Hi – this is skippy740

[Anonymous]

My name is skippy740. I’m an active member of the church. I’m also a forum moderator on another LDS forum. (Yes, I know this isn’t my ‘sandbox’, so of course I’ll be playing by the rules.)

I look forward to helping others work through their issues – to the extent that I can.

Thanks for having me!

[Anonymous]

Welcome, skippy – as long as you do play by the rules.

Do you want to share what other forum you help moderate – and what, exactly, brought you here?

[Anonymous]

Welcome! Glad you’re here.

Just a fun fact your name reminded me of…

Quote:

“Arachibutyrophobia” (pronounced I-RA-KID-BU-TI-RO-PHO-BI-A) is the fear of peanut butter getting stuck to the roof of your mouth.

[Anonymous]

Welcome, Skippy, we’re glad to have you here.

[Anonymous]

Old-Timer wrote:

Welcome, skippy – as long as you do play by the rules.

Do you want to share what other forum you help moderate – and what, exactly, brought you here?

I’m a moderator at lds.net.

There was an article posted there that was in the Washington Times (I think) that talked about Mormons turning online who had doubts and it discussed this forum. So I decided to register and participate in the online discussions.

I’m also a part of the African American Outreach Program – a member missionary program organized by Brother Marvin Perkins – to help bring and strengthen African Americans into the church. In fact, I’m preparing a lesson for EQ this Sunday on this very topic – using only the scriptures as our guide. So I have some unique resources to share in that regard.

[Anonymous]

I love Brother Perkins and his work – and Darius Gray and Margaret Young and others. If you see Margaret, please tell her I said Hi.

[Anonymous]

Hi Skippy. Welcome aboard.

[Anonymous]

skippy740 wrote:

Old-Timer wrote:

Welcome, skippy – as long as you do play by the rules.

Do you want to share what other forum you help moderate – and what, exactly, brought you here?

I’m a moderator at lds.net.

There was an article posted there that was in the Washington Times (I think) that talked about Mormons turning online who had doubts and it discussed this forum. So I decided to register and participate in the online discussions.

I’m also a part of the African American Outreach Program – a member missionary program organized by Brother Marvin Perkins – to help bring and strengthen African Americans into the church. In fact, I’m preparing a lesson for EQ this Sunday on this very topic – using only the scriptures as our guide. So I have some unique resources to share in that regard.

baddabing… wow. Ok. interesting. I’m trying to figure out what to say here…

First, welcome.

We stayLDS because of a lot of reasons, and I would say that one of them is not a need to be convinced the Church is true. I have my own testimony, and perhaps it’s a bit unorthodox, but it’s based upon many years of experience and my position to reconcile what I know to be true, and what I hear in the correlated teachings of the church.

So, as I would not post my unorthodox views on lds.net, sometimes the highly orthodox position is not always received well here in response to our challenges in navigating the middle way. Does that make sense to you? It’s just a suggestion.

I look forward to hearing your story of how you navigate faith when some of the things you’re taught are not literally true. Or is that inconsistent with your experience?

again, welcome.

[Anonymous]

I would welcome highly orthodox views here in this forum on topics or doctrines if presented in a tolerant and respectful way.

I think there is a difference between saying,

Quote:

I believe Joseph Smith literally saw God the Father and Jesus Christ in a vision, and received revelations on God’s commandments for us all to receive blessings, even Eternal Life.

And…

Quote:

You are mistaken if you think Joseph only saw visions in his head, like a hull inaction or something. Truth is truth, and Joseph being called of God qualifies him as a prophet, and if you just obey the restored church’s rules, you will be blessed. If you doubt that, you are an apostate, and have lost the spirit to discern truth, and will lose blessings in your life.

Both may be orthodox views. But the last one would not be received well here in a open forum that is safe to question and discuss things respectfully.

Let’s allow the discussions to be with orthodox and unorthodox alike, with the goal of constructive support and learning.

[Anonymous]

Welcome Skippy740! :wave:

I couldn’t agree more Heber. Around here the content of personal belief is not the issue, it is the sincerity and authenticness of that belief.

It can be a useful learning experience all on its own to discuss topics civilly and productively when you emotionally disagree.

[Anonymous]

wayfarer wrote:

We stayLDS because of a lot of reasons, and I would say that one of them is not a need to be convinced the Church is true. I have my own testimony, and perhaps it’s a bit unorthodox, but it’s based upon many years of experience and my position to reconcile what I know to be true, and what I hear in the correlated teachings of the church.

So, as I would not post my unorthodox views on lds.net, sometimes the highly orthodox position is not always received well here in response to our challenges in navigating the middle way. Does that make sense to you? It’s just a suggestion.

I look forward to hearing your story of how you navigate faith when some of the things you’re taught are not literally true. Or is that inconsistent with your experience?

again, welcome.

I can really appreciate that. Although I’m a mod over there, it’s not like I haven’t disagreed with how the forum is moderated. While the focus is in following the Lord, I’ve wished at times that we would be more tolerant of other’s points of view. From the “orthodox” viewpoint – I’d rather see a smoker attend church every week smelling of cigarettes than to not come at all. I’ve heard it said that if we were doing our job right as missionaries, our chapels would all smell of cigarettes – for helping to bring others to the gospel.

I like trying to help others to find their own compromises and solutions. We are all to be students of the gospel, not blind followers. We all can study things out and make our own decisions. Sometimes our decisions may clash with traditional teachings – and so we need to seek help to reconcile these things.

I wish LDS.net was a little more open to such discussion, while keeping the focus on gospel and church activity.

[Anonymous]

Welcome Skippy,

I am interested in learning a little more about you. How was your upbringing? Are you married? Kids? I assume that you are male? What drives you to participate on the web? What benefits have you derived from your participation on LDS.net? I ask because I’d like to humanize you in my mind.

I look forward to your participation here.

Roy

[Anonymous]

Welcome to this forum Skippy!

I too would like to understand more about your life, experiences & circumstances.

This is a good place to discuss any topic related to the gospel & our own life situations.

Mike from Milton.

[Anonymous]

skippy740 wrote:

…I’ve wished at times that we would be more tolerant of other’s points of view. From the “orthodox” viewpoint – I’d rather see a smoker attend church every week smelling of cigarettes than to not come at all. I’ve heard it said that if we were doing our job right as missionaries, our chapels would all smell of cigarettes – for helping to bring others to the gospel.

I wish LDS.net was a little more open to such discussion, while keeping the focus on gospel and church activity.

Great stuff Skippy! Appreciate this.

[Anonymous]

Roy wrote:

Welcome Skippy,

I am interested in learning a little more about you. How was your upbringing? Are you married? Kids? I assume that you are male? What drives you to participate on the web? What benefits have you derived from your participation on LDS.net? I ask because I’d like to humanize you in my mind.

I look forward to your participation here.

Roy

I was raised in the church by a convert father and a lifelong member mother.

I am married, but I’ve been separated from my wife and 3 kids for 2.5 years now. Working on getting back together again.

I’ve participated in various discussion forums online over the past 10 years, so it’s kinda habit for me to share my own thoughts online.

On LDS.net, the benefits have been to do “subject matter gospel study”. A question is posed and it forces me to think about it and how I would respond or where I would go to find the answers. With my involvement in the AAOP (African American Outreach Program), I was able to help 1 sister become re-activated without any further doubts on the teachings of the church… and 1 baptism.

[Author]

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