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I make it a point to collect tinder, kindling & firewood while hiking. Manila cord is good for keeping it together, and I made a canvas wrap similar to what one of my former scoutmasters had, that I made for my backpack, can hold firewood and lashes to my pack. It's a big help when everything is wet. I also learned to carry with me, depending on the season and weather, a small flour sack with Kingsford charcoal. The other brands I found, are garbage by comparison. One little trick from long ago, is an empty toothpaste tube. Blow into it forcefully to fully expand the tube, then rinse it out with hot water until it's as clean as you want. After it dries, get a narrow funnel that fit's the toothpaste tube. Now dump Sterno camp fuel gel into the funnel. Push the Sterno in with a piece of dowel or a pencil. Keep packing it in until nothing more will fit. Put the cap on tight and put the tube in a bowl of boiling water for about 10 minutes. The temp will help liquify the gel making it settle in the tube. Later, whenever you need a campfire, pop off the cap, squeeze some gel into the tinder and light it. Works great! Tastes awful for toothpaste, however.

I discussed this with my Bishop, other than cautioning me on the use of social media, he understood what I was saying. Sometimes there is so much that I want to tell, to help others understand this situation better, but in doing so also tells others who I am. And that's not what I came to Mormon Hub for. I did go to church today, and I even showered- using the "20 oz. soda bottle" (a trick I learned from when I ran away from home when I was a teenager). All was good. Had a lot of guests though.

No I don't define the church as God or Jesus.

To me, no matter how impure and sinful the people may become, I'm not worshiping them, I'm not going to church for them, I am for God and Jesus. To me, the church is perfect.

I started a thread, and through errors that are my own, things went south. How do I delete the thread?

My second biggest error was posting the question in the OP. The biggest error was trying to reword what I was trying to say when in the end I made it even worse. Every time I try to say what I'm wanting to say, I make everything worse. A couple people have PM'd me, and I thank you for your concerns. Omega, it's nothing like that at all.

I owe you guys another apology...I think I didn't exactly write the past post like I should have. There seems to be a misunderstanding. It's not that I'm poor, really. I'm a hermit. Because of that, clean clothes usually are the least of my concerns. I live "out in the sticks" literally. After the past couple of years of turmoil I'm finally getting my finances back in line, but I won't be changing my way of living any time soon. I simply stay away from people. Past couple of years have been rough on me as I've been going to college trying to get a degree. The more I'm around people the farther away from mankind I want to get. It's not that I'm anti-social, because I'm not. I have grown fond of privacy, and being around people tends to interfere with that. And sometimes when someone steps too far into my private world, I bark at them. Not intending to be a jerk, really. So far the ward I'm going to is pretty cool and I get along with most anyone there. I did not write this asking for anything but views and guidance. I appreciate the offers that came through, but I wrote this post for a different reason. You see, being a hermit made me, for the longest time, one that really wouldn't care the least if others were offended by my presence. Changing is hard. I done said too much, odds are those that know me in real life, now know me here. Grrrr!

Actually, guys, that person is myself. Sometimes I don't have enough money to wash clothes. My shower is a 20 ounce soda bottle. It's a brutal life, but I've had worse.

Sometimes I get to think that I should have been a write for the ABC Special "What Would You Do" with Don Quinonias, with some of the crazy stuff I think up. But some of it really isn't crazy. Some of it is very real. Think about this one- You have a fella coming to church. Everyone knows him, he's friendly, usually happy and he's familiar with the Gospel and Teachings. However, he's not a member. Somedays he comes to church with an odor. Well, it maybe he hasn't changed clothes, or done laundry. Sometimes not even bathed. Who knows the reason. But do you have a problem sitting next time him in sacrament or sunday school? What goes through your mind when you two meet?

A world without electronics? Sounds....

I cook with alcohol, not for the alcohol content but the flavor. Beer or whiskey. Good stuff. If there is some alcohol left, it's negligible. But the taste is there.

It's neither. Converts ask us questions that we likely know the answers to, because they don't know. To a convert it may seem awkward or silly, to those with experience, we understand. Kinda. Kinda like the question "why is this guy necro-posting?" Things that make ya go "hmmmm". 😉

Aluminum Oxy-Nitride is a very impressive alloy. Where it takes 7-1/2" or more to stop a .50 AP BMG round at point blank range, it takes only 1-2/3" of AlON. The downfall is the cost. Otherwise I'd have my truck tricked out with this stuff.

Grunt, you sound like the instructor we have. I must confess that I don't get any sounder of a sleep than when he's lecturing....

So much the church does with a mere 10% and volunteers that groups like the Red Cross can't even compete.

Thx. Much appreciated.

It's a calling. If you can do it, great. If you cannot, then don't accept it. Should they be paid? I have no idea. But to leave the church over that...? Of course she said she wasn't leaving the church, in later posts, but is it really that bad?

Back to the OP.... Leaving the church over such minuscule reasons shows there is far more at stake than just someone leaving the church. There is almost always something greater, something larger, something more damaging than something small like pianist not being paid enough or being asked several times to do janitorial work. When I left the church, I was incensed over how I had seen members being mistreated and church leaders didn't care. But it was more than that, my wife and I were mistreated. A certain church leader has a history of mistreating women in church, and I screwed up when I put my foot down, demanding it stop. Finally, seeing my complaints and complaints of others go no where, I left. You see, I look at what I went through, and even now, in my attempt to return, I see what my errors were. I left the church because of the imperfections of others separate me from the pureness of the Church. When you leave the church, you are leaving for what reason? Oh, this guy doesn't talk nice to me. That woman hates me. These people treat me like I'm inferior. In my case I had a stake president that harassed women if they wouldn't sleep with him. My wife included. Except she wasn't LDS (she preferred agnostic). But even in my case, that wasn't reason enough to leave. Instead of leaving, discuss the issue with the person you have problems with. If that isn't possible, go to the Bishop. If that doesn't work, try the Stake President. And if that is not possible, go to a different ward. Make arrangements with the Missionaries for home teaching. But do not leave the Church over the imperfections and sins of others. You're on a cruise ship (for argument's sake, let's say it's Norwegian Cruise). It hit's an iceberg off the coast of Egypt (location means nothing really). There's people in your lifeboat that you don't like. Whatcha gonna do? Bail out? Try swimming for shore? No, you stay in the lifeboat and make the best of it. Just like in Church. You don't get along with a few people, make the best of it. Because you're not in the lifeboat for the sake of the jerks, but your sake. You are going to Church so you can worship with those of like faith, and show God that He really is more important to you than the opinions of others. Think about this- when you bail out of the lifeboat, remember where you are. Off the coast of Sri Lanka. Alligators are freshwater. Crocodiles can do both. When you bail, you're munchies for the crocs. When you leave the Church, Satan welcomes you. Just my thoughts.

Maybe another time.

What bugs me I when I go to the store, and my legs will sometimes hurt so badly that it's difficult to stand, and there are no handicapped shopping carts. The ones I'm talking about are the motorized ones. For a long time I hoped, I prayed, that I would never be in a spot to need one of those, seeing how rude people are to those using them. Especially store employees. Well, my prayers were ignored. Sometimes I have a choice, go shopping or starve. Sometimes I have no choice but to walk. And sometimes I feel so good that I *can* walk with minimal pain. Years ago I took a leave of absence from working for the town and as a volly firefighter and went to get re-enlisted in the Army. I was instead, 2 days before signing on the dotted line, nearly killed by a drunk driver. Messed up knees, left hip, herniated 4 out of 5 vertebrae in my back and neck. And we have these snot-nosed high schoolers and college punks that think "oh, I'm not feeling well, I think I'm gonna use the handicap cart". Karma, punk. It's coming for ya.

I think Vort's been inhaling too much oxygen again....

If Satan cannot convince you to sin, he runs for office.

Is there some kind of expectation on what the testimony is to be? Do you expect multitudes of people to go rushing to the streets waving their arms in praise, singing "Hallelujah" or would watching a man or woman survive a wreck under circumstances that the person should have died? There are times you could be watching an event unfold that for anything in this world you'd think "wow, that's really neat", and you may not realize the overall impact of the event is much much greater than what you observe. That could be enough. You may see, for example, an 8 year old kid get hit by a car while riding his bike, and he gets up and walks away. Lucky kid, right? That helmet he's wearing, that helmet he may have stolen from a WalMart because it looked cool. Don't know about you, but that seems to me to be testimony. Be open minded, and don't expect the whole world to sing praises.

Ken, NOW you understand why many great scientists are not LDS. Just because you are on the right track does not mean that yoy will have every bit & piece of knowledge placed before you. There is a time for everything. I am sincere when I say "I don't care". I don't care because it affects me none for me to know now, and someday if I am fortunate enough to become a god, I will learn then. Compare it to politics. Just because you're on a city council does not mean you get a complete tour of Area 51 and Nellis AFB. That is for the President.

Actually, that is exactly what the law of chastity is about. Just because you "M" does not make you evil, instead it makes you normal. Because you find porn attractive, it also means you're normal. Me, I'm old enough that when I look at porn, I'm figuring that girl's/guy's/it's likely got more STD's than Wolfman Jack has for hair on his head. Likely a few there may not be Latin names for yet, as well. When you feel the urge, ask yourself where you're gonna get a job that'll pay you, as young an inexperienced as you are, enough to raise a family. Yeah, McDonald's. Booger King. Riiiight. Minimum wage just don't cut it, kiddo. When you feel the urge, pray. When you feel lonely, pray. When you wonder if or when you'll ever find "the one for you", pray. And when you think you met her, and then you meet her dad, THEN you really start praying!