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Religion

Found 5 results

  1. I'm a nevermo from a background where I was exposed to many LDS friends (outside of idaho, utah, or arizona, no less). I've met with missionaries multiple times and read/prayed about the BOM, but never received any spiritual confirmation or feelings on the matter. I do, however, have a weird, random affinity with the WoW. Whenever I have gone to sacrament meetings, it's always brought up, even if it wasn't a planned subject. It's common for me to go to church and hear, "We were going to talk about X, but stuff happened so we're talking about the WOW today." My lifestyle is pretty opposite to the Wow, other than my appreciation of bread. I'm addicted to coffee (have at least 2 strong cups a day), I like a beer or glass of wine to unwind after work, legally smoke cannabis to get sleep, and every year or two partake in illegal party drugs and smoke cigarettes. I was reflecting on my health and the direction it was going, and thought it would be a great idea to try following the WoW to the letter for a month for non-spiritual reasons, then seeing how I feel. This would include things like using meat sparingly (I was thinking of being vegetarian at home, but eating some meat during holiday get-togethers and extended family dinners) , incorporating more seasonal veggies and fruits I wouldn't otherwise eat, and the "classic" no alcohol/coffee/tea/drugs. Are there any suggestions or "words of wisdom" you might have for me before I start? How do you feel about a non-LDS person living the WoW?
  2. The below fascinating Interfaith article on the LDS Church was recently emailed by Ford Motor Company to thousands of its employees! Interfaith Insights & Inspirations The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Quick Facts & Interesting Tidbits On this day 175 years ago, September 14, 1840, Joseph Smith Sr. died; his son was the LDS Church's founding prophet. The church has since grown nearly a thousand fold -- enjoy the following about this now thriving church! OVERVIEW · Named “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”, nicknames are “LDS” or “Mormon” · Not claiming standing from age-old descent, from councils, or from just reading the Bible, the LDS Church is rather unique in declaring that the Lord restored the full original Christian church, guided once again through prophetic revelation · Core focus is that Jesus Christ & His teachings bring happiness in this life & exaltation in the next with your family HISTORY · In 1820 14-yr-old Joseph Smith proclaimed a vision of God & Christ foretelling the long-prophesied full Christian restoration · Organized in upstate New York in 1830, the church moved to near Cleveland, then near Kansas City, & then to rural Illinois · Fleeing violent Illinois mobs, Mormons began their subzero February escape across a frozen Mississippi River in 1846 · Though 4-6,000 died en route, 70,000 pre-railroad Mormon pioneers settled Salt Lake City & 600 other Western communities SALT LAKE CITY · Temple Square, laid out just four days after 1847 pioneer arrival, has 5 million annual visitors, more than the Grand Canyon · The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the world’s most famous, broadcast on 1500 stations, started 29 days after pioneer arrival · The iconic granite Salt Lake Temple took 40 years to build; there are now 148 temples worldwide with another 25 underway · Salt Lake City is home of the world's largest genealogy database, it can be visited online or at 4,800 libraries FAMILY · LDS believe that marriage & family can be eternal & are central to God's plan for our happiness · On Monday nights, LDS worldwide hold "Family Home Evening", a program started 100 years ago in 1915 · A Pew survey showed LDS as the most married & least divorced Christian U.S. sect after Anabaptists (Amish, etc.) · Utah is the single most married, largest family, largest house, highest birth rate, most kids with both parents, lowest illegitimacy, lowest births into poverty, lowest child poverty, & youngest (average age 29.2 vs. 38.9 for Michigan) of all 50 states HEALTH CODE · Believing an 1833 health code was inspired, LDS avoid alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, coffee, & tea (herbal tea is ok) · This health code also teaches grains (especially wheat), fresh fruits & vegetables, & sparing use of meat · A 2008 UCLA study of 26,000 people showed that active LDS live longer than white Americans, men by 9.8 years & women by 5.6 years; the differences were even much greater for LDS who better lived various LDS tenets · Utah is 50th in smoking, tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, drunk driving, heart attacks, hypertension, high cholesterol, cancer deaths, Cesareans, sick days, child obesity, youth inactivity, & 49th in adult inactivity, diabetes, heart disease, strokes, & ER visits EDUCATION · Some 397,000 high school students attend a daily gospel study class, usually starting 6-6:30AM · Some 347,000 college students attend a weekly Institute of Religion class at 2,500 locations worldwide · Utah is 50th in spending per pupil (31st in teacher salary), but rates above average in most educational metrics · New in 2001, LDS in 63 developing countries can get low-rate college loans; over 60,000 loans have been made BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, PROVO UTAH · BYU Provo, with 30,000 students, is America's largest single-campus private college · From 110+ countries, 70% of students are bilingual, 32% study one of 55 languages, & 2,000 study abroad in 55 countries · BYU’s unparalleled Independent Study program offers over 550 courses to 130,000 students in over 90 countries · BYU national championships in the last 20 years include: five in rugby (including the last four), three in men’s volleyball, four in women’s cross country, four in combined racquetball, nine in women’s racquetball, & 20 in ballroom dance · College rankings vary by source & year; “cherry-picking” some of the best recent year BYU rankings: + Sometimes rated #1 in accounting, rate of student acceptees that enroll, students who pray, & in being “stone cold sober” + For total students going on to graduate school: #11 for medical, #6 for law, #5 for doctorates, & #1 for dental school WOMEN · Organized in 1842, the "Relief Society", the world’s largest women's organization, meets every Sunday & has many activities · Women preach from the pulpit & serve in various positions, from teachers to organization presidents · Wyoming was first to allow women to vote; Utah was second, two months later, in 1870 · America's first female state senator, first female mayor with all-female city council, first female U.S. senator without any family connection (from Florida), & first black Republican congresswoman, were all LDS ACTIVE CONGREGATIONS · Sunday services entail a three-hour block of three meetings; nearly 30,000 congregations exist worldwide · Everyone has a calling in highly vibrant LDS organizations; surveys shows exceptionally high LDS congregational involvement · Most churches have an indoor basketball gymnasium with a theater stage to host a wide variety of meals & activities · Teens have the most fun: weekly activities, sports, dances, service projects, youth conferences, weeklong camps, etc. FINANCES · Members tithe 10%; a Penn study of 2600 LDS said 88% of active LDS tithe fully compared to 4% of American Christians · Local clergy (no career positions) & all other congregational positions are unpaid (janitorial is unpaid, maintenance is hired) · The paid positions in Salt Lake are known as low-salaried; funds are frugally used & tightly audited, the church has no debt MEMBER ASSISTANCE · Members receive monthly visits from a “home teacher”, a friend who is available for any help you may ask for · Customarily, hands show up when moving, dinners show up when sick, & visitors show up when hospitalized · The church runs 115 employment centers, 101 home food storage centers, 82 counselling centers, & 42 thrift stores · LDS in need obtain church welfare in the form of groceries and/or bills paid; LDS donate monthly to this welfare program · The church has a few hundred farms either for investments or for its welfare program; many LDS donate time on welfare farms GIVING BACK · A Penn study said active LDS give nine times as many volunteer hours as other Americans, 57% of it for religious purposes · Started in 1998, “Mormon Helping Hands” is a program where local members work on various public service projects + Some large one-day efforts: 65,000 Californians in 2014, 100,000 Africans in 2007, & 120,000 Brazilians in 2011 · Worldwide there are 10,000 unpaid welfare/humanitarian service missionaries, these are often retired couples · An analysis of 2012 tax returns shows Utahns gave away 6.6% of their income, a median of $6,182; no other state was close HUMANITARIAN AID · Humanitarian aid is given to people of all faiths; the church pays all overhead so that donations go 100% to recipients · The church provides rapid emergency relief to disasters worldwide, usually responding to 100-150 disasters annually · The church drilled wells & created water systems for many millions of people in many thousands of villages worldwide · Large-scale worldwide medical aid includes giving immunizations, wheelchairs, vision care, & neonatal healthcare training SHARING CHRIST’S GOSPEL · Over 85,000 missionaries serve in 160+ countries; over a quarter are female; most are college-age but some are retired couples · Unpaid & paying their own way, most work 65 hours a week for 18-24 months, often learning one of over 50 different languages · Polynesians are the most LDS (~15%), Africa has the highest growth rate, & Latin America has the most growth (49% of total) · The church reached one million in 1947, membership now exceeds 15.5 million; over 5,000 join weekly worldwide MEMBERSHIP DISTRIBUTION · Some 2014 year end LDS memberships: + U.S. 6,466k – by Region: East 287k (0.45%), Midwest 442k (0.65%), South 1,049k (0.93%), West 4,688k (6.2%) + Other English Countries: New Zealand 110k, Australia 144k, U.K. 186k, Canada 192k + Latin America: Ecuador 229k, Guatemala 255k, Argentina 432k, Peru 557k, Chile 579k, Brazil 1,289k, Mexico 1,368k + Other: South Africa 61k, Ghana 62k, Tonga 63k, Samoa 76k, Korea 87k, Japan 128k, Nigeria 130k, Philippines 711k + By World Region: Africa 460k, Europe 504k, Oceania 520k, Asia 1,087k, Latin America 6,108k, U.S./Canada 6,658k · Each continent’s country with the highest rate of LDS: United States, Chile, Portugal, Cape Verde, Philippines, & Tonga · Worldwide about 60% are not Caucasian; about 70% are converts, which is a bit unusual for a faith PRESIDENTIAL LDS TIDBITS · Appreciating Millard Fillmore’s treatment of the LDS, Utah named its first capital city “Fillmore” & its county “Millard” · Abraham Lincoln helped the LDS obtain the Nauvoo Charter; he checked out the Book of Mormon from the Library of Congress · Warren G. Harding once asked for & received a nighttime LDS priesthood blessing for his sick wife · Lyndon B. Johnson was extraordinarily close to LDS President David O. McKay, often calling him; of the three American flags from his inauguration, he kept one, gave the second to his vice president, & the third to President McKay GRAB BAG · The U.K. had 44,000 converts by 1851 (12,000 Utahns in 1851, many from the U.K.); by 1869 32,000 had emigrated · Recent news articles have said the church is planning a city of 500,000 near Orlando on some of its 770,000 Florida acres · Utah is first in computers, financial literacy, church attendance, & birthplace of leading scientists (including TV’s inventor) · LDS Scouting started in 1913, 23% of Boy Scouts are LDS; Utah leads all states in total (not just rate of) Eagle Scouts · Hawaii's #1 tourist site, the Polynesian Cultural Center, hires BYU Hawaii college students from many Polynesian islands
  3. A little bit of a story with a happy ending to share-- For me, the most difficult part about being in an interfaith marriage is not the non-member husband, but handling the evangelical mother-in-law that comes with him. When hubby and I started dating, MIL was a huge fan of me… except for my “Mormon problem”. Needless to say religion has been a rocky subject. To learn about Mormonism, MIL signed up for a class on the subject at her church, entitled “Mormonism and the Evil Cults” (or something like that). She got a lot of bad information, and doesn’t really listen to what I say because she honestly thinks I’m brainwashed and hell-bound (roll eyes). Though, to be fair to her, I haven’t been perfect on the issue (like not inviting her far enough in advance to baby girl’s blessing). Anyway, the purpose of this post is to celebrate: last night we chatted and had a great discussion sharing testimonies. I learned a lot more about her and feel that she learned a lot more about me. Not only did she not stone me for sharing me testimony, she liked it! I’m still kind of in “wow” shock…. Just wanted to share good news with you all J.
  4. Hey there, My husband and I have been married for just over a month now. He is not a member, but he has set a baptism goal date, which is such a big deal! He was so against being a member but has come around. However, he often doesn't want to come with me to church and tonight we have a ward activity that I have been looking forward to for over a month. I thought he was excited for it, too, but he's skipping out. I'm going to go alone but we're new in our ward and have only had the opportunity to go to meetings twice because of the Ogden temple dedication and then General Conference. I know a couple of people, but I'm nervous to go alone. I'm not an introvert, but I feel so much more comfortable not walking in alone or knowing I have someone to talk to always if conversations fall short. Even with his baptism coming up, I have a feeling that I'll be going to church and activities by myself a lot of the time. I hate having to explain to everyone why he isn't with me. Is there any advice you can give me? Because church is worth it to me to go, even by myself. However, if there are any tips you can give me to help with the uneasiness or the loneliness of going alone, I'd appreciate it.
  5. I´ve set up a Facebook page called: LDS - Islam friendship. Take a look (o: and also enjoy the two videos from Youtube, one with views of temples and one with views of mosques. Anyone interested in creating a similar page on the net (outside Facebook)? LDS - Islam friendship | Facebook Comments invited.