mnn727

Come on people, it was a serious question, do we have to give silly answers?

PinkCow, thats so funny, I did the same thing (but only once) then I got over it and talked, that was 16 years ago. I've been a membr for 15+ now. Speak up when they answer - they're probably as nervous as you are.

While there are certainly people with Bens commitment level, most of us don't do all those things all the time. Everything we do is voluntary. Ben, I commend you, but you wear me out just reading your list

Mark, different people have different commitment levels, what is required after baptism is that you try to follow a Christ-like life. Some people do it better than others. After joining you will continue attending Church - learning more, eventually you will get a "calling" (like teaching, leading singing, librarian, member of the EQ Presidency, secretary, clerk) these are all duties that need to be done to keep a ward functioning, they are all non-paid positions and usually don't take more than a few hours a week (athough there are more demanding callings usually a newbie won't be assigned to them). We all work real jobs and work with and hang out with other people, life goes on as normal, except you should hopefully be trying to live a Christ centered life 24/7. Eventually you will (if male) be given the Priesthood, assigned a partner for home teaching (newbies are normally assigned with experienced partners). You will be expected to visit your assigned families usually 3 or 4 families, once a month and take a brief gospel message to them and also find out how they are doing, if they need help with anything. You will also be assigned home teachers who will do the same with you. We usually spend about a half hour a month with each family we are assigned to - but if you or they like to talk, it can go longer. You should continue to attend the Gospel Principles class long enough to go through the entire manual which will give you good knowledge of the basics of the gospel and how the Church works. Yes as the first poster alluded to we do have special projects that come up (like helping people move, campouts, etc) but they are all voluntary - it is a good way to get to know people though. You will see the missionaries less that you did before, and hopefully the ward members more, although that depends on the people you get to know. Eventually the Missionaries that taught you will be transferred out and the new missionaries will know very little about you - for some people this is a hard thing, but if you continue to go to Gospel Principles class and participate you will get to know the new ones. You can even go out with them basically driving them to appointments and sitting in with them if you want to - they may or may not ask you to particpate - depends on what you know and how well they know you. As far as dressing up, the only time I am in Church clothes is during Church. Otherwise I am in jeans or shorts and a T-Shirt, or in business casual while at work because that is what my employer requires. As far as hanging out with non-LDS, my best friends are non-LDS and I hang out with them, I guess if they are the type of people that get into trouble you may have a hard time living a Christ-like life hanging out with them, but then again you could be a good example to them too. Basically we are friends with whomever we want to be friends with.

Are you a member? if so, do you pay an honest tithe? Are you an accountant or auditor for the Church? Or someone who justs throws out a controversial topic and then never returns to it - which you have not since the first day..

We moved from a ward we loved a few years back, a ward where we had friends and did things together outside Church and when we got to the new ward we had none of that, we knew no one and no one knew us, its was discouraging at first but then we decided to start inviting people around our age over for dinner after Church and we got to know these people and pretty soon we starting getting invitations and all of a sudden we found ourselves not missing our old ward as much and loving our new ward more. To have a friend you need to be a friend. For the man with the tattoo'd wife, please start doing this, once people get to know your wife they will stare less. Tattoo's are pretty foreign in LDS culture -- it could be they are curious and want to see them, not that they are put off by them. What she takes as disdain may be simple curiousity.

Its real easy to "prove" something when you take quotes out of context and ignore everything else that same person had said over their lifetime about the same subject.Thats all I have ever found that Anti-LDS material does.

You've really hit on something here. Sometimes I think some people miss sight of the fact that Church and everything about it is supposed to bring us closer to Christ and following His teachings. Church is just one vehicle, Christ is the destination, there are a lot of vehicles we need to use besides Church to bring us to Christ: prayer, scripture study, selfless service to others, etc.If we just go to Church and do nothing else, we're not going to make it.

No need for manuals -- I print out a set of quotes that I want read, then cut them up so there is 1 quote on a piece of paper and pass them around. I number them and ask whomever has quote 1 (or 2 or 3, etc) to read it when I want it read.I agree about the history part - its pretty worthless IMHO as part of the lesson.Good background, but not teachable. My teaching manner is to ask questions, let them discuss the answers to the questions and then when the discussion is over for that question, I have the quotes I have choosen for that question read, and then go onto the next question. As I said though, the EQ is great about discussing things. I had a EQ President once (a few years back) that would just stand and read the lesson, word for word -- fun class......................not!

Does anyone else here teach Priesthood or Relief Society out of the Joseph Smith manual -- Its the worst manual to teach out of. I taught out of the Spencor W Kimball manual last year and it was easy -- and we've got 2 years of this manual. I find myself having to go outside of the manual to get quotes, something I've never had to do with other manuals. I struggle for 4 or 5 hours on each lesson and I do mean stuggle, trying to get about 30 - 40 minutes of discussion during the lesson. The only thing saving me is that we have a great EQ that actually is willing to discuss the topic - unlike some I have been in.

It took about 3 weeks in my case (which was 16 years ago). No problem in just showing up at Church but I was put at ease by the missionaries meeting me at Church the first time I went and they sat with me and showed me where classes were, etc.May I suggest reading the Gospel Principles manual. Its the Sunday School lesson book we use for the new members and those looking into the Church, here is a link to an online version: Gospel Principles To me its the fastest and best way to learn what we believe.

You know, I was checking out the LDS Church about 16 years ago, I had been reading everything I could, meeting with the missionaries and going to CHurch, yet was still not ready to commit, and I read some material that was against the LDS Church -- My thought after reading it was "thats not what WE believe" notice I said 'we' before I was ever a member. I did join and have been a member over 15 years now. People can "prove" anything if they try hard enough, but as for the DNA "evidence" -- Where did they get Lehi and companies (the group that came with Lehi) DNA to compare? The Jews of today are only 1 tribe of Israel and in the time of Lehi and Nephi there were 12 tribes - so where are they getting the comparison samples from? The links others gave you are great, but to me it all boils down to where are the samples of 'Lehi and companies' DNA to run a comparison? Frankly I have always wondered why people don't preach about what they have rather than trying to tear down what others have.

I disagree. People leave the Church because they lose the Spirit, everything else is just excuses.

If you want to learn what we believe and have it explained including scriptoral references there is no beeter book than the Gospel Principles manual. Its the Sunday School manual we use for new member and those wanting to know more about the Church. When we use it in class we teach one chapter a wek, but there's nothing stopping someone from going though it at their own pace. Here is a link to it online and you can also get a hard copy free from any missionary or buy one online from Deseret Book for $4.50 (plus shipping). Online Version LDS.org - Sunday School Table of Contents____ Deseret Book DeseretBook.com - Gospel Principles

Keep in mind, 'sealing' and 'marriage' really are 2 different things, and if you check the dates of the sealings you will find that a number of women were sealed to Joseph AFTER his death.

Who was more valient in the pre-existance? Modern day Prophets have said in no uncertain terms that there were no 'fence sitters' in the pre-existance, that people that had said that did not know what they were talking about.

Nothing has ever been revealed about what kind of mortal existance (if any) God the Father had. That he apears like a man - yes (we were created in His image) we also know that Jesus did only what He had seen the Father do (John 5:19) but other than that, all we have is speculation - and yes many people have speculated.Jesus had a mortal experience and He was both perfect and divine - perhaps (speculation here) God the Father had a similar experience.

How do you know its not just wishful thinking on your part? - excellant question! The only way I can answer is by telling you a little bit of my conversion process (I joined the Church when I was 35 years old). I studied with the missionaries and went to Church for close to a year before joining, the entire time I really wanted to know if what I was being taught was true, I read scripture and prayed daily, went to Church almost every Sunday and yet for almost a year, I never got a clearcut answer from God. I felt good about what I was learning, it seemed true to me, but still no "hit you over the head with a 2x4" type revelation. Finally I decided I had had enough and I honestly pleaded with God to tell me what he wanted of me, I would do whatever he asked but just let me know what that was. Once I was willing to 'do' or to act upon what I was being taught (as opposed to just wanting to know if it was true) I got my revelation and all I can really say is if you are ever on the receiving end of Gods direct revelation there is no mistaking it for anything else, nor is there any denying it. Someone here mentioned a 'burning in th bosem' and while I certainly don't want to downplay someones testimony, I myself have never felt a burning in the bosem - except once when eating my cousins chili. * As a disclaimer here: there is the New Testament stories with 2 of Christs disciples speaking of just that - a burning in the bosom.

Here is a good website about Blacks and Mormonism, by Black Mormons Genesis Group Also, I received this (along with permission to pass it along to others) a number of years ago, this is what one black person felt (no its not from the Church, its his own personal opinion - but it sounds right to me): "The Priesthood has never been held in bondage. Aaron and his sons weren't allowed to exercise the priesthood until after the children of Israel were free from Egypt and out in the desert for a while. When the nation of Israel was carried away into captivity in Babylon, same thing. This said, certain groups in modern society have been held in slavery as well. It's not the fault of persons held in slavery, but just the same, the Priesthood cannot be commanded. And, even though the Civil War and related events technically ended slavery in this country, many things didn't change culturally until efforts of the Civil Rights movements in the sixties and seventies. And until all people could regard themselves as free from bondage, they couldn't hold the Priesthood. And now, while efforts continue to advance the rights of all races, we have the responsibility of adhering to the Gospel and using the Priesthood to officiate in the ordinances of that Gospel." Hope this helps you.

No we won't, because I for one will be gone and from the sounds of it, so will some others.Again, was there any logical reason for the change or was it just someones bright idea? Whose decision was it and what is their e-mail address, I'd like to let them know personally.

Yeah, I wonder too. Was there a reason behind the change or was it just change for change sake....on day 3 of using the new format and about ready to throw in the towel also -- too hard to find threads I am interested in and too hard to navigate.

This should be of help Have You Been Saved?

Ok, after a couple days of using this new format -- I still hate it-- put it back please!

Put it back the way it was. I don't like it either

Ever do Baptisms for the dead in the Temple? 3000 in one day would be a piece of cake, even hidden.