FiveNine

I have been an active investigator a 1 1/2 years now, I go to Sacrament on a regular basis then fall off the face of the planet on them for a month then come back and they welcome me with open arms everytime. Returning would be easy for you, just get involved. If you feel like there will be difficulty speak to your bishop as someone mentioned about it and that will ease the transition for you. Its all about moving forward, even if you did go backwards for awhile.

If you ever decide the Pacific Northwest is right for you, I would highly suggest the Portland Temple. It's beauty is unmatched, the only thing that comes close is when you hike up in the Columbia River Gorge and get to a high point for a view of everything.

Generally any Christian denomination is widely accepted around in my area for the most part, aside from the JW's due to their door knocking which I hear does more bad than good. LDS are primarily Conservative from what I understand, I don't know a single liberal in my YSA Ward which is surprising as younger tends to lean left in their views. Muslims tends to be not as accepted due to their more judgmental views on those of us who do not follow their faith or belief system. Liberals in general tend to feel the need to help the 'underdog' so to speak, even if it means not addressing more important issues. Prime example is us giving money to countries that burn our flag rather than trying to fix our own country first... Despite this belief that the LDS Church is very Conservative alot of Evangelical Christians actually chose to simply not vote in this last election because they did not feel comfortable with a Mormon being President. I actually briefly dated a girl who comes from a very Evangelical household. She is very open minded, however her family is not so welcoming. They banned me from the house because of my LDS beliefs, essentially breaking up our relationship. Not very Christ-like I would say but to each their own I suppose. Not even a single invite to attend a Sunday service with them.

I pity the fool who tries that with me, nothing says natural selection better than staring down the barrel my friendly 9mm. One step towards me? Well.. the safety is off.. Turn and run? Live to be traded for a pack of smokes in jail by big bubba. My issue is as a business owner it could be a potential new client needing process served, skip tracing done or a repo company needing me to run by a few addresses haha. Hard to not answer the phone.

Every pair of missionaries locally seems to be using them now and I would say they seem to have beneficial and simplified quite a bit for them. I know they keep a wealth of information on the tablets so they can fall back on information at a moments notice rather than waiting to get back to their area book to make calls. I've spoken with quite a few about their thoughts on it and they've all been very grateful to have this additional tool to aid them in spreading the gospel. This also allows them to use Facebook to reach out to potentially new investigators, pretty nifty.

They say "dress your Sunday best" and well... Quite a few people look best in a white dress shirt. When I attend Sacrament I have never dressed up, I wear jeans, some black or dark colored shirt and usually wear my leather jacket depending on weather. Have my ear piercings in to when I forget to take them out and I catch the bishop glancing at me. Half the guys in my local YSA don't even wear white, they'll dress decent but comfortable.

If a family item has been gifted to me I would feel the need to continue on the gifting to my daughter when she is of age. We have several items that have been handed down between generations in my family, naturally I would want to continue that tradition.

I had asked the missionaries this same question and they had told me that the use of white clothing was symbolic rather than scriptural based. White symbolizes purity and cleanliness, and well... We all know what baptism symbolizes. Goes hand in hand. When my cousin was baptized as a Methodist he just wore his swim trunks, no white on him. They tried to dunk me in that cold river, I was like "NOPE!"

Long story short, scams and the scammers evolve with time. When one thing no longer works, they move onto something else. I was contacted by a "Dupree Legal Services" that had been retained by a "Debt Collector" that was notorious for scamming. They threatened "Arbitrary" actions and said I would be liable for all legal proceedings if I did not contact them in regards to allegations of check fraud. This phone call took place (voicemail) 6/26. Now I have not written a check since 2006 so... Already fishy. Fast forward to today, I receive a call from a blocked number. Different name, same thick southern accent voice that says my last name wrong. This time claiming to be a "Senior Claims Process Server" that has been "Retained" to serve me a summons with my upcoming court date. Both of my phones were called, and she plans to meet me at my old place of living on July 11th between 10AM and Noon. But also gave me the same phone number she had called from the first time and stated that I can call to have any questions answered. She doesn't realize she called a Washington State Process Server, there is no such thing as a "Senior Claims Process Server". I called the local auditor and gave them her name and there is nobody by her name who is licensed to serve process in the State of Washington. And I know not of any process server who will call ahead of time to announce their arrival... And they have a pretty crappy 'skiptracer' if they are pulling up an old address that was incomplete. On my personal line I have a fake name in the voicemail box, so putting personal information on a voicemail box like that I believe violates some laws. But regardless I am going to file a complaint with the attorney general about it. If she calls again, i'll probably light her up over it. Apparently impersonating process servers, police officers, fbi agents, law firms and even judges is a pretty big thing right now I have read. Disturbing, and annoying. The only debt I currently hold is a parking ticket I have been fighting with the City of Portland for nearly four years now, and that debt is held by the city since I am constantly nagging them for a photograph of the ticket on my vehicle but they refuse to provide it. So yea... Just.. Obviously pay your debts but when something is fishy its best to investigate. The issue is far bigger than I was aware out there.

The talk of that excommunication taking place was strictly on Facebook, other members of my YSA Ward stated their opinions (one was against, the rest were for) however on Sunday there has not been talk of it at all. She is old news and will fade into oblivion.

I do not live the Words of Wisdom. I enjoy a beer every now and then. I am however very against smoking and drugs, my grandfather was taken from me when I was three by cancer from smoking. Though I was young I remember that hole in his neck quite vividly.

You mean... Ma'am*

Falling into inactivity is something that you are not the first, nor will be the last to do. It happens to the even some of the best, most dedicated LDS. In my 1 1/2 years as an investigator I have personally seen some go, then quickly come back. And while they felt guilty they pressed on and remembered to endure to the end. We have all made mistakes in our lives, but its how we handle that mistake that counts. Do we let it create doubt and corrupt our way of thought? Or do we learn, grow and move forward rather than dwell? Doubt is like a weed in a beautiful garden, unless you pluck it at the roots it will spread and choke the garden until nothing is left besides well... more weeds. You have found yourself in that situation, pull those weeds and be that person you want to be. The guilt you feel means that you care, you realize that falling away was not in your best interest. This is your chance to come back and shine brighter than you did ever before. Be proud of your service and who you are, seek out guidance from those who care and love for you. Your Bishop is a great source of counsel, as is the missionaries in your ward. Go visit your local temple. When I am down I visit the Portland Temple, they have an atrium literally inside that you can enter and sit in as just a visitor. For me its an amazing experience, empowering and helps lift me. The weight of the world is literally off my shoulders there. And of course you can always seek the advice and words of fellow LDS on this forum, its been a wealth of information and encouragement for me here and I know that you would enjoy it as well. Others will likely post their insight as well. This is mine. You can always PM me as well if you would like, I am always all ears for someone who is in need of venting.

I am not a member of the church despite agreeing with the majority of the teachings. I normally attend the local YSA, however once in a blue moon I visit my old Baptist Church. Not quite for the message but more so to see old faces.

I have seen this floating around Facebook, quite interesting to see how cultures and what they find most attractive vary. Obviously this does not speak for the majority, but it presents the idea.