An Investigator

I go with my two kids age 5 and 2 on my own as my husband isn't a member. I spend a lot of time sitting in the RS room and have the sacrament brought in there.

Yes!!!! It's not just here though, I was having mega doctrine overload, didn't know what was what or what to believe and so much information it made me very depressed! So... I went to the temple and prayed about it and came off the internet (for latter-day saint stuff) exception being deseret bookshelf app (which I pay a subscription to) and the Church website, Ensign etc.. Feel so much better I think I am defo in the do my best and follow Christ/ read popular feel good books popular Church books type and I am absolutely fine with that

Apologies if this has been done to death, but who is excited for two hour Church? I am really stoked about it and the new handbook. It does however mean I am without a calling and maybe for some time after being released Also if anyone has deseret bookshelf, can they recommend any new testament books that would be a good read before the new curriculum? Many thanks

Oh yeah the tent thingy 🙄... It's a really big movement in the UK. I am as we speak ready, bags packed with tins of beans by the door.

Wow, Polygamy is all everyone talks about round here 😂😂

Hi You just need an account to purchase garments online, I minister to a less active sister who does this and I am based in the UK. If you have any problems I am sure the Bishop will send a Brother to help you, you just need to give him a shout

Thanks for the reply, I'm going to try and go with option 4 probably, do the minimum, ie Sunday attendance and call it good. Maybe when my kids are older and I'm doing more things on a stake level I will have the opportunity to meet others.

I am going to be honest, there is no way I would speak to my Bishop about it. I find him quite unapproachable and unless I have a sinned and therefore need to speak to him which has never happened so far. I would never speak to him about anything. Aside from preparing for my endowment I've spoken to him twice. It's fine, I will try and work through it on my own. Thanks for the advice though.

Hey, I am not actually that lonely, I have lots of non member friends, I was one for 32 years of my life haha. I think it's more frustration as outside of Church I am really sociable and my friends think i'm awesome, we have huge BBQ get togethers etc.. I guess, no one likes feeling excluded really or that they don't belong at Church.

Hi First of all, I love the Gospel, it brings so much joy in to my life 💙 but I'm really struggling to go to Church at the moment due to the social aspect. I hardly see anyone from Church from week to week. My ministers don't visit even though I have asked, I had a family home evening at my home and no one turned up. I have offered service to people and been turned down, I have invited people to dinner who haven't got an available time in 3 months and given the brush off. I've only been invited to five other people's houses in the ward for dinner ever. It makes me so upset to see all the mums in the ward doing things I never get invited to. I have lots of friends outside the church who are non members so I've stopped trying to be social at Church and just focusing on spending time with them which I'm getting judged for and have had people suggesting I'm breaking the wow etc.. Which I am not btw, temple worthy. I have spoken to the RS president about doing more social things in the ward but she said that isn't the purpose of Church. I also minister to less actives who want nothing to do with me so get no social interaction there. I did ask for a swap on the ministering but it was denied. I'm really struggling to go to Church at the moment and find myself thinking what's the point.

Yep... I do love a good mothering in Relief Society though

The temple and knowing that I am a Child of God with infinite worth I struggle with the Social side of Church as its pretty non existent in the UK and i'm a very social person so it can be quite lonely sometimes, I have more non member friends, then member ones, that said some people in Relief Society have been very kind to me

Any more Ideas as I also have to teach fourth Sunday .... yay

The UK is divided on the issue. Alot of people view "Alfies' army " as religious extremists. There has been a lot of coverage of these people threatening staff and other hospital patients. I absolutely love the NHS, I am very grateful that we have the healthcare that we have. The issue for me was the rights of the parents, the offer from Rome wasn't for treatment it was for palliative care, they weren't suggesting they could cure him. The NHS wants to get the best value for money it can and this can lead to incorrect decisions being made sadly, when I was pregnant with my son, I had preeclampsia and nearly died. The hospital still made me have a labour because there was over 20 percent chance, rather than give me a Cesarean which would cost more. I ended up after two days, having an emergency Cesarean, I think that outlook could do with improvement. I really feel for the parents but on the other hand, I am very grateful that Jehovah's witnesses are forced to give their children blood transfusions for example

Steady on

Also a convert married to a non member, I agree with Grunt. That being said, we both changed the dynamics in our marriage by converting to the Church, your experience might be different because you are both choosing this. I don't know if you have family in the Church but i have never felt more alone than the day I received my Endowments without my husband. If I was ever to get married again I would only marry a member. From a faith perspective, for me I didn't expect to be with my family in the afterlife so I have to have faith that Heavenly Father will sort it all out. I love my husband and have a hope backed with spiritual confirmation that he will join, no idea when that will be.

Yes, In my opinion it's because its very difficult as it requires a huge commitment which requires a lot of change, in the UK the Church is quite small so not much social interaction outside Sunday, a lot of the people converting to the Church are having really rough times and the Gospel will help eventually, when they are more spiritually self reliant, until then these people need help and our small wards cannot give them the support they need. I have never regretted joining though... been frustrated by people at times, but the Gospel is perfect the people are not, I consider myself extremely blessed

Ahem... cough cough

The Infinite Atonement is a really good book

As someone who is married to a non member I would like to think I will be with my family, I think it would be quite odd if I didn't have hope that this will happen and there is slim to none chance that my Husband will join the Church. That said, Heavenly Father's plan is one of happiness so I try not to let it bother me too much as I think we will all be where we are happy, where ever that is. I consider that my Husband, being married to me will have had ample opportunity to join the Church if he wanted to. As I used to be a Catholic before, the thought of him going to another Kingdom of Glory is much more appealing then him languishing in hell for all Eternity.

I currently minister to three inactives as I don't have time to go every month, I write to them, send them easter eggs etc.. works well for my circumstances. I have no doubt it will change when I graduate lol

all this stuff is very upsetting

I will admit I haven't read through this whole thread .... I have essays to write and I am procrastinating hahaha I actually welcome this change, I have two children under 6 and I view it as mine and my husbands responsibility to teach my Children what the law of Chastity is NOT the Bishop. I don't mind a question about if its obayed but anything added to that is inappropriate in my opinion unless specifically brought up by my Children. I grew up a Catholic and the whole world view of equating one's body with shame, an over emphasis on modesty and being/ doing something dirty is not conducive to healthy relationships and body image in my opinion. For this reason I fully intend to attend my children's interviews until they are 14 or so and then they can decide themselves. Also I went to my Bishop with a problem and he specifically said I don't want to know, I can get the Church to pay for some therapy if you need it and are unable to pay, but I am not trained in this type of thing, which I really appreciated as the way I was feeling at the time he could have totally made it worse.

I work and have young kids, I enjoy it. My husband is very supportive and helps out with Chores. I could afford to stay at home but I was miserable and I am a much better mother working. I am also going back to uni in September to train to be a secondary school teacher, being at home made me quite depressed tbh, but its very common in the UK for women to work so it can be quite lonely being at home. So I would say, just support your wife in what she wants to do, Job/ Schooling etc

I have read this book, to be honest it's not very well written, I would recommend a House full of females by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich instead, that gives a very comprehensive overview of both the view of "romanticised" marriage when we last practiced plural marriage and also how some women (although not all) found it benefited them, gave them access to childcare so they could train to be midwives for example. In light of Polygamy in the celestial kingdom, I am not sure that it matters. I have been married to my husband for 10 years now and the older we get the more our marriage changes. My Grandfather remarried after 40 years of marriage and he has pictures of my grandmother all around the house. He also married someone who was one of my grandmothers friends. They are not members but I will do the work for them when they die, I think if they all end up together they will be very happy with each other. I think where the hurt comes from is when people cannot separate doctrine from their own fantasy. I am married to a non member and given the choice I would prefer to be with my husband, the fact that he is not a member is out of my control. People speculating that the only way I will be exalted is if I enter into a plural marriage is neither helpful or comforting. Sometimes members need to learn to sew their mouths up!