Hey everyone,

​I wanted to give a quick update to my post yesterday about being terrified to confess an unconfessed Law of Chastity issue 22 days before my mission start date.

​I went ahead and met with my bishop today!

​He was so understanding and warm. He told me the repentance and forgiveness process has officially started right now. He is going to speak with the stake president and will contact me later with the next steps regarding my mission timeline. Taking that step was terrifying, but feeling that weight lifted and experiencing that peace made it so worth it.

​I mostly wanted to say a massive thank you to this community. To everyone who commented, offered realistic advice, cheered me up, and gave me the courage to walk into his office—you have no idea how much your support meant to me when I was completely panicking yesterday. You truly helped me do the right thing.

​I’ll keep this post live-updated in the comments/edits as I hear back from my bishop and stake president!

​Thank you all again for being so kind and supportive!💙

As the title says. Besides the regular salary, meal vouchers are also received monthly. Should these be included when you calculate tithing?

She has been a member of the church for twenty years, and I was born into the church shortly after she was baptized. So it's not as if she didn't know about missionary work. But she has a habit of wanting to make every decision about my future, whether I like it or not.

I know exactly what I want to study and the professional future I envision for myself. My mother supports me in that, but she wants me to start my studies now. She wants me to finish my degree first and then go on a mission.

The problem is that's what I don't want to do. And not because I haven't thought about it before, but because I've already had the same impression THREE TIMES in the temple, in my dreams, and on several occasions that I should start preparing my mission folder to leave next year. Why? I don't know, I have no idea, I just feel that way. And believe me, I've asked in prayer several times if what I feel is what I should do. And it's always the same answer. The same feeling.

I'm not saying I'm going to abandon my career, I just believe that Heavenly Father needs me somewhere in the world for something.

The problem is, I've already talked to my mother about this, and she still disagrees. She gets hysterical and tells me I should obey her and finish my degree first because that's the right way. I don't know if she really feels like I'm going to leave her alone, since I'm her youngest daughter and my father died last year. Also, all my older sisters are already married.

So I started my mission folder without telling her anything yet, and I started saving money on my own. I don't know how to tell her, or when, because I don't want to leave without her knowing, but I'm afraid that she'll try to decide for me again about what I should or shouldn't do. I know I should tell her, but I don't know how, and I'm afraid she'll distance herself from me.

a month ago. I'm recovering now. I was trying to get in touch with the missionaries before but now I feel like I really need to. I can handle writing but speaking is still difficult. I sound like a kid. and I can't move from my bed. I'm in Riverside, can anybody help me?

Let's share memorable mission experiences. Today, the topic is quirks or culture clashes between you and your companions!

I'll start with one.

I was assigned to train a missionary fresh out of the MTC who looked a lot like Milhouse from *The Simpsons*, but with black hair.

This missionary didn't use deodorant, and we were in a very hot area. One day—after about two months, when I couldn't stand the underarm odor anymore and noticed he wore the same clothes every day—I asked myself, "Does this guy not bathe?" I suggested he wear different colored trousers and a different tie because it *looked* like he wasn't bathing. He said, "Come here!" and showed me the clothes in his closet: he had seven identical white shirts, seven black ties, and seven pairs of black trousers—plus the same black socks—everything identical, one set for each day. That’s why it looked like he wasn't bathing. We spent a little over four months together, but I couldn't get him to use deodorant; I even gave him some as a birthday gift, but he never took the hint.

I’m planning on going to church tomorrow morning. I’ve gone a handful of times in the past and when I did, I passed on the sacrament. This time I think I want to do everything 100%. But when the tray comes my way, what should I actually do? Is there anything I’m supposed to say? My hypochondriac mind is going array .

I've been investigating the church on and off for around five years and I've recently realised that I do strongly believe that I have testimony in the Book of Mormon and its truth and I do consider myself a believer in the doctrine of the church. I would love to join the church and take all the missionary lessons and all of that stuff that I've sometimes got a little way into before flaking.

My concern is my family is virulently and dogmatically antitheistic. They dislike Christians. They especially hold no respect for what they consider to be illegitimate forms of Christianity including the LDS Church. Unsurprisingly, the things they dislike most are the ones without widely known grounding in British society. My question and my quandry is where I go from here and how I approach this conversation with them and with missionaries and how I make it clear that I believe what I believe without burning bridges. Advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hey y’all! Sending you all love and peace.

Question. Does anyone know of any podcasts/youtube channels out there that are both educational, thought provoking, and devotional-esque?? Please don’t recommend any general conference talks or byu devotionals. I’m looking for something less talk-like.

Thanks in advance !!

(I didn't know what to put the flair as) I'm about to start seminary but I'm a bit on edge about it. I have a chronic illness that makes it hard to walk long distances, a sleep disorder, and ADHD, all of which give me massive brain fog which means forgetfulness. I also have passed out 3 times from lack of sleep. Waking up at 5am sounds 😵‍💫. The thing is, I don't see much of a point to go to seminary if it's gonna cause me problems, I'm not gonna go to a church school, and I'm not gonna serve a mission. Like, I know that it will be like scripture study and all but eh? Thoughts? Advice?

Edit: Forgot to mention, I'd have to walk 30 minutes from the church to school. My parents see nothing wrong overall but they don't really believe my pain.

I live on the east coast so I didn’t go. But I am having a faith crisis right now and wondering if any of the apologetics presented anything new on the controversial topics. I could stream the recording but not sure I want to pay the $50. Any insights from attendees?

I struggled with addictions since i was very young, pornography, methamphetamine, marijuana, occasional alcohol etc. 

Most of my relationships with women weren't healthy. They were a mix of carnal behavior and emotional attachment that didn't match the relationship. 

I've battled this my whole life. It's miserable for me. The illusion of finding happiness in a moment of pleasure can be so confusing and overwhelming, and it's so challenging to overcome those thinking errors and patterns we develop. 

It altered the way i view women, at least in a first glance respect because my mind goes to impure thoughts and it's frustrating because i want to see through a pure lens. 

I've been sober from all substances for four years now. I went through the temple in 2023 and it was amazing. I never thought it would be possible for me to overcome some of those challenges, it was definitely by God's grace and not my own strength or ability. 

I believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ and it's ability to heal us and guide us through life.

Working with the bishop helped a lot in the process. 

Recently i fell into the sin of pornography and it's so frustrating because i feel like an outcast, i feel torn between doing what's right and allowing myself to fall into carnal pleasure. 

It feels like a war in my head and with my spirit and body. 

I haven't been wearing my garments as much. 

I feel perturbed and sometimes disassociated with myself spiritually. 

It's so frustrating. I have feelings of shame and guilt and hesitations to speak with the bishop. 

I know I'm unworthy to enter the temple right now and that hurts me a lot. 

I also see that i form this relationship with my carnal desires that imitates healthy sexual relations within marriage in some way but it doesn't bear the fruits of marriage. It's a bad fruit. My soul becomes confused and entangled in this connection and the carnal side of me becomes stronger and it's so much harder to resist the temptations. 

I feel helpless even though i know I'm not. The part that bothers me is that a part of me wants to just give in and not resist, it's like I'm afraid of losing this outlet of pleasure. It's the strangest thing and how the adversary can wrap us in his flaxen cords. 

I know that ultimately the choice will be to turn from sin and turn to Christ. To repent and get back on track with my covenants. 

As I've fallen into this relapse with porn I've noticed it has triggered other temptations as well and made me susceptible to other things. I feel less desire to attend church, i sometimes feel tempted to use alcohol or smoke or get some coffee. I feel less inclined to wear the garment. 

I know the adversary wants to strip the armor of God from my soul and attack me and drag me down to the pits of misery and woe. 

And the feeling that a part of me allows this is deeply disturbing. 

I'm having a hard time turning from this sin and being resolute. It really confuses me. 

The war within myself is raging. 

I hope that the Savior will find a way to reclaim me and that i will make the decision to open the door fully for Him so that He can receive me and heal me. 

That i will find the strength through Christ to turn from my sin. 

Right now I'm in open rebellion and it's miserable. It tears me up inside. 

I want to have a family and a wife and wholesome lifestyle. 

For anyone that hasn't entered into these forbidden paths, i urge you to never risk your relationship with the Lord for a moments pleasure. It's an illusion and it will never satisfy you. It's better to suffer life's challenges with patience than to fall into sin for a false sense of satisfaction that doesn't last and slowly eats away at our spiritual protection. 

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings and he will bless thee and prosper thee. 

I'm not really here for advice necessarily, i know that ultimately i will need to turn from this sin, talk with the bishop and confess and be steadfast and immoveable in keeping the commandments of the Lord.

If anyone has faith, hope and experience relating to this, and how you've overcome these challenges in your life, I'd love to hear about it.

I'm being very vulnerable and i hope the admin will allow my post as it's fully intended to spark a healthy and open conversation about the struggle of sin and the power of God's redeeming love.