Searching_For_The_Truth

Ok it has been a while since I have been on here and updated you all on this situation. First, let me say that I have a whole new respect for patients. It has been a year and a half since this young lady and I met. Over the time that has passed since I posted last we went out on a few more dates, many were really good, and one that was AMAZING. We took steps forward and steps backwards and then forward and so on, but a couple weeks back she took several steps forward and she made the decision to say "yes" to being an exclusive couple. We still have yet to officailly tell people, but I don't think they really need to know. We are happy and I can't stop smiling so I say this is good.

I feel that being Sealed to your Eternal Companion is an enormous step in your relationship and one which I know I will sahre with my family and friends. This is definatly a time to celebrate and a reception is a great way to have this celebration. Go for it and enjoy every second of it.

This is a question that constantly comes up for me. I get along better with my female friends more than my male friends, and my girlfriend is the same. We have a had many discussions on this topic and we both believe that having friends of the opposite sex is "ok". We are both "ok" with the other going out doing things with our friends, but when out with those friends one should take precautions to prevent comprimising situations, such as making it a group activity, being in public, and not being alone in private places (ie homes)... This is going to be an area that you will need to evaluate with the person you are with, as the ideas of each person vary and may the may not be open to this.

Ok, some of you have read my posts and know that I am a recent convert to the Church and am very happy in the decision I have made. So this past Sunday after Sacrament Meeting when I recieved a phone call asking me to speak at Satke Conference this comming Sunday I was excited, but I was also scared. I was excited because I get to sahre my story with the Stake, but I am scared because I am not comfortable speaking in front of (or even being in) a large group of people. So the favor... Can I get prayers that I am able to speak the words that Heavenly Father needs me to speak, and that I don't freak out being in front of so many people???

This is a great question to ask, and more importantly to answer after some very prayerful reflection on oneself... For me there are many things that hold me back, but the biggest is my "logical side." I have to think everything through to the point they don't make sense anymore. A good example was when I was trying to decided to get baptised or not. I thought about it and set myself a goal (to read the Book of Mormon all the way through first, then make my decision). In the end I was over thinking and not listening to what Heavenly Father was telling me. When I finally "let go and let God" the decision was simple.

It worked..... LOL

Mamas_Girl... Good Question...... She was the one who introduced me to the Visitor Center at the Mesa Temple and who helped me with a lot of my questions when I was an investigator. We do talk about everything, and it was a concern of ours in the begining on the "why" behind my investigation and reason for being baptised, but we have talked about it and we are confident that I did it for the right reason..

Of you have not seen the new Muppets movie, GO!!!!! It was sooo funny. My date and I laughed nearly the entir 98 minutes.

Thank you all for the input, and i really do appreciate it. It came to me last week that in the last 9 months that this friend of mine and I have been "hanging out" I have never once asked her on a "date". It has always been "hey you want to go see a movie" or "let's do lunch" or something similar. So I asked her last week "***** would you like to go on a date with me Saturday?" We went on our first "official" date, and we had sooooooooooo much fun. When I picked her up I broguth 2 roses that were tied together with a black ribbon. I was dressed in "Sunday atire," yes I wore a tie... As we left her place she reached back and grabbed my hand. We talked the entire drive to the resturant, we talked while waiting for a table, we talked suring dinner, we talked while we drove to the movies, we talked while waiting for the movie to start. It is amazing how easily she and I are able to talk about anyting and everything. We saw "The Muppets" for the movie, and we laughed through the entire movie. We talked during the drive home and then we sat in my truck outside her place talking until she got tired. When I walked her to the door she said that she had fun and the we need to do it again (just the 2 of us). I gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek, and then she "just stood there." I reached for her hand and we kissed. Since then we were together Sunday after Church and started wrapping gifts for Christmas, and she looked at me and said, "Hey James.." when I looked at her she said "I Love you".... I have been smiling since Saturday night and I can't stop smiling :-D

.... The Priesthood... To me being a Priesthood Holder I see it as the way Heavenly Father does the work he wants done here on Earth. As for the greatest Duty.. I would say is that to Love your family, to teach your family of the Gospel, and to bring your children up in the Gospel... This is also a blessing to have the ability to do so. I myself have not experienced this first hand, but I have seen it and cannot wait till I am sealed in the Temple and then raise my own children. As for the preporation.. I am currently preparing for the Melchizdek Priesthood by studing the scriptures, reading as much as I can, and talking with my friends who currently hold that priesthood and getting their counsel/guidance on what to study. The last question is a trick question and I think that most if not all Priesthood Holders would agree with me in that they are all important, in that they all have responisbilities and duties that are vital to the Church and the work of God. So I would not say that one is more important than the others.

OK, it has been a while since I started this post and things have been interesting between my lady friend and myself. We have talked about us making the jump from friendship to dating, but the topic always seems to be left unfinished. The last time she brought it up in a conversation that went something like "I have decided that I have have feelings for you that are more than friendship, BUT I am having a difficult time moving beyond 'just friends'.. She said that if she could get "past the hump" she sees us getting married in 6 monthes to 1 year... She continued to say that I am everything she is looking for in a future spouse and that she "loves" me. That being said she kept going back to how she is having trouble moving beyond being friends. Well I did what most young guys would do. I heard what I wanted to hear from that conversation. And I tried to take it to the next level, and asked her if we could "make it offical". We talked a bit more about it and decided that she wasn't ready still. I took the next couple days to pray and fast and I found out that what I heard was not what was said. I felt that I needed to apologize to her for adding more pressure to the situation and we decided to continue as just friends and let things transpire naturally. This was good, until we were at her place talking, she said she was going to help her daughter and her daughter's friend change out of their school clothes. Just as she turned to walk away she quickly came in and kissed me on the lips. It was so fast that I did not have a chance to kiss her back and she would not let me pull her back to kiss her saying, "I need to think about it"... We spent the rest of the evening talking about senerios that might come up if we did get married (ie how much control on finances I have to have, parenting roles, interferience in the parenting by her close friends who have filled the "Father-gap", care of pets, ect...). Since then nothing has been mentioned, but we hold hands more and I am more temped to kiss her when we are close.....

Sorry, Mesa is a suburb of Phoenix, so I just call it all Phoenix... Thanks for the correction :-)

It has been a long time since I read this (college was so long ago now), but I will see what I can find to cite a resource for this information. I should have some time over this holiday to look, but no promises.

This is where an understanding of the "ancient" traditions is a good thing. The word "Wine" as it is translated actually fits for two different drinks that where used in Christ's time. One fits very close to the current use of wine, as being an alcoholic beverage that is made from fruit (usually grapes). The second and not commonly in use today is the juice made from grapes, but it is made in the same manor as wine without the fermintation process, and was refered to as "Pure wine". I hope this helps clear things up, of course it now adds fuel to the debate, which was used... lol

Every year the Mesa, Ariznoa Temple has what I am told is a spectacular Christmas Light Display. This starts on November 25 and runs through December 31. Also from December 1 through December 25th there will be concerts on the grounds. Check out their website for more details. Welcome to the Annual Mesa Arizona Temple, Visitors' Center and Gardens Christmas Lights and Concert Series entitled The Birth of Christ In Light and Music I will be there as much as I can.