Gwen

wow, i missed a lot. lol i did hear back from the stake, they said it was fine for me to drive up with the yw, all the way to camp if necessary, but that it could be fun for the yw to get to know some of the other girls before camp so riding with the other ward is a good idea. they did ask that i make sure the parents knew that no others were going as an fyi to the situation. i think this is a very fair resolution to the circumstances. as far as my opinion on the other stuff. nothing is safe these days. one must protect themselves and their children from accusation. accusations can tear lives apart almost as bad as the real thing, i've seen it done. i think windows in all the classrooms is a good idea. i know many units already have peepholes in the door of the nusery so the parents can check on their kids without disturbing class. i don't think the bishop or the clerks office door necessarily need a window. there are interviews and such that i don't think need an audiance, when a bishop has a lot of interviews to do there are always ppl standing outside waiting. i think that is enough, having someone outside. if there is a problem someone would know or could be told quickly. the church has always taken precautions in this area, ie nursery leaders are not to change diapers and such. it's just good since. unfortunatly we live in a day when good since means more precautions than in the past.

i was instructed that one adult and one youth or primary child reguardless of gender were not to be in a room or car alone together. when i have one yw on sunday (since i have no counselors) i teach with the door open, that way all who pass by can see what is going on inside. because our branch isn't large enough to have that many adults (2 or more to a room with children/youth) this is how i was instructed to accomidate the policy. the only time i know of when this is not followed is when the youth and the leader happen to be parent and child, then it's ok. there was a scout campout recently in which the letter about it from the stake had a reminder about travel to the camp not consisting of one leader and one boy in a car unless related. as i sated before the stake instructed us while at camp we were not to allow ourselves to be alone in the cabains or anywhere else with only one girl (which again will be hard for me but i should do my best to follow). as far as i know it has always been church policy that no youth and leaders share sleeping locations (ie tent when camping, room at youth conference) unless related. i agree with the policy it just becomes very difficult when you have so few ppl. it is hard to avoid one on one contact with eachother. i try to do my best to follow the policies and assume i'm not an exception to the rule, which would be much easier road to take, but any excuses are simply rationalizing and i haven't looked hard enough for the answer. though i don't always do that. lol being the exception is so much easier and very simple to rationalize in such a small unit. but i try to do my best.

thank you for the consideration and ideas ben.i have been pondering this, i'd like to go to the stake with possible solutions to my delemia and receive guidance or permission (for lack of a better word) to follow through with a course of action. i very much try to avoid taking my problems to leadership with no thought as to how to solve the problem. i feel this is what we are tought in our scriptures. camp is appx 3.5hour drive from our unit. a bit much for someone to just drive for fun. lol the nearest unit is an hour north (which i would have to drive through to get to camp reguardless). i'm hoping, my prefered plan, is to get permission to drive the first hour (she and i) and meet this other ward to travel with them the rest of the way. if that can not be done, though it would be hard on the family, my husband and all our children will make the hour drive together to meet the other ward. my problem with that is the other ward will be leaving around 4 or 5 am (remembering we have to leave an hour before them to be on time), that's fun, to get 4 kids, under 6yrs up ready and in the car for a 2 hour drive (they have to come home again ya know). lol the reason i think driving alone with this yw would be acceptable is that her mother is inactive, she is allowing her to go to camp not because of camp but because i am going with her. if i could not go neither would this girl. we are friends with this family and as such (before i was yw's pres) i have picked this yw up for other things and taken her places (events around town, assistance with watching my children, etc). because of the social family relationship we have i feel it is safe and acceptable to be alone with her for the time required to not create undue burdon upon my family. maybe it's all rationalizing, i'll be talking to the stake yw's pres today. i soon shall know. i am courious though, in other's opinions, am i rationalizing or do i have a legitamate thought process here?

for the sake of discussion we should make a clarification here. when you are courting as adults being alone is appropriate if you are keeping the law of chastity. this alone time is an important part of courtship, and it is left to the individuals to decide where the line of temptation is and to avoid those situations for the couple. when we are speaking to or about the youth there should be a greater emphasis to avoid alone time. there is a reason youth are asked to double date, the ability to have self control when tempted can be greatly inhibited. carguy is a youth and should be aplauded for his desire to avoid being alone and trying to live the standards set out by god through our prophet. this is not an easy decision for a teen, and i can understand where he is coming from with the question. i know that there have been a couple statements recently either making more strict or reminding leaders of the rules regarding being alone with the youth. given the statements i've been recently given, i have to contact the stake as to what they would like me to do for girls camp, i've only got one girl going and the rule i was given is one leader and one youth are not to be in a room, building, or car together; so how are we to get to camp? we were also given instruction at camp training that we were responsible for seeing to it that we were never alone in the bath house or a cabin with any one yw during camp. this is not a subject the church takes lightly. from what i've been instructed as a youth leader anyway.

i came accross this, thought it was funny. figured it fit here well enough. WORKER JED Come and listen to a story 'bout a man named Jed, A poor college kid, barely kept his family fed, But then one day he was talking to a recruiter, Who said, "they pay big bucks if ya work on a computer..." (Windows, that is... PC's... Workstations...) Well, the first thing ya know ol' Jed's an Engineer. The kinfolk said "Jed, move away from here." They said "California is the place ya oughta be," So he bought some donuts and moved to Silicon Valley... (Intel, that is... Pentium ... big amusement park...) On his first day at work, they stuck him in a cube. Fed him more donuts and sat him at a tube. They said "your project's late, but we know just what to do. Instead of 40 hours, we'll work you 52!" (OT, that is... unpaid... mandatory...) The weeks rolled by and things were looking bad. Schedules started slipping and some managers were mad. They called another meeting and decided on a fix. The answer was simple... "We'll work him sixty-six!" (Tired, that is... stressed out... no social life...) Months turned to years and his hair was turning grey. Jed worked very hard while his life slipped away. Waiting to retire when he turned 64, Instead he got a call and escorted out the door. (Laid off, that is... de-briefed... unemployed...) Now the moral of the story is listen to what you're told, Companies will use you and discard you when you're old. So gather up your friends and start up your own firm, Beat the competition, and watch the bosses squirm. (Millionaires, that is... Bill Gates... Steve Jobs...) Y'all come back now... ya hear'.

Farmer Joe decided his injuries from the accident were serious enough to take the trucking company responsible for the accident to court. In court the trucking company's fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe. "Didn't you say at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine,"' asked the lawyer. Farmer Joe responded, "Well, I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the..." "I didn't ask for any details," the lawyer interrupted, "just answer the question. Did you not say at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine!'" Farmer Joe said, "Well, I had just got Bessie into the trailer and I was driving down the road..." The lawyer interrupted again and said, "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the highway patrolman on the scene that he was fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question." By this time the judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe's answer and said to the lawyer, "I'd like to hear what the man has to say." Joe thanked the Judge and proceeded, "Well, as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn't want to move. However, I could hear ol' Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a highway patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Then the Patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me." He said, "Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?"

this particular topic has seemed to derail a bit. but to judge the whole of the site or any one person based on one subject is a bit hasty (though i can see where you could choose to be offended). i have found this one to be very good. not perfect but i've never looked for perfection anywhere. hang around a bit, get to know folks. really is a good place over all. i think several ppl here could have addressed things a bit differently, we all have our days (and sometimes topics) that get is in mood. but then that's my opinion, take it for what it's worth.. ....the same 2 cents everyone else's here is worth i guess. lol

it they weren't wearing those dang flip flops they couldn't be doing their toenails!!!

i enjoy quotes. i like to go and wander through this site sometimes. i don't know how creditable it is but it's fun none the less. http://www.quotationspage.com/

word, don't worry about this one. i too was disgusted when i read this post. it's one thing to have a legitimate concern or to vent, but this is almost worse than a troll. i've never seen or read anywhere in which the church operates or has instructed any home to operate this way. not saying there aren't some ppl that have gone astray and haven't tried it or maybe even some units that have gotten off course. but this was uncalled for. if there is a unit that is really that far off course there are ways to spend your time fixing the problem and this fourm does not have that authority. i've noticed that z has participated in little discussion, simply posts rants and then sits back. z does make the claim that there is no ill will toward any priesthood holders..........i think not. going to take more than one sentance to convince me that there is no chip on that shoulder. if you leave, something to think about before you make a decision, then all you do is increase the creditability of the rants to those that don't know better because there will be no alternate perspective to balance it out. not saying all things should be commented on or foolishness should be combated. but by making appropriate truthful, honest comments elsewhere, experiance will teach that this is the exception not the rule. i think that is a big part of why the church encourages us to be envolved in the comunity. not to combat every falsehood about the chruch but that most members are trying to do what is right and ppl that meet them will know that. their lives and expamples will combat those falsehoods, sometimes no response is needed.

i've avoided this topic due to the fact that i've not had a high recently. over all in life but day to day i've been depressed lately. so that would be my low. but i did have a high today. i went to the dr to discuss this depression and the details of it, to find out what my options are. he gave me several options after a leangthly discussion on it. this is the first time i've seen this dr, i had met him socially some time ago and knew he was a good christian man, and had many small children so i thought maybe he'd take me more seriously than other dr's i've been to. he commented on letting god help me, that is where the real healing is. he knew i was very religious from our previous meeting. i said i'd like to take the plan we discussed and share it with my husband and pray about it, before making a decision. he said great, shook my hand and then stopped, holding my hand he asked if he could pray with me, if he could offer it. i said yes. in his prayer he asked that i would have guidence in making a decision, thanked the lord for the blessings in my life and my wonderful family, and that i would be able to find the answers and peace that i needed to enjoy those blessings. brought tears to my eyes. though i understand the spirit compleatly, i felt a little dumb, but i feel better now. i think i will stick with this dr, it was defiantly more than just medicine.

when my mother was endowed, well before 1990 lol, she said it was twice as long. her personal feelings for the changes is one, the time it takes to do the work, two it did include penalties (never heard anything so extream though) we have never been a chruch of fire and brimstone to get ppl to do right. the focus is on the positive the blessings, right things for the right reason, not out of fear. the temple should be the same. she told me she felt it was to keep that focus. all her personal opinion of course. the temple does include a warning for not keeping your covenents, but it isn't the focus and not a death penalty. i love the temple, it has always been a positive place for me to visit, it has always felt safe, i can't imagine someone saying things (especially to one that has not been) that would make them afraid and have nightmares about it. i'm so sorry you have had this experiance. the temple is a wonderful place, base your assumptions on what you've experianced thus far.

although i agree with most of what he says, and i can see where that kind of thing could happen in an area. i want to make it clear that i have never lived in a stake or ward or branch that has left me feeling that way. i am familiar with unrightous dominion my father did not "preside" over the home as he should have. and my only complaint with stake and ward leaders is that they deffered so much to his authority to "preside" in the home that they never sat him down and said, "look, you have crossed the line, you are falling into unrighteous dominion, it needs to stop........" how i wish this would have been done so many times. if that is going on in his stake it needs to be addressed not ignored. (which posting it here doesn't actually do that) but i hope he understands this is not a whole church problem, but that area.

maybe it's my entirely to generous nature. but this guy, assuming it is the same guy i talked to before, is in high school, a private school, this is a bible class.....fill in the blanks. here is a kid that has been taught one thing and one thing only. until he has some life experiance why should he believe different. so i'm assuming that because he has been taught falsely and is a kid, just made a mistake. poor comunication skills (not sure his teach would have done much better. lol) who are we if we don't at least take the time to teach the difference between an interview and a debate, why that is offensive, some social skills when learning about another faith? i hope he comes away with the feeling of "well, these folks are straight up, don't take garbage, but are willing to help, teach, and share with those that want to do the same, even when comunication styles (or lack of comunication skills) interfear." rather than the feeling of "horrible mormons, they were rude and didn't even give me a chance to understand how or why i offended them" (assuming he even cares) i don't fault him for his upbringing. i do fault him if he doen't take this oportunity to learn and improve his comunication skills. you can lead a horse to water.... besides, i think it would be wonderful if he did take the time and then put that in his report to the teacher. "well teach, you were wrong. after i finally learned how to do an interview (which obviously hasn't been taught), learned how to comunicate without contention (again could use some refinement), i learned that you taught us a bunch of false information. here are the facts, they are christian,....." rob, you want to chime in here? which are you, a troll looking for a fight; or a student, willing to learn for yourself?

Would you like to have an interview with me or a debate over AIM for an hour or so. I don't want to bash a religion, I just want to learn about Mormon's and their different beliefs. In the same way many Christians like myself do not have some of the same beliefs as Mormons do. I would like to interview a real Mormon and try to learn what Mormonism is about. I also chose Mormonism because it was the most appealing one to me to pick. i think i've met rob already. under a different name in chat. asking for an interview, i offered to do it, not on msn, chat is cool with me. i don't know what kind of school it is he is attending, but he has obviously had classes that were less than accurate. not sure if it's intentional or just cause he's a kid, but his questions could stand some work. more accusations of beliefs and requests to back them up (i can't back up something i don't believe lol). rather than "what do you believe concerning.....? that's interesting, how does that compare to what i believe about......? cool, let's move on". when i challenged where the info for the basis of the question came from he left. not sure if that was something else that was going on and was unfortunate timing, but it seemed odd from my perspective. so it leaves me to wonder, is rob doing an interview or a debate? i love interviews and discussing my faith, i despise debates with those that are standing on inaccurate info and refuse to be corrected. after all rob, it is our religion shouldn't we know more than your teacher or whoever gave you the misinformation? this is not meant to be a personal attack or seem rude. just honest, constructive critisism. to help you do a better interview, get a better grade. i hope it is seen that way. if not i apologize for the offence. good luck sir

Shade...how funny....Over the years I've read the BOM twice while in the "bathroom"....it's the quietest, place in the house! LOL! PS: The blessings the Prophet promised have come ten fold and are wonderful! there was a brother in my ward growing up, i always looked up to him as an example of a good priesthood holder. he never tried to hide his mistakes but his efforts to be better were geniuine and never hidden either. one thing i recall most about him was visiting his house and when i used the restroom there was a book of mormon on the back of his toilet. when i asked (teased) him about it, he said he had one on the back every toilet he's ever owned since he joined the church (he had three bathrooms in that house, they all had one), said some of his best reading gets done in there. if that is where you read.....why not.

all the time. it can be very hard. two things that help me a lot. one make note of what you know, when things get hard remember those things. use that knowledge to do what you know you should even when it's hard. i find usually in those times is where the blessings come. i go to chruch cause i know the gospel is true, not cause i feel a desire to go, but then something someone says or does or something from a lesson strikes me, it is just the answer i needed right then. couldn't get that answer if i hadn't been where i was supposed to be regurardless of if it was hard or not. let the lord bless you, recognise those blessings, use them to build your testamony to give you more knowledge to stand on the next time it gets hard. the second is to bear testimony of what i know. take every chance you can to share what you know, use the oportunities as a chance to remind yourself of what you know, to feel the spirit, to carry on. i think we all have times when we forget we know things, we need reminders to stay strong. god bless you in your personal struggles

When I say He doesn't see what we're wearing, I mean He doesn't even think it's worth noticing. Much like he doesn't see what color our hair is, because it's a meaningless detail. But I agree to disagree, CK. this kinda bothers me. i guess that is where i find comfort in knowing/believeing god is my father, he is a personal god, that knows me and cares about me, in every way, even if that means he only cares cause i care. as a parent i notice what my kids wear, and it matters to me. i don't want my daughter going out dressed in such a way that the only thing the boys think when they see her is sex. that's not ok. we are children of god. he doesn't feel the same about us? even if we seem to think we are all grown up and can decide for ourselves. i love to see my boys in their suits for chruch on sunday, when we go to do our family pict in our sunday best ppl always ask if we are going to a wedding later. that kills me, they get shocked when i tell them that is their everyweek sunday clothes. ppl have lost some formality, youth don't know how to have a sit down cloth napkin dinner. my sis said she went to a ces broadcast that the focus was on formality. they were having to tell the young adults to not wear jeans to a wedding reception, they should wear their best. they have to be told this? doesn't bother anyone else? we do care what we wear, it's important to us (therefore important to our father). if it weren't important we wouldn't have comments like a-train's or sf's, the one's about many many reassurances of looking nice or that of feeling better and being more suscessful when dressed nicer. it does make a difference. i've taken seminars in school about test taking skills, they said more than getting up early to review the material, get up and dress nice, take the time to groom yourself, wear something you look and feel good in, that will help your scores more than that last min cram session. aparently dress matters. now i am in no way saying we should exclude someone from a meeting becasue they don't have the same clothes i do. yes the person is far more important than the clothes, and ultimatly that is what god will judge us on, who we are. was it our best, in thought and action? so no we shouldn't judge or critisize others for what they wear. we should accept their best and love them. but we should encourage their best, what we wear does matter, and i think god does care. again the person and them feeling loved is far more improtant than any clothes. my mother recounted one of her earliest memories as a child reguarding chruch, i could still sense her hurt as she shared it. she had a very poor childhood. she went to chruch when she could (this was a non lds chruch btw) but never had the nice clothes. someone gave her a red and white dress, it was almost new. the closest thing she had to a new dress her entire childhood. she was so proud of it, couldn't wait to wear it to chruch. she got there and was asked to sit outside on the step. she couldn't be there in that dress because red was the color harlets wore, or so she was told. she was to young to know what a harlet was. she sat on the steps, in her finest clothes she ever owned, feeling pretty and had no idea why she was unacceptable. i believe that preacher will account for his actions. as will all those who have better, know better, and refuse becasue we'd like to make a point. even the little things matter. the reason behind what we do will often be judged with greater importance than the action itself, in my opinion. on the ear peircings, not to get off topic, but that can have greater reason than apperance preference alone. it can be a very self distructive act. my brother has many peircings and tattoos, even has a hole in his ear you can stick a pencil into. he and i were discussing cutting. i had an experiance that allowed me to understand the emotions behind that (something that always eluded me). he shared something with me. he said, i've never cut but my tattoos are a form of that. when life is just to much that is his way of dealing with it. each one has some kind of significance (most positive) for him, he takes the negative pain (cuts so to speak through the pain of the tattoo) and replaces it with an image that has meaning for him. he said the hole in his ear is the same, each time things were to much that is when he would expand the hole or would get another peircing. it changed how i saw his lifesyle, how i viewed his apperance. it goes way beyond a personal preference. i know that isn't the case for everyone, that is his situation, but it also gives me a different perspective on the impact of such things on a person. i can see wisdom in the guidence from our prophet.

you guys are funny, that song is old. my dad has been singing it to me since i was......lol as long as i can remember. with all the divorce these days it goes from being funny crazy to "oh my, things could get really screwed up can't they". lol maybe that song needs to make a come back.

i had a couple of conversations with my son that i felt like sharing. my 4 yr old (almost 5) came to me the other day and was telling me what he wants to be when he grows up. he climbed into my lap and told me he wants to be an artist. we talked about the different kinds of artists out there, what kind of art he wanted to make, all kinds of things. when he was done he looked at me and asked, "mommy, what are you gonna be when you grow up?" i quickly told him mommys grow up to be grandmas and daddys grow up to grandpas. to which he, wide eyed, exclaimed how neat that was, and that he didn't know that. a couple of days later he climbed into my lap (he does this a lot, he loves his mommy :) ) and lovingly said, "mommy, i can't wait till you grow up, grandmas and grandpas are fun!"

while that is interesting and it could be fun to "create" a pay stub, the reality is i will never see that money. i think the greater endevor would be to figure up the cost of what i save the home because some things are not needed. the deception of the world is that a check comming in is "extra money". if that check goes to day care, convience foods and eating out (due to lack of time to cook other meals), the gas to and from work, etc. that would not be spent if the mother was in the home; it does not actually give to the home, only takes the mother out. it's only benificial if the check comming in is greater than the amt that needs to go out to make the mothers working possible. very few familys do the math on that to actually find out if it is worth their time. there are also the costs that can't be predicted or calculated of extra medical bills, due to kids picking up twice as many illnesses in the day care, lower imune systems due to unforseen stresses on the child being in daycare, missed work for one of the parents because of sick kids not being able to go to daycare, for the over worked and stressed parents that also has a lowered imune system, the effects of not eating healty with all the convience cooking and eating out, the emotional toll it takes on the marriage, etc. now i'm not saying that this is always the case when the mother works, or that just cause the mother is in the home that these things are avoided. every situation is different and should be a decision between the couple and the lord. sometimes it is necessary, but i do think the world has sold a wonderful decption that it is more necessary than it really is. i'm not wanting to cast stones or think that i'm in a better situation than anyone else, just asking what is the flip side financially. what does the home save with a stay at home mom? that's the number that would mean more to me. every time i did a task i could think, i just saved....... lol ok so i probably wouldn't, but i do know in the small town i'm in there is no way i could make enough money outside the home to make up for what i'd spend to be outside of the home. maybe once all the kids are in school if my work hours were only within school hours it could make it worth my time.....i'll have to wait and see on that one, there are things that will still need to be done.

not to go to far off topic, but something that seems to be missing from the discussion of remarriage after death is that of what kind of marriage. i know several who have been to the temple for a civil marriage. both ppl were married and sealed in the temple, both spouses had died, they enjoyed eachother's company so they went and were married till death do you part, yes that can be done in the temple for such situations. they are some of the neatest couples i know. they refered to eachother as husband and wife and the person they were sealed to as their eternal companion. they talk about their eternal companions regularly to others and with eachother, they respect the love and connection there, couple picts of them and their eternal companions were on the walls, family picts with them and their children with their eternal companions. the understanding in the marriage is that you will never love me like you did your eternal companion nor will i ever love you that much, this will be over at death. there was a feeling of love and respect and just fun with these ppl that i see in very few eternal marriages. if my husband died while i was still young enough to want company i would definatly consider this kind of marriage. why not, life isn't meant to be for mourning forever. there should be joy in life, hubby will be waiting for me on the other side. there is also some practicality in it, the couples i know were all 70 and over, but if hubby died tomorrow, i've got young boys that need a male rolemodel. this kind of union could be functional, i would need some support. not that i would get married for that purpose, but that it would be something i'd consider. however, i must say that i have joked to hubby that he can't remarry after i die, definatly not a sealing (he can wait till i can give my consent or not lol) but not civil either. see he has been married before, he had his "earthly fling", you should only get one, i have yet to have mine so i get to remarry, it's only fair........right?....lol. of course that is all in jest.

another one for the moms NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray my sanity to keep. For if some peace I do not find, I'm pretty sure I'll lose my mind. I pray I find a little quiet Far from the daily family riot May I lie back--not have to think about what they're stuffing down the sink, or who they're with, or where they're at and what they're doing to the cat. I pray for time all to myself (did something just fall off a shelf?) To cuddle in my nice, soft bed (Oh no, another goldfish--dead!) Some silent moments for goodness sake (Did I just hear a window break?) And that I need not cook or clean-- (well heck, I've got the right to dream) Yes now I lay me down to sleep, I pray my wits about me keep, But as I look around I know-- I must have lost them long ago!

in honor of all the car talk here, i have to put this joke i came across. A hobo comes up to the front door of a neat looking farmhouse and raps gently on the door. When the farm owner answers, the hobo asks him, "Please, sir, could you give me something to eat? I haven't had a good meal in several days." The owner says, "I have made a fortune in my lifetime by supplying goods for people. I've never given anything away for nothing. However, if you go around the back, you will see a gallon of paint and a clean paint brush. If you will paint my porch, I will give you a good meal." So the hobo goes around back and a while later he again knocks on the door. The owner says, "Finished already? Good. Come on in. Sit down. The cook will bring your meal right in." The hobo says, "Thank you very much, sir. But there's something that I think you should know. It's not a Porche you got there. It's a BMW."

i was raised attending the church, baptized at 8yrs. i was a good kid, didn't do all the stuff the "bad kids" were doing. i think my testimony developed over many many yrs. i had three experiences that stand out as major events for the foundation of my testimony as a youth. i've had many many since then, but these three were the catalyst for my being where i am today. i think i've shared this one before somewhere else. i was sitting in a youth testimony meeting. all the kids seemed to be bearing testimony of answered prayers. i was struggling, didn't feel like i was getting answers to mine at that time. so i sat there rather hurt and cynically asking, why don't i get answers? are they telling the truth or just saying what they've heard the adults say? and other rather non spiritual thoughts. the meeting got out early, i left rather quickly, i didn't want to talk to anyone. i rounded the corner to the hall primary was in, standing there alone, i heard the primary kids sing the words, "heavenly father are you really there, do you hear and answer every child's prayer..." i started to cry. one of the young men came around the corner, my first thought was great, this is the last thing i need. i didn't' want to see or talk to anyone. he came up gave me a hug, said it's gonna be ok, and left me alone. didn't ask questions, just comforted me, and let me be. the other was at girls camp. i hadn't been following the promptings of the spirit well. i had some fears about talking in front of ppl (or to new ppl in general), and though i wasn't being bad, was kinda doing my own thing, not following what the lord had asked me to do. over the course of time i felt like i had lost the companionship of the holy ghost. i had been praying to get that back, to feel like i once had. i decided i was going to use camp as a time to get away from things and try to commune with heavenly father and regain the companionship of the holy ghost. i was doing just that, but not feeling like i was getting to far, and come the last night we had a campfire testimony meeting. i felt the prompting to share my testimony. between my fear and thinking i didn't have much of a testimony to share i fought that urge. it was so strong that the more i fought it i became physically uncomfortable. i came to the stark realization that the lord was inviting me to follow his spirit, that if i did not, i would not easily regain the companionship of his spirit as i so desired. i did stand, i do not remember what i said, if anything at all that was intelagable past the tears. tears of remorse for my actions as well as fear of the situation. i recall finding a private place after and with tears on my knees saying, "there, i did it, are you happy now" (i can be a bit prideful lol) but i did feel that peace come a, 'yes i'm happy with you', it started me down a new road, i did get what i went there for. the other was sitting in sunday school, watching a video. there is one where there are these kids that discuss going to a party. it flips back and forth between them and a scene of these same kids fighting in a battle in the woods. the end point was the armor of god, keeping it on, and trying to illustrate what that means between real armor and in spiritual terms. which i think that description makes no since unless you have seen the video. but anyhow, there was one of the teens that i identified with. kinda bothered me, the kid wasn't bad but wasn't dilligant either. as i watched, this kid ended up taking off his breast plate, helmet, and such, but he still had his sword and shield in hand. when the enemy attacked, he fought but was ultimately killed. that hit me hard, since i had identified with him. lol as i thought about it. the inspired thoughts came to me that i was that person. though i didn't do "bad" things, didn't go to bad places, didn't partake in such activities, i had my sword and shield in hand, i was putting up a good fight. but i was not reading my scriptures, saying regular prayers, doing the personal things i needed to be wearing my defensive armor, the things that protect my being. if i continued on that road, while i may fight a good fight, i would loose, i would die, i could not complete my mission in life like that. i needed to make some changes, i needed all my armor. so that's mine, and i'm glad i shared, lol i guess today is a day of reminders for me, i needed to remember those events. thank you for starting this topic.