Searching_For_The_Truth

Ok it has been a while since I have been on here and updated you all on this situation. First, let me say that I have a whole new respect for patients. It has been a year and a half since this young lady and I met. Over the time that has passed since I posted last we went out on a few more dates, many were really good, and one that was AMAZING. We took steps forward and steps backwards and then forward and so on, but a couple weeks back she took several steps forward and she made the decision to say "yes" to being an exclusive couple. We still have yet to officailly tell people, but I don't think they really need to know. We are happy and I can't stop smiling so I say this is good.

I feel that being Sealed to your Eternal Companion is an enormous step in your relationship and one which I know I will sahre with my family and friends. This is definatly a time to celebrate and a reception is a great way to have this celebration. Go for it and enjoy every second of it.

This is a question that constantly comes up for me. I get along better with my female friends more than my male friends, and my girlfriend is the same. We have a had many discussions on this topic and we both believe that having friends of the opposite sex is "ok". We are both "ok" with the other going out doing things with our friends, but when out with those friends one should take precautions to prevent comprimising situations, such as making it a group activity, being in public, and not being alone in private places (ie homes)... This is going to be an area that you will need to evaluate with the person you are with, as the ideas of each person vary and may the may not be open to this.

Ok, some of you have read my posts and know that I am a recent convert to the Church and am very happy in the decision I have made. So this past Sunday after Sacrament Meeting when I recieved a phone call asking me to speak at Satke Conference this comming Sunday I was excited, but I was also scared. I was excited because I get to sahre my story with the Stake, but I am scared because I am not comfortable speaking in front of (or even being in) a large group of people. So the favor... Can I get prayers that I am able to speak the words that Heavenly Father needs me to speak, and that I don't freak out being in front of so many people???

This is a great question to ask, and more importantly to answer after some very prayerful reflection on oneself... For me there are many things that hold me back, but the biggest is my "logical side." I have to think everything through to the point they don't make sense anymore. A good example was when I was trying to decided to get baptised or not. I thought about it and set myself a goal (to read the Book of Mormon all the way through first, then make my decision). In the end I was over thinking and not listening to what Heavenly Father was telling me. When I finally "let go and let God" the decision was simple.

It worked..... LOL

Mamas_Girl... Good Question...... She was the one who introduced me to the Visitor Center at the Mesa Temple and who helped me with a lot of my questions when I was an investigator. We do talk about everything, and it was a concern of ours in the begining on the "why" behind my investigation and reason for being baptised, but we have talked about it and we are confident that I did it for the right reason..

Of you have not seen the new Muppets movie, GO!!!!! It was sooo funny. My date and I laughed nearly the entir 98 minutes.

Thank you all for the input, and i really do appreciate it. It came to me last week that in the last 9 months that this friend of mine and I have been "hanging out" I have never once asked her on a "date". It has always been "hey you want to go see a movie" or "let's do lunch" or something similar. So I asked her last week "***** would you like to go on a date with me Saturday?" We went on our first "official" date, and we had sooooooooooo much fun. When I picked her up I broguth 2 roses that were tied together with a black ribbon. I was dressed in "Sunday atire," yes I wore a tie... As we left her place she reached back and grabbed my hand. We talked the entire drive to the resturant, we talked while waiting for a table, we talked suring dinner, we talked while we drove to the movies, we talked while waiting for the movie to start. It is amazing how easily she and I are able to talk about anyting and everything. We saw "The Muppets" for the movie, and we laughed through the entire movie. We talked during the drive home and then we sat in my truck outside her place talking until she got tired. When I walked her to the door she said that she had fun and the we need to do it again (just the 2 of us). I gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek, and then she "just stood there." I reached for her hand and we kissed. Since then we were together Sunday after Church and started wrapping gifts for Christmas, and she looked at me and said, "Hey James.." when I looked at her she said "I Love you".... I have been smiling since Saturday night and I can't stop smiling :-D

.... The Priesthood... To me being a Priesthood Holder I see it as the way Heavenly Father does the work he wants done here on Earth. As for the greatest Duty.. I would say is that to Love your family, to teach your family of the Gospel, and to bring your children up in the Gospel... This is also a blessing to have the ability to do so. I myself have not experienced this first hand, but I have seen it and cannot wait till I am sealed in the Temple and then raise my own children. As for the preporation.. I am currently preparing for the Melchizdek Priesthood by studing the scriptures, reading as much as I can, and talking with my friends who currently hold that priesthood and getting their counsel/guidance on what to study. The last question is a trick question and I think that most if not all Priesthood Holders would agree with me in that they are all important, in that they all have responisbilities and duties that are vital to the Church and the work of God. So I would not say that one is more important than the others.

OK, it has been a while since I started this post and things have been interesting between my lady friend and myself. We have talked about us making the jump from friendship to dating, but the topic always seems to be left unfinished. The last time she brought it up in a conversation that went something like "I have decided that I have have feelings for you that are more than friendship, BUT I am having a difficult time moving beyond 'just friends'.. She said that if she could get "past the hump" she sees us getting married in 6 monthes to 1 year... She continued to say that I am everything she is looking for in a future spouse and that she "loves" me. That being said she kept going back to how she is having trouble moving beyond being friends. Well I did what most young guys would do. I heard what I wanted to hear from that conversation. And I tried to take it to the next level, and asked her if we could "make it offical". We talked a bit more about it and decided that she wasn't ready still. I took the next couple days to pray and fast and I found out that what I heard was not what was said. I felt that I needed to apologize to her for adding more pressure to the situation and we decided to continue as just friends and let things transpire naturally. This was good, until we were at her place talking, she said she was going to help her daughter and her daughter's friend change out of their school clothes. Just as she turned to walk away she quickly came in and kissed me on the lips. It was so fast that I did not have a chance to kiss her back and she would not let me pull her back to kiss her saying, "I need to think about it"... We spent the rest of the evening talking about senerios that might come up if we did get married (ie how much control on finances I have to have, parenting roles, interferience in the parenting by her close friends who have filled the "Father-gap", care of pets, ect...). Since then nothing has been mentioned, but we hold hands more and I am more temped to kiss her when we are close.....

Sorry, Mesa is a suburb of Phoenix, so I just call it all Phoenix... Thanks for the correction :-)

It has been a long time since I read this (college was so long ago now), but I will see what I can find to cite a resource for this information. I should have some time over this holiday to look, but no promises.

This is where an understanding of the "ancient" traditions is a good thing. The word "Wine" as it is translated actually fits for two different drinks that where used in Christ's time. One fits very close to the current use of wine, as being an alcoholic beverage that is made from fruit (usually grapes). The second and not commonly in use today is the juice made from grapes, but it is made in the same manor as wine without the fermintation process, and was refered to as "Pure wine". I hope this helps clear things up, of course it now adds fuel to the debate, which was used... lol

Every year the Mesa, Ariznoa Temple has what I am told is a spectacular Christmas Light Display. This starts on November 25 and runs through December 31. Also from December 1 through December 25th there will be concerts on the grounds. Check out their website for more details. Welcome to the Annual Mesa Arizona Temple, Visitors' Center and Gardens Christmas Lights and Concert Series entitled The Birth of Christ In Light and Music I will be there as much as I can.

ChristianT, I can only echo what has already been metioned in the responses, but I can give you my testimony as I am a recent convert to the LDS (Mormon) Church. I started out with a question in my mind, Which Church is true. The church I was raised in had proven to me that they were more about braggin rights or self gradification than living a life that Christ would approve of. So this journey took me to many different places and in most I had a gut feeling that had me wanting to run and not look back. Some I felt like I was "fresh Meat" for the "zoombies" to latch onto and eat. Untill I turned to the LDS (Mormon) Church which I had friends who were members and they in no way tried to influence my opinion they just lived a life that I wanted. They lived a Christ Centered, family focused, caring life. I had met a member of the family on a date and was and by chance I was able to meet her parents on the first date ans was immediatley welcomed inton the family and I felt so at home with how they lived. They sat at the table as a family to eat meals, talked as a family, specificly set time aside to be together as family (which included family friends). This along with the teaching of Eternal Families I was drawn deeper into my desire to want to know more. I started to read the Book of Mormon and then visited the Vistor Center at the Mesa, Arizona Temple and spoke to a Sister Missonary and she invited me to have the Missonaries come to my home and answer my questions and teach me about the Church. I continued to be included in family time with my new friend and I asked most of my questions to them as I was comfortable, but eventually I was met with the missionaries and I started learning. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING that I learned made perfect sense. I continued to read the Book of Mormon and prayed and i "just knew" it was true. I asked everyday in my prayers to be able to know. It took me a bit of time, mostly because I am stubborn, before i decided to get baptised. When I came to the lesson on Baptism with the missionaries they flat out asked, would you like to be baptised. I will admit I felt a bit pressured and my friend (mentioned above was with us) noticed that I was backing off and said that she was proud that I was looking into this on my own and said that I do not have to make my decision then and that if I was not sure I should pray about it and come to the decision when I was ready. Immediately the missionaries followed suite and encouraged me to make the decision on my own time. I prayed about it for a couple days and while reading the Book of Mormon i came across a passage, Mosiah 18:10. Which says, "Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being babtized in the name of the Lord..." I knew I wanted this, but my mind was getting in the way of my heart as it had in so many things before. I decided then and there that the timeframe I set for myself was hurting my heart. My goal was to finish the Book of Mormon then I wold make the decision. I called the missionaries and said "let's do this". At the next appointment we had together we set the date for my baptism. I was baptised on September 3 of this year and the feelings that I was blessed with at the moment confirmed that everything I was doing was the will of God, and I was where I need/wanted to be. I have never been happier. I am not saying my life is easier. I use to be a very angry person. Anger has not been apart of my life since I started on this journey to learn more about the LDS Church. I have the same struggles that I had before and the same that the normal person has, I am just not angry any more. I feel a part of Christ's Family and that if I continue to be strong and follow the teachings of Christ that I will be able to meet and live with God in Heaven one day along with my Earthly Family. As for what to read... The Bible(Kinf James Version), The Book of Mormon, ask questions here. Go to Mormon.org and invite missionaries into your home and ask them let them go through the lessons with you and then every day pray to Heavenly Father to give you the wisdom to know, and he will reveal the truth to you.

Thank you for comming to the source for your information rather than going to those who don't really know or have made up their own views on what we believe and/or practice. It shows that you are truely looking for truthes and I respect that A LOT. I do not know much about the "person" refered to as "Lilith", but from what I understand is that she was Adam's first wife/companion, but due to imperfections in her creation she and Adam did not "hit it off" as was the plan of God. I only have this information as my roomate is Jewish and she was writing a report for one of her college classes and she had to explain it to me so I would be able to give my opinion on her paper. The problem that I have with the idea of "Lilith" actually existing as the we would have to then say that God made a mistake in His plan, and frankly I am not willing to say that God is flawed as he is perfect. So that leads us to the second part of your question. No, "Lilith" would not be part of our Bible/Docturine as we do believe that God is perfect and his plan is Perfect. I would like to invite you to stay a while and ask more questions, as was pointed out in previous posts there are a few areas that you spoke of in your post that are not true and a few that you may have to revisit what is said in the Bible (that is the Bible and not the Book of Mormon). A good example of this is your comment on our belief in "3 Heavens". This is actually a teaching that is ignored by many Christian Religions even though it is straight out of the Bible (1 Chorinthians 15:40-41). In this passage of the Bible it speaks of the different levels of Heaven and referes to them as "Glory" one of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. So this belief is based on Biblical teachings. I would also invite you to read the Book of Mormon from Cover to Cover and pray and ask God to tell you if it is true. In the Bible (James 1:5) it says "If any of you lack wisdome, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." If you ask and truely want to know God will let you know.

OK, So I had the oppurtunity this weekend to go to the Temple to do Baptisms for the Dead, and I was Baptised for my Father and Grandfather. I can not seem to find to words to explain how wonderful this has made me feel. I just wanted to invite each of you to complete the Temple Work for those relatives that have passed before they have had their Temple Work done.

Tim, Let me first start off with saying Welcome. It is always good to find people who are willing to step outside their "comfort zone" to learn new (and in my opinion the right) ideals.. Next I wanted to say that I am glad that you are here to expand on your knowledge. While I myself am not in a place intelectually to help you, yet, I know that the many members here are very knowledgable and very friendly. As away, and we will try to help you as much as we can.

I was just having fun with it, as I have a friend who speaks Portugese, and have been picking up words here and there.....

I am going to the Stake Center to watch it there on Saturday, and watching it on TV on Sunday...

I am just curious.. How will you be watching General Conference???

Welcome to the forum, I would suggest staying a while and checking out the different sections you might find a way to work through the difficulties you are having with your spouses stance on the LDS Church....

welcome to the forum...

You must have a lot of patients to have 9 kids... Welcome to the site