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My name is Robert and I am a fully actively member of the church. I grew up a member in Wisconsin. My “story” is not that exciting however. I grew up “normal” without much problem. The worst faith shaking moment was when I almost decided to quit the church as a youth due to internet peer pressure, but that quickly subsided.
I served a mission in Houston Texas, using ASL. Due to the nature of the Deaf culture, I have become more blunt and have learned different view points of the church. I have several friends who are very deep thinkers and I like helping them understand at least my perspective on issues in the church or general.
I joined to help out whenever I can, to find help if I do need it, and to just read and learn more about other’s perspectives on the church and it’s culture, history and doctrine.
Thanks for reading!
Welcome to the forum. This is a safe place to share different points of view from a set of people who more or less believe – but want to stay whether we believe or not. Your input is welcome. grobert93 wrote:I joined to help out whenever I can, to find help if I do need it, and to just read and learn more about other’s perspectives on the church and it’s culture, history and doctrine.
You are helping by sharing your story and thoughts.
Glad to have you here. I look forward to learning from your posts.
Welcome Robert. I enjoyed reading your talk on the doctrine of Christ. I personally wish we could focus on the basic doctrines of Christ more. grobert93 wrote:I served a mission in Houston Texas, using ASL. Due to the nature of the Deaf culture, I have become more blunt and have learned different view points of the church.
I don’t know much about that culture. Are deaf people typically more blunt? In what ways? The culture of the country I served my mission in could be very blunt with certain subjects. For instance people thought nothing of saying “Fat Billy” or “Ugly Martha” when saying “Billy” or “Martha” was too ambiguous. I got a label too. I’m still self-conscious about it.
:silent: Also, in Houston does ASL have an accent?
:angel: Welcome to StayLDS.
Thanks for your warm welcomes! Although I will not be daily active on here, I am already finding a home 
nibbler wrote:grobert93 wrote:I served a mission in Houston Texas, using ASL. Due to the nature of the Deaf culture, I have become more blunt and have learned different view points of the church.
I don’t know much about that culture. Are deaf people typically more blunt? In what ways? The culture of the country I served my mission in could be very blunt with certain subjects. For instance people thought nothing of saying “Fat Billy” or “Ugly Martha” when saying “Billy” or “Martha” was too ambiguous. I got a label too. I’m still self-conscious about it.
:silent: Also, in Houston does ASL have an accent?
:angel: Welcome to StayLDS.
The Deaf have been shunned by society forever. Just like black people in the past, they have been treated unfairly and looked upon as stupid, animals or unintelligent. All because of a physical limitation.
So because of this, they are a closed community and share things with each other very easily. It’s a fascinating culture. Since they don’t accommodate politically correctness from us as the world gets offended over red cups at coffee shops, they are seen more and more as blunt. They are as we used to be in the past, but since we changed the contrast is more obvious now.
Anyway, they say things as they are because they are a visual people. What you see is what you say. Are you pregnant or fat? Boy you look tired today, your eyes are bagging! That makeup is pushing it, you look more like a clown. Although more extreme examples, these show how the deaf express themselves. So I accept the culture to state things how they are. On my mission when teaching the law of chastity, I told the Deaf to not have sex before marriage, that masturbation was wrong and looking at naked people wasn’t righteous. I clarified that having sex with the person you are married is what God wants, but having sex with two people (instead of saying cheating with another person) is wrong. I have signed penis, breast, sex and more. There’s no substitute.
Yes, there are variations to signs in Houston vs Chicago vs Salt Lake City (learned the accents in utah at the MTC, then had to change in houston, then had to change again coming home to wisconsin). It’s hilarious, there’s even gangster signs!
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