let’s roll

I tell everyone I’m riding as fast as I did 10 years ago, it’s the bike that’s getting slower.
But seriously, kudos to you for continuing to set goals and go after them.  You have my respect and admiration.
For years I rode for the social aspect, lot of relays (e.g. Saints to Sinners) and enjoyed getting my son in laws involved.
This year I decided to do a century for the fist time since I did Solvang in the 90s.  It was hot, and I rode too much of it alone, but I’m glad I did it.
Keep setting goals and go after them.
Godspeed.

Please take this as a sincere, and not a cynical, question.  What makes you believe people in the Ward characterize you in the same way as you characterize yourself—as a “one foot in” family.  
How do you know you’re thought of as anything but maybe new in the Ward?
Do you act in a way that you believe sets you apart?  Sporadic attendance?
Do you criticize the Church or its leaders?
Something else?
My experience has been that many members typically go out of their way to be friendly and welcoming to people who attend infrequently.

His Dad was our Bishop.  Danny graduated BYU.

I spent over 20 years of my life in bars, jail, Smoking dope and playing in punk rock bands and I turned out just fine, in fact I teach primary 😜 I love my ward, they've been nothing but loving and accepting of me and my tattooed arms

Please take this as a sincere, and not a cynical, question.  What makes you believe people in the Ward characterize you in the same way as you characterize yourself—as a “one foot in” family.  
How do you know you’re thought of as anything but maybe new in the Ward?
Do you act in a way that you believe sets you apart?  Sporadic attendance?
Do you criticize the Church or its leaders?
Something else?
My experience has been that many members typically go out of their way to be friendly and welcoming to people who attend infrequently.

I personally hope that you @JustCurious will go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and hopefully find those that can share your thoughts and hopes and concerns and be your friend.  I hope that your children can be raised in the Church and hope that none of the comments here dissuade you from going or bringing your family with you.
If I knew of you in our area I would try to welcome you with open arms.  The church is open to all (in my opinion) regardless of how strong or weak their testimony is.  Make yourself aware of the church policies with children currently (two adults are supposed to be present at ANY activity with children or youth, including lessons at church) and request that the leadership follow these policies if they are not following them. 
I know many sometimes go to church and feel lost.  We have difficulties here where there are MANY who feel as if the church itself rejects them, but ironically are strong believers in the gospel itself.  They feel that discrimination and prejudice are held against them and that they do not have anybody to represent them in the leadership in our area.  IRONICALLY, there are MORE of them than there are of those they feel are prejudice against them as a group, or so I feel.  If they all came to church and mingled with each other, they would find great similarities between each other and probably find great friendship and social networks among the members of the church.
In that light, I always HOPE and pray that we can welcome our chapel to anyone who wishes to attend and wants to join our congregations in our churches.  If they seek to share our morals and friendship, then I think that this is as good as any reason to come.  I think it is an especially good way to bring up children and that if they can learn the teachings and morality that parents feel are good things in life, than I feel this is an extremely positive attitude to have.
I hope you will give the local congregation another chance and hopefully some good can come out of it and you can find the acceptance you are so seeking.

I should explain that I liked this post because it was a kind thing to say, not because I think @Vort would or would not be a good bishop.

I can only speak to my experience: I'm traditionally not a social person, and don't "fit in" a lot of wards.  In fact, some wards I've been in have been downright bad as far as my social experience-- not because anyone was being purposely mean or rude or anything like that.  But because I'm an odd-duck and there are personality clashes.  So I don't attend church for social reasons.  I attend because of my faith and building myself up that way.  
LDS morals don't come out of no where.  They are rooted in faith: belief in a God, faith in Him, avoiding something because He warns us to, etc. 
If what you're wanting to do attend to teach moral faith based principles without teaching faith... I mean you're certainly welcome to have at it.  It.. strikes me as very odd.  
If what you're wanting to do is attend and teach faith based morals/principles and faith, while forgiving people for being flawed humans and not attending the ward Christmas party-- well that strikes me as very logical avenue with much benefit. 

Well there goes running the tables!

Not to be a wet blanket (although maybe I ought to be since I didn’t even make the list), but isn’t this fantasy football league easily manipulated since those picking their top 5 can impact the ratio for those 5 by liking every one of their posts.
Btw, I won’t pretend to not care about my ratio.  It would warm my heart to get to 1:1.  I might even be willing to grovel a bit to do so. 😀🤪🤩

Not to be a wet blanket (although maybe I ought to be since I didn’t even make the list), but isn’t this fantasy football league easily manipulated since those picking their top 5 can impact the ratio for those 5 by liking every one of their posts.
Btw, I won’t pretend to not care about my ratio.  It would warm my heart to get to 1:1.  I might even be willing to grovel a bit to do so. 😀🤪🤩

A couple of thoughts.
You say the SP says he loves the young people.  Any reason to doubt that? Wouldn’t the greatest manifestation of that love be to do all in his power to help those young people to come to know their Heavenly Father and the Savior (which by definition is “life eternal”)? Wouldn’t an invitation to youth leaders to have youth activities be Christ centered be a demonstration of that love? Is it possible that in interviewing and counseling with youth the SP has noticed some youth don’t have a strong testimony of God and Jesus Christ? In your interactions with the youth, do you feel that a greater love of God and His Son would help the youth better meet the challenges in their lives? If you see value in Christ centered activities, is you reluctance to have more of them based on uncertainty about how effective those activities have been in achieving their purposes? I’m grateful for your service, and that of the SP, with the youth and wish you both Godspeed in helping them remember their divine heritage and realize their divine potential.
 

So when people honk do you just assume they think it’s funny or do you pull them over because you think they’re being honest? 😊👮‍♂️⚖️

No stickers.  I have used a license plate cover:  Honk If You Have Warrants.  
I added a blue line flag sticker to my US Flag sticker too.

My dad had two bumper stickers on his car.  The first one said "I'm not prejudiced, I hate everybody".  The second one mentioned Jane Fonda, and had a swear word on it.  He was a vet.
We had a bumpersticker "DANGER! Unsocialized Homeschoolers on board!"
 

Yes, the plate frame, the name thing that looks a lot like the car brand name thing - all of it.  Once I told them I'd rent the space if they wanted to pay me, but the last time, they didn't even protest - I think it's become common.

Bumper sticker on used-to-be-my-car put there by my son:  "Born to fish, forced to work."

The one on my car says "Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure". Clarifies my opinions on most things nicely😉.

Please tell me you mean Ohio State and not Oregon State.  I can’t imagine anyone crying because they weren’t going to Corvallis. 😀. Just some TIC college smack from a kid who grew up in Eugene. 🦆🦆🦆

Accepted at Chicago and UCLA, was wait listed at Stanford when I committed to the Y.
The regret isn’t based on my career.  I did well at the Y and have worked for great DC and NYC firms as well as multiple Fortune 500 law departments.
It’s more about the law school experience itself.  The experience at the Y was very good, but also very predictable and comfortable.  Chicago would likely have been far less predictable and more uncomfortable...important components of a good education IMHO.
On the flip side giving my seat (and scholarship) to a non-member or a member from another country would have given them the chance for that less predictable, more uncomfortable law school experience, and that would have blessed them.
That said, I’ve had colleagues from Harvard, Yale and Stanford et al and that has allowed me to benefit from some less predictable and more uncomfortable experiences with them as we became friends...and hopefully I’ve repped the Y in an appropriate fashion.

FWIW Just_A_Girl’s maternal kin (and there are MANY of them) are solid Aggies fans; and her going to BYU was seen as something of an act of apostasy in its own right.
Some people are just plain weird about college.

I’m with you on that.  If the child was raised in Boston, I’d see merit in going to the Y to experience LDS culture (good and bad), but if they grew up anywhere else, Harvard would be a great choice.
I regret not going to the University of Chicago or Stanford for my law degree.  My seat at the Y would have been better utilized by a non-member.

I’m sorry, and asking sincerely, what assumptions do you think I made about the above in my response, which was only my personal opinion agreeing with your comment that tithes and taxes are completely different and a statement about what I would consider inappropriate action for me.