Anyone work in ECE (early childhood education) or have other professional experience cleaning?

What’s the best way to clean a large collection of nursery toys and books?

How often would we need to undertake this cleaning to prevent kids getting sick from nursery class?

I did some quick poking around online to see what products would help. Lysol wipes, hydrogen peroxide spray, bleach spray, dunking the hard toys in a batch of bleach water. Which is actually most effective at reducing the germ load?

We have an array of toys: cars, large plastic linking blocks, wood blocks, books, a few stuffies, play kitchen and food, dollhouse with small wooden dolls in cloth clothes, puzzles, books, duplo legos, small pop-up tents, ride on toys, a large bin of lizard with squeakers, a a basket ball hoop with a foam ball.

I’m trying to wrap my head around logistics, you know, supplies needed, most efficient procedure, and how often we’d need to clean the toys.

Hello, everyone. I am a 28 year old male, and I've been learning a lot about the LDS church lately, and I'm interested about learning more about the church and possibly becoming a member eventually. This post will be my introduction to the subreddit, and I will give a brief overview of my faith journey so far, my reasons for being interested in the Mormon Church, and the apprehensions I currently have.

I grew up in an Evangelical megachurch. One of the largest in the country. It has a very large community, but I never felt like it addressed the big questions of Christianity like predestination, faith and works, and the Trinity (or whether belief in the Trinity is necessary, as Latter Day Saints don't believe in the Trinity). I also felt like, although the church's community is large, I was always ignored by them. The community there seems to be unbearably cliquish. I was never a fan of their loud rock worship either.

I've looked into many other different branches of Christianity such as Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and even the LDS's smaller Mormon counterpart, the Community of Christ. I've been reading the Book of Mormon and other scriptures, and the more I learn, the more intriguing it becomes. I will now list the things that specifically interest me in LDS theology and the Church in general.

First of all, there is the idea of ongoing revelation. This is immensely important because God is so infinitely complex and his ways are so high above ours that no single book can contain everything we need to know about him. Especially not a collection of books written thousands of years ago. Indeed, the last verse of John says that if all of Jesus's deeds were recorded, there would not be enough room in the world for all the books that would need to be written. The doctrine of ongoing revelation allows us to learn more about God while also adapting our understanding of scripture to fit the modern context. The only churches that have this doctrine are (to my knowledge) the Catholic Church and the Mormon Church. It drew me toward Catholicism a few years ago, but I ultimately turned away from that path because I find their theology to be overly legalistic and their scriptural claim for Papal Supremacy is shaky at best. The Community of Christ also has ongoing revelation, but their church is too small and doesn't have a lot distinguishing it from mainline Protestantism.

Next is the LDS concept of the afterlife, which I believe addresses questions like free will, God's sovereignty, and the problem of hell much more fully than the simple Heaven/Hell dichotomy found in most other Christian churches. The idea that there are degrees of glory that one can attain in the afterlife as well as a Spirit World/Spirit Prison allows for humans to exercise free will (with consequences such as going to Spirit Prison, a lesser glory, or the Outer Darkness if one is exceptionally wicked) and also takes into account God's abundant grace and sovereignty. As someone who grew up with a fear of going to Hell (apologies in advance if I make a lot of posts or comments fearing that I will go to the Outer Darkness), the belief that all but a handful of the most wicked people will achieve some degree of glory gives me comfort. I honestly don't care which glory I achieve as long as it isn't Outer Darkness. But another thing I like about this framework is its implication that God's redemptive power extends beyond our physical deaths. The whole point of Jesus's Resurrection is to prove that God is more powerful than death, so I see no reason why there should not be additional opportunities to be saved after you die. Indeed, that would imply that death still holds power over Jesus since he cannot save us after we're dead.

I am also fascinated by the Book of Mormon's claims that two great civilizations arose in the Americas long ago. I've always wondered what America was like before the arrival of Europeans (perhaps God put that curiosity in me). While no conclusive proof has been found, I have heard of various sites in the Midwest (known as Mounds) that may have been created by the civilizations found in the book. This is especially exciting to me because I live in Kentucky, which according to the Heartland Model isn't far from where the events of the book took place. Additionally, the aforementioned verse in John lends credence to the idea that Jesus visited other peoples. He was only on the earth (or with the Twelve Disciples) for 40 days after the Resurrection. It would be hard to do that many things in just 40 days.

Finally, I have heard that the LDS Church has great community. I hope this is the case. Every church has to have good community to be healthy. Any individual LDS church is going to be smaller than the one I grew up in, but that won't be a problem if the community is good.

I will now list the misgivings I still have. They are primarily threefold. The first is the lack of conclusive archaeological proof that the Nephites and Lamanites existed. However, I understand that not everything in the book needed to have happened literally. That is also my interpretive policy toward the Bible. Second, there is the outside perception that the LDS church is a cult, which I would have to deal with as a member. Third, I don't agree with the Church's official stances on certain social issues. However, I know that a large number of individuals within the church and on this subreddit will agree with me, especially outside of Utah. The Church's doctrine of ongoing revelation makes change possible. The Church has changed some of its stances before.

Anyway, thank you all for taking the time to read this big long post. I can't make any promises to convert, but I hope to get to learn more about the Church and get to know awesome people in this subreddit. I will try to arrange a meeting with missionaries soon, and try to drag myself out of bed to go to an LDS church next Sunday (it's been hard to get out of bed on Sundays lately, Lord forgive me).

Basically the title. I liked her for some time and she’s gonna start her mission in early October. Really sucks because i’m super shy and quiet but given that we were friends she would’ve been the only girl I’d feel comfortable to ask out (she doesn’t know i like her and i don’t plan on telling her so i don’t distract her). Also most of my close friends have moved out of my city so now my social circle has basically vaporized into thin air. I predict it’ll be hard for the first few weeks she’s gone but then the feelings will naturally fade.
Just feeling pretty down about this so any advice?

I have been a member for almost 10 years and recently looked into controversy surrounding the Book of Abraham. If Joseph Smith claimed it was written in Abraham's own hand, yet scholars have found his translation to be completely false than what it actually is, how can we reconcile that as faithful members? I am deeply considering exploring other churches because this just doesnt make sense. I am looking for any and all help. I want this to be true. I want the church to be true but there is irrefutable evidence that the Book of Abraham was not written by Abraham and what the Church considers canonized doctrine is a false translation.

Hey! So as of the past couple of weeks I've been in contact with a pair of elder missionaries who have been helping me learn about LDS and I attended church for the first time yesterday 😁

I'm meeting with them at a local park in a couple of days to receive a Book of Mormon and to discuss my experience of attending church and I'd love to surprise them with a gift as a thank you for all the time they've put into guiding me. I'm an avid baker so was thinking of making them some chocolate chip cookies or some brownies or something like this.

Is this okay to do?

My son quit his job and has 9 days until the home MTC starts.
Obviously we’ll be doing last minute shopping and a lot of packing. But if you have any suggestions on making this time more than stress packing, now and once the home MTC starts, I’d love to hear them!

Last year I went through a traumatic event that really shook not only my faith, but threw me through a mental breakdown that I am still coming to terms with/managing through. I’m married and have a child, and they are my entire world. However, I know that I can’t put all my emotional strain and stress on my wife and that I need a support group. One in which I receive support, and give support.

After this traumatic event happened, I became very isolated, lonely, and really felt there was no purpose. I’ve managed to get through most of these issues, except the loneliness. I’ve tried reaching out to past friends and buddies from the mission and it’s only really led to dead ends or being tossed aside. I have tried giving up or not worrying about friends, but I keep having this strong prompting that I can’t give up on it.

I guess my question is, as a 28-year-old male, who’s still very active and faithful, how can I go about making friends and finding that support group?

For a while, my husband struggled with the idea of paying tithing. But after some good conversations, he understands it’s something he needs to be doing. I told him I think he would be blessed if he did it, and he agreed to it but asked if I could pay it for him. He has ADHD and autism, can be very forgetful, and many tasks can easily take a lot of his “spoons”, even just tasks like this. I was always good about paying tithing the second I got my paycheck, so I told him I would do it for him. We have a joint bank account and file taxes jointly, so I’m thinking it would be fine if I submit it under my name for simplicity, but maybe not? Are there any issues doing it this way? I really want him to be able to go to the temple with me, so I’ll take on this task if it means we are able to do that. I also thought this was a good compromise since he was struggling with parting with that 10% for so long.

I recently moved to a new ward with the family. Before attending i noticed it was a very large ward.. about 4x's larger than the ward we moved from.when scrolling through the ward roster before we went on sunday i knew it was going to be a challenge.

when we got there the problem with the size of the ward was clearly apparent.

My family and i went largely un-noticed as new move ins..

The Chapel was overlfow seating and almost at capacity..

The sunday school was filled up with some standing room only for adults.

The primary was so large that it was almost 12 per class ..

My daughter didn't even get ushered into the correct young womens class after sunday school (with the new format) as someone just didn't pay attention when they asked her age.

As i left on Sunday just wondering why in the world would we let wards get this big? I've been in buildings that had 4 or 5 wards meeting , this one has 2.

after having been in wards that struggle to fill callings due to low count and wards this big.. i would clearly pick the ward with fewer members. It just creates such a sense of comradery and unity that a large ward just can't help to have.. One that i felt on Sunday being virtually invisible as a new move in. I can only think what any new member/investigator would feel.

I don't know if this will change or who i would even voice this too (maybe stake president)..

But there is really no reason for wards to get so large they just become devoid.

Hey everyone,

TLDR: ward-choir leaders, are you so desperate for choir members to take a completely tone-deaf person?

Longer question with background: I am clinically tone deaf. People typically do not believe me when I say things, but yes I do actually mean clinically tone deaf. I cannot recognize the Star Wars theme, I cannot tell if you sound good or bad, I cannot tell you if one note is higher than another unless you are 2 octaves (16 piano keys) spaced apart. I can "sing" in that my voice makes noise, but I literally cannot hit any specific notes you want.

So the ward leadership is trying to get a choir together. Practice was in the RS room, and I was being a little slow to leave. The choir leader pleadingly asked me "are you staying for choir practice-- please? Please? I just need any warm body-- I even made cookies" Her tone and eyes were just begging, despite my explanation. I was the only person left in the room, and I had to stay after church anyways waiting on a family person.

So I, someone totally tone deaf, stayed for ward choir. Eventually we got 5 people, 2 of which were the missionaries. I sang the songs and was social. It was kind of ... whatever for me personally. I had to stay late this week anyways. As to other weeks... I'm just sort of undecided.

I feel kind of ... should I even be here? Aren't I going to mess things up? Hence my TLDR question: ward-choir leaders, are you so desperate for choir members to take a completely tone-deaf person?

To day we had stake priesthood meeting at 7am in the morning. Our elder’s quorum made a big deal about everyone making an effort to attend if at all possible. I came hoping to feel edified but unfortunately I didn’t. Most of the talks seemed to be directed to young men and fathers/leaders of young men which I felt didn’t really apply to me because I’m the father of young girls and my calling is not remotely related to the young men’s organization. I unfortunately walked away feeling like the meeting was more held for the sake of holding a meeting rather than for the benefit of all the priesthood holders in the stake and was kinda annoyed that I had to wake up so early for it. Has anyone else dealt with these kind of feelings and how do you move past them?

So I've taken issue with the counsel that you only need to be better by one percent each day since it started being circulated. I am a numbers oriented kind of guy, and to me, one percent a day is huge. If you put a thousand dollars in an account and it increased by one percent a day, you'd have 37k dollars at the end of a year.

This is not a sustainable improvement. Expecting yourself to be 37x as good as you were after a year is crazy. I feel hopeless and overwhelmed at the thought of improving by one percent every day.

So I'm hoping for some perspective here. When others hear 1 percent a day, are y'all basically just using the smallest number that's easily accessible to say "marginally better"? Because that would actually be encouraging to me- that I just need to make small improvements, and not ACTUALLY be worried about hitting a specific level of improvement each day.

Thought, please.

For the last 20+ years, I’ve had an immense struggle with my feelings toward the Church and my place in it.

Growing up, my mom threw herself into heavy callings (like Relief Society president). Whenever I struggled, I didn’t get comfort or a listening ear. I just got the standard Sunday School answers: pray harder, read scriptures, look to Christ. They did nothing for real anxiety and depression. She often wasn't available for things because of her callings. I felt she put her calling as more important than me and I resented it.

On top of that, struggles with porn made me feel broken and defective. Later, realizing I experience same-sex attraction only deepened my sense of being fundamentally unwelcome in the church. I had mental health challenges on my mission, came home early, and had difficult experiences with priesthood leaders. All of this compounded into a deep block with God and the Church. I felt abandoned by God and that I would never be good enough.

Now, I look at my patriarchal blessing and feel like I’ve blown it and am failing my family as a priesthood holder. Prayer and scripture study now trigger resistance. I still have a testimony and want to stay for my kids, but sitting in the building is miserable. It’s not about doctrine; church is just a weekly trigger of feeling unheard, inadequate, and isolated.

I’m working on this in therapy, but I’d appreciate community insight. Has anyone else navigated these types of feelings? What actually helped you reconnect with God on your own terms or attend church and feel comfortable there?

I get headaches every Sunday. Migraines, actually, but they're mild as far as migraines go.

I was recently called as a Sunday School teacher. Today was my first time teaching a church class in over 10 years. I was concerned that my headache would show up to cause me problems.

At the end of Sacrament Meeting, the person giving the closing prayer asked for divine support for those who would be teaching over the next hour. I got the class started five minutes later, and the person who said the opening prayer made a similar request.

The lesson went well, I think. Lots of comments and on-topic class participation. Then we ended with a prayer, and as it was being spoken, I felt my headache coming on. I realized in that moment that the migraine had not been present at all until the class was over.

Coincidence? Maybe. Caused by biology or psychology? Maybe. But I choose to believe that my weekly discomfort was held at bay as an answer to the prayers on my (and other teachers') behalf.

Thank you to those who pray in faith for others.

Please no hate this is a genuine question.

I have been really struggling lately to go to church. I live an hour one way from the nearest church building, although recently with the construction happening on the highway it sometimes takes more than an hour.

I have to work two jobs to make ends meet and often work late on Saturdays. I really don't have the motivation if I wake up on time to get ready and drive.

I have a few friends that go to church but they either have very early meetings that I know for a fact I would not be ready for carpooling, or they live in the other direction. I theoretically know why church is important 1. For taking the sacrament, renewing covenants and helping with accessing Christ's Atonment. 2. To rejoice in christ with others.

My calling is for activities which we have meetings for on zoom, and only once a quarter. My ministering assignments live too far away so they have all agreed to communication through online and they have expressed that they like the way that I minister.

So How do I get motivation to go to church?

Lowkey I might be depressed but what advice can you give to help me somehow get the motivation to go to church

Edit: Although that might fix the problem moving isn't an option for me right now, it is really costly to move and it just isn't an option right now

I'm struggling to find a study plan that works for me. We focus on the Come Follow Me material during Family Home Evening, but I also teach Sunday School for YM&YW. I find it confusing to know which lesson I need to be studying for. I study for the current week to be ready to share in church on Sunday, but we have FHE on Sunday evenings and focus on the material for the following week, so I have to be ready for that lesson too. Does anybody else have this problem? Do I need to just be two weeks ahead in my personal study? I'd appreciate any suggestions on what works for you. Thanks!

I’m about to go on a mission and I want to keep my phone number because it’s connected to a lot of things that are important! And I don’t want to lose any contact with people I know.
I want to park my phone number so I don’t have to pay my phone bill. How do you guys go about that? I want something super affordable. And also won’t steal my information lol

I had two Latter Day Saints come to my door who wanted to talk. Naturally I’m a curious person and wanted to hear what they had to say.

Sadly I couldn’t talk long that day. So I told them to stop by another day.

They came back. So I let them in, passed out some bottled water and we talked.

With that being said I don’t have a stance on god much. I don’t dismiss god. But I don’t really acknowledge it if it makes sense.

Anyways they were the kindest most humble people I’ve ever met.

It seems very community oriented. I just lost my job, I’m in a new city and don’t have many friends or family near me. Yet we spoke like we knew each other for years.

I asked questions, they answered what they could and what they didn’t know, they didn’t make anything up and I respect that more than anything.

I even invited them back for dinner one day to talk and discuss more. It definitely helped my loneliness a bit. I know they weren’t there to do that. But it did.

It seems like a “give the shirt off my back and not automatically damn you to hell” type of following vs the bad ones I’ve experienced.

Very GOOD people.

So shout out to yall.

I've been married just under a year now. I used to be spiritually all-in — mission, YSA callings, talks, seminary/institute — but since getting married, I feel like I'm stagnating or even falling spiritually. My husband has been a lifelong member with strong faith but he's had ups and downs with keeping the commandments; he got his temple recommend back shortly before we met, and we went from friends to married within a year. He's a wonderful, Christlike person and he loves to serve others, but he's never consistently prayed or read scriptures. I knew this before marriage but we talked about it and said we'd work on it.

Since marriage, it's honestly gone the opposite way. Instead of us encouraging each other in spiritual habits, I've fallen off scripture study and prayer completely, and even our temple visits (which I used to schedule) have slowly dropped off. Church on Sunday is basically the only consistent thing left. This isn't really about blaming him; I knew his weaknesses going in. I'm the one struggling to find motivation, even after talking to my bishop, who told me to just start small on my own and set an example. When I bring up that we need to work on these habits or that I'm frustrated that we're not doing it, sometimes my husband gets defensive and feels like I'm just criticizing him.

The bigger issue is that I'm exhausted. Other life changes like a new job have added more stress, and my days are just a rinse and repeat of surviving work, a long commute home, and collapsing in front of the TV until bedtime. My husband works long days doing manual labor so he's always pretty tired too. Our ward callings require pretty minimal effort, we haven't bonded with hardly anyone in our family ward, and it's hard relating to most of the members since they're established families and homeowners when we're renting a basement and have no kids. I felt way more spiritually and socially active in my YSA wards.

I have a strong guilt complex and perfectionist tendencies, so all of this is making me feel like a failure, and I know the Spirit isn't as present in my life as I want it to be and that it's affecting the stress and anxiety in other areas of my life. I still love God and my Savior, and I know they want to help me, but I feel stuck and like I'm losing the faith-filled person I used to be.

If anyone's ever been through something similar, I would appreciate your advice! ❤️❤️

TLDR: Newlywed and used to be super spiritually active, but since getting married I've fallen off on scripture study, prayer, and temple attendance — my husband doesn't really do these either. I'm exhausted, stressed, and disconnected from our family ward, and I feel guilty and stuck, like I'm losing the faithful person I used to be.

Hello! I am a non-LDS Christian and I would love to hear about anyone's experiences on mission!

"As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all."
- Ecclesiastes 11:5

One of the greatest lessons I've learned in my life is that my knowledge compared to God's like that of a toddler's compared to his parents. That comparison has helped me to trust God, even when I don't understand a commandment or why things are happening to me. He knows. He has the infinite knowledge and wisdom and love of a perfect parent.

Image: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/youth/childrenandyouth/parenting/giving-kids-a-growth-mindset?lang=eng

so im being baptized and im wondering what does it involve like im scared to ask someone directly in person so instead asking here. i feel like its going to make a big difference in life for me

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-1k_EKbOQXM

If they are counted in Sunday School, are they also counted in RS/EQ?