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I am a non-member and have recently entered a relationship with member of the LDS church. I want to find a special gift for Valentines (with Christmas being too late) and wanted some advice on appropriate jewelery. My girlfriend and I have had several conversations about differences between LDS and Catholicism - something we do to try and give me a better understanding of her faith. She has particularly commented on how LDS focus is away from the cruxification of Christ and so there are less reference to this in the images used by the LDS church. My question is: is a crucifix on a chain inappropriate? If so, is there something of similar religious significance that is obtainable as part of a piece of jewelery? I would like to give something to her that she can relate me when attending church, praying at home, etc. Sorry for the long story and I hope to hear suggestions from you all (direct to my forum mailbox would be great). :)

Ever since I was twelve years old I have had not only a desire, but a need to call on my Heavenly Father in prayer. There were many points of the gospel that I didn’t understand – many things that I was experiencing that didn’t seem to fit – and even more things I needed to resolve. Because of this, I had a heavy reliance on prayer and on my personal relationship with God and Christ. While serving a mission, I remember having an experience where a companion asked me something along the line of “You always get answers to your prayers, don’t you?” I responded, “Of course. Don’t you?” His response was odd, “Well, I know the Lord answers prayers, but there are many times when I feel I don’t get an answer.” In my time since, I have realized that this is a rather common problem for members of the church (in fact, ANY church). The more I thought about it, the more I realized that there were some prayers that seemed like I wasn’t getting answers, but usually the answer was that I was asking the wrong question. So in an effort to help my companion, I scoured the scriptures in hopes of discovering my pattern, the method I used to find answers to prayers. It wasn’t long before I identified with the brother of Jared in Ether, chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Mormon– so, if any of you would like to look at a few chapters with me with the goal of getting answers to prayers in mind, I would love to share what has worked for me. Let’s start in Ether chapter 2. Here, as we know, is where the brother of Jared is commanded to build the barges. The first thing we need to know is that he went and built the barges. I think that is the first step to getting answers to our prayers – we have to have proved to the Lord that we will follow what he tells us when we do get an answer. If the Lord doesn’t think we will do what he says, why would he tell us what to do? I have a mission experience to illustrate this point. One day my companion and I both received a heavy impression to knock every door of a certain apartment complex. After four hours of straight tracting, missing dinner to do so, and not teaching a single discussion, we were about to leave. We got the prompting again, to knock the doors again. So, we bothered many people twice, and got a few more doors answered from people who weren’t home the first time. Still, not a single teaching appointment. After our second time through the apartment, and almost 6 hours of tracting this ONE apartment complex, we resolved that we were to leave. On our way home, I asked my companion, “Hey, I’m upset by this. Why would we feel like knocking those doors was so important, only to have no success?” My companion at the time, who is much wiser than I was, answered, “Because the Lord wanted to make sure we were listening, and would obey. These last 6 hours would probably have been a waste anyway, so the Lord used the time to strengthen our ability to listen, so that when he needs us, he will know he can count on us.” Sure enough, on the way home we passed an oil field, and a small trailer house guarded the entrance. We felt prompted to knock on the door, which looked less like a residence and more like a company vehicle. It turned out than an inactive member lived there with her husband, who were away from their own home on business with the oil company. It wasn’t long before they were reactivated, and asking us whether they could get General Conference on their satellite: “And it came to pass that the brother of Jared cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, I have performed the work which thou hast commanded me, and I have made the barges according as thou hast directed me” (Ether 2:18). Step one: When you get an answer, prove to the Lord you are worthy of getting the next one. In verse 19, the brother of Jared asks the Lord two questions: “And behold, O Lord, in them there is no light; whither shall we steer? And also we shall perish, for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish.” And in verse 20, the Lord answers one of them: “Behold, thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air. And if it be so that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood.” Sometimes this is how the Lord answers our prayers, by simply providing us the solution. I think, however, this is the rarest type of answer, and will usually only happen when we are unable to come up with a solution ourselves. Step two: Recognize that while the Lord can and sometimes does give us the answer directly, this is usually going to be a rare occurrence. Let’s note that in verse 21, the brother of Jared does what the Lord commands, which leads us back to step one. But the Jaredites still had a problem. Would the Lord really suffer them to cross the waters in the dark? This is the exact question that the brother of Jared returns and proposes to the Lord, and I absolutely LOVE the Lord’s answer. From verse 23: “What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?” What a fantastic opportunity the Lord has given the brother of Jared (and how often does He give it to us?). How often do we interpret the Lord asking us “What do you think?” as not getting an answer? In my mind, the rest of the verse isn’t exactly a quote from the Lord, but more of a banter between God and the brother of Jared: Brother of Jared – “Can I have windows?” Lord – “Are you kidding me? They’ll get smashed!” Brother of Jared = “Can I have fire?” Lord – “Only if you want to kill yourself. (And in verse 24) You do realize you’ll be buried in the depths of the sea and with the wind and everything I’m going to have to provide to take you to the promised land, there are going to be giant waves that are going to make the ride a bit bumpy, right? (Verse 25) So, with these things in mind, what other ideas do you have?” Step three: Recognize that more often than not, the Lord will expect you to bring Him an answer to see if it is the right one, not the question for Him to answer directly. I think it is also interesting to note that the questions the brother of Jared would have brought the Lord at this point were yes/no questions “Can we have windows?” “Can we have fire?” I think there is a reason for this: I think yes/no questions are the easiest ones to get answered. If you feel the spirit confirm to you that your solution is correct, then the answer is yes. If you don’t, then no. It doesn’t get much easier than that. Step Four: If you doubt your ability to receive a complex answer, or the Lord isn’t answering something that is complex, rephrase the question so that the answer is a simple yes or no. Now, on to chapter three. We’ve all read the story, so we know what happens. The brother of Jared does something I doubt many people would have thought of; in fact, I have to wonder if his solution wasn’t somewhat inspired. This man goes to the side of the freakin’ mountain, and carves out sixteen clear stones. What is interesting about this? First, the brother of Jared is obviously a good craftsman. He uses his talents to resolve the problem, even if it is a little “unconventional.” With his creative solution in hand, the brother of Jared takes his thoughts to the Lord. Let’s read those scriptures, because they are so incredibly amazing: "2 O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be aangry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are bunworthy before thee; because of the cfall our dnatures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires. "3 Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been amerciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these bthings which I have molten out of the rock. "4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all apower, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy bfinger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have clight while we shall cross the sea. "5 Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which alooks small unto the understanding of men.” I love how humble these scriptures are. I love the brother of Jared’s faith. As a reward, not only does the brother of Jared see the finger of God, but later has a vision in which he sees the coming Christ – thousands of years before his birth. Step five: Use your talents, and be creative as you seek answers. Think outside of the box. Your faith in the Lord will be rewarded as you seek Him. It is my hope that no matter where we are in our journey in life, no matter our faith, that we will cultivate the kind of relationship with our Heavenly Father that is as strong as the relationship between earthly fathers and children. The only way we can know Him intimately is through conversing with Him. May we all take a little extra time to listen – because He has some amazing things to tell us.

I am LDS, and I have served an LDS mission. I am active, and have served in many callings. I currently hold an active temple recommend, and am worthy to have it. However, I do not understand everything, especially how detached the Lord seems to be from the lives of the majority of the world. Statistically and historically, the Lord is very unlikely to intervene and save someone, righteous or wicked, from harm, treachery, horror, torture, abuse, rape, murder, etc. How many people living in the world today dread their fathers coming home, knowing they will be beaten, molested, abused, maybe even killed. And they pray and pray, and yet still the fists land just as hard. Where is the intervention of God in this? I met a lady on my mission who had grown up in El Salvador during some rough times in the 70's and 80's. She was the sole survivor of her village. Guerrilla soldiers invaded her village, raped and tortured the women and children, then lined up everyone from the village on a bridge, tied their hands behind their back, and began to shoot them, one by one. This lady couldn't wait to be shot, and so she jumped from the bridge. She experienced what she called a miracle then, the soldiers shot at her, and the bullets cut through the rope around her wrists, and she was able to escape. She hid in the jungle for around a week, and was able to eventually escape to America. However, she lives with the horror of what happened, and the nightmares of what happened to her personally. She can't afford more than living in a run-down apartment, because she has to pay for so much mental therapy. She said that she can't go to church, she can't forgive God for not intervening when little children were raped and tortured in the mud and dirt of her village. You don't have to look far to see the crime that goes on each day. In Salt Lake City, where the prophets and apostles live, there are numerous horrible crimes, gang problems, rape, murder, child/spouse abuse, drugs, theft, adultery, embezzlement, etc. If where the prophets and apostles live is such a mess, how can there be any hope for the rest of the world?!! What kind of message is that sending to the rest of world. Where is the beacon of hope, the sanctuary from filth? It is not found in this world, there is minimal celestial intervention.

Ok I have two job potentials. Would ya'll pray for me that I would get the best one for me. I believe that to be the one close by... But trust me... I can use all the brownie points I could use... so If you think I've ever done something nice...hehehe... you know... maybe use that as leverage? hehehe Just kidding but first interview (local) is Wed at 10am. I will be fasting this weekend along with my sister and a very close friend. Anyone wanna join me? Anyone who knows my life knows it has kinda gone down the drain since ya'll first met me.... need some positives. Thanks. Hey maybe I could start one of those email chain letter thingys? hehe.

On Sunday I was looking at the prayers Jesus taught in 3 Nephi and Matthew. I noticed that he taught to close the prayer "Amen" and did not teach to say "In the name of JC." My husband and I couldn't find out when or how we knew to close the way we currently do. We just found all the missionary and ensign articles that teach the current way. It is obvious in the scrips that all ordinances are done "in the name of JC." I just can't find scriptural evidence of praying "in the name of JC." Oh, the dedicatory prayer in D&C 109 is done in his name, but that would also be an ordinance wouldn't it? Does anyone know the answer to this? I realize we could be missing something obvious. Here are the scriptures where we learn the order of prayer: Matthew 6:9-13 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 3 Nephi 13:9-13 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 12 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 13 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Let me give you some background so I can get some advice about a dating issue. First of all, I am addicted to masturbation and pornography and havebeen for over ten years. I went on a mission this way and one day broke down and told my mission president who, after talking with me and my stake president, said I should stay on my mission! Why? Thats another issue for another time. I told my bishop in my family ward and he just said I need to try to get over it and that I could still take the sacrament and serve in the church as a priamry teacher! Why? Again an issue for another time. I lied to my bishop and said I was cured so I could see a famly I am very close to get sealed in the temple. Since then I have basically kept up the lie. I have now and have always in the past tried to cure myself of these addictions but to no avail. Anyway, recently I started dating this girl. She is very nice and accepts me as I am. I have told her everything and when she said she was ok with it as long as I was trying to get better I felt a tug of war of feelings. I felt happy that she accepted me as I am but confused and dissapointed in her. Telling her the truth was kind of a way for me to say I didn't think we were meant to be and we should go our separate ways. I have been praying about this relationship asking if she is the one or if she and I are right for each other. I have only felt confusion and the same tug of war of feelings on the subject. But more and more lately I have begun to wonder if the doubts and the confusion were my answers and that I should break up with her. I also wonder if thats just me and those doubts are just obstacles to overcome. I also wonderif Satan is placing those doubts there or exaggerating the reality of the doubts and issues with this girl to stop me from being happy. It also could just be me. Those addictions could be the reason why I am unsure about my relationship. Pros about this girl are that she is funny, likes me for me (actually I think she loves me but she hasn't said), cooks well, makes me feel less lonely, makes me feel like I am doing something with my life. Cons: She is not physically attractive (that could be due to the addictions of masturbation and porno), she likes things that I don't like, she hates things that I like i.e. food, music, movies, school subjects, political views etc, she is too passive about my problems and therefore doesn't necessaraly care if I change, too passive about me saying that I wasn't totally sure we should be together, not as strong in the church as I would like and need. These are just some of the things I can list right now. I asked my brother and he said to end the relationship now before it gets to invovled emotionally. I said I am not sure about that. I am scared. What if she is the one and I lose her forever? However, what if she isn't and I am stuck in a relationship I don't want to be in? So please can someone help me out here. Has God answered me already and I missed something? Has Satan used these doubts and issues to stop me from being happy? Have my addictions and my life experiences affected my personality and have I just been reacting normally to the issues with this relationship? Which is it? Is she the one? How do I know? If she isn't what now? If she is what now? Thank you in advance for the advice and have a great one, Doubter.

This article appears in the Saturday morning, 17 January 2009 edition of the Deseret News. (Deseret News | LDS Church leaders to attend Obama inauguration) President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will represent the LDS Church at inaugural events for President-elect Barack Obama. President Thomas S. Monson asked the two leaders to represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20 and the National Prayer Service at Washington's National Cathedral on Jan. 21. "It is always an honor for the church to be represented at the inauguration of a new president," President Monson said. "We send our best wishes to President-elect Obama and pray for the blessings of a loving Father in Heaven to be upon him and his administration."