DasMarcos

I speak both Spanish and English, and Portuguese to a much lesser extent. I rarely have the opportunity to speak with my Portuguese brothers as I do not travel to Lisbon often.

Your different strokes for different folks view point is very true. My wife and I were married at the respective ages of 19 and 20. It's a personal choice that needs to take in the circumstances pertaining to those individual set of lives. Whenever one gets married it's important that one is spiritually, emotionally, and physically ready to do so. There is no rush or hurry to wed and there never should be. The time will come, and that time will be magical as when it is designated.

Very nice! Hope you have a fantastic time with the Macdonald name. I'm sure things will go well for you and your wife.

I personally never believed in the existence of Santa Claus. It just never made sense for me to believe that but that didn't take any of the magic away from watching him on cartoons, or seeing him on postcards, or reading stories related to him. I loved Santa Claus and still do! But I always had the feeling, even as a child, that such a man could not exist like that.

My wife and I personally say "dear" to one another. Baby just seems too obvious? Too informal? Not sure...

Hey Joesph. I can give you some background on someone who took his wife's last name. :) I'm much younger than you so the implications and reactions are obviously different but there were some general reactions in people that I think would be the same nonetheless. My last name was Hispanic and my wife's is Chinese. I decided to take her short Chinese last name and boot my hispanic last name to my middle name. My family wasn't incredibly excited by what I had done but they did appreciate me keeping the name in the family. I had thought about doing a hyphenated last name but our personal thoughts were choose one or the other. So far it's been such a great experience with a new last name! I'm very proud of my wife's Chinese heritage and she actively engages in the Chinese-American community. Just feel out the situation and see whether you'd be comfortable with that new last name. If you really want to personally change it, go for it! You won't regret the change. But maybe keep that hispanic last name in the family, somehow.

Quite sure Pam! I just can't let misinformation get around about anything, or any faith!

See also Latter-day prophets strongly discourage the tattooing of the body. Those who disregard this counsel show a lack of respect for themselves and for God. The Apostle Paul taught of the significance of our bodies and the danger of purposefully defiling them: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" (1 Corinthians 3:16–17).

“A tattoo is graffiti on the temple of the body,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley. You can place all the rationalization you want on this subject, it won't change the general outlook on body piercings and tattoos, especially within the LDS.

Tattoos aren't necessarily a sin, as such I never said they were. The statement has nothing to do with following the law of Moses. There are general principles found within the OT that all Christians hope to observe and follow. Jesus himself had something to say about that as I'm sure you know.

My statement pertains to the general rulings in most religions. Orthodox Judaism does not allow piercings nor tattoos. Catholicism frowns upon it as well. I do not have the LDS statement but I will have to say that they view it the same way. This has nothing to do with taste but with the general acceptance that some body modifications are unwarranted and unneeded. For instance, in the Islamic faith it is frowned upon for women to put on any type of makeup. Does that mean that all Muslim women do not wear makeup? Of course not. But for someone to have such a condescending and patronizing response I would expect some sources or facts at hand. Do yourself the benefit of being informed, or better informed when it pertains to specific subject matter. We can save ourselves from ignorance, God gave us that gift.

The discussion is never just about scripture and what it says. People transmit everything through God and it's up to people to do so in a satisfactory and acceptable manner. The greatest transcendent doctrine isn't worth a penny if the individual representing that doctrine is cold and unloving. God has to work through us, human beings who are imperfect, to get His point across. This issue is about the attitude a group of people possess i.e. Evangelicals. That attitude does not necessarily have to have anything to do with doctrine but merely an outlook on life. When you limit a discussion on faith just to doctrine you leave out 99 percent of the faith. If it wasn't for the repersentatives of the LDS and their eloquence and outstanding character where would the messages of the LDS be now? I'm sure there are countless Bishops and ward leaders who exude outstanding character traits and that is where the love and acceptance trickles down from. It is all about the people and doctrine is secondary. Anyone who has a problem with doctrine has a problem with the social life of the faith. When people stop embodying the positive traits of the faith that is when doubt is cast. That is why people lose faith and leave God. So it is and will forever be about the people who first and foremost must embody the faith and be that light for others.

If you want your husband to be convinced of the faith do so by your actions and the way you carry yourself as a caring and empathetic human being. You could show him all the facts available but unless he sees you enacting the faith through your acts he won't change his mind, if anything he'll drift apart further. Don't pressure him to conform to your worldview but show him how much better your faith makes you as a human being. Show him the great things the faith does for you and how it makes your life all the better. Be positive and exude that power that the faith has for you. He'll witness all of that and he'll want to be a part of it. If you show him how the faith can change your life for the better he won't need any convincing. So please stick to your faith and grow stronger. Read scriptures, enact the principles of what you hear and read, and don't just make it a side dish of your life. Religion is supposed to flow throughout your day and throughout your years. Use the path you've been given to your advantage and be a light unto others. Then your husband will see and appreciate the faith for what it is. Good luck and God Bless.

My interfaith dialogue is substantial and I think it has led me to have a worldview that is closely inline with the working of God. I've talked to many a folk, LDS, Protestant, Catholic, Jewish (Orthodox, Hasidic, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reform, Secular), Muslims, Lutherans, Anglicans, Quakers, etc etc. You name it and I've probably had a friend from that faith. What I've learned is that one can draw a substantial amount of knowledge from all worldviews. I'm currently a Catholic but I'm willing to follow God wherever He wants me. I want to have a faith that I can share with my wife and children and that can unite us all together. Whatever that faith ends up being I'll be extremely happy and I know it. I have an open heart to everyone, and every faith. But there is always a substantial difference when one is in a particular faith and one's worldview will never mimick an other entirely until they join that particular group. So I guess I should say be friends with all people, but stay away from the bad. Stay away from the negative influences of life, be that people or otherwise. But accept others and love them, and be open with your heart.

Hala, the key thing is that you keep growing spiritually and learn to love those around you. That means people who even rub you the wrong way and make life hard for you. This is an obviously tough situation for you and I want you to know that you can persevere and get through it. You don't have to confront someone to get a point across. Just let them now politely and gently that what happened disturbed you. This doctrinal issue pales in comparison with the way it is represented. Perhaps it was the way the man went about it that got you so uneasy and not the doctrine itself. You know yourself best so pray to God and see what the true emotions and feelings are here. But remember to keep working through this process. You're new to the LDS and being new to any organization can be rather difficult. Best of luck settling in.

I would say that at the end of the day it largely depends on the individual and who they are personally. Don't judge a faith by just one person who represents it, or even a set of people. There are individuals in all faiths that are incredibly loving, caring, empathetic, humble, and filled with grace. There are exceptions to each and every rule. Don't let your limited perceptions about a certain group hold you back from your own faith and beliefs.

Original Poster I have to say that generally speaking most religions are against any kind of human modification. Besides the two earring slots for women in their ears human modification is always unwanted. I would say that there are various reasons for this. The first is that human modification is abhorrant to the site of God. He gave you this body for you to take care of and to keep healthy. Human modification through tattoos and piercings largely goes against caring for ones body. Your body is a temple, so keep it untouched and unpricked.

I would have to say that opposition makes one's faith strong and worth perserving. Being opposed can only help strengthen your faith and your own resolve. There are people out there who hate religion as a whole, people who hate Catholics, people who hate Jews, etc. The hate is there to make institutions stronger and to have a collective front against the others. The misaligned feelings that LDS get in the U.S. is misplaced and unnecessary. I would tell any LDS member on here to keep fighting for what they feel is right and to keep their faith holy and worth keeping. Don't let others steer you from what you love, what you believe, and what you care about.

To the original poster, please go out and seek help for yourself. God wants you to be healthy and in charge of your own physical performance. Don't let this situation slide and not get help. Perhaps contact organizations anonymously first if you're a bit apprehensive about doing this. Good luck and God Bless.

This story reminds me of a situation my wife and I were in years ago. We were supposed to be picked up at an airport by a taxi service. Long story short we were picked up, but the driver took us to the wrong city. The city happened to be spelled the same as the one we requested, but he didn't check the facts. Right before we got into the car we asked him if he was sure where he was going and if that was the right state. (The other city with the same spelling and name was in a different but still close state). He said yes but he lied because he took us to the wrong area. His fault, 100 percent. We told him what was wrong as we drove there but he said he would charge a lot more to take us to our destination. We weren't familiar with the specific area so we had to agree and just go with it. My wife became very irritated and started to cry but I kept strong and positive. After we were dropped off my wife asked how I could be so calm and not mad. I told her that the guy already had our money, and us being negative would not change it. Yes we could fight for a refund but it would just cost so much negative feelings and emotions. My wife would get even more upset and put off by the whole situation. The moral of the story is: If you get schemed out of money and its a LOT then you should take up a fight. If the money that you were conned out of is significant and important to regain then put up the fight. However, if the money is insignificant and you're just trying to prove a point, only do so if its healthy for yourself. There is no sense of being bitter, angry, distraught, and annoyed just to prove a point. That being said. You only know your own personal situation best so make a choice that you feel comfortable with.

This is for the original poster. You need to realize that there are people out there that THRIVE on making people's day miserable. People spend the whole day on the web trying to make someone else feel terrible. Don't let any naysayers get you down. Stay positive and in control of your emotions, and theirs. When you get upset, hurt, or antagonized in general you let them win. Just be strong and know that anyone that who hurts you like this isn't someone you would want to associate with anyways. The internet can be a scary place. Heck, the real world can be a scary place. Just place yourself with people who love you, care about you, and who don't make you dissatisfied just for the sake of making you dissatisfied. Good luck and God Bless.

The behavior exhibited is definitely not something my wife or I would put up with. It seems that this individual is failing to respect your feelings in this situation. Make them aware that this has been a negative experience for you and that you want to be able to work through this. Hurt feelings shouldn't be necessary here. My wife and I will be praying for you. We hope the situation gets resolved!

Thank you for the warm welcome.

To the original poster I would have to say that it would be a bad choice to make. I"m no LDS myself but if I were part of this organization or any other organization that does not support same sex marriage or companionship I would just leave the said organization. Your views are obviously not within the realms of this faith, so why stay? Perhaps this is geared toward your wife more but if you have a view contrary to the faith why lie and make a circus out of the religion? Support and belong to a religion that agrees with your viewpoint, don't tarnish the faith you are trying to serve. I personally am against homosexuals receiving sacrament of Marriage and against homosexuality in general, but that is my own personal view. I want organizations that will stand strong on that view and who will not back down on this pivotal moral dilemma. God Bless and good luck.

The public high school that I attended was an overall horrible experience and my wife and I both agree that we will not be doing that to our children. I first attended a private Catholic school my freshman year but transferred out because it wasn't "cool" to be there. I still received a great education at my public school but the ethics, morals, and kids that surrounded me were for the most part a stain on my life.