Marrying a member of the LDS

[InlandPirate]

Is it something major or something minor, can you live with it?

There were a number of things I wasn't sure of when I joined, after 20 years there are still a couple things I disagree with, they are not major doctrinal issues though.

I usually will ignore it or even get up and walk out of a class if they start discussing the 2 items I am thinking about.

Mine is accepting that (a) God did it all! Pretty fundamental part haha... Heaven is a pretty difficult concept too!

I'm not too hot on the whole Homosexuality doctrine either, but at least it's better (in my view) than some of the other churches around.

Edited February 7, 2014 by InlandPirate

[Lakumi]

I already gave a name to my belief system (for when people ask and any documents that ask) like I made up a holiday so I wouldn't get the whole "its Merry Christmas not Happy Holidays" no one said "It's Merry Christmas not Happy Siv Day)

But I consider doing things like that fun so... yeah

[mnn727]

Mine is accepting that (a) God did it all! Pretty fundamental part haha...

Thats ok, when I started looking into the Church I didn't even know if God existed.

[mnn727]

Some are major (such as my belief in what I think God is, the idea of heaven)

Have you asked God?

some are minor (I am so not a morning person so church is something dreaded on that point alone),

I wish we could get away from the 1PM - 4PM meeting schedule we're on our 3rd year of afternoon Church. (there are 2 Wards and 2 branches meeting in our building)

some are my own oddities (such as anything I am the center of I seem to have an obsession of making it a reflection of myself, putting myself wholly into it rather then doing what everyone else does)

that could be overcome.

[Lakumi]

Have you asked God?

I wish we could get away from the 1PM - 4PM meeting schedule we're on our 3rd year of afternoon Church. (there are 2 Wards and 2 branches meeting in our building)

that could be overcome.

no, I don't think so... I don't pray to ask for things, or say much... its usually chanting to calm the mind

I donno how I could even approach that in prayer "Lord, I believe you are a limitless being with power uncomprehended by mankind and not limited by physical form or idle gender, but other people say you are a being with gender which to me, accepting something like that seems almost insulting, I donno maybe I have been writing too much of those weird sci fi stories"

I am an afternoon-evening-night sort, that's when I work and that's the times I operate best

I don't have a problem with my oddities, everyone else seems to though:lol:

[mnn727]

no, I don't think so... I don't pray to ask for things, or say much... its usually chanting to calm the mind

I donno how I could even approach that in prayer "Lord, I believe you are a limitless being with power uncomprehended by mankind and not limited by physical form or idle gender, but other people say you are a being with gender which to me, accepting something like that seems almost insulting, I donno maybe I have been writing too much of those weird sci fi stories"

You write sci fi, cool, I do also (see my tag line) along with PAW (End of the World) fiction also. Probably a third of the stories posted there are Science Fiction.

anyway

I might approach the prayer in a different manner but whats wrong with asking God to help you understand Him?

Edited February 7, 2014 by mnn727

[Lakumi]

You write sci fi, cool, I do also (see my tag line) along with PAW fiction also.

I might approach the pray in a different manner but whats wrong with asking God to help you understand Him?

Guess it just seems alien to me

what sort of sci fi do you write? Mine seems to be vastly different then a lot of what I've read, a lot of it has to do with vastly more evolved life, creation itself and the beings that create

[mnn727]

I do mainly everyday people put into strange situations, my major sci-fi story so far has had everyone vanishing except small pockets of people.

I also have an end of the world type story due to a flu virus

Hey praying itself was something I almost never did.

[InlandPirate]

I felt like I was just talking to myself in a room for a while each day, but pretending I was addressing someone else...

My Gran always taught me when I was little that God listened to everything I said, so I guess I became disillusioned when I didn't here someone along the lines of Morgan Freeman replying! I thought it was a bit like a phone call, so I have no idea how to pray, what to say, or what, if anything happens next?

[Quin]

I felt like I was just talking to myself in a room for a while each day, but pretending I was addressing someone else...

My Gran always taught me when I was little that God listened to everything I said, so I guess I became disillusioned when I didn't here someone along the lines of Morgan Freeman replying! I thought it was a bit like a phone call, so I have no idea how to pray, what to say, or what, if anything happens next?

I often gripe. Like:

"Seriously?"

With or without invective.

I figure God is pretty used to being the "I wish to register a complaint!" Box.

Conversely, I share funny things (in part to make up for the griping), kick some gratitude around as they pop up (from gorgeous vistas "Wow. Thanks, G.", to friends & loved ones & events & all the "Thank you for ______." From the life of my kids ...Right down to periodic "Thank you for plastic." (Sterile, amazing, life saving plastic).

I, personally, am very careful not to ask G or the Spirit for things.

As I usually get what I ask for.

Just not the way I wanted it.

So I save asking for things as a last resort / have done everything in my power first.

I'm also fond of meditative prayer.

Other people pray differently.

Some, for example, do 2 grattitudes and a request.

Or have other set patterns.

While some people gripe about patterns, I disagree.

Patterns aren't a bad thing, necessarilly.

They don't work well for some people (just going through the motions)

But for other people they're transformative, wow, amazing.

They can be used to immediately "drop into gear" / invoke Pavlov / go from secular land to spiritual in a blink.

It's not what I do, but I've seen far to many people be able to to have any doubt at how effective it is.

Be it having a set pattern of things to say, or the order, or even the words themselves (while the actual prayer is silent behind the words).

I don't think there's a wrong way, necessarily, to pray.

I tend to sing from the heart / talk like I'm talking to a friend.

And sometimes my heart is cranky or I'm vexed with my friend.

And other times I've got the impulse control of a golden retriever.

But the way I pray makes me feel closer to my Heavenly Father & more myself at the same time.

I remember praying (with heartfelt WAITING, hoping so so so badly for Morgan Freeman to answer). In the same kind of empty room, here I am, God. I was sooooooo sad when it didn't. Then I walked outside, and ran and played on the playground. Had one of the best afternoons, ever. I look back at that moment sometimes and think

"Yeah. I wouldn't want to hang out in a boring old room, either. Thanks for meeting me on the playground."

Whenever I've NEEDED the Spirit in a boring old room, with nothin to do but stare at the walls, he's been there.

But I far more often find the Spirit on the swings.

Q

[Backroads]

What Quin said.

On a more personal note, I do think Morgan Freeman was awesome in his role as God.