Newbutoldmember

It's just an idea. This Sunday will be my first that I actually have work. So thinking i can attend "work" ward and still perform my calling (scouts related) and home teaching etc at my "home" ward. For the record I really enjoy my home ward. Not wanting to leave.

Wishing you a speedy recovery!

Just curious? I am talking about doing this for a few years not weeks. I have just found out that I will have to work on Sunday's from now on. I am thinking about just using my lunch hour at 9am to attend a ward close to my office. I live 40 miles from work so attending my home ward using my lunch hour won't work. I can't quit my job and seek new employment do to a very serious health issue but I really want to feel the spirit and partake of sacrament each week. Any else ever have to do something similiar or have other thoughts or advice?

I am sorry this is so long. Thank you everyone for your replies so far. They have been very helpful. Unfortunately the ongoing never ending missionary lessons situation, or my first issue, kind of blew up and went the wrong way last night. They came 20 minutes late. That's fine they are on bikes and cover 5 wards. I fully understand. I am just setting the timetable for the night. It then took ten minutes or so for them to catch their breath and make small talk. So when we started the appointment it was already half over since they had another appointment right after. There was our old missionary and a brand new one we had never met. I guess they had gotten new assignments last week. Our old missionary who came has only been out in the field a few months and the new missionary we had never met before last night is done with his mission in two months. This is how it went. So Elders what is on the agenda this evening since we completed lesson 5 of the new member lessons several weeks ago? They responded Oh no lesson five has several parts. There are five or six different topics and we will cover one topic each week. So lesson five takes a very long time to finish. My first thought was are they seriously trying to drag this out as long as possible? I replied oooookaaay The previous missionary who knows us then turns to my wife. Sister Smith have you been fasting? To which my wife replied no not other than fast Sunday. He then asks why not? She replied I don't want to and have no reason to at this time with a puzzled expression. I then turned to the missionary and asked. Why are you asking her this? Do you go to all of the active members houses and ask them the same question? I don't understand as we are active members who attend church every week, pay our tithing and have callings. If there is a question of my wife's worthiness than that should be between her and the Bishop. We are here because my son is a new member and needs to be taught about the church. My wife has been a member of the church longer than you have been alive. Over the past few months all you have done is focus on my wife with questions and ignore him as he just sits here on the couch not involved in any of the discussion. We need to refocus and regroup so we can get through these lessons and make sure my son is prepared as a new member of the church. I feel that you and elder (departed elder) have lost sight of this the past few months and have gone too far off topic. That is when the missionary started to well up and cry. The next fifteen minutes were spent with me trying to console him and tell him I understand his heart is in the right place and he is a good missionary etc. Finally as they were saying goodbye the new more experienced missionary came up with the idea of having my son teach the lesson next week. That way he is more involved. My son agreed and they left. i don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I am a pretty passive guy. The missionary who started to cry is very sensitive. I am not sure if anyone has seen the television show Arrested Development but he acts like and has the personality of Buster. That is not meant as a disparaging comment he just really does. I think that after my son teaches the lesson he already committed to next week we are done with the new member lessons. Most people I know and have spoken to don't even complete the new member lessons after just the first one or two. Again I don't think that they had 9-12 year olds in mind when creating these. Just like I don't think the missionary lessons themselves are geared toward 9-`12 year olds. The lesson on Chastity they gave was over the line and inappropriate as far as I am concerned as well. My son knows the birds and the bees but they used specificity we don't normally use. As for my second question. Just to restate I am fine with the content of the class. A refresher is always good. The fact that no one is in this class other than us kind of makes us feel quarantined or like outsiders. We sit by ourselves in a small row pew during sacrament and then go to a 10x10ft class that we are the only people in it. Finally she then goes to relief society sits down and she says no one talks to her. This is not what a new member of the ward wants to feel. I can understand someone coming into the church as a brand new member being put in the situation as we are to eventually just stop going to church. We are not going to do that by any means but as mentioned my wife is already having a hard time going back to church (I suspect she is doing so just for me more than anything) and I don't want her to become unhappy enough she wants to stop attending. I can see this happening of something doesn't change. Thanks for reading. It felt good to share and get it out.

Answer 1. I am thinking that Gospel Essentials is just the older name for Gospel Principals but if I am incorrect and it is a whole other class please let me know. I believe that most people in our ward attend a class called Gospel Doctrine? I could not tell you anything about the differences between the two classes and how they may differ? I can tell you that I personally feel comfortable with the information as presented. I read the scriptures, study what I can, graduated from seminary (a billion years ago though) have recently become an elder. That said my wife is basically starting over and I would attend whatever class she attends. Answer 2. Yes i feel its a big ward. I don't know the exact headcount but we end up having lots of people go into the cultural hall overflow every Sunday. The ward mission leader is also the teacher of the sunday school class that we attend. He has stated that there are ward missionaries (one is in the elders quorum presidency and my home teacher as well and the other person I don't know) I just assume they are in other meetings/classes? We also have stake missionaries but they are probably attending in another ward?

Backstory my wife and I have become active again after being away from the church for a very long time. While I was born into the church my wife was a convert so after being inactive for so long she is not picking up where we left off as quickly as I am. I kind of feel like I am stuck in a loop when it comes to certain parts of church activities and was curious as to your opinions about it. Everyone here always has such great advice. My wife and I are both members however when my son turned we were 8 we were inactive. Therefore my son was not baptized until he was 12 and is considered a convert even though both parents are members. He took the missionary lessons and was baptized about two months ago. However the missionary lessons never stopped. I understand new member lessons and the reason behind them but my son is just 12 and he doesn't need to worry about not feeling welcome in the ward or an outsider who becomes inactive after baptism etc like an adult convert might. He is a deacon now and really enjoys attending every single function. Every week though the missionaries schedule an appointment for the next week. My son doesn't even say a word during these "lessons" and sometimes isn't even present as he is off doing homework etc. My personal opinion is that I think the missionaries don't have other appointments lined up and or are bored. We would be happy to have them over for dinner sometimes but can I tell them we are good and they can stop coming now every week or would that be considered rude? My other "concern" is when we started attending church again we were put in the Gospel Principles class. That is fine and all as the content is excellent and it is usually just an informal discussion that takes place anyways. The reason for this being is my wife and I are the only people in the class. There is the teacher and us. Maybe another person shows up once a month. If that often. Also the missionaries (the ones who come to my house every week) sometimes stop in for 15 minutes before having to leave for some meeting or the like. We live in a large ward and most people attend the gospel doctrine class. I feel like if we attended that class my wife would feel more part of the ward family if that makes sense? Right now our "church" life seems very isolated and revolves around 6 people. The Bishop, ward mission leader and his wife, two missionaries and her visiting teacher. Should I do something about the above or just let it be? What can I do to help my wife become more "into" church? She has no LDS friends and does not enjoy relief society.

A quick update to those who were wondering how it was resolved. My wife went to the TOFW event. She decided on this route this becuase she had already accepted the invitation two weeks prior and that other sister had already paid for the ticket. My son and I met with the member of the area 70s at our home during the scheduled time that Saturday It was a nice visit and I could really feel the spirit present. After stake conference the member of the 70s found my family in the foyer introduced himself and chatted with my wife for a few minutes. While nothing profound took place it was a nice conversation. Thank you everyone again for your advice and opinion.

So when the Stake President called he said a member of the 70. I just looked up his name and he is a member of the area 70s not the General Authority 70s. Not sure if that matters or not?

Sorry yes it is worded poorly. A person my wife knows (but would I not call a friend yet?) invited my wife and purchased the ticket for her. I think she did so becuase she knows our family and my wife are having a tough time right now I do not know how much it actually cost her.

STUPID QUESTION SORRY So my Stake President called and said a member of the 70 wants to come by tomorrow morning to meet my family. He does not live in our state. My wife already has plans to attend the time out for women event event downtown. Do you think it is expected she not attend the event so she can meet the Member of the 70? A person we know bought her ticket who wanted a friend to attend with and I think it will be uplifting for my wife to go since she has gone through a lot lately with my health issues. Of course if someone called and said the Church President, or an Apostle etc wanted to meet one would cancel without second thought. I would walk to Utah if needed. How far down does that extend? I of course will still be meeting with him tomorrow in any case and feel honored and blessed to do so. I just want to do the right and expected thing

Hello everyone I am a long time forum lurker but just signed up to post this question. I appreciate any insight or advice you may have. I grew up in the church and had a strong testimony when younger. Due to family issues I left my home at 17 and went out on my own. Before things got bad at home I was preparing myself for a mission and was a Priest. many years went by where I did not attend church. I got married raised a family etc. Of course my testimony shrank during that time but in my heart I always believed that the church was true. Now I have started attending church again regularly. I read my scriptures daily, pray multiple times a day and have strengthened my testimony. My goal is to gain the Melchizedek Priesthood, and become temple worthy so I can receive my endowments. I also would like my wife and children to become active members so we can become sealed as a family but that is really on them to accept the church. They are currently taking the missionary lessons. How long do you think this will take? Since I have technically been a member for 30 years I don't think there is an official time limit imposed like there may be for converts? I have had discussions with my Bishop and explained my above goals but he doesn't seem to be in a rush. The reason i want to get this done sooner rather than later is I have stage 4 cancer. I could live 4 months or 40 years. That said three years is the national average for my particular illness. The bishop knows I have cancer but we have never discussed a prognosis or how serious it may be. As of today I am a functioning healthy adult. Just bald and weak from chemo. Thank You for reading