Hyena

Just a quick question.. If you are sealed together in your marriage to your wife and she dies, then you remarry, How is that resolved in the next world? Are you reunited only with your original wife to be together for all eternity? But what about your new wife will she end up alone in the afterlife? Sealed to no husband, isn't that a tragedy? Or perhaps I'm missing something? Can someone explain things? Thank you.

Yeah.. perhaps it's time I sought out a local missionary or LDS member and attended church with them. At some point I NEED to follow my heart, but recently my family has realized that my interest in the LDS church is not simply some passing phase I was going through but that I've become alarmingly "serious" about all this "conversion nonsense." I've never been spoken down to my entire life by my family members nor have I EVER heard them speak with such close-minded bigotry. They woudn't even tolerate any opposition or counter points. They refused to hear but demanded to speak and so I ended the conversation myself refusing to engage in anything that was not going to be an open minded discussion. I'm a grown man, my younger brothers have no authority over me. What this has illustrated is that there are going to be serious consequences for whatever decision I make. If I join the LDS my family is going to be livid and most likely vocally abusive over the matter. I'm pretty sure my younger brother, a Baptist minister, will follow through on his pledge to intercede. He actually SAID, out loud that he would do whatever is in his power to sabotage my participation with the Mormon church.. even that he was going to PRAY that God block MY prayers about my decisions to join the church. It borderlines on the ridiculous. Worse, I'm starting to question myself whether my increased determination/interest is due to me coming to the conclusion from my studies that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and the Book of Mormon is true in my heart, or simply that being told not to is tapping into some sort of unconscious, psychological tendency to "rebel." Equally as bad is this idea I keep kicking around in my head of living a LIE.. what I mean by that is I keep wondering if I could simply join the church quietly, personally, and then never reveal to anyone that I became a member of the LDS. After all, what business is it of anyone else's? But to lie to my family.. for potentially the rest of our lives.. Is that truly a solution? Serving Christ and God's will with likeminded people as a member of the LDS would make me happiest indeed, I don't relish the idea of being a liar for the rest of my days or living in shame or fear. So I have some hard decisions to make. Extremely hard. I've been severely depressed for days about it. We're talking about my happiness and my soul here.. and I have no idea what's in my best interest any more or whom to turn to anymore considering that most LDS would urge me to join, most non-LDS would urge me not to. I think I would like to ask anyone with the heart to to pray for me in this matter. And I appreciate the advice you've all given over time.

I know this is an older topic, but I didn't want to create a new thread. I think I am at this stage myself. I have been having some great sessions with the online missionaries, but I"m getting the feeling they are getting anxious to hand me off to local missionaries and inquire about baptism often. I really feel strongly that I have finally found a faith and Church for me.. but I can't bring myself to commit to the baptism. It might be social anxiety.. but I also feel as if it's some sort of... bridge. Like once you cross it, you can't undo it or go back to your "pre-baptism" moment. You're a part of the LDS church for better or worse and all the social and personal issues that come with that will be inescapable. I'm severely curious though.. what ever happened with you Meagansmith. Did you eventually undergo the Baptism, or are you still hesitant like me?

Okay so technically if I begin fasting at 6pm then skip breakfast and lunch I could eat again at 3 or 4 pm? It does not have to actually be a FULL 24 hours provided I skip at least two meals?

That's kind of what I did, only 7pm to 7pm.

Thanks for this info... I wasn't aware that fasting was considered two meals. I was thinking it was no eating in a 24 hour period. Which I presumed encompassed all meals, but that makes a great amount of sense (now I understand what Bini meant by using common sense, something I severely lack occasionally ). I guess it didnt occur to me that I could just take the multivitamin with my final meal before the fast. Thanks everyone, I think I've come to a satisfactory conclusion

Thank you. That's kind of what I was trying to figure out. I'm one of those types of people who strives to do things the right way or at least attempt to do it the right way, so I just wanted to make sure I before I do something that might undo my efforts. Thanks :)

Well common sense is one thing, practice is another. Obviously if I had heart medication, I would have to take exception to any rules. But I was curious about if there was any "official" thought in regards to whether it was acceptable or not. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding that fasting seems to not have any hard and fast rules? So basically, one can just do what is most comfortable for them in this regard? There are no firm guidelines?

Thank you. Actually, I don't have a bishop yet... I'm not actually a member, but someone investigating the church. I'm attempting to fast and read the book of Jacob and about the restoration in order to gain greater enlightenment, as I read that fasting with prayer helps a great deal. I was just curious about multivitamins since they aren't technically a REQUIRED medication for health and missing a single daily dose is not likely to result in a negative impact on one's health. I just don't know all the best practices yet.

I apologize if this is the wrong place for this question. I know that there is some discussion about whether it is okay to chew gum while fasting but what about multivitamins or other supplements? Should one abstain from those as well or is there no rule to govern such things officially? Or is it a matter left up to the individual?

See, I get just the opposite feeling of organization from the Catholic church. To me, it seems like the Catholic church, much like my brother's Baptist church, seems to be content with members showing up for an hour or two on Saturday and then leaving to go live their lives again for the next 6 days having taken little to nothing away from the sermon or fellowship. Toss a few confessions in for the more seriously devout, and that's pretty much all there is to being a Catholic. I don't mean that to offend my Catholic brethren and maybe I was just a bad Catholic in the broad sense. But we never seemed to "organize" anything. There weren't people wanting to drop by my home to see how I'm doing spiritually and physically. There were no "callings" or anything by the Priests or anyone else for that matter to get me active in the Church. For so many years I've been a catholic in name only. It's like a label I put on my dog tags or on my facebook profile under the "religion" section. But if you'd ask me what me or any of my friends have DONE in our "faith" beyond HAVING FAITH? The answer would be a resounding shrug of the shoulders. The LDS on the other hand.. seems actively engaged and to actively engage ALL of its members even if it's just asking them to visit other members or something (I'm basing this on what I've been told here on these forums about life after baptism). That's what has drawn me to considering the LDS. I want to be a part of something.. ACTIVE in Christ, not just being a card-carrying member in name only.

Sadly, this is probably the most likely outcome to be expected for me. Truth be told, I'm not entirely looking forward to this. I attempted to broach this subject with my family today during Christmas. It sparked a rather tense discussion where the terms "cult" and some things about what "black people do and don't do" were raised. It was hurriedly dropped and it felt like someone dumped a bucket of cold water all over my feelings. And yet, I still feel as if the LDS may be for me. I'm still reading the book of Mormon and praying. I want to believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet and the Book of Mormon is scripture, and in a way I really do sort of believe it, but I won't be able to fully convince myself until i've read it in it's entirety. Luckily, the missionaries I've been working with online have been instrumental to guiding me into finding the truths and answering questions, as were some of the people here before I offended them. Hopefully it will be like getting a shot.. mildly painfully for the briefest of moments, and then we all will move on and get over it. If not, then I hope that God brings other joys into my life to compensate for what I'll potentially lose. Out of curiosity, the Gospel Principals class, what is the dress code for these things? Is it sort of suit and tie or business casual or jeans and tshirt? @Dahlia I wonder if it is because the Catholic church feels so formulaic? I equate the feeling I have to big box chain stores. The LDS feels to me like a personally owned business where the owners greet each customer and serve them directly, providing a unique product or service with care and attention. The Catholic church is to me the equivalent of a Walmart... sure it's full service and sorta comforting that it'll always be there and it's the biggest and best or something.. but the service level.. the QUALITY is much lower. Or a better analogy is maybe a hamburger restaurant like Fuddruckers or REd Robin (LDS) vs McDonalds (Catholic Church). I guess it just doesn't feel like you are communing or serving God anymore... just following a set of rules or instructions. It's not interactive maybe? Just my thoughts on that.

Could one also ask to command love? As in command the Lord to help win the heart of someone?

Thank you. I do feel a bit more comfortable. I'm not certain I like the idea of people dropping in to "check up on me" once a week or month or however many times the home teachers drop in to fellowship. I'm kind of a solitary person, and Im starting to experience moderately upsetting issues regarding family and my insistence to pursue potentially converting. It's been a pretty rough period, but the missionaries are patient. They tried to even have me bring my family members to one of our internet chats so they can ask questions and whatever, but they wanted no part in it, which was sad but apparently not quite uncommon. Either way, I'm getting to the point that if the LDS church is where I belong then I'd rather be with God.

Thanks! Actually I've been speaking with online missionaries through a chat I met on Mormon.org for about two and a half weeks now and it has been wonderful. I haven't been back here in a bit because I felt I offended a few people with the way I phrased a question or observation a while back so I've been kind of reluctant to participate much out of fear of exasperating the situation. But the online missionaries have been a dream lately. Thank Heavenly Father for them, I feel I am learning a lot and helping to clear potential obstacles or concerns that I have. But thank you oh so much for the generous offer.

This makes a great deal of sense. Thank you fpr putting it into those terms. I think I have a better understanding now. I'm sorry. I feel I've offended you. That was not my intention. I may have erred in how I made the statement, but I only did so truly out of ignorance and a desire to be corrected on things I do not have the clarity or benefit of experience with. In the future, I'll be more sensitive in my lines of inquiry.

I was put in touch with this missionary when I went to Mormon.org and began chatting with the missionaries there. (They have a chat option for asking questions and the like). After an hour or so they (there were two female missionaries chatting simultaneously with me) both agreed that I would be better served speaking with a missionary. I'm still rather... shy meeting new people, so they suggested I could communicate with one of their "email" missionaries. They took my information and the next morning I had received a pleasant email of introduction from the Elder (I've been omitting names for their protection?) I responded in kind, and then he responded asking questions about my experiences with the church members I've met, if I've read the book of Mormon, and what my hobbies are, how old I am, stuff like that. I responded and it's been a number of days since then. Perhaps it is as you say, his time is restricted on the computer? I did not consider that missionaries might have limited access to technology, just as they only call home to their mothers on several days a year I understand. I'm not letting a bad experience derail me from examining if this is a faith for me. Quite the contrary, I'm more concerned that I could be rejected by a faith. I know that right now the LDS Church is sort of trying to make an argument for why I should place my faith and devotion and works into IT.. but I never stopped to consider that the church might be investigating ME in return to decide if I'm worthy to be a part of IT. I'll have to contemplate this in future.

But one doesn't need to BE temple worthy to be a valued member of the ward right? What's different about the Temple that you can't get at the meeting house, other than a few special ceremonies? It still sounds like "VIP" status to me... Where people get it just so they won't be the only one without it?

I Understand that like anybody missionaries probably have many things to do. But do they typically take a long time to respond say several days, Or should I seek out a new missionary If a certain amount of time passes? I begin email communications with a missionary several days ago but he only replied once asking to know little about myself. I responded with a few things about my age and what I like to do for hobbies. But it has been about three or four days now. Should I just consider myself abandoned and seek out another missionary to contact? Does this happen sometimes? do missionaries sometimes decide that investigators aren't worth it? Might I have said something that disqualified me from Joining the LDS church?! It has me worried... If necessary I'd gladly post the contents of that email here.

I actually had a question about this. I've encountered several other Mormons that I was shocked to discover were Mormon. A friend of a friend that I've been around at outings and parties revealed HE is a Mormon. I never knew it because he practically drinks everyone in our social group under the table, smokes like a freight train, and he's rather enviable in his legendary relations with women. When asked, he told me the REcommend and such is only necessary or desirable if you want to do a bunch of ceremonies or get married, but it's not something that Mormon's NEED to have. But what Dahlia says intrigues me. Is there really a sort of cliquish mentality about Temple Recommends? Like if I converted, do I have to rush and get my temple recommend as quickly as possible so I can truly belong? How long would that take? A year? a Month?

That is absolutely the truth. The only reason I've continued to look into the mormon church is partly because of the way I've been treated. A large part of that is these forums itself. Not only have people been open and willing to answer questions but they've also offered their advice, opinions, insights, and all with the intention of only being kind. i don't think anyone actually WANTS me to become a Mormon, like desires it... they only want me to understand their faith and to find whatever truth that aids me.

This is great advice. And also terrifying. I don't think I'll be visiting a church any time soon now.. haha!

What about the unrepentant smoker? Or drinker? Or sex addict? I'm not any of those things, but I know that they are very important issues that define LDS Faith.

Truth be told, I have never encountered the amount of... rumor and myth and fabrication, most of it negative, looking into something as much as I have ever since I became interested in the church. I mean, I have friends who are acting like I'm considering joining Al Qaeda or something the way they express concern. At best, most dismiss the LDS as folly and that I should seek my answers and purpose elsewhere. Others whisper in hushed tones to me like I just told them I'm investigating becoming a meth user. For example, a coworker earlier today asked why I was skipping lunch. I explained I was fasting. This led to me having to explain WHY I was fasting. Because I was trying to gain better insight to help my faith as I read the Book of Mormon because a lot of it IS hard to comprehend and fit into my pantheon of life long Catholicism and other Christian influences. This person began to relay tales of how the Mormons in her country (She is from Mexico) sell cheese on street corners and beat their daughters in order to make them fear interactions with men and to keep them chaste. I rolled my eyes and tried to begin explaining what I've been learning, even going so far as to show her this site in an attempt to show her some of the things I've asked. I'm not a stupid person. In fact I hold a degree in biology and one in criminology, as well as specializing in microbiological sciences and an expertise with information technology systems. So I am quite comfortable with facts, not opinions. This is why I am so inquisitive on this site. I NEED to get answers and I have questions that I feel I have to ask... and it's the ONLY way to learn. But this person, she continued to dismiss it. Of course the response is, "They'll tell you anything to get you to join." We eventually just ended the discussion because I could see that she was frustrated simply by me defending the LDS church with the tiny knowledge I have so far gained! The worst part is, I"m not even a MEMBER. I'm not even certain I will EVER become one. NOt to hurt anyone's feelings or dash any high hopes, but I've never said I was going to join for certain. I have only been trying to learn what I can to give the LDS church a fair shake because I feel something indescribable about it that Catholicism, or Baptism, or even atheism just don't do for me. Something in me is telling me that if I'm going to fill this void in my life and heart the answers lie here... if not with the LDS church, in the least it's a start down a path that will LEAD to answers. But there's always the very good possibility I'll still say it is not for me. So just as a disclaimer, I do not ever intend to offend with my questioning, that's not the kind of person I am, and you all have been so nice and kind I wouldn't dream of intentionally mocking or insulting you and what you believe. I only ask because I am ignorant. I do not know anything about your church beyond what I can read, google, and learn from members. So I thank you all sincerely for tolerating my ignorance and at times foolishness. But I know of no other way to learn. .... Another thing, Vort you mentioned you were a member for 50 years. That made me think. Are people who converted, especially those who are considering late in life like me where unfortunately I can never have the experience of being a missionary because I'm past the age (28? or something like that? I'm 30). Does that mean I'll be thought of differently by the other members? I mean, is there benefits or status that (for lack of a better term) "Born-in" members (or life long ones) have over Converts?

Do the assignments vary? What kinds of things could I expect to be "assigned." I don't really want to be oiling down wood pews or washing stained glass windows. Someone was telling me that most new converts end up getting bossed around to do a bunch of crummy work, nothing to do with the Lord which is why I asked. Things like mowing the lawn of the temple, cleaning bathrooms and fetching things for the missionaries? How much truth is there to this? I don't mind being of use and service, I really desperately want to be a part of something spiritual and positive... a family. But I don't want to just be a bottom rung free labor either...