emeliza

I would guess in this case it is Priesthood since the poster was just getting baptized that weekend. You have to be a member for a Patriarchal Blessing, but not a priesthood.

Nor are they suppose to be since you know....they are forbidden from dating while on their mission.

I took it she meant, can I really do all that is required of me. Doubting herself rather than doubting the gospel. That is what happened to me, why it took me so long. I was afraid of failing God and my children. Thankfully I realized what the Atonement was and what it meant for me and that I didn't have to be perfect and if I messed up....I had that to rely on. But...those books you recommended are awesome (the ones that I have read). And the scriptures are always important.

What an awesome story.

I started VT within 2 months of being baptized. Then called as SA Ward Rep within 4 months. Actually a bigger job than it sounds as we had an influex of singles in the year before and after me and there was no singles program....now we have activities and FHE ward level and coordinate to get to the Stake level activities as well. Then I got called to be RS teacher by 6 months. I am currently still in all three of these (though I never thought of VT as a calling really since you don't get set apart) and have been a member for a year and a half now. So I don't think your timeline will save you from a calling per say.

Got to say, I love wearing garments. I thought that would be one of the hardest parts of going to the Temple....and it was so not. In fact I would almost say it was the easiest part. Very comfy.

Wait until you read the Old Testament.....talk about scriptures you don't understand and find distrubing..... Um...sorry for the sidetrack. I would suggest continuing to go. Pray to God (and ask your gf to as well) about whether you should marry or not. That needs to be your first issue if you would ever decide to join the Church.

I remember thinking that myself. But my spiritual confirmation got me past it. A couple times after becoming a member I wonder it as well, but again, spiritual confirmation helps me not to worry. You don't really have to worry about this right away as you won't have to deal with it yourself until going to the Temple. I just went a few weeks ago....not a big deal. And as MS stated, they are just to remind people of covenants they make in the Temple. Sort of a protection against yourself. Stay away from drugs (illegal), alcohol, tobacco, tea (from the tea plant) and coffee. Everything else is sort of your disgression. If it is addictive, it is probably not a good idea either. Both my kids were born out of wedlock by different fathers. They are treated as equals with their peers. Never had a problem there at all. Um...you will get the Gift of the Holy Ghost typically the Sunday after your baptism for converts. At that point you are a full fledged member. Taking caffeine isn't a sin. I unfortunately drink it every day to avoid headaches and because I am pretty well addicted. However because it can be considered addictive, many members stay away from it when possible. It might seem overwhelming at times because it has a bit of a cultural side to it besides the religious side, just take it slowly. Remember to tell people you are just learning and they need to really explain things to you. When I joined I knew a lot of the doctrine, but not policy and policy has been a bit of a thorn to me. Funny enough it tends to be ward policy, not Church policy. Just little things that make life work smoother, but I wasn't use to. The whole idea of Visiting Teaching and Home Teaching was rather alien, but now I love it. Anyway...just remember we all learn line upon line and precept upon precept. You aren't expect to know it all and there isn't a test.

I am so not ready for primary yet. Wouldn't mind nursery, but rather like the callings I have so far. Also wouldn't want to be in the RS Presidency, but don't see that happening anytime soon.

Biggest problem....living in an area with not too many other LDS singles....in my age range. I am at the end of the YSA's so the younger SA's would be better.....but if there are any around, they aren't active or at least active in either YSA or SA stuff.

Do you have a reference that Rabbi at that time meant they were married? I don't doubt you, just want a reference. It doesn't mean that today to my knowledge. Just teacher within the Jewish faith, generally a leader in the religion.....

Yes, it would be very hard without your husband and children. Keep reading and studying. Oh...and I would guess a new set of missionaries will show up when these ones move. (I went thru four years of missionary discussions before I joined....I didn't want to leave my old church either.....but I am not married so my kids came with me.)

I am going to the Temple for my endowment tomorrow!

They are human. They are showing it. They have messed up if they aren't speaking with you or interacting with you the way they should. Something scared them. They see you as 'different' now because one of the main things you had in common was the belief system. They will come around as long as you remain the 'same' with your love towards them and your attitude. So long as you don't bash the Church or bring up religion. And when they do, just shy away from it. You said faith is individual, they don't quite believe this the same way I would guess. But since you do, just don't talk about religion or faith with them. Keep it personal and not public. Sadly enough, even though you haven't changed your personality or your morals, the change of your beliefs will be seen as a change in your personality and morals. It is up to you to take the high road and just show them this. Good luck

So how did it go anyway? BTW--Convert of a year and a half. Was active Presbyterian until joined. Missionaries tracted me out. It took me four years to figure out that is where I needed to be, but mostly because I was stubborn and wouldn't pray about it until I knew if I did join, I would actually stick with it.

That is awesome that you and your wife remarried.

We had a lesson in SA FHE last night on faith. The lesson involved setting mousetraps walking thru them in a maze type blindly with only direction from a friend. My friend teaching it correlated it to faith. He mention how life is full of traps and sometimes we walk blindly thru them. But we have to take a risk and rely on Heavenly Father for help. The end of his lesson he asked, "But is it really a risk if we are putting our trust in HF?"

Elder Hartman Rector Jr.: God doesn’t love us because we are good. God loves us because he is good. God is good and so he loves us, and those who are the best love the best. (Conference Report, Oct., 1969, 76) Believe in God; believe that He is, and that He created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that He has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God... and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them." Mosiah 4:9-10 "A good man, is a good man, whether in this church, or out of it.” -Brigham Young "It is extremely important for you to believe in yourselves, not only for what you are now, but for what you have the power to become. Trust in the Lord as He leads you along. He has things for you to do that you won't know about now, but that will unfold later. If you stay close to Him, you will have some great adventures. You will live in a time when instead of just talking about prophecies that will sometime be fulfilled, many of them will actually be fulfilled. The Lord will unfold your future bit by bit."- Elder Neal A. Maxwell Men fear being invaded, while women fear being evaded “You can easily tell the character of a man by the way he treats those who can't do anything for him." James D. Miles "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves." Rainer Maria Rilke I've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you. Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays. But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. – Christians have often disputed as to whether what leads the Christian home is good actions, or Faith in Christ. I have no right really to speak on such a difficult question, but it does seem to me like asking which blade in a pair of scissors is most necessary." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 129 "Like Jesus, we can decide, daily or instantly, to give no heed to temptation (see D&C 20:22). We can respond to irritation with a smile instead of scowl, or by giving warm praise instead of icy indifference. By our being understanding instead of abrupt, others, in turn, may decide to hold on a little longer rather than to give way. Love, patience, and meekness can be just as contagious as rudeness and crudeness." - Neal A. Maxwell, "The Tugs and Pulls of the World," Ensign, November 2000 "I have found repeated in different places in the scriptures two major promises for reading and studying the scriptures that pertain to the next life: one is exaltation, and the other is eternal life. For example, Nephi said: 'Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, … Ye shall have eternal life.' ( 2 Ne. 31:20.) "The surprising discovery was that most promises that come to us for reading and studying the scriptures pertain to mortality. Three categories of promises to consider are promises of power, promises of increase, and 'other promises.'" - Jay E. Jensen, "'Remember the Promises'," Ensign, November 1992 Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. – Plato Never deprive someone of hope; it may be all they have. "My ability to run is not so swift now. While I am looking forward to that future time when, with a resurrected body, I can once again sprint over a field and feel the wind blowing through my hair, I do not dwell on the fact that I cannot do it now. "That would be unwise. Instead, I take the steps that I can take. Even with the limitations of age, I can still take one step at a time. To do what I can is all my Heavenly Father now requires of me. And it is all He requires of you, regardless of your disabilities, limitations, or insecurities." - Joseph B. Wirthlin, "One Step after Another," Ensign (CR), November 2001, p.25 Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground. The Saints didn't get from Nauvoo to SLC in a day. Obviously you don't want to wander aimlessly, but a journey--if that's what it is--is not done in a day (that would be nice, if it could). If you wake up every day worrying that your not at your destination, it'll be hard going. Wake up thinking how far you're hoping to get that day. When you get there, be happy! Enjoy the progress you make. When you climb a mountain, it sometimes looks even bigger looking up while on it, then when you were looking at it before you started climbing. If you're always only looking up at how much further you have to go, you're missing some great views and scenery right behind you. ---grego "Wisdom comes through effort. All good things require effort. That which is worth having will cost part of your physical being, your intellectual power and your soul power—'Ask, and it shall be given you seek, and ye shall find knock, and it shall be opened unto you:' (Matt. 7:7.) But you have to seek, you have to knock. On the other hand, sin thrusts itself upon you. It walks beside you, it tempts you, it entices, it allures. You do not have to put forth effort. It is like the poor, fallen woman who lies in wait to deceive. It is like the billboard advertising attracting you to drink and to smoke. It is like the message that comes into your very homes with the television and radio or the golden packet put right into your hand. Evil seeks you, and it requires effort and fortitude to combat it. But truth and wisdom are gained only by seeking, by prayer, and by effort." - David O. McKay, "Conference Report," October 1965, Afternoon Meeting, p.145 There is nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self. - Hindu proverb "We must take a positive approach to our religion and literally make it a way of life, a plan of daily action. We must reform ourselves day by day along gospel lines, for this is the time of our probation and it is now that we must prepare to meet our God. (See Alma 34:32.)" - Mark E. Petersen, "We Believe in Being Honest," Ensign (CR), May 1982, p.14 Every minute starts an hour and every minute is a new opportunity. Each time the clock ticks you have a chance to start over, to say, do, think, or feel something in such a way that you and the world are better for it.

I think one of the most important aspects is to become self-suffient in making friends. Being a single parent as well, I definitely know the Church is hard for us, but not impossible. What I try to do is sit by new people or people I don't know as well from time to time. Not every week because my 3 year old drives me batty, but at least once a month I try to sit near someone else. The next thing is to invite someone or a couple or a family over for dinner sometime. Dinner and a game night is always fun. We play Uno and Yahtzee and well I have a ton of games, but generally it ends up being one of the generic type games. You can make it a potluck or a picnic as well so that all the food/work isn't on your shoulders. Or just invite people to go to a park with you or fly a kite or something simple like that. You would be surprised how much fun the simple things can be.

Wait, the SSCE is here too? Glad I jumped on board. Long Live the SSCE! I often think that Satan has the possibility of being welcomed back into the fold if he is willing to humble himself down and get rid of his pride. However I also think he would have a lot of work/repenting to do. But I think Heavenly Father loves all His children, even Satan. Recently I have been reading a fictional book that has me thinking that Satan really just wanted to find a way to stand out on his own rather than become one of many. He didn't want to be part of the unity we all are trying for and was wanting to be unique. However he didn't realize that he would be unique within the unity. Anyway now he has morphed himself into this evil being and will probably never get rid of his pride. I would assume the same Satan exists in all realms and it isn't another Satan. Um...that is my humanizing of Satan. I am probably way off though.

I have a friend in our YSA who has Asperger's. He fits in quite well with most of us, but I am not sure what it was like when he was younger. He parents are constantly worried about him bothering us/people, but honestly as long as you are kind and blunt he is great. You have to be kind and blunt though with him otherwise it can get a bit tiresome. He takes it really well though. I tease him, but never mock him and just to be on the save side I always make sure he knows I am completely teasing. He is a joy to be around. So I guess I am saying...don't worry. Eventually he will come into his own. In the mean time maybe you should talk to the Bishop about how to help your son make friends with one or some of the boys. Maybe they need a lesson on how they should be treating each other. PS. Glad to hear your FHE went well the other night.

I have been a member for a little over a year now. I worked with the missionaries for four years before joining. What has kept me in is the fellowshipping. I also am a single parent of two little ones and it is really hard to get everything done and fulfill all that is expected of me or required of me. There have been many times where I just wanted to give up. Not because I don't believe, but because I don't have the energy. So far every time I am at my wits end God sends someone or something to help me. I definitely think fellowshipping is the biggest part....actually having people who care about you....and not just care about you until you are in the Church, but even once you have been there awhile. Of course part of fellowshipping means I need to do it back. I need to find people who need me as much as I hope people who I need are there.

I wonder if something happened with the other boys at Church that made him all the sudden think it is boring and a waste of time. I would guess so. Kids can be cruel, especially when they don't know how to deal with someone who is a bit different. Does he have any friends at Church that he hangs out with? Or does he appear to be a loner there? As for FHE, I would suggest having them still, but allowing your son to decide if he wants to be involved or not. I would guess after a few months of watching you and your daughter do fun activities he would want to be involved. Try to incorporate things you know he likes to do in them.

The desire to do it is gone, but we don't forget it truly. I remember many things in my life that I have done and have repented of. I no longer want to do whatever it was again, but I remember it. Generally instead of a desire to do it, I remember why I don't want to do it anymore.

Volleyball and the table exchange are usually pretty successful. I personally enjoyed the card making/ Jesus picture frame mat one as well. But in all honesty as a single parent I miss Enrichment most months. Too much too do and no child care.