If you've ever had any questions about Mormon beliefs, lifestyle or doctrine, but didn't know who to ask, I will be sitting right here by my computer from 10:00 AM to 11:45 AM MST to chat.
The "Mormon Message" I've chosen today was surprising to me, and made me cry. I hope you'll enjoy it, as it is the perfect reminder of the season...
If you'd like to participate in the chat, please just click on the "COMMENTS (SHARE YOURS!)" link below, leave your comment in the comment box, then click refresh as desired to view my responses. Thank you and I hope you have a wonderful day! (If you have trouble leaving a comment, click the "Anonymous" button, then sign your name if you'd like, or leave your comment anonymous.)
NOTE: I'm having internet trouble today, due to the wind here in Northern Mexico, so if I don't get to your response right away, this is why. Thank you for your patience.
15 comments:
Another great message! My grandmother has Alzheimer's, and she has truly become sweeter over the past several years. My kids say she is like Dorie from "Finding Nemo." We enjoy her company, and she enjoys ours, even though she won't remember the visit. It is great that the sweet sister in the video remembers the things of the Spirit.
I know, Becky, when I heard her sing "I Am a Child of God", that really got to me.
Hi there,
I never remembered the question i meant to ask a few weeks ago (I left a message saying I had a question but couldn't for the life of me remember what it was) BUT I have thought of some more that I hope you would be happy to answer...
Firstly, I was wondering if you have any "extra" (or different) holidays, or special religious days, compared to other christians?
And secondly (a sillier one...!) - are you expected to wear your special under-garments alllll the time. What do you do, for example, when you go swimming? or just to the beach? would a bathing suit be considered immodest?
These aren't particularly intellectual questions, I'm just curious!
Thank you!
Freya, these are really great questions. Thank you!
First of all, we kind of do celebrate a couple of extra holidays. We have pioneer day, which is July 24th, and in places where there is a high Mormon population, there are usually parades and parties and the like. This is in commemoration of the trek from the Midwest to the Salt Lake Valley in the late 1940's and onward.
We also commemorate the birthday of Joseph Smith, but in a much more reverent way, such as singing a special musical number about him at church or having a church meeting dedicated to him.
I don't think there are any other unique holidays we celebrate, but if I think of more, I will post them here.
Good question about the garments. We don't wear them when we go swimming or to the beach, but we always try to wear modest swimwear, such as one-piece suits. Also, they are not worn for some sporting events.
Thank you again for your questions, Freya! Anything else?
Thanks for answering those! I'll be sure to pop back if I think of anything else.
Kind regards and Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you, too, Freya! I hope to see you next week!
My wards have never particulary celebrated Joseph Smith's birthday, but we do commemorate the founding of the Relief Society every year. It is the largest women's organization in the world. Also, twice each year, in April and October, we have General Conference, during which our leaders speak to us, and it is broadcast worldwide.
Ugh...My post is too long, so I am going to have to break it into sections to post it. Here goes...As a teen, my best friends were LDS twins. I went to church with them and even went to Summer Camp. They moved away and I no longer attended the LDS church. Instead, I would go with anybody that would take me. I went to Catholic Church and the Christian Church, mainly. Just so you know, my LDS friends and I are still in touch to this day. As I grew older, I became a Christian. I just really felt the spirit move in me while I sang songs to God and learned more about his love. I still have interest in the LDS church and I am actually having dinner with some friends and some LDS missionaries this Friday. I have had a steady flow of LDS people in my life and I have questioned as to why. Sometimes, I feel that God is trying to speak to my heart and I am just to stubborn to listen! My LDS friends are some of the nicest people that you will ever meet! It has been different in the Foursquare Church that I attend. I know that LDS people are very involved in works and service, and my church doesn't focus on that as much. They always say that Jesus did it all on the cross and that it is through his mercy and grace that we are saved. Live a Christ -centered life and care about things the way he would. This is just my perspective, but I think some people in my church are a little lazy because they feel like they don't have to do much to get to heaven. While I agree that Jesus did it all on the cross, I try to live my life in such a way that it brings glory and honor to him. I guess what impresses me is that LDS people are very good at practicing what they preach! The book of James is probably one of my favorite books in the Bible.
Post 2One of the things that confuses me about religion in general is that there are so many different religions throughout the world. and I believe faith is often determined by where you live and who you know. EX: If you live in the Middle East, you are likely to be Muslim, China- Buddhist, etc... As a woman that loves God and people, I wonder what is going to happen to people that put their heart and soul into religions that do not focus on Jesus. Are all Buddhists going to hell? All Muslims? What about people that believe in Jesus, but have different views? I have actually sat in church and heard from a Christian Pastor that Mormon's are lost. I have some close Mormon friends, so I find that hard to swallow! I believe that Jesus knows the heart of every person and on the day that we are judged, he will place us where we belong based on that. Still, I find myself asking many questions. Is there really one true church? I do believe that the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ because that is what the Bible says, but what if you don't know about him because you never heard the word? I know what happens if you hear the word about him, but choose to turn away from him. I know that LDS faith is based on Jesus and that LDS people believe that The Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ. How does the LDS church view people of other faiths? Do they believe that if you are not LDS that you will not go to heaven? What about if you hear about the Book of Mormon and decide that it isn't for you?
Post 3I am happy that my friend invited us over to have dinner and visit with the missionaries, but I do have some concerns. If my husband and I aren't interested in the LDS church after hearing about it, I don't want to hurt our friends feelings. I would never say anything to offend her or her belief system because I believe that it is important to respect other peoples religions. I just hope that our friends understand if we decide that the LDS church isn't right for us, and that they are just as gracious as we are.
I have been checking out your site for awhile now. You are one awesome Mommy!
Post 4The posting today really touched my heart. A year ago I was working as a Nursing Assistant in an Alzheimer's Unit. We had a sweet, little LDS couple that were both affected my Alzheimer’s. The woman was severely affected and could barely speak anymore, but she would hum tunes often. With Alz. the people often get upset in the evening. This was the case with her. One night when I was getting her ready for bed, she was crying and humming "I am a Child of God". I knew the tune and the words because I learned it from going to church with my friends when I was young. I began to sing the words to the song as this precious LDS woman was humming. Her eyes brighten up and she reached her hands to my face. As I said earlier, she couldn't verbally speak in any way that made sense, but the light in her eyes and the gesture that she made spoke volumes. It's like she was saying, " You are a Child of God! You are singing my song." It still brings tears to my eyes to tell that story. I shared the story with her husband and he told me that she used to play the piano at her church. Music must have meant an awful lot to her. She can no longer play the piano or sing, but she can hum! I was happy to see that they had visitors from the church pretty frequently. It was so nice to know that this little couple wasn't forgotten.
Post 5 Well, I didn't intend on having this go on so long...but it did! I guess that is just the way I am. I know you are busy, so feel free to get back to me at your convenience. My blog is set to private, so I will check back here for your response. Thanks!
Dear "Life Happens,"
I don't want to pre-empt Jen b/c this is her site, but I just wanted to share my perspective. I grew up in an evangelical home (my dad was a pastor), but I am now LDS. I know that I am part of a Christian church. I do not pretend to judge others. Respect for all faiths is part of our Articles of Faith. Really, what we have in common is far more than those things that make my church unique from yours. I would certainly never be offended if a friend asked to find out more and then decided it wasn't for them. I cherish my friendships with people of all faiths, and always appreciate friends who care enough to seek to truly understand my beliefs as I try to understand theirs. I trust that your friendship will be strengthened no matter the outcome. As for all the people who have never heard of Christ, that is one of the things that never made sense to me as a child--why would a loving God condemn the vast majority of his children to hell without the chance to hear the Gospel? Understanding his plan of salvation for ALL of his children really felt right to me from the moment I heard it. Ask your friend or the missionaries. I appreciate your sincere questions. I wish you well on your spiritual journey.
Becky, thank you so much for responding to Life Happens' comments. I have had terrible luck with my internet today, but it looks like things are improving and I hope to be able to respond tonight.
Just so you know, I consider this an open forum for people of all faiths to share, so, again, thank you for responding when I couldn't!
To Life Happens,
I feel like we have somewhat similar stories. My best friend from middle school is LDS. I had attended church with her several times and also when to a summer camp for a week at BYU with her. She moved to Texas and I went to church with some other friends for awhile but then my parents insisted that I stop going to the LDS church. So I obeyed their rules since I was still under 18. I continued to be intersted in religion and went to a few non-denominational christian churches in the few years to follow. I thoroughly enjoyed a few of them, but always felt like something wasn't 100% right and always felt like I was looking for more answers. The Mormon church had always been somewhere in the back of my head, but never on the forefront. I also had many encounters with LDS friends since going to church as a teenager. Eventually I slowly pursued the missionaries and had lessons about the church. I asked a lot of questions and everything just made sense. It all fell into place. I was an adult at this point and even though my parents strongly disagreed I took a leap of faith and decided to get baptized because I could not deny the truths. That was just over 2 years ago. Anyway I still struggle with a lot of issues. Family wise and just adjusting to this new culture and lifestyle. Through everything there are a few things I simply cannot deny. God lives and knows me personally. He loves me and wants to give me so many blessings. And even though I struggle with doubts sometimes, I do know that this is the true church. All the answers are here and everything makes sense. Heavenly Father wants us to return to live with Him, and he sent His son Jesus here to teach us how to return. Sorry I have gone on so long now. But I just wanted you to hear a brief summary of my story because I felt there were similarities. If you have questions. Please ask. There are great resources and full time missionaries just waiting to discuss this with you. There is online chatting available with missionaries that is completely confidential and an easy way to ask questions openly without the worry of getting friends involved. And please pray. He listens. If you want to email me you can. Just ask o here and I will get in contact with you. Jennifer is amazing and can most likely answer an questions as well. If not I know she will direct you properly. Thanks for all the questions and thanks Jen for this forum and place of discussion!!!
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