inthearmsofsleep

Thanks for sharing that with me (and all of us). It's such a tender and beautiful thing every time a person finds this gospel... and I can't express the joy I feel for you and your family (especially when it's reduced to typed-out words). You've done an amazing thing for your eternal life.

That's a fantastic thing to do for your kids. That's a great way to let them experience Christianity in any way it's worshiped, and have a chance to share what you've learned with others. I think Christianity (including the LDS church) should come together as a whole and be more tolerant of each other's beliefs. I know that's an easy thing to say yet such a hard thing to do, but I think that over time that's what's going to happen anyway. I'm LDS but I just thought I'd add that comment

I feel it necessary to state that God flooding the Earth in Noah's time was an act of mercy towards those who were living in wickedness because they would no longer be able to commit further sin. This was after they went beyond hearing his message and until this kind of action was necessary. I'm sorry you had a weird experience at church... sometimes a teacher can get carried away with their own ideas and not teach by the spirit, which would have let them know that something was wrong with the lesson had they been sensitive to it. You need not worry, though.... Christ's message of love is still the same as it ever was and as it ever will be.

Here's some good FREE LDS MUSIC! They're the soundtracks to these seminary videos, and they're fantastic. I recommend the Book of Mormon video soundtrack, and the New Testament video soundtrack. Check em out: Seminary Music - LDS Church Music

I live in hawaii too! I've been on the big island since I was 5 and I love it. Welcome to the forum!

I know what you mean... I remember just as I started gaining my own testimony back when I was 17, I downloaded "Abide with me" by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and listened to it on loop for almost the whole night while everyone else was asleep. I couldn't stop the tears but my heart was so full of joy I had no reason to turn it off. I haven't heard anything from Hilary Weeks or Kenneth Cope... I'll check em out. I love the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, though, because they're loud and soft at the same time. They can sing powerfully and quietly at the same time, sort of like the way the Holy Ghost speaks to us... strong but quiet.

That is a very tough decision... and though I don't want to sound like a broken record in repeating what other people have already said, your best advice would come directly from the Lord. Just make sure you're ready to receive an answer and completely willing to act upon whatever he instructs as soon as you receive that answer. We are never granted knowledge that we seek before we show that we're actually in a position to use it (at least from my personal experiences). I pray that their hearts will be softened and they'll at least accept that their daughter (or sister) wants to be with someone who is LDS or wants to pursue the LDS religion. Good luck!

hey, I'm from ldstalk.com as well! I don't post there a whole lot but I read the threads often. I sorta migrated here and stopped going to that other forum because this one is a little more active. Welcome!

Welcome... it's wonderful that you have a desire to gain a testimony despite whatever's happened in your past. I hope we see lots of you around : )

It's interesting because the mental illness factor may have led you here... but it isn't a stable foundation for adopting a new religion into your life. I think whether or not you believe it's mental illness or divine intervention, listening to this 'son' isn't a good way of making important decisions that could affect your whole life. Again, like someone else said, I'm not saying any of this out of rudeness, I just want you to make the right decisions for the right reasons. If you did end up accepting these beliefs as your own and then your 'son' told you otherwise, or you got on medication and realized you didn't believe them as much as you thought you did, you might feel like you were led astray or that someone didn't stop you when they should have. In any case, good luck on your search for truth and light... and be of sound mind.

I don't know about one thing, but I love that we teach that a person can pray for themselves and receive an answer. A person can live worthily to receive more blessings than they could imagine, and to someday become as God is now, regardless of what they do for a living (with a few exceptions...like being a drug dealer) or what their social status is. Any average person can receive their own revelation... do work that transcends mortality... develop an unbreakable testimony of Christ... all if they are willing to do what it takes to get there. I guess the one thing that I love is potential, and that WE ARE that potential, not people who have to depend on others to pray for us or make sure we get into heaven.

I know, seriously. The "scientists" of our world are often wrong, and misled by their own hopes of achieving some kind of fame with their studies. We rarely know how extensive these studies are, or what was taken into account during them. At one point, some scientists claimed that lots of radiation was good for you... and we all know how that turned out. I don't have a source, but it was something I saw in a magazine about a jug of water that radiates it for you...and radiation strips that you would leave on your wrists overnight. Anyway, the phrase "DNA evidence" carries with it some kind of preset sense of truth that could really mean nothing once you know all your facts.

I love the Ensign and New Era, and loved the Friend as a kid. They're all so chock full of goodness, I feel like I learn something from every issue. Plus, they're really good things to have when you need to write a talk or teach a lesson for church, or for family home evening... or just plain personal study.

Just to clarify things, this thread isn't about cutting class. Also, I don't know anything about Asperger's... what is it? I'd suggest what somebody else said to do... to keep your hands busy with something else (something non-destructive, not like eating). Learn an instrument, type, draw, write, sculpt, twiddle your thumbs... i dunno. My prayers are with you in overcoming this.

Thanks for sharing your testimony, blackcat. I'd like to add mine to yours... this is one that I posted in another place online but it doesn't make it any less real if I post it again. Here it is: I've been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints since birth, but I haven't always had a surety of its truthfulness. About 3 years ago, I began to feel separated from those whom I associated with, feeling that there was something about me that set me apart. Little did I know, it was the way I was raised, and the doctrine that I was taught from a very young age. I was also with a girl who wasn't a member of my church, and was put in the position of having to answer many questions concerning my beliefs. I didn't know whether or not to believe all of the things I was taught, but I knew that the only way to recieve a sure answer was to go to the source of all answers... in prayer before my Father in heaven. I set out to read the Book of Mormon, inspired by a promise given by our modern-day prophet Gordon B. Hinckley. I read it from cover to cover, and in the course of doing so, gained a testimony of its truthfulness through the revealing power of the Holy Ghost. It was as if God himself said "Look... here is the truth and you don't have to worry anymore". It pierced my soul with a witness that is undeniable. That same witness was given to me of the reality that Jesus Christ lives and is the Savior of all mankind. He knows us. He has felt our pains. I know that Joseph Smith went as a young boy into the woods to pray, and as he did... an answer to his prayers was given. Our Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ, appeared to him, telling him that the true church he sought was not established upon this earth at that time. I know that our lives are eternal, and what we experience here is just a flash in the scope of eternity. We are God's sons and daughters. We are literally children of God. I know all of these things without a doubt in my mind, and I hope with all of my heart that everyone who reads this (and even those who don't) will take the time and initiative to find out for themselves what is true. Humble yourself in prayer, and go to your Father in Heaven with any righteous desire and he'll provide a way. I say all of these things, in the name of our holy redeemer and messiah, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Hey! Mine is already up there... I guess they got it from youtube. I'm glad to be part of it, though P.S. I just joined that "My Mormon Life" site. It looks great so far!

Every law is an opportunity to obtain blessings, so with that in mind, I think that "expecting more" is something that we can happily abide by. I love this church with a passion, and I have never felt that too much was expected of me because it has helped me to expand my potential and get more out of life in every way possible.

Last night I felt my room change from a good, calm, peaceful feeling to that of unclean spirits "plotting" against me (no, I'm not crazy). I've always been very sensitive to spirits, it even says so in my patriarchal blessing (to some degree). Lately I've been living really well and staying my cleanest because I'm preparing for a mission, so I think that's why the change last night was so apparent to me. However, I prayed and it didn't immediately go away, so I had to take action with the priesthood. I felt them leave, and went to sleep peacefully. What I experienced may not be as extreme as in your case, but you're not crazy for feeling/hearing/seeing those things. Like some people said, it could be non-spiritual things that's causing it, but in the case that they're evil spirits, prayer/asking for a blessing is always a good idea and a good first resort.

That's funny... my brother was pretty much the same. I say "was" because he was totally different when he came back. He used to be super shy and wouldn't speak up in any public situation, seemed depressed for about a year until he left (just stayed in his room all day sleeping on the floor and listening to music), then when he came back he got up in sacrament meeting and sang "I Am A Child of God" in Spanish in front of our huge ward. Also, Hawaii (well, this side of the big island) is pretty much like a ghost town... most of your time is just spent driving past tons and tons of trees.

My brother served his mission in New York... it was New York, New York south mission, Spanish-speaking. I'm excited for him : )

I can't help but be excited for you, Simon. I know it sounds kind of weird, but I almost wish I could re-convert and feel all of that for the first time...again. Actually, whenever I do feel the strong witness of the Holy Ghost, it feels about as good as it did the first time I came to know that these things are true. Life is often confusing... and we're blessed with a NEED for answers (though some people might just coast through life quite a while until that desire comes). It really just comes down to asking... and showing how much you want to know the truth. Sometimes God will push us (or rather, let us push ourselves) until we almost reach our breaking point just to find those answers. One thing that's important is to recognize that the claims of this church aren't out of arrogance, though they may be bold claims. Good luck on your life-changing search for truth.

I can understand your concerns and I think all your questions are reasonable ones (at least for someone who hasn't had a great deal of experience in the LDS church). I'll try to answer some of them the best that I can. I've seen all of the testimony videos posted by moregoodfoundation and I'd say that some of them seem shaky/hesitant just because of the fact that they're on camera. I was like that when I filmed mine... which you can find here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDyo95WG850 I thought it'd be good to add my testimony to this post, given that I'm trying to give you advice on how to obtain one of the truthfulness of this gospel. I'd say that most of the time, our "gut" feeling (as some would call it) tends to be the correct one, but in the case that people could be influenced by an outside, evil source, there are some ways that you could guard yourself against being swayed in the wrong direction. Live God's commandments, and practice faith by obeying council given in The Book of Mormon (and Bible, but I say BOM because that's the one you don't know is true yet). Look at the fruits of living the gospel, and tell me if that's something the devil could bring you. The devil would not inspire something that would tear him down and empower people against him. He would not inspire something that supports the Bible and brings others closer to God. I hope I've been of some help to you... good luck with finding what you need to know.

Love for the ordinances of the Temple and the sacred (though, strange to those who don't understand them) things of this church will come naturally as you build your testimony... and as you grow in this Church you'll realize how special and how great of a blessing these things are. Everything in this church has a practical purpose, and that includes garments. God will never ask or expect you to do anything that you aren't prepared for.

Sometimes it helps if you take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Would it be "blind faith" to trust that the Lord will take care of you if you obey his commandments? There's no such thing as faith that's proven beforehand... everything takes at least a little leap. God will take care of you if you respect his commandments enough to obey them, even if it'll put you in a hard financial situation. He knows what kind of situation that will be...and he knows that this is a chance for you to prove yourself (and for your girlfriend as well) and have the opportunity for blessings associated with that obedience. Trust in the Lord and you will never fail. (sorry, I just read the first couple posts so my advice is a little behind schedule...but I'm really happy you went to church last sunday )

lol.. thanks for the welcoming.