Jane_Doe

Abram, the reason I'm a LDS Christian is because upon thorough study and prayer, I find the beliefs preached there for be the most True-- it is because I love Christ and am loyal to Him. I am not a Baptist/Evangelical Christian like my husband because I am loyal to Christ above all else. To imply that a someone (such as myself or your girlfriend) is not _____ because "their loyalty is to a church and not God" is VERY offensive and inaccurate. Ok, what beliefs are most important to you? Let's talk about them.

The most important things are shared (Christ, the atonement) but there are differences in other areas. Obviously it would be best to chat with your girl about what she believes directly. But if you want, we can share standard LDS Christian beliefs and how they compare. Two possible ways to go about doing this would be-- 1) Start with basic LDS Christian beliefs (like MannersMatter posts our Articles of Faith). 2) Talk first about whichever subjects you feel are most important.

She is a Christian. She's just not a Protestant.

That's totally understandable. Let's take a deep breath here, slow down, and walk through things one step at a time. #1, the most important piece) Yes members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are Christians. We accept and celebrate Jesus Christ as our King and Savior. He is the most important things, the rock on which each person is centered on (or at least should be). #2) No, LDS Christians are not Protestants. There are differences in beliefs. Making sense thus far?

Visiting another church is totally fine. However, when it comes to belonging to a church and having it be your home, it is important to go where the most Truth is taught and Christ commands you to be. For example, I have visited Episcopal church (several actually), but I could not belong there because (after thorough study and prayer) I do not agree with their doctrine of having babies baptized to remove the stain of original sin. Rather, I believe that a person should be baptized as a believer, making a covenant with God. Ultimately, after studying many many different beliefs, I really do find the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to be His Church and the most correct, and where He commands me to be. I could not belong to another church. My husband meanwhile, is Evangelical/Baptist. Talk with you girl, get to know her beliefs.

Rewind a little here-- " I think that for me my identity as a Christian comes from my beliefs in Christ" --- LDS Christian COMPLETELY agree here. Your and her identity as a Christian does come from being a disciple of Christ-- that's literally the definition of being a Christian (Acts 11:20-21). The different denominations of Christianity do NOT exist because people have different taste is music. Rather, they exist become there are important theological differences between different groups-- things like "what does it mean to be baptized?", "how does God speak to men", "what are the sources of authority?", "how should church be governed" etc. For example, what Episcopalian church believes about baptism is completely different than a Baptist church. Hence our urging you to have a conversation with your girlfriend about what she believes and get to know her faith, rather than focusing of (no offense) trivialities like music or sermon style.

LDS Christians are Christians, but they are not Protestants. Just like Orthodox and Catholics are Christians but not Protestants. Assemblies of God and Methodist (both Protestant) beliefs also are very different in some areas.

I'm thinking that ideally it's not total repetition because a seminary class can go more in depth on subjects than a Sunday School class. It also can give that more structured depth if a family isn't doing much at home. If a family is doing stuff at home, a youth could share insights. But I could also seeing a low-quality teacher just reading the manual and another one just reading the manual on Sunday. Which, in all fairness, such low quality teachers also were low quality before CFM, so that doesn't change. CFM does strive to encourage discussion, and there is that big push for more teacher training, which is good.

I *think* it goes like this: Freshman starts seminary in the fall, does the second half of that book of scripture, then does the other half spring of their senior year... Honestly, at this point I'm guessing we're get a huge overhaul to the seminary system announced in GC, along with the changes to the Mutual / sr primary activities.

Thinking out loud here, and just curious as to other people's thoughts. Obviously we're not supposed to stop our own personal scripture study with Come Follow Me (CFM). Sometimes in fact, a person has a personal study subject that needs attention, regardless of what the CFM lesson is. I am currently job hunting, which sucks. So I needed a study session on "hope" and had a GREAT & very needed ten day long study session on hope. Yes, I did do some CFM with my daughter, but that was at a 5 year old level after we read "Let my people go!" every night. I didn't get to grown up study of CFM that week, because I was doing a desperately needed study on hope. And then we get to Sunday School, and the teacher is being very big on "tell me about your scripture study this week!". After much teacher insistence, I did open up about my scripture study that week (which was fantastic and full of insights), but didn't relate to her CFM material. And the teacher was... on one hand obviously annoyed that I wasn't following the planned lesson, but on the other hand trying really hard to be open about things and welcoming. What are your thoughts here? I'm not looking for critiques on the teacher (she's human after all), but more of the bigger question of balancing CFM study versus other studies.

Beginning January 2020, seminary students will study the same book of scripture used in the Church’s Come, Follow Me study outline for the year. This means that all Church members — including those enrolled in seminary classes — will study the Book of Mormon in 2020. For Fall 2019, they will do the New Testament. https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/seminary-program-change-2020

Speaking as a person in an LDS-Protestant marriage, your great words are worth much more than that.

Hi @AbramM ! I'm an LDS Christian extremely happily married to a Baptist/evangelical dude. I also very regularly attend non-LDS-Christian churches (cause I'm a nerd that way). When it comes to being married and raising a family, most important question to ask here is not about "which pew shall our butts warm Sunday morning", but rather it is "what Truths shall we teach our children and practice in our homes?" LDS Christians and Protestant Christians are both Christians and agree on the most important things (Christ, His atonement), but have different beliefs on other things (such as LDS believing in eternal marriage, priesthood power, and continuing revelation). For example, LDS Christians believe that a marriage covenant (when sealed by priesthood power and both parties embrace Christ) is for eternity-- you shall be husband & wife forever and your children sealed to you. Protestant denominations declare that all marriages & other bonds are dissolved upon death. Your marriage would not yet be sealed with that eternal priesthood power. Shall you teach your children the eternal or temporary importance of these bonds? Another example: shall you teach your children that the Heavens are open (mommy's view), that they are closed (daddy's view), or that mommy & daddy have different beliefs on this? Shall a child be baptized right when they are born (as is the practice for some Protestants) or shall they have to accept the Gospel & be of age first (LDS Christians and some Protestant views)? Which books of scripture shall you teach your family out of (LDS cannon includes more that 66 book Protestant Bible)? Focus on the most important things first (what Truths shall we teach our children) and reach a common ground. Don't worry about all the stuff that totally does not matter (like music and sermon style).

Welcome!

Hi @Shiva, I'm going to grab some highlights from your post-- Ok.... HUGE RED FLAG. This action he is describing is criminal physical assault. It's a major crime and very wrong. You SHOULD be upset that he did this, let alone bragging about it. He wasn't "protecting" anyone here, he was committing assault. Proper protection is helping her get the medical help she needs and police intervention. ANOTHER RED FLAG: this "joke" is major sexual harassment and complete disregard of you as a person. Such belittling someone is manipulative and abusive. More belittling and comparing: another huge flag of an extremely unhealthy relationship. This^ is classical abuser behavior: phase 3 of the abusive cycle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycle_of_abuse ^This is gaslighting, another classical abuser attic: Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception, and sanity. Using persistent denial, misdirection, contradiction, and lying, it attempts to destabilize the victim and delegitimize the victim's belief.[1][2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslighting That's because he's not telling you the truth. Your instincts are 100% correct here. Blaming others rather than accepting responsibility for his own actions... More gaslighting... @Shiva, I need to be honest with you here: this man you are dating is abusive towards you. The past is not nearly as important as the HORRIBLE way he is treating you today. The Lord's call to fogginess does not translate to "please continue to stand in places where you are degraded, mocked, and abused". NO!!!! (there's actually some great GC apostle quote on this, but I can't find it right now). Please @Shiva, don't stay in such a situation. You are d daughter of God and deserved to be respected, loved, and listened to.

Yes. Like a child partaking, a visitor isn't renewing covenants because they haven't made any. However, anyone partaking in remembrance of Him is always a good thing!

Let me clarify the Lord's stance on this: Sexual activities are a tremendous gift from God. It is the power to create life and bond lives together. It is specifically reserved for a married man and woman, as men and women are designed compliments of each other. Used properly, these powers binds lives and create lives. ANY other use of this gift from God is a perversion of His gift and spitting in His eyes. That includes self-abuse, pornography, sexual relations between non-married persons, etc. EVERY SINGLE person is commanded to not abuse God's gifts, and want until they have an appropriate married spouse. For some people this is an entire lifetime, yes, and that is hard, which is why God gives us each strength. And yes, I fullheartedly agree with the Lord's stance here. I know other people who do struggle with it-- every one of God's commands has people who struggle with it. I do actually have compassion for that, fully acknowledging struggle and hardship there. Hence once again asking the Lord for strength. I have a friend who fell in love with a married woman. Is God cruel for tell him not to pursue her? I know a girl who have a condition which keeps her mental age around 4. Is God cruel for her to never marry? My great aunt never found love in this mortal life and died single at 97. Is God cruel for her to have married? There are MANY struggles in this life, for many people. Not just folks attracted to the same gender. Sex is not a requirement for this life or happiness. Mis-use of God's gift brings misery, whether seen immediately or not.

Actually, this is not true. Non-members are welcome to partake of the Sacrament and regularly do (like all the little kids). A visitor is also welcome to partake or pass, whichever they would like.

The only stupid questions in this world are ones the asker don't bother to listen to the answers. Someone who asks questions and honestly listens to the answers has the seeds of wisdom. And you do ask very good questions, clarify subjects that admittedly can be totally confusing as first.

@WandererO, you sound like a great YW leader. Keep up the good work!

@Sunday21, sometimes for health (mental and/or physical) we need to take a break from people and/or put up healthy boundaries. I myself had to stop attending Church for a while due to mental health issues. There's nothing wrong with this, and we can still keep nursing our love testimony and love of God.

Honestly, there's a LOT about the eternities that will just seem super strange to us nowadays. Like can you imagine running and racing your great grandma, and loosing because she ran faster than you? I can only picture my great grandma as a little old lady who couldn't leave her rocking chair. I can't picture one of my sisters without her anger issues. I can't picture one of my aunt actually wanting to be there and help anyone but herself. Heck, I can't even picture the idea of being able to name all my first cousins, let alone second+ and hanging out with them and having them be,,,,well anything but the psychos I know them as today. Honestly... I can't even picture myself being fully Christ-like. I can't picture myself not battling with pride. Knowing perfectly when to stay and when to leave. To be completely free of past mental trauma.... I just can't picture that. There's no force involved anywhere here. I'll echo a previous poster, in saying that I don't see the different kingdoms being different *places* at all, but more different states of being. Being that fully Christ-like person that is totally there for your family, and embodies God's goodness. Versus being a person who doesn't fully accept Christ and retains some of that selfishness. Yes, a person who embodies more of God's glory will be their to minister and care for those who do not (such is stated in D&C), there isn't that wall of physical separation. But honestly I do see some level of emotional separation, just because the matter of where your heart is.

There's a couple of important things to remember here: - All persons must be worthy of this sealing: they must FULLY accept Christ, and become changed from this crummy sinner on earth to a COMPLETELY Christ-like exalted person. All of those sins (like selfishness) that so bridle us in mortality and plague relationships are done away with. - Being sealed to somebody does NOT mean anyone is obligated to be with anyone in the eternities. It is only an option, each person must accept in the eternities. - A living woman is here to express her preference as to which man she'd like to be sealed to. A deceased woman is not, so both sealing are done and then she can choose.

In case you needed anymore people to tell you there's a mountain of red flags here...

Get a locksmith. The fact that you NEED to do demonstrates just how bad the situation is.