Introducing Myself


keithb1970
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Hello. My name is Keith. I'm 38 and I live in North Carolina. I just joined this site. I am not a Mormon. I've been reading and studying some on my own. I've been interested in learning more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for quite some time. I haven't gotten up the courage yet to meet with any missionaries or visit the local ward. I'm not even sure where it's at yet.

I have gotten to a crossroads in my life. I'll turn 40 in a little over a year. My high school graduating class just celebrated our 20 year class reunion. These milestones have really had me looking back at my life. I'm not happy with much of what I see. I was raised as a Free Will Baptist. I pretty much quit going to church as an adult. I did visit a few churches after I decided that I didn't want to attend my family church any longer. I never felt any connection with them at all. Something always seemed missing. I've had a rocky relationship with God over the years. I've probably been agnostic much of my adult life.

Looking back at my life, I'm not thrilled with a lot of what I've done. I've got my share of things to be ashamed of. There are so many things I had wanted to do when I was younger that I never did. I don't feel like my life is at a good place. I am having a terrible time at work. I am thankful I've got a job when so many others are out of work. I'm blessed in that. I work for a cleaning service. Definitely not where I thought I would be when I got near 40. It's honest work. I do wish I could do something else. The job wasn't so bad when I worked for a different company. A new boss took over the businesses that I clean and he hired my co-worker and I to work for him. He cut our pay, hours, benefits, etc. It's been a struggle to get by. He's also late with supplies, etc. That's really made the last couple of years hard on us. I've looked around for other jobs, but there's just not much it seems out there right now. The stress over my job and where I'm at in my life has caused me to eat too much. I always eat a lot when I'm stressed. I've had a battle with my weight for years. I had lost a lot of weight some years back and had kept it off for a few years. The frustration, depression, etc. over my life caused me to start eating more than I should. I packed back on the weight. It's got me feeling very miserable. The job situation, the weight battle, etc. have added to the feelings of anguish as I near 40.

I feel like my life has no purpose and direction. I've felt something missing in my life. I feel so alone. I don't really know what to do with my life. I know that I definitely want things to change. I want things to get better. I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired. I don't feel like I've ever done anything worthwhile in my life. I know that I need God in my life. I've tried to live most of my adult life without God. It's been impossible to do. I want to love God. I want to have Him in my life. I need His guidance for my life. Over the years I had seen commercials for the Book of Mormon. I had always been curious about it. I've seen some famous Mormons in the news over the years. I wondered what it was all about. As I've read some in the Book of Mormon, the Gospel Principles & Mormonism for Dummies, I've really felt at peace. I feel like something is coming over me. I know that I want more. It's got me wondering if this is the positive change I've been seeking in my life. I'm trying to figure out if this is the path for me. I need a roadmap in my life. I'm so lost right now.

I've rambled on for far too long. I am so sorry for that. I just wanted to share some of my background. I do apologize for the lengthy introduction. I look forward to being here and talking with Mormons. I guess I do need to actually at some point find out where the local ward is at and visit. I also need to talk to some missionaries. I thought this would be a good place to start to actually get a chance to talk with some Mormons and learn some more first. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Take care. God bless you.

Sincerely,

Keith

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Welcome to the Forum. My wife and I joined 13 years ago when I was 31. Our first child was 1 when we joined, we wanted something beyond the worldly rules to help us raise our family. We both believed in God but had no religion, never baptized before etc.

I am a very distrustful person and look for the angles behind what people are telling me. What is in it for them. I never expected when I told the Missionaries they could meet with us that I would join. I looked at it as a challenge to find the hidden agenda's etc.

I'm now 44 my age doesn't bother me, the past I led is the past and I have a road map for life thanks to the teachings of the church. The gospel is perfect those of us on Earth in it are not. But if you keep chugging away, ignore the faults of others then it works out.

For me the logic of this church makes too much sense not to come from God. Enjoy the journey of discovery no matter what form you take or what time frame it takes you. Laugh at the mistakes or misunderstandings you will have, the negative comments from those who don't understand the Gospel. And revel in the spirit as you learn of your Father in Heaven.

This is a good site, I searched for a year for one that provided discussion, thought and interest without people hammering at each others beliefs over and over again.

Feel free to ask questions, that is the only way to find answers.

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Guest mormonmusic

KeithB1970:

Welcome -- as I read your challenges above, I wasnted to share how being a member of the Church has blessed my career life. Not that joining the Church for career reasons is the right motive, but for me, it's had a huge impact.

First, I graduated from university with a kind of useless degree. I started serving as a volunteer in our young men's program, and the Young Men's leader I reported to helped me get into a really good school for Business. He got to know me as we worked together, and wanted to do me a favor. He was a professor at the university, and his recommendation carried a lot of weight when the school was turning away applicants.

AFter graduation, this led to me getting a job that paid much better, that had responsibility, and that looked good on my resume. I got it all by myself. But it ended after 2.5 years. I decided to go back to school for computer science, but the Dean of the school I spoke to was a Mormon. He told me he could give me a shot as a test lecturer so I could start teaching at the college since my two years of work experience bore directly on some needs they had for professors. I did so, and the teaching skills I learned as a missionary helped me pass the audition. I got hired almost immediately full time (after 3 months), and that's been my career ever since. I've been pretty happy in it, never bored, surrounded by people I get along with and whose company I enjoy. It provides my family with a comfortable living.

It's been my Church associations, where people get to know the kind of work I do, and the desire to help each other because we're of the same community that has blessed my life in that respect.

At the same time, the many opportunities I've had to serve as a leader has sharpened my managmenet skills where I routinely get suggestions from the managers at my school to apply for management positions. I learned all the leadership and management stuff from serving in all the volunteer leadership positions I've gained in the Church.

And last of all, it's made me a better father and husband. What we learn about how to be leaders in the home has done a lot for my children -- teaching them how to pray, teaching them those values that I think are important, etcetera.

My life does seem to have purpose now -- I have a personal mission statement that guides me as to the kind of person I want to be, and it gives me a vision to work towards. The whole mission statement concept was forged by a Mormon writer named Stehen R. Covey, whose written a lot of books about personal effectivenes, using basic gospel principles as the foundation, although he never refers to the Church in his publications.

I won't go into the doctrine or overwhelm you, but I thought I'd share how my associations with the Church have really helped me temporally over the years.

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Hi and welcome... you sound like me at my 30s. I found... no the missionaries found me and what ever was missing in my life, I found it! Love the gospel... always did but there was something missing... good hunting!

So officially:

Welcome to LDS.net. You will find here an ecclectic mix of LDS and some non-members. While the site is dedicated to the Gospel, and to promoting the Church to a world that often does not understand us, we also make room for conversations about current events, and about social and cultural practices within the Church. If your main desire is to learn about the Church, consider starting with the "Learn About Mormonism" forums. For more advanced teachings, that will often include a variety of perspectives, some non-LDS, consider the Gospel section of forums.

While you are welcome to all main sections, be aware this site makes room for a variety of opinions and personalities. Some posters can be passionate about their views, and occasionally more so about them than about the souls of visitors. If you find something particularly offensive, feel free to make a report by clicking the appropriate tab.

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Hello everybody.

Thanks so much for the warm welcomes to the group. It's great to be here. I wasn't sure if this was the right group or not to join since I'm not a Mormon.

I live in a small town called Chocowinity here in NC. The city next to my town is called Washington. There is a ward there. I found the address online. They don't have a website though. I'm not sure how big it is. It does list the street address.

There is a city about 25 minutes or so from me called Greenville. I think I saw there were two wards there. Should I attend a service before meeting with missionaries or speak with the missionaries first? Can you meet with the missionaries somewhere other than your house or does it have to be at your home?

Thanks. Take care. Have a great week. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Keith

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Hello everybody.

Thanks so much for the warm welcomes to the group. It's great to be here. I wasn't sure if this was the right group or not to join since I'm not a Mormon.

I live in a small town called Chocowinity here in NC. The city next to my town is called Washington. There is a ward there. I found the address online. They don't have a website though. I'm not sure how big it is. It does list the street address.

There is a city about 25 minutes or so from me called Greenville. I think I saw there were two wards there. Should I attend a service before meeting with missionaries or speak with the missionaries first? Can you meet with the missionaries somewhere other than your house or does it have to be at your home?

Thanks. Take care. Have a great week. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Keith

Welcome to the site! I'm sure that the missionaries would be happy to meet with you outside of the home. Before I converted to the church, I met with them in the park, the library and the ward building.

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I suggest you meet with the Missionaries first, sacrament is 1 hour, then Sunday School is 1 hour then Priesthood\Relief Society is 1 hour. While you don't need to stay for all three the first two are important. But it is easier to understand what is going on if you get the basics from the Missionaries before you attend services.

They usually prefer to meet in the home to get a better understanding of who you are but it is not required. They will work with you to meet in the most preferred format for you. Just a word of advise Missionaries come in all shapes, sizes and attitude. They are transferred around every few weeks because some personalities work better with different people. Remember to evaluate the Gospel not the Missionaries teaching it. Just as some members live the Gospel closely and others more loose. Ultimatly it is about the Gospel and coming unto Christ not about the people you encounter although that helps when people are kind and friendly which most are.

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