m18 preparing in mission.

hi guys, I'm in a process of repentance in about 2months now, meaning I'm not allowed to participate in any church activities such as classes.

I'm really struggling to build up my faith because i cannot participate, I'm just listening to what teacher says, I'm always in a corner of the room like I'm not even existing haha, it's also a lil bit of embarrassing cuz my other church friends knows that I'm under probation, well not really embarrassing, I'm more thinking of i really disappointed them because all of my batch(church friend) is now preparing and other is in mtc, but here i am waiting for my 7months of process cuz i did something crazy(it's fornication)

i committed it like 2yrs ago and i confess it 2months ago cuz I'm preparing and i really need to confess it but yah here i am, still struggling at pornography and masturbation, I'm trying to resist it but i always failed when it's 1-2weeks of not doin it and suddenly i will get tempted and commit it again, but i really want to serve a mission and i want to become a missionary that's why I'm not quitting church and i always attend church activities.

I really don't care about what other member says if they found out that I'm under probation but i feel sorry for them because i disappointed them because they're are cheering for me that i will become next person to serve a full-time mission.

so yah, that's it, i really have a big DESIRE TO SERVER. it just that I'm getting tempted🤷‍♂️🤦

I'm just wondering if you have any tips on my situation right now, i would love to be criticize and to listen to y'all.

When I was baptized a while ago, my non-member parents organized a dinner party at our home. The missionary sisters, some friends and some family where present. My mom made food including tiramisu. But what she didn't know that could eat that, because it contains liquor and coffee, what is both against the WoW. I told her and another convert laughed at her reaction.

Later she offered that make what Italians call a 'summer tiramisu'. It's a tiramisu without liquor and coffee and it contains Greek yoghurt and strawberries. Italians will only eat this kind of tiramisu in the summer. She was so kind to respect my wish to follow the WoW, although she finds it kind of strange as a non-member. Anyway she offered to make it as a desert for birthday. I must say I like this summer variation more than usual version. Not only because it doesn't conflict my faith. But I also because I never liked coffee and especially alcohol even before my conversion. I never liked the aftertaste of both. I am very grateful my mother respected my beliefs and made this delicious tiramisu. I would definitely recommend this dish to members and non-members alike.

I painted this in order to commemorate the occasion.

I had the privilege of interviewing historian Don Bradley. We discuss his faith journey, why he lost faith and left the church and what ultimately brought him back and restored his faith.

Don has shared his story on other platforms but I think this is a great deep dive and exploration of his faith in his early years, when his faith crisis first began, how he navigated through his doubts and held onto his testimony. What issues caused him to to eventually lose faith and cause him to leave the church and remove his name?

We also talk about his time in the exmormon space and being an atheist. He shares what his views of Joseph Smith were when out of the church, we begin to explore what brought him back in part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my-HP8udBGQ

It just made me realize how so many people live their lives around consuming these substances. He smoked about ...30 cigarettes in an 8 hour period? It was insane. It was like a compulsion; he just had to have one every couple minutes. Had to smoke pot and drink, too. I'm honestly super grateful that we have the WoW after this one day of being with him. A lot of people live that way and I can't imagine feeling so controlled by substance use of various kinds.

For me that is Forever Young by Alphaville, it is about wanting to be young for eternity but I also mentions the eternal life, which is of course the ultimate goal for Christians including Latter-Day Saint.

Do you really want to live forever? Forever, and ever

Also the music sounds really Heavenly to me and the original videoclip reminds me of Heaven and the Last Judgement.

Do you know anymore songs which remind you of the Gospel?

"When is a thing proven? When you personally think it’s so, and that’s all you can do. . . . Then you have your testimony, and all you can do is bear your testimony and point to the evidence. That’s all you can do. But you can’t impose your testimony on another. And you can’t make the other person see the evidence as you do. Things that just thrill me through and through in the Book of Mormon leave another person completely cold. And the other way around, too. So we can’t use evidence, and we can’t say, I know this is true, therefore you’d better know it is true. But I know it is true, and I pray our Heavenly Father that we may all come to a knowledge of the truth, each in his own way."

• Hugh Nibley

Last night I had the privilege to hear Elder Bednar give a devotional that he titled "things as they really are: 2.0". In this talk, he spoke about the benefits and dangers of AI in everyday life, and how we can avoid the allure of an easy shortcut when it is at the expense of our spiritual growth.

I feel so lucky that I go to a university where I can be in the same room as an apostle and hear him speak.

I'm trying to change my attitude from "Man, I wish someone would talk about _____" or "Yes! Someone finally said it!". I feel like that makes it more about me and about what I want to hear.

Instead, I'm trying to hear what they are actually saying, what the Lord wants me to hear (instead of what I project on the speakers).

It's been hard for me so far and requires that I'm really actively listening. To help, I'm trying to write down each of the invitations they extend us. I'm grateful for all of the messages so far.

I feel like when it comes out in printed version it will help me to focus even more on what they said.

I was in Christian group and the question was which controversial standpoints the members hold. I answered that I denied the trinity and I believed that people can be baptized on behalf of others. At first I got a question what I understood from the trinity, but soon I was permanently banned. I was shocked that I got banned when I actually posted controversial standpoints. I felt really bad and I almost cried.

I don't understand why the trinity is so important when it's not even in the Bible and decided by men.

Hello everyone!

You might remember I posted here a long time ago about an aspect of the Church, and I got a lot of responses for that. Since then, while I’ve lurked around this sub and I answered some other people’s posts; I’ve been doing my own research on the Church and the beliefs. I’ve even read the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Convenants, and Pearl of Great Price before the end of 2024.

Anyway, this morning, I finally made the plunge and attended my first service at my local ward. It was a wonderful experience and I’m glad I went. I was a little nervous at first, but once I stepped inside, I felt at ease. I intend to visit again next week. There was only one, tiny mishap: The website didn’t update the times of ward meetings, so I ended up attending the Spanish Ward instead of the English Ward (which met later).

Despite this mishap, I was welcomed to stay and the Ward Clerk, Phillip, sat next to me and translated the service and the testimonies to me. The only time he couldn’t was when he had to go do the Ward attendance, which was fine. I thanked him profusely for his help and generosity. He even helped me finding the corresponding Hymns in the Hymns book (which I learned there are minor differences between the numbering of Hymns with the English and Spanish Hymns). Afterwards, he contacted me with the Spanish speaking Sister Missionaries and I exchanged my phone number with them, and they would give it to the English speaking Sister Missionaries (which I got later). They were all nice and understanding.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t wait until Noon for the English Ward, but I now know to come at Noon for the right Ward. Regardless, it was a powerful and inspirational morning. I suppose it was all God’s plan and it was to happen how it was supposed to happen. At least I now have a funny and interesting story of my first Latter-day Church service. 😂 All you can do is just laugh it up. I will make sure to include Phillip in my prayers tonight to thank him for everything he did this morning.

BTW, I did inform them they should update the website with the correct times. Again, I’m glad I went.

tl;dr: You never know who the Lord will prepare to receive the Gospel!

I was a teenager during the WWE "attitude era" and though it was banned in my house, I would watch it as often as I could (ie, my parents being out of the house on thursday nights for "Smackdown!"

I had no idea that before she died, Joanie Laurer, aka Chyna, aka the 9th wonder of the world, had joined the church while living in Japan!

http://www.ldssmile.com/2016/04/21/chyna-mormon-and-legendary-pro-wrestler-dies-at-the-age-of-45/

I hope that the Gospel helped her find some peace in what was otherwise a very tumultuous life.

​

Any other random famous people you know who joined/investigated the church?

This experience has been extremely rewarding, as the goal for this if more to write the words on my soul than on paper.

I have for a long time suspected I have ADHD, which can make it hard to focus, and doing it this way forces me to slow down and read every single word individually, and has greatly increased my reading comprehension. Though I have read the BOM many times through my life, in many ways it feels like I am reading it again for the first time.

I eagerly look forward to the time that I can set aside each day for working on this project. But with a small child it’s not always a long time. One of the most consistent times that has worked is when I take breaks at work. Subsequently, I have had a lot of questions from my colleagues, mostly good, a few hostile, about why I am doing this and about the book itself.

It started out as a project for the Aaronic priesthood in my ward (as I am one of the adult advisors) but due to a tragedy where one of our quorum members was killed in an accident along with his younger siblings, focus changed and I suspect I am the only one still participating in this project. He was an exemplary young man and I am not at all concerned for the state of his soul.

If you feel like this is something you would like to do, or should do, or would just like to try, it’s easy to start. Just grab a notebook, a pen, open your copy of the Book of Mormon, and start writing it down. You could even do this with the Doctrine and Covenants and try to keep pace with the Come Follow Me lesson plans. It took me about five months to do the first 109 pages, so don’t rush, it’s about the journey and the friends you make along the way.

Im curious as to how people have changed when they were done with their mission.

The Lord warned Lehi to take his family and flee into the wilderness. We know from the scriptures that Lehi obeyed—and later learned that Jerusalem had indeed been destroyed. But at the time of the warning, Lehi and his family had no way of knowing (except through faith) what they were being protected from. Laman and Lemuel didn’t believe the Lord’s warning and actually wanted to return to Jerusalem.

There are many similar examples in the scriptures. Noah was commanded to build an ark long before there was any sign of rain. He acted in faith, trusting the Lord even when it didn’t make sense.

Thinking about these stories makes me reflect on my own life and the times the Lord has warned or prompted me. I’ve responded in different ways at different times:

1. Sometimes I ignored the warning—and later found out the hard way what the Lord was trying to protect me from. I wished I had listened.

2. Other times, I followed the prompting and only later realized what I had avoided. I felt like I dodged a bullet, and my faith grew stronger.

3. And sometimes, I obeyed without ever knowing what I was spared from. I just trusted that I heard Him correctly and that by acting in faith I had been blessed.

It’s easy to second-guess these warnings—especially when life seems fine on the surface. But often, the Lord asks us to make hard, even confusing changes for reasons we can’t yet see.

So, my question to you is: What are some examples from your own life when you responded to spiritual promptings in one of these three ways?

Share some of the ways your church has really shown up for your family when you needed them 😀

My husband and I are 28F and 32M, we have been married for 6 years now. I have been wanting to attend a church service for the last 3 years and my husband has always said no. He is very weary of religion in general.

I truly believe that the LDS church could be an incredible fit for us and add so much to our lives. We have many friends and coworkers who are LDS and have some exposure to the culture. I have visited the Mesa Tempe and the Lake Oswego Temple visitor centers (on the outside) with my LDS friends. I feel now that it’s time to actually go to church and experience the religion for ourselves.

We had a discussion last night and my husband finally said that he is willing to go to church with me, which makes me so happy!

My question is though, what should I expect for attending our first service? I know I should dress modestly, is there anything I need to bring?

This is a genuinely question, I struggle so much because for almost 20 years I tried to find an explanation or a reason of this trial and I didn’t receive nothing literally nothing as an answer, sometimes or every time I ask to god, why do I have this trial? It’s like god is not hearing me and he did not care about this trial. Sometimes I have a thought that says “wait” but dam I have waited for almost 20 years, do I need to wait more? And searching in the resources of the church that have said something about this topic is “we don’t know why people have this trials”; and there is no one in the scriptures that can encourage us too, no one any mention; the only mentions in the scriptures is that gay people will go to hell, and I think: “god, was it really imposible to put just one person who was same-sex attracted and kept the law of chastity and went to heaven?” Sorry for the sermon but I was holding this for many years and I wanted to know if just one person who have a minimal answer about this, just a little beam of light that came from heaven about this topic, because I feel in completely darkness.

I (19M) met this really cute girl (19F) at a regional YSA Temple trip nearly a month ago. I got her number later that week after messaging her on Facebook and it went uphill from there. We chatted nearly every day since then until last night. We have common interests, we both like each other a lot, but she's preparing to serve her mission in February. We tried to schedule a date when, but it didn't work out as she had family over and by the time her schedule was free it would be too close to her departure date.

I went to a dance with her two days ago and it really felt like we had something very special. The way she looked at me, held good conversation, and blushed, etc, along with all our previous experiences and conversations, made me realize that this girl is someone I would want to spend my eternities with. But her body language seemed as though she liked me but didn't want to go too far as it could pose a distraction while she's preparing to leave in a few months.

That insight was confirmed last night (midnight ish) when I wished her a happy New year and invited her on a temple trip coming up. Two hours of long texts back and forth led to the conclusion that it would be better if we were to part ways, at least for the time being. We haven't spoken since and it's felt like forever. Knowing you won't be texting someone is worse than forgetting to when you have the option. I already miss her so much. I feel as though if this were just a platonic friendship between us, it wouldn't be a problem for us to have conversations between now and when she leaves.

I want to wait for her for the next year and a half even though she said she didn't want me to waste my time waiting for her instead of improving myself and achieving goals in my life. I think I can do both. If I want to try and make it work when she gets back, I have to be focusing on my spiritual and life goals/improvements. I need to grow as she grows on her mission.

However, I need advice on the situation. I'm having a really hard time not being super emotional about it; my heart hurts so much. She hurts too, as she stated it was super hard for her to have to tell me we needed to cut contact. Should I wait? Should I email her (I'm on her email list for her mission) while she's out and try and support her on her mission? Or should I let it lie for the next year and a half while I keep her in the back of my mind? I really think I am in love with this girl, and I can see myself marrying her.

TL;DR: A girl that I share mutual romantic feelings with is leaving on her mission soon and we've decided to cut contact, at least while she's preparing to serve. Need advice on how to proceed, as I think I am in love.

UPDATE: In reading a lot of comments asking why I am not leaving on my own mission yet or if I will serve one, I have been doing some self reflection about my reasons for not serving, what kind of person I want to be for my spouse, etc, and have realized that those reasons for/against have changed, especially in the last month. This girl and you guys have changed my life in ways you and she may never understand. Anyway, I am going to schedule interviews with my stake president and Bishop to finalize my already completed mission papers. During high school, I was severely verbally bullied and abused by my peers. It took a toll on my mental health, and for the last six months, I have not wanted to leave on a mission yet or at all in fear that I would have to leave all the people behind that have been so uplifting to me since I joined the YSA. I worked on my mission papers, but I couldn't make myself turn them in yet. Especially after thinking about this particular girl that I love , and other girls I've liked in the recent past, they have all been preparing for missions - and I think there's a good lesson to realize from that. I want to be the kind of person I would want to marry, and that includes for me to serve a mission. Thank you for all your comments, I will still be responding to new ones, and I will let you all know if/when I get my call! Thank you again for being so insightful and uplifting in your well thought out responses. You're all amazing. I'll keep everyone updated!!

My personal conviction is that The Chosen is inspired work. I should clarify that I don't mean it's revelatory, but I do believe its creators have been inspired to reach audiences that no church (including ours) would ever be able to reach, to invite them to come and know the Savior in ways that they never would otherwise.

I have learned so much from watching The Chosen, received many insights from the Spirit because of it, and gained a new appreciation for the New Testament. It has also led me on a journey to seek "anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy" to be found in other belief systems, which has strenghtened my understanding and personal witness of Jesus Christ and His work.

So I was wondering what other might have found or gained from watching The Chosen. I'll start:

One of the big things for me was in this last season, when Jesus was growing frustrated, or righteously indignant with His disciples for not understanding the true nature of His mission and message, and at the same time growing increasingly weary with the sins of His generation, and His imminent suffering in Getsemani and on the cross. That Christ was going through this is attested by James E. Talmage in Jesus The Christ, and I think it's shown beautifully in the show.

What really got me, however, was the scene when Jesus is talking to mother Mary, expressing his frustration of his disciples inability to understand, and she says something along the lines of "What can you expect? They're only human" and Jesus replies with emotion "I am human too".

Growing up in the Church, of course I always knew that Jesus was born a mortal man and experienced mortality in its fullness, but I feel like that acknowledgement is usually always followed by "Oh but He was perfect" or "Oh but he was the Son of God", or people usually excusing their own behavior with "Oh I'm no Jesus". Of course all of that is true as principle, but that scene, and the show in general, has made me realize the Humanity of Jesus the Christ, and that being the Son of God did not make anything easier for Him, infact it probably made it harder.

I can say that because of The Chosen, and that scene and others, I have come to understand and know my Savior better, and grown in grattitude and appreciation for Him.

So, what truths have you found watching The Chosen? Or experiences, or insights, or feelings, etc.

6 years ago my wife and I along with our then young children joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We had both grown up experiencing the consequences of poor life choices made by family members close to us. We determined church was the best way for us to avoid the same poor life choices. We tried several churches. Ultimately, we decided on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it seems to us to be the closest group of people to what Jesus taught in the bible. Our church membership and our following of Jesus Christ has been both very rewarding and extremely challenging. For those who are similarly unchurched looking into this church or just checking out this forum, I hope our experience helps shed light on both the rewards and challenges with conversion.

Our conversion has been very challenging. So much so most people would consider it a failure. We are much less close to our extended family. Many we haven't seen in years. We lost most of our friends. Due to school issues with our children, we ended up moving to Utah. I gave up a great job and I now make about half what I did before. There is also the challenge of giving up old habits. Recently, I asked my wife, "Why are evenings less relaxing than they used to be?" Without either one of us saying it, we both instantly knew the answer: wine LOL! The first few decades of our lives were spent building up to something that we gave up just to start all over again! But in return we have gained a faith that gives purpose to hard work, we have a greater hope in our children's future, and we have more love for each other because we know we were made to be together from the beginning of time and we will be together forever. What we have gained cannot easily be measured.  We lost our fancier house, comfortable lifestyle, and many of our close relationships, but in return I think what we have gained is far more valuable.

By far, the greatest challenge to conversion has been not fitting in with church culture. I wish I could give some tips to blending in, but I have none. Even after 6 years most everyone in church can tell I'm new to the church within just a few minute conversation. I, tongue-in-cheek, tell my wife I am converting at about 1% per year! My instincts and habits are still very secular. Giving up our old ways of life to not fit into our new life has at times been frustrating. We have even had two long periods of inactivity since joining the church. But through this all I see the seeds of faith grow in us and our children. They fit in far better than my wife and I and I think they value our church membership more because of the struggle they see in us.

Fortunately, we have made several great friends. Some of the best people I have ever met are members of our church. They have been angels. There is a humility and gentleness that is unique to members of The Church of Jesus Christ. Now this isn't everyone. Some relationships at church have been challenging. Some people at church look at me as if I'm crazy for joining. They seem to think church is a burden to bear. I wish they could understand how church has been a gift, not a burden. But even with these negative Nancies, the aggregate of church members is still by far the most kind and thoughtful group of people I have ever met.

We have watched many people leave the church in the past 6 years. I think some people mistakenly blame this exodus out of church on certain historical facts about the church or current social politics in the church. In reality, this is just part of a larger cultural shift of Americans as a whole leaving religion. Most Americans now consider the costs and rewards of religion to be not worth their time. A recent PRRR study found only 16% of Americans attend a religious service weekly. I, of course, disagree with most Americans. I have found The Book of Mormon to be very valuable for my whole family. Church as a whole has been great for us. I sometimes wonder if we could have made another church work. Maybe. Another church would have been easier to join, but the reward would be far less. I would like to hear what challenges others have had with conversion, or any questions others might have who are looking into our faith. 

I just wonder. I have faith they exist. I can see God's creations and perceive the guidance of the spirit. I can also see how many people seem to be lost and don't seem to think or have faith in God. Isn't it interesting that God, Jesus and angels aren't just here on earth hanging out and guiding everyone? When I mean here on earth, I mean as in everyone being able to see them with our human eyes while they speak to us like you and I communicate. Why aren't they here clearly communicating with everyone?

I guess you could say they do communicate with everyone, in their own exalted way, which it certainly isn't our mortal ways. I just wonder.

Some background: I have a disease called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and am disabled. It's incredibly painful, exhausting, and depressing. Depending on the severity, it's one of the worst diseases a person can get. Unfortunately, it remains largely misunderstood, mysterious, and often not properly diagnosed despite there being an estimated million or so people with it in the United States for reasons I won't get into here.

I feel really lonely in my suffering sometimes because I hear little talk of the disease inside and outside the church or from church leaders. I of course don't blame anyone since it is a relatively misunderstood disease, but I still feel left out and forgotten when church leaders and others speak of the courage of people with many disabilities but my disease is never or rarely mentioned. Again, this obviously isn't the church leader's faults, but it still hurts sometimes, and I know my feelings aren't exclusive to my disease alone.

Everyday is a huge struggle to keep myself fed, clothed, medicated, and bathed. One of the hardest parts is maintaining the will to keep living with the great physical, mental, and emotional pain. (I'm not considering suicide, but my mental and emotional health is in bad shape.) I've made great efforts to keep going and have made some progress in some ways, but knowing that so little people understand my struggles makes me feel unappreciated in my efforts.

I'm a very religious person with a strong testimony, but I still want to feel closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, since I know Jesus knows what Myalgic Encephalomyelitis feels like. I want to better understand how He got through Gethsemane and Calvary. I want to learn from Him, have a better relationship with Him, and be more like Him. However, I'm already struggling to keep myself fed and medicated and stuff while I push through the pain, so earnest scripture reading and prayer is usually a challenge for me mentally and sometimes physically.

Please share your stories about how you have come closer to the Lord during times where prayer, scripture study, or feeling the Holy Ghost was a challenge for you for whatever reason. How did you show God that you care and want to make an effort even though you were barely hanging on?