cherisalorraine

Thank you all so much for your time and input. I guess that some of the reason for being so scared is that I know that there will only be maybe 5 other sisters in there. We have a very small branch. I have never seen more than 25 people there and that many was only the Sunday before Christmas when families were there visiting. I will stick to the manual and I will continue to pray for guidance. I will be very relieved when this is all over and I get the constructive comments that I need. I will try to get people involved and see what they know because with being a new convert I could really use them to help me learn myself

I guess I didn't do very well when I was describing my problem. Sorry. I am teaching RS and it is the 5th lesson in the Joseph Smith Manual. I guess that just being so new makes it hard because I don't know about talks and I am not extremely familiar with everything else. I decided to look at childrens book because I found one on Josephs coat of many colors and one about a Luke something (I don't have the book with me right now sorry)and it talked about rejoicing when the brother that strayed came home because the father forgave him. I am still in the start of my own learning and forgiveness is such a new concept to me that I needed to have it broken down to a childs level so that I could build my faith in it from the first block. I have read all of the related scripture that I can find! I just don't know if the lesson should be about Joseph Smith or about Forgiveness in the lives of me and the other sisters in the branch. I know how silly it sounds but the chapter starts off with a story about Joseph Smith and everything. Thank you for all of great help I have been given!

I am going to be teaching my first lesson next Sunday and I am very scared that it will not be good enough. I have looked through childrens books to help me with the idea of forgiveness. I was wondering though if my lesson is supposed to be about my sisters and I or if it is supposed to be about Joseph Smith of something else? This is my first calling and I am only teaching once a month but I really would like some help! Thank you in advance.

I am fairly new to the church(just baptized 18 December) an I wondered if there were things that people prefer to be called also and I have found that everyone has different views on it for one reason or another. I really don't care what any person calls me as long as they know what I stand for and as long as mine and my children's names are recorded correctly in church records.

I called One of the Sisters from My branch to leave her a tone about it because we do not have tv here and she didn't answer. We could not figure out why the missionaries did not show up for a gathering tonight and now I think I know why. What happens now? I understand the 12 and everything but What really happens?

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley has died. He was 97 years old. President Gordon B. Hinckley, world leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was ordained and set apart as the 15th President of the Church on Sunday, March 12, 1995. He had earlier served 14 years as a counselor in the First Presidency, the top governing body of the Church, and as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for 20 years prior to that. President Hinckley married Marjorie Pay in the Salt Lake Temple in 1937. They have five children. Sister Hinckley passed away 6 April 2004. The exact cause of President Hinckley's death was not immediately released, but his health has been declining over the past two years due to a bout with cancer and complications of old age.

Oh My I just got on here! That is so terrible. I am new to the church but I am not sure what to think I am Crying and I have no Idea why I should cry when He Is now with Heavenly Father. I would really like to talk to someone about this.

Well I must be getting silly this late at night or have lost the ability to read I think that I should quit typing until tomorrow!

not sure how this ended up here I put it on a thread that I started I thought sorry for that!

I experienced the laying on of hands today! I was so nervous that I couldn't stop shaking! I am a very emotional person and cry a lot(even hearing happy things makes me cry every time) and I haven't cried since the 18th. Well after it happened I was shaking and crying and I couldn't stop crying the whole day! I was so happy. We had guests from the stake presidency with us and we got to listen to four inspirational Christmas stories and some were sad in parts but they all got around to the greater meaning of what Christmas truly is no matter what time of year it is being celebrated. One of the men who came brought three of his children and the two girls told stories and the boy played the piano. After they were done he spoke to us about a gift his family received from another family some years ago,it was a book with meaningful Christmas stories in it. he then went on to tell how they read it every year one story a day during the week or two weeks before Christmas. I thought it was a good idea and that some one else might like to think about doing it. I have been given the gift of a lifef time in the past week and I think that was the best one of all!

Ok I got Baptized on the 18th and it was great ! I feel so wonderful. I didnt get a chance to come in and tell you about it because I have 2 sick kids right now. well my grandma (who is 80) came to watch and was crying! every one was very supportive and I enjoyed every minute of it. One missionary delivered the speech and the other one baptized me! and we had two very nice hymns and I just dont even know what to say I can not begin to explain how I feel! I cant wait until sunday!

I was wondering if baptisms really happen all the time or if they just come in waves? We only have maybe 4 people in our branch and only about half of them are active. but we are going to have had 4 baptisms this month including mine. Did I mention that our poor missionaries must some times ride their bikes about 15 miles just to get to an investigators house because most of this area is all country ?

Well I am really excited still and I have chosen everything for the program except the closing song. I am letting the missionary leader guy(I dont know his title but he is in charge of them here at our branch)and the missionaries choose it all I asked was that it was happy! I am going to be a member in less than a week ! I cant believe it!

I had my interview tonight and I am pleased to say that I passed !!!!!!!! I was so nervous about it. I will be baptised on 18 december 2007. I cant believe it.

I have been going to the meetings and meeting with the missionaries but I want to do something every day and I keep driving my neighbor crazy because I want to learn and grow and she is wishing for more meetings just to get rid of me lol( she is a very nice person and goes out of her way to teach me) but the weather is bad here also we have a snow emergency and everything. but here in ohio the emergency thing happens all winter

It was good and thank you for being happy for me! I never realized that wonderful things could happen by doing something so good for myself! I always thought that I would need to be rich or something but all i have to do is give my heart away and I will be loved. I am truly blessed to have been introduced to LDS. I hope your weather doesnt get bad enough to become a problem for you!

At least you are missing the meetings for a good reason! You were given a calling that would make some people very sad because they would not be able to attend. One of my missionaries was telling me about when he had to mis a month of meetings in a row and he said that it was the worst month of his life because he could not be there to feel the love of Heavenly Father and was unable to take sacrament or testify. I wish you all the best and I hope that you can still find time to make it to some meetings even if it is only 30 minutes of priesthood! We were told that we would be better off not going in to watch the devotional last night because of the weather here but we said what is a little rain? So we loaded up the kids and went to the branch and found out that the rain=flooding in the parking lot! We had to carry the kids through the water to the door. We were the only people who showed up there also;but it was worth it for me to see the Prophet live for the first time!

I am glad that every one has had a good meeting experience today! I am finding more and more faith everyday and I will never forget my first testimony even though I didn't share it at the meeting I did share it with the three people who brought LDS to me! Oh and that was the first time that I ever watched the BYU station tonight when it came on! Things just keep getting better. Why will you not be able to testify until 2009? That is a long time!

Today with Elder Pond and Elder Ricks we were discussing some of the commandments and we got off on the subject of faith testimony and conviction. I was upset because so many people had a testimony to share at the Sacrament meeting today and I was wishing for their conviction. The Elders began to ask me questions about different levels of faith. I told them that I am beyond hoping that the LDS teachings are true, I believe everything that I am told by the members of the church that is doctrine I also believe what I read in the Book of Mormon to be true. I than proceeded to explain how this is the first time in my life that I have ever felt a reason to talk to any one about faith and teachings in their church and not count ceiling tiles or panels on the wall or any thing else to take my mind off of the teacher. I feel compelled to listen and to go to the meetings. Then Elder Ricks said thank you for sharing your testimony.(I am having trouble writing this because the tears are flowing). I was so surprised that I had just given it without realizing it. I than went to watch the devotional at the branch(TV is rare out here where I live). I was so moved and I am so blessed to have been able to see and hear the profit and the people of the presidency and I wont forget the choir! I had to tell someone how wonderful it made me feel to have this day!

My problem is trying to get a divorce from my current husband. We were not sealed in the temple but I am still married. . I would like to get a move on with finding the right person for the rest of my life but I also go to a branch with very few men to choose from. The only single men in the branch are the missionaries.lol and they dont seem to be interested in a woman with 2 kids and that is 4 and 6 years older than the two of them. Oh well I guess being single can be good also! Maybe after I get baptized I will find the person Heavenly father has picked for me.

I guess this is as good a place as any to ask my question! I am in the middle of a divorce it may take another year to complete it . I am wanting to know if I have a waiting period after it is over before I can begin to look for new companionship? We have been apart for over a year!

This link has a few good links to stores that carry Temple dresses.http://www.modestclothes.com/LDS/lds-temple-dresses.html

Abraham, Thank you for giving my so much to think about. An idle mind is the Devils tool is what my grand says. I am very interest in so many things but I have to keep being told about needing to digest the milk first. I will keep everything that I hear on here in my mind. the baby is crying so I will come back later!

WOW is the only thing that I can say about the thought people put into the answers. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I would like to clarify that I attend a very small branch and I have never personally seen more than 4 children other than my own there. SO my children are treated good as far as I know. I do believe in God! I am very anxious about being baptized and I am very happy that I found something that feels right. I am also glad that Elder Pond and Elder Ricks understand that I am not crying because their lessons are bad and that it is because I have uncontrolled emotion when ever I sit down to talk with them. Some one had spoken of what happened in their bedroom and I think I had a similar thing happen but I was with other people. My neighbor lady who is a Gem was the one who I first learned of the gospel through. She was speaking to me about the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine of the Covenant and I think The Pearl of Great Price and I couldnt stop crying and all of me wanted to just sit and hear more and more. I am still getting the milk but one day I will be ready to move on. Again thank you all for your help.I was also reassured that the garment is not some type of neoprene suit that causes heat strokes or anything weird so I am feeling a little better about this.

I have learned about the clergy not being paid and I think it is wonderful. Do you think that the people in my branch could help me locate a bishop(I have no idea where they are kept)I know every one in the branch as brother sister Elder or president. I am sure that I will learn all of these things as time progresses but I would still like to know more of the basics. I think that the missionaries who I have spoken with are supposed to get me to convert but they focus on those things completely and leave out church doctrine (i know that a lot of it should be learned from scripture) and I am always scared that I am doing something wrong every day because I just dont know and I also get surprised by things I read on sites like this. I go to my neighbors house and she will sit and talk to me for as long as she can to try to explain things but I dont think she knows what to tell me about the divorce either. Do I need to wait until I am a member to be able to speak with a bishop?