Jane_Doe

Adding my vote to the "NEVER ask this question". You have no idea what a couple is going through. Speaking personally, hubby and I have one kid. We tried more for years, getting no where, then having a miscarriage which nearly took my life-- a very dramatic experience. And then followed up by a second miscarriage that nearly took my life again, and added even more trauma. It's a hugely sensitive topic. NEVER ask "when are you going to have kids".

Keep doing what you're doing man (or woman). You're supporting her, guiding her, and being a good friend. My personal favorite talk about sexuality and it's beautiful use is this one: https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-holland_souls-symbols-sacraments/ Sexual relations exist to bind lives together. It is worth being in a position where you and the other person are truly committed to each other (which includes marriage).

@Mores, I was that person who never wanted visited for years. I still don't like visited at home because my husband feels obligated to scrub down the house. But I knew who my people were, and when I was stranded in the middle of no where during blizzard of -40F and 60 mph winds at midnight with a newborn baby in the backseat, I knew who I could call & they were truly there for me.

The sister who ministers to me and I are doing fine. We've had the "say hi and chat, ask if you need anything" relationship going before it was the official how-to-do-it. I have been unable to minister myself due to complications, but I was also a very bad visiting teacher before then so nothing has changed there. My companion has been good about contact though.

Having an LDS Christian pray for you is the same as having a Baptist Christian pray for you. The same as you praying for people on here.

Oh I totally don't hide the fact that I have many flaws, don't worry about that. I couldn't hide them even if I wanted to. Again, acknowledging that is different than being mandated to use a certain phrase.

Again: See that the concept you are preaching here is already totally believed. You're literally preaching to the choir here. Can you acknowledge that you hear this and understand it?

The bold part is offensive. Do not confuse 1) not having the culture of using a certain phraseology and 2) not taking any part of scripture seriously.

The phrase "I'm a sinner" is pretty distinctive Baptist/Evangelical culture. Other groups (including LDS Christians) just don't have that cultural phrase. There's still that acknowledgement that a person does regularly screw up, sin, & need repentance, and the fact that we should be striving to follow Him and do better. But not the cultural phrase "I'm a sinner". Hence the misunderstanding when you're using it.

There is a lot of misunderstanding around the phrase "I'm a sinner". It's not an LDS-Christian-cultural phrase, and LDS Christians are misunderstanding what you mean when you use it. Hence, esntailly you ask question A, they hear question B and respond to question B, which isn't the answer to question A you meant to ask.

I think that we can all agree on the following points: - Naturally, each of us have the inclination to sin, and we regularly sin. - We each need to accept Christ desperately, and to repent of those sins. - Even after a person accept Christ, each of us have the inclination to sin, and we regularly sin. This should be less all around -- we do strive to follow Christ's commands and He empowers us to be better. But the process of total sanctification is not likely going to be 100% complete in this mortal life. We each still need regular repentance and to continue to strive follow Him.

That's because you're misunderstanding and getting caught up on cultural words. If you phrase the question as "do you believe that you will still have the inclination to sin, and still commit some sins that need repenting of until the day you die", you'll get a 100% chorus of "yes, of course".

That is exactly what everyone else here is telling you.

I will fall on my face and get dirty (aka sin) until the day I physically die. No question about it. However, I will also die 100% clean, because of Christ's cleansing power. Yes, I sin, but I also repent, and am washed clean.

The offense part is not in acknowledging that each person falls on their face and gets dirty daily. That's just a fact. What is offensive is that you don't seem to be listening to our answers, explaining how "yes of course we get dirty, but we also get clean." Nobody likes to be ignored, and you really seem to be grossly misunderstanding things here and not listening when we try to correct that misunderstanding (such as below). Through Christ and His perfection! Not through our own solo efforts. That is NOT what is believed. What is believed is that we can be made perfect through Christ.

NO!!!! That is totally incorrect!! You're completely misunderstanding things, to the level of actually being offensive. There is 100% the acknowledgement that each of us gets dirty every single day. But there's also that acknowledgment that we get cleaned on a very regular basis too. So asking "are you dirty" can cause a lot of miscommunication. Yes, I get dirty, but yes I get clean (through Christ). The folks on campus would have told you the exact same thing if they understood what you were asking.

LDS Christians 100% acknowledge that a person who has accepted Christ still falls on their face and sins. We also 100% acknowledge Christ's cleansing power. Antanass's words of "lifetime repenter" is a great way of putting it. The folks you were talking to on campus probably misunderstood your question, interpreting it to mean that you were asking "are you aware you're not saved and don't have a relationship with Christ?". It's a miscommunication.

Hi again @AbramM. What do you call a person who had/still has the inclination to sin, but has come to accept Christ and be washed in the blood of the Lamb? LDS Christians acknowledge that each of us has completely fallen short of perfection, and could never remotely be perfect by ourselves. Christ however, is Perfect. And through His power/Atonement, we are able to become clean and made perfect. That's not a license to sin (quite the opposite!) but a call to follow Him. Obviously during this mortal life we're still going to screw up regularly, still need our repentance, and our Savior. Christ will always be our Savior.

God uses EVERYthing to further His purposes. The things we enjoy, the things that cause us pain, the good, the bad, etc: they all in some way help us to learn, to grow, and (eventually) find the fullness of joy. I can only work off the best information *I* have. No better can be done. 1) Listening to God is different that listening to how *I* feel. My thoughts/feelings jump around like a hyper-caffeinated jackrabbit. I'm short sighted, impatient, prone for the dramatic, and downright petty. God is... for me anyways, His voice is calm. Driven by the huge picture, patient, and very reflective. 2) Expriment on His words: go out, live it, and see the results yourself. There's actually a full spectrum between 100% literal to 100% metaphorical. And you'll find LDS folks all over that spectrum, all in 100% good standing.

When I got married, some of the best advice I got was "this day isn't just about you and your husband, it's also about all the people whom love you coming together to celebrate".

A person can still choose to be married civil and sealed in the temple at the same time. Many people this will be the case-- my sister and her fiancé are getting married thus this summer, both coming from strong LDS Christian families. But for the many people who are converts or come from part-member families, having them done separately is now an option. The stress has always been for every married couple to get to the temple and sealed ASAP.

The bishop is a spiritual doctor, to help a person access Christ and His atonement. Every individual's path is different, but here's the base outline: - "Robin" sets up an appointment with the Bishop, usually thinking that this is so embarrassing and being a horrible mess of guilt/anxiety/pain. - Robin sits down with the Bishop, and just tells him. The Bishop is completely unphased, because he's heard the same story before from several different people. - The Bishop helps Robin realize that he/she is a child of God, and helps them best access the atonement. - In the end, Robin is clean and he/she knows it. That poisonous guilt/anxiety/pain is gone, replaced with the joy of being clean again & the love of Christ.

For me, having things be separate better highlights: the civil marriage, marriage traditions, and the sealing. Letting non-members be a part of the civil stuff, and then getting a the time to specifically for God and His sealing.

WOHOO!!!

Marriage is the commitment of two people together, formalizing their vow for everyone to see: themselves, family/friends/goverement, and God. It is something to be rejoiced in. A sealing is a couple choosing to formally bring God into their relationship and formally committing themselves (all 3) together. Is is something be majorly rejoiced in.