seashmore

Pay off my house, have a nice found for my daughter to earn for college... and just be really happy to not have to worry about money.  That sense of security is huge.  So if something happens to us, or a dear loved one, we can be there.  

I would pay tithing, build my dream home cash down. Buy 20 or so rental units, a couple self sustaining business, invest in stocks, and maybe a car or two. Whatever was left would go toward Other investments.

I would likely donate a good chunk to Underground Railroad, and then once I am making double my expenses in passive income, I’ll be donating almost everything I have to them.

If I inherited five million, I would pay off my mortgage and other debts. I and my husband would have much needed dental work done on our teeth, which we currently are unable to afford. We would get a decent car. We would replace some of our food storage. Travel some. Maybe buy a camping trailer. Our aches and pains are such that camping is getting hard for us. Taxes would probably take about half. I don’t think there would be much left after these expenditures. 

Back in my heathen days I was in the club/bar management scene.  They gave us a private performance, then tickets to the show that night.  I enjoyed them.

If you inherited 5 million dollars, what would you do with it?  
For me it would be starting a non profit shelter and sanctuary for senior dogs.  A place where senior dogs would have a happy place and safe place to finish out their lives.  I would purchase about 5 acres.  I already have a house pictured in my head that would be just for the dogs with easy access to outdoors.  I would be able to hire some staff but also be able to rely on volunteers.  I would also have a garden to be able to grow some of the vegetables that dogs need to keep healthy.   
Of course I might do a little bit of traveling.   But I seriously would really love to do a senior dog sanctuary.
 

I'm sorry you're stuck with all the mediocre minds.

Is this like the opposite of Youtube comments where people try to be the first comment by just saying "First!"?
 
Last!

I'm not offended!  I have to occasionally check my desire to say just one more thing, long after everyone else is done.  
Also, this:

You will not be the last word in this thread.

Back in the 2000s, my local and stake priesthood leadership were largely of the opinion that the internet was comprised of e-mail, the church website, and porn. If a person wasn't doing e-mail or the church website, they were likely up to no good. Thus, parents needed to be hyper-vigilant and question everything. 
I was, so near as I can tell, literally the only person in the stake using the internet to talk with people about the church. 
At the time, merely self-identifying as a member of the church could bring death threats. That's how overtly hostile the internet was to the church, and there were precious few resources we could use to counter this hatred. The church website was barely functional even on a good day, and apologetics websites were few and far between. Those of us who were members had to quickly find each other, band together, and brace for onslaught, as we were on our own. 
I think you can understand why I have to bite my tongue whenever I see people nowadays going on and on about how great and awesome the internet is and how the Bloggernacle just magically appeared out of nowhere as a symbol of power. 

Like all other venues, sincerity and respecting people really matter on the virtual venue too.
For recent years, there's been a trend (at least in the USA) that it's easier to talk super private things online, where you have the anonymous and option to leave completely at any point.  So a lot of people are actually more comfortable talking faith online rather than having a physical person in their house.  COVID has completely ramped that up to the extreme.
You can have really good ones: like there's a missionary who serves in my ward whom I've never met who's very active poster, putting out really high quality spiritual and slice-of-life stuff.  He posts on his personal page and also the ward page, and I see a lot of it that way and through my ward friends "liking" things.  
And then you have the lame spammers too.

Our church has around a decade or so worth of efforts to have missionaries be effective online.  They've met with limited success, and produced more than a few, call it, less-effective efforts.   It's about being genuine, and also being relevant.  Miss one, and it doesn't really matter how much the other is working, your efforts will be lacking.
A failed experiment from years ago, a stake president somewhere started sending his missionaries here to this forum.  They were genuine, but struggled with relevance.  They started sending private messages to random posters, would show up in threads about topics with a bunch of "Hi I'm a missionary do you have any questions".  We eventually had to ban some of the Lord's annointed because they wouldn't stop violating forum rules.  The decision went up to a General Authority if I remember correctly.
So yeah, the struggle to be effective online is real.   

While I love that more missions have opened up to using facebook for missionary outreach, I have to confess some of it seems less than genuine.
I've noticed an uptick in friend requests from missionaries who have served in my stake/area, but who have never worked with me, and some who have never even met me!  They probably just see a double digit of mutual friends and go for the add.  While that rolls my eyes, I usually decline the request and go about my day. 
Recently, I was added to a local history group on facebook.  I'm not from the area I currently live in, so it's been kind of neat to see some of the posts there.  A few weeks ago, I saw a post from someone saying they were new to the area, interested in history, and asked for some places to visit.  After seeing the OP's responses to some of the suggestions, I became curious and checked out their profile.  Yep, it was a missionary.  And, I don't know why, but suddenly I felt that the OP had "baited" people into a discussion about history.  I was left with the impression that they would immediately respond to anyone who reached them with a PM about Church history in the area and it all felt....disingenuous. 
I know if someone did that to me, got me talking about something I was interested in, only to have the other party slam me into something only marginally related, it wouldn't leave me with a favorable taste for the second topic. 
That said, I'm loving the area missionary pages and the interactions they're having with local members.  Virtual tours, highlighting talents and testimonies of members and missionaries alike, it's all very uplifting.

The van is mostly configured for camping but was designed with extras for skiers and swagging for cyclists in competitions and long rides.  We are not sure yet how winter and skiing will work out but what he has reserved through the end of the year will carry through til spring camping if the skiing does not work out.
As a side note.  My son and his wife and 4 kids lived crammed into a 3 bedroom one bath apartment in the basement of their home while they rented the upstairs for 5 years while they purchased two other homes and paid off ung-dly student loans.  The sacrifice has paid off big time.  They now live in a 6,000 sq foot home with a fantastic view - but now they have a renter in the basement.  His siblings use to make fun of their living in a basement when they could afford more.  Not so much now.  He plans to add an new investment each year and retire in 10 years.
 
The Traveler

I took a bit of a sabbatical when I moved and lost regular internet access.  I came back and saw that it had been a bit inactive, which is not uncommon for message boards. 
I'm mostly here to connect with people who share similar religious and spiritual beliefs, so I don't often visit the current events or political discussions.  Also, I get enough of that elsewhere.
 

I currently drive a car (GMC Suburban)  that is 28 years old.  It has a tape deck that no one can use any more - the tapes are all worn out and it is too difficult to replace them.  I have taken excellent care of the car and on average it cost me about $500 a year for repairs.  I still change the oil every 5,000 miles (I use synthetic oil). My mechanic loves it more than I do.   It is a work horse that pulls my trailer - my kids borrow it almost as much as I use it.  It needs a new wire harness for the positive side of the battery and replacement fuse for the cigarette lighter - my wife tried to run a food blender on a converter plugged into the cigarette lighter.   I have decided it best to not let anyone use the cigarette lighter any more.  People ask why I do not replace my car and get a new one.  I respond that it does not make sense to pay $70,000 for a car that will do no more than my current car and my phone.
The one car I wish I had kept was a 1957 Triumph TR3A.  I purchased it while I was single and in the army and had it until my wife became pregnant and said it was too difficult to get in and out of.  If I had kept it I would have put it on a aluminum frame and upgraded the engine and transmission (and just about everything else) except the exterior look.  It is by far the funnest and most enjoyable car I have ever ridden in and it could be started with a crank - which I did only once.  When I learned where the term "cranky" came from.
 
The Traveler

We paid off our car today.  No more car payments!  Yippy!  There is only about 59,000 miles on the odometer presently as well.

It will be next year that my wife and I will have been married for twenty years.  Hopefully our marriage sealing will be sealed by the Holy Spirit in the next life if we continue faithful to life eternal.
We also now have just reached one full gross year of income saved for in our emergency fund and retirement combined.
Please share any milestones or goals reached if you wish.

The policy description under Birth Control was updated just a few weeks ago.  The current policy is in the General Handbook, section 38.6.4
This does not represent a major change from the previous policy; with the only noticeable difference being that the previous policy explicitly encouraged members considering surgical sterilization to seek counsel from their priesthood leaders. The new policy implicitly removes priesthood leaders from the decision making process.

I took a bit of a sabbatical when I moved and lost regular internet access.  I came back and saw that it had been a bit inactive, which is not uncommon for message boards. 
I'm mostly here to connect with people who share similar religious and spiritual beliefs, so I don't often visit the current events or political discussions.  Also, I get enough of that elsewhere.
 

I consider @anatess2 to be one of the sharper minds I have encountered.   A kindred spirit - Maybe I will be next???
As a side note - I had a high school teacher that talked me into joining the debate team.  One of my favorite quotes about life comes from him -- "Think small, big ideas will upset just about everybody."
And for the record - try as I may I have not been able to keep my hair on - except for my eye brows, nose and ears.
Another note.  I have been stuck at home because of surgery (both myself and the wife).  Posting is about the only thing left to do - TV has no sports and the news has not changed in months and if there is anything on TV worth watching - it has been removed????
 
The Traveler

I haven’t been involved nearly as much as I use to.
 
some observations that may attribute to this:
- A LOT of politics, and in any community if you aren’t participating in the echo chamber, you get booted out. That being said I agree with virtually all of the conservative Political views held in here... but I don’t see the need to participate in The political echo chamber we have, nor engage in frivolous political debates  with those I disagree with.
TLDR: Online political discourse bores me
- The topics I see I have little interest in. Either they are of little value (white supremacy in the Book of Mormon, nature of angels, nature of deer stones) or I read the thread and feel I have nothing to add from what was already written 
- I have transcended the need of gospel discussion with you mortal heathens
 
despite that, I do agree with your observations . I will try to spark some interesting conversations based on my studies.

The site always slows down over summer time when families are home.  And the last 6 months have been the most intense long summer in existence...

Many regular users have left the site, some thankfully (IMHO) others are missed.   I still read the site daily, but only comment when I feel I have something to add.  
 
While the communication here has slowed, I personally feel it is much more faith-centered and less distracted by trolling and inactive Saints offering seedy advice and opinions that don't firmly side with Church teachings.  
 
Im not the site owner or administrator, but in the past I've stepped back from the site several times due to the conversations.   Now, much of what is posted goes over my head but I still learn by reading.  

To say I'm sorry to hear these things is an understatement.  I'm sorry for your pain.  
You may not like my advice, either.  Change is hard.  Change often hurts.  I can, however, tell you what built my faith as an adult convert.  First, I had a testimony that the Book of Mormon was scripture.  However, that was the ONLY thing I believed to be true.  I had a testimony of nothing else.  With that established, I worked to establish testimonies of other things.  I lived as HE wanted me to live.  

What do I mean by that?   Well, I read my scriptures daily.  I served my brothers and sisters every opportunity I had, and looked for more opportunities.  I didn't wait for the EQ President or the Bishop to call me, I called THEM.  I was relentless in my ministering.  I lived the Word of Wisdom, gave up bad habits I had, lived the Law of Chastity, and gave it everything I had.  With that, I began to build my faith.  I was receiving more than I was giving.  I was converted more each day.  When I back off from that, I notice a distinct difference in my life and relationships.  

Take that for what it's worth.  I'm not an authority on anything.