CornMuffinsMama

I didn't even try anything on until we got to the church for my baptism and they handed me my extremely unflattering jumpsuit. It wasn't the best cut or material for a post-partum figure.

Pssh. The only cows and chickens that decorate my chicken are dead ones that are cooked and eaten. And I try hard to keep my hair UNbig, thank you very much. :lol I was under the impression that the term "Utah Mormon" referred more to a "type" of Mormon than Mormons from any particular state.

What did I say that was wildly out of line and inaccurate? Especially any more so than what you said in your own post... I have indeed had some wonderfully productive discussions on Facebook. Recently, a friend of mine posted a note about what it means to her to be a wife and asked for others opinions. The dialogue has been wonderful and created some fabulous connections with other women of God and allowed for us to uplift each other and share testimonies of what God has done in our marriages and in our lives through adherence to God's Word in our marriages. That's ONE example. I never said that FB doesn't have capability to be used for evil, I specifically said it has capabilities to be used for both, but it all comes down to CHOICES that INDIVIDUALS make. Everything in the world around us presents opportunities and temptations for evil, but it is up to us to decide how we will act. It is also then up to us to take RESPONSIBILITY for those choices and actions. Unfortunately, Facebook, MySpace, the internet, etc. are all too often wonderfully convenient scapegoats for those who would prefer to take refuge behind an excuse that frees them from responsibility. "Oh well, it's really Facebook's fault that I cheated, even though I made the choice to go talk to an old fling and go beyond the bounds of what is appropriate Facebook is to blame.." Blaming a thing or a concept for the failings and sins of people is absolutely shirking responsibility. It's so much easier to say "Facebook is evil! Facebook should be banned! You're morally corrupt if you use Facebook!" than it is to deal head on with the issues and choices that are behind the downfall of society. Additionally, I never said FB was created for the purpose of linking families, I said that that might be why some defend it as if it is family, because for many that is what it is. That is what people have CHOSEN to make of it. Instead of choosing to make it a way to rekindle old flames and feelings better left alone, people have chosen to make it a positive thing, a way to stay in touch with family members, friends, and other loved ones. It all goes back to that whole issue of personal responsibility and individuals making choices.

There are also stats that say that abortion is a good thing. Does that make it so? Just because stats exist does not mean that the stats are true, or that an issue is not true. Citing FB as a reason for a divorce on a divorce paper is in fact blaming FB for the dissolution of a marriage. It is my opinion that people have in fact posted here essentially saying that Facebook is to blame for cheating, etc. As I said, the choice is a person's to make. There will always be things that can be used for good or for bad and Facebook is one of those. Those marriages that fail that would have had a chance had Facebook not been there would have quite probably failed in some other way through something else. I think that instead of saying "People shouldn't use Facebook!" it should be "Well, perhaps we should identify the issues in our marriage"... And if someone's marriage is on the rocks they probably need to reevaluate ALL areas of their lives and see what they are both involved in taht could weaken the bond, mot only Facebook, because if a marriage is in so much trouble that Facebook alone will bring it down I can almost guarantee there are other things that need to be weeded out and that FB alone can not be blamed. In addition, you say that the internet is different because it's broader spectrum. Facebook is also very broad spectrum. There are many things that are done on Facebook besides hunting down exes with whom to have torrid affairs Facebook is a tool. Use it for good or bad, it's up to each individual person. I do not only object to the viewpoint that Facebook is to blame for marriages failing, I also object to "If you don't see the evils you're blah" that the person I quoted was putting out there. People may defend Facebook like it's family because it IS family. Aunts, uncles, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, children, In-laws, friends... It's a wonderful tool for when someone is deployed and a way for them to stay in touch with loved ones back home and communicate much faster than the rather iffy postal system where you never know when/if packages and letters will be delivered. For those posted overseas it can be a wonderful way of keeping in touch. In general, there are many good uses. If you look at it with an eye only for the negative and potential for evil, that's what you'll see.

[blunt Opinion] I think that anyone who makes sweeping judgments of the spiritual state of others based solely on whether or not they think FB is responsible for divorces needs to remove the log from their own eye before worrying about the specks in the eyes of others. I highly doubt that you read the article with an open mind either as your bias is quite evident in your post. I look at FB as something that, like everything else in life, can be used for good purposes or for evil. It's all about the choices that INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE make. Citing FB as a reason for a divorce is nothing more than an excuse and an attempt to avoid facing the real issues in a marriage such as infidelity, lack of trust, etc. As my Drill Sergeants used to say, "The maximum effective range for an excuse is zero." Trying to blame FB for the problems in a marriage that existed outside of FB is a great way to try to avoid taking responsibility for one's own actions and choices. By your own reasoning, I could say that you are obviously out of touch with the spirit, in denial, ignorant, or some combination of the three for being on the internet at all as the internet is a great way for people to find porn, cheat, stalk, harass, buy things they need to commit crimes, etc. and the internet was certainly not invented for the purpose of preaching the gospel. Beyond that, you probably own a car. Car's are the tool used to transport people to crimes, affairs, drinking, immorality in general, and are also part of why wrecks happen that take lives and cars weren't invented to advance the kingdom of God or preach the Gospel so obviously, since you own a car, you're ignorant, in denial, out of touch with the spirit, or some combination of the three. Do you own a phone? Phones are used to make plans to cheat and commit crimes. Do you sleep on a bed? Beds are what people use often to have sex outside of marriage. If I were to divorce my husband and cite Facebook, a bed, a phone, or the internet as the reason, I would be the one in denial, ignorant, out of touch with the spirit, or probably all three. People make choices. People act on those choices. People need to take responsibility for those choices and those actions. Anyone who can't see how the Devil uses this reasoning as a way to keep people blinded to the fact that the world needs to be responsible for their own sins and issues instead of trying to hide behind blaming it on a non-human entity needs a reality check.[/blunt opinion]

I'm the only member on my side of the family as well. It's not a huge difference in lifestyle because my parents raised me in a house where drinking and smoking and whatnot were taught against. My brother is a different issue but he doesn't even know I've converted because he's such a jerk that I don't discuss religion with him if I can at all avoid it. For me the uncomfortable part comes in to play when having discussions with my dad. He doesn't approve of my choice I don't think and recently when I asked him what year and county he was born in he told me and then said "But I'm already baptized". So, I dunno.

Touche. This being Texas, I've never even stopped to wonder how many people at church are packing. lol

I was gonna say, how many branches and wards do you go to in every day life that people are wearing flak vests, cave pots, and carrying guns..

Wait, what's wrong with songs talking about the Trinity. the cross, or presenting God as awesome? ETA: please bear in mind I'm still relatively new to the LDS church. I know Kari Jobe! She used to sing every summer at the youth camp my church I grew up in went to. Seeing her name here just brought back some good memories and made me go "Hey cool!".

I agree completely with this. I also think that anyone else who comes to talk to you or writes you or anything who is saying "You should be more responsive" or "Why are you dragging your feet" etc. needs to be given a good talking to about the absolute inappropriateness of what he's doing. What does the Bishop say about all this? Also, is he still coming to your ward when he's supposed to be in another?

Ugh. If that's the case I'll be wearing maternity clothes before I even get a BFP on my next one. *grumbles*

I fgured you were just c/p'ing the article, I thought it was an article from elsewhere that was saying that. :dunno How is the spirit of the article dead?

AMEN!!!!! When I get awakened in the middle of the night by a hollering Corn Muffin, I'm not usually thinking "Oh my, I should go put clothes on... where did I put my _____?", I'm getting out of bed and focusing my few functioning brain cells on not tripping over pets and furniture and getting in there, figuring out what's going on, and fixing it as fast as possible. Now, I'm not endowed yet so this is me in my underwear but I will still feel the same about my garments, and DH walks around in his garments too. Between the Army and now 32 hours of labor and a large number of people I'd never seen before seeing everything I had on and what was underneath, I lost my prior sense of "Oh I must be fully clothed at all times." I'll be modest around people outside of my immediate family and when we have sons I'll be appropriately modest around them too, but for now it's me, the hubs, and a daughter who loves Mama and Daughter Bath Time anyways.

I think the only issue I have with that is the implied separation between being a Christian and being Mormon. Other than that a very good article and it has some wonderful points about the different things we can learn from other religions.

Catholics also believe that Jesus rose from the dead. A common misconception I've seen is that many people think that the crucifix means a belief that Jesus is still on the cross when it's not that at all. In fact, in the Apostle's Creed and Nicene Creed, one of which is recited every Mass, states that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. The crucifix has Jesus as a reminder of what Jesus went through, the great sacrifice that He made to grant us forgiveness and eternal life. I myself prefer the crucifix over the cross, not because I want to focus on the suffering and crucifixion above the resurrection and salvation, but as a reminder that if Jesus was willing to go through all that He did and give his very life, to suffer as He did, surely I can make the small an (in comparison) insignificant sacrifices that are asked of me to live life in a manner that is pleasing and glorifying to God. Why should I complain about being told to abstain from having a margarita and a chai latte when Jesus went through all that He did without complaining and said "Father forgive them"? And yes, I am a Mormon. I think a good way to put it would be that the Church does not observe Ash Wednesday but some members individually may choose to. I do, except I wasn't able to go to the service because I had a sick baby.

What a great article. I totally identified with it. It really is hard sometimes to describe why I'm exhausted when DH gets home and yet cleaning did not get done, etc... "All" I did was take care of the baby. Thank you for this link.

I'm one of those who is on BC out of health related needs. At 3 months post-partum I had to be hospitalized with desires to hurt myself and was diagnosed with Post Partum Depression. I was hospitalized twice in the course of getting my medication adjusted properly. I've finally started the count down to the 6 months after feeling normal when I can start tapering down my dosage to wean off of the antidepressants but being pregnant with PPD and on antidepressants is a bad idea. At 3 months post partum I also got abnormal paps smear and colposcopy results and am still waiting for that to resolve itself (I have a follow up pap on the 16th and hopefully that will show the abnormalities to be resolved). The colposcopy and biopsies showed that the abnormalities were pre-cancerous and those typically revert to normal cells with time. However, pregnancy with abnormal pap results and potential cervical cancer is a very bad idea. I also recently found out that pregnancy induced hypothyroidism that caused my thyroid to almost stop working, which is probably what brought on the PPD (or at least contributed greatly to it, a theory that is corroborated by the fact that as my thyroid levels get better so does my PPD), and I am currently on medication with med levels still being adjusted. All of these are extremely valid reasons to not bear children at this time. I actually feel that intentionally getting pregnant, or at least not trying to prevent it, would be against God's wishes and commands, as it would be bringing a baby into a circumstance where the baby could be harmed, I could be harmed, both of us could be harmed, I could end up infertile, or all of the above. Once my medical issues are dealt with I will absolutely go off BC but for now I can't. And yet, I wish so much that I could be pregnant right now. I want another baby more than I can even say. But someone who doesn't know me and my situation could look at me and assume that I just get more kitties to replace having pets and that I am not following God's plan and commands. They could be judgemental of me and condemn me for it. My point is, it can be very dangerous to make assumptions about another's situation and motives in such matters. Judgement should be left to God, He is the one who sees and knows all hearts and circumstances and what is right at the moment for that purpose. To judge such matters of others is to drive wedges into the Church and between our brothers and sisters.

Okay, so who do the offspring live with? The point of eternal families/sealing is, in my understanding, for families to be together forever... how can that happen under these circumstances? Not for eternity but I was told you can be for time. And if you can't be sealed to a man the question is who do the children get sealed to? Who do they live with forever?

I don't understand.

Okay, so DH and I were having a discussion about being sealed to multiple spouses and I had some questions that he wasn't sure the answers to. Like, if your spouse dies. If I die, DH can get sealed for time and all eternity to another wife. However, if he dies I can only get sealed to a husband for time and eternity. So, what happens in the after life if I have children with another husband and they are sealed to us? Who do the children live with? Do they split their time between their families, like spiritual split custody? Would both families live together? Would the kids live only with one? What about eternal families?

Hi. I, like probably most others who post in this forum, am new here. I was raised Protestant, had a brief stint in the Roman Catholic Church, and then got baptized LDS in August of 2009. I'm hoping to get my Endowment later this year and then DH and I and DD can get sealed. My husband was raised Mormon and he and his mother were both good examples to me. DH and I have a daughter, Corn Muffin, who is 9 months old. We also have 4 cats and a dog. DH is in the Army and I am a SAHM. He's recovering from ankle surgery following breaking his ankle on both sides in a car wreck Thanksgiving weekend (moral of the story: don't prop your foot on the dashboard) so I don't stay at home as much as I used to because I now do taxi service (he still isn't able to drive yet). I'm looking forwards to getting to know people and checking out the other parts of the board. :)