seashmore
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Posts posted by seashmore
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Does anyone have any examples of how receiving recognition for completing Personal Progress helped them? As a leader, I'm really struggling to see the value in checking off the boxes and handing out the ribbons. I'm totally on board with doing the experiences and the value projects, since I see the value in those. I just don't see the benefit of YW in Excelllence Nights, etc.
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It started! My dad said it was more entertaining than he thought he would be. (He did attend seven years worth of high school games..)
One thing that's really great is that it's being hosted in a place where curling isn't that well known, so those of us who do know help,those around us understand the game. Today, I heard it referred to as "a gentleman's sport" when one of the players moved one of his own team's rocks out of play because he touched it.
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3 minutes ago, Blossom76 said:
I completely agree, which is why I included the Protestant reformation in my response. @seashmore I find it really surprising the LDS church hold the King James Version in such high regard, it has so many translation problems and errors in it. How can it possibly be the most correct version of the bible on earth?
If we were using a grading scale, no Bible gets a perfect score, but the KJV gets the highest.
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1 hour ago, Blossom76 said:
Because it is such a big claim of the LDS church, it is the reason for the LDS church being started. And basically if the LDS Church is right about this and Joseph Smith is indeed a prophet of God then they are the True Church BUT if they are wrong then The Catholic Church is the true church (Or Protestant churches if you believe in the Luther's reformation). So it matters a great deal to me.
Also if this claim is true then the validity of the bible is also in question. If the Great Apostasy occurred when the LDS church says it did then the Catholic Church did not hold the keys when the Christian Bible was canonised in 397AD, so how can we trust the bible? If the church held no authority then they had no right to authorise the cannon, so the wrong books might be in the bible.
This is a very big deal and if true changes everything I have ever believed about Jesus, the Bible and the Church. So I want as much information as I can possibly get my hands on so I can make the right decision.
Theres a story by Elder Orson F. Whitney that is found in the beginning pages of "A Marvelous Work and a Wonder."
QuoteMany years ago a learned man, a member of the Roman Catholic Church, came to Utah....One day he said to me, "...If we have the apostolic succession from St. Peter, as we claim, there is no need of Joseph Smith and Mormonism; but if we have not that succession, then such a man as Joseph Smith was necessary, and Mormonism's attitude is the only consistent one. It is either the perpetuation of the gospel from ancient times, or the restoration of the gospel in latter days."
Also, for what it's worth, Mormons use the King James Version of the Bible and believe it to be the most correct version of the Bible available on earth today. It's kind of like trying to use your grandmother's recipe for stuffing when the measurements are in pinches and she never wrote it down. You'll get it mostly right, so there's no need to change everything.
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I think the level of devotion to religion is where the yoke is. I have a friend whose mother is a devoted Mormon and father a devoted Catholic. It was rocky during the teenage years, and all the kids had to wait until 18 to get baptized, but they have set a standard for healthy marriages. As a Mormon who attends all meetings every week, I would feel more equally yoked marrying a Christian of a different denomination who did the same in their church than I would a Mormon who showed up to sacrament meeting once a quarter. I expect my Catholic friends would feel the same (at least of the mid Millenial generation). It's about priorities, really. In order for a couple to be equally yoked, they must have the same goal in mind. If your goal is to live a Christ-centered life and have a Christ-centered home, you'll face a hard uphill climb with someone who has something else as their goal.
I would much rather see my YW marry a good (generic) Christian than a bad Mormon just because he's from an LDS family. Personally, I would rather face mortality married to a good Christian husband than face it alone. (See 1 Cor 11:11 "Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.")
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8 hours ago, anatess2 said:
I don't see it much different than... is it called shuffleboard?... at the local billiards hall. I like watching it when a game is in play. But I'm not one to watch sports much. I used to play but even that I have quit doing as I got to busy for it.
I often describe curling as shuffleboard on ice. What's great is that it's like bowling, in that it all ages can participate. I started at the neighborhood club/rink when I was about seven (they have kiddie stones that are about half the weight of the standard 46 lbs used in regulation play) and there are eighty year olds who still play, using a device that hooks onto the handle of the stone so they can shove off from a standing position rather than the typical lunge.
Also, the sportsmanship between teams is something that is atypical of other sports. One team will often congratulate their opponent's good shot even if it is detrimental to their game. Local leagues almost always have a tradition of the opposing teams joining each other for drinks/comraderie afterwards.
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2 hours ago, anatess2 said:
My husband is a big sports fan. He loves anything sports and he'd sit there and watch fisherman sit around on a boat waiting to catch fish on a bass competition.
But curling... hah hah... no.
I'll admit, it's a tough sport to watch if you've never done it before. I once had a friend tell me it was more exciting to watch me watch curling than it was to watch curling. haha....probably because I'm always yelling at the play.
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2 hours ago, zil said:
Welcome, @Kazmat! Glad you came to join us.
You're right not to tell him - that would not be helpful to him no matter what he feels. Seems like being a friend, sending letters and cookies (or whatever) would be nice for him, though.
IMO, 2 years is a very long time at missionary age. Your feelings will likely be long gone by the end of that time, unless you spend the whole time feeding them. Personally, I wouldn't recommend that. Find things to occupy your mind and make a conscious choice not to think about him (at least, not to obsess about him).
Final thought: you say you're confused. Who is the author of confusion? Perhaps your own feelings (including fear) are too strong for you to receive an answer from Heavenly Father, so Satan is stepping in... Let it go for a while, there's no rush here - he'll be gone a long time and unless you plan to get married after the third date with someone else, you're not going to have to make a "final" decision next month. After your emotions have calmed, you may be able to hear the whisperings of the Spirit more clearly.
(Or wait for someone else to give you better advice. It's possible I'm an alien robot who doesn't know what she's talking about.)
@Kazmat I'm in agreement with what Zil said. Focus your thoughts on your calling. Consider serving a mission yourself. Read your patriarchal blessing (and get one if you don't have one). Keep him at arm's length while he's on a mission. Don't spend more than an hour a week reading his emails or writing to him.
Study and do all that you can to prepare yourself to receive your own endowment.
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I just got my tickets in the mail yesterday!!!! I am beyond excited and really hoping I can catch a Shuster game.
Does anyone else even watch curling?
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On October 30, 2017 at 7:33 PM, Jordi said:
Here's my story;
I'm a 20 yo male. I joined the Church almost two years ago after a long and exhausting journey searching for the Truth. I joined because I felt so comfortable... As soon as I started to attend Sunday services I realized that the LDS Church was the place where I wanted to be the rest of my life and where I wanted to raise my family. The problem is that now, two years later, I don't feel comfortable anymore. Here's why:
- I feel overwhelmed with my callings (Ward Mission Leader, Seminary Teacher, Young Men secretary and Elders Quorum instructor). I feel like I don't have time to fulfill all of them. Besides Church activities, I'm attending college and that limits the time I can spend doing Church work.
- My Bishop doesn't seem to understand my situation. When I talk to him about it, he tells me to fast, pray and study the Scriptures more often, and that's exactly what I've been doing, but I keep feeling the same way.
- I'm a YSA, and my fellow YSAs rule me out of everything. I'm like the black sheep of the group and I don't exactly know why. My only friend in Church once told me that the other YSAs said that I just "don't belong to the group because I come from a wealthy family". I knoe it sounds ridiculous, but that's what I've heard. (Please note that I'm from Mexico City, economic gap and social status are a huge deal here. Racism and discrimination between wealthy or white and poor or brown people is not uncommon. I'm not racist btw, that's just the way things work in Mexico. I'm the only white person in my Ward and I have felt terribly excluded from all Church activities.)
- Whenever I think of my future, I feel terribly overwhelmed and desperated. I don't see myself attending Ward Councils for the rest of my life. I sometimes just want to be a normal Christian who attends Church, reads the Scriptures, preaches occasionally and serves others without having to immerse myself in administrative issues of the Church.
- My Ward doesn't seem to work. Our attendance is lower and lower each week and members are turning unfriendly. Nobody pays attention in Sacrament Meeting anymore, most members sleep or keep texting while the speakers talks.
- As a Ward Mission Leader, I've talked to my Bishop so we can help return members who faded out. My bishop has promised to talk about it with his two counselors. Needless to say, it's been almost two months since we talked and he still hasn't consulted his counselors.
PLEASE my fellow brothers and sisters, I need help. I know the Church is true and I've felt the Spirit so strong... I just feel like my Ward is not working, like there's something wrong with it and that discourages me so much
@JoCa summed up my response.
Do you have your patriarchal blessing? That could be of immense help to you in this situation, especially if you decide to consider serving a mission.
You are right in that you don't have time to do all of your callings. When you meet with your bishop, tell him which calling(s) you need to sacrifice. You sound like you are overwhelmed, and the Lord has counseled us in the D&C to not run faster than we have strength. Find that scripture and quote it to your bishop. It's ok for a ward to not have a YM Secretary. (It has been at least a year since either our YM or YW have had a Secretary.) Believe it or not, our branch has been without a Ward Mission Leader since June. (Our assigned missionaries and branch president step in when necessary there.) The Elders Quorum Presidency ought to be stepping in if there aren't enough teachers each week; it may very well motivate them to strengthen some of the less active brethren by asking them to teach one week every quarter.
Try not to worry about the failings of your unit's organization. Focus on what you can do to help strengthen yourself and then those around you and in your sphere of influence.
And definitely don't worry about the YSA drama. Go to activities as you can, participate when the opportunity presents itself, and let the opinions of others fall by the wayside.
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14 hours ago, dannyireland said:
Hi there. This is just a quick introduction about me.
I head about The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints about 2 years ago after being given a card. Just last week I came to realise there was a massive hole in my life and something was missing. I was just randomly going through my wallet and found the card given to me by a Missionary. I’m now on my way to being baptised. I work in a caring profession here in the UK we’re known as Healthcare Assistants, kind of like mini nurses. I was wondering if there are any other nurses or the equivalent on here to talk too, along with any friends I can make.
If any of you have a question please ask.
Welcome! Much of my dad's side came over to the US from Ireland. I used to be an in-home caregiver for the elderly, helping them with daily tasks their bodies couldn't handle anymore. Some were more intensive than others; my tasks ranged from washing dishes to wiping bums. Not sure if that's anything like what you do, but almost my entire friend group in college were nursing majors. They dubbed me a "nursing groupie" and gave me an honorary pin after their pinning ceremony.
- dannyireland and Sunday21
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My best guess (sort of in-tandem with that "need to know" reason) is that it gives instructions on how to deal with sensitive issues. I do know that if you have a personal, specific question, a good bishop may show you that related portion of the handbook. Example: the first time I needed to properly dispose of some worn out garments, I was not confident that I remembered the proper way. (Yes, I had looked in Book 2.) In my next interview, I asked my bishop, and instead of just telling me, he showed me the relevant paragraphs in Book 1.
As others have mentioned, it may lead to some of the same attitudes that NT Jews held towards the law of Moses.
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The thread topic did not indicate this would be about Halloween decorations. Was not expecting to see these sorts of images just before bed.
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On October 11, 2017 at 9:05 PM, SilentOne said:
In the spirit of making guesses for no reason other than to briefly feel cool if I'm right, I'll say Tad R. Callister, W. Craig Zwick, and Donald L. Hallstrom.
Callister has a great apostolic sounding name, and Hallstrom has given some magnificent talks in the last few years. He also has kind of a Holland-esque stage (screen) presence...they would make a really cool hero-sidekick duo. "Holland and Hallstrom, at it again!" (Ok, the insomnia is making me silly.)
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On October 11, 2017 at 5:59 PM, prisonchaplain said:
I do love this aspect of LDS church life--that leaders, and indeed all callings, are truly believed to initiate with the prompting of the Holy Spirit. If I were to train bishops, and other decision-makers in your faith, I'd remind them of the beauty of this belief, and encourage them to really take time to hear and discern what the Spirit is saying.
Thank you, internet friend. As the Young Women's President in my branch, I needed this reminder.
- prisonchaplain and Anddenex
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29 minutes ago, key said:
Unfortunately, rather than move the date up, we recently had to move it back. His mom is a nonmember and was very adamant about us waiting longer (she threatened not to come if we didn't move the date back) As she is his only family coming to the wedding, we pushed it back. That was a big worry for us both. While we understand getting married sooner would help in it not being sinful behavior, we also don't want to marry each other just for sex. That's not why we love each other, at all. We have recognized that it is very lustful for us to give in to the temptation and that we aren't showing our love to each other when we allow one another (and ourselves) to break the law of chastity. He has yet to be given the melchizedek priesthood (he is a convert of one year) and would have been able to if we didn't mess up. Neither one of us can partake of the sacrament or enter the temple right now and it has been really trying for us both. We have actually been doing really well the last few days. His bishop really helped this last time, letting us see more of what we are missing that could be so strengthening to our relationship right now. We started reading the Book of Mormon together and I am axcited to see the light of Christ come back into my life. We know that we are right for each other, we just didn't make some right decisions. We just need to move forward from where we are now. We have 2 months until the wedding (it would have only been one month) so we just need to be at our strongest these next 9 weeks.
I'm glad to hear you aren't rushing into the wedding. Also glad to hear that his bishop is helping and that you're reading the Book of Mormon together.
Let me see if I have the timeline straight...
Octoberish 2016, he gets baptized. Novemberish, you start dating. January, there's a slip that gets resolved. April, there are some more serious slips (spent about a year there myself). Within the last monthish, the law of chastity is completely broken and mending has begun.
Ask yourself: at what point did you two decide to get married? Ask yourself if you were in a position to hear everything that the Holy Ghost had to say to you at that time. If you feel you might not have been, I highly recommend taking some time to ponder, pray, and fast for confirmation that he is the right man for you, you are the right woman for him, and your current schedule is synced up with the Lord's. Be willing to accept either a yes or a no to that. Ask your fiancé to do the same.
Meanwhile, avoid all alone time with him. If you need to have private conversations, use a phone or email. (Yes, I'm including the scripture reading as alone time; that can be done over the phone.) Keeping the law of chastity will help both of you develop self mastery, which is essential in life and marriage. God bless, and PM if you need to.
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Pardon the resurrection, but I came here because I've been missing Institute. I only took about 2.5 years of seminary and didn't start Institute until after I graduated (a Catholic) college. In seven years, I graduated Institute twice and got an advanced achievement certificate or two. It really enhanced my study to have others able and willing to discuss scriptures; I haven't had that in my life for a few years, and my scripture study has suffered greatly. (I really wish online groups had the same effect on me as a classroom environment.)
Anyway, our Institute Director decided it would be a good idea to format the summer course to always be The Gospel and the Productive Life to help integrate graduating seniors into the program and real life. The first summer was great, and I learned quite a bit the second summer that I had missed the first time around. By the time the third summer came around...I noticed I was a little begrudging about attending. Thankfully a coworker from my part time job had just graduated from high school and was also attending. This helped me realize that, while there may not be much left for me to learn from the materials, there may have been insight I could offer to those in attendance. I stopped asking, "What can I get out of this?" and started asking "What can I contribute?"
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On 10/2/2017 at 7:04 AM, Woofs said:
I'm 32, female, single, and have absolutely zero desire to be pregnant or have kids.
I have a lot of respect for people that choose to raise kids; it's an important role and I recognize that. And I also know that in the Family Proclamation to the World, that "God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force". And yet I can't help the way I feel. I don't hate kids or anything. I just don't have a shred of desire to raise one. I've never before felt any maternal desire, I've never looked at a baby and thought "that'd be nice", or anything like that. I think I am a responsible and mature adult, and at 32, I really doubt my feelings on motherhood are going to change--I've been waiting and hoping for them to change since I was 10 and first realized I didn't want kids. I just can't picture them in my future. I'm aware there are many people that can't have kids would give anything to have them and can't fathom why I would willingly give them up. I don't know. I wish I could give them my fertility!
The problem is that I feel a dissonance between my deeply ingrained feelings (or lack thereof) and the commandment to have kids. This commandment...I have a hard time with it. Like I am supposed to cede control over my body, a very private and intimate part of my body. With life long consequences. People have told me "it's different when they are yours", or "you'll never know unless you try" but this seems like a dangerous gamble. There is no trial period for motherhood, no return policy. A child deserves to be born and raised into a home where the parents truly want them. I wouldn't be happy with a child, and the child would not be happy being raised by me.
The interesting thing is that in my patriarchal blessing there is mention of me having children. I remember being troubled by this when I first received the blessing when I was 19. I don't understand this.
Anyway I'm not really sure how to resolve this. I want to be faithful and I want to follow the commandments, but I feel like this is one that I don't know how to follow. How can I align my will with God's? Can I still reach exaltation? This really worries me. I'd appreciate any support and insight.
EDIT: Based on the responses so far, I feel like should clarify and add some things I guess I should have put in my original post.
1) Don't worry, I'll get married first! LOL. I didn't mention this at first because I just thought it was a given that I'd get married before having kids, seeing as we are in an LDS discussion board, after all. I do want to resolve this within myself so that I can make myself more eligible for marriage. Not many LDS guys are interested in dating someone who either doesn't want kids or is unsure, and I'm going to be honest with the men I date about how I feel about motherhood.
2) I haven't been waiting idly around for change to happen. I have prayed for a desire to have kids and have my will be aligned with God's,, I've looked at incredible mothers with admiration, I strive to keep the commandments. I'm trying to be a better person, I really am.
3) I've given some serious thought about why I haven't felt any desire for kids. I think my clinical depression may have something to do with it. And I mean serious depression. My childhood, teens, and early twenties were characterized by tortuous depression that I've only recently felt control over. Finding the right medication, therapy, and recognizing what makes it better or worse has been key. I have recognized through harrowing experience with birth control pills (for acne) that hormonal fluctuations make a huge difference. The difference between being able to function and feel like myself vs daily crying spells, panic attacks requiring a trip to the ER, and having to drop out of university for a year. Being pregnant involves hormonal changes. I never want to go to that dark place in my life again because of hormones. (I'm not sure what I'll do when I go through menopause but that is a matter for another day.) I'm not sure if I would mentally survive pregnancy and the post-partum period. I guess I should consider adoption.
4) I get my clinical depression from my mother's side of the family, and I remember as a child seeing my own mother's depression deepen and deepen with each successive child. By the time she had my little brother, her last of 6 kids, her depression had completely taken over. She medicated it with endless opioids. She recently admitted to me that she was trying to escape the stress and worries of raising kids in conjunction with her depression. The more her children needed her and required her attention, the more opioids and benzos she took, and she fell into a miserable, drug induced stupor for the next 15 years. She attempted suicide several times and rarely left her bed. It was miserable for both her and us kids. I remember as a little kid equating motherhood with depression, because that was all I knew. It's hard to purge that emotion from that experience, even though I know from a logical standpoint that motherhood does not equal depression. It's almost like when a person has a phobia of an innocuous object--they know it is harmless, but it doesn't stop them from feeling what they feel, you know?
5) I finally have a hold on my depression, but it is tenuous and requires a lot of self care to maintain. It may sound selfish, but I feel it is critical for my mental health. I dread going back to my dark place and giving my hypothetical kids the same childhood I had. I feel like with my mental health intact, I've been able to better serve those around me.
Anyways, I know this has been a long post and even longer edit, and I want to give an internet cookie to anyone who made it to the end of it. Whew. I've gotten a lot off of my chest here.
I get a stale cookie for being late.
As a fellow 32 y/o single woman and someone who has Seasonal Affective Disorder (and who hasn't read what anyone else said), I suggest shelving this concern until you become involved with someone who seems like he'd be a good husband for you. Your mental health is important, and it sounds like this is a heavier weight than you need in your pack right now. Raising a family and running a household is a team effort, and I know it sounds hokey, but you may meet someone who makes you feel like you can mother a child. Don't rule that possibility out. Now, this may just be me, but I don't think bringing this up on the first few dates is necessary to be honest. Especially if you are willing and trying to change your desires.
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On 8/11/2017 at 2:00 PM, Mike said:
I want to know more from people with views that promoting abstinence creates a culture of shame.
While I don't hold this view, I think what the second parent was getting at was that someone who had sexual experiences (either willingly or unwillingly) may feel shamed and ostracized by their peers and/or teachers, and hopeless to abstain in the future, especially with the shortsightedness of a a 14 year old.
Personally, I'm torn about sex and sexuality being taught in schools. Ideally, all parents would teach their kids respectfully about the birds and the bees. Reality is, many kids are going to learn about these things at school instead of at home, and in that case, I'd rather the discussions start in a classroom than the cafeteria.
- Backroads, LoudLizard and Sunday21
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On 10/5/2017 at 4:55 PM, Fether said:
My wife and I are going to school and may qualify for scholarship housing next year. If we got it, the school would choose what house we are to move into. This house will likely be outside our boundaries.
We love our current Ward and I absolutely love my callings.
my question is this. How strict are the boundaries? If I love outside the Ward, would I be ok to stay in the Ward? I know on my mission there were a lot of situations where this caused problems and people had to get special permission to change wards. Is it written somewhere that "thou shalt not attend church outside your Ward boundaries"?
@DoctorLemon brought up some excellent points for you to consider.
The Lord works in mysterious ways. Could be there's something you have someone in that new ward needs, or there may be something you'll need in the next year that someone in your new ward will have. If you find yourself dragging your feet about switching wards, ponder who drew those boundaries and what led you to being there.
Of course there are exceptions (I could list a few incidentals), but the rule is to attend your assigned ward.
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This may not seem related to anyone else, but I have a hard time singing the final lines of Hymn 19 according to the mood marking.
Singing, "While they who reject this glad message shall never such happiness know" brightly (or cheerfully) just feels incongruous. There have been times in my life (when someone close to me is rejecting the glad message of the gospel) when I would sing the rest of that song with gusto and then go utterly silent for those lines.
That being said, I haven't made much study of Hefner's life, but I know enough to be glad that I don' t have to be the one passing judgement.
How poor are you?
in General Discussion
Posted
This is the only sheep I own.