EarlJibbs

Church articles dealing specifically with abusive mothers that supply their children drugs and breaking those relationships? This is pretty specific and I cannot recall any dealing with that. Are you looking for something more generic like breaking abusive relationships? As far as the others comments. Since this is a conversive forum you are going to get more advice than you are looking for. Who knows, you may even be able to get something out of it. I know I have when I have posted looking for one thing, but receiving a ton more advice than asked for. Just go with it.

I think you are right. Most people that pass by and say hello to me or kids, I encourage them to respond politely. I do get really creeped out when an adult starts talking to my kids like they want to have a conversation in the middle of a grocery market. And beleive me it has happened.

I beleive that quite a few expirations are placed on items so that you purchase more often. Even things done to food to make you purcahse more often. Did you know that you can wax your store purchased cheese and it will last over 12 months? Why isnt it like that now? I highly doubt it is all because of safety. It is so that you have a need to purchase more often. You can do something similar with eggs. When they pasturize and clean the egg, it also washed off a protective layer making a need to be refrigerated and used so quickly. There is a meothod to create a protective coating again making your eggs last more than 6 months!! Crazy! I all reality, canned goods may not taste the same way long after expiration, but they should still be edible.

I had a sex offender in my neighborhood, he was about 39 years old had a very nice family with a beautiful little girl. The man had served years in prison for that and drug abuse. My little girl was best friends with their daughter and my wife very good friends with the wife. I didnt know about his previous jail time, and I got along very well with him and we hung out often with their family. I heard at church about it, and found that that many people wouldnt allow their children to even walk in the hallway alone when he was around. Instead of doing the same, I talked to him about it. Actually he appraoched me and said something like "Well Earl, you may already have heard, and if not I am going to tell you now anyway just to be fair. I lose a lot of friends when I tell them this, but I think you should know. Just know that I will not judge you or be angry if you decide not to be with our family or me after this.... When I 20 years old...." and he went into what happened. After his story, I told him that didnt change anything between us or his family and we continued to be friends. He told me that regardelss of still being friends that he would not offer, nor accept to be around my children alone (although his crime did not deal with a child). He was at the time seeking to be re-baptised and was making strides in the gospel and still is. We often judge people harshly, and we often do so with protection of our family and loved ones in mind. Is it wrong to steer clear of those that have violated the law? Absolutely not. But it also is not up to us to judge a persons heart currently for past sins that may very well be forgiven. I felt ashamed (and I judged wrongly) of some of those that lived so called "Christianity" and completely shunned someone without knowing all of the facts. Although I cannot say I would not do the same if I didnt know exactly what happened, it still sadenned my heart. So my opinion to your question is that we (myself included) do often dismiss those that have repented of sins that we ourselves have had no experience with. We do not understand how someone could commit crimes or sins that we are not tempted with. Although they also have right to the Atonement. I think there is a difference between being careful and judging. I think everyone should be careful, without judging.

I do not drink my calories, or alas soda period for that matter. I drink water.

Actually as the OP stated " I don't feel comfortable reconfessing my sin and dredging that horrible time back up" so I was addressing one of the OP concerns as they may not have to dredge it back up if the Bishop already knows of the situation. I am not saying that the OP should go see the Bishop regardless, I actually suggested that they still go to the SP and still suggest that.

I agre with Eowyn. Go to your stake president with your concerns. In all honesty though, he probably knows of your situation so you should not have to go through everything. When a new Bishop is in place, they are usually informed of who the previous Bishop was helping and for what reasons. Not always mind you. Best of luck.

Great posts. I 2nd (or 3rd...) the advice that if you are in need of assistance, what good will it do to give money to the fast offering pool? Will that money, technically be coming back to you? I often think of the airplane instructions when you first board. They talk about the air masks in case of an emergency, about helping yourself and placing your mask on before you help others do the same. If you are in a situation where you truely need assistance, should you not get help yourself first, before turning to your neighbor to help them? What good can you accomplish if you are helpless because you tried to help everyone else first, then decided to try to save yourself? Last year was actually one of my best years as far as our income went and we were giving what I thought was a generous offering (more so that we had ever given prior) every month. Well this year, is a different story, we are taken care of, but are not in a situation to give as much as we had last year. At first we felt a little guilty for not giving as much, but had to think to ourselves, although this isnt as much, this is still "generous" in our hearts and we know it is a good offering.

I have to say that this has been a crazy ride! I read the first 2 pages thinking that I was ready to post something. Then I get to the last page and BAM! I had to read it all, what a rollercoaster! So here is what I have to say. NO WHERE has it been stated on how large your family should be. Actually recently in conferences (that as you stated you "love"), it has been said that how many children one has or doesnt have is up to them. It actually states that in the handbook also, and that others are not to judge either way. So anyone calling me selfish for only having 4 children needs to evaluate their own pride. There are a lot of guidelines and commandments that if followed will lead us to heaven. How many children you have is not one of them. There are a lot of decisions, beleive it or not, that are up to us. And this has been clarified as one of those deicisions. You can state that you are having a hard time finding a wife that wants a gaggle of children, but saying that those that do not are simply selfish is a judgement that frankly you are not rightfully designated to make my friend. Best of luck.

Mt Dew? I am fully recovered from Mt Dew now. Took me 8 months!

I like Loudmouth's post. But I wanted to comment on this also. I have loved ones whom suffer from depression. I can honestly say that their depression is NOT a result of desires not received or a link to Satans influence. I think your statement can be true, but is not a statement that covers the entire subject. There are many many MANY reasons depression comes about. Your example could be one of them, but is not all.

That was funny!

I heard yesterday that that movie is picking up steam and momentum. I may have to watch it.

How about all over the world every day. LDS Missionaries approach strangers and talk of christ and invite them to hear a message. Now you know how it can feel to be on the other side of it. :) Although some missionaries are this pushy, most are not. I find that being honest and letting someone know your of the LDS faith and that what they are asking of you doesnt coincide with what you beleive in is usually sufficient. Playing along doesnt quite reflect that.

I feel that if we look to christ that our burdens can become lighter and our struggles can be overcome. I am not sure however how that would be covered under the wing of the atonement. We use the atonement for our shortcomings, our sins. Is having a chemicle deficiency now a sin? I am willing to accept it if I am way off the mark, but I am not connecting the dots between regular struggles and struggles with sin connected to the attonement.

It's done. I officially laughed at it and I feel better.

Old feelings will remain in your heart. If you were hurt, it may still hurt. If you loved, then you may still have that feeling. But being married, you shouldnt dwell on the what ifs of the past. FB has been great for me to reconnect with all of my Venezuelan friends that otherwise would have been lost in the wheel of time (book reference. It also can be used for the evil purpose of destroying marriages. Not that anyone cares, but here are my FB rules and they seem to work out great. That and the fact that I rarely make comments on FB. I meerly troll to see how people are doing. 1. NO old girlfriends 2. Family 3. Mission 4. Home ward members (from growing up) I very rarely deviate from that. I dont even allow most old high school friends unless we were very close and not of the opposite sex. My FB page can be accessed at any time from my computer by my spouse and on my tablet. It is an open book. Same as hers.

I was about to hit the laugh button... then I thought you may be serious. No offense.

type in "Find Chuck Norris" and click the i'm feeling lucky button.

Ask again. I think I see what you are getting at...really nothing more severe you can do right? I am with you. Give her a calling that doesnt allow her so much time before the meeting? Maybe chorister?

I agree that the candy may not be the problem, but I respectively disagree with the rest. Here is why. If the Bishop who presides over the ward and the Primary President who presides over the primary see this as an issue... is that not enough to ask them to stop? Even continually? How many times have you seen someone be reminded that they should attend class over and over and over instead of hanging out in the foyers. Adding on to that, how many times have we been asked to get our home teaching done. I see no difference with the proper people in charge addressing what they see as a disruption or a problem. Although I understand that home teaching is not just something we are asked to do, I think it still applies by us being repeatedly asked to do it. To the OP, a letter to everyone is probably not needed. Just keep asking that it stops.

I thought about what you said. At first I thought "whatever! why shouldnt we call a skank a skank", I mean I am careful about not talking like that around my kids, but do I use language like that to describe those kind of people or places? You bet, not often outloud, but I do. Althogh my initial reaction was "whatever" my final conclusion is that agree with you. I think you are right that I should not be calling anyone derogatory names, it just isn't Chirst like to do so. In regards to the OP's question, I like to take the moment as a teaching lesson to my kids when I drive by something like that. My kids will even say "those girls shouldnt dress like that" But it is still awkward.

Thanks Estradling. I dont necessarily refute the idead that someone is not prepared. I have the thought that Heavenly Father knows us, knows what can be good for us and introduces people to us that CAN work. Now if you are not paying attention and you pass one up are you blowing your eternal happiness? I think not. Pre-ordination is not in everything and may not be in marriage. If everything were pre-oradained, then that doesnt sound like the plan of happiness. There was a talk in conference that I heard (I cannot recall who and my search thus far has not produced the exact quote so forgive me referring to it) he said that you could basically take any righteous man and woman and pare them up and it should work. What I did find is this story from an ensign in 2010 that seems to second my thoughts. It is your decision. There can be a good, better, best decision in choosing whom we will marry. It says "Choosing Love During the two years I dated my husband, Jon, I prayed often about marrying him, but I never got an awe-inspiring answer that so many others seemed to talk about. I had heard so many of those stories that I was afraid marrying Jon wasn’t right unless I had a miraculous confirmation experience too. I was also weighing a decision about serving a mission. I proceeded with the process of putting in my papers and met with my bishop. He asked about my relationship with Jon. The bishop suggested that if I was OK with Jon marrying another girl, then I should move forward with serving a mission. If I was not OK with his being with someone else, then maybe I should reconsider. I spent a lot of time thinking about that counsel. I knew I loved Jon, but I didn’t want to give up other good opportunities. As I was praying over the matter one day, I received the distinct impression through a feeling: “It’s your choice.” As unromantic as it may sound, that answer was exactly what I needed. Of course it had always been my choice, but this prompting reminded me that I didn’t need to wait for earth-shattering, divine intervention to tell me to marry Jon; I knew we were compatible, I knew I loved him, and I knew marrying him would be a good thing. All that was left was for me to make the choice. “If it’s my choice,” I thought, “then I choose him.” It was hard to give up the opportunity of a mission, but from that moment on, I was committed, and we started planning for marriage. I still had occasional doubts and fears, but because I had made the choice to marry Jon, I also had made the choice to help things work out." As far as discriminating against anyone that is not an RM... I will not tell my own daughters when they are old enough that they should not marry a non-RM. But I will teach them the importance of YM going on missions and to seek those that honor their priesthood duties.

I think you are incorrect, we have the right to choose and should. Consulting with our Father in Heaven is not to say he chooses for us. Listen to his councel, but dont place everything on his lap for him to take care of. If someone doesnt want to marry someone that is not an RM, that is their choice. I dont beleive that will hold them up from getting to Heaven any more than someone that cannot go on a mission. One of those things that in the end... probably will not matter. I had a choice to change employment a few years back. I prayed and asked which one was correct for me and my family. I received no such revelation as to which one I should choose. I asked the question differently, I prayed about each one individually and asked if my family would be taken care of if I chose to go with that particular job. I received a resounding yes for both and had the feeling that God was saying "I don't care. what do you want to do?". There can be a lot of instances where there is no incorrect answer with your choices, including who will be your spouse. Whether you chose an RM or not... not important. Who that person is in their heart and how righteous they are? Very important.

Well put in my opinion Dravin. I am super happily married. But I am in the firm belief that there is not just 1 person that we could ever be compatable with. I found someone amazing, I told my Heavenly Father that I wanted to be with her and asked if that was cool with him. Could this have been done with other girls? I am sure of it. To state that you have 1 person that you are pre-destined to be with seems a little manipulative. God is not always going to tell us if the left path or right path is the one to take... sometimes it can be whichever one WE want. We get a preference in all this. We cannot take our choice out of the equation.