bananarchist

I'm perfectly happy to bring that up, but I feel like that's not the kind of thing I get to on a first or second date. I try to show that more through my actions, i.e. not going too far physically or not telling them they can stay over at my house or something. I prefer to say something if that comes up, in which situation I'd be perfectly clear. And in response to the previous comment, I'm definitely the cursing sailor haha

That's what I've always said. I know a lot of people who have LDS in their online profiles and bring it up as soon as they can. Being myself is a lot more my style, people eventually find out but I don't force it on them. It's the same with the law of chastity thing, I don't immediately dump it on people, I tend to wait until it comes up so I don't assume they're just there for sex.

I'm guessing you're also some type of anarchist then?

Hi everyone. I'm 19, study audio engineering at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and love skateboarding, mosh pits, and politics. I grew up in the church and am still an active member, which comes as a surprise to people a lot since I'm a proud metalhead and dress the part, and the fact that I swear like a sailor (still working on that one haha!) I like to look for the spirit in a lot of places where people wouldn't usually expect it, and that's led me to some interesting places. I look forward to getting to know people here!

Hi, I've been an active member of the church since I was a child, but for whatever reason, the men I take interest in are usually outside of the faith. I've been very inspired by Joaquin E. Costa's talk from last summer about how his girlfriend Renee brought him to the church, and although I eventually intend to marry in the temple, but I don't mind having a relationship with someone of a different faith, provided they're still willing to date me after finding out I'm abstinent. (but no one really is haha) However, I get apprehensive about introducing them to the church. Our beliefs are pretty reasonable, but questions usually arise regarding our beliefs on LGBT issues, the Word of Wisdom, or garments. I have such a hard time introducing people to these things. I just get the feeling that from the outside it must seem like I'm in a cult. (might have done too much reading on r/exmormon) How would you recommend introducing a significant other or friend to the church in a way that won't scare them off? Thanks!

Black Metaller here. I play in a black metal band called Slaughtersun and have been interested in extreme music for a long time. When I first got into it, I was surprised how beautiful the music was. Some people around me characterized it as evil, but I discovered many bands that talked more about nature, mental struggle, and mythology instead of glorifying pure perversion. Even some of the "Satanic" bands use Satan as a metaphor for mental struggle, or to be able to face their adversary head-on in musical form. In my personal opinion it is better to acknowledge the existence of evil than ignore it, and that's exactly what the music is doing. It's catharsis; an aural "Get thee hence, Satan!" if you will. In Kreator's song "Satan is Real," are the lines "Satan is Real, can you resist the temptation?" Is this not something we already ask ourselves often? In Obituary's "Cause of Death" the band talks about overcoming pain and hell, which is part of our purpose as well. Bands like Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer call out injustice in the world and present a call to action. For all their reputation, most black metal bands talk about the forest and being lonely a lot more than they talk about Satan. Enslaved, Ulver, Immortal, and Drudkh, for instance. As an LDS person, you are responsible for showing people through your actions that you are a follower of God. You cannot control what people, inside or outside of the church, think of you for dressing like a metalhead. I personally avoid deliberately anti-religious and vulgar band shirts, but I've got to admit, skulls and bullet belts look pretty cool and I've got no problem wearing those. And as far as my band goes? Yes, we dress from head to toe in black. Yes, there are hooded capes, and spikes, and corpse paint. The point of it all is that we explore some of the deepest, darkest struggles of mankind. We tackle these issues head-on, and that is why the music is intense. In the end, it isn't a tragedy, it's no different from playing the villain in a musical. My band sings about our inner demons with the full knowledge that we will eventually win against them. We use the music as our tool to confront those demons, and to call evil by its name. If anything, I would say that's noble rather than debaucherous, and the people from my ward who attend our shows would agree. If you're a metalhead out there worried about not being accepted by the LDS community because no one is like you, I'd like to paraphrase something one of my counselors said to me a few months ago. "The church needs people like you. We're not all meant to be the same." There are many Christians who are into metal and accept it for the art it is. There's nothing wrong with you if you've found peace and joy in intense music.