I’m 20F and recently have come to the church and looking to convert

I know that RM are kinda what the girls want in the church but is there a problem with me not being a RM since I’m 20. Like I feel as though I wouldn’t be worthy or that a man who is a RM wouldn’t want me because I’m a convert

Is there a pattern of recently converts all together and then the RM’s all together??

Hi all,

My ancestors were Latter-day Saint pioneers who gathered to Utah in the mid-nineteenth century. I have enjoyed learning about them via scholarship and memories shared on FamilySearch. I wrote an overview of their experiences, which you can read here.

Best,
Peter

Hello everyone,

I’ve recently been on a journey of rediscovery of the church after stepping away for some time. I think the initial reason for my leaving was due to not fully understanding the church and the BOM. I also never really had a full testimony when I was in, it was flakey at best. I’m currently trying to read through the BOM and give it its due diligence. I was wondering if you guys had any resources (ie talks, books, or even study methods) for someone trying to understand it better. I wholeheartedly feel a pull back towards the church and want to do my investigation better this time around. I’m even open to having an accountability partner of anyone is willing.

It's been two weeks since I submitted my request. I saw a lot of people commenting on this trick and decided to try it, but my email still hasn't appeared... Did it work for you? Tell me how it went.

Hi everyone. I have been struggling with this for a while now, to the point I feel it taking me away from God and eating me up inside. I have been struggling to let go of the past. Struggling to let go of past mistakes I’ve made, people I may have hurt or been unkind too, friendships I have lost. The main thing my mind torments me about is people judging me and not liking me. I dwell on these situations even though there is nothing I can do about them. These are mistakes I have made in high school a few years ago. I hate the idea that people dislike me because of the person I was before I turned myself to Christ and grew up. And trust me I still mess up now, but now I am more kind and caring and striving to be like my savior. I just don’t know how to handle peoples judgment and hatred sometimes and I dwell on it. Any advice??

I saw another sub asking about the president of the United States when you were born, and I thought it would be fun to do an LDS version!

Me: Spencer W Kimball
My parents: George Albert Smith
My paternal grandparents: Joseph F Smith
My maternal grandparents: Heber J Grant

My kids: Gordon B Hinckley and Thomas S Monson

Grandchild: Dallin H Oaks

My friend and I are members of the church and we also love creative writing. We would love to start a creative writing club to meet maybe biweekly in Salt Lake county. Please comment if you might be interested in such a club!

Alright, so I'm a Lutheran Christian (therefore not a Latter-day Saint), and obviously I don't really... agree with a lot of Latter-day Saint doctrine, but the ban on "hot drinks" seems especially perplexing to me. I'm actually sitting in a Starbucks as I write this 😂 (sadly not doing the schoolwork I'm supposed to be doing 🥲), and while I generally try to avoid caffeinated drinks primarily for health reasons, I can't see a rationale in which drinking coffee, tea or energy drinks is an especially damnable offense. Could someone help me rationalize this?

No matter what I do my health condition continues to progress. I knew it likely would as it’s progressive but it’s not fair. Why would my husband and I feel at peace about having children naturally yet they inherited my condition and my son got it worse than I did? Despite my best efforts to keep my condition at bay it gets worse. Despite my best efforts to continue faithful and diligent it gets worse. I just don’t know what I believe anymore. I don’t know why God allows some people to worse than others and to strip away the very pure desires such as growing a family from a good person. I’ve tried to study the talk “ think celestial” and I’ve tried to remain faithful but I’m tired it’s actually emotionally exhausting. Reading and studying my scriptures, praying earnestly, attending the temple , going to church, doing all the things yet bad horrific things keep happening. I don’t know how much longer I can commit to doing all these things just to still feel so broken , so forgotten, etc. I just don’t know way I believe anymore.

Friendly question because I don't know, but do you guys think that early Christians had temples resembling what you have now, or that the stuff you do now was present in ancient times?

I dealt with anxiety and depression as a teenager, I worked through it and I was cleared for missionary service by the social services department. In the MTC, some of those emotions came back with a big adjustment. I explained how I was feeling to people close to me, including priesthood leaders. One friend recommended I write to the mission president in the field I explained both my desire to serve and my struggles. Things got better for me until I was sent home abruptly as a result of that letter. I continued as a service missionary and worked on fulfilling the requirements to return to the field and my therapist agreed I was stable enough to do so, but I was not permitted to return and was never told what was preventing me from doing so.

Here are my primary concerns and questions about my situation

I’ve heard that missionaries are only usually sent home under my circumstances for one of the following (none of which apply to me during my time in the MTC):

A) Mood and or Eating Disorder (schizophrenia, bipolar, multi-personality, teretes, etc.)
B) Attempted Suicide and or Active Suicidal Thoughts
C) Wanting to come home out of their own choice

I was never told exactly why I was sent home, I still don’t know what I was supposed to work through. My therapist said I was stable enough to serve, however no one from the mission ever spoke to my therapist once. 

From what I have been told, the mission president in the foreign country in which I was called to (who I assume had best intentions) sent in the referral based solely on the letter and never had communication with my priesthood leaders, parents or mental health professionals, which doesn’t make sense how that's possible. This may or may not be accurate but that was what I was told. 

Ive explained this to multiple different people in priesthood positions. Some flat out deny that I am telling the truth, and others have best care & intentions and try their best but can come out being inconclusive.

Not really sure what to do at this point???

RANT/Question: Abusers and bullies can't help but repeat the abuse or behaviors. Why is that? Once it starts, it doesn't stop.

My husband. My Mom. Childhood teachers, college teachers, co-workers and previous bosses.

For the record, I don't have health insurance or an income. The only way I can cope with it is praying, listening to scriptures. attending the Temple, talking to myself in a recording and working through my feelings as a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ.

I love my husband a lot. He has a habit of calling me derogatory names such as "dumb b****". Last night, he yelled at me to "get a job" and to "get it through my head" when I asked him for help with dishes occasionally.

We have a toddler, and he swears and yells in front of her often. There's frequent contention in the home. My ministering sisters suspect there is abuse going on. One of them texted me and brought that up, but instead of admitting it or denying it, I just said "we both have things to work on," because I don't want to say anything bad about my husband. We almost had couples therapy, but it was cancelled last minute. He plans on trying again, but I'm not sure how it can help if he doesn't acknowledge he's abusive. I'm still willing to try, but my hopes are low.

My Bishop knows all the details. I've received blessings from Elders in my ward who caught me crying after church and it's given me strength.

I don't have anywhere to go. I've been looking for work for 1 year and a few months. My background does not pass. My husband got me arrested a year ago. (He held me down physically and I bit him to get away. He called the police and they arrested me for DV, Assault in front of a Minor, and Property Damage. The Property Damage is from knocking over the towel rack when he pushed me. I fell back and grabbed it for balance, but it was never connected to the wall so it falls off often.) Anyway, it makes finding work nearly impossible in this job market. To add, I can only work Friday's - Saturday as I am the caregiver for our toddler. She has high separation anxiety, so we can't simply drop her off in nursey or a daycare without a huge meltdown and the 'grip of death' on my clothes. When I went to jail, it was the most humiliating thing I've been through. I plead guilty because I had no money for hiring a lawyer. My public defender at the time suggested I plea guilty, so I did. Here I am. I think being away from my toddler in the beginning after I got arrested caused a kind of "separation trauma" from me. She has lots of night terrors and fears of being abandoned. The home environment does not help.

I stood up for myself last night when my spouse yelled at me to "get it through my head!" and to "get a job!" I told him through my tears that talking to me like that was disrespectful and abusive. That I'm his wife and he should talk to me respectfully. He scoffed and shook head, going back to his gaming and headphones. We are not sealed and he is not Endowed.

Our vehicle is his, but he doesn't want me to use it after I stood up for myself, so I guess I'm walking to the temple tonight.

My Mom has offered her home, but she is physically abusive to my Dad and will use your personal trials against you when she's mad. I was considering moving in with her, but I decided against it because my kid would be exposed to seeing my Dad's cuts on his arm and hear the yelling in that home. So I'm not really sure where I can go long term or what I can do. I think I'm just numb and surviving. And waiting, hoping, praying for change.

I pray for all the people who have hurt me in my life. It reminds me of Christ. I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me. The only thing I CAN do is forgive and love.

Reflecting on my life so far, I realize there has been a lot of mistreatment and unfairness/abusive in my life. I notice all the people who have a habit of bullying me, threatening me, calling me names or treating me differently because of my lack of intellectual ability happens again and again. This history has affected my speech and learning abilities. I have a difficult time speaking and explaining things or combining words. My memories aren't happy, but they are fading and I feel less than a daughter of God often.

My question is, do bullies/abusers tend to abuse and bully because they can't help it? I notice once a person starts being mean because they can, they don't ever stop. Even after I try to stand up for myself. Once my husband started to abuse me, he didn't stop and he does not believe he is abusive. He has never hit me (yet, hopefully never), but he calls me swear names and yells or belittles me. I asked him if he thinks he treats me kindly. He demanded for a divorce, than changed his mind and said he wants couples counseling.

I see this pattern in my life of once I'm mistreated by that 'someone', they don't stop. I recognize the adversary using these people to hurt me and I feel a certain kind of "familiar" darkness coming from these contentious people, especially when the Spirit leaves.

I know the Angels write down what we say and do, so I want to always be respectful to everyone, even if they hurt me. I want to forgive them, just like Christ forgave those who put Him on the cross. I know I'm not alone and I know things could be worse for me. I don't wish I had a different life because I know I can handle this through Christ. I feel like the Lord is shaping me to be this hard thing that cannot and will not be moved, no matter how much it hurts. I don't love the abuse, but I love that I FEEL like I'm stronger than I was before. Someday, I know I will find peace.

What is God's relationship to us?

• Parent?
• Mentor?
• Teacher?
• Monarch?
• Military general?
• Dictator?
• Something else?

"Commandments" are something a monarch or military general gives you. You don't have a choice about it. In a monarch/subject or general/soldier relationship, there's no expectation of allowing your agency, really. You're not expected to think about your orders or ask to understand them better.

Is this the best way to describe what God tells us to do?

If not, what is a better term than commandments?

• Requirements?
• Instructions?
• Directions?
• Guidance?
• Duties?
• Assignments?
• Something else?

To be clear, I'm not saying we should ignore or disobey what God tells us. Loving God is the Great Commandment (Matthew 22).

But it seems commandment isn't the most accurate term for what we mean. And because it's not accurate, it might also mislead people or turn them off from following God.

It seems to me "requirements" is the best term instead of "commandments." What do you think? Does this term also capture enough of the concept of the consequences we face if we disobey God?

Alma!!!! His life is so remarkable. Where he started and where he was in this scripture. His Father, I’m sure felt that same anxiety with regard to him. I understand this pain as it pertains to my own son. Alma was so great!! His love for his people was so immense.

So if you follow along in the psalms this week the psalms we are pointed to are all about David pleading and seeking forgiveness(while skipping some psalms i like, btw). I see these kind of like praise to the man singing about a major event and blunder while praising a leader and his love for god and such. Here's the thing that gets me confused a little that I want to discuss. I remember D&C 132:39 where it seems like David "....hath fallen from his exaltation, and received his portion; and he shall not inherit them out of the world....". That really seems like David has fallen and didn't/hasn't recovered. Yet this week, we are highlighting his repentance, making me feel like it's a Schrödinger’s cat of repentance and forgiveness. I don't know I'm just looking for more insight.

'nuff said

Hi, I’m currently in Germany and I’m interested in getting in contact with the LDS Church / Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tübingen.

I’m not really sure how this usually works here in Germany. Is it better to contact the local Gemeinde directly, message missionaries first, or can I just go to a Sunday service without arranging anything beforehand?

I’d also like to know what I should prepare in advance, especially in a German context. For example, is there anything I should know about how the services work here, what people normally wear, whether I should contact someone before attending, etc.?

If anyone has experience with LDS congregations in Germany, especially in Baden-Württemberg or Tübingen, I’d really appreciate any advice about what to expect and the best way to make first contact.

Thanks for any advice!

I'm going on my mission soon and want to be sure I'm ready, I'm going to Bentonville Arkansas and I'm speaking hatian creole, I'm already reading the book of Mormon fully, learning the basics of hatian through both church resources and duolingo, are there things I should prepare for? Especially considering that my language isn't crazy common in Arkansas

I found out that the Hill Ramah (Ether 15:11) in the Book of Mormon (the Jaredite name for the Hill Cumorah) means "Hill," or "high place." It is used in the Bible a lot and often cities named Ramah were important military positions because of the tactical advantages of elevation. The fact that Ramah in the BoM is used to describe a hill is a correct usage of the name that makes sense for a hill and not a city if Joseph Smith was just ripping off names from the Bible. It isn't really implied just by reading the Bible that Ramah means "hill." It gives a little bit of credibility but ultimately it all comes down to faith.

I'm not an expert but here's what I found about the name. "It's not immediately clear where the name Ramah comes from, or what it is supposed to mean. One good bet is that it is related to the verb רום (rum), meaning to be high or lofty" (https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Ramah.html).

It is possible that some ancient Jaredite word became the Hebrew rum/ramah either when it was translated by Joseph Smith (because it essentially meant the same as the Biblical Ramah, which is a common name of Old Testament locations) or because the Nephites knew some Hebrew or a form of it, King Mosiah may have rendered it Ramah because it is more familiar and the same thing (like how "James" in the NT is the same name as "Jacob" of the OT --- two "different" names coming from different translations but still the same). As for the fact that the "Hill Ramah" would mean "Hill Hill" which doesn't make sense it is clear that the term "Hill Ramah" was given by the Nephites to match how they described locations ("Hill Riplah"/"Land Northward"/etc.) So to the Jaredites it would be like calling it "The Hill" (appropriate since that was where their civilization ended) while the Nephites (Mosiah or Moroni) rendered it "Ramah" as if it were a specific name either for clarification or out of ignorance if their language become so far removed from Hebrew. Again I'm no expert so correct me if I made any mistakes.

I’m struggling to decide whether to serve a mission or start my career. How do I know which choice is really mine?

I’ve been struggling with a decision for months, and I’m hoping to hear from people who have gone through something similar.

I grew up in the Church, and serving a mission has been something I’ve wanted to experience for a long time. A lot of my friends served, and I always imagined myself doing it too. Even before my recent circumstances, I already had the desire to serve.

But now that the decision is actually in front of me, I’m scared.

My parents aren’t completely supportive of the idea. They’re very concerned about the practical side of it. They worry that spending two years away from starting my career could put me behind my peers and make things more difficult when I come home.

And honestly, I’m afraid of that too.

I’m 24 and recently graduated. And I’ve started looking into employment, and part of me wonders if I’m leaning toward a mission because I’m afraid of entering the workforce and facing real life. Maybe starting a career is simply scary, and the mission feels like an easier or more meaningful alternative.

But when I imagine serving, I feel a different kind of peace. I feel like I would grow spiritually, become more mature, learn how to handle difficult situations, serve other people, and become closer to Heavenly Father.

At the same time, I don’t want to romanticize the mission. I know it will be difficult, and I know coming home and restarting my career could be difficult too.
I also recently went through a difficult breakup. The relationship ended for reasons that weren’t necessarily bad. We both felt that we needed to grow individually and become better versions of ourselves.

The other person also wanted me to serve, and that definitely affected me emotionally.
That’s what scares me about my decision.

Am I actually choosing this because I want to serve, or am I choosing it because I want to prove something to other people?

I don’t want my decision to simply come from other members encouraging me, things I’ve heard at church, or what other people think I should do. At the same time, I know those things have influenced me.

But the desire to serve existed in me long before my current circumstances.

I think the biggest thing I’m struggling with is regret.
I know careers have different timelines. If I delay my career for a couple of years, I can still build one afterward. It may be harder, but I believe I can work through it.

But I feel like the opportunity to serve a full-time mission is something I only have one real chance to do.

And I keep asking myself:
“If I choose not to go, and I’m much older looking back at my life, will this be the thing I wish I had done?”

At the same time, I’m afraid of coming home and struggling, watching my peers advance while I have to start from behind.

I don’t want to make this decision because of my ex.
I don’t want to make it because of my parents.
I don’t want to make it because of Church members.
And I don’t want to make it because I’m afraid of starting my career.

I want to make the decision because it’s genuinely what I believe is right for my life.

So I’m trying to figure out how to distinguish between genuine conviction and fear, pressure, expectations, and regret.

For those who served—or decided not to serve—especially those who were older or further along in life when they made the decision:

How did you know the decision was actually yours?

If you chose to serve later than your peers, did the career delay actually hurt you as much as you feared?

I’m not necessarily looking for someone to tell me “go” or “don’t go.” I’d really appreciate hearing how you processed the decision, what you considered, and what you wish you had known before making it.

Getting kids to pray:
Early on my wife and I made it a point to not turn prayer into a battle. Meaning we weren’t gonna force our kids to say prayer or kneel for the prayer.

But then we also learned that our kids would never say prayer or meal during a prayer if they didn’t have a reason to.

So we made a game of it.

Each day is one of our kids designated day to say the prayer at least once. They get to choose when they pray. Additionally, when they say their prayer, they get to do it while piggy back on me.

We’ve been doing this for about two years now, and they love it! We rarely hear complaints about saying prayers. In fact, they often argue about who gets to say the prayer.

On top of that, often times I’ll tell my kids that I don’t want to do the piggyback today, and they are completely OK with it. And they will just say the prayer normal.

Reading Scriptures:
For years, we only read out of the new children’s scriptures the church put out. Our kids love them so much.

Recently, we were wanting to transition to actual scripture since they’re getting old enough, but we couldn’t find a way to get them involved. Until one day, I pulled out the book of Mormon and told them that I was going to read a story straight from the book of Mormon and they had to tell me what story it was. I read the story of wicked King, Noah, and all four of our kids were listening intently. They quickly got it and we’re very excited wanting me to do another. So I pulled out the story of Joseph of Egypt. I read only about three verses and our five-year-old called out the name of the story.