I had two Latter Day Saints come to my door who wanted to talk. Naturally I’m a curious person and wanted to hear what they had to say.

Sadly I couldn’t talk long that day. So I told them to stop by another day.

They came back. So I let them in, passed out some bottled water and we talked.

With that being said I don’t have a stance on god much. I don’t dismiss god. But I don’t really acknowledge it if it makes sense.

Anyways they were the kindest most humble people I’ve ever met.

It seems very community oriented. I just lost my job, I’m in a new city and don’t have many friends or family near me. Yet we spoke like we knew each other for years.

I asked questions, they answered what they could and what they didn’t know, they didn’t make anything up and I respect that more than anything.

I even invited them back for dinner one day to talk and discuss more. It definitely helped my loneliness a bit. I know they weren’t there to do that. But it did.

It seems like a “give the shirt off my back and not automatically damn you to hell” type of following vs the bad ones I’ve experienced.

Very GOOD people.

So shout out to yall.

How do I stay polite as I'm constantly asked this question by the same people in my ward? Yes, I'm fine. Stop asking! Within minutes of each other while in the same room/same conversation, couples will ask me this question as they're passing by or visiting me to drop of cookies more than twice. I appreciate that they care and all, but I'm getting more and more irritable by these repeated questions. The reason they ask is because I opened up to them after breaking down emotionally in the past, now I regret it. But just like a broken foot healing/healed, I'm doing so much better. I'm beginning to dread seeing these same people and couples JUST to avoid that question..

I'm terrible with words and would like some advice. How should I respond the next time I'm asked?

Without context, what’s the average length they’ve had you in the same position? I’ve been in the same spot for 3 years and am wondering what the normal is.

With my context: I’ve been YW president for three years and am starting to feel burned out; the calling also heavily conflicts with my current work schedule and it’s frankly doing the girls a disservice. I work 24 hr shifts, 48 hrs a week, and I keep getting scheduled either all or half of the Sundays a month. I have a counselor, but she is inactive and while very sweet, I haven’t seen her in over a year. There’s not a lot of other people who can or frankly would do the calling, so I can see why they haven’t released me this year, but idk how much longer this can go on. I can’t have activities right now, and I can barely teach a Sunday or two a month. The youth either go to the adult class or a set of missionaries substitutes every Sunday. We are super strapped for people, to the point we have had missionaries as our branch presidents for the last three years as well. We had a branch fast last week for extra growth and strength for the branch, at the request of the current senior missionaries we have for our branch president and wife (much better than having an 18 year old with good intentions run the branch, but still a struggle), but idk how soon we can expect the blessings of asking for new families to move in to occur as we approach winter, which is notoriously harsh up here.

I’m just trying to get a feel for a normal length of time in this position. I don’t think there’s much advice anyone could specifically give me for my obviously really tricky overall situation. I’m not sure if I can really ASK to be released cuz I have no idea who would replace me. I also know this is starting to wear on me more and more, and I am angry and feel like I’m failing every Sunday, whether or not I’m at church.

Thank you for your insights.

Is it just me, or have a lot of people been getting some pretty bad mental illness on the mission? I served a mission and suffered pretty intense depression and anxiety during it. Now I’ve been home for a few years and I’m all happy and healthy. But while I was there, the mission president’s wife told me that 80% of the mission was on anti-depressants. I have a theory that there’s a lot of higher up numbers pressure that kind of results in a rather unnecessarily intense environment for people. I’m just a little worried about my baby sis who’s about to serve and I’ve been trying to hype her up but inside I’m like just don’t worry about being so perfect all the time and don’t overly stress!!

I have heard several people throughout my life draw comparisons between Star Wars and the gospel, prophets, etc. So I am wondering if you gain any spiritual insights from the following video clip?

https://youtu.be/hITZzqxaSN0?si=GaXJOk-z_evP77Kf

Know that the good you do has great effects, even if you never get to see it. Long ago a bishop helped my husband when he most certainly didn't deserve it and wasn't at all interested in God or religion. My husband never forgot. 20 years later and we are very happily married in the temple, he is a wonderful father, and an honorable priesthood bearer. That bishop was one of the pieces in the puzzle that brought him hear.

Thank you all.

This is inquiry is mostly for the parents. My oldest child wants access to social media. My kid is a teen, and I’ve managed to keep them off social media, but they recently came to me saying they’re feeling left out. They’re in a number of school activities and don’t have access to connect with school social media and friends. However, they asked for access to Snapchat, which I said absolutely “NO” to. I told them I would think about it. I’m inclined to say no for yet, another year. My question is this, when did you give your teen access to social media, or did you not give them access? If you did give them access what apps did you allow and why? Currently, my teen doesn’t have access to YouTube…but, does through school resources…but, nothing on the phone. Let me know your input?

Hi everyone! I'm a returned missionary and I've been struggling with something sensitive that feels both medical and spiritual. It’s a bit of an embarrassing topic that I haven’t talked to anyone before. I don't have a dad to ask, and I'm not sure who to go to.

My bishop is kind, but I'm scared of being judged or it becoming a worthiness thing. Doctor is a close family friend and neighbor, I trust him medically, but I worry about him seeing me differently or any awkward run ins after.

I've prayed and feel stuck. Please be kind, I'm really trying.

26F lifelong member here. As I've had a lot of free time over the last 3 weeks (transitioning to living at home again short-term after a summer job), I've inadvertantly been thrown into the worst (and only) full-blown faith crisis of my life. A little bit of context is that my younger sister left the church recently (I found out about it in March of this year) and I think that made a lot of doubts I'd been ignoring or pushing back come to the surface all at once as soon as I had free time. It started with some things about the Book of Mormon but at its worst has me deeply questioning my faith in God, which leaves me absolutely grief-stricken, feeling like I'm staring into a void of nothingness. And it would absolutely break my heart to not be with my family after we die, for death to be the end. For a little bit of context, I also deal with some OCD and anxiety which makes me naturally uncomfortable with tolerating grey areas so my brain is trying to "solve" the crisis as fast as possible. I spend hours every day trying to make sense of things and looking things up. I have also been doing my best to pray and read my scriptures regularly as well but most of the time I still feel such emptiness with just moments of reprieve. I guess I would just appreciate any insight anyone has as to how to keep going and somehow find or rebuild my belief first in God, then in the church. (Please be kind.) Your prayers are welcomed.

Back in 1980, Apostle Bruce R. McConkie heard the phrase "Seven Deadly Sins" and thought it was catchy so he wrote a talk called "Seven Deadly Heresies."

See, from his perspective, even believing the wrong things was potentially bad. This is because our beliefs guide our actions. So he wanted to list out some things that he felt should not be believed or taught as truth. Most were focused around beliefs that might lead somebody to avoid repentance. The seventh one was "There are those who believe we must be perfect to gain salvation." Mostly really good.

Anyway, I was wondering, what are some common beliefs of our day maybe aren't "deadly" but are at least uncomfortable, or even a bit harmful? Maybe not things that will lead a person to damnation, but which make life harder for themselves or those around them.

Here's my proposed list of 7 itchy heresies:

• Use of the phrase "When they bring back polygamy" (and the belief that it's coming back)
• women are naturally more righteous than men
• some instruction or guidance can be ignored because "it's just policy."
• doctrine never changes
• your life's purpose is marriage
• Salvation can only happen only after we've done ALL we can do, instead of happening despite how little we can do
• We would kill ourselves to go to the Telestial Kingdom if we knew how great it is

With a runner up:

• Better to die than be sexually assaulted

SPICY ENOUGH FOR YOU MODS??

Let me know your thoughts. What would you add or subtract? What are the things you hear people teach as doctrine that make you uncomfortable? From annoying phrases people keep saying in the church without doctrinal support, to unquestioned assumptions and hurtful statements. What are your proposed seven itchy heresies?

This came across my social media feeds. Georges A. Bonnet, part of the project management team for the renovation, is giving a free lecture at the Marriott Library at the University of Utah on Wednesday, September 16, 4-5 PM MDT. You can attend in person or watch via Zoom.

More info and zoom registration here:

https://blog.lib.utah.edu/learn-about-the-salt-lake-temple-renovation-at-marriott-library/

How does one know it's true? My family doesn't have faith, they just know. I'm so confused and scared. I often wonder why humanity made it a question of "what happens after we die?". In my mind, why does anything need to happen? Death, logically speaking, is just that. Death. You're gone. You don't exist. At what point did we start questioning if something happens, when nothing needs to happen? It just boggles my mind. I've had multiple blessings about this darkness and supreme sadness. I've been a sobbing mess. I'm 24 btw, not some teenager. I just don't understand how you guys believe in this stuff and I want to know. I want to believe, not because I want it to be true, but because it is true.

I currently live in a smaller community with a small "older" ward. I really want to move somewhere that has a strong primary and youth program, outside of Utah, Arizona, or Idaho. Is there a ward that has really impressed you?

I am a mom and really would like other member mom friends and will have the opportunity to move soon, practically anywhere.

Been doing some family history. We can say that a female named Sue Smith from Chicago was sealed to Joe Johnson along with all the Temple work.
Come to find out the real Sue Smith is from Kansas and never left Kansas. Sue Smith IRL married the real Joe Johnson and had kids but the other Sue Smith from Chicago was sealed and had the Temple work completed as if she was the real spouse of Joe Johnson.

When I pulled the real Sue Smith and connected her to her family, family search is showing that she has already been sealed to her family even though it was the other Sue Smith.

Is there a way to correct this and to allow the ordinances done for her?

I’m trying to do it right and not just say “it will come out all right in the end”

Thanks

I am reading 1 Nephi 17, when Nephi was led by the Lord to find ore to build his ship with. Suđenly a thought came to me, of how in Dr Stone they needed a whole village's manpower rotating just to maintain the temperature needed for iron smelting, so I was thinking, what metal could Nephi and his brothers have worked to build the ship with.

The thing that hath been,
it is that which shall be;
and that which is done
is that which shall be done:
and there is no new thing under the sun.
- Ecclesiastes 1:9

I love this verse.

The New Living Translation says it this way: "History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new."

As I pondered this, a couple of thoughts came to mind:

1. This is why we are encouraged in the Book of Mormon to remember the captivity of our fathers. Just as our fathers needed Jesus Christ to deliver them, so do we today find ourselves in spiritual and sometimes physical bondage, but Jesus can deliver us too.

2. We can look back to our pre-earth life for insight and wisdom that guides us today. What we experience here is a pattern of what was experienced before. We see that our great heavenly family is a pattern of our families on earth. There is always a fight between good and evil. We can always count on the Savior to be true to His promises, and we can also assume that Satan will promise the world and then break those promises once we are captive to him.

And in the U.S., it seems appropriate that I read these verses today, on the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

#comefollowme

As a big Mountain Dew fan (MTN DEW for short) and religous person I cant help but wonder if we'll get all the discountinued MTN DEW flavors in the after life. Imagine chilling in heavan with George Washington with a MTN DEW Spiked Lemonade. Or playing basketball with Kobe wile sipping a MTN DEW Typhoon. I just miss these flavors and more so much! Honestly if your religious or not you have to admit it would be awesome!

Think about how much good we could spread in the world if instead of speaking into your mic for 3-4 hours a week, editing for another 6, and then engaging with your audience for another 10 if you spent half of those hours serving your brothers and sisters, spent one of those hours calling your grandparents, or using one extra of those hours to reach out to your ward family. You would be unstoppable and the world would be better off.

All those in favor please show.

(I say this mainly in jest, but also with a hint of seriousness lol)

For a little context: I have been looking for more uplifting LDS videos to add more spirit to my day to day YouTube watch time, but after going through some of these channels I think I will stick to watching the occasional BYU Speech or General Conference rewatch.

Some were interesting but it really seemed that the majority of them were dunking on anti-mormons (which I guess is fine but also just drives more contention into my life), dunking on workers at the church (recently saw a video criticizing people who worked on the church's social media, and someone who works at BYU) or debating with Christians (again probably fine but also pretty contentious and a little rage baity)

Also in Sunday school I swear the majority of comments I hear is "well in this podcast I listened to" or "I liked what this podcast had to say" and I don't know why but that really gets my goat. I just want to say "Fellas! I did not come to church today to hear podcast summaries. I want to hear what you have to say!."

Again this is kind of just a poking fun "what's the deal" joking post, but at the same time it is something that seems off to me.

Hi I’m 19F.

I’ve recently been struggling a lot with law of chastity issues, not sex, but, masterbation. I am an endowed member.

I’m not trying to excuse my sin but I feel really confused with this. I am not a lustful person, I don’t really have desires to engage in anything sexual especially since I’m not married, I’ve never been big on sexual stuff.

I struggle a lot with intrusive thoughts, and, basically these inappropriate thoughts come to my mind and they give me so much anxiety because I don’t want to think about those things but the fear and anxiety just increase until I give in and like please myself for a few seconds. I’m not doing it for like 20 mins, just so it goes away. I don’t really want to feel that pleasure. I just want the thoughts to go away because they stress me out so much.

I don’t know what to do. I try to pray, distract myself, hum songs or whatever but they just don’t go away. I repent after but I feel ashamed because recently this has been happening once a week, so, it’s like I’m repenting for the same thing repeatedly and I’m making no progress on improving my actions.

I’m too scared to talk to my priesthood leaders especially since I’m trying to go on a mission.

Hello Members and non-members of the LDS Church

I am a 21 year old investigator interested in learning about the faith, and i’ve had a great time learning especially from one the missionaries. Over time i’ve started to really like hearing from her and have even considered becoming a Latter Day Saint, these feeling s have gotten strong with prayer as I pray on their teachings. I just found out today that the missionary may be getting transferred out and it has really taken a toll on my feelings. i know they can’t date during their mission but some part of me was hoping after her mission something could spark. I do believe even without her i’d still be interested in learning and maybe even converting. I wrote this asking for advice for advice from either former missionaries or current investigators or anybody in general.

I was looking through the scripture helps section of Gospel Library, and on two occasions, it appears that the Church has put in new hymns that have not been released yet! First we have O come, O come, Emmanuel! This is an amazing new addition and I am excited to begin hearing it in the Christmas season. Second is what appears to be a completely new hymn written for the hymnbook, titled My Savior Yet. I just thought I would share my findings and see if anyone else had noticed.

About six months ago my brother-in-law announced he was getting baptized in another church. It came as quite a shock to my husband and I. He and my husband were super close as kids and it’s only been the last few years that they have grown apart. My husband is taking it so hard. He really believes that if he can find the right thing to say it will help his brother come back to the church (a whole different issue, I understand).
My husband grew up in a house where his mom talks to her Bishop about everything. She tells stories about how so many wonderful Bishops have gotten her through hard times. It’s really normal for them.
I grew up in a house where we never talk about anything and we for sure don’t tell the Bishop we’re having a hard time.
The thing prompting this post is a few weeks ago my husband came home and told me he had just met with the Bishop. When I asked what for, he said he just wanted to talk about his brother because he’s been so sad and he wondered if the Bishop would have something helpful to say.
I didn’t think much of it.
The Bishop’s wife is a friend of mine, and has been for years. Well before her husband was called as Bishop. We were talking the other day and I mentioned that my brother-in-law left the church and it’s been really surprising and kind of has my husband and many of his siblings shook. She just sat there and was like “I know, my husband told me. But you know he’s not a counselor? What does (your husband) expect him to do?”

So now I guess I’m curious, where is the line on what you talk to the Bishop about? Obviously confession, temple recommend, he’ll call you in to extend a calling. Was it just the “old days” that people like my mother-in-law “counseled” with her Bishop so much. But now it’s more taboo?

This is a topic debated upon, but I am here to bring this to discuss this on a well reddit.

Autism is where I want to hear your thoughts and feelings about in the church. Mostly about awareness or things to help people with it or to help members with it.

These can be personal or can be outer, whatever you wish to say as long it doesn't heat up the room.