askandanswer

I think you've answered your own question. The great thing about Texas  (and maybe Texans) is that they're a world away.

I think you've answered your own question. The great thing about Texas  (and maybe Texans) is that they're a world away.

Doctor Lemon has said everything that needs to be said. I was going to quote John 8: 1-11 but there is no need to add anything further to what Doctor Lemon has said. 

Doctor Lemon has said everything that needs to be said. I was going to quote John 8: 1-11 but there is no need to add anything further to what Doctor Lemon has said. 

First off,  this didn't come on "suddenly." It's been building a long time.   Secondly,  I can almost guarantee you that he's into pornography.  He displays all the signs. I know since I was addicted to the filth for 47 years.  I just didn't have sexual relations outside of marriage. He can change if he wants to, but he must change for the right reasons.   Otherwise,  he will continue to have problems.  It can be overcome;  I know because I'm completely clean and have a strong marriage.  However,  you need to be prepared for some serious shocks and pain.  His bishop needs to know everything if your husband hopes to overcome this.  If he's serious about saving the marriage, and changing,  he will need your help.  It will be a long, tough road, but it can be done. 

Then she's not protecting herself.
2nd Commandment:  Love others as yourself.  In this case, the husband.  I've said this many times on lds.net.  If I wake up tomorrow to find out my husband is a serial killer then, of course, I'm going to send him to jail and keep him away from me and my children because I have to love myself and staying with him will put myself in danger of getting farther from Christ.  But, that doesn't mean I'm washing my hands off of him.  No.  My promise to God remains and I will still do everything in my power to help him repent and get him closer to Christ - the objective is for both of us to get there.  Not - he gets there while I get lost, and not - I get there and he gets lost.

@mrs_teevee, your husband is in danger.  Not only is he in mortal danger, what's even worse is he is in dire spiritual danger.  You promised God you will love this man.  You promised that you will bring him closer to Christ.  I'm going to call you up on that promise.  Yes, protect yourself and your children.  But please, save your husband from eternal damnation.

@Vort for a man as erudite as yourself its always a little surprising when you make a spelling mistake. This - JAG - is not how you spell my name.

I'm wondering how many American children have died because of inadequate or no access to socialised medical care. I suspect its many many more than the number of UK children who have died as a result of poor administration of their system of socialised medical care. Three weeks ago, in the annual budget, our Treasurer lifted the rate of everyones contribution to the national medicare scheme from 2% of a person's annual income to 2.5%, to pay for an incredibly expensive, but well liked scheme called the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The Labour Party are promising to reject the Treasurer's scheme by saying that the extra .point 5% should only apply to those earning more than $87,000 but the Australian public has accepted the increase with hardly a comment or complaint because they support the scheme.

Does 100% of the time mean always eventually, every day of every year, or something else? I ask because I think another socialist country (Bolivia) seems to have been doing pretty good lately compared to socialist Venezuela. And of course non-socialist countries have a good share of economic problems, too--not just right now but throughout history. So, I wonder whether the problem is a country practicing socialism to varying degrees, or whether other fiscal policies might have just as much or even more to to with economic disasters?

Dudes, seriously chill. The USA way is not the only way. I may be mistaken but I think that the us is the only OECD country without government run health care. We nonUS oecd people are, for the most part, doing ok. Yes, Greece and Portugal have some issues but ahem...so do we all. Let's not assume that it is the us way or disaster. Come on now. 
https://www.oecd.org/eco/growth/46508904.pdf

@mrs_teevee, I'm so sorry for the pain you're enduring.  The only advice I can give you is that you need to involve your bishop in this process if you haven't already.  He has the keys you and your husband need to get through this.  I'll say a prayer for you and your family.

Florida -
Beaches.  No snow.  No State tax.  Disneyworld.  Keys.  Cruises.
 
Visayas, Philippines -
Beaches.  Beaches.  Beaches.

Just a few not very carefully thought out thoughts:
Make your own decisions about how you will live your life rather than having your life determined by someone else's decisions. While you are still single don't let your life be determined too much by someone else's decisions, eg, his decision about whether he will call or not.
I think the fact that he was writing you super flirty letters while he was on a mission would normally be a red flag, but because he stopped doing it after a while, then perhaps it is a yellow, not red, flag.
Nothing is real until you meet. Not even phone calls or video chats.
If you do meet the most important thing to watch for is how he treats his mother.
With you moving back to the States, and him finishing his mission, and then moving to Idaho, you are both going through some fairly significant changes, and will both need time to adjust, so perhaps you should both just take that time and take it slow. However, there is some risk that if you are too slow, somebody else might be a bit faster. On the other hand, my guess is that no other girl wrote to him every week while he was on his mission, so that should put you ahead of any competition there might be. 
I love the idea of dating your best friend - what could be better? Especially one who is so encouraging
You need to allow for the change and growth that has occurred while he was on his mission. Have you changed and grown as much as he has?
I would call today, the sooner the better. Keep it warm and friendly and welcoming and make sure he understands, in a low pressure kind of way,  that you are looking forward to meeting with him soon. I don't think I would go so far as to propose a date, but that's a very individual choice and entirely up to you. I hope you might be kind enough to share, in general terms, how the call went, like, in an hour or so. 
A short personal note from my own experience- I'm not a good example of waiting - I made sure that the woman I was interested in had something very like a marriage proposal waiting at her home address a few days before she finished her mission. Its quite possible that if it hadn't been there she would have continued her relationship with the boyfriend she had before her mission.

I've seen Wall-E.  I know what happens to people who always depend on motors to get around.

Advice first, perspective later.
You've obviously looked at the situation from a romantic side, now try a rational side. What are your thoughts about putting in your own mission papers in a year? What's your five year plan? What's his? How closely do they align? Have you consulted your patriarchal blessing (or considered getting one)? If you need to talk it over with someone, try your brother. He will know you and your family, and might be able to give you some counsel.
To give my advice some weight: I'm a YW Leader (1st counselor) in my branch. I'm 31 and single, but my semi-active sister just got married at 17 (she'll be 18 in July) to a (barely) 19 year old Catholic Marine. She and her husband have been exclusive for three years. It's a pretty drawn out story, but suffice it to say it was right for them, and our dad was over the moon to walk her down the aisle.
 

Okay, now that I have a few more bits of information, here's my final jeopardy advice.  Calm down, child. 
Okay joking aside.  I suggest to remove all notions of romance out of the equation.  Then work at establishing a life in the US, meet lots of people, make lots of friends, enjoy Americana, and keep in touch with him through text/phone/social media as friends until you can arrange a meet and greet... add him to your group of friends and get to know him well.  When you've seen him angry, sad, mad, happy, snot running down his nose, held down a promising job, interacted with a puppy, and his mother... and you still like him, then ask him to be your boyfriend.  By then you'll be 21 with a few adult life experiences under your belt.
That's my final answer.
 
 

Nothing wrong these days with the girl making the first move.  Might be a good to test to see how he would react to something like that too.  Chances are as a fresh RM he is attracting other female attention so you might not want to wait.
You are however 17, so your dating should follow youth rules, not YSA rules.  When/if you date, make it a double date with another couple.  I met my wife when she had just turned 15 and I was 17.  We didn't date at first, we met at church dances and youth activities.  When she turned 16 I was 18 and we double dated.  We didn't date one on one until after we were both YSA age.
We were also a long distance relationship.  At first we were in neighboring Stakes and lived about 100 miles apart, right after we had our first date her family moved 1000 miles away, then I went on my mission the year after that and was 3000 miles away.  Her family moved again the same time I finished my mission so then we were a 6 hour drive apart from each other.  It wasn't until after we were engaged that we managed to live in the same city.  We still have all the letters we wrote each other, and I think we got to know each other in ways we wouldn't have if we lived close to each other the whole time, but don't assume that is the case for you. 
Don't lose your head, keep your eyes open.  It is easy to idealize somebody you haven't spend much time with and project onto them what you want them to be.  We don't often expose our flaws and our negatives in the letters we write, we put our best self forward so while you might know lots about each other, there is also a lot you still don't know about each other.  Take your time, get to really know each other.  What is he like when he is angry, frustrated, hurt?  How does he react when provoked?  Things like that don't make it into letters.  Given your age, you have lots of time.

I have a simple piece of advice.  If you want something bad enough, go get it.  Don't wait for it to drop on your lap.  I am, of course, talking about righteous things.  And, exploring a potential eternal companion is a righteous thing.
But, you're only 17 years old.  Very very young.  I will add the advice that you first need to figure out what you really want to do with the rest of your life before you go chasing after some guy.
Just my 2 cents.

I think that He is trying to tell you something. How will you respond?

Still going but in frequently changing directions as guided by the promptings of @Jamie123 and @Sunday21

I have many relatives who are moulded in the image of this schoolmaster
 

My first reaction is to mourn that there would be cliques in Pentecostal churches.
My second is suggest some good, prayerful study of scriptures-beginning with the Bible. I'd suggest starting with a read through Acts, since your family is currently in a Pentecostal church. Ask yourself, and the Holy Spirit, what you are seeing in your current church that seems off (besides the cliques, of course). Ask God why you feel unsettled, and even that you're in the wrong place.
THEN, yes, visit an LDS ward. Again, ask the Holy Spirit to give you a discernment of the rightness/wrongness of what you see, hear and experience. LDS here are fond of saying that Joseph Smith came to his revelations in large part because he prayed for wisdom and truth (according to a passage in the book of James). Do that. Pray for wisdom and truth.
The Old Testament, New Testament, and Book of Mormon all promise that if you seek God with sincerity you will find him--and where He wants you to be.

I'm not sure what your Sunday schedule is like but would it be possible, as a transitional move, to attend a Sunday meeting in your existing church, for the sake of your kids and your friends, and then after that, on the same day, attend a meeting in an LDS church? The main meeting in an LDS church is only 70 minutes. 

I'm not sure what your Sunday schedule is like but would it be possible, as a transitional move, to attend a Sunday meeting in your existing church, for the sake of your kids and your friends, and then after that, on the same day, attend a meeting in an LDS church? The main meeting in an LDS church is only 70 minutes.