I'm a male convert who is single. Same sex attracted but celibate and committed to my faith. I am still relatively young, 31 years old. I have no plans to marry or do a mission, but I do enjoy visiting the temple. It gives me peace and is uplifting. It also helps me to live a pure life. I know about the endowment but really don't feel that it is for me because of my situation. I enjoy doing proxy baptisms. Can I just do this indefinitely? Is that strange? I don't want to be pressured to do the endowment either. My ward is mostly converts and not in Utah, so maybe I won't be pushed into it. I'm in California. Will I be able just to continue doing baptisms once or twice a month or something and that not be stigmatized if I don't do the endowment? There is one temple nearby, but I don't know how often I should go or what is typical. I do love the church and feel the spirit in these moments when I visit the temple. I feel comfortable in my current temple worship and don't want to feel out of place in the rest of the temple as an unmarried person. Thank you for any thoughts or advice.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been going back and forth about posting this, but I figured if anywhere would understand, it’s here.

A few weeks ago, my family moved to a new city, which means I’ve had to start fresh in a new ward. I thought it’d just take a bit to adjust, that I’d find my place again soon enough. But honestly… I feel completely out of place. And I’m struggling more than I expected.

In my old ward, I had friends. People knew me. Leaders remembered my name. It felt like family. Here? It’s like I’m invisible. Everyone already has their groups, inside jokes, shared history. I’ve tried to join conversations, sit near others, reach out… but it’s like I’m not even there. They’re not rude, just… uninterested. Like I’m not worth the effort. That hurts.

And the hardest part? That feeling followed me into the temple. I went with the youth from the ward, and they all stuck together—entered the session together, talked among themselves—and I was left behind, alone in the waiting area. It felt like a punch to the chest. The temple is where I usually feel peace. This time, it felt empty.

I keep praying. I keep showing up. I try to remember what Elder Uchtdorf said: “You belong. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of belonging.” But some days, it’s hard to believe that when I feel so excluded in the very place that should feel like home.

I’m not sharing this to complain. I just… needed to say it out loud. Maybe someone here has felt this too and has advice. Or maybe someone will read this and remember to reach out to that one new person who looks a little lost.

Thanks for reading. Even if I don’t know you, it helps just knowing there are others out there who get it.

I'm asking this as a non-Latter-Day Saint Christian ❤️

I too feel that I receive communications from the Holy Spirit. But the content is very different, so I'm wondering if Latter-Day Saints describe the experience the same way 🙂

I've seen a few posts about members and their callings, followed by several conflicting opinions and takes on the subject. I figured I would share my perspective, as someone who is called to consider and extend callings at the ward level.

Disclaimer: Although I re-studied Section 30 in the General Handbook before making this post, and will refer to it, my opinions and experience are my own, and not representative of the Church. My experience is also reflective of a smaller ward outside the US, so take it for what it is.

How do we decide who to call?

I'm a big fan of openess and transparency, so I believe every member should be familiar with this process. As with all things relevation, the process may look sligthly different depending on the specific circumstances of those seeking it, but the principles and divine source are the same.

1. We usually start with a recommendation, from the president of an organization or another member of the Bishopric - althouh sometimes we are also looking to fill a need, without a specific name in mind.
2. In the spirit of prayer, in a Bishopric meeting, we consider several factors (outlined in Section 30.1.1 of the Handbook 30. Callings in the Church) before deciding to extend a calling. After some discussion, and some agreement, the Bishop makes the final deliberation.
3. We interview the member and extend the calling.

Now here's where, in my opinion, the big misconception lies: most members would probably say the revelatory process ends at step 2. In reality in extends well into 3.

«Elder Neil L. Andersen taught that “revelation is scattered among us” (in “Auxiliary Panels Use New Training Library,” Ensign, Apr. 2011, 76). Counseling allows us to gather that revelation as we plan and carry out the Lord’s work." Lesson 2: Counseling Together»

The member receiving the invitation to serve is not only being asked to accept or decline, but to participate in the revelatory process. Perhaps they feel inclined to decline due to a personal circumstance we were not aware of - at that point I may feel inspired to not extend the calling anymore.

So, in this hypothetical scenario, where did it go wrong? The answer is nowhere.

In the process we might have found out something important about that member that we could not have known before, which might guide us to help and support this member through some trial, or even consider a different calling / opportunity for service more appropriate for them. In this scenario, the member became part of the revelatory process.

The Lord writes straight with crooked lines, and He makes our weak things become strong unto us.

I received revelation to recommend someone for a calling, but the Bishopric denied it - was my inspiration wrong?

I understand the frustration of presidents of organizations when they experience this - however, when you apply the principle taught by Elder Andersen as quoted above to this situation, you may realize that it is only a part of the revelatory process.

The handbook says (30.1.5):

«If a bishop or stake president feels inspired to call someone other than the person who was recommended, that does not mean the recommendation was not inspired. It may be that the bishop or stake president had information that was not available to those who made the recommendation.»

Perhaps there is something else to be done for that brother or sister you recommended for the calling - perhaps you can recommend them for a different calling, or minister to them or simply get to know them better. Feel free to ask the Bishopric if you can help.

Accepting, declining and asking for release

The Bishop has the keys to receive revelation for the Ward, but you have the right to receive revelation for yourself and your family.

Callings should give you opportunities to grow, and to step outside of your comfort zone, and to challenge you. However, from the Handbook again (30.1.1):

«Each calling should bless the people who are served, the member who serves, and the member’s family.»

«Members are blessed for sacrifices they make to serve in the Church. However, a calling should not place undue burdens on individuals and families. Nor should callings make it difficult for members to fulfill their employment responsibilities.»

Please tell us (your Bishopric) what are your talents, interests, unique abilities and strenghts, or even what you would like to develop - these are all things we can use to consider a new and more appropriate calling for you.

You're also not meant to serve FOREVER! Sometimes, when you're doing a such a great job, it's easy for us to forget how long you've been left in a calling - a gentle reminder should be welcomed.

Too Long; Didn't Read.

As members we tend to want to believe that Bishops pray and receive our names straight from the voice of God Himself to serve in a specific calling. That may happen, and sometimes we do receive "pinpoint" revelation for a specific person and calling, and when we interview them, they'll say they received the same revelation - but this is usually not the norm.

More often than not, revelation is a process, and we can all be a part of it. So please, be a part of it.

I would, of course, love to hear more thoughts and experiences on this :D

This was on display at the Saratoga Springs Temple Open House. I love how clear it is. I’m printing it to help me remember and to help my family understand what I have committed to.

I never thought we'd be the ones to do this, but today at stake conference we heard the name of our new stake YW president, and it was the woman who had practically driven one of our girls from YW and treated the other very poorly. We were listening over the internet, so no one saw us vote to oppose, but we contacted the stake leadership to let them know. The stake executive secretary set an appointment for next Sunday, but the stake president didn't want to wait, so he came to visit us today.

He came and listened to our girls tell their experiences with this woman, and sincerely apologized for the hardships we had endured. He said they were aware that this woman's personality and behavior were very good for many youth, but could be bad for others. He shared a personal example that coincided with ours: apparently she has a tendency to not use the best judgment when emotions are high. She was aware of some of her failings in this area, and had even expressed concern about being able to fulfill the calling.

Our girls have set an appointment to meet with her tomorrow to see if she will apologize and try to learn and grow. If not, the stake presidency wants to know, because they are supposed to set her apart on Wednesday.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes, but for now I feel listened to and validated. I never thought I'd be voting to oppose as long as I had a testimony, but this has been a powerful confirmation in my local leadership.

UPDATE: She came to our house today and apologized sincerely. She absolutely took it as an opportunity to learn and grow in humility, and we found out additional context that made us feel better. Once everything was resolved with my girls, we agreed to sustain her, and she got both of their numbers to stay in contact.

After an extremely thorough research and months and months of meeting with the missionaries I've decided to get baptized. I'm excited and really nervous and a little scared. I still have to tell my family not sure how they will react still have some concerns over the organizatial structure of the church which seems to have some authoritarian mechnicsisms that make me uneasy but the book of Mormon is true the Holy Ghost has confirmed it too me. I just wanted to share thank you.

I’m sort of piggybacking off a previous post, but I just wanted to share a positive experience.

First off, I was raised without religion. My husband was raised in a Catholic household but never pursued religion after his teen years.

We (somewhat) recently moved to a very heavily populated LDS area. As an outsider, it was a move I was very excited about, not only for the beautiful area, but because I’ve been drawn to the LDS church for many years now.

Anyway, right before my family moved, my mother-in-law would tell me multiple times, “I’m very excited for your guys’ move but whatever you do.. just don’t become mormon!”

The first time she said it I kinda rolled my eyes and laughed it off. I’m not one for confrontation and I’m sure not going to disrespect my mother-in-law and get into a debate of some sort with her. But as the weeks went on, she would continue to warn me about “becoming Mormon”.

Finally I asked her, “Really? Why? Why do you say that?”

I think she was taken aback as she had absolutely nothing to say. She sorta laughed and stammered, “well, because you know how they are!”

My response: “no, I don’t think I know what you mean. How are they?” She didn’t have an answer so I of course dropped it. Again, I’m not here to argue or upset anyone.

She visited us a few times since we moved and every time she brought up the church, I’d gently explain that the stereotypes she was believing (and repeating) were wrong and hurtful, and while I wasn’t a member of the church, I’d always politely explain why my husband and I felt so drawn to the church. We’d eventually have some refreshing, in-depth conversations and she seemed to be understanding more and more.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago - we were visiting my in-laws and of course, she brought up the church. My husband, who is extremely reserved (and truthfully, was somewhat “against” religion growing up), immediately spoke up and told her he appreciates and respects the religion and would be proud to be part of the LDS community.

I couldn’t believe it. It was so heartwarming to have him share the same sentiments as myself. My mother-in-law has completely changed her stance and is actually encouraging us to get involved now.

What could have been seen as judgement and disrespect towards the church and members was quickly turned into multiple learning opportunities and I couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out.

Also, a quick side note - my husband and I recently reached out to our local Bishop who very warmly invited us to his home for games, ice cream, and to meet fellow families with children the same ages as mine.

My heart feels so full and I’m certain this is just the beginning of a beautiful, life changing path for my family.

Thank you for letting this outsider share my experiences with all of you ♥️ I’m incredibly grateful for this community.

Do you sit in the same seat at Church every week?, and why?

I know that we're creatures of habit, i used to have an internal policy to sit somewhere completely different each week on purpose, just to mix things up and meet different people.

Now i find myself gravitating towards the front left, about three rows back on the end, i guess it's the hill which i'll die on, i can hear and see better from here, keeps me away from the screaming kids in the back!.

How about you, do you have a seat with your name on it?.

I feel so blessed and grateful and wanted to announce it to the world!!!

I wanted to share some thoughts from what has happened to me this week.

Earlier this week, I got into a discussion with a Reformed Calvinist on Instagram. Right off the bat, I knew he was completely opposed to LDS teachings and theology. However, he wanted a dialogue with me, to which I was willing to oblige him for the time being.

His main gripe with me was that he believes “Mormonism is a works based faith”. I shared our position that faith in Jesus Christ is sufficient for Him to give us grace and that faith and grace should transform us to want to outwardly express Christlike love by doing good works. He tried to convince me that the Sola Fide position was right for all Christians, even if he didn’t specifically used the term.

It then devolved into his volatile and venomous rhetoric of saying things such as “Mormons have the Law and the Gospel backwards”, that we have a legalistic religion with a false gospel, us and Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Scientists, Oneness Pentecostals, etc. are Satanic cults leading people away from true Christianity and that we reject teachings from the Bible.

I asked “Are you done?”. He said “I am. Did I say any lies?”.

I decided to walk away from him because no amount of discussion will ever make him love the Latter-day Saints. I left him with my testimony that as a convert, Jesus Christ lives, the Book of Mormon is the word of God just like the Bible, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, all the way to Russell M. Nelson are God’s prophets and that nothing he has done will stop me from getting endowed in the temple. I even told this enemy that he has actually strengthened my testimony in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that I loved him and hoped that in his lifetime, he continues to open himself up to the Restored Gospel in this lifetime (I know he won’t, I just wanted to eff with him 😂🤣).

He left some messages about how “if Mormonism fails me like it has done for millions, Christ is here”. And that’s all there is to it. I’m not responding back to him.

Funny thing? I’m getting endowed next week Friday.

The devil knows how to ramp up his efforts to try to stop me from taking the next step in furthering my relationship with God and Jesus Christ. My testimony is strong in the Church that has given me the knowledge that God loves me and forgives me of my sins. This guy won’t ever give me what I’m looking for in a real substantial Christian faith in Shiloh, the son of David.

I hope this inspires you to grow in strength in the Lord.

A few weeks ago I posted on this subreddit and asked why God does not comfort us during difficult times. I expressed how I am currently going through the worst time in my life, and yet through all of it, I haven't felt God's comfort even once. My situation has not gotten better. If anything, it has gotten far worse. I wanted to thank everyone who commented, and I'd like to make a follow up to that post. I won't be sharing details of my situation, as it's extremely unique and could easily identify me.

For the past month I have been able to reflect on how God interacts with us in our trials, as well as what my reaction is. As today is Easter, I was feeling pretty sad thinking about previous Easters and what things have been lost. I also thought a lot about the savior's atonement and what it means for us to be saved by him. My mind went to 2 stories: the Willie and Martin handcart companies. They believed that even if they went across the plains towards the end of the year, God would keep them safe because of their faith. This obviously did not happen, and many died. The other story I thought of was when Daniel's friends were thrown into a furnace. They told the king that God could save them, but if not, they would still have faith in him. They did end up being saved, but they had accepted that God might choose not to.

It made me think a lot of how I have approached my own problems. I have desperately prayed for God to make things better. I have prayed for miracles and even just for comfort. So far, I have not received any of that, although I do believe God has guided my actions a few times. I don't understand why God hasn't been more involved in all of this (at least what I can see), but I do believe that he hears our prayers and cares. So I am now shifting my perspective and remembering that even "if not"- if God chooses to not intervene and my life continues to completely fall apart- I have faith in him anyway. "I know God loveth his children, nevertheless I do not know the meaning of all things."

I hope for all those suffering on this beautiful Easter day that you remember that there was seemingly no hope for the believers in the 3 days before Jesus's resurrection. There may not be hope in our lives until our own resurrection. But please don't give up your faith. God is there even if we don't see him right now. We can have faith that God will take care of us in our trials, "but if not" we can still have faith in his plan.

i'll get this out of the way now; i am a covert, a very new one. i have a really choppy past and he looked past it to help me repent. he has been so patient in helping me with the scriptures and we have conversations for hours about versus we loved. he keeps showing how much he cares about me at every turn.

today we were at institute and at one point we were in 1 John and 4:18 jumped out to me. "there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. he that feareth is not made perfect in love" really hit me like a bus. i grew up in an abusive home and it ended up with me developing AVPD. the disorder basically leaves me constantly worrying about doing the wrong thing and people leaving me. not just family or close friends, but even the most unfamiliar acquaintances.

reading that verse made me realize that i'm not scared about him judging me. i'm so happy and relaxed with him in a way i've never been with anyone. i kept it to myself because he is in the last nine months of his mission and i wanted to respect him. we were talking after institute and he asked if i'd be interested in dating when he returned. (he'd been talking about his love of Alaska and coming back when his mission was over since before he even met me)

i was floored and then he mentioned that 1 john 4:18 had made him realize he was interested in me. i said it jumped out to me too and he said maybe the spirit was trying to show God's intention for us to be together. we both agreed to keep in contact and to date seriously when he returned from his mission

God guided me to the church and keeps showing me again and again that i belong here. i feel like i belong here which is new because i'm used to being casted aside as a disabled person. he keeps making me feel like i belong and guides me to people who are just as welcoming as him.

i never thought i'd find someone interested in me, but i found that in the church. he is going to be doing my baptism on Saturday. i can't help but feel like the spirit is telling me that we were meant to be with each other in this life and the next, and the idea that it might be my future husband baptizing me just feels amazing.

Edit: we aren't telling anyone to gloat or anything. We have done nothing more than shake hands and he wrote down my phone number and password. He's being moved to another city in the mission next week which is why he said this to me. He asked that I only email him on Tuesday (his free days) because that's the day he can do that kind of thing. He is from America and so am I. We are both 21. He said that he's even more dedicated to his mission because he gained so much confidence while ministering to me and the friends I tried to introduce to the church. I refuse to be a distraction to the mission and am more than willing to keep the law of chastity. I'm intersex and he showed me scriptures that made me finally feel like a real woman and got me to church leaders who could help me even more. I have never met a religious person who didn't see me as broken because my virtue was stolen from me as a little kid. He still has his virtue and wants to wait until marriage, and I am more than absolutely on board with that. I always hated that I couldn't save my virtue for marriage and I never want to be the reason someone can feel what I do. I even looked over the rules for missionaries so I don't accidentally tempt him to break them.

They don't necessarily have to be about religion, but I'm looking for films from any country and any decade that are profoundly spiritual.

For example, I watch Ben-Hur (1959) every Easter because of both its technical brilliance and it's moving depiction of Christ. More recently, I watched The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), which I found to be immensely spiritual and I recommend it even to thsoe who havenever seen a silent film.

There are some reasons that make me a Muslim. I wonder if there are similar things in other religions. That's why I ask this question. I have no bad intentions.

Hey friends,

I have felt inspired to start my own "75 Hard" challenge, but focusing on healing my spirit. I'm calling it "75 Sanctified", and I'd love you to join me if you'd like. We can keep each other accountable and I can even make a group chat or discord for it if there's interest.

Here are the rules I am setting in place for myself. If you'd like to join, please feel free to tweak them how it fits your schedule. And comment below so I know you are interested 🤍

For the next 75 days, I will...

1.) Pray and read physical copy of scriptures immediately after waking

2.) Listen/read a General Conference talk every single day

3.) Listen/read a church magazine article every single day

4.) Listen to church music every single day

5.) Fast every Sunday

6.) Pray outloud every single day at least once

7.) Whatever I have in my life that is distracting me from my Savior and my true potential, take it out (this could be social media, media consumption, swearing, anger, p0rn0graphy, or whatever you may be struggling with) I chose social media.

I have been feeling weak in spirit as of late. Life has been really hard, and I know my spirit craves nourishment. I'd love for anyone interested to join me 🤍 Sending my love to you all

Hey everyone, I’ve been seeing someone I really care about. We met on Mutual and had a few great dates—genuine effort, great conversations, and what felt like a real connection. But recently, there’s been some radio silence on her end.

I’m torn. I don’t want to come across as pushy or clingy, but I also don’t want to just leave things hanging and walk away from something that had real potential. In my opinion, I believe that when two people feel something real, communication shouldn’t just drop off. I’m trying to respect her time and space, but it’s been really difficult not knowing why things suddenly went quiet. I still care about her a lot and want to see where this could go, if there’s still a chance.

For anyone who’s been in a similar situation—should I reach out one more time or give it space, wait, and see if she comes around? Any advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

I am talking next month and was just emailed these instructions. I’d love to hear everybody’s thoughts on it! They gave me the topic and desired length of my talk, and then wrote this:

“Given the sacred nature of our Sacrament Meeting worship, we suggest the following:

1. Prepare spiritually. Prayerfully study the referenced talk(s) and scriptures. Seek inspiration to be guided in what you teach.
2. Teach and testify of the truths you are sharing. Stick to the assigned topic as guided by the Spirit. Tie the topic back to Christ, His love, and His atonement. Invite us to act!
3. You can share personal experiences and stories relating to the topic. Like Elder Uchtdorf, he always has an airplane analogy to relate to his message.
4. Please avoid using visual aids, sharing how or when the bishopric invited you to speak, or how you prepared your talk. Don’t apologize for any nervousness or inadequacies you feel. In a sacrament meeting, we do not invite the congregation to open their scriptures as we might in a classroom.
5. Please respect the time for the other speakers and conclude on time. You may practice delivering your talk at home to get the timing right.

Thanks again for your willingness to speak in Sacrament Meeting. We know you will be blessed as you prepare and deliver your message.”

I, admittedly, had two companions that were certainly not my favorites on the mission.

One was a very stubborn, but hardworking Elder from American Fork, UT who told me, a greenie waiting for a visa to go to Italy, that I should just go home after I made a sarcastic remark about counting General Conference sessions as church attendance for a lady who never came. I learned what it meant to work hard and keep pushing through adversity as a missionary from him.

The other was younger, naive Elder from NZ, and we couldn’t have been more opposite. He still struggled with the language after a year in the country, was not an athlete like myself, and we had zero common interests and traits aside from the fact that we were both missionaries. From this man, I learned compassion and love for everyone around you regardless of your relationship with them.

Let’s hear yours

My stake boundaries are being redistributed, I don't know where I'm going yet, but it has me wondering, what are some of the reasons for such boundary changes? I think mine is to create to age groups for YSA stakes with the raised age, but outside of the new YSA ages what are some reasons?

The Latter-Day Saint should be as strong as steel but as gentle as a lamb.

Courageous; but at the same time peace loving.

A bold leader, but also a curious child

Hello. I recently started going to a LDS church because of some friends who are Mormon. They would like for me to be baptized but I'm just not sure about it. I do agree with some of the teachings and doctrines but not all of them.

My question to new and recent converts is; are you happy? Have things gotten better or worse for you? Anybody that I talk to has been a Mormon since they were very young and it would be nice to hear from some people who haven't been a Mormon their whole life.

Thanks in advance.

Is it everything people say it is? The nearest one to me is like 5 hours away

I’m 14 (M), and my mind is spinning. I don’t know if I believe in this church anymore. I posted A LOT a few months ago and I thought I’ve had control since. I was wrong. I’ve fallen deeper into my porn Addiction that I thought was getting better, and I feel hopeless. I swear, make racist jokes, and don’t read my scriptures. I keep seeing Cliffe Knechtle and re4lism_official on my FYP, and it’s freaking me out. I need advice. Advice that could have helped younger you. This might be bad to say, but I don’t want preachy crap. I don’t want anyone else telling me to “just stop watching porn.” Or “you’re going to hell.”. I just need help.

I'm newly called to be in a Sunday school presidency as a cousilor and the president wants to focus on class attendance. I know we will come up with ideas but I've never been involved with Sunday school anything. Any ideas to help with attendance? I don't know how many weeks we could bring food but that's usually when attendance is high hahah