[RMsister]

So I went to church just to do my calling, take of the sacrament and leave straight thereafter. I thought people would notice, no one does. Now I feel pretty good when I don’t go to church. Or just to do “my thing” and leave. I don’t feel guilty, I don’t feel like Heavenly Father disapproves of me. I do what is required, but right now I just can’t bring it up to go the extra mile.

And still somewhere it confuses me completely.

Aren’t I supposed to feel guilty?

I mean, people really don’t notice at all, which is fine. I’ve even been asked to translate a talk from english to my own language (which I’m terrified to do!)

[RMsister]

Tom Haws wrote:

p.s. RMSister, NOM means New Order Mormon, and it refers to somebody whose faith has changed, and who is trying to figure out how to make the church work. The only nuance of difference between the NOM forums and the StayLDS forums is that the StayLDS forums emphasize exploring personally finding a new type of fulfilling LDS life. I don’t know what MBM means. Mostly Believing Mormon?

Tom

Cheers, that helps me a lot. :thumbup:

[RMsister]

Sorry to hear that!

[RMsister]

canadiangirl wrote:

I do feel that church leaders should start giving out some positive reinforcement. Yes, we get the thank you at the time of our release but usually there aren’t any pats on the back for the work we do.

:clap: Hear hear! :clap:

I think it is important that we regularly receive compliments. Right now I am a teacher in primary and I have been asked, as a sort of sidenote, to organise activities for the boys and girls of my group as well.

So we had the first activity. I’ve learned loads about organisation during it, and apparantly the parents were very happy about it. To who do they report it? The Primary president who is too busy to pass it on to me. Just said on sunday: heard a lot of good things about it.

A thank you would have been nice.

They want a teachers meeting… one is available then the other another day, of course… and then it all grows quiet and nothing is done. Well, they all acknowledge my class is the most difficult. Except for 1 girl they all have mental or physical handicaps, and on top of that we have 3 different languages in the class! And we all try to understand. Now I have a class of 8 kids.

Luckily they recognise it’s hard and someone from the bishopric is going to talk to me this sunday about my class. We’ll see what happens.

[RMsister]

DevilsAdvocate wrote:

but you never know how local leaders will react if they start to think you’re a troublemaker.

Well, they avoided me, or gave me a calling where I had to represent what I disliked. Quite funny to see their reaction when I said yes to the calling as well! 😆

I told my bishop before I handed in my mission papers: there is one thing you must know before I go. I don’t have a testimony on eternal marriage. I even told my mission president. He later called my bishop to figure out why, but bless my bishop, he told him to turn to me to share the story on that.

Nevertheless, my bishop let me go, and told me that it would be fine.

Still don’t have a testimony of it. I know it’s important, but I would never preach it. It’s just the standards they set for it that appeal to me.

[RMsister]

SamBee wrote:

There is one particular area of the church in which women have it over men… dress. Men have little leeway in dress, whereas women turn up in all kinds of things for church.

That’s a good one for a whole other discussion.

Often I am referred back to D&C 121, which I almost know by heart by now. I find it hard to respond well to people who excersise unrighteous dominion, or are just chauvinistic, and are for example, the bishop of a ward. The whole wardcounsil is behind him, and they when I said something contrary, or even pointed out the paragraph in the handbook that he really was wrong, he laughed in my face!

Still see this happen in other wards as well. Puts me off real bad, and I don’t see a change in the youth in this as well. And you would think they would be more emancipated!

[RMsister]

hawkgrrrl wrote:

Being single is great, and being married to the wrong person is sheer hell.

Very well said! :clap:

[RMsister]

cwald wrote:

I think the leaders are trying to address this problem, but, then like you say, they lay the guilt on so thick it almost seems like they are talking in circles.

lol, yeah, that’s how I see it as well.

[RMsister]

Okay, well, I had this question as well when I strayed away from the church for a while. And I had a LOOOOOONG talk with my mum about it.

She has 5 children of her own, 1 stepchild and 2 foster children. So 8 altogether.

3 of those children betrayed her in a horrible way, claiming she abused them (which isn’t true). 2 of those children ended up having a police record which included imprisonment. Did she stop loving any of them? No. She still loves all of her children.

So, does God stop loving us when we break His commandments? No.

I do not think God’s love is conditional.

BUT, I wouldn’t want to hang out with a bunch of people in any gang, or with like the queen. So maybe that gives a bit of a feeling about why there are different Kingdoms of Glory. I prefer that over the “Heaven or Hell” concept.

[RMsister]

Great discussion! I have seen pro’s and con’s in this agreement. Here in Europe there isn’t a strong “Mormon” community. A lot of my friends are LDS, yes, but I have Muslim, Catholic, Agnostic and Atheist friends as well.

We get along just fine, because we do not try to convince the others that our chosen path is right.

We had some great discussions together and occasionally still have them. Our goal is more to look at how we view things differently or even similarly.

I greatly respect devout believers of any faith, as long as they, as mentioned before stick to the 11th article of faith. Yes, there are things I disagree with other religions, and even in discussions I try to be openminded more than trying to attack them at what they believe.

As for general authorities, I believe most of them have never really lived anywhere else than Utah, so they forget what it is like to be the only mormon kid in the school, or to be shunned by one side of the family because you were baptised into the church.

[RMsister]

Great intro!And Welcome!

As someone with english as a second language, you have to help me with the abreviations though 😳

[RMsister]

Old-Timer wrote:

Quote:

I would like to get married before I can’t have children of my own, but if not, well, I’m planning to make the best of my life with or without a husband.

Fwiw, I think that is absolutely and totally in harmony with the advice you would hear from every living apostle – and I certainly think it’s the best attitude to have.

I hear so many young women, and even some men, say that they would be happier in life if they were married. Well, luckily for my, my mother brought me up otherwise. Hahaha.

Yes, a partner could help through hard times, but you got to learn on your own. When I was younger I had the same attitude 🙄 but now that I grew in many different ways, I have a very different opinion. I don’t need a guy to make me happy.

[RMsister]

Old-Timer wrote:

Quote:

Why would Joseph Smith say that he saw 2 separate Beings, with glorified bodies of flesh and bones?

He didn’t say he saw Beings with glorified bodies of flesh and bone. He simply said he saw them.

Joseph Smith wrote:

and I was enwrapped in a heavenly vision and saw two glorious personages who exactly resembled each other in features, and likeness, surrounded with a brilliant light which eclipsed the sun at noon-day.

From The Wentworth Letter

Quote:

and saw two glorious personages, who exactly resembled each other in their features or likeness.

From Orson Pratt account, first published account of first vision. Published in a pamphlet in 1840 titled “An interesting account of several remarkable visions”.

JS History 1:17 wrote:

When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.

Indeed Joseph Smith didn’t say anything then about them having glorified bodies of flesh and bones, but later on in D&C he says:

D&C 130:22 wrote:

The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.

[RMsister]

For the first time I really enjoyed elder Bednar’s talk. It was inspiring and kind of an answer to a debate I had with one of my friends. We were almost on the same page, but he explained it so simply. Highly enjoyed that. Felt the Spirit strongly in this one and the saturdaymorning session.

Yes, the arrangement of the Spirit of God was great:)

[RMsister]

hawkgrrrl wrote:

Can you share more about these things:

– “I’ve seen things on my mission happening in the church that make me question things.”

– Do you feel like “a freak” because of being single? Are there no other singles in your ward?

– You mentioned you are not dating. What opportunities do you have to meet other single people? Are you still in touch with mission friends? Are you going to school or working? I realize that in Europe there are fewer members available to date. Are you not dating any non-members either? By choice or coincidence?

Hawkgrrrl, you ask some really good questions. So I’m going to try to answer them.

The first part I’m slowly beginning to collect my thoughts and put them into topics throughout the Forum. So you’ll probably see them pop up over time.

The nest one, there are like 3 singles and me in the ward. They are all younger than me, which is not always a problem. One is seriously dating elder K’s niece, one of the other guy is well, I’ve known him his entire life and he’s a snake and a very simple soul. The other guy just moved into my ward, is an RM, and well, I think in the past 2 months we have spoken 3 words to each other.

I have dated in the past, both members and non-members. I choose not to go for non-members, because most of the guys that I have dated had very different standards than me and expect a more physical relationship, where to me it’s very hard to have. I have dated guys in church, and as they very accurately say in the movie Singles Ward: when a non-member checks you out, they see if you are someone to have a good time with, when an LDS checks you out you are judged for time and all eternity. (Not the exact quote sorry).

Dating in the church doesn’t necessarily mean that they are the good guys. I feel like I’m being treated as a freak, because I like being single. Oh, I don’t rule out marriage and children, I am just very very cautious of not falling for some jerk, which I have done in the past.

Since I am striving for a temple marriage, if I do get married, I prefer to marry within the church. This doesn’t rule out that I could find a very nice boy outside the church who has the same values as me. I’ve just seen the benefits and problems on both choices.

I hope this answers some questions.

Further I have some good friends who are now about 22-23 and they are so desperate to get married. It makes me sick :sick:

Yes, I would like to get married before I can’t have children of my own, but if not, well, I’m planning to make the best of my life with or without a husband.

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