Spartan117

Either way I got your back

I remember ordering Oceanborn from a century media catalog as soon as it was available. I was in love with Nightwish and Stratovarius. There were other bands I was into, In Flames, Hammerfall, Children of Bodom in small doses, Nevermore then Dream Theater. Then the internet happened and I lost interest as they got popularer. Rhapsody was epic too. Now I'm 29 and listen to cheesy 80's music. Life is good.

Hello my new friend :-) I converted to the church last year, been in about 18 months or so. In that time I've been in 4 wards in 3 states, currently and lastly Utah, Mormon Mecca. I can speak from experience confidently and tell you there is no such thing as a "traditional member" of the church. And if there was, it would be a different kind of person in each ward you go to, nothing traditional about that is there? I felt completely out of place in my first ward. It was small, cliquey, and the bulk of the members there were older and very VERY well off in life. The number of members who hold PhDs in that ward is into double digits. I was in my late twenties and unemployed with no college. I never felt judged by anyone there, in fact a lot of them reached out to me. But I felt so out of place and honestly, inadequate. When I tried to find my place among them and find my identity in the ward, my attitude about myself and how I felt about myself when I was around "them" made for an awkward and unpleasant time for me. I kept to myself a lot, hanging out with the missionaries most of the time instead of getting to know my ward family. In the end I was the one who missed out, and it was no ones fault but mine. I've moved around a lot through out my life, 15 moves across 9 states in 9 years. My advice to you is realize that wherever you go and whatever you look for, you'll find it. If you expect to find cookie-cutter Mormons then that's what you'll see. Every Sunday go up to someone you don't know and introduce yourself with a smile and a handshake. And the following Sunday, introduce yourself to someone else. Repeat until You've met everyone. Then you'll know whether you fit in with traditional members or not ;-) Also, you are never alone. Boyd K. Packer explains ... "Learn to pray. Pray often. Pray in your mind, in your heart. Pray on your knees. Prayer is your personal key to heaven. The lock is on your side of the veil. And I have learned to conclude all my prayers with ‘Thy will be done’ (Matthew 6:10; see also Luke 11:2; 3 Nephi 13:10)." — Boyd K. Packer

Gwen, I will gladly go with you to this library and cause a huge scene if you'd like.

Contact the Mormon Defense League Mormon Defense League | Correcting inaccuracies about Mormons and Mormonism And see if they respond with advice or options for you. And if it were me personally, I would contact the ACLU. I know there are competing opinions for the organization, but a book club run by a government organization is held to standards no matter how small or how close knit the town is. This sounds like something the ACLU would take interest in, even if it only involved sending some letters. My friend was suspended from a Louisiana public elementary school for 2 weeks during the 90's for refusing to take a free Bible from the Gideons people when they went to her school and handed them out during class. She said "No thanks" and they suspended her. Her Dad contacted the ACLU and filed a lawsuit against the school. Whoever put that list together should lose their job in a very public manner and it should be well known why. How in the great blue hell someone can go to a public library and organize an anti-Mormon book club (I know I'm reaching with this claim, but whatever. It holds and I'm mad about it) like this baffles and infuriates me. There is no other group, religious, social or otherwise, that is more publicly acceptable to bash and flat out discriminate against than Latter-day Saints and the church. Persecution is part of the deal, and is a quality of the true church. I get that. I accept that. Mostly. Not so much at this exact moment, but I do get it. Still, I wouldn't lay down for this, and I wouldn't show "tolerance" for it either. And anyone who does is more worthy to be on some "blacklist" or fired from their job than anyone who made a donation to a federally sanctioned voting campaign. Fun story about me and how I overreact in situations like this, please feel free to ignore ... I'm a disabled Iraqi war vet and I've played that card and written my state senators before when I've felt I'd been wronged by a company or by a govt organization. Like when Bank of America thought they were entitled to $171.00 of my money in bogus late charges. I sent all my paperwork to the comptroller of currency for the United States of America along with a note letting them know that Bank of America steals money from disabled veterans. I made sure I wrote that on their complaint form so it would be official. It's a long story, but I had several bank employees who backed up my claim that BoA took money out of my account that they were not entitled to and called it "fees" and no one was able to give it back. Within a week I received a call from the office of the CEO, some public relations weasel, who said he was contacted by the department of treasury about my complaint and as a courtesy was refunding my money. I argued with him for about 20 minutes. He never claimed that BoA was wrong and in fact told me I should be grateful that BoA is as generous as they are in refunding my money. My final answer on the subject to him was that BoA had a proven track record of behaving exactly the opposite of how they were now and that if they were as generous as he was claiming, they wouldn't be in business anymore. I also told him the only reason I was getting my money was because the department of treasury reviewed my case and told BoA to pay me, because I was right. This was before I converted to the church and I used much more colorful language than I'm recounting here. I told him he and his company were vampires. Vampires who had made their fortunes by raping poor people out of money they don't have and no matter what he called it or how he dressed it up, Bank of America was giving me my money back because I was right and there was nothing he could do about it. It's 5am I've yet to go to bed yet and this is why posting while exhausted is never a good choice.

You should visit your old Ward this Sunday and take a look around there :) Welcome to the forum.

As a newish convert who lived like an @$$hole for 30 years before converting, I can tell you that my wife got a full disclosure about my relationship history and the nature of those relationships before we ever got close to a wedding. She listened and understood and it's never been an issue. As far as I know anyway, but I have a great amount of confidence in that. If she struggled with the things I had done, I would have more than understood and I would have done whatever I had to and given her whatever she needed to figure things out. She is amazing and I am still baffled as to how I ended up worthy to have her. But it didn't phase her. We've been married for a few months now and life is awesome. But if it all of a sudden became so severe a problem in the way you are describing, I don't know if I would be able to sympathize with her like I would have 6 months ago. There was a time and a place for those things, and it came and went. If she is going through a repentance process for this or has completed one, you don't have a leg to stand on for a redress in these matters. In my limited and clearly biased view, I would struggle with that.

I am 29 years old and this Monday I start my first day of college. Took me a little while to get here, and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up but when in doubt, just start moving forward.

I have a friend whose son Stephen showed up as Emily to his bday party a few weeks ago. Legally changed name, hormone replacement therapy, very interesting. I have rock solid beliefs and understandings about the homosexual stuff. But the transgendered/intersex (whatever is the least offensive) person and community isn't sure either. Here is what wikipedia says, and you can tell they tried extra hard to mix and match words with ideas that confused even themselves. This explanation has to be the most vague and ambiguous collection of "politically correct" phrases that has ever been written. I've heard politicians answer questions more definitively than this ... I love how weird we are to the world.

[witty response layered with sarcasm and ambiguity to clever thread name] Hiya, I hope the forum members (myself included) get you off to a smooth start transitioning back to being active. I'm still pretty new here too and I can say from experience you're among friends. Just jump in and don't be bashful. I can guarantee you your trials and issues have been worked through by many Saints who aren't valiant enough to backtrack from that broad road and wide gate like you are. Welcome back from the world. Don't forget to wipe your feet on your way back in. It's messy out there

There are no "winners" in that story at all. Everyone loses. So sad.

Give thanks for all that Heavenly Father has blessed you (everyone there) with, including the opportunity to be together at that moment. Make a mental list if you have to. There is never a time where we give enough thanks for what we have. Ask for the spirit to guide you as your pray. Ask for an added measure of the spirit to be with you and everyone there during this somber occasion, that those there will feel the love of G-d in their hearts. Pray for your grandmother, let the spirit guide you in what the Lord would have you say. Pray for those who were closest to your grandmother, ask humbly that they may be comforted and have the spirit testify to those whose hearts are hurting most that your grandmother has passed through the veil to her rest, and there is no need to grieve for someone who is at peace. Do NOT quote that word for word, obviously. But those are just thoughts that might occur to me if I were in a setting like that. Never rehearse a prayer except for the sacrament prayers. I personally outline the structure of the prayer and let the spirit fill in the important stuff. For instance .... 1. Give thanks 2. Ask for the spirit to be there 3. Ask for special blessings for those in need I never remember giving an opening or closing prayer. The first blessing I gave to my wife after we were married was over 10 minutes and I didn't remember one moment of it. When she transcribed it and I read it I couldn't believe that blessing came from me. The spirit will know what should be said, and if you go in there with something too specific or rehearsed then you're limiting the spirit. IMHO anyway. If your prayer is only a few lines, then it's only a few lines. If it turns into novel, then it turns into a novel. You will never be out of place with the spirit directing you. Sorry if this came off as kind of speechy. I get that way sometimes. Just trying to pass along what i've learned from experience. You will do great. Say a prayer to and for yourself privately before you go up to offer the opening prayer. Ask the spirit for help if you're nervous, try to be as in tune with the spirit as you can. Hope some of that helps.

I agree soooo much with how you worded your statement there, the inclusion of "all by themselves" is the key part of that sentence IMHO.

The one that hit VA seems to have been felt all over the east coast and into the midwest (a little) I'm curious to see what the final verdict will be on it's strength.

Last report I read for the on in VA was 5.9, felt all up and the down the east coast (but not a major quake, for sure) and the one in CO was 5.3 I think but is the strongest one in a century. I know we are far and away from the earthquakes that have been nailing other countries in recent times, but I'm still not okay with just writing these off just yet.

Sexual sin is sexual sin. If this individual was openly fornicating with women instead of men, he still repents, he is forgiven after his repentance process and the Lord remembers them no more and he can move on to better things. Does anyone know if it has it been said (in scripture, church manuals, the pulpit etc...) that a homosexual sin is more or less grievous than any other sexual sin? I've always thought that breaking the law of chastity is a sin, the same sin regardless of the particulars. Having sexual relations outside the bonds of marriage between a man and woman is forbidden, is all fornication created equal?

Quake hits near Washington, D.C. – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs I have friends in Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts who all felt some effect of this quake which hit about half an hour ago. Last night in CO ... The largest natural earthquake in Colorado in more than a century struck Monday night in the state’s southeast corner, but there had been no reports of damage or injuries. The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 and centered about nine miles from the city of Trinidad, hit at 11:46 p.m. local time. It was felt as far away as Greeley, about 350 miles north, and into Kansas and New Mexico, said Julie Dutton, a geophysicist at the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo.

There is a difference between having a sealing canceled and having a proxy sealing rejected on the other side of the veil.

I have no children of my own but I do have an experience I would like to share that I think is pertinent to your situation. When I was a young teenager I was living with my aunt and uncle. Also living with them were my 2 cousins who were each in their 20's, one of which had just had her first child, a baby girl. I lived there for years and watched my baby cousin grow up from an infant to a toddler. Well, as she got older her mom made the decision to get her 3 or 4 year old daughter a guinea pig. This was great! And it worked out very well and taught her about responsibility and being gentle with her pet and brought her lots of joy. Then it died. Well, mom found the guinea pig lifeless in his cage early one morning before her daughter woke up. She quickly flung the top of the cage off, opened the window in the room, grabbed the evidence and buried it at the very bottom of the outside trash container just as her daughter was waking up. Mom went back inside to find her daughter by the empty cage, groggy and confused. Her daughter asked, very concerned, where her pet was. Mom took a look around the room, saw the cage with no lid and the open window and told her "He ran away." She used this tactic until her daughter was old enough to figure it out on her own. Like I said at the beginning, I don't have kids. But when I do, I know what approach I will not be using.

Except they will still have agency to reject that ordinance if they so choose. Just like what's going on right now.

Best cult ever. It let me get married for free in the biggest and most beautiful (debatable, yes) temple (SLC) in the world, has given over $1Billion in relief aid in the last 25 years alone and established a lifestyle for it's members that includes health guidelines that usually result with long life into your 90's. And that's after a successful career usually starting with a degree from the cult's top notch dirt cheap highly ranked college. This awful cult also makes available programs like the bishop's storehouse, or church welfare so you can pay your bills and not starve. The worst part is how hard the cult members work to help all the members gain employment and be self sufficient in providing for themselves and their families. I knew this was a cult the minute they told me I had to love everyone unconditionally. Classic sign of an evil nefarious cult who is scheming to take over the world. Encouraging people to STOP self destructive behavior and addiction, how dare they! I'm offended. I'm going to go write a strongly worded letter to my Cult Stake President. Tell him I think I've been brainwashed into being a productive member of society. I won't stand for this!

I am happy for you that you two made it through the weekend and are sticking it out, even if just for now. Good for you. I really mean that. I know you said before you don't want to go into details about what it is about the LDS that has you hung up about joining or now (from what you said) questioning the Bible in general, so please feel free to ignore me ... but you might get answers that are more helpful or a perspective that might really bring you (and maybe your wife) to a better understanding of things if you let the members here address those concerns. I converted to the church just last year after spending most of my adult life as a militant atheist. There were things I had to work through and get a better understanding of even after I converted. But like I said I don't want to push and you've already answered me once by declining, so feel free to tell me to piss off :)

John had not baptized these disciples. Had he done so he would have sent them to Christ and the apostles to be baptized "with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." (Matt. 3:11.) But, as the Prophet expressed it, "some sectarian Jew had been baptizing like John" (Teachings, p. 263), that is, some self-appointed minister had come along, as modern divines do, and assumed the prerogative to imitate the legal administrations of the past. Hence these receptive believers were baptized over again by a legal administrator other than Paul (1 Cor. 1:12-16), who, however, then conferred upon them the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 19 6 6. Tongues and prophecy compared] See 1 Cor. 14:6-28. McConkie, Bruce R. (2009-08-18). Doctrinal New Testament Commentary Vol. 2

Baptism by water, baptism by fire. He gave them the gift of the Holy Ghost.

That is amazing. You are most welcome here, and I am so happy and excited for you to be baptized. Congratulations on making the best of the worst circumstances.