Iggy

I am assuming you are talking about//referencing the cook books? When I get it compiled, I will email it to you, and then you can send it on.

Fair Warning: @MormonGator I am Hijacking your topic ~ Hubby found out in Branch Council this morning that we, the active members of the Branch are to no longer have the Missionaries over for dinners. We can, however give the the foods to cook/eat themselves. Some how they are to only have dinners with the in-actives /*less*-actives and the investigators. To this I told my Husband, for this to happen, one or more of the active Sister members will need to be called to set up dinners with the in-active /less-actives via phone calls. In 2011, out of my own pocket and out of my own cupboards, I provided bake ware, preparation bowls, 4 qt glass measuring bowls, glass 1 & 2 cup measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing & cooking utensils, set of four flatware (un-matched, but very good quality out of my own home). set of 4 melmac plates/bowls, cups-n-saucers our of my own home, 12 un-matched glass glasses from my own home, brand new set of three skillets w/lids at the cost of $59.99, then from thrift stores from the next two counties on either side of our town plus this one where we live I purchased glass bake ware (two casserole dishes w/lids, three loaf pans, two pie plates, a 9 x 13 and an 8" square pans, Revere Ware sauce pans (1 & 3 qt plus the top of the double boiler) w/lids, enameled cast iron 4 quart dutch oven, 3 quart electric crock pot, a Presto Air Popper, four sets of four dishtowels/cloths [two dishtowels & two dish clothes that matched], four sets of four hot pads/mitts [two mitts w/matching hot pads for each set], a package of 8 scrub sponges, dish pan w/matching drainer & draining mat. Salt & Pepper set, large tin salt shaker for near the stove. Out of my own cupboards/food storage I gave them a recently purchased quart of cooking olive oil, vegetable oil, four packages of 12 double rolls of TP, a plastic grocery bag of bath soaps that Hubby can't use [they give he hives] and I no longer use bar soap. Why did I do this? Because the Elder Missionaries commented on night at dinner with us, that they didn't know how to broach the subject with the RS Presidency who had been collecting Hamburger & Tuna Helpers, cake & cookie mixes, and even those Jimmie Dean frozen breakfasts that you fry up the meat/potatoes/onions/sweet bell peppers in a skillet, then add scrambled eggs to. The cost of hamburger & eggs were not in their meager budgets, and they had nothing to cook everything in let alone eat it off of or with. Hubby and I broached it with the RS Presidency, who assured us they were broach it with the Missionary President. 6 months later there still was no *equipment* forthcoming, so I went into action. I had just received some monies from when my oldest sister had passed and her meager estate had been settled & anything of value had been sold. With that $500.00 I set up the Missionaries apartment - took pictures of everything, made an extensive list of everything, and gave printed copies to our RS Presidency, Branch Presidency, and the Mission President. I also got our Branch members to donate NEW twin bed sheet sets, new pillows w/those protective zip into covers and zip into mattress cover protectors, blankets for summer AND winter (two for each bed) as well as two sets of quilts for each bed. 8 NEW complete sets of bath linens, and 4 packages of 12 decent plastic hangers. On all of these fabric items, three of the sisters took them home, laundered them for the first time, then embroidered "Property of the ______________ Branch of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints". On all of the electric cookware, one of the brothers used an electric engraver and put the same thing. Now, in 2015 the *powers to be* decided to pull the missionaries from our Branch. They took EVERYTHING from the apartment. Stripped it clean! Our Branch President and our Stake President didn't even let the dust settle before they convinced those *Power's To Be* to return the Missionaries. It had only been two weeks, so the phone had not even been shut off, nor had the apartment been rented to someone else. But EVERYTHING was NOT returned. Matter of fact the Mission President said that he hadn't even started the process to have everything removed. Turns out it was our own Branch Mission Leaders Wife who had, then she moved to a little town in Washington state (we are pretty much in the center of the Oregon Coast) while she waited for her husband to come home from Hawaii where his company had sent him for two months. We never got anything back - the Mission President through the church supplied the furniture and well worn bedding & mattress's. BUT no cookware, etc. Just last year this family (the ex-Branch Mission Leader and his wife and 4 kids) moved back into the Branch. Our Branch President and the recently called Mission Leader asked them for all of the items back. The husband was totally embarrassed by what his wife had done, and he went through the two U-Hauls of his belongings and gave the Branch back the items. Then he asked me to come and go over the dishes that had not been engraved. Armed with MY copy of the list, I picked out the dishes. Wife claimed that she had been told she was to take everything - so she did. 🙄 🤦‍♀️ Since my body has made it extremely painful to cook dinner for the Missionaries (actually to cook dinners for ourselves too), I have been supplying the missionaries with TP, bar soap, toothpaste/brushes, personal hygiene (whatever brand they prefer of deodorant, shampoo, body lotions, etc.) Dish detergent and just recently since I have been making my own Eco-friendly and quite good laundry powder - have given them a 6 pound container w/scoop for each load. One of the widowed sisters has been having them come over to use her machines rather than go to the really nasty laundra-mat in town. Her machines are in a downstairs section of her house, accessible with it's own exterior door and the door to the main part of the house remains locked. So it doesn't matter if the missionaries are male or female, the ones who are reassigned are to tell the new incoming where the key is hidden. Has worked well since 2004. Just recently the Sister Missionaries knocked on our door - they had an hour to use up before they went to dinner at a less-actives home near us and wanted to know if they could help me do anything. I was having trouble putting away the canned/boxed goods I had purchased in the last two months, as well as folding three loads of towels and two loads of bed linens. SO, armed with Sharpies, they marked the years on the canned foods with me, and took turns rotating the canned goods in my food pantry. Then we all sat at the now cleared dining room table folding the clean clothes. Even Hubby joined us and we related how we all helped our own mothers do this. Then before they left for dinner, I got a paper grocery bag and had them *Go Shopping* from my hall bathroom cupboard [personal hygiene items], the food pantry and I had them get a package of 32 double size rolls of TP from the Master Closet. They liked the soup I had purchased some time ago that neither of us liked (new flavors), and I finally purged the canned foods that I LOVE but can't have because the fat content is way too high for me. Then I also gave them half of the Marie Callenders larger envelope packages of Corn Bread mix. They already have a new container of vegetable oil and one of the families gave them three dozen fresh from the hen house eggs. I am setting aside a dozen cans of tuna and canned chicken chunks to go with the 2 dozen boxes of Tuna Helpers that one of the families gave them. One thing too that just came to mind is to ask the RS Meeting Coordinator why couldn't we (the Sisters) put together a recipe booklet of Tried & True recipes for the Missionaries to have [and keep in the apartment] and use to prepare their own meals from. Like: Tuna Helper -Any Flavor, add two 5-8oz cans of drained chicken chunks, a hand full or two of frozen veggies (that have been thawed by rinsing with hot tap water and drained well) to the box directions. OR add cooked, frozen shrimp that has been thawed and heated up by placing in a bowl of HOT tap water, then the tails pulled off and drained well before adding to already cooked helper or Pasta Side. If she hems and haws or says no, I will just do it myself. Every single recipe I have from my own Mother is just like what I described above. So, I'll just transcribe her 3x5 cards into an 8.5 x 11 format and put into one of the many 3 ring binders I have that are empty and looking for something to fill one with. Sorry I have rambled on and on and quite literally Hijacked your topic @MormonGator I give it back to you now. 😊

While eating dinner with the last set of Elder Missionaries that were assigned here, they mentioned a name that both Hubby and I knew from living in Arizona. Turns out the Elder they were talking about was in our Ward there in Arizona. When our Elders went to a Zone meeting, they told Elder Russell about us. He knew we had moved out of Arizona, but didn't know where we had gone to. I *lurked* on his mothers FB page and found that he was freezing being in Eugene OR in the winter. So, I bought 6 pairs of wool socks, knit wool hat w/matching scarf and gloves, wrapped them up and had our Elder that was being transferred give the package to him. His mother sent me the nicest thank you letter. She was having a hard time finding WARM socks, hat and mittens for him there in seldom cold AZ.

@Carborendumhad you paid this contractor much when you discovered he was employing illegals? If so then I would allow them to work until the $ amount had been used up, then I would fire the contractor and find another one who did NOT employ illegals.

NOTE: THIS IS VERY LONG! Ho Boy! I thought my wounds had totally scarred over but after reading your post @MarginOfError there were some that were still scabs. My 1st husband was NOT a member of the church. He was Master of his own non-faith based un-organized church. I met him 2 years after I left the church, and honestly I was so naive & innocent. We lived together for 6 years before we married. After 22 years being together/married I finally got the courage to leave him. Also all wrapped up in the courage was the feeling that I just didn't care whether I lived or died. He had threatened not only my life, but the life of my three sisters and my Mom. If he did kill me, then it would only hurt ONCE and then I would be done with all the form of pains he had inflicted on me. My Mom passed in 1988 so I no longer needed to protect her. In 1991 I was bombarded with his infidelities by his sexual partners. After he crashed his car and was in jail for DIU - and where he had to remain because we had no money to bail him out - the officers gave me the contents that were in the car. There was four letters, very long letters, he had written to 4 of his sexual partners. What an awakening for me. At the beginning of our relationship, Hub#1 was very attentive, charming, romantic. He insisted that I join him at his job sites. He traveled for his work, installing phone centers for phone companies in the 8 states of the west coast. He was seldom in one town for longer than 3 weeks. He would drive there, get us a place to live (often a motel w/kitchenette), then send for me. He paid for the plane ticket, I just had to find my way to the airport. We spent most of our down time in bars. Lounges - because he much preferred whiskey to beer. I had to sit quietly and only engage with him. Yet he was everywhere in the lounge. Playing pool, cards, dancing, engaging with the other patrons. Mostly I sat at the bar and talked with the bartender. After about two years of this - I conversed with the other patrons sitting at the bar. I was 22 years old - spent the day watching TV and reading. Hub#1 didn't want to talk - he even told me he wasn't one bit interested in my mind. So when someone started a conversation with me while we were in the bars, I responded. I never got cozy, just talked with and sometimes danced with whomever asked me, and never slow dances. By the time he left his job in 1978, we ended up here in this town. He knew quite a few of the people living here- and there was a Tavern for sale. We bought it. He cleaned it up, refused service to the under 21 year olds, and tossed the drug dealers out into the street. He got me a job at one of the local banks - he actually lied about my work abilities. Consider my SHOCK when I had to tell the bank manager that No, I only took ONE semester of Accounting 101 - No, I never did more than 2 months of bookkeeping for the owner of a ranch in Big Sky Montana. Fortunately, the job was an entry level Teller position. Now, the escalation of the abuse/manipulation began in earnest by Hub#1. He wanted information about certain customers. Remember I am still rather naive, but I took the oath I made at the start of my employment to heart - what goes on in the bank, the names of the customers, is Strictly Confidential, and not to be told to anyone outside of my fellow co-workers and only while we are inside the bank! I refused to give him that information. Refused to even consider looking it up. THAT got me my first beating. There were no visible bruises. He had taken me by the shoulders and slammed me against the wall, then threw me on the floor. He pounded the wall next to my head, and stomped the floor next to my body, while all the time screaming at me. Pretty much all I could remember of the screams was that it was all my fault, I was making him do this to me. I told one of the wives of his best friend - she didn't believe me. Told me to suck it up and be a better wife. He controlled everything except what I watched on TV and the books I read. He bought the books for me. I would write them down and he would go get them, NEVER reading what they were about. He was seldom home so I watched a lot of TV. After him spending $1,250.00 we could NOT afford on a 10' satellite dish - and seldom being sober enough to even watch it, I discovered this network for women. Movies and talk shows, etc. THAT is where I learned about him being a manipulator. Abuser. After 8 years I gave up. I was leaving him, and I didn't care if he killed my sisters if I did. I called them up and told them that no matter what to NEVER let him in their home. If he showed up on their doorstep to call the cops. He would be armed, drunk and had every intention to kill them. It took me 6 months to pack up what I wanted to keep, then I went to a member in the church who had been my VT since we moved to that town, and had her call the For Rent's I had picked out. One I really wanted BUT the couple who owned the home were one of Hub#1's best friends. So, I took a leap of faith, called them back, identified myself and told them that I was leaving Hub#1. They reduced the rent, and helped my in my move. They were so glad I was finally leaving the jerk. By that time I had been active at church for a year. Just before my move, Hub#1 came home from a job (he was now contracting with Sears installing vinyl siding) and needed clean clothes for the next job. The morning he left, I moved out of our home. I also changed jobs that day. When he came home 3 weeks later - the house was cleaned and emptied of my belongings, our joint bank account was closed. His *business* account was half emptied, and he couldn't find me. All of *his* friends weren't talking. Matter of fact they called me to say he was on 'the look-out' for me. I went to my VT home, called him and told him to get his own insurance on the truck he was driving because I was no longer paying for it. That I had given one of his best'ies & wife his wedding ring for him to pick up [he wouldn't wear it], and if he didn't do so in the next two days, I would so I could hock it for rent money. Never told him that I still had the four letters, or ALL of his "important" papers, along with all of our paperwork covering the 20 years we had been together. He told anyone that would listen that I was just going through a phase, and we would be back together soon. He promised me he would file for divorce. Why I even believed him is beyond me. I left him in 1999 - and I finally scraped together enough money to pay a Paralegal to do all the paperwork and help me to file for divorce in 2003. The divorce was finalized June 10, 2004. He contacted my family only once - to ask if I was there with them. He did find me at my new job - and he was pleasant. For the week he was in town, I went to my VT home after work, and used their extra car (a sweet VW Bug) to drive home in, so he couldn't find where I lived. When I finally was able to serve him the divorce papers (the Paralegal served him after I got him to come out of the Moose Lodge where he was drinking), he got mad. Punched his truck and broke two windows mad. Why? Because I was requesting the court to give me my maiden name back. When he read that - he looked at me and screamed at me WHY - what is so bad about MY NAME. I just calmly said: You have shamed it beyond repair and I don't want any part of it. Well as it turned out, not only did I divorce him - his entire family [mother and two sisters] divorced me. I asked for and received many, many PH blessings. Of comfort, of strength to NOT become a Man Hating Shrew. I had three callings in the Branch, that kept me busy, occupied and pretty much immersed in the gospel. I also made it a point to not give in to the despair, guilt, and asking of myself the unanswerable questions of WHY? What in my life growing up would cause me to stick with such a manipulator? Daddy was NEVER like that. Mom wasn't either. I rebelled against my two sisters attempting to manipulate and control me my entire childhood. So why? My VT and her husband who also was my HT - were my rocks and helped with my salvation. He showed me what a good man was. He was so like my Dad, and in time they both became my Foster/Adoptive Parents, Brother/Sister, Siblings in Zion, and my Best Friends Eternally. They knew EVERYTHING. I told them EVERYTHING. They loved me UN-conditionally. To this date my surviving two sisters, and my youngest brother knows NOTHING. Just months before my oldest brother passed, I told him everything, and he held me and cried with me, and we both agreed that had I told him when it happened he wouldn't have believed me. He also never told his wife or daughter - and for that I am oh-so-grateful. Hubby #2 knows everything, as I know everything about his life. I never became a Man Hating Shrew. My experience has morphed with my Gift of Discernment, and I can tell when a woman I meet is being abused by her spouse/significant other/father/brother/male relative. I see it in a woman at church right now. I have told Hubby, and we are praying on how we are to deal with it, as neither of us has stewardship over her, other than we are Our brothers/sisters keeper. The thing is I can also see when a woman is the abuser. Husband believes me - and THAT is even harder to get the authorities to act. Mental, verbal, emotional abuse is by far the worst. The wounds and scars are not visible like physical abuse. The hurts and damage are the same, or possibly even worse. It wasn't until the last 5 years of my marriage that the abuse escalated into physical. He had beat me the night before, and I fell asleep on the floor of the clothes closet, hugging our dog. I woke with just enough time to take a quick shower and dash off to work. The mirror in the bathroom was put up high and I had to stand on a small step stool to see myself - I didn't take the time to look at myself in the mirror. I had long ago quit putting on make up and I didn't need a mirror to brush and braid my hair. The black eyes and bruises on my face didn't show up in their full glory until I had been at work for about three hours, which is when my boss went nuts. At least she didn't call the cops on him - but she also had a total change of behavior towards me. Disgust. Anger that I wouldn't have him arrested. @jdf135 you asked - Yes, they do. Even before I finally left Hub#1 I witnessed women abusing others. Some did so physically, others mentally-emotionally-verbally. My own little sister abused her entire family with the verbal, emotional and mental abuse. Her husband divorced her and let their four children decide who they wanted to have custody of them. They were aged 16 to 9 years old. Only the youngest chose her Mom. He didn't see it, I did - that her Mom had her in an emotional strangle hold. That daughter is now 28 and has been seeing a Psychiatrist since she was 16 years old. Dad willingly pays for her treatment - once I found out I also contribute. My little sister then turned her venom on me. For nearly 8 years she had the rest of our family convinced that I was the one who had been causing her and her children trouble within the church. Calling the Temple and Stake and Ward presidencies in the areas where they all lived telling them atrocious lies about them, demanding that they be excommunicated. It took me all that time to narrow down the time frames of her accusations, and prove that I had no knowledge of where each of her children and herself lived. BUT what finally brought my other siblings to believe me was her own actions towards them and the dirty things she said and accused them of to their own Bishops. Thus in my personal experience the people who abuse are about equal who commit these abuses - women and men.

And your point is??

I agree with @Carborendum it makes NO sense at all. The rotation of the earth around the sun is not dependent on our clocks. DST should be discontinued world wide. There isn't a store in a 100 mile radius of me that stays open till the sun sets ever! They also don't open at daybreak either. The growers and ranchers get up before daybreak to eat, then they go out to tend to their animals and land. If they are wise they go to bed at sunset so they get enough sleep to enable them to work diligently the next day.

I am Type II Diabetic, have high blood pressure, seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis, fibromyalgia. ALL of these require that the medications I take to control them must be taken with food, AND I must drink a minimum of 16 oz of water or clear liquid a minimum of 1.5 hours in my waking day. Thus fasting from food and water is not healthy for me. What I do is I increase my scripture reading. Go over the GD lesson with Hubby [he fasts only the breakfast meal as his meds require food & water also, but the ones taken upon waking are to be on an empty stomach and not eat for a minimum of one hour after taking], after church. We also go over what was discussed in RS and PH - IF it was taken from the Ensign, then we read that talk and discuss it. I used to call my older sister to see how she is getting along - but our younger brother who lives with her won't pass the phone to her because he is still pissed off at me. So, instead, I put up a post-it note to call their names, mine and Hubby's in to the temple on Monday. She is in renal failure and goes to dialysis three X a week. She is also legally blind, can see well enough to get around in the house but not well enough to drive a car, cook or read, unless the font is 32, thus she cannot see who it is on the caller ID, even on the phone I got her with the BIG NUMBERS. I send her 15.00$ a month to pay for the long distant charges for when she calls me - to date - no phone calls., sigh I really need to hunt down the numbers for her two best friends, call them and ask if they would go visit and report back to me. I go onto FamilySearch and tinker around there. Which reminds me to send, yet another email to the *cousins* discovered who have entered data into our family trees. Oh, and since I haven't heard back from my 1st cousin once removed, who is 83 years old, the Family Genealogist, and self proclaimed Atheist (the family doesn't believe this for an instant! ) in almost a year - I will call him after our brunch and before we get into any studies today. I have written him three times, and still no answer. He lives in Hayti, SD - where his parents are buried, where he and his siblings were born. The nearest relatives live in Rapid City, SD --383 miles away. I do, however have a friend who lives in Wyndmere, ND which is a mere 136 miles. This friend LOVES road trips, is retired, and I believe the snows haven't started there yet. Think I will send him a text and ask him if he could find time to drive to Hayti and check on my elderly cousin. If he won't, then I will research which law enforcement is in the town, and call them to do a Welfare Check on him. Fasting ~ to me is increasing the "Ministering" that our Prophet has asked us all to do. Our Prophet has brought it to our attention to increase our ministering, and this I will gladly do. Not only to my Branch family, but to my extended blood kin. Those who are members and those who say they are atheist, but is more Christ like in his dealings with their family and more importantly with their fellow man, then those who are active members in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Since living here in my corner of the world since 1978 - the only place that got hit by the kids is a small locked gate community and the street it is on. Those poor people really got hit by the kids. NOT vandalism but by sheer numbers. In 1979 husband #1 and I rented a house in this gated community. I was also very inactive, we owned a tavern in town. The population in the town was 972+2. I bought three bags of wrapped candy, put a pumpkin cut-out on our front door, and taped halloween decorations on the front window. We also strung rope lights on either side of our walkway to prevent falling accidents. When I ran out of candy - I turned off all the lights, called hubby at the tavern and he said that he was swamped with customers, please come and help. Within 35 minutes the candy was gone. I had been warned to only give out ONE piece so that it could go farther. I did. When we got home at 3:30 AM our house & free standing garage had been egged, TP'd and our windows sprayed with colored hair spray!! Just because we weren't there to pass out candy! That year one elderly couple did an actual head count of trick-or-theaters at his house. He had 6 bags of candy and ran out. He counted 1,002 kids. So the next year, he and his wife sat out in costume under the shelter of his decorated garage. They asked each kid where they lived. Turns out they were coming from everywhere. 5 towns around ours. At the next town council, he asked the attendees if they had gotten swamped by all of these out of town kids? Those who lived on the street their gated community adjoined and the little UN gated community next to them did get hit. AND if they ran out of candy, they had to sit outside to prevent the older kids [teens] from egging and tp-ing their homes. So from them on, the local banks held a Halloween Deposit/Withdrawal to help those hardest hit. Those who got no kids at their doors were asked to deposit bag of candy- then those who lived in the hardest hit areas could withdrawal bags. All they needed to do was show an electric bill to prove where they lived and then they were allowed to withdraw no more than 5 bags. OR if they had Oregon State Trail card(our version of food stamps) then they could withdraw up to 10 bags. Because kids were coming from all over, our local city police called on citizen's to help patrol the areas and instead of arresting the kids with the colored hair spray, tp, eggs, they were to spray PAINT their backs - then when our city cops spotted them, THEY arrested them for vandalism. With-in three years the way-ward teens had grown up WITH OUT passing down their *craft*. This Deposit/Withdrawal went on until last year. The previous two years, the parents and the home occupants of the heavy hit area decided to gather up their children and bus them to the other towns to trick or treat. Started at 4 pm at the farthest town north with taking the kids through Arctic Circle for a quick dinner. Then they hit nearly all of the communities - especially where the Coast Guard families lived. Then they drove on to the other towns, by-passing our town and hitting the two that are south of us. That combined with our city council going to these towns city councils and requesting that they get the news out to the parents who were driving their kids to our town to "reap the benefits", resulted in a drastic reduction of extra kids in our town. There is only one way into our town from the north and that is our bridge. Our volunteers were there with a car by car search for teenagers armed with eggs, tp, and by now they had graduated up to spray paint. All of this was confiscated as well as alcoholic beverages. Their parents were called and these kids had to wait for BOTH parents to come get them. One of the parents had to drive their car back. This year, the only out of townees were families related to those of our people. Since 1978 I have lived in town, then moved three years later to 5 miles from town to the north [out in the hicks where my nearest neighbors were 5 and1 acres away], then 6 miles out of town towards the east where only the kids who lived in my trailer park came knocking on my door. I didn't give out candy - they came in to help frost cookies, then took them and a loaf of home made white bread home for their parents. Then the next year I lived in town and had NO kids living near me, or who even came up my hill to hit the houses up there. We deposited candy though - to help out others. Finally in 2004 I moved to AZ. Had NO one come trick or treating there. We brought 4 bags of candy to the Stake house for a Stake wide church Trunk N Treat in the parking lot and room by room and the entire cultural hall & stage Halloween party inside. When we got home, NO one had done anything to our house or property. Then we come back to my little home town in 2010, the Halloween Deposit & Withdrawal is still happening. Where we live there aren't street lights, and the kids only go to the houses on their blocks, then get in the car to hit the gated community. Like I said, this year and last there was no Deposit/Withdrawal. The homes in the gated community and the open communities next to them are now populated by empty nesters and they flat refuse to buy candy for the *Little Bugger*. Their front porches are black as are their front windows. No decorations, no one answers their knocks. The local children's advocacy group put on a Harvest Party this year. Served soup, rolls and UN-spiked cider [free to all ages], they offered all sorts of games, etc. for the kids to earn their candy. When our High School moved up the hill, the old gym was sold to this children's advocacy group for a song and a dance. This is where the warming shelter is during the winter for ALL homeless, it is a seven day "soup kitchen" for breakfast/lunch/dinner. Their sister place across the street [which is where a mortgage company built and then closed down and sold the LAND and building to this group for another song N dance is where the kids go after school until their parents get off work and pick them up, where drop-outs come to be tutored, and to tutored the younger children. This advocacy group is funded by a trust fund set up by one of the local boy who had no children and had more money than he knew what to do with. When he passed he willed half of his estate to his living brother and the other half to be set up for a children's advocacy for the kids. ALL kids within a 20 mile radius. Then the other half of the funds are from donations from the town's people. Oh, this Harvest Party started at 4pm, the parents & kids showed up in and out of costume, they helped cook, serve, decorate, man the stations. One of the stores - a Mom & Pop operation - donated some of the straw bales, other's donated even more - and the volunteer fire department people [which Mom & Pop are part of] set up a maze in the old football field next to the old gym and manned that. I wish that I had had the energy and been free of pain to take my folding chair and go sit out on the street and watch and listen to the children AND teens having so much fun!

It could be because your membership number shows that you are not of Seminary Student age. Well, I just went online, and clicked on the New Testament Guide for Home-Study Seminary Student Manuel, and I had to sign on again with my lds log-in and password. For the Old Testament Guide for Home-Study Seminary Student Manuel, it let me add to the cart, no problem. So, my question to you is: Do you have a lds dot org account?

Why must we only socialize under the roof of the meetinghouse??? For the majority of the members of my Branch, the mileage to homes is not more than 8 miles north and 18 miles south and 8 miles east. Going west you will be in the pacific ocean! When church is not in session we meet at cafe's, restaurants, parks, for walks/picnics on the beach, in each other's homes. I know a month in advance when I will be doing my once a month shopping[the 1st Wed. after payday] and I post it on my RS FB page - if there is any sister who wants to tag along for a 6 hour shopping trip. OR when I want to go to the next largest town to the south of us to do the thrift store, clothing store, and browse the ReStore then I call the sister who is always wanting to go there, but wants a shopping buddy. This next trip is her turn in her empty full size truck. I'll pay half the gas and my own lunch! We have dinners with other couples and for hubby and I we invite the older single adults or couples with children over 8 yo. Younger children tend to stretch our comfort zone to it's max, and these dinners are meant to be enjoyable & relaxing. We take turns going to others homes for brunch after church.Come the 1st of the year, ours will end at noon, that means that those of us who are diabetic our blood glucose levels won't be crashing leaving us shaking, weak, and pinging off of furniture. It gives us an additional hour of Visit With Other time where we can discuss the topics that were brought up at church that day ~ Gospel Doctrine, RS & PH. @ctr2961 when I first married hubby I moved to his town in central AZ - 1,332 miles from my home, the home where I had lived for 26 years. He introduced me to the men he knew and had grown up with, they in turn introduced me to their mother's and wives. Three months later my husband was in the hospital, his blood was NOT clotting, and to me it felt like it was taking weeks to find out what was causing this. In reality it was only days! BUT not a single one of those men - who he grew up with - who also were members of the church - or their mothers or their wives contacted me. Comforted me. NO ONE visited my husband in the hospital. I finally called the Patriarch, because his name was the only name I could remember and I cried over the phone. Only then did the PH visit Hubby in the hospital. Only then did the RS President come to my house with a single serving meal for me. That was also the last time she came to my house. The last time she called me. The last time she greeted me at the meetinghouse. I was a dark time for me. My family was 1,500 miles away. His son was 2300 miles away, his daughter lives in Hawaii. I felt so alone. BUT I didn't stop going to church. I didn't get angry at the members of my ward there, or the Stake Presidency, all of whom went to elementary to high school with hubby. I had gone that route before. Because I had been offended by a group of nitwit sisters, I left the church. Stayed away for 30 years too. What a real NitWit I had been. After I found out where to find our ward/stake directory on-line, I started calling the RS sisters asking for specific help. I called his PH buddies requesting they go and give him blessings and I told them I was in his room waiting because I NEEDED blessings too. After hubby was healed and released, it took me 3 months to find out who our HT were, and in doing so found out that they had been assigned to us one Sunday after we had been *read in over the pulpit* into the ward's membership. I didn't quit going to church because they hadn't visited us. I invited them and their wives over for Saturday night dinners. Then after dinner I asked the Brethren if they could share with us the First Presidencies Message from the current Ensign. That kick-started the Home Teaching from them. I found out who my VT were, and rather than invite them and their husbands for dinner - by then hubby was back to work and his shift started at 3:30 pm and ended around midnight. So I invited them to lunch - dutch. It actually took longer for them to call me for a VT visit - but I persevered. Rather than continue to seek friendships with the sisters my own age, I sought out friendships with the sisters who were my mom's age. Nearly all events at church my hubby couldn't attend because he was working, that didn't deter me. I went alone. I sought out the mom & grandma aged sisters and I had a blast. @ctr2961 you need to knock down those road blocks that you and others have put up. Seek out an older, childless couple and *fellowship* them. Seek out other single men in your ward, and stake. AND we members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints don't hire the YW or YM to help us with any projects in and around our homes. If you decide to have the YM AND the YW come and paint the interior of your home, then gather the YM AND YW Presidents together and ask them for the help. BUT, from experience let me tell you - you had best have all your *eggs* in a row. In Other Words - have your furniture moved to the middle of every room. Have the walls washed AND rinsed of all soap. Have all the paint purchased, along with enough rollers, paint brushes, paint trays, ladders, painters tape, drop cloths, for every room you wish painted as well as for everyone who will be painting. The first time I did this, I was prepared with all the items needed - but my helpers had NO CLUE how to properly paint. I lived with the chaos on the walls for 3 years, then I painted over it properly. So, to do it properly, go to your local hardware or paint store, where you purchased your paint, and ask them to demonstrate to your youth group. It is a 30 minute seminar generally and it covers how to cut in, as well as how to paint a wall with a roller. I lucked out in that I worked at the local hardware store where I bought my paint, and I had gone to three, 3-day seminars on Paint in the 8 years I worked there. So, the third house I lived in that needed to be painted, I contacted the paint company and they came to my home and demonstrated the proper way to paint. Didn't cost me a thing, and here at my branch I really got to know the YM, YW AND their parents. I also lucked out that one of the sisters in my branch was a retired interior designer. She spent two days in my home, day and night, going over my belongings. She even went through my clothes, bath linens, kitchen cupboards. Then a week later she brought me about 30 paint samples. We thumb-tacked them on the walls and together we made the final selections. So, go seek friendships. You don't have to do much more than ask if you can sit next to someone. AND make sure that someone is a brother or a single sister. Go to all the activities. Go to all of the baptisms. Fellowship the newly baptized adults. STOP wallowing in self pity.

Responses in this funny green color. 😄

@prisonchaplain has been with this forum for upteen years. He has done as much if not more research of the LDS faith, so listen to him. He may be an Evangelical, but he is also quite educated in the LDS faith. BTW we prefer to be called Latter-day Saints, not mormon people. Even before President Russell M. Nelsen stated this in the last General Conference, I really DETESTED being called mormon. Listen to his talk and/or read along while you listen. Our name has never changed, it has always been The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jesus Christ Himself named His church. No offense

One of the main requirements that ALL of you who are Latter-day Saints have failed to state are the requirements that MUST be obtained before one can achieve entry into the Celestial Kingdom ~ D&C 76: 50 And again we bear record—for we asaw and heard, and this is the btestimony of the cgospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the djust— 51 They are they who received the atestimony of Jesus, and bbelieved on his name and were cbaptized after the dmanner of his burial, being eburied in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given— 52 That by akeeping the commandments they might be bwashed and ccleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the dhands of him who is eordained and sealed unto this power; 53 And who aovercome by faith, and are bsealed by the Holy Spirit of cpromise, which the Father dsheds forth upon all those who are just and true. 54 They are they who are the achurch of the bFirstborn. 55 They are they into whose hands the Father has given aall things— 56 They are they who are apriests and bkings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory; 57 And are apriests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek, which was after the order of bEnoch, which was after the corder of the Only Begotten Son. 58 Wherefore, as it is written, they are agods, even the bsons of cGod— 59 Wherefore, aall things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. 60 And they shall aovercome all things. 61 Wherefore, let no man aglory in man, but rather let him bglory in God, who shall csubdue all enemies under his feet. 62 These shall adwell in the bpresence of God and his Christ forever and ever. 63 These are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall acome in the bclouds of heaven to creign on the earth over his people. 64 These are they who shall have part in the afirst resurrection. 65 These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the ajust. 66 These are they who are come unto aMount bZion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all. 67 These are they who have come to an innumerable company of aangels, to the general assembly and church of bEnoch, and of the cFirstborn. 68 These are they whose names are awritten in heaven, where God and Christ are the bjudge of all. 69 These are they who are ajust men made bperfect through Jesus the mediator of the cnew covenant, who wrought out this perfect datonement through the shedding of his own eblood. 70 These are they whose bodies are acelestial, whose bglory is that of the csun, even the glory of God, the dhighest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical. To summarize: Baptism & confirmation into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [vs 50-52] Then in verse 53 the word promise is defined in the Bible Dictionary in part as: Abraham first received the gospel by baptism (which is the covenant of salvation). Then he had conferred upon him the higher priesthood, and he entered into celestial marriage (which is the covenant of exaltation), gaining assurance thereby that he would have eternal increase. Finally he received a promise that all of these blessings would be offered to all of his mortal posterity (D&C 132:29–50; Abr. 2:6–11). The remainder of the verses give the blessings. Which mean one must live faithfully within their Latter-day Saint baptismal covenants - then go through the Temple. from a talk given by Russell M. Nelsen, then of the Quorum of the Twelve, April 2001 Conference Talk ". . . Temple ordinances, covenants, endowments, and sealings enable individuals to be reconciled with the Lord and families to be sealed beyond the veil of death. Obedience to temple covenants qualifies us for eternal life, the greatest gift of God to man.10 Eternal life is more than immortality. Eternal life is exaltation in the highest heaven—the kind of life that God lives. . . ." https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2001/04/personal-preparation-for-temple-blessings?lang=eng So, to sum it all up - @Styln EVERYONE will get to heaven. But to us Latter-day Saints we believe that only those who have been baptized, endowed and sealed in the Holy Temple of the Lord will be able to receive the highest of the Lord's kingdoms. That is the Celestial Kingdom. In the talk that is linked - the four kingdoms are explained. The last being what Latter-day Saints call Purgatory is what non-Latter-day Saints call Hell. boldings are mine. Edit

IF as @Vort stated he has NOT been excommunicated or requested that his name be removed, then NO he does not get to be re-baptized. Members will ask if he is a member, and he should just say Yes, I have been inactive but want to come into full activity. If these members are on top of their stuff, they will introduce him to the Ward Membership Clerk. So, @BlondeMormonBoyAdam you will need to know what Ward or Branch, Stake, State you were baptized at. What MM/DD/YY would be helpful, but not necessary if you know the place. Then if the membership clerk is on top of his stuff, he will then introduce you to the Bishop. With him you really should be very honest. Tell him why you left the church. then let the Holy Ghost lead/guide you from there.

Can I ask who told you?

It would be Canine for a dog - and a female canine is a bitch. In my opinion it was extremely uneducated humans who turned that word into a derogatory name for the human female. For everyone's education a female cat is called a queen.

Yes, I guess I am elderly -66yo.😄 I do know how to use the tools. Our outgoing RS presidency of about one year has not updated anyone, and the new one of one month has not touched anything. So it shows our names but nothing else. Our Sister Missionaries have been swapped out more often too - the two I saw at Church last Sunday are not familiar to me. Because cooking is painful for me, I help our missionaries by supplying them with: bath soap, toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent/fabric sheets, toothpaste/toothbrushes, personal hygiene items (if they wish), etc.

Yesterday was the first Sunday in 5 that I have been able to make it to church. Last being General Conference, before that Stake Conference. Those times it is fed through internet streaming which is extremely spotty so we never go. But even if we had had perfect viewing, I wouldn't have gone. Just like I didn't go the previous three Sundays. Why? Because I was in physical pain from my sciatic nerve pain, RA, fibromyalgia, & neuropathy. Had I NOT had any Dr's appointments during the week before those Sunday's, I might have been able to make it. I don't have a clue which sister(s) is(are) assigned to me and our HT hasn't knocked on our door since a year ago Dec 20th to give us a plate of his wife's homemade fudge (they both know I am diabetic and Hubby won't eat sweets, doesn't like them). Back three weeks ago when I called the sister I thought was assigned to me to ask her to help me with a few chores in my home, she said she would check her scheduled and pencil me in. Haven't heard back. The gal from church that I pay to come and hand wash the plastics & cook ware, hasn't been able to come for the last 2 months - one sick kid after another has kept her tethered to her house. So, both Hubby and I show up at church yesterday. It is Branch Council, so WE go 45 minutes early. I settle in the chapel, he goes to the council and I get a text from him - both the librarian and the assistant won't be attending church, please go sit in the Library, it is unlocked. Sitting on a fold up stool is just what my sciatic needs - -NOT! I close it up at 10 minutes before Sacrament and head for the Chapel. Once we get seated, three primary teachers come and want in the Library. Nope - wait till after Sacrament. Hubby takes over Library duties, I stay for GD in the Chapel (I can sit sideways on the chairs to get my right leg up and ease the sciatic pain), but by RS/PH I can't take sitting in those chairs any longer so I go out to the car and Hubby stays for PH. He really likes when the EQP instructs. Now, on my way to and from my seat I get stopped by no less than 8 sisters commenting how they hadn't seen me in "Like, Forever". Two of the sisters I have to yet again repeat that I hurt too bad for ANYONE to touch me. I will shake your hand, not the other way around. Please don't hug me, I will hug you. I also tell them that I have been home in pain. If these 8 women had noticed every Sunday that I hadn't been there, then why didn't they look my phone number up in the Branch Directory and call to see how I am doing? Why didn't they look my email address up in that same directory and ask how I was doing, can I be of service??? Why didn't the NEW RS President call/email/text me??? The new RS president was called 4 Sundays ago! I would NOT have refused anyone's service. As a NOT born in the covenant member, I was taught that to refuse service was denying them blessings from heaven. Also right now, I need the help. I need someone to fold my clean clothes and put them in our dressers & hang them in my closet. I need my floors vacuumed after moving the furniture away from the walls. I need the hallway bathroom/tub/toilet scrubbed. I also need my curtain rods in the master bedroom, guest bedroom and den raised up so the curtains don't puddle on the floor (they are blocking the heat vents, which during the summer didn't matter, but now it does. If members don't offer service because Hubby hovers and distracts them with idle chatter of his *good old day*, then please, please tell me so I can keep him distracted else where in the house. Is it because I leave them to the task and stay in another part of the house? Then please, please tell me.

Dallin H. Oakes married & is sealed to both women. So, yes, you can be sealed to your bride-to-be. You will have to make arrangements to do so in the temple, talk with your Bishop and make sure your bride to be has received her endowment before hand. No, it won't leave wife #1 out in the *cold*, BUT it is my understanding that during the millennium, if she doesn't agree to have the 2nd wife in your family unit, then wife #1's wishes will be honored.

My favorite calling was Librarian, until the presidencies [all of them] didn't back me up aka sustain aka support me. Pretty hard to do your calling when the clerk/branch presidency is giving the key to the library to anyone who asks even though I am right there next to them or somewhere in our small building !!! Next one is Resident Branch Cranky Old White Haired Sister. THAT calling I am perfect for. 😲

Does your Ward now have a called greeter? If not, why don't you volunteer and show up without a calling? Our Branch has a called greeter, but we also have 4 members who show up and help him. Most times there just isn't enough room there in our tiny little hallway in front of the chapel doors. But it is great for visitors to be greeted by 5 smiling faces!

Have you told your Primary President &/or Bishop how you feel? Chances are fairly good you could be changed to a calling away from your kiddo's. Let them know.

Does your Ward do *Splits* [or whatever it is now called] with the missionaries. Our Branch does with the Sister Missionaries. Great way for the sisters to get to know the less active &&&& the Sister Missionaries.

Why wait to be called? Volunteer your talents there and in your ward.