dahlia

Information science - knowledge management, management, information policy, and how people use information at work and translating those behaviors into useful technologies. My research is the middle ground between the purely social and the technical.

So, the missionary who introduced me to the church was suddenly called to a new area and left before we had a chance to say goodbye. I had already bought a Christmas present for him and sent it to the official address, but hadn't heard from him. He had permission to officiate at my baptism, but couldn't get a ride from his new location. Yesterday I get a beautiful letter from the guy, which was really nice all by itself, but he also said he'd be in town for a meeting today and would try to stop by. Well, little did he know that I had volunteered to do kitchen duty for the elders' lunch for the meeting. As the elders are coming down the hall, I stood in the kitchen doorway. When my guy saw me, his eyes lit up. We hugged (though I've heard they aren't supposed to hug) and it was great. I was relieved from kitchen duty to have lunch with him, catch up, and take pictures. It was so good to see him again - and good for him to see me active at church and having been to Nauvoo and all. I thought he had been here awhile, but he hasn't even been in the field for a year yet. He made me promise that we'd go to Nauvoo together when I get endowed. Jeez. I am gonna have to deal with that tithing thing, aren't I? I've got a few people who want to go with me when the time comes. No pressure, folks. Maybe it's being new and all, but boy do I feel happy - happy with doing service, happy to go to the temple, happy with meeting and working with people, happy to go to Sacrament Meeting. This is sick. My students are going to wonder where the aliens have hidden the real Dr Dahlia.

I guess LDS can't give their kids a shot of whiskey before Sacrament Meeting, huh? I suppose that Nyquil will have to do. This post notwithstanding, I am becoming a bit more accustomed to childrens' noises, though it would be nice to sit through the speakers without the crying and chirping babies for once.

I got 100%. I'm sure some of the songs and jingles will be in my head for a week.

As a newbie, I have to tell y'all that the hymns are hard as heck to sing! I can usually pick up the tune after one verse, but man, I just find them difficult. I don't know if this is actually true musically, but they sound harder to my ear than Catholic hymns and Gregorian chant. They also sound 'protestant.' I've been working my hymn singing, but I'm not seeing much improvement. I listen to a lot of music from all over, so I don't understand why I have such a problem with the hymns.

My missionaries have told me of their patriarchal blessings (not what they were, but that they had them and what the blessings meant to them). Having such a blessing seems very powerful to me. Is there a time after convert baptism that would seem right for such a blessing? I'm wondering if it would help me be a better Mormon, or if I should try to be better, then ask for a blessing? On the other hand, after learning a few things about 'life before my mission' from my guys, I don't think you need to be the best Mormon to get one!

Nope. I'm good. Thanks for the invite, though.

I actually like to vacuum and fold laundry.

I'm a professor, teaching the future librarians of America, although I am not a librarian myself. In professional schools, there is often a split between what you teach and what you research. So, I teach management-related and policy courses, but my research is in knowledge management, design of information systems (technical and human) used in the workplace, and information behaviors at work. This is a 2nd career for me and I love it a lot more than practicing law.

Oh yes. One of my guys is leaving this week and I've done just that. I think it is important that they have a tangible remembrance of their time with you (though it's been pretty short in your case!), what baptism meant to you, etc. It took me a few days to write mine; this is something you want to do with some thought. You can still take them to dinner if you want to do something right now, but do write a letter.

You have so many of the same questions I had! Yeah, you don't want to give them something too big or heavy 'cause they just have to haul it around with them or arrange to mail it home, costing them money. Living in a college town, I gave my missionaries college t-shirts and have brought them shirts from my travels. I just found out that my college shirt was the first such shirt one of my missionaries ever received and he was really happy about it, so there's that. I gather guys like to collect shirts from different schools. Anyway, they can wear such things for their service work, so it's not as useless a gift as it seems. This won't last as long as a t-shirt, but I was told here that I could give a gift card, and I gave a gift card for the grocery store where they shop. It was much appreciated. I know you're thinking of something they can keep after their mission, just don't make it something that difficult for them to carry around. If you're going for short term, yeah, food seems to be the answer. Works for my guys! Though I would suggest real food rather than treats. Or dinner (and a lesson!) at a decent restaurant.

I think that is what's happened to me. I read about Joseph Smith, I read about the trek across the plains, I read about the history of the church - so much to learn! And all a lot easier for a history buff like me to read than the scriptures.

I converted Jan 15, 2011. How has the Gospel changed my life? I'm not sure yet. I didn't have a lot of vices to overcome before joining the Church, so it's not like there's been a major change in my behavior. I am happier. I've come to know some great people, but I'm also a little overwhelmed by all the visiting this and that. I knew that the Church required your time, but all the coming to the house stuff is unnerving when you're a private person. I'm still getting used to all this prayer. When I got a ride to Nauvoo with a sister, she asked for a prayer before starting off. Personally, as I am a bit afraid of highways and car travel, so I'm fine with a prayer, it's just that I would never have thought of doing it. It's not that I don't pray, it's just that members seem to do it at the drop of a hat. I'm a bit afraid that when I go back to teaching this summer, that I will want to start class with a prayer. : ) I'm interested in reading the Bible more. I guess I don't need help to do that, but right now I feel stuck in Gospel Principles. I love the class, but since I don't seem to be able to make time for other reading and feel that I'm not up to where I want to be with my Bible knowledge. Of course, I guess that's a plus right there - before joining the Church, the idea of even wanting to know more about the Bible would have been outlandish. Still, I've gone to the temple for the first time and been overwhelmed with sadness and gratitude at Joseph Smith's grave site. I've had the blessing of learning about the Church from some wonderful missionaries, the last two of which have become good friends. I'm happy and proud to be a member of the church. Still waiting to become holy, though.

Wow! Welcome! I was going to say that was fast, but I recall that you have been reading about the church for some time. This is wonderful news. I hope you will soon enjoy the wonderful feelings I had upon my first temple visit this past Saturday. Welcome again! Not to cast a pall on the good news, but did you have any problems with your family?

Last Sunday 4-5 seminary kids gave short talks in church. Yes, they commented on the 'joy' of getting up early to go to seminary, but they also said how much it strengthened their lives, made them good examples to other students at school, and how much scripture they learned. I think it would be difficult to get up so early for so many years, but maybe I'm looking at it from a middle-aged perspective. If I were younger, maybe it wouldn't seem so daunting. Plus, with the weather we have out here, you might be going out before the snow plows, which I wouldn't do, but the experience seems beneficial and even though they complained a bit good-naturedly, you could tell the kids found it a worthwhile experience. Just a newbie's 2 cents.

Well, what a wonderful day. The 20' of snow has melted and we had a safe drive down to Nauvoo. It was a little cloudy in the morning, but all was clear and beautiful when we left the temple and took pictures. Before going in, we drove around Nauvoo a bit and I got to go to Joseph Smith's grave. I was so moved, I just had to stand there awhile and touch it. I had also seen the statute of Joseph and Hyrum on the internet and was thrilled, yet also saddened, to see it in person. I was surprised at the depth of emotion I felt, considering how new this all is to me. Inside, everyone greeted us warmly. We went as a ward and another woman who was baptized around the time I was was there also. The Temple President welcomed us and let us go first into the font (OK, I coulda done without that , but alright). Once dressed and waiting for others, I was sitting in the little chapel area and my missionaries came to surprise me. They had been doing endowments upstairs, so I didn't even know they had been able to come. We took pictures together and had a generally good time. The sister I drove down with showed me some artifacts of the temple, such as the original keys to the original building. I am still getting used to the idea of baptisms for the dead, but it was certainly a moving experience. It was humbling to have the Temple President tell me as I left the font, that because of my work, souls have been able to leave spirit prison. So, a very good day. And another day that a year ago, you couldn't have bet me that I'd have.

You will be invited to attend 'Gospel Principles,' the class for newbies or people returning to the faith. I did this for a couple of months before baptism. Even though I had read a lot and had asked questions here, it was worth it to go to class and now it's my favorite part of Sunday (not that Sacrament Meeting isn't fine, I just am a talker and enjoy the back and forth in class). You don't have to attend the other 2 sessions if you don't want to. I didn't at first, but it grew on me.

Since the costs for being a missionary have come up, can you tell me what people normally do to pay for it? Do they save over the child's lifetime - it seems with tithing, saving for college, sports expenses, etc. it might be hard to do, but I guess not impossible. Do people pay in each month? I know the church helps with some missionaries - how is that decided? Do you have to do some kind of income report? What if all you can say is 'I wasn't able to save for the kid's mission?' Would the church say 'tough luck?'

Thanks for the picture. The bishop told me to remember to turn around so I would see the river.

Me! I'm going to be able to do baptisms for the dead. I can't believe it. I'm so excited! The ward is going to Nauvoo, so of all the temples, how wonderful to be able to go there! A friend took me to the Seattle Temple. I was able to go inside the front door a bit and it was just wonderful. I'm so excited to be able to actually go inside a temple! I will suck up my lingering fear of the baptismal font.

alienpsychomom - that has to be one of the best names I've ever seen on the net! Welcome! Really, who amongst us hasn't felt like an alien psycho mom at some point?

I love my job. I love learning about the Gospel and the Book of Mormon. I love my son. I love classic rock. I love the internet. Not necessarily in that order all the time.

I'm a widow, recently baptized as you all know. My grown lives with me, but is no where near converting. I'm wondering what am I missing by not having a priesthood holder in the home? What are the typical priesthood duties of a husband? I will have home teachers. I hope I have that right. I've got ward missionaries who are giving five follow up lessons to the missionaries, but now I understand some other brothers will be coming by as well. I'm not sure what the name of their office is, but they will continue after my ward missionaries have moved on. I don't know when the home teachers will show up. I think I'm supposed to treat these brothers as my priesthood holders - is that correct? And if so, what are my duties toward them, and theirs toward me? Is it different since we aren't related? Everyone is so busy at church; I hesitate to stop and ask this rather involved question. Also, I like to get info from an unbiased source first (I don't think any of you are in my ward). Thanks.

When I get my baptismal certificate and church number, I will pay a fast offering, even though as a diabetic, I don't plan to fast. I am able to eat lighter. With multiple meds, I'm afraid of fasting and going in to church for 3 hours and having to drive back w/no food in me. I think with the right support I could fast on days when I am at home and there is less stress on keeping the blood sugars in check. Is there anything wrong with this? It's important to me to give the fast offering in order to support the ward. If someone doesn't fast (and doesn't have medical or age-related reasons not to fast), I'm not sure I see the hypocrisy on donating to the ward, but I'm sure folks here can enlighten me.

Whew, I'm glad this doesn't happen in my ward! I sit pretty close to the front and being beige in a sea of white faces, I know the bishop can see me. Well, today's testimonies really got to me as I was thinking about my own situation. I started sniffling, then tears, and had to pull out a hankie. I kept thinking, 'Oh please don't call on me. Please don't think I have a testimony because I'm sitting here crying.' Even my missionary was looking at me sideways. I guess I would have fumbled through something, but I'm glad I didn't have to. I was also a mess in Gospel Principles but got myself together for RS. I never had it this rough going to Mass. What is with LDS and all the emotion?!