pkstpaul

I have family in Quebec, but none are LDS. Being an a small ward, or branch has challenges and blessings. I hope you feel comfortable and your journey continues well.

"In word and coversation"

It's not a relationship. It is a marriage. Maybe in some white-bread world people are clean and pure and don't make mistakes. How easy it is to forget being young. Many of the people posting probably know little of drug abuse. It shows in the posts that think this guy is sitting around the house stoned. That isn't what was stated. Is anyone on this forum willing to take her in? Do you think she's going to just be able to stay put and collect victum funds and life then be void of trauma and the kids well adjusted. This is life. Things are hard. Marriage can be hard. But marriage is two people working, not running. Maybe she leaves. I already said I would agree with the decision, but I'm not advocating it.

These are events outside the home, not something the kids are subjected to. There is a path to repentance and forgiveness. That should be considered first, not abandoing the marriage. Think of the kids growing up in a single parent home where our government supports you only to the level of poverty. That isn't right either.

Welcome. You will find a mix of new and old members of the forum. New and old members of the Church. And you will find many non-members. Open a topic if you wish to ask questions. You will get some orthodox answers and some not so orthodox answers. People here tend to be all over the board.

Life is difficult in many ways. You have a very difficult situation. I don't think it a coward choice to leave, but I don't think it necessarily the right choice. Unless there is some specific recurring abuse, my feeling is to make things work and keep an eternal perspective. Avoid 'in the moment' decisions, even if the moment lasts a few years. That is the nature of our lives and the nature of marriage. I think you will be supported in any decision you make. You would be justified in leaving. But, look at the life you would have then. It will be hard too. Very hard. Bless you for trying so hard.

I believe this existed in our "culture" at one time (1960's maybe). I do know it isn't taught. So, for our dear Catholic friend reading this thread, it was documented in the book because it may have been a mindset of some, but it is not a "practice" within the Church. I've been on ward councils where friendshiping was asked for, or assigned, but never in the context of "getting someone baptised". It has only been to help people work out issues either before or after baptism. As I recall, issues are more about temporal things (getting a handle on life skills) that home teachers or visiting teachers were not addressing.

I honestly would bet that this change in friendship isn't at all related to the missionary visits or your progression toward baptism. I hate to plant any seeds but I would guess it more to do with some type of offense or issues between kids (i.e. offense wasn't you but the kids' relationship). If you are right and they put up an effort before baptism and then dropped you thinking you were 'in good hands', I'd run the other way. I'm just being honest. Where do you live - in general terms? Do you know if you would be in the same ward as these sisters? Sometimes, relationships differ when you are not in the same ward. I've lost friends due to boundry changes that just make me sick to think the boundry made the difference. Still, it is an LDS culture thng we adjust to.

I didn't say either. I'm saying there is a purpose to the gun free zone. It is to assure some level of safety and peace of mind. Some level does not mean 'complete'. I think it misplaced to think a gun free zone makes it a target. The focus needs to be on the shooter not the gun.

The point of gun free zones it to keep irrational idiots from shooting someone because of an offense (argument). That and people who think they can handle a gun and shoot themselves in the bathroom, by accident. I'm all for gun free zones, as a deterent to idiots. Everyone knows they won't stop a mad gunman and that response to a mad gunman will not be a barrage of gun fire. The bet is that we are at threat more by idiots than mad gunmen. And with over 300,000 American gun deaths in the last 10 years, I would agree.

You can ask me. I'm smarter than anyone I know.

It wasn't a complaint; just an observation.

When I contributed to the editing of a manuscript for a fictional story of the three Nephites, the author came under fire for making one of them look less then apostolic by expressing a woman could be ugly. His orthodox LDS editors had a fit. How dare make an apostle look as someone who has human traits! Besides that one scene in the book, the characters were stalward gardians of the gospel. That's how extreme some perceive the infalibility of leaders. I even had a post deleted from this forum for what I presume was my being critical of a local leader, when in fact I only reported something in our daily paper. I really don't think we need to scrub reality to make our leaders look spotless. That makes them unapproachable.

The book "The Magic of Thinking Big", helped me. There is a chapter describing how "action cures fear." It has been a motto in my life now since I was 18 years old. You may not realize what you are facing is fear. Indecision is inaction. Take movement forward and the fear will go away. Afraid to make a phone call, stand up and reach for the phone. You'll feel the fear evaporate. Same with writing or drawing a plan. Take the first step.

Ditto LiterateParakeet. Yes, in a ward setting, a mission or quorum leader can assign someone to freindship a non-member. The intent is not to usher them into the church but to provide a resource for them beyond the missionaries, as missionaries are sometimes very temporary. The assignment more or less dissovles based on if any connection was made or interest shown. A person is not dumped. I've seen it done more when a person has a particular challenge, be it physical, financial, emotional, etc. A person in the ward may be more adept in dealing with those challenges and can offer assistance. There is no expectation that anything will really come of it. It is only a hand reaching out. I will say, friendshiping is not a formal calling and assignments are not granted to friendship every investigator. They only come about as promptings around the thought "what can we do to help".

He cannot free the oppressed by meeting with them, only the oppressors. And, he already knows the oppressed.

It is because you are in Pennsylvania. See the other thread regarding "mission field Mormons". :) As a church, there is a lot of focus on singles. Find a singles rep for your ward/branch or an active singles rep in another ward in your stake. They will have a calendar of events. You are out numbered 5:1 with single females. I seriously doubt you will have a problem for long. You might try a road trip out west and attend church a few Sundays. Make yourself known while you are there.

Sorry, you have to give 100% or you'll continue to be shouted down. You all know...I believe that the fact the saying is easily recognized is because it is easily idenfiable; meaning people understand it. It may be that many of you are offended by it, but people use it because they believe it. I personally don't think of Utah Mormon as a personality trait (like rudeness). I think of the culture created when you have a majority rule in a neighborhood or town. You can't deny it creates a culture. That discussion has been in the forum before. One woman came here because she was doing an anthropology paper and wanted evidence of the cultural impact of Utah Mormons. I followed up with her. She got an A on her paper.

I've heard many horror stories about Utah Mormons but they generally are not about friendliness in the ward environment. I won't give the laundry list I have, so as not to offend some. I think the issue with the OP may be ward specific.

This is true when faith is not excercised but only questioned. Act on righteous principles to prove them out. Don't question them solely to prove them wrong.

Ditto Anatess on talking to the son-in-law first as well as her general sentiments. You are not likely to win on the issue of marijuana alone. It might be best to take a cautious approach rather than kick a hornets nest. As with all morality issues your grandson will face, it is up to the parents and grandparents to teach and enforce morality to the level of which they have influence (i.e. education must be at home). You biggest influence will be you just talking to your grandson. He's going to face pot elsewhere, as he will face pornography, tatoos, etc.

I think the question speaks volumes about the power/value of the individual. So much about "eternal family" has to be answered with an eternal perspective. Will those spirits bond as a family in eternities? I think it has to do with the power of the individuals and if the individuals excel in life and after life. We are all in fact bound to the need for others to excel and we won't all excel in our mortal lives. Great questions have been raised by the OP and responses. This has been a good thread.

I see the relevance of using the swine purely as having a physical manifestation of the miracle. It was a way to demonstrate the spirits where real and that they are dangerous. The fact that the spirits asked to go to the swine shows the spirits recogition of their being subject to Christ. I see no relevance to the fact they were pigs and not geese or some other animal. Just because Jews didn't eat pigs doesn't mean they didn't own or tend them. There is use for the animal other than the meat.

While I do not exepect folks to not drive home points or not hold a line on doctrine, I think it is more helpful to relate to people on a personal level and teach from the heart and not from the Book. And no, Hagoth, I don't believe you to be an "offender". And I shouldn't use that word. I have admitted more than once that communication in this format is difficult and may lend to mis-interpretation. We (I) need to develop thick skin sometimes.

A person's DNA is typed in the generation of the first cell formed after conception. That makes the person unique. You have effectively formed a person. Heavenly Father being willing to "recycle" your spirit to assign it to another DNA imprint is pure speculation and I dare say a selfish hope for those who want to justify the ending of the life that was created. I think, if you are willing to believe spirits can have a second chance, why not adopt the precept of reincarnation in its entirety? If I was born to a bad family and my only chance at the Celestial Kingdom was to adopt a new family - "Heavenly Father, be merciful and send me back to Earth." How many chances can I then have?