seashmore

I hope you find comfort as you give your talk. The majority of the talks I have been given have been "choose your topic." I, personally, love choosing my own topic. In my personal studies, I usually have a topic that the Spirit has already impressed upon my mind and heart. I have been studying/pondering that topic for sometime before I receive the speaking assignment.

My favorite though, is when I get a call at 8:30 am (church starts at 9 am) and I receive a speaking assignment saying, "We would like you to speak in sacrament, are you able to do so this morning? A person is sick and isn't able to make it to Church.'

I’m personally hate picking my topic. I can get much deeper in preparation if I have a topic

Maybe its because it is at the last minute so they are allowing you to choose a topic you might already be somewhat prepared to give. Regardless it is a sign of trust so well done. 

You should be wishing THEM luck.  They've unleashed the beast.

I love The Inspector General!  I grew up watching TCM, but it wasn't until I bought a "Family Pack" from the five dollar bin that I discovered that movie.  Kaye is so funny!
 
It was It's a Wonderful Life.  One of my absolute favorites; I'll watch it any time of year.  If I remember correctly, part of the reason it flopped so hard was because of a May release date.  Fun thing I discovered: if you remember, one of the angels says, "You'll spend that hour getting to know that man."  Once, I timed it and the amount of screen time we spend with Clarence "getting to know" George is longer than an hour, which, to me, says something about God's timing.  Hot dog!
I have to ask @JohnsonJones and @LadyGunnar have you seen Cary Grant in I Was a Male War Bride?  Pure hilarity!  I'm a sucker for screwball comedies, though.
 
I'm more likely to dislike a popular movie than to like something that's unpopular, if that makes sense.
Although, my best friend did tell me she didn't like Dan In Real Life, which I absolutely adore!
 
 

One crazy thought that I learned recently is if you make more than $32,350 in United States currency per year you are among the top one percent of global earners.  If you are among the top one percent of global earners and pay your tithing imagine what these tithes and offerings can do for saints in foreign countries.

My dearest @Vort
You've just become my deepest, dearest, most treasured friend. Have I ever told you how much I admire and respect you? And friends look out for each other and help each other, yes? And may I remind you of Jacob 2:6 and Matthew 5:42
17  Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.
42  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
I'll send you my address and account details via personal message. 
 

Having had some experience with kissing gone beyond the FSOY standards, I decided I wouldn't participate in any kissing unless we're standing or wearing seat belts.  Satan and I know my weaknesses, and those are objective check points.  The only people I expect to adhere to those standards are myself and any guy kissing me. 
That being said, I feel a bit obligated to warn you about passionate kissing, which some call making out.  Once that line is crossed, and you feel that feeling, you want to feel it again.  It can be incredibly difficult to deny yourself once you've given in, even when you know it's the proper thing to do.  I'll get a little personal.  When I was in high school, I had some lie down, passionate make out sessions with my boyfriend.  When a divorced RM I was interested in dating after college suggest we cuddle, I was all for it.  Cuddling led to spooning, and I didn't know how to change course in the middle of it.  Before I saw him again, I called him and told him that, while I still liked him and enjoyed cuddling, I was not comfortable with spooning.  He said he understood, but it wasn't longer than a few months before it was happening again, because we both allowed it.  It's the old story of how to boil a frog. 
It also influenced the final lesson I gave to my YW as I moved out and they graduated high school (3 of them were going to BYU-I, and a fourth has joined them).  I had planned to teach them about the talk to "Stay in the Boat," not realizing they had that lesson the week before.  So we compared Joseph of Egypt and Potiphar's wife with Samson and Delilah.  I told them that if any guy ever got "Delilah-y" with them, to be like Joseph of Egypt and RUN!  One girl, probably trying to come off as her usual sarcastic self (although I suspect she had reasons), challenged me with, "What if he's on the boat?"  I looked her straight in the eye and said, "Push him out."

If you are doing something to arouse sexual feelings in yourself or a person who’s not you spouse, you’ll find out why the Lord puts a giant warning “don’t go here!” sign.   So people just want to touch the stove themselves...

Here is my opinion 
“Never do anything that could lead to sexual transgression. Treat others with respect, not as objects used to satisfy lustful and selfish desires. Before marriage, do not participate in passionate kissing”
- For the Strength of Youth
 
“The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet contains standards that, when followed carefully, will bring rich blessings and help us stay on the covenant path. Although it was written for the benefit of the youth, its standards do not expire when we leave the Young Men and Young Women programs. They apply to each of us all the time. A review of these standards may prompt other ways we can be more careful in our gospel living.”
- Becky Craven, General Conference 2019

I think this study is what placed "singing at church during COVID" on everyone's radar:
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6919e6.htm - "High SARS-CoV-2 Attack Rate Following Exposure at a Choir Practice — Skagit County, Washington, March 2020"
Poo-poo it all you want, but it seems reasonable to ask people to at least understand what they're poo-poo-ing.  It's good to have a working knowledge of human rights and the constitution.  But folks without at least a basic understanding of "emitters" and "superemitters", and the relationship of droplet formation and loudness/volume, would seem to be at a disadvantage when trying to form a relevant opinion - because the lawfulness of a public health order is only half the story.

I've been two times in the last month, our ward is divided into five groups of 25 or less. Our ward is pretty scrupulous about following the guidelines, masks, wiping down the podium after each speaker, only recorded music etc. It was so awesome be back. Sure I would prefer the pandemic to be gone and for everything to be back to normal, it's really sparse with 25 people or less, but I love being back in the building. The Holy Ghost was so strong and, as much as I am grateful for my priesthood and being able to do at home service, there is something special about meeting together with the Saints to worship Christ. I am just glad I get to be back at church, it's gives me a feeling of normality in a world that's completely topsy turvy.

We started going back once a month starting in June when we were still living down south. We separated into three groups. It was short and sweet with everyone wearing masks. As the organist, it was hard to hear anyone singing with the masks on.
Now that we are living in northern Utah, we are able to go twice a month separating into two groups. There are only two wards in our building. In this ward, there is no singing which is understandable. It’s harder to sing through a mask.
My husband, who doesn’t even like to sing, has mentioned how much he misses the singing. My oldest daughter misses having full church meetings. It’s been different and hard in some respects. It’s been difficult to get to know anyone in our new ward in current conditions. But we go anyway because it’s important to us that we take the sacrament.

I've been in the church building exactly twice since March.  The first time was to help set up for a baptism back in June. The second was to do some administrative stuff yesterday afternoon.  
I've not attended any services. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I will anytime in the near future. My social network consists of the following conditions
A niece with  no immune response (literally, when parents dropped off their kids in Primary with the sniffles, it wasn't uncommon for her to develop pneumonia within a week) A father with a hospital acquired, medication resistant infection (going to the hospital is a risky ordeal for him without the complications of a respiratory disease) Several Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA participants whose primary adults are their grandparents. We're trying to stay available to be the social outlet for my niece, because her social sphere is so restricted now, which means we have to be pretty careful about where we go and in what ways we interact with people. One of the choices we've made is that we will only participate in activities where masking is required and we can have a reasonable belief that attendees will adhere to best practices. 
Unfortunately, we have a handful of families that are avid anti-masker, don't-tread-on-my-freedoms type people. Despite the bishopric's best attempts to persuade them that masking up and keeping a little distance would be enough to help a non-insignificant number of people be able to attend, they just refuse. So we won't be going back, because I just can't trust that other members in my ward will have any concern for the health concerns of my family and scouts I am committed to serving. We'll go back when one of these three conditions is met
The bishopric enforces masking expectations The CDC declares that preventative measures are no longer necessary The WHO declares the pandemic is over. I suspect that the both wards will be meeting in the building weekly long before any of those conditions are met. If I'm honest, I'm struggling with resentment. It's a new feeling for me.  Not sure I like it.

So........ I did it! About a month ago, I managed to finally go through with it. There were a few bumps along the way but in the end it was all planned, lessons completed, baptism interview conducted and baptised within 24 hours! It was really special and I only had the sisters, the stake president and my best friend (who actually baptised me) in his back garden hottub due to covid restrictions! I had to get approvals from the missionary president from the local area and a Bishop in Arizona (due to my friend being based there currently, but was home in the UK at the time) so you could say it was a very multinational affair! 
As I suspected all along, I can now say that it was the best thing I ever did, altho not sure I could pluck up the courage again! Haha 
Its amazing to now be an official member of the Church. It really feels like I'm home. 
 

That's funny (not funny ha ha but funny odd).  My wife had the exact same issue.  In the end, she opted for a ceremony with just myself baptizing her and 2 witnesses.  

That's what I thought, but @Still_Small_Voice made it sound like there were places that had state-wide mandates against singing, which is why I brought it up.
 
 

The California Governor forbade singing in churches.  I do not know if it is still in effect but it was a tyrannical mandate nonetheless.  I expect such things from California.  There is a reason many people are fleeing the State.  I do not know what other States put this mandate in.
https://townhall.com/columnists/toddstarnes/2020/07/04/californias-governor-forbids-christians-from-singing-in-church-houses-n2571849

Before getting into quotes, we need to first define what is meant by "socialism" in the questioner's context.  The USSR's version of socialism is not the same as Barnie Sander's version, and the questioner likely has a different version as well.
Rather than talking about an entire nebulous package, I find it's best to talk about individual principles.   Let's take the importance of work for example.    There are plenty of quotes out there along the lines of "by the sweat of your brow, thou shall eat bread."   There's also lots of quotes about caring for the needy.  And a HUGE thing that's been stressed lately by the Brothern is financial responsibility and self-reliance.   
Etc.
 
 
<Sorry Pam, I know you were looking for a Ask Gramps style answer, and not the discussion-based one I gave>

I've attended in-person every Sunday but one (Labor Day, when I was out of town) for a couple of months.  I forget, when, exactly, we were allowed to go back, but I was overwhelmed with the Spirit the first two weeks.  Probably because my in-home services were awful.  My roommate relocated to her parents' home for a couple of months, leaving me essentially alone, and my worship was basically putting chairs on my patio so a ministering brother could come over and spent 15 minutes chatting and praying with me. Except for April, when there was no approval to administer sacrament to members outside of your own home.  This week, we opened the overflow, but that's because people were taking the 6 foot guideline seriously.  The side pews are small enough that one person can sit against the wall and another in the aisle and still be following it.  Also, there was a full row taken up by a single sister on one side and a childless couple on the other.  Why people don't leave large rows for large families baffles me, even in the Before Times.
As a person, I'm pretty adaptable in a general sense, so the microphone sanitizing and new administration procedures didn't feel like an interruption for me.  The masks I'm used to.  I'm a receptionist for an eye doctor, and I've been masking at work since early April.  Our ward has also adapted pretty well to the alterations in administering.  The bread is broken and placed into individual cups, spaced every other slot, while the sacrament hymn is played.  One Fast and Testimony meeting, I sat just behind the Aaronic Priesthood holders, so I had a pretty good view of them preparing it, and it reminded me of how the Atonement is a very individual thing.  I shared Chieko Okazaki's quote, "Did you know that if you were the only person in the world who needed the Atonement, He still would have died for you -- just for you?"
The young men walk around with a full tray in one hand and an empty tray in the other, standing in the pew in front of you so you can drop the empty cup in the empty tray.  A few weeks ago, it was quiet enough that I heard the blessers (our ward has no priests) empty the empties into the trash.  The sound of the plastic cups tapping against each other as they fell felt symbolic of our community of individuals ridding ourselves of our sins and shortcomings by turning them over to the Lord, who promptly discards them.
Those administering the sacrament wait until the congregation has received both bread and water before the blessers hold the trays for the passers, and then each other.  It serves as a reminder to me that JOY is an acronym for: Jesus, Others, Self.  We find joy when our focus is in that order.
While I'm glad to be back, the only reason I'm attending in person as often as I am is to receive the sacrament and wave at my Sunbeams, sometimes able to talk to them outside after church.  Our ward also has set up closed circuit broadcasting of the non-ordinance portions of the meeting.

Our ward has held three meetings since June, and each has had more and more people return. Our first however only had 13 present...16 if you count the 3 of us on the stand. It was one of the most spiritual sacrament meetings I can remember. Lots of hustle and bustle take place with cleaning the building and regarding masks and whatnot, but the purpose of the meeting is the sacrament, and it has been worth it.

Following a suggestion from @anatess2, my family actually joined up with up with another family for mini church ~3 months ago.  That worked out great for everyone involved: good lessons, fellowship, and at least some formality.  They and we both have some high risk people and a similar level of precaution about things.  
Hence I have not been to at-chapel church since the world went crazy.  My ward did start meeting together in-person 2-3 months ago... and it's just a "no go" for us on so many levels.   Recently, the bishop actually tried to force everyone to come back via revoking permission to have at home-church and lots of guilt trips, including for families whom are high risk.  Needless to say that didn't go over well.  However, after a saga he did step down and once again grant permission for us to say home.  
That's my story as of today.  I am much more attached to the spirt of things rather than traditional mechanics (especially when traditional mechanics aren't the mechanics actually being used).
 

What was the experience like? 
We went back for the first time today and it was surreal, depressing and I didn't feel anything because of the distraction of it being so different. Our ward is so divided up (Northeast Area directives) that we only had 18 people there for our session ( granted a couple families were missing). I sat there the whole time wondering what church really is for me. I definitely have felt the spirit more at our home meetings than I did today. I should have felt the spirit at the building today. Everything went ok. But the few families that were there aren't the ones I'm closest to and it made me wonder if the feeling of the spirit has more to do with the emotional warmth of being with people we have a bond with than the "mechanics and structure" how the meeting is carried out. 
 
  

I thought I'd share.  Our bishopric announced today that we'd be singing out loud now.  There was quite a commotion about it.