Leah

If it is okay to abandon a spouse with Alzheimer's because we lack the "capacity" to live with someone who has that particular disease, or because it is financially difficult, the "intensity of their love", or any of the other reasons you gave, then wouldn't it be okay to abandon your spouse for ANY reason? Maybe I have the "capacity" to live with someone with a broken leg, but not diabetes or cancer? No, I don't have that "capacity". (Because...wow...that would require more on my part and why would I want to do more?) Or we should abandon a spouse because their illness is expensive? Or abandon them because we have "intensity" of love for the easier illnesses, but not the tough ones? We should abandon them for eternity simply because things got a little difficult in the mortal life? My husband died two years ago Sunday. He had health issues for a number of years. They started even before we were married. He had a leg amputated just a few months prior to our wedding and died just before our first anniversary. I guess I should never have married him and I certainly should have abandoned him when his health took an unexpected turn - a terminal turn - after our marriage, especially because his mind started to go as well. I guess I could have simply said that I didn't have the "intensity" of love or the "capacity" for something THAT hard, but hey, give me a husband with a broken leg instead and I will stick around. I was diagnosed with MS after he died. But I guess if he had been alive and healthy, it would have been okay for him to say..."I love you, but not THAT much, I'm outta here". I don't see how it is okay to abandon a spouse in their time of need, just because that need might cause some inconvenience or hardship for us, or some ill-defined unhappiness.

I have read your words as you have written them and simply asked for clarification. Why so testy? You stated that it was not possible for the Holy Spirit to be with two or three who are gathered in his name unless it is within the "context" of "church". It doesn't matter how I define church - it was your statement, not mine Your answer here is not making sense. Why would two or three "gather in His name" if they were not believers? There was no reference to non-believers previously, why would you pull that out of thin air? You stated -" Get a couple of your buddies together and you're good to go. We know that is not true." Are you now saying you were referring to people who don't believe? Why in the world would you think "wherever two or three are gathered in His name" would refer to non-believers? That makes no sense. I wonder if you are here to learn and discuss or are just here out of some need to tell other people that you think they are wrong?

If I understand you, you are saying that the two or three that are "gathered together" can only have the Holy Spirit with them if they are literally within the four walls of a church? Or in some way officially a 'church'? I have never heard anyone of any denomination interpret that scripture in that way. Very much the opposite, in fact. As for your "We know this is not true" statement, can you prove that? Can you demonstrate that there has never been an instance of the Holy Spirit being present with two or three people except within the confines of a church? You state it as a flat fact, so I am assuming you have lots of back-up for that. I think the millions of us who have experienced otherwise would be curious to see your documentation for this 'fact'.

Don't try to be someone you are not, just to attract a guy. If a guy won't date someone because she doesn't wear 'enough' makeup or doesn't have a fancy hairstyle.....he's not a guy worth dating.

I am a little confused. You state "....to share this with you". What is the 'this' that you are wanting to share? You start out by saying you are asking a question, but end your post on a different note. You stated your question clearly - wanting to know why the LDS Church teaches what it does on a specific topic (and got great answers from other posters, I might add), but I don't understand that the 'this' is that you are referring to.

Those men are focusing on the wrong things. Also, I find it not uncommon that the men who make such statements, don't hold themselves to quite the same standard that they hold for women. They feel they "deserve" a supermodel for a girlfriend/wife, no matter where they themselves fall on the physically attractive spectrum. I once knew a woman who was seriously considering marriage with a man who told her that her current weight was "acceptable", however, she would "not be allowed" to gain any more weight! I wonder how he expected her to bear the many children he desired without her gaining an ounce!

Thank you for the kind words. This website has been very helpful in my learning process. I am excited to continue learning and growing and am really looking forward to baptism!

I have been lurking for a while now, but Dahlia just nudged me into introducing myself. Long story short.....my life completely fell apart a couple of years ago. Widowhood and joblessness happened within a few weeks of each other, followed a few months later by a diagnosis of MS. Over the last couple of years I became quite confident that life would never get better. Previously - when bad things happened - I always knew life would get better. This time I "knew" that it would not. But a conversation with someone who also has MS - and I thought was only going to be about MS! - led to an invitation to read the Book of Mormon. My immediate reaction was to dismiss the notion. I was Jewish, why would I read the Book of Mormon? But I started reading it. Then I started going to Church. Then started meeting with the missionaries. And next month I will be baptized. No one is more surprised than I am!