Still can’t see Mr. Linky (haven’t for a few weeks, now) but I posted this week. Here’s the link: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Mommaofmany/656438/

I received the book today! Thanks so much! I look forward to getting into it.

Mommaofmany’s last blog post..Help For Growing Families-Two Minute Clean Ups

Whoops! I forgot to say what mine was about. It’s about finding time or thinking outside the square I’m working on the lots of babies!!

I was horrified that my then 2 year old could snap his fingers, his 6 1/2 year old brother still can’t get the hang of it!

My DH and I lost a baby eight months into a pregnancy. A pregnancy neither of us was too happy about. We had three children and though we had put our family planning in the Lord’s hands we thought we were good as is. The Lord adjusted our attitude pretty darn quick when he took Tirzah. We were thrilled six months later to get pregnant with Reagan. Now He has blessed us with child number 5 and I hope we are blessed with more.

Cyndi Lewis’s last blog post..Crystal’s cleaning dare!

[...] February 10, 2009 by bohannon Help for Growing Families [...]

Yeah, I can see Linky now!

Ww are blessed to live in a ‘conservative’ area. Our family of ten gets lots of looks and comments, but almost all are encouraging. Melissa, there is a lot about the Mormon church that Christians could learn from. It is very attractive to those who do not have a supportive family. Too bad they are so deceived! Truthfully, many of my favorite cooking/food storage blogs are Mormon!

Mommaofmany’s last blog post..Help For Growing Families-Two Minute Clean Ups

Hey, I’m LDS! =)

Melissa, my first thought on reading your first comment was “I do hope those mormons are nice to you there, otherwise I might have a word or two to say to them.” =) So glad to hear they’re nice.

Though I have to say, they’re not necessarily being nice because they want to convert you. Honestly, one of my major fears is that when I’m friendly and people find out I’m LDS I’m SO afraid they think I’m only being friendly because I’m trying to convert them. That’s rarely the case. I’m usually friendly because…well, I’m just a friendly-type person. =D

Furthermore, I’m not friendly with my neighbours because trying to convert them. If they start asking questions, I’ll answer them, but not because I’m thinking “Wow, this is great, I hope they become Mormon”, it’s more of an exchange of knowledge.

However, If someone were to not only ask questions but to request to come to church and then ask to speak to the missionaries – you can bet I hope they join! =D

Y’alls comments have caused me to reflect, and I’ve realized something pretty sad. There have been times when I want to invite people over because I like them – but I don’t invite them because I’m afraid they’ll think I’m going to drag ‘em to the font and baptize them right away. Or I worry that they’ll be afraid we’ll talk about our faith all night long. Really, I just like them and want to be friends is all.

I would like to say this one thing about Mormons – well, the nice, sane ones anyway (hmmm, wonder if I fit in the “sane” group? =D) – they are so aware of their recent persecuted past that they have a “live and let live” philosophy. Our 11th article of faith says:

“We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. ”

And that’s probably what you’re seeing when your neighbours are supportive of your choice to have a large family.

Hey, I am not deceived or lost! =D

I’ve been really quite lighthearted in this post, but please forgive me if I get a little tender right now, as this is quite a sacred thing to me. I’m sure you’ve all experienced a time when you need an answer, and you get down on your knees and you get the answer. You KNOW you’ve received that answer. There is no doubt in your mind. How can you ever deny those intense feelings of the Spirit? You cannot. To do so would be to offend God who has so generously answered your prayer.

In that same way, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God’s church on Earth. To deny this would be to offend my sweet God who is so patient and kind with me. How can I lie and say it’s not? I cannot. It’s true, and I know it.

Funnily enough, I was thinking about two things today that pertain to the subject at hand. The first is a friend of mine who is not LDS but grew up in Utah. He said he was ostracized and by the LDS children because he wasn’t Mormon. Isn’t that awful? I was thinking about him just this morning feeling so so sad that he had this experience. Melissa, I hope and pray that there are nicer folks near you and that your children are welcomed and loved. It just breaks my heart that this friend of mine had such a difficult childhood because of misguided people in my own faith. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt; maybe they thought he wouldn’t want to hang around a bunch of Mormons – in the same way that I’m fearful of inviting non-LDS folks into my house for fear they think I’m trying to convert them – but I still hurt for my friend and his lonely childhood.

The second thing that I was thinking about was a testimony of a lady who is Quaker who decided to dress “plain”. In reading her testimony there is no doubt in my mind that God led her to this decision. In my own faith we don’t dress “plain”, but who am I to deny that God spoke to this lady and led her to the Quaker religion and to dress “plain”? She was most assuredly led.

I do not pretend to understand God’s workings. I do not pretend to understand why some have testimonies of one faith, and another of another faith. All I know is that we are all God’s children and he loves us all with an intensity we can only imagine. When we see him again, I imagine all will be explained. But until then I live in faith and follow my own testimony. I try to live as God would have me live, as Christ-like as possible. I fall down, I mess up, but I get up and keep trying and how THANKFUL I am to my Saviour for his sacrifice for me so that I have the privilege of repenting and trying again. We all have that privilege, regardless of colour or creed. How thankful I am for that! =)

Thank you thank you for your kind words about Mormons, even if you think we’re lost. (Am not either!!! =D =D) There are so many nasty, untrue things said about us that hurt so very much. It’s so lovely to hear such sweet, kind words. Thank you so very much for your prayers. We are all sinners and sure need it. =) I will be praying for you too – not to convert you, but just to thank the Lord for his sweet daughters who exemplify Christ with their kind and thoughtful words.

Sorry for the massive epistle!

MotherHen,
First, I apologize for hijacking this thread Thank you for allowing us to have this discussion.

Keely,
Thank you for your sweet words. I truly appreciate your gentle spirit and kind disagreement. The LDS people we have met here have been nothing but nice to us. They are by far the most loving neighbors we have ever had. We have only lived here for two months and have only had positive experiences.
The reason I say they are trying to convert us, is because they are constantly inviting us to activities in their church. We have politely refused and they have been gracious. My husband’s coworkers say that the LDS ignore them once they realize that they will not join their religion. We have not experienced that but we live in a very, very friendly neighborhood.
As for the “lost” comments, I apologize for offending you. I, too, am passionate about my faith. I know that LDS believe that they are Christians, and I am confidant that there are Christians in the LDS faith. From the studies that our family as done we see inconsistencies in the LDS doctrine. I do not mean this as an attack on you personally or what you believe. A great book was written on this subject called “So What’s The Difference?” by Fritz Ridenour. It is written from the Christian or Born-Again or whatever you wish to call it perspective. However, if you’d like to see the conflicting points of our separate religions it is a good place to start.
Once again, thank you for being gracious with me. I am sorry if I seemed harsh in any way. I have the upmost respect for you and for our dear neighbors. I pray that the Lord will reveal himself to ALL of us!

Melissa

Melissa’s last blog post..Chores & Allowances

Hi all! I’m new to the blog (and my 2yo doesn’t snap, but now I’ll know it’s a milestone=), but I thought that I’d just jump right in as the conversations seems friendly enough and the topic is near and dear to my heart.

I too am LDS, and like Keeley, I am Christian. I love our Lord with all my heart!

There is no doubt that we are of different religions: Keeley and I are Mormon, while Mommaofmany and Melissa appear to be Protestant. But I don’t see any reason why Catholics, Protestants, and Mormons can’t all be Christians together. While we certainly have differing understandings of what the Lord was teaching during His ministry, it seems apparent to me that we are all earnest in our efforts to emulate Him to the best of our ability and hopeful in our prayers that He will show grace to us when we inevitably fall short. Isn’t that what being Christian is all about? And shouldn’t we leave it up to Christ to determine who is – and who is not – a faithful worshiper, doing the best they can with the best understanding of the Word that we are able to get?

Imagine, for a moment, how you would feel if someone told you that because of doctrinal differences, you were no longer going to be considered a Christian. If they said that, regardless of the feelings in your heart for the Lord, because you believe certain things that others disagree with, you cannot be a “legitimate” follower of Christ.

I know how you would feel, because I can see your devotion to the Lord in the conversation at hand. =) You would be hurt. Perhaps devastated. How could someone, anyone, question your devotion to Christ? Particularly without even knowing you?

Yet people, well-meaning kind people, do this sort of thing to members of our faith all the time and never even realize how painful it is to us. We love the Lord. In fact, I posted on my own blog just the other day a beautiful video clip affirming our faith’s devotion to the Lord. Certainly, there are doctrinal differences between our faiths. But can’t we all worship together anyway?

I also wanted to offer another possible reason for the continued invitations: much of LDS social life happens at the church, and many of the activities are far more social than religious in nature. They may just like you and want to share their circle of friends with you. I’ve invited people to fun activities and service projects for those reasons before. Even people whom I *knew* were not at all interested in joining. I thought they might enjoy the activity at hand. That was all.

In any case, please forgive me if I’ve been too blunt: it’s very late, and things don’t always come out like they should when I’m tired.

I’m definitely going to have to come check this blog out some more. Another day…

Ritsumei’s last blog post..Nature Study