sxfritz

I know I am different than many people on this, but I HATE gifts for Father's Day.I want a nice quiet day just doing things I choose to do.

Since when is marriage not a commitment?

I heard, although not from the greatest source, that the Church is considering changing the policy so that everyone has a civil marriage first. For one, it should be consistent world wide, but it appears there are legal issues even in certain states. I wasn't aware of the year wait. It doesn't make sense to me, but it isn't an issue for me anyway.

I thought it interesting. Someone living my dream.

@stringsofcoins, you sound like my brothers. Both look at marriage the same way but one is also an inventor; a bit of a genius. He has fantastic ideas that would solve so many issues in the world - especially around energy independence. The problem is....he won't build anything because the courts favor these trolls who sue on patent rights. So, he continues to dream and feel frustrated that the world is holding him down. ---wish I was using an anonymous account right now :) Fact is, you are too young and have a lot of life to live to be thinking you've decided on a path regarding relationships. I also see it a mistake for you to see your "friends" as permanent or that you are somehow bound with them by your current thoughts and ideas of marriage. You will meet someone with whom you will love and not want to lose. And, maybe you won't. But to blame the courts as the reason not to marry is a weak crutch that will break and is insulting to women. You know that and is why you wrote all this out to us. I hope it was therapeutic. Now go out and treat the women you meet with some respect.

They kinda lost me early when they went over the top to portray women with strong roles and voices. It isn't that I don't think women should have strong roles and voices, it is that Hollywood made the effort to go against what was cultural then to portray what is cultural now. Overall, the show just couldn't keep my attention past the first night.

I love that my granddaughter will talk to anyone. It shows her compassion. She's taught right from wrong and trusted to do the right thing. Fear is not productive and people skills is extremely valuable. I hope to take whatever gift it is she has and develop it for myself.

I bet most kids come away from it as you (and I) did with the Ouija board and think it interesting but not real. My parents told me it was just a game and I treated it that way. I had no desire to conjure up spirits and so I never did. Just be open in discussing it with children so they have an open mind and not giving weird people influence over them. So many challenges as a parent, I don't see this one as a biggie.

In context, you have a settlement of whites living in a land of savage people of darker complexion. Thus far, the book is only describing the white settlement. I understand the "cursing" as nothing more than the separation of the wicked whites so they were mixed with the people of the native land, which are perceived (remember the book is written in the reflective - hindsight) as evil or backward. The curse is the separation and not the changing of their color. The color changed only because they are now "forced" to breed with the native people, or maybe better worded "forbidden" to breed with the white. In effect, it changed the race of the wicked whites.And because they were evil, the race was then perceived evil. It isn't that they were made dark because of their evil.

Hi, Your original question is if it matters if your father is not a member. Absolutely not. You can be baptized with his permission. Members in your congregation will provide you the support you are looking for that you may feel should be coming from your family. You will have many leaders who care about you and watch over you. Some will be leaders of organizations like the Young Womens group, or Relief Society, but you will have a bishop you can talk to at any time. You should, of course, honor your father's wishes he he doesn't want you to join, but that doesn't mean you cannot be active with the Church. There are many people who "investigate" the Church for years before being baptized. I seriously doubt your father will criticize you for finding supportive friends who make you happy. Once he sees what a change it makes in your life, he'll be supportive. My father is a very devote Roman Catholic. When I joined the Church, he wasn't happy but he was supportive because he saw that I needed a direction in my life. He was even the one to ask the missionaries to visit me (hoping I wouldn't actually join). He continues to support me today. Seeing your post makes my day! I had to reach out when I was young and wish I did earlier that I did. Best wishes!

I don't believe Lehi's dream to be anything other than a lesson and nothing literal. As for the Garden of Eden, some will say it is literal and some say symbolic. I say it is both. I believe it exists spiritually and was physically manifested to Adam and Eve. It is spiritually hidden from us because of the fall. As for the tree, serpent, fruit, etc, the value is the same to us whether they are symbolic or not. Why would the lesson be any less meaningful? So why put so much thought into if they are real or not. The lesson is real.

Brigham Young wrote that if we plan to walk streets paved in gold, it will be on gold me mine. So, yes, we will go to work. That was part of the motivation for me writing Wind of Fire.

I too felt alone in the Catholic church. I attended and was as active as I could be and joined pro-life activities. But I never found friends and I didn't find my priest to care much about my spiritual well-being. The LDS church gave me a feeling of belonging even before I went to my first service. I studied the church for several months with the missionaries and only went to my first service because the bishop wanted me to attend before I was baptised. After baptism,I found a home and everything I expected a church to be. My father and brothers are very devote Roman Catholic. My father is very active but he will be the first to tell you that it is hard to be active as a Catholic and that you are responsible for your own level of activity. In other words, he has to "make" work. Best wishes. I hope you continue to visit and allow the missionaries to teach you.

I wrote my novel, "Wind of Fire", based on Bruce R McConkie's writings, in which he describes what you call premillennialism. A council is called at which time Jesus ushers in the Millennium. It is difficult to reconcile many sources and conflicting prophecies, but I found it interesting to try. It wasn't so important to me to get the doctrine exact as it was to contrast pre and post millennial life. What is it we expect life to be like during the Millennium?

I am officially announcing the release of my second self-published book, Natiya's Garden. It is an LDS themed fictional story and a companion to Wind of Fire, in the sharing of one of my more colorful characters. I finished in January and published it via Amazon/Kindle. I haven't openly marketed it as I worked on some editing and waited for some valuable critical feedback. Natiya's Garden is a novel-lite; only just over 100 pages. Wind of fire was a full novel with 75,000 words. Both have young female protagonists and are suitable for any age. They are hero themed and intended to be spiritual uplifting and thought provoking. I'm grateful to you nice folks here in the Forum for allowing me to express my spiritual interest comfortably. Regards http://www.spiritualleaves.com/

No mattresses. They will be a flat $25 fee added for a mattress in nearly every dump I have used.

I had not heard of the rules and they certainly are not enforced at our ward. That doesn't mean it isn't a good idea and shouldn't be carried out when feasible. I've been to unsafe areas and would understand if it was a local policy there.

Rich, you are a capable person. Your stake needs you.

I think social media a fad that will wear itself out for reasons such as your story. At some point we all have to live in real life and this online world has to have shrinking influence. I'm not saying it will happen tomorrow. The Internet was a jolt to our system and evolution is slow. Evolution will eventually catch up.

Sounds like the basis for a novel. I might just write it. Unfortunately, I believe it could only have a tragic end. Take the year to work. By the end of the year, you may find many other opportunities open up. I not saying you must set aside your dreams, I am saying life has a way of taking over. Get busy on the job and saving money and as Eowyn said, maybe focus on your state of health. We all need it from time to time.

You should put it on the market as soon as you can. The contract will stipulate that the tenant has occupancy until the end of the lease. It happens all the time. It will turn away some buyers, sure. But the same buyers would not have stayed in the market until August anyway (30-60 days max). Selling, like finding a job, is all about timing - hitting the market at the same time as the opportunity (buyer). You may not sell, but you will lose nothing. On the other hand, there is every possibility that you will sell to an investor or the people are looking only for the right house and not the right time (i.e. they can wait for occupancy). The market, at least in Colorado, is super hot right now. It will only wain as the summer goes on and more homes are on the market and builders complete more homes. Good luck!

I've been in caustic wards. I know what it is like. With the commonly stated three fold mission of the Church being mission, temple, and edify the Saints (fourth is service, per the handbook), my personal philosophy is edify the Saints has to be primary. If the people coming to church are not filled with the Spirit then the other two missions will fail. I feel, a bishop should focus on needs internal to the active members of the ward and the mission, temple, and service missions will fill themselves. If a ward focuses on mission but you have a ward grumbling because they hate their callings or there is animosity toward leadership, or whatever internal problems a ward can have, they members are not going to invite people in and people coming in won't stay. Same with the temple. If people are not happy they will not be drawn to the temple. That doesn't mean not teaching the principles and of course people's happiness comes from obedience to the gospel, but a bishop can do a lot to focus on harmony within a ward rather than statistics of activity and conversions and endowments. Some things I've thought of: Teach people how to give talks. So many Sunday meetings are butchered by a series of bad talks.Focus on teacher development.Rotate in a good number of classes other that Gospel Doctrine - always have a choice of another class such as family relations. Maybe even classes on self-reliance.If someone hates their calling, release them. Waiting for them to change and find the Spirit could be driving people away.If someone loves being in Scouts, leave them in Scouts. Same with Primary teacher (they are hard to find).Spend money on socials - or find creative active socials with little costSpend money on youth activity - or find creative active socials with little cost (off schedule sport activities)If people enjoy being at church on Sunday, or other days, it will be natural to tell their inactive friends about what's going on. It will be natural to invite people to come out or to listen to the missionaries.

Welcome!

I've been married to one for 30 years and I adore her shortness. She often tells of what a terrible handicap it is - if people only knew. Everything about her tells me she's six feet tall. I didn't even realize she was short until I brought her home and my mother told me. Then it was like - 'oh, yeah, you're right'. I often forget until I see her talking to a group of men and she's having to stare upward. She loves when we go to Peru and everyone is at the same height and she never hears comments about her size.

The same as I treat short people.