Silhouette

Yes, it is very exciting, indeed! Congratulations on making this wonderful decision. As far as preparation goes, most wards offer a temple prep class that will address this very question. The class will cover everything you need to know and do in order to enter the temple in the best possible spirit, and get the most out of the experience. I would ask your Bishop about starting up a temple prep class if your ward doesn't already have one going. Best wishes on your exciting journey!

Well, if the lesson were to come to ME because of the difficulty in performing the duties of the calling itself, I could see your point, but I don't anticipate me having any problems in that regard. Perhaps you mean that THEY will learn humility by being forced to accept the Bishop's choice?

There are several free anti-virus programs that work well. My husband is an engineer and works on a computer all day every day. Two free ones he recommends are Avast and Avira. If you end up deciding to pay for one in order to get higher quality, Kaspersky is the highest rated one. I don't know what it costs, but I'm sure you can Google it and get lots of information. Where I live in California, if you purchase a computer from Costco, it comes with a full year of Kaspersky free. Hope this helps, at least insofar as your anti-virus issue goes. As for your fear of the computer, I'm afraid I don't have any advice for you in that regard.

Yes, it did make sense, but I should have used an emoticon by my statement. It was intended as a wry joke. I don't really have that attitude in my heart. The fact that the Bishop received personal revelation about me specifically keeps me from having any spite in my heart over this situation. I'm grateful that the Bishop told me about the revelation. I have a feeling that this is what will sustain me in those difficult times when I might doubt myself.

I will meet them for the first time on Sunday, after Sacrament, when I go to the organization. I don't even know their names. Have never met any of them. I'll take notes and talk with them about their expectations for me, and I'll try to remain positive and upbeat.

I'm sure going to try!

I'm asking myself the same question about the Presidency and Bishopric member.

Well, I'm not afraid of the calling. To fear it has never occurred to me. My concern is the negative feelings that the leaders over the organization seem to have over me being in the position. I've never doubted that I could do the calling successfully, as long as I get the support from my leaders. I do intend to enter into the position in faithfulness. As I mentioned, I have prayed about it and felt the Spirit, so my faith is not the issue.

I guess my concern is that the Bishop THOUGHT that was why they didn't want me. He did not seem at all sure that their reasons were that noble.

Thank you so much for your kind words and comments. I won't say anything to them about what the Bishop told me. I'll just wait and see what happens. I'm going to the organization on Sunday after I'm sustained (assuming none of them raises their hand to oppose) and I'm taking a notebook to write things down. I hope that will help me to remember duties and head off any forgetfulness on my part about what I'm supposed to do.

All this is very true. I told my husband that I was determined to be successful just to spite the naysayers.

It's funny you should say those things about my Bishop. He did in fact ask for a hug afterwards in the hallway outside his office. (He didn't feel it was proper to hug behind a closed door.) When I told him I would consider taking the calling after discussing it with my husband, his response was a huge, wide smile and a clap of his hands, and a big "Yes!" Then after I did discuss it with my husband, I texted the Bishop and told him that I would definitely accept the calling. By his response, you would have thought that we were two young people and that I had just accepted his proposal of marriage. "Wow!!! That's wonderful, Melanie! You have made me so very happy! I'll get the ball rolling! Wow, this is great!!" I'm glad SOMEone is happy about this.

I will briefly review my history for those who have forgotten or don't know me well. I have been inactive for a number of years and have just recently returned to Church. I didn't break any temple covenants while inactive, and continued to wear my garments and pay a full tithe. I did experience some Word of Wisdom problems, but stopped several months ago, and have repented and kept up regular meetings with my Bishop for the past year, to discuss my progress and goals during my reactivation. The meetings began while I was inactive, and are continuing. This past Sunday my Bishop presented a calling to me, the nature of which I can't discuss yet because I've not been sustained yet. However, I would like to relate to you all some things that my Bishop told me at the time he presented this calling to me. Things I have struggled with. First, he told me that he had had a personal revelation about me specifically, telling him to offer me this calling. That part was great. No issues there. Then he proceeded to tell me that the Presidency involved in this position said very plainly that they did not want me in the position. And that the counselor in the Bishopric over this organization expressed serious reservations too. The Bishop told me that he ended up having to just about force the issue, and that he "really went to bat" for me. He told me that when these folks realized that he WAS going to extend the calling to me despite their protests, they then came up with the suggestion of calling an additional person to share the calling with me. He vetoed that idea too, saying that me doing it on my own was a great opportunity for growth and experience. This position is held by only one person, and calling a second person to the same position is absolutely outside the norm. Now, he tried to soften all of this by saying that he didn't think they didn't want me because I couldn't do the job, but that he thought it was because they were afraid that I would be overwhelmed by it and stop coming again due to the stress that goes along with this calling. They told him that they wanted someone who could "hit the ground running." I didn't particularly want to go into this organization in the first place. They don't want me in it anyway. To me this is a recipe for disaster. I did accept the calling and am supposed to be sustained and set apart this coming Sunday. Despite my own reservations about this organization, I have prayed about it and felt the Spirit. I will do my very best and have faith in the Lord that He will be beside me all the way. Nevertheless, it feels like I'm going into a place where I am clearly not wanted, and that the odds are already stacked against me for success. I dislike having to be "forced" on anyone. I feel that I'm diving head first into a very hostile situation. Thoughts? Advice? Thanks in advance. I am really struggling with all of this.

Thanks for your explanations and clarifications, everyone. I appreciate it very much.

Regarding home teachers, you should make it known to your Priesthood leader(s) that your assigned home teachers are not coming, and that you wish to be given new ones. Regarding your feeling that your ward doesn't care about you, you should set up a meeting and talk with your Bishop about this. You come across as a very quiet, humble individual, which is good, but perhaps you ought to try to be a little more proactive in finding solutions to the issues you've raised. The people in your ward probably do not even know that you are feeling this way. Tell them. Start with your Bishop and your Priesthood leaders. People who are hurting us often don't realize that they are doing so. They can't fix it if they don't know anything is wrong.

Joseph Smith didn't "make" a church or religion. He was the instrument by which the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the Earth. He restored the Church, but he didn't "make" one.

Yes.

I've been very fortunate in my two major hospitalizations here in California. I had two large, serious bloodclots in my leg and had to be hospitalized for a week in my local hospital. At first I was given a double room, but the other patient's family was there, and became very rowdy and disruptive the same evening I was brought in. I didn't have to say a word. That very evening the staff actually cleared out a hospital room they had been using for storage, and moved me to it. It was a double room, but they never put another patient in there with me, so I basically had a private room for the whole week I was in the hospital. The insurance was billed for a double room rather than a private one. The second time I was at Stanford University having cancer surgery. Again I lucked out and got a double room, but no one else ever came in. It was very nice both times. I guess I've just been lucky in that regard.

Welcome to the forums. I hope you'll enjoy being here, and I hope that Heavenly Father will help you and your husband in your times of trial.

Yes, they are still considered sealed even in the case of divorce, unless one of them is excommunicated at some point, or if a sealing cancellation is requested by one of them and is granted. It is not easy to get a sealing cancellation, and circumstances must be extreme in order to be granted one. On a side note about sealing cancellations, a friend of mine found herself in the unusual circumstance of having two sealing cancellations. She was sealed in the temple to her first husband, who turned out to be physically abusive. She divorced him and requested a sealing cancellation which was approved. She then married for a second time and was sealed to her second husband in the temple. He also turned out to be physically abusive. She requested and was granted another sealing cancellation in that case as well.

Yes, the lady in our ward teaches early morning Seminary, too. I don't know how she or the kids manage it! As far as I know, she doesn't get paid.

That is quite a coincidence, JAG. I live in the San Joaquin Valley now. This explanation makes sense if people are teaching Seminary full time, but what does released-time mean? A sister from my ward teaches early morning Seminary, and as far as I know, does not get paid.

Eowyn, I was so sorry to see this. May Heavenly Father comfort you with the knowledge that your dad is just fine in His and the Savior's loving care.

I heard about this on another LDS forum. I have always thought that Seminary and Institute teaching was a calling, and didn't get paid.