Jane_Doe

Yeah this forum is a no-arguing allowed zone. I personally enjoy the peace.

Thing's happen in the Lord's time. Each of us individuals can only strive to come closer to Him ourselves. We can't control anyone else.

Thank you for sharing-- it was quite touching. Revelation = God speaking to us. The "how" this happens varies person to person, as God speaks to us individually, and even time to time. Sometimes it's through a dream, sometime through a scripture verse impressing, sometimes it's a gentle nudge, etc.

Howdy! I'm an mid-aged LDS Christian lady married to an Evangelical Christian dude. I love chatting about God with about anyone, and am on many religious/spiritual forums. This one is my favorite though

You raise several points here-- -- He tells you about experiences he doesn't tell his family. That's ok. I would only ask him to stop if 1) it's hurting you to here these stories, or 2) there's something super dangerous that he's not getting help for. -- He writes multiple girls. That's totally ok: you're allowed to write more than one friend, including those of the opposite gender. -- You're worried that you're distracting him. I think it's best for him to make that call, and for him to decide how he uses his time. Somebody else trying to mother it is...awkward at best.

Forums and doing "easy reader" books with my kindergartener (which for the record is a LOT of work).

I would be very skeptical that the only two options here are: 1) This one set of meds 2) Black coffee and violation of your religious convictions. I would get a consult for option #3 and #4.

When I was a kid, my grandparents would take me to the toy store for me to pick out something for a Christmas present. I would refuse to go, and after I was forced, I would exit the store saying "I don't need or want anything- I have everything I need. No thank you for more." I tried really hard to be truly grateful for what I had... but truthfully there was also a second motivation: that I allowed myself to want something, then I wouldn't get it, and that would hurt-- I remembered times I had asked for something, but didn't get it. So it was better for me to not allow myself to want anything and avoid all that possible hurt. As an adult, I have fallen into that same mindset: I don't want to ask for anything. I don't want to open myself up to that hurt. I remember some times where I have asked for things-- even righteous things I felt were righteous like safety, preservation of a friendship, and I've not gotten it. And it hurts. Part of me wants to just surrender all reins of my life "thy will be done, I'm just a passenger in the backseat." But is that any way to really live? I don't think so. I love my daughter nowadays: and she has everything she needs. But her birthday is on Tuesday, and we're going to the bouncy-castle place for fun. She doesn't *need* to go to the bouncy-castle place, but I want to take her because she will enjoy it a lot, and I want that enjoyment for her. Other points we would't have been able to do the bouncy-castle place, but this year is a good year for it, and we can give that to her. She usually doesn't understand why sometimes things go down certain ways, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't talk to me, and tell me what she wants. Likewise with my Father: yes, He's in control, and His will be done. But I should still talk to Him, expressing my joys and desires, and learning... even when there's points when I don't get what feels like a righteous desire. He's still my father, and I'm not a mindless feelingless drone, nor should I be.

Let's start with what a bishop's role is NOT: "Sally was a naughty girl and now I shall punish her with 10 lashes because that's what I do, and if you had done this you would have gotten 15 lashes!". Issuing out rote smacking to just smack and make somebody miserable. Or thinking it's like get a 3-point speeding ticket, unless it's in a school zone then it's a 6-point ticket... Now let's talk about what a Bishop actually DOES do: he's there to help you -an individual- stay close to Christ. To help us out when we've gotten confused by worldly things, or fallen down, to help us repent and put Christ back as the foundation of our lives. To help us so we CAN honor Him, rejoicing in His house, and be sealed. So the process: you meet with your bishop. If you want to have someone else with you there too, you can. You say what you said here, and he talks to you about repentance (a path you seem to be on already) and helps you make sure those confused worldly clouds are gone. It is to get you right with the Lord & in the temple: all indviduallized. We each can't tell you specifically what exactly he'll say, because it's individualized for you. But I will 100% guarantee you that of a few things: 1) you'll feel way better than the doomsday clouds in your mind right now and, 2) and the end of this & with a sincere heart you'll be hugging Christ.

That very much depends on what's being qualified as "sexual education". Especially in kindgergaten where kids are still perfecting bathroom routines and proper behaviors. But such things are left 100% for sure best taught at home. Granted, sadly some homes to a really rotten job at teaching this.

Howdy! Of "Hi", or "hey there", or "Hola"

There as only ever one Plan. Only ever one way. Lucifer/Satan offers up "alternatives" which aren't the way of Salvation. Yes, a person can technically follow any of those at any point, but only one is the Plan of Salvation and leads to pure happiness. @JohnsonJones, your post was very thoughtful and I'll have to give it a well thought response later (after the kids been ran around).

Might be useful-- the Institute study guide: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/32506_eng.pdf?lang=eng

That doesn't really address my comment.

Interesting. I've just never seen a Catholic say Mass was less than anything-- including in my intensive study of those beliefs. LDS Christians don't find communal or private worship to be intrinsically more valuable than the other. Rather you need both.

So Mass is lesser?

Would you say that a prayer offering during Mass has lesser blessings than individual prayers because of its communal nature? (echoing Anatass's question)

Just pointing out the obvious: your dance partner and who you're with romantically are usually different people. By default, most people are dancing with folks they are not romatically involved with and likely not even attracted to.

That would be appriecated. Makes it feel like I'm talking with a thinking person versus getting trolled.

I totally acknowledge that. But... honestly I put a lot of thought and time into my response to you, and when I get a <=2 words answer it feels... like things are just going one way here. It's nice to talk WITH people. I'm not here to talk to myself.

That was a ... short response....

Adding: In that regard, it is no different than any other class lecture aimed at people whom are already familiar with the basic material. It is when people (especially those with a I-want-to-smear-things-agenda) try to skip that foundational understanding (example in this case: Christ and His love/power for His disciples) and just throw in later information. That's no the Lord's way of doing things. A classic example of anti-Catholics doing this would be the "Catholics teach that we should be cannibles!" trope (I can't roll my eyes big enough at that). Does that make sense @Jonah?

If somebody is coming from a Creedal background, which from the LDS Christian viewpoint isn't doesn't always have things correct, then they misunderstand the KFD due to those Creedal teachings.

When I was in middle school, there was this boy that had a HUGE crush on my gal friend. He hung out with us all the time, they flirted, etc. I truly believed that they were PERFECT for each other. But, he was nervous and It took him until Junior year of HS to muster the courage to formally ask her out. And she turned him down!! He was devastated. But still, he felt so strongly for her. Freshman year of college, he asked her out again, and she said yes!!! I was so excited!!!! When I heard the news, I literally danced in my kitchen for an hour-- finally she had realized it, and the were so wonderful for each other!!! 22 days later she dumped him. And not nicely either. There was no coming back from this. ...why was she like this? Didn't she understand how they were so great for each other? A few years later, I'm hanging out with this male friend more-- cause we were still friends after all. And he asked me out!! What the?!? I sobbed. Literally. The water works, snot running down my face, "What about Sally? She's was meant for you." Really confused, he responded, "No... yeah, I liked her for a long time, and that's part of my past. But it's just the past. I want to be with you." Fast forward: we have been blissfully married for seven years. God... is all knowing. We really don't appreciate the grandness of what He sees, the way His marvels work. And just because the marvel didn't turn out the way *we* thought it would, don't make the grand design any less.

This focuses on comparing a person and their house as being one... ah, that's not how LDS Christians see things. I'm not one with my house- my house is an inanimate object. Rather, I one with my husband: my literal physical husband, and my metaphorical husband Christ the Lord. I strive to make His ways my ways, His thoughts my thoughts, His goodness my goodness. And He empowers me to do so, even though it's only to a small degree right now. How about instead we turn to scripture-- John 17, emphasis mine-- 9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. 10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.