Grunt

This video doesn't do the music justice. https://www.facebook.com/NashuaLatterDaySaints/videos/1454698081320177/

I went to San Diego on business. The people I was in the conference with decided to have a night out, but I decided to go see the Temple instead. I spent a long time there and had a great chat with the missionaries, which also led me to overcome some doctrine issues I was having. The missionaries were really stressing that I visit the Mormon Battalion Historic Site. It was almost time for it to close, but I decided to swing by real quick since they made such a big deal about it. I arrived there just before it closed and was the only one there. I felt bad because they were all in the entry, obviously thinking about closing up. They were really friendly and wanted me to see the tour. For those that haven't been, it's an interactive tour and very well done. We went through the first room, watched the films, and headed into the second. While in the second room, someone else slipped in the back and we continued the rest of the tour together. At the end of the tour, the elder missionary asked us where we were from and what brought us there. We both answered "Boston" as people from my region often do because it's the only thing in New England most people actually know. He went on to say he was in the area for work and thought he should come. I told them I wasn't actually from Boston, I was from NH and was an investigator in a small ward there. He asked which ward, and I assured him he'd never heard of it, but told him. He asked if I knew "this guy". Turns out "this guy" was his Brother-in-Law. "This Guy" was my closest friend in the Ward. His wife is good friends with my wife and our children love each other. They are the family that bought Quads for my wife and I as investigators. They moved to our ward from Utah a month or so before I began investigating. They felt prompted to move but didn't know why. Immediately after we met his wife was convinced they were sent here to help us. I love this family with all my heart and am blessed to have them in my life. The week or two before this happened, "This Guy" was trying to help me with a difficult doctrinal issue I couldn't overcome (but resolved on that trip), and he told me that I really needed to meet his brother-in-law, because he was really smart and would probably be able to help me. This same Brother-in-Law that lives within an hour of me that I met as far from NH as I can get and still be in the continental US in a tour that was getting ready to close and we were the only two people on. Now talk to me about coincidences and tell me God doesn't work to help us when we need it most.

My most impactful small world experience was my trip to San Diego. I won't bore everyone with the details again, but it played a role in my decision to be baptized.

Sorry, I wasn't specifically referring to you. I was talking about sealing and what it truly means. We aren't just sealed to our spouses but to our families as well. What do those sealings look like in heaven? I personally don't know. Anything I find on it says we will be bound together in heaven and that it will extend to all generations. https://www.lds.org/temples/what-happens-in-a-temple-sealing?lang=eng I trust God's plan. I also recognize the choices we make in this life have effects in the next. I know that Christ's atonement has the power to cleanse our sins. Beyond that, I can't say I know what will happen. I'm pretty sure I'll be happy for it, though. After all, we shouted for joy when we heard God's plan, so it must be a good one.

I was fortunate to see the last shows.

I don't know why "polygamy" keeps getting tossed around. The church, nor its members, practice polygamy. If anyone has doctrinal guidance on what relationships look like in the afterlife I'd love to see it.

Interesting. On a side note, I changed out the standard cartridge for a converter and the issue disappeared. It must have just been that cartridge, I suppose.

Did you just call me an infarction?

What is there to argue about and why WOULD you argue about it? If you don't believe in anything, as you stated, then a church is just another building to you. Is there a specific building you have strong feelings about being married in? If so, why? If not, why wouldn't you defer to her on something that she has likely dreamed of her entire life? My advice to a soon-to-be-married man would be don't just love your wife but adore her. If you don't have strong feelings about something, make her feelings yours. Know that happily going along with her desire to be married in something that is a deep issue for her will bring her great joy. However, also be aware that strong religious beliefs affect other areas of her life as well, and you must be willing to compromise in those areas for a happy marriage. What about when she wants your children baptized? What about Sunday School and church? If you aren't prepared to turn a blind eye to things you don't believe in and support her faith, you're going to have bigger problems down the road.

Contention and hostility seem to follow you from topic to topic. I'm unsure why. Whether or not you have a risk of sharing your husband with someone is between you, your husband, and that "someone". It has nothing to do with God or a specific religion. If you believe families will be together beyond the veil, as you have stated, then I'm unsure what your problem is. In EVERY religion people remarry due to death or divorce. In EVERY religion these people have mixed families. In EVERY religion these people will be together in some form if you believe families will be together. That is pretty much the extent of ANYONE'S knowledge and that knowledge extends to every religion that believes in being with our loved ones forever.

It's an interesting paradigm. If you believe in eternal families, then you must accept the fact that families naturally have multiple partners. The scenario @NeuroTypical laid out exists across ALL religions. Otherwise, you believe eternal families DON'T exist, which changes the view of heaven dramatically. We're all just up there on our own.

<insert inappropriate LGBTDSJD comment here>

Our choir sang at an interfaith music evening last night. They were heavenly. I was so impressed.

I own many. I wonder what the Bishop would say......

Great question. Please keep in mind that my response is ALL speculation and any doctrine that may support it is coincidental. Someone will likely be along shortly to tell me to shut up. I believe you’re applying mortal characteristics to a spiritual state. Why are we here? God’s plan for us was to create Adam’s fallen state so he could receive mortality and populate the earth. This allowed us to obtain bodies of flesh, form families, grow spiritually, and achieve exaltation. It is a process for us. The center of that process is the family. In the mortal sense, families are for growth and procreation. We learn unconditional love, devotion, teaching, and community. What will that mean beyond the veil, though? I don’t believe we will view “marriage” the same way we will now. I believe our relationships will be more communal and collective. We are ALL family in the spirit world, with lines and connections that transcend our mortal generations. We will be reunited with others we may have been very close to beyond the veil, yet did not even know in our mortal lives. Have you ever met someone you felt an instant kinship and/or love for, almost instantly? I truly believe those are people we “remember” from our pre-mortal existence. The nature of our relationships previously are unknown to us now. As such, the nature of our sealings in this life aren’t entirely defined beyond the veil. I’m not sure WHAT the nature of my relationship with my wife and children will be in the next part of my journey. I do know it will be glorious, though, and I can’t wait for it. Try not to put your mortal understanding of things onto God’s eternal plan. We really don’t know the constructual details.

I’m silently waiting to become Bishop so I can reveal my orthodox agenda, enforce linger longer EVERY Sabbath, and exchange the pianist for a bagpipe band

Depending on who he was, he may have had not only the right to do that but the responsibility. I'm not saying you were right or wrong. I wasn't there. I've seen many pairs of pants that wouldn't be acceptable in church. I hope that I would just be happy you were in church and not say a word. It's difficult to judge a situation without the details. I would suggest you freshen your heart, pray, and continue going to church as you have been with the purpose of lifting yourself up and giving glory to God. If your dress is truly inappropriate, the Bishop will let you know privately.

You choose to find it insulting. That's far different than being insulted. Choose the Right.

I rarely wear a white shirt with my suits. My suits are all conservative, though. One of the ladies suggested my wife get me one for Christmas, which she did (not knowing I have them, I just don't like to wear them). Sometimes I wear it. More often I don't. Nobody has ever said a word to me, I still bless and pass the Sacrament, teach my class, and enjoy my Sabbaths.

Could be. I go to a very small ward in the country. I really don't know. I don't recall seeing any at the Stake Conference, but to be perfectly honest it's not like I go around looking to see what people are wearing.

I can't think of a single gun control measure I support. This proposed one is no different.

I may be reading things incorrectly, but you seem to get hostile often.

I've never seen a woman in pants at church.

My boss mentioned he was heading to some conference to hear someone that from whom he'd previously heard a good talk about Creation. Like a fool, I blurted "I just taught a class on Creation a few weeks ago". Now he wants to have a discussion about it. I can't wait for this....... On a side note, when I started this thread, the below was in my post buffer. I'd love to know where I was going with that and when I wrote it.

Even before I believed in eternal marriage, my word, honor, integrity, and love for my wife meant more to me than finding someone to have sex with.