pray over every little thing. 4. Keep uplifting quotes and pictures plastered around. Put them places where you will see them frequently. Now, number two requires figuring out how to recognize the spirit when you feel it. The spirit communicates in a very unique and individualized way, so it can be difficult to pinpoint because nobody can just describe it and have you look for the same feeling. Here's something that has helped me: "Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me." D&C 9:7-9 I've found that the key here is to keep prayers simple. Whenever you want to pray for an answer about something, you need to study it out first. To me, this means going through the entire process of examining all the information/evidence possible and coming to a conclusion. Then, the prayer should simply ask if your conclusion is correct. This makes it so that the spirit has a very simple task of providing you a "yes" or "no" answer. If the answer is going to be yes, you will feel the spirit- however that feels to you. A calm, a peace, a burning, an enlightening thought, etc. If the answer is going to be no, you will continue to feel uncertain, confused, doubtful, etc. This works for absolutely everything that you can narrow down to a yes or no request. You can use it to "test" the spirit by seeking out the answers to things you already feel certain about. When you start recognizing what the spirit feels like, then you should be able to pinpoint situations where you are feeling promptings and guidance from the spirit. Hope this helps. :)

Shiver me timbers! There be trolls in these waters!

Oh, my. This suddenly reminded me of a short video clip called "The Touchtone Genius"... Not sure if I can find it again, and don't remember it well enough to know if there's any profanity in it so I won't post it until I find it and check, but have you seen it? This guy starts singing to himself on the phone, and it's like a discussion between a husband and wife. The wife wants a ring, and the guy wants a sports car.

Not married here, but this is how my parents do it: My mother is the budgeter/accountant of the family. She keeps track of everything. She makes sure all the bills get paid, food gets bought, extra-stuff gets paid for, etc. She lets my dad know when the budget is tight and when they can afford to do something extra. She consults with him and they decide together what to do with said extra. Any time my dad does something with the money, he lets mom know so she can account for it in her budget records. There's not really a need for him to ask for permission, because all the stuff he does is either out of necessity (like buying gas) or something small. The only thing kept separate is my dad's paypal account for stuff he does online. My mom doesn't keep track of that and leaves it to dad to deal with however he sees fit. Whenever either of my parents want to make a large purchase (something outside their norm) they talk with each other about it and come to an agreement together.

Welll... I did post a rather lengthy response on one of the threads here today. I still feel a need to write and write and write, just can't seem to get myself to focus too deeply on anything that doesn't flow easily through my brain and to my fingers. So, good ole long-winded Judo is still here- as long as the topic doesn't require me to think too hard.

This is basically exactly why I'm feeling fried, lol. I'm spending a lot of time thinking about nice extensive answers to questions like this and getting really involved in researching topics I haven't known much about before. I've been paying more attention to what the "public" has been saying about us now that we are going through a time where people are becoming more aware of us, and I've been digging into the answers to many questions posed by "anti's". It's been very exciting and exhilarating for me. I've just been struck by this drive to gobble up as much as I can and write as much as I can in response. I keep having aha-moments, where I feel like my mind has been opened to new insights I've gained from scriptures and talks. Really "feasting" on the words of Christ. The writing I've been doing hasn't really been taking up any more time than what I do regularly or when I've come across really engaging discussions on here with others trying to learn more about us or delve into deep topics. So I know the amount of writing isn't what burned me out. I think I just tried to "stuff" myself too quickly, like eating a great Thanksgiving dinner and now I need to sit back and let it all digest before enjoying the pie. :)

No, but I am guessing that is a difficult process.

There's no official rule against it. Some consider not traveling as part of "keeping the Sabbath day holy". Since we are to refrain from anything that would not add to our worship and focus on the Savior, as well as anything that would require us or others to work, travel is considered by many to be one of those unnecessary things to refrain from.

I think I've fried my brain! Or at least the "deep-thinking" part. I keep trying to get myself engaged in writing answers to questions about our faith that would require me to do more digging and thinking than just spouting whatever's at the top of my thoughts, and I keep fizzling out and getting unfocused. It's not like I've been thinking/writing too much- at least I haven't been doing as much as I have in the past. Maybe I've just reached a momentary hump in my research capacity and ability for my brain to retain more higher-level information... Or maybe I'm just worn out from everything else going on in my life right now. I don't know. I just needed a moment to blurt out my frustration. To keep the tone of this thread light and upbeat, for anyone leaving comments- I'm not really looking for advice. :) That's why I posted in general discussion. I'm sure I just need a bit of a break and my ability to focus on the harder stuff will return soon. If you wish to respond, how about sharing a bit of your own frustration- if you've been through similar blocks- or sharing some anecdotal funny stuff that won't require any deep thinking?

I attended an anime convention once. :) It was local, and it was while I was living on-campus at college. I went with a group of college friends and we all even made our own costumes to go in. I loved it. It was an amazing, fun experience, and I got tons of great pictures of other peoples costumes. I wouldn't mind going to one again someday . When my son is a little older, if he likes anime, I might take him to one with me. I would suggest trying to find out if there are any anime conventions held closer to where you live that would be a bit smaller than the Chicago one, and therefore cheaper. If you can find one, I'd attend there instead. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be allowed to do something big and fun for yourself with your friends. Just remember that it needs to be something within the means of your family budget, and something where you wouldn't mind if your husband wanted to do something similar for himself. If the expense is just going to be too much, you may have to settle for trying to find something different of interest that you can participate in.

If you are going to feel like you are making progress, you need to have some form of measurement in order to see that progress. This is part of the reason why our youth programs are so goal oriented, with the scout merit badges and the personal progress. As you fulfill these small goals, you can check off your accomplishments, and you can later look back on it and see your progress. This is also part of the reason we are advised to keep journals. Do you keep a journal? I used to keep one when I was younger, but struggle with doing so now- I spend so much time writing other things that I just don't feel like writing in a journal. Maybe this needs to be one of my personal goals . But, I know that when I've gone back and read things I've written in my journal in the past, I can literally see growth that I never would have realized happened on my own. I could spot areas where I'd struggled before and no longer do now, things I didn't understand that I now understand, barriers I'd been able to cross, etc. It's hard to see the progress when we are always stuck in the now and can't look back at where we were before. We keep looking forward (or at others) expecting ourselves to be in certain places or certain states of being, and when we find we still aren't there, we get frustrated and start thinking we are getting nowhere. I think you are getting somewhere. You are moving forward. The pace is just slow and the changes difficult to see. Start looking for ways that you can measure your growth. Set small goals that will lead into bigger goals and keep a record of what you acheive. If there is a particular area where you want to improve, but you don't know how- study it out, seek advice, and start out very small. When you find yourself feeling unaccomplished and/or unworthy (like you just don't "measure up") look back on your records of your goals and acheivements so you have something to measure. I bet you will see quite a bit more progress than you feel like you've made.

As far as your concern about being sealed to a "broken family", you need not worry. Anyone who does not live up to the celestial requirements, while still recognized as sealed at this time, will no longer be so come judgement day and our placements in heaven. No eternal family will be broken. All the links in the chain will be mended, all the people perfected through their efforts and the atonement. Our focus should be an attempt to extend the sealing to all possible, so that God can sort it out later and everyone who has the potential of living up to the celestial law can enjoy those blessings. Remember that our covenants are an earthly requirement and can only be completed in this life. If you have the opportunity to be sealed, and you pass it up, you will not get another opportunity later. Sealings for the dead are meant to provide those who never had the chance in this life to also be sealed- and it is performed by those who are alive, by proxy, because it is an ordinance/covenant that must be performed while on earth. As for the rest, I understand where you are coming from. I've entertained thoughts along a similar vein myself in the past. That is actually why I am still unendowed. I felt like I shouldn't go through the endowment when I didn't even feel a desire for the blessings and responsibilities of a celestial glory. I've always been the kind of person who is perfectly happy in a serviant/background role, maybe offering advice to whoever is in charge or running everything "backstage" so the process goes smoothly for the actors and directors. But I never felt a desire to take on the roles of director, manager, etc. In my mind, I saw a placement in the celestial kingdom as taking up one of these leadership roles that I just didn't want. What I did then was start really studying, in depth, what we know about the afterlife and placement in the different kingdoms, as well as the covenants and promises we make and the details of the Abrahamic covenant. It's been about a year now since I first started delving deeper into everything, to get a better understanding and appreciation, and I can say that I am only now starting to feel like I want to go through with getting endowed. Here's some scriptural food-for-thought for you: D&C 131:1-4 "In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase." (emphasis added) So, yes- sealing IS required for entry into at least the highest degree of the celestial glory. We know enough to know that those who aren't sealed cannot make it here. We may not know everything about the afterlife and how God is going to sort things out, but we know this at least. D&C 88:22 "For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory." What is the celestial law? That gets clarified here: D&C 76:50-70 It's a bit lengthy. You can look it up if you wish, but here's the footnotes version- Requirements for entry into celestial kingdom: Faith in Christ, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, repentance, receive the Melchizedek Priesthood (males), be endowed and sealed, glory in God (humility and gratitude), gather upon Mount Zion (temples), be "just" (righteousness, self-improvement, enduring). Blessings for fulfilling those requirements: Be a "god" or co-inheriter with Christ of all God has, overcome all things, enemies subdued by God, dwell with God and Christ forever, come forth in the first resurrection, name written in heaven, receive a celestial body (light, knowledge, understanding, power). Still don't feel like this is something you want? That's okay. I didn't at this point either. I felt I would probably be much happier in the terrestrial glory- not because I thought the requirements were difficult and didn't want to do them, but because I just had no desire for receiving the blessings. I felt I would be adequately happy and at peace with the blessings given to those who receive a terrestrial glory, as I could then serve in one of those "background" roles I prefer. I started looking more deeply into the topic of covenants and found several articles on the topic on lds.org. There's: The Abrahamaic Covenant - by S. Michael Wilcox Of Compasses and Covenants - by Lance B. Wickman and Children of the Covenant - by Russell M. Nelson just to name a select few. I started reaching a better understanding and started making comparisons to our service in the church and our families here on earth. Our life is a type or symbol of what is to come. Right now, our attempts are flawed and we come across many "broken" circumstances. But when we strive to abide by the ideals set before us- to magnify our divine roles as parents and spouses, and to magnify our callings in the church, and to reach out in service to those in our community- that is when we can begin to see what heaven is meant to be like. Heaven isn't a place just for you. It isn't a place just for me. It isn't a place where we have strived to perfect ourselves and can then become the greatest being we can on our own. Heaven is going to be a very social place, filled with people. Heaven is a place for service. It's been said, we cannot be saved without our dead. It's been said that if we can bring but one soul unto Christ that our joy in heaven will be immeasurable. It's been said that the work will not be finished until everyone has had a chance to hear the gospel. Why? Because heaven is for everyone, and we are to reach out to help and serve and lift up those around us so that we can build the perfect heavenly community like the city of Enoch. You will not feel a desire for this until you feel a desire to reach out to those around you, until you wish to help them be lifted up and to enjoy the blessings of an Enoch-like life. There is nothing wrong with wanting to cut yourself off from imperfection, but there should be an equal desire to bring the people forward while cleansing them of all that causes them to be imperfect. We all have imperfection within ourselves, and we will need to tolerate such imperfections while in mortality, and then do everything within our power to slowly work that imperfection out of ourselves and out of others- through service, magnifying our callings, and example- leaving others to exercise their agency and hopefully strive for the same.

And I believe the longer you wait the more heated the argument becomes

?? Why did you delete your posts? Zuko, I hope you didn't take my posts as critisizm. There's nothing wrong with venting online, and I've enjoyed the opportunity to offer my input, however helpful it may be for you. Writing something out and getting input from others can help us reveal to ourselves just what we need to work on and how. I hope things get better for you and your husband.

I didn't know Brigham Young gave a talk about this. :) I've felt much the same about the topic myself. When you really think about the practical sense of things, money has absolutely no value. It is merely a symbolic representation of how much worth we ascribe to different items and makes it easier to exchange valuable goods in a growing economy. However, it is those goods that really hold the value- not the money.

THIS sounds like your core issue right here. You are unhappy and dissatisfied because your current circumstances do not meet your expectations. I get that. I feel this way quite a bit myself. Focusing too much on the bad can lead us to depression and/or acting out in inapproriate ways to try and regain the sense of satisfaction we are missing. But... the bad is there. It isn't going to just disappear, and sometimes its going to pile on and really irritate us. Venting can help IF it doesn't stop there. Just venting will compound the issue, causing you to focus more and more on the bad and become more and more frustrated. However, if you use the vent as a method for becoming more aware of what exactly is bothering you so that you can problem solve and find ways to improve, then it becomes productive. Now some of the bad, we have no control over. You get your venting out, take a deep breath and then think about it- Is this something I can have an effect on and change to make my life better? If the answer is no, you just need to let it go and move on. Vent done, now try your hardest to stop thinking about it. This is done best by focusing on the things you can change and then getting actively involved in those self-improvement projects. Now those things you can change- it's time to problem solve. Examine your problems and figure out what approaches and routes are best for limiting and overcoming your struggles. Since the majority of your complaints have to do with disagreements and differences between you and your husband, this means you are going to need to do a lot of discussing and compromising. Can you talk about these things with your husband without it devolving into a fight or situation where neither one of you are making any steps to draw closer together? A marriage requires give and take. There need to be agreements back and forth, where both of you are making sacrifices for one another. Most important though is not setting unrealistic expectations for your life. Set high goals and maintain high standards, but also be realistic. One of the greatest reasons people become dissatisfied is because they planned a fantasy future for themselves and reality failed to match that fantasy. There are too many outside factors to account for, and nobody can have a perfect life. Take your current situation, your current placement in life, and set goals for improvement without expecting your life to become miraculously perfect. Our life is a time for growth and learning, and that would not happen if we all had no problems to face.

I just want to add on a few points with my thoughts. First on who is the "Father"? Just-a-Guy briefly touched on this... God the Father (or Elohim) is Father to us all. He birthed all our spirits before the creation by organizing the "intelligence" (spirit, light, truth) that existed with Him outside of time and space and cannot be created or uncreated. Jesus Christ, is our oldest spiritual sibling, and He was guided through the creation. It was Christ who created the world, the stars, the universe, etc. with guidance from the Father. Therefore, Christ could also be called Father, since he created all things. Christ is our mediator, between us in our fallen state and God the Father in His perfect state. He is the only one capable of stepping into this role of mediator. He is our Father in the sense that He is our Ruler, our Savior, our King, our Redeemer. His role, thoughts, purpose, and actions are one with God the Father in a way we cannot even begin to fully understand. So when He says "there is no other God before me", He could easily be using the term God to refer to both Himself and the Father because their purpose and mission is one. Also, regarding that "no other God before me" phrase in the scripture... In the Old Testament times, there were many different "gods" which the people worshipped. From what I've been studying recently, I believe it is possible that these gods were actual beings who had been given temporary roles of leadership as a test. Christ was given the Israelites, another god the Canaanites, etc. Christ was the only one to pass his "test" and move onward, as He was One with the Father. When His message was brought to be spread to the Gentiles, He essentially "became" the ruler and God of all. So, the other peoples were supposed to reject their previous gods in favor of Christ and the Father.

It sounds like you need to have a sit down with your husband. I think he resents the fact that you changed into a woman who is different from who he fell in love with. This change in his drinking habits and preferences, to me, sounds like a reaction- He knows you disapprove of his drinking and that it is a change you don't like. I think he is being passive aggressive and trying to give you a taste of what he is feeling, so that you will either revert back to your old ways or be forced to accept his change the way he's "accepted" yours. He may be doing this consciously or subconsciously, but I really think that is what is going on. He wants his "old wife" back. He may have agreed to be tolerant of you going back to church and said he is okay with it, but from his behavior here and what you've explained in other posts, I don't really think he is okay with it. He didn't want a "Christian wife" and now that's what you are. Sit down with your husband when you are in a setting where you can both comfortably talk to one another. Let him know that your faith is very important to you and you are not going to reject it. Explain how you were struggling spiritually when you met him and that you have now "found" the peace and joy you were looking for in the church. Lay out exactly what he should expect from you as far as church involvement goes, and ask him what he thinks is too much. This is very important. Few non-members realize just how much church can become a part of our lives- how much time it takes up when we really get involved. It can be a real doozy, and he may feel like he's not getting any of your time or attention anymore. So- see if you can reach a compromise. Don't let go of any church involvement you are absolutely unwilling to sacrifice, but also try not to do too much "extra" if it really isn't necessary. Set aside "family" time for just you and him that you won't allow to be interrupted by church activities. If he is receptive to this, you can then talk about his drinking and how it bothers you. Let him know that you feel there may be a possible connection to his new drinking habits and your new involvement in church- that he is reacting to your change by making a change in the opposite direction. I would express to him that just as much as you are not willing to let go of your faith in the church, you are also not willing to let go of him. Explain that just as you are willing to compromise how much church pulls you away from and hope he can be accepting of your change, you would like him to compromise how much his change pulls away from your relationship and that you will do your best to be accepting of his change. Reiterate that you are not going to change back into his "old wife", no matter what he does. He needs to either accept this and work on supporting you and strengthening your relationship, or he needs to move on. Don't use the word divorce. If your marriage is going to fall apart, it needs to be because he no longer wants to work on it, he no longer feels committed to you, and he wants to part ways. As part of your faith, you know that divorce is a terrible thing- that the church holds marriage to be so very sacred. Only if your marriage is absolutely irrepairable should this even become a consideration, and I think your marriage is still salvagable- as long as your husband can be willing to communicate openly, be more accepting of your change, and make compromises with you about the directions you are both going. Express to him just how important and sacred you consider marriage and the family, and tell him that you will not leave him for your faith, that it is because of your new-found devotion to your faith that you want so deeply and desperately to keep your marriage together. I think he may subconsciously fear that this will happen, and his change is a way to drive it to that point. If it is going to end, it is going to be his decision. Not yours. But if he is truly committed to your marriage, then he needs to act on that commitment by bringing forth "good fruits" and doing something to strengthen your relationship- and you will do the same. If you can have this talk with your husband and you express all these thoughts and feelings, I believe you will see results one way or the other. I hope and pray that the results will be an increased desire in your husband to strengthen his relationship with you. Continue to serve him. Continue to love him. Continue to exercise patience. Continue to work on your end to do things that will make your relationship with him stronger. Do not compromise your standards. Do not give up your faith. Do compromise your time commitments to the church, if necessary- because your marriage/relationship should come before such commitments. Your relationship with God comes first. Your relationship with your husband comes second. Your relationship with others- church members, friends, extended family, etc. all comes after.

This really does work great for fighting the heat. I've done it myself. :) I actually have one of those silk, double-layer skirts that you can wear multiple ways, which I love to utilize in the summer time. The ways to wear it up top don't work well enough to cover garments, but I wear one of those tight-fitting athletic shirts underneath that absorbs the sweat and will sometimes wear a loose-fitting poncho over the top. I understand that it can be somewhat instinctive to want to shed clothing when its hot, but I think that happens because of our culture and the kind of clothing we wear. Once I started wearing the thinner more breathable materials in the summer, like the silk skirt outfit, I haven't ever felt like shedding in the heat. Instead I want to put that on! And I get grumpy if it's currently in the wash . And applepansy- I really wanted to laugh at that too...

Here's my thoughts from an un-wed un-endowed member. Take them for what you will: The sealing is about MUCH more than marriage or even an eternal marriage. Remember that we do far more than get sealed to spouses. Children are sealed to their parents (if born "in the covenant" you don't physically take them to the temple and perform the sealing, but they are still considered sealed). We do temple work for our dead so that they can also be sealed- to their spouses, their parents, and their children. We are essentially weaving together a familial fabric- connecting everyone together. Why? Before every worthy male member could receive the priesthood, many sealings were done "by adoption" and to members who held the priesthood. It is my understanding that this practice was actually the root behind plural marriages. The practice of sealing by adoption was discontinued, much like the practice of plural marriage was discontinued, with a revelation that we should be sealing ourselves to our "next of kin" not to others. Such sealing would not be possible without the priesthood- we are sealing ourselves to and under Priesthood power- the power of God. This sealing entails a covenant, a promise, between ourselves and God. Have you heard of or studied the Abrahamic covenant at all? This covenant actually began with Adam, but it is recorded in scripture through a conversation Abraham had with God in which he was promised that his seed would be as numerous as the stars. There are many other things entailed in this promise. To be one of the "covenant" people is to be a person who promises to do certain things, refrain from certain items and activities, and in return this person is promised a great number of blessings from God. Part of those blessings includes the power of the Priesthood- the ability to act in His name and perform healings and miracles and other ordinances, the ability to bless and therefore receive the sacrament, the ability to baptise. To be sealed is to be sealed one if His people, one of His children. We are essentially building the "body of Christ" talked about in other Christian faiths. Of course, this requires more than just going through the temple to go through the ritual of being sealed. Ordinances are important. If they weren't Christ would never have been baptised. God recognizes our effort to go through and perform these ordinances, and such creates a record that will bear witness for or against us. However, equally important is understanding and keeping the covenants made through those ordinances. What do you promise to do when you are baptised? What does it mean to "take upon you the name of Christ"? What does it take to be one of God's "chosen people"? I think you will appreciate and understand sealings much better if you take the time to review just what it is you promise to do when you go through the ordinances of baptism, the endowment, the sealing itself, and in partaking of the sacrament. Review the Abrahamic covenant, talks about temple work for the dead, scriptures about the Priesthood. Being sealed to your spouse is just one small part of something far greater and far more grand. God requires so very little of us, and in return we are immensely blessed.

I just don't understand why heat inspires a desire to shed clothing? As long as you are wearing light loose-fitting material, more clothing actually works to keep you cooler and it protects you from the sun too. So, hot summers should be no excuse for shedding garments or other clothing for that matter. As far as the comfortability goes, I've always felt uncomfortable whenever I've had to adjust to any kind of change in clothing. Different material, different fit, different look, etc. But if I really like what I'm wearing, I stick it out until I get used to it- as long as it's not causing me to get a rash or something like that.

I completely agree with this. The only place I could see this quiz being even remotely appropriate is between a married couple in their bedroom. It just reeks of sexual connotations. I felt sick just reading it, even though I could easily identify the appropriate non-sexual answers. The mere thought that this was handed out by a teacher in a school setting is sickening. I would have felt extremely uncomfortable if given this quiz, even as a college student. I would be outraged if it was given to my child. The idea behind the quiz is wonderful. I think it is great to teach that words and phrases have multiple meanings and that appearances can often be deceptive. It is an equally wonderful idea to try and make it humerous when teaching. Using sex for the humor though? Completely wrong, inappropriate, and degrading. It borders on pornographic.

I may be wrong, but it is my understanding that a bishop- at least when acting in his official capacity- is never supposed to council a couple to divorce. Should a couple decide to divorce, he can help them through it, but the idea is not supposed to come from his lips. I'm sure not all bishops follow this, and I'm not even certain if this is really an official rule they are supposed to follow. But the bishop I was seeing while I was trying to work things out with my ex never even mentioned the word divorce or even separation. Of course, he didn't know all the details of what was going on either, so I don't really know if he might have adviced differently if he'd known. From my experience, our leadership in general tends to teach the strict doctrinal rules, but is then also extremely open and understanding when one of those rules have been "broken". We hear what is expected of us, but when someone comes forward with a situation where they may be sinning or may be a victim, it is rare to see anything remotely like harsh judgement. Other members might be judgemental, but it is extremely rare to hear any condemning words from our leaders. They tend to steer toward leaving everyone's personal salvation to themselves- to keep it between you and God. Joseph Smith once said: "I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves." This has been quoted by several of our other prophets since- especially when members come to them with a situation they think may be an exception to a rule. Maybe this is why our church appears more leniant than others on the subject of divorce. There are many instances where we've been addressed concerning the sacredness of marriage, families, and keeping our covenants. We are taught the "correct principle" of marriage. But when a situation leads to divorce, our leaders typically withhold judgement, leaving it up to the individuals to determine where they stand with God.

Actually, my physical stature is very short. That's why my friends gave me the nickname Minja (midget ninja). Maybe my writing style overcompensates for my physical size.