LDSGator

That’s awesome. Lol

LOL! Dude, that’s awesome.

That’s cool, we all have different interests. I’ve noticed my love of gaming has increased a bit as I’ve aged.

Oh absolutely. You could also get 99% of these games on the Ps2 for about, oh, 20$!

Ironically, a huge reason I love adoption is because it gives the kids chances to be with a two parent, stable family.

Fair enough. It’s a generational thing, I guess. Thankfully that stigma is just about gone from society, even in the church it would seem antiquated, I think.

I never thought abut that! It must be very awkward to interview your wife for a temple recommend!

Right, because it’s destructive. No apologies on that one. And thank you. I’ve heard mixed feelings from other adoptees. Some have had the same experiences, some have not.

And, considering that adopted kids and kids born “out of wedlock” have to deal with this stigma in the religious world (yes, it happened to me at a Catholic school in the 90’s. No one cared about it in public school, first week of a Catholic school my sister and I were made fun of. I don’t care now, but I still remember) it goes to show that in this scenario, the secular world is miles ahead of the religious one here. This conversation sort of proves it. Labeling out of wedlock kids in any way accomplishes nothing.

Well said my friend.

It’s a really good sign that people are talking about why and asking questions. Only then can we solve the problem.

Oh, your posts on this thread are perfect, you are doing everything right by encouraging dialogue. More importantly, you are actually listening to all of us. Perhaps the people who only say that the temple is “not for them” and say no more lack the confidence needed to further express themselves? Maybe they don’t feel like they'll be heard? I don’t know, I freely admit I can’t read their minds. Again, I think you are doing everything right. We could all learn much from this thread, and from you.

a. Not a priority to even attend the temple, so why do I need a recommend for a place I'm not interested in attending and serving in. b. Avoid recommend interviews since they are not living the standards to enter the temple anyways. c. Recommend holds no spiritual value by itself d. Lack of time for interview e. Avoid the experience/wait/rush/privacy of the interview itself This list is good. I think people don’t go to the temple just due to a lack of desire. It’s also really, really hard for people to admit they don’t like the temple experience, so perhaps that has something to do with it? After the French Revolution many citizens simply stopped going to church even after they reopened under Napoleon. Perhaps it’s the same thing here on a smaller scale? People got into the habit of not going during Covid and just don’t want to resume. If you want to know why people no longer go, you have to ask them. Asking active LDS why people don’t go to church or the temple sounds very odd to me. If I open a pizza place and it fails, a wise person asks the customers who didn’t like it how it can change so it does not happen again or stops happening. A fool sticks his head in the sand, makes things up than acts shocked when his next pizza place fails. Again, same sort of thing.

And another agreement! Have a blessed Sunday, and I mean that in all seriousness.

Oh, I get your point just fine, thanks. I don’t think you understand mine. What are you trying to do here? Prove the importance of a biological relations? Okay, I get you think it’s “ideal”. I think you are incorrect and shouldn’t make sweeping statements like that. No need to go further around on my side. Since we won’t agree on this, and that’s fine, I made sure we would agree on the more important subject-how you treat non biological children. That’s settled, and thank goodness. The other stuff is just noise.

As long as you don’t treat non biological children differently than biological, our differences are irrelevant. And no, I’m not saying you would treat them any different. But I’m not sure what the point is here. Are we trying to show step and adopted kids they are somehow lesser than biological? I don’t think so. But I still don’t see why blood matters. It doesn’t.

Yup, my experience and perspective is different than yours is, that’s for sure.

Perfectly said. Biology is irrelevant.

We’re praying for you here my friend. Please stay strong.

Well explained. Thanks.

Great. For you, it’s not a big deal. My situation is different. My parents consider my sister and I part of their “A game.” And that is “fact”. I pray all children feel the same way.

Understand. Thanks. Thank God (literally. I thank Him every day that I was adopted) that “plan A” didn't work in my case. And no child, biological or not, should EVER be told they were a “plan B”. Or even an “accident”. That always bothered me too.

Dude, I honestly have no clue what you are saying. Adoption is the greatest blessing in the world. It provides parents with children and children with stable parents. If you think otherwise, fine. I know older religious people can sometimes struggle with the concept of adoption. I think this is the case here, but I’m clueless as to what you really mean my friend.

So I guess my niece and nephew-whose mother was adopted, like me, have no benefit to my parents?

Biology has nothing to do with it, especially for those of us who were adopted.