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  1. I recently got my mission call but something feels off. I’ve prayed and fasted and I’ve done all the textbook actions to try and receive answers. I understand that mission calls are supposed to be assigned through a process of revelation, but is it possible that something about my call is wrong? Something about it just doesn’t sit right with me.
  2. Hey all, newbie here! Okay, so I just want some advice on what y'all think I should do here. I met a girl last year, we went on a few dates, blah blah blah. We started getting kinda serious when she pulled the "I've decided to go on a mission" card. I've dated a lot of girls but have never clicked with someone so easily before. She had been praying a lot about going on a mission, received pretty heavy revelation that she needed to go, met me, felt conflicted, but ended up deciding that she needed to follow the prompting she felt before. She even said that she wouldn't have gone on a mission had she met me earlier. Anyway, I totally supported her on her decision. Like I said, I really like this girl so I didn't want to drive her away. I tried to break things off with her before she left because she said she didn't want to have a boyfriend on her mission and I knew we were headed in that direction. We still spent all of our time together even though the relationship was less romantic. After awhile she said she did want to keep dating; she said she liked me so much that she didn't care about having a boyfriend on her mission. She left about three months ago. She even called me from the airport before her flight left for her mission. I know 100% that she wants to date me when she gets back. I email her every night and then we email back and forth on p-day. I guess I just don't know how to handle the situation. I know that she wants to date me when she gets back and I want to date her but I don't want to just sit here for a year and a half. It's such a long time and I can't stop thinking about her. She told me that she isn't going to ask me to just wait for her but she said she wouldn't be mad if I did haha. I am definitely bettering myself while she's gone - my scripture studies haven't been this good since my mission. I'm done with school and everything and have a good job. And I feel like I'm really helping her a lot on her mission. I'm not being a distraction at all. Our emails aren't romantic - just like talking to a best friend. I feel like I'm doing everything right but I just can't help but think about her all the time. Any advice? Do I continue to email her every day? I've been on a couple of first dates with other girls but obviously nothing that I want to pursue. Should I even try to date while she's gone? I guess things might get easier over time but it's kind of driving me crazy right now. Obviously, I'm not going to ask her to come home early - that'd be selfish and I think a mission is really good for her. She knows how much I like her and I know how much she likes me. I didn't know until now but I do love her. I didn't want things to get that serious before she left but I'm realizing now that they did. I guess I just want to know what I should do while she's gone to make it easier while still growing our relationship. Any advice is much appreciated!
  3. I have been invited to give a talk on Gospel Preaching. One point that I would like to talk about is why and how it is important. And I need to understand it specially because I'm preparing to serve a full time mission. I have searched through this week and didn't find any good material on this question. Considering that receiving the gospel in this life is not necessary for salvation and we can receive the gospel and all the covenants in the spiritual world by proxy why preaching the gospel is so essential?
  4. PS this is going to be a long post. This is my first post on this site and boy, I am so grateful that this site exists. I have been reading through some discussions related to my issue and whilst it doesn't give me any answers (only prayer and scripture reading can do that) it does give me slight comfort. I have been in a relationship with my girlfriend for just less than six months. Over the first two months of dating she has mentioned on numerous occasions that she is undecided about serving a mission. Last year she spoke to her then Bishop about serving a mission but due to the lack of communication between them both, it didn't become her priority and then she and I started dating. For context I am a 21 year old international convert studying at BYU. My *girlfriend is 20 years old and has grown up in the church and is also studying at BYU. Obviously I want to be respectful of my *girlfriend when sharing certain details about our relationship, but to summarize, her parental relationship is split. I am the only member of the Church in my family. I have been a member for over two years and she has been a member for all her life. About 4 months into the relationship she had a meeting with someone very involved in her life, and she told me that the result of the meeting would going to determine whether or not she was going to serve a full time mission. I fully expected her to say that she is going to serve a mission and even in the weeks before when she and I were discussing it, I did tell her that I have no intention of dating a return missionary especially since I myself am not a return missionary and by the standard of the church, it ought to be the other way around. I did however advise her to continue praying about it. After her meeting she told me that she is not going to serve a mission, and to be completely honest, I was relieved. I really liked this girl and I felt that she liked me. Both of us have dated the same number of people before we met each other (under 10) and this is our first serious relationship with anybody. I remember telling myself before her meeting that if by any chance she doesn't go on a mission, I will think seriously about marrying her. So fast forward a few months and over time we begin to develop an extremely strong physical attraction to each other and it got pretty bad. After a discussion we had, we both felt that it was appropriate for us to see the Bishop. We both saw her Bishop and even though I didn't know what the outcome of that meeting would entail, I am so grateful that we both saw him together. Later, I saw my own Bishop and we have both learnt that we need written guidelines to help quell our physical attraction to each other. It has been harder and harder of recent and part of me is a little relieved that we mutually broke up two days ago hence the * next to girlfriend; however our break up is another story in and of itself. About a month ago after hanging out with my *girlfriend I was about to leave her apartment until she stopped me and said that the Lord has communicated to her that she should go on a mission. As you might bet, I was distraught as I had already had multiple serious conversations with her about marriage, and apart from the values we both share within the church, there are many other standards that we agree must be upheld to promote a stable family unit. She has convinced me that she understands what it will take for a marriage to be sustained for eternity and I believe I have also convinced her. However, of course, she wanted to go on a mission. After a lot of tears on my end I did not feel like I could break up with her just because she wanted to serve the Lord. It took some pride swallowing but I believed (and still do) that I will never find another girl like this girl and even though my *girlfriend has continually encouraged that while she is serving, I should date other people, part of me wants to test how long I can hold out until she gets back. I have no intention of dating other people whilst she is gone as I do truly believe that both of us have what it takes to raise a family together. Since last week, my *girlfriend has felt extremely conflicted about her mission and has mentioned that she wants to marry and raise children with me. She knows that I absolutely want to marry her and even though I have made that obvious months ago, I have done my best to be supportive of her mission since she mentioned it and I have even mustered the courage to say "I think you should go on a mission" even though I am well aware that she most likely won't come back looking to marry me. Last Sunday we went to church together and afterwards she shared something her mother sent her via text. For context, my *girlfriend's mother has been extremely adamant that her daughter should serve a mission. The mother has served a mission and whilst the mother's life has taken a nasty turn after she married a convert who was above the age range to serve a mission, she is extremely adamant that her daughter should serve a mission and part of my *girlfriend's mother's reasoning appears to be that her daughter will be condemned if she doesn't. Even as a convert I understand this desire for your children, boys or girls, to not only serve but to marry someone who has also served, so when I saw what my *girlfriend's mother sent her, we both discussed it and agreed upon the significance of the words from Spencer W.Kimball which said, "The question is asked: Should every young man fill a mission? And the answer of the Church is yes, and the answer of the Lord is yes. Enlarging this answer we say: Certainly every male member of the Church should fill a mission, like he should pay his tithing, like he should attend his meetings, like he should keep his life clean and free from the ugliness of the world and plan a celestial marriage in the temple of the Lord” (Spencer W. Kimball, “Planning for a Full and Abundant Life”, Ensign, May 1974, 86). So after a long and tearful discussion about this specific speech we both agreed that we did not have any intention to disregard the Lord's commandment and we mutually broke up two days ago. Just writing this to an anonymous forum makes me feel a little apprehensive but I have seen the replies from other posts and I am confident that I will be able to see extremely insightful replies regarding my situation with my *girlfriend. I know of course that I need to keep praying and reading scripture. I have seen my Bishop about this and he gave me great council regarding this dilemma in our relationship.
  5. Hello all, I was hoping someone would be able to help me with this. I converted to the church about 2 and a half years ago. I’m 21 now and really want to serve a mission, all my branch think I should and my PB said I would serve it. The only problem is are my parents. They don’t like the church and call it a cult, then when I spoke about the mission they were not happy at all! I really don’t know what to do. I really want to be a missionary but I don’t know how to overcome my parents objections. They refer to the church as a cult and are atheist. As is everyone else in my family, they think it’s strange that a 21 year old believes in God. Has anyone else had this type of experience? How did you overcome it? Did you persuade your parents? Thanks,
  6. Recently my boyfriend of about a year and I decided to end our relationship as we were both planning on serving a mission. We dated throughout senior year of high school and were extremely cautious getting into a relationship and made sure that we were never in a situation that would affect our ability to go. We still got very emotionally close to the point that made the break up really difficult for me. I had been getting promptings about calling it off maybe two or three days before the actual break up, but he was the one to bring up separating. It caught me off guard a bit but after a lot of praying I knew I was time. Although we both agree that we need to take out the romance from our relationship, it's been very draining on me. I'm still having a hard time not knowing what's going to happen after this; leading up to the mission, during the mission, and afterwards. He submitted his call yesterday while I plan on submitting it within the next week or two which means we still have a few months of seeing each other. He only lives a few houses down from me, we attend a majority of the same classes, and our friend group consists of the same people. So I guess this is what I'm asking: 1) What's the best way to deal with this type of break up? We still have mutual feelings towards each other but I'm not sure if I should try moving on and try to rid myself of these feelings or if I should accept them and just know that after the mission we might not be interested in each other. 2) How can I remain his friend and still keep my distance before the mission? No matter what he's still my best friend and I don't want to lose him over this. Would texting him still be distracting? I'm guessing one on one talking might not be best but I'm not sure honestly. 3) Can I still email him over the mission? I just want to send him my mission updates and just see how he's doing or would that also be distracting for him? 4) How do I get over this fear that I might really lose him after the mission? 5) Just overall, how do I get over this break up? I'm really struggling as once again we were really close. We were never physical in anyway honestly. Our relationship most just consisted on holding hands and very few kisses. We were both very much not into PDA to the point where people didn't even know we were dating. We never said things like 'i love you' because that's intense for a relationship before a mission but we were very emotionally invested. We both had liked each other for about a year before we dated and finally decided to date for the next year. It's really hard to let go but I know it's for the best but I'd like any advice to help ease the process. If you have or know of a familiar story between missionaries and what eventually happened I really like to know.
  7. Since I was a child I wanted to go on a mission. When I was almost the required age to go on a mission I got a job and I had savings for my mission. Unfortunately, my hand was injured. First, it wasn't something that needed surgery but running into bad doctos made my injured hand worse. Later, I needed to get two surgeries. I could only get these surgeries because the Church helped me, it wasn't the whole amount that it actually cost but the half which was enough. Before my injured hand, I think my hobby was visit people with the missionaries, it was a lot of fun, I saw how many people changed, they wanted to be better and they were striving. After missionaries' lunch, the missionaries knocked my door to visit people till' night, that was my routine for over two years. Today, I went to talk with my bishop, I told him I didn't want to go on a mission, I've already get my calling and I need to be at the MTC in August, I had my second surgery 2 weeks before today and I'm starting rehabilitation next week because of my injury. I told my bishop I may apply to BYU Idaho online, but I'll need to talk with the stake president, my bishop told me he'll probably not want me to study at BYUI online because I haven't served, and probably he tells me about the help I received and I feel chained because of this. If I can't go on a mission because of my treatment, I think my stake president won't let me study at BYUI, it's like all the time visiting with the missionaries doesn't matter at all. I don't know but people don't believe that it hurts as much as it is, if I say I can't go because if my treatment, their thinking may be "He doesn't want to go because he's not obedient", stake president and bishop think I'm already 100% to go. It's like I need to be serious or sad around them to really believe me, I have nothing against them and well, I know my bishop for over 15 years and really respect him. When I preached along the missionaries, we told people that the gospel is happiness and makes people happier than they already are, but now it just feels it's a burden. It is not that I have done something wrong so that I can't go, it is just that my freaky hand doesn't heal for over two years and a half.
  8. So the past two years I’ve broken the law of Chastity with 4 different guys... im really ashamed to say that but I need help. I went to my bishop about a year ago and repented for everything and I finished the repentance process. It was by far the hardest thing I’ve been through and it hurt so bad, I know my actions come with consequences, but because of that situation I’ve changed for the better and I’ve truly became converted to the Lord, and realized how important this commandment is. I’ve been wanting to serve a mission every since the age changed for woman. I still have about 2 years until I’m old enough to serve. My bishop said I most likely won’t be able to go and he didn’t give me much detail. It’s been killing me because I want to serve so bad. I made a very huge mistake and I’m scared it will ruin my chance to go on a mission. Please help and I’d appreciate no judgment because this is still very sensitive for me to talk about, thank you.
  9. Hey y'all. Some of you may remember me from the start of the year, when I first started investigating the church and had a lot of questions and struggles, which have since been answered. The church has completely helped change my life for the better, I'm no longer struggling with the stuff I used struggle with and I'm grateful for it everyday. I talked with my bishop this week and, if all goes well, I'm due to start my mission in summer of next year. I have done a lot of preparation for it: helping teach with the missionaries every day (I've been called as one of the two ward missionaries), learning my scripture and adhering to the commandments. However, the one problem: money. I make 180 a week. The cost of a mission is around 8500. If I save every bit of money I have between now and then, I'll have at most 6000. The bishop says that the church pays for some of it, but currently there's only 2000 in the church funds and there are two other missionaries hoping to serve around the same time as me, and one other person who said he might be serving but seems to be having a change-of-heart atm. They've been in the church a lot longer than I have, and their families are members of the church, so it's likely that the funds will be used to help finance them instead, if there isn't enough to cover all of us. One thing: My family are okay with me going on a mission. However, they don't want to pay anything towards it because my mum's afraid that, in a few months, i'll change my mind and decide not to go. However, are we able to serve without paying the full price? As in, as long as we have it all paid before the end of our mission, is that okay? If I do go on my mission, then she'll know that I haven't changed my mind and I might be able to ask her to pay for the remainder of it over the two years, for my birthday and Christmas presents of those years, and I'll repay her when I get back. Basically, does anyone have any advice on how to save for a mission and the best way of financing it, and the best way of asking my family to help? I hate asking anyone to help but, if I want to serve a mission as soon as this summer, I might need her input! Also, I've got some job interviews lined up, obviously if I get a job that will help with the costs!
  10. About 10 months ago I had to wait to go on my mission due to some violations of the law of chastity. I recently found out that after a year of waiting, I should be able to find out when I can go again. In about 2 months the priesthood authorities and I will submit our letters to the mission office. My question is, does anyone know how long it should take once those letters are in to hear back from the mission office? I've heard of it taking a very short time in some circumstances, me in others, several months. I'm just curious to know if I should be returning to school in He meantime, if I should start buying stuff and packing now, etc. Thank you in advance!!
  11. I'm currently writing to a missionary who's been out in the field for about 10 months now, and I've run out of words of encouragement to say. I always keep the e-mails positive and uplifting and I always try to end it with a recent spiritual experience if I can. I'm also in a group e-mail, and I receive his mission updates every so often, so I leave a comment or say something about that and leave encouraging things with that, but I always end up saying the same words of encouragement at the end which are "stay safe and keep up the good work." At first it would end with "Hope all is well," and then I changed it to stay safe. In e-mails and letters before I've expressed how I'm really glad he's chosen to go on a mission, and I want to say other encouraging words along those lines, but I don't want to wear it out or say it too much. What other words of encouragement could I use? I'm thinking about writing in my next letter something like this: I don't want to say this too much because I feel like it'd lose it's meaning. Just remember this with this letter and all the letters I have written and all the letters I've yet to write. (and then I'd put in that I'm seriously proud of him for serving a mission and I'm really happy he's serving a mission and wants to serve a mission) but I don't want to seem too romantic with it. Does it seem romantic?
  12. Hi, I plan on hopefully serving a mission next summer after I graduate from college (with the equivalent of a US Associates Degree). However, I have pernicious anemia and require a b12 injection every 2 months. My bishop is unsure of whether or not this would stop me and has tried asking other bishops and members of the stake presidency and not had any sort of answer back. My condition doesn't really affect my day to day life as long as my injections are kept up to date. I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket, apply and my application gets declined I'm stuck for a year doing nothing as where I'm from, you can't apply for university after January. Does anyone know whether or not this would stop me or know someone my bishop or I could talk to? Thanks in advance
  13. Hi. I've applied for an LDS mission. Papers have been sent away etc so wondering when will it arrive? 1. Yesterday, I had a meeting with my Elders and the branch president happened to be in the chapel at the same time. He told me he had looked at the application and it had now left Germany (the Area HQ) and was going to the brethren in Salt Lake. He looked at the application on Sunday, and the last time he had checked before that was Wednesday, so basically the papers could have left Germany at any stage in this past week. ~How long does it take to send the application from Germany to Salt Lake? Is that part also done online, in which case does Salt Lake receive it immediately? / How much of the entire process is done online? When the brethren send the call to Germany, is that also online, and then it's sent via post from Germany to my house in Ireland? 2. What day of the week do the brethren assign mission calls? How long, after it's been sent to Salt Lake, will it take the brethren to look at my application? Do they look at every application they receive that week, or does it take a few weeks? My missionaries say that March is a fairly quiet month for applications so hopefully it doesn't take too long! 3. If the application's been sent to Salt Lake now, how long will it take for the call to reach my house? Should it be there by Easter (April 16th)? 4. As it's passed through Area HQ, does that mean there's no way my papers are going to be sent back now? I never included a passport, does that not matter? 5. Am I guaranteed to be called, or is there still a chance I won't be called? If the brethren pray and can't think of a place to send me, what happens? Also, I know a lot of people find the wait nerve-wrecking (the wait between when they send off the papers and when they receive the call) but I'm glad to wait. It gives me extra time to be prepared, so that once I've opened the call I'll be in the "missionary mindset". Anything I lack at, I'm trying to improve on between now and then.
  14. Hi everyone, My friend just got his mission call... to the Prove MTC. Yes, he is literally assigned to the MTC for 2 years. Anyone have any experience what's involved with this?
  15. I'm a recent Mormon convert. I'm open to the possibility of going on a mission, if I gain a greater understanding and testimony of the Church, as I've found the missionaries very helpful and I'd like to offer the same support to other people. Get more people interested in the church. Unfortunately, I'm 21 and currently unemployed. The cut-off point for going on a mission is age 23, so I'm going to have to save up my money between now and then. What prices are involved in going on a mission? 1. Travel expenses (eg the plane from area-to-area) 2. Do I pay rent for the place me and my companion stay in 3. How much food do I need? I usually only eat one meal a day, which only costs me 2 euro, and I'll probably be invited to some church member's houses from time to time for dinner, so I'm guessing I won't need much money for food? 4. Do I get to buy some stuff for myself, while on a mission (eg new clothes, books etc)? 5. Do I pay tithing while on a mission? 6. Do I have access to my bank account while on mission or do I need to have all the money gathered beforehand? 7. Are there any fees I have to pay up-front to register as a missionary? 8. Are there any other expenses that I haven't factored in? Basically I'm trying to figure out how much it would cost me. I use euros btw.
  16. I published this over at LinkedIn, but believe it's relevant for discussion here. Your church seems to have avoided many of the trends and recent practices that are now common--especially in larger, non-denominational churches. Some may wonder if the church should update a bit. My counsel would be to think that through many times. Most organizations have a mission and a team to accomplish it. Often the aim is to gain the loyalty of the Millenials. Business and church share our eagerness for this group. The young bring longevity of purchasing to enterprise, and they bring the promise of generational membership to houses of worship. So, how to go about gaining this prime pool of "customers?" Do we train our team or do we fashion our organizations to appeal to and train the potential market? Both? Of course! However, where's the emphasis? Business often invests heavily in advertising. They determine what their clients want, fashion their company to appeal to that, and then "spin" their whole operation to appear as a natural fit. Some churches are attempting the same. They raise up young, sharp, witty, relevant, relational lead pastors--often with much more senior ministers on their staffs. One former mega-church pastor admitted that it is quite easy to build a successful church these days: find a good venue, acquire a strong rock (worship) band, and fill the pulpit with an energetic motivational speaker. S/he should probably sprinkle the 'little talks' with the word 'God' now and then, of course. Although, I saw one employ the term 'Higher Power'--and this out of a denominational church known for very conservative orthodoxy. My humble proposal is that churches--and perhaps industry as well--refocus on their teams. Churches must produce vibrant Christians. Members should know what they believe, why they believe it, and how to live it--both internally, and outwardly. Godly living is the church's best advertisement. Industry knows this. Hamburgers and fries are cool, well-marketed, and people will always buy them when they are in a hurry for a quick, convenient meal. In contrast, steak and lobster spell a memorable evening of elegance and meaning. Those engaged in spiritual care might do well to focus less on convenience and instant, obvious relevance. We excel at transforming lives through the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of the Bible. So, we askew the instant for the important--the temporal for the eternal. Would it not be God-pleasing if those leaving our sanctuaries, instead of mutter, "Nice program," declared, "That was powerful...it touched my heart and mind?"
  17. I'm getting ready for a mission, but I haven't sent my papers yet. So, I just recently started dating a girl, we went out a few times and last couple of times it became pretty intense, with making out and heavy petting (clothes on). I feel pretty bad and I need to talk to my bishop about it, right? I live in a foreign country, so I don't speak the language that well, to be able to explain the situation as it is, and because of that, I'm kind of scared to do so. Also, I'm a new member, so I haven't spoken with someone about such things before.
  18. I just turned in my mission papers and I am anxiously waiting for my call. It’s been a dream of me to serve the Lord but there is one problem in the way. I’ve been dating a beautiful, loving girl in the same faith with me, but she kept something from me. Five months after have been dating, she confessed something to me and I feel stupid for not noticing, or maybe she is just good at hiding it. Well two weeks before she conceived her child, she confessed to me that she was pregnant and expecting. She didn’t tell me this because she thought I would leave her, and I finally gained her trust so she told me. Fortunately I stayed, because I did not want to leave her. Well we named the child Mahonri, as the biblical name of the brother of Jared, and I took him as my own, even though I am not the biological parent. During the time in her hospital, I helped pay expenses since I had a very good job, and I grew to love the adorable thing. I helped take care of it while she went to work, I even begged to keep the little thing over the weekends. The feeling of having Mahonri with me was amazing. But I also want to serve a mission, and I know that it is my obligation. Mahonri is now three months old, but I don’t know if the saying “You can’t go on a mission anymore if you have [broken the law of chastity] and have a baby since you have a family now” still applies to me. I’ve asked for parental advice, but they tell me my obligation is the mission. I want to go, but I can’t leave my girlfriend and her child! I’m too scared to ask church leaders for they will think I am lying and that Mahonri is my biological child. I’m just really torn. The mission, or the family I could have?
  19. I have been dating a lovely Girl who is part of the church for just over 6 months now. There is no doubt in my mind, at this point, that I love her and she loves me. However she has just sent her mission papers away and will be getting her call within the next 3-4 weeks. This isn't news to me, although I didn't know she was planning on going on a mission until 1-2 months after we started dating. However, I have known this was coming and that by the end of the year, she will be out of contact completely for 18 months. This scares me to death. I want to spend the rest of my life with this person, however I'm worried that her being away for so long and being totally focused on her religion and her mission, is going to end up with me getting left by the wayside. To clarify, although I am not part of the church and have no intention of becoming so, I have the utmost respect for what she believes and have been supportive of her choice to go on a mission since I found out about it; I think that what she is going to do is a wonderful thing. I understand that her focus should, and will, be completely on her mission leading up to her leaving, and that will help her to put the fact we will be apart out of her mind. But that doesn't make me any less scared that things aren't going to be different when she get's back. I think it goes without saying that an awful lot can change in a person's mind in 18 months. I'm in two minds as to whether I should just try and move on once she has left or whether waiting for her is the right thing to do. We've tried talking about it, but none of us can really come to a conclusion and just want to spend the little time we have left together enjoying our relationship. I feel like this is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with and I can't bare the though of losing her. I've come here for an outside perspective on the situation so any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you
  20. I know someone who was baptized at age 17, but is doubting whether or no he wants to serve a mission. Does the church have a stance on this? Is he under the same obligation to serve as other men are?
  21. Hey everyone my names Tyler, I'm from Ohio and was born into the gospel, I recently got my missionary call to serve in the California Arcadia Mission and I will be Chinese speaking. Its nice to be here and I hope this forum helps me and everyone else out!
  22. So I've been dating a girl with her mission call for the past month and a half and things are getting serious. She is due to leave in mid may and I really like this girl and I feel like the feeling in reciprocated. Part of me wants to see her go and fulfill the mission call, but another wants me to convince her to stay and see the possibility of marriage. Would I be a terrible person if i tried to talk her into staying with me? I can't wait that long for her to get back. When should I bring this up? sooner or later? Anyone else had any experience with something like this?
  23. Religions--especially Christian ones--face a dividing of the house. I see it within my own fellowship, within evangelicalism, within Catholicism, and, sometimes, within some of the strings here. Do we attempt to fashion our communities towards godly, gospel-honoring virtue, or do we modify our messaging and "optics" to better appeal to the culture? 30 years ago we evangelicals were confident, with our Moral Majority and Christian Coalition, our Christian broadcasting, our gospel rock bands--we were going to win America for Jesus! By the mid-90s, some were calling for a full pull-out. The culture is hopelessly corrupt, pull your kids out of public and secular schools, let us withdraw and circle the wagons. Alas, today, some congregations are bursting at the seams. They have discovered that if they teach grace, love, acceptance, inclusion, understanding, and authenticity, people will come. No more talk of sin, unless it is couched as, "We are all sinners--perhaps we are worse than you. Let's walk together." Jesus was not interested in conquering culture, nor in accommodating it. He simply spoke and acted on Truth. Maybe we're asking the wrong questions. Perhaps, despite our busyness, we're not completely about the Father's business.
  24. How are you a missionary in your daily life? After reading this article >> the8ways2.com/2014/07/29/8ways2-be-a-missionary-without-realizing-it/ Has it sparked any interest in being a little different?
  25. I am giving my mission farewell talk in Sacrament Meeting the day after tomorrow and I need help writing my talk!! I know it seems pretty late to start writing it but I am usually pretty good at writing talks, I just have trouble thinking of what to talk about. My topic is on D&C 4 and how "love qualifies you for the work". I'm honestly not entirely sure what that means! I feel like it means that even if you're not the most qualified or educated person, that if you have a sincere love for the people you're teaching that it doesn't matter and the Spirit will take care of the rest. Does that seem accurate? Any tips on giving a good talk would be appreciated, really!! (scriptures, quotes, etc. are also appreciated) Thank you!