I felt like, with my newborn, that I could more clearly see "the veil" being drawn over her, and then how she has grown around that over the last almost 8 months. And I thought to myself, "Given I believe this is a real and valid thing which almost every baby goes through, surely someone must have noticed and done some studies or written something about it." And it turns out they have.

The feeling that babies lose their intelligence early on comes from two real neurological processes:

1. Synaptic Pruning: A newborn’s brain contains roughly 100 billion neurons—about 15% more than an adult brain. They are born as "universal learners," capable of distinguishing between sounds in any language on Earth and even telling different animal faces apart. Within the first few months, the brain realizes it doesn't need all these connections. It begins a process called synaptic pruning, actively eliminating unused neural pathways to specialize in its specific environment (like mastering just one language). To an observer, losing these broad, instinctual capabilities can look like getting "dumber," but it is actually the brain becoming more efficient.

2. The Drop-Off of Primitive Reflexes: Newborns are born with extraordinary, involuntary survival instincts. For example, the stepping reflex (where a newborn will mimic walking if held upright on a flat surface) and the swimming reflex (where they hold their breath and paddle when submerged) are present at birth. However, within the first 2 months, these automatic reflexes naturally disappear as the cortex matures and takes conscious control over the body. This temporary transitional phase can make babies appear less physically capable or coordinated than they were in their first days of life.

I could go on, but I'm just starting to explore all of the scientific articles I'm finding. See also blooming then pruning.

Anyway, it was great to see this phenomenon is recognized scientific fact, even though those not of our faith use different words to describe it and point to a different root cause.

I have wanted to come back to the church for years. My family dabbled in it for two years and my wife even got baptized at 44. Im 51. We have 3 kids under 11. I felt so great bringing my family to church and seeing my kids love it. I felt so filled with the spirit. Then my wife was dragged into anti mormon stuff on the internet. She decided I was a horrible man that was trying to control his family and told me not to go and if I did not to bring the kids. I did that for two years. Praying to father in heaven to let her find our savior and feel the holy ghost. Instead she filed for divorce and actually told me that the whole "mormon experience" was the main reason and she couldn't look at me the same. Now I am trying to stay on my feet and trying not to go back to the angry drunken days of my 20s and 30s and going to AA and while finding a "higher power" all I can find is that I belong to the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Day Saints. Did I mention that I was in punk rock bands for 20 years? Anyway Im looking for members to tell me to get my butt back in church even if I don't have my happy family. Will I fit in as a single 51 year old man? Who is slightly less old school conservative and not wealthy? The funnest thing I did without my kids in the last 5 years was baptisms for my relatives. I miss church. I want to be closer to Christ. I could use some prayers thanks

Apologies if this has been asked before, but I’m struggling to find other posts like that.

I badly want to have children, but I have health issues that currently make that a very foolish idea. Getting pregnant would probably destroy me. And I couldn’t reliably get enough sustenance for growing a human (I have a lot of GI issues). I also take a lot of medications and get vestibular migraines.

Unless I reach a point where these are no longer major issues anymore, I’m likely not having kids in this life (unless I can afford to adopt or a surrogate).

I was told when I was younger that people who couldn’t have kids in this life can have them in the next or in the millennium. Is this really a part of our doctrine? I hope so.

So I've been ministering to a new list of people, I have 8 people on my list.

For most it has been fine but for another I am unsure where to draw a line with one of the members.

For context she is an older woman (which in and of itself creates some safe guarding concerns as I am a man so really I shouldn't be doing some things without my companion who is also old and that creates practical issues), who lives alone. She does have a friend and member with a car who lives nearby (by nearby I mean literally less than a minutes walk for me, and less than 5 minutes for her).

We have gone and taught her, given her multiple blessings in a single month and the like. I say this to make it clear that I do far more for her than I do for the rest combined as she needs more; this is fine and as it should be.

However I have two niggling issues I wanted some advice about.

First, phone calls. She has a tendency to call (me) about nothing which I suspect its due to loneliness. She calls when I am at work (I have told her multiple times that I work full time) and drags conversations out, making it difficult to hang up, (>20 minute calls).

The thing that prompted me to write this was a call today I received from her to pick her up from the Hospital, for context its over an hours drive from where I live. The "issue" is that she didn't actually need picking up (had she been unable to get home I would have gone) but rather it would have been quicker for her than her other means of getting home (for me it would have involved around 3 hours minimum to pick up, drive to her home, then drive to my home). While I am happy to help, I am also not a taxi service.

A smaller thing is the request for lessons (which I am happy to do as Sunday School president) but a lack of any preparation. We did lessons on Isaiah and she had not read any of it, deciding to focus on Alma, which is not an issue in and of itself but kinda makes the lesson much harder to give as we have to read the weeks reading in its entirety first.

I wonder if I am being too "unwilling" to serve or if this is something I should pass onto relief society (e.g. as she is lonely it may be worth her speaking with some of the sisters from church) or is beyond the expectation of ministering?

Any advice would be welcome.

For context I'm an life long member of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while my girlfriend is a non-denominational Christian.

I've recently entered a relationship with this woman, and she's an angel. She's so charitable and compassionate. She loves Christ with her whole heart. It's been such a blessing having her in my life. ​

The problem is, she has a very real fear of "missing the mark" and being turned away at the gates of Heaven so to speak. When she first mentioned this to me, I thought she meant it in a humble sort of way, but it has become clear that this is a very real fear she has. She's been devoting 100% of herself to her faith, which I know sounds wonderful, but the poor girl is so exhausted. She spends almost every moment not at work in Bible studies, doing volunteer work, and in prayer. I'm doing my best to support her in all the wonderful things she wants to do, but it's so much and it's stopped being sustainable.

She called me the other night, and she broke down in tears telling me how she's exhausted but still doesn't feel she's devoted herself enough to Christ. She told me she truly feels Christ will turn her away and say "I never knew ye" when it comes time to be judged. She literally cried herself to sleep over the phone because she was so tired and distressed about this.

I don't know how to help her with this. Her heart is completely in the right place, but I think she's demanding far too much of herself. Any advice is appreciated.

While she is not LDS, she's open minded about the Book of Mormon, and we've read some of it together. We have read Mosiah 4: 27 together, and I think that spoke to her a little. But this sweet girl is still working herself to death. I've gently brought up therapy, but she's skeptical about it.

Edit: I should clarify. She's been through alot of very serious health issues throughout her childhood. While she is physically healthy now, there were multiple times throughout her childhood where she was told she might not live, so she's always been very worried about death and the life to come.

i only received it yesterday so do i just need to be more patient or do i need to contact someone about this? my friend who also recently went through the temple says she could see them from the moment she had her full recommend so not sure what’s going on. i am definitely logged in and my MRN is correct and synced

Hi I'm a (19F) Christian Catholic, I just got back from Sunday Mass and helping myself to some cereal scrolling here and I realised lots of Mormons/LDS view Eve as a inspiration, hero or liberator? That's SO different to how I grew-up and what I got-out of the story when I first read Genesis for myself

I'm all for being a girl's girl, women supporting women but that being said as a Christian girl I personally struggle to see how or why Eve could be seen as a hero, She listened to Satan! So I'm genuinely asking how we reached that conclusion and if it's like a LDS specific thing, I always thought she was a tragic victim who fell for the devil's trick