zkoc2076

Wow thank you kindly everyone for all your helpful replies - how welcoming and lovely atmosphere this is I truly appreciate. I am very grateful Widseeker for the document what wonderful and heartening information it contains. And much respect and compliments to your wife for seving mission in Rio how admirable. I very much like the quote by Joseph Smith 'lose their vicious dispositions and cease to destroy the animal race', and I also think it is very wonderful standpoint that 'animals like humans will recieve salvation' - this I think is a very pleasing and progressive view on animals - it always made me sad that in numerous faiths animals not only suffer unwarranted cruelty, but are deemed unworthy of an afterlife. It is interesting that point about animals being more obedient to God's laws - this was an interpetation of Mark 5:1-20 proffered by Frank Hoffman (on a website called all-creatures.org which is a site about kindness to animals through the scope of Christian morals - hope it is accatptable/not contrary to the rules of the forum to refer to it here) that the swine drowned themselves because animals are godlier and more resisting of evil than humans. An thank you FunkyTown that is a beatiful and poetic description about individuality and the covenant of bearing each other's burdens. It sounds like a truly wonderful and caring community. I also appreciate your comments about depression thank you. And that is really great about Punk too - thanks for the specific examples! :) Good that even knee is considered modest enough - my self consciousness makes me hide more than that though :) Ah skippy740 - that is a true point about 'ism' I see what you mean forgive me if I worded it poorly! I certainly do not intend to lecture about it at all I respect other's choices and have far too much humility and also shyness to impose my views on others! I'd not eat the meat at the bbq of course but I'd never prevent others from doing so or judge them for it. I do have a sort of complicated realtionship with animals and spirituality though - so it does not sound like it's just a "whim" etc maybe it would be helpful to explain, even if it sounds odd, that I sort of arrived AT spirituality due to my fondness for animals and this (for example the afore mentioned site allcreatures) because with the vegatarian"ISM" what I don't like, about say Peter Singer's famous "Animal Liberation' book, is that it focuses too much on "cold"/"rational" logic economic reasons (eg. he mentions groups that think it is okay to eat meat from bins because then you are not paying and supporting the factory-farmers that exploit the animals) and I think it is too empty of heart/spiritual reasons i.e. a respect of sanctity for living beings as such. And that respect sanctity for beings then influenced my views on other issues related to humans. And thank you annewandering for the example about your daughter and clarification about missions - though just for clarification, what about door-to door/street talking to people is that similar too i.e. it is not required? I'd most certainly be very keen to contribute to charitable activities of manual labour type if such forms are avialble (for example I voulnteer at a cat shelter), though I do not have confidence nor social skills nor charisma to be "talking" to people which I have much problems doing even on a day-to-day basis.. Thank you again for so helpfully and welcomingly replying. :)

Esteemed LDS, I find the core values outlined very interesting, though am very interested to learn about particular topics (and please forgive me for unlearnedness of these question as I am very new) ; *Perhaps most relevant to me, I am wondering if there is a stance/view on animals? I am a vegetarian and strongly believe in animal rights, and I know different faiths view this differently (for example some believe 'Unconditional love and compassion is the foundation of our peaceful means of accomplishing this goal for all of God's creatures, whether human or otherwise' whereas some belive in 'human dominion over other species' and that animals exist 'altogether for our sakes'). Is there a LDS viewpoint or is it up to the individual? Is vegetarianism and belief in animal rights permissible? *Missionary - this is something which is written about a lot, however, I am painfully shy and have severe depression which impedes my poor social skills - so this means I could not be a member because I would be unable to fulfill missionary attributes? Or active missionary work is not a mandatory part and different ways of participating exist for people who are too shy? *"Modest appearance" - this one I also worry about - how precisely is this one defined? I would never wear immodest clothing skirts always go at least to ankles, etc, however, my hair is unnaturally dyed blue and purple and short in the back (Nina Hagen and Nightwish are examples of females who look "Punk" but are and have Christian values). Would my hair be frowned upon or it would be okay so long as I am conservative otherwise (which I assuredly am)? Thank you very much for your time.

Greetings, I am a young university student who loves animals, is deeply depressed and deeply shy, and yearning for spirituality and guidance and very interested in LDS (I very much esteem the emphasis on learning, self improvement and help to others - in short the values very much appeal to me) and very much hope to learn more about this faith and hopefully one day overcome my shyness to perhaps attend a Church meeting.