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Others have offered good advice regarding writing to him and filling your time in the meantime. I have a couple other thoughts to add: (1) Don't automatically rule out dating for yourself because (a) you have romantic feelings for him, and (b) you're "not a dater." Your friend will experience a tremendous amount of personal growth, very concentrated, during his mission. If you want to still hold his interest* when he comes home, you need to grow as well. Dating can be a big part of personal growth. (2) Have you considered serving a mission yourself? *You should engage in activities that will promote personal growth regardless of your friend. You should do it for yourself. I chose the wording I did only because of the context of this discussion. But nothing you do should be because you're trying to impress/win/be with him. It should be for you.

I agree with Anddenex. Return from Tomorrow hardly constitutes doctrine. Same appetites and passions. Yes. I'm sure there are other sources...but for a quick one from Gospel Principles - chapter 41: They have the same appetites and desires that they had when they lived on earth. But I think appetites needs to be qualified. I do not think it can apply to mortal appetites of the physical world. Otherwise we will all be walking around in the spirit world craving food all the time whether we are righteous or not. Maybe. But I think it refers more to the idea that we will still desire good or evil at that point, more than specific cravings for chocolate or the like.

You're right, the Church is recognizing this person is in heaven. In Catholicism, anyone who is in heaven is a saint. A capital S Saint is someone the Church recognizes as definitely in heaven. We know they are in heaven because miracles have been done through their intercession. For JP2, the miracles included a woman healed from cancer who prayed for his intercession. (She is asking JP2 to pray for her) She was cured from the cancer and it was declared a medically-impossible miracle. After 2 miracles have been verified, they are eligible for canonization. I should mention the verification process for miracles is extremely strict and it HAS to be medically or scientifically-impossible for it to count. My favorite part of the process is that there is someone called the "Devil's Advocate" whose job is to find reasons NOT to canonize the person. If this person's arguments can be debunked by those in charge of the canonization process, it continues. I heard that when Don Bosco (St. John Bosco) was up for sainthood the Devil's Advocate said he never had time to pray (he ran an oratory for poor orphans during Italy's industrial revolution). The response to that was "Well, his life was a prayer." You're right, there is a delay between the person's death and the opening of their Cause for Canonization. And it is so that the fervor could die down a bit. It makes sure that the process is more neutral. However, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (personally a favorite of mine), waived the standard waiting period for his predecessor and best friend, JP2. And just like the pope can waive the waiting period, he can also decide to canonize someone without the standard 2 miracles. This is what Pope Francis did with John XXIII. The canonization itself involves a Mass. Actually, you can find this canonization on YouTube, which I recommend watching as the Mass is concelebrated with Pope Francis AND Pope Benedict. 2 popes canonizing 2 popes. Not to mention, I love Benedict so it was great to see him in public. I hope this information helps a bit.

My husband and I had seven kids. We had a mini van that seated seven though there were nine of us total. Car seats weren't the law until the younger children were born. Finances were always tight. I did what I could to bring in extra money like babysitting from my home, or at times I worked full time. I would put money aside on a regular basis so we could go on vacations. It was a priority for me. We managed to go to Disneyland several times. A lot of our vacations were visiting relatives out-of-state or going camping. When our oldest daughter graduated from High School, we rented a large 15 psg. van and went to Great Basin Nat'l Park, Yellowstone, Canada, Glacier Nat'l Park, Seattle, Mt. St. Helens, Oregon, and then down the cost of California to San Francisco and Sacramento. Then back over to Utah. It was a wonderful vacation. And, I knew it was going to be the last one we had as a whole family. A few years later when I went to work for a major airlines, my older children were already out of the house. The younger kids were able to travel internationally because of my flight benefits. We learned to travel inexpensively. As for providing for the family: Our home is a moderate 2400 sq. ft. But, it has six bedrooms. The basement was unfinished when we bought it, and over time we have finished bedrooms as needed. Now, whether if we had two children or the seven, we would be in the same house. So, mortgage would have been the same. We had our mini van, and usually one other vehicle. Church was within walking distance, and except for that and vacations, or driving to visit Grandparents, we didn't need to be all in one vehicle. Food and clothing would of course be more expensive for a larger family than a smaller family. But, you don't need designer clothes to be well dressed. And, you don't need to eat steak for every meal. I learned to cook casseroles, which by the way, my husband does not like, but he learned to eat them. Also, on the practical side of things, I did not over schedule my life or my children's. We couldn't afford it for one thing. They did manage to have swim lessons, piano lessons, and some of them played sports. When we had some really bad financial problems, all lessons were stopped because we were unable to afford them. But, I think my children would say, thank you for giving us birth, we didn't need all the sports, music, or dance lessons. Is it practical to have a large family in this day? Practical may not be the correct word. It's do-able. My son and his wife are expecting their sixth. And both of them are attending school full time right now. My daughter-in-law will be taking a short break after the baby is born, and then she'll be back in school. Now, their children are spaced a lot closer together than mine were. With most of my kids, I had a three year space and one four year space. They have about a two year space between all their kids. So, to me their house is more hectic than mine was. Their oldest is nine, and with the kids as young as they are, they don't go through too much food, yet. Just wait until they are teenagers! Diapers is one of their biggest expenses right now, but that won't be forever. They are struggling financially, but managing. I think even if they had one or two kids, it would still be a struggle financially. That's why they are both in school. They want to better their financial situation. For me, a large family was what I always wanted. I came from a large family, and so did my husband. On my mother's side of the family I have an Uncle and Aunt who had 14 children, another Aunt and Uncle that had 12. As a kid, my favorite place to visit was my Aunt and Uncle's house with the 14 children. There was always something happening, and it was so fun. I'm not an empty-nester yet, but almost. My home is so quiet without all the kids and their friends coming and going. I miss it. This week I've been able to watch my 16-month-old grandson while his mama is in So. Korea visiting her older sister. I love the snuggle time with the baby. I love his little happy dance when he sees me. I love his fresh baby smell right after a bath. I love it when he wants me to hold him. I love watching him play. I love to see the progress he has made, just in the week I've had him. These are things that I miss from when I was a young mother. And, because I was blessed with more than one or two children I had the joy of seeing the magic of childhood multiple times. Are children a lot of work? Yes. But, to me, so worth it. Children are a wonderful blessing. My heart is so full with the love for my own children and my grandchildren. I can't imagine not having the children that I had. In some ways I wish I could have had at least one more. But, by the time I was 39 when I had the last, my body had had enough, and I almost lost the last pregnancy. We were so blessed to have had that last baby, and he has been such a joy. And, I was attending college full time when I had him. I don't feel like I missed out on anything by having the family that I did. I would do it all over again in-a-heartbeat.

It's not the right color......:))

For me Chinese food is at the top

First, welcome! As far as your past being held against you - not at all! Not sure what type of advice you're after but a couple ideas: - you could start reading "The Book of Mormon" (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng) - you can live chat with the missionaries (http://www.mormon.org/ > upper right corner) - you can attend services at your local building (you can either ask the missionaries where it is or we can help you figure that out, too)

Consider for a moment that as LDS we believe in God, a Holy Spirit, and angels etc... All of which can be considered supernatural, all of which we believe can and does reach out and guide us from time to time. We also believe in Satan, and his followers... All of which can be considered supernatural, all of which we believe can and does reach out and tries to influence us from time to time. So the question isn't really can we have an supernatural influence in our lives... the question becomes what is the source of that influence? And when you think about it then you can understand the LDS church's position. Tarot cards, psychics and other such things may be nothing but a sham (most probably are) but on the off chance they connect to something supernatural.... well we have every reason not to trust source of such a power, because its not the way God tells us he is going to work.

Of course it's not for everyone. It's all a matter of personal choice. Those with large families somehow make it work in a lot of cases. Really not for me to say if it's practical or not. Just wasn't my choice.

So do you agree or disagree? http://askgramps.org/23973/lose-addictions-die

Just thought I'd share this. This upcoming weekend, Pope Francis will be canonizing Blessed Pope John Paul the Great and Blessed Pope John XXIII. Canonizing, for those not familiar with the term, is when the Catholic Church recognizes the person as a saint and in heaven with God. It's usually a long process, but after the death of John Paul II, Pope Benedict waived the one year waiting period for opening up a cause of canonization and put his predicessor on the "fast-track". During his funeral and the days following the pope's death, many people were chanting "Santo Subito" which is Italian for "Saint now." Being as Pope John Paul II (or as I like to call him, John Paul the Great) was one of the longest reigning popes in history and a huge influence on world history, this is a moment Catholics (and in my case, former Catholics) have been waiting for. And it is very exciting. The announcement of canonization of Blessed Pope John XXIII was a bit more controversial. Pope Francis waived the customary number of miracles needed to be recognized a saint which bothered many traditional Catholics as Pope John XXIII was the pope who opened up Vatican II and was seen as a somewhat political move on Pope Francis's part to please conservatives (JP2) and liberals (J23). Granted, both are great men. Even though I am no longer a Catholic, I am looking forward to this weekend and the canonization of two great spiritual leaders. just thought I'd share this with you all.

What are you waiting for? You aren't engaged. You aren't promised. You have no formal level of commitment to each other. Right? Did I read it wrong? So...the way you handle it is...go on with life and do what is right, let the consequence follow. Always. If I misread and you are formally committed to one another somehow, I would advise, break it off - formally speaking. It is a distraction to a missionary. Not having a formal commitment does not hurt anything but can be a negative thing for a missionary. A missionary should be focused on their missions and not have to worry about the girl/boy back home. All your support to him should be in support of his well being in the Lord and his well being as a missionary. Entirely, completely, and unrestrained. Support this and you will find that all else will work out as it should.

My understanding is that we will continue to have the same appetites even after this life, which is why we need to overcome them here. I will have to look further into the quotes I have read in the past. I think though, having more a doctrinal approach than the NDE might clarify more, but that is just me.

Beatification is the second step to sainthood. First is Venerable, second Blessed, third Saint. So Mother Teresa is currently Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. When she becomes canonized (it's going to happen) she will become known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta. She's one step away. Not sure if it's the same for the Eastern Churches.As far as private devotions, it's accepted. When I was a Catholic I constantly asked for the intercession of my grandfather and my old confessor, 2 of the holiest men I've ever had the blessing of knowing. (Actually, I sometimes catch myself pausing and quickly ask them to pray for me, habits). If they aren't in heaven, I'm not sure what happens, though if they are in heaven they are as much of a saint as Padre Pio or St. Francis. However, while the Church says these private devotions are accepted, we shouldn't be saying in a group prayer, "Uncle Vern, pray for us" like we say "Padre Pio, pray for us." Privately we can say it though. That's been my understanding as a Catholic for 20 years and as a current Catholic Studies and theology minor.

First, welcome to the Church! Your bishop will need to interview you and they usually do that pretty soon. Then they'll ask for a sustaining vote in Sacrament Mtg and confer the priesthood on you either during Priesthood Mtg or after. You need to be 16 to bless the sacrament.

Faith4, Thank you for your post. I wanted to respond specifically to your post for many reasons. My particular journey seems to have been quite different than yours. It appears to me that your love, knowledge and respect of G-d is based on and in Biblical scripture. Mine is quite different – my love, knowledge, understanding and respect of G-d is despite Biblical scripture. For me love and respect for G-d is a matter and result from my own experience, study and analysis. I have found scripture unreliable in that, rather than foster consensus of logic and reason, I find scripture to be overly ambiguous; so much so that the more scripture is studied the more disagreement there seems to be in what exactly scripture is communicating and the greater there seems to be anger between those that disagree. And this is not a recent or new phenomenon but a longtime historical result that has existed with the beginning of early Christian effort to canonize scripture and make heretics of those that disagree with the popular notions of scripture at a particular time and place. Jesus did not say that his disciples could be identified by any particular interpretation of scripture but rather by the love such disciples have for others – a love and compassion particularly shown to extend to their enemies. As a general rule (meaning that there are some few exceptions) I have personally found through a wide opportunity of experience that those dedicated to scripture and particular interpretations of scripture to be prominently among the least loving and compassionate towards others. What I have found is that those that love and respect others (kind of along the lines to which Jesus spoke) – and I do not know or recall even a single exception – honor and respect themselves and their abilities to function honestly and rationally with others much more than with scripture.

Bini, your post implies that it is this economy or this time period that should make couples wary of large families. Why is this time period any different than another time period? Why would it be ok for couples 100 years ago to have large families--what's changed that would preclude a large family?

And don't worry about your writing ability in English. We have many people on this site that English is their first language and can't write either. :)

I wonder where the millennium part of the question asked comes into play. Probably from the idea that there are quotes along the lines of people who have young children die will be able to raise them in the millennium (though, personally, I think this idea is more akin to folk-doctrine). As the article suggests, no one will be denied promised blessings if faithful. But in the millennium? It is an interesting thought though, and it really comes down to, and pertains to, the idea of raising physical, mortal children. In theory, the sands-of-the-sea posterity promise refers to the having of spirit children. But -- there is a certain feeling of missing out that comes from not being able to raise physical, mortal children. I guess the question is, when all is said and done, will having missed out on that opportunity really matter in the eternities or not? Or will it be more like a child complaining that they never got to...I dunno...color with crayons as a child. That doesn't mean that when they're an adult that they're going to want to spend their days coloring or that they'll want to revert back to their childish state so they can enjoy childish things once more. (Maybe there's a better "childish" example than coloring...but hopefully my point comes across.)

Then I would say continue to be his friend. Send him letters. Be that friend for him. Whatever happens when he gets home happens.

I can understand why she might want the father to tell the son. It takes it away from the "quit picking on me" kind of thing. Sometimes when it comes from someone else it holds more water. I rather think of it in the same light as a workplace. If I'm the one that notices things on a continual basis that there are policies or things that just aren't right and I'm the only one bringing it up it makes me look like a complainer or a whiner. Whereas if others bring up some of the things as well, it might be given more attention.

Late one Christmas Eve, many years ago, there was a knock on our front door. When I opened the door, no one was there. But, there was a huge box. It was a trampoline! There was a note that said Merry Christmas, from your friends. I never knew who gave us that trampoline. Anyway, my children loved that trampoline! And, after many years of use, we eventually had to throw it away. Not having a trampoline was just not acceptable to the kids, some of them older teenagers or young adults by now, so we bought another one, which has also given us many years of use. The grandchildren are enjoying this one too. This Mormon family has definitely followed the cultural phenomena of Mormon families owning a trampoline. I can't imagine my home without one.

I found this for under $10K. It's a 2007 Chevy Express 12-passenger. I guess I solved this string. Yay me!

Good question. The Declaration of Independence is a fantastic document, however it is also a product of 13 almost completely independent colonies coming together in unison. At the beginning of the Continental Congress, one of the most important questions was who would say the opening prayer. The Congregationalist in the New England vs. the Baptists in the South vs. the various other religious colonies. Unity in the colonies was a monumental task for a simple reason of religion as each colony basically had their own colonial religion. Luckily some wise men (Sam Adams one of them) helped pick the right person to lead the opening prayer. Sam Adams was basically vital in helping foment the revolution and keeping it alive to get to the Declaration of Independence. Without Sam Adams, there would be no revolution. Adams was a Congregationalist and he was also poor, especially when compared to other delegates like Hancock. Adams never cared much for wealth or property, at one point he was the tax collector for Boston and let's just say he didn't do a very good job of enforcement. Jefferson certainly had a basis in Locke and IIRC the phrase was originally to be life, liberty and property. The choosing of Jefferson, Franklin and John Adams (Sam's cousin) on the committee to write the declaration was important. Being able to balance all the politics of the various colonies in order to send a completely united voice of independence was vital. Ultimately, I think the phrasing was more palatable for all the representatives to sign, especially for some of the more northern colonies who's religion focused much less on the importance of property. The Declaration is a fantastic document and Locke and Jefferson produced a fantastic groundwork. But just like science has advance, the ability to extrapolate further upon natural rights has also expanded. From Locke and Jefferson to Frederick Bastiate, Lord Acton, to Lysander Spooner and Albert Jay Nock, to Mises, Murray Rothbard and others.

Thanks. That's the first I've heard of the Gospel Fundamentals manual. For anyone else that's curious, the quoted section can be found here: https://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-fundamentals/chapter-34-the-millennium?lang=eng Unfortunately, the manual doesn't cite its sources. From my knowledge, the first sentence was something Joseph Smith said (you can find it in the JS manual) specifically about governing with Christ, but the first part of the second sentence was taught by Joseph Fielding Smith (the next section in the manual uses the JFS teaching). I have no idea where the second part of the second sentence is coming from (the next section in the manual reaffirms that missionary work will be done, but now the resurrected persons are absent - they're only mentioned with respect to temple work). I'm not trying to pick on you SeminarySnoozer. This is a new teaching for me and I'm trying to find its origin.

Great points! I guess I don't think about having faith in myself much because growing up with the LDS gospel we are taught at a young age that we are literally children of God. Remembering that fact is the trick. It is hard not to see ourselves as anything more than our current self as opposed to the eternal being underneath. It certainly changes perspective once there is a little understanding that we really do have a Father in Heaven. I have 3 close girlfriends that joined the church over the years and when I look at their conversion process it was never about the details or the customs of the church but their basic belief in God and the relationship we have with God. That was the toughest hurdle to get over, then the rest of the discussions and learning came easy. Thanks.

If you are basing your decision of the number of kids to have on practicality... then the answer is zero. Kids are not practical... The decision on the number of kids is based on other things.. with hopefully practicality having a word or two to say

Virtual hugs for Iggy and Anatess! This is actually something you have a little experience in Anatess - quite rare that I get to discuss with someone that has been through the process we're going through. My wife and I got married in December 2011. It was always agreed that we'd move to the US once we were married, as Shannon never had any desire to live in the UK for long. I did negotiate a year in the UK with her though because of my job, so she moved here in December 2011, initially stayed here on a tourist visa, flew back to the US 5 months later where she applied for and obtained a temporary UK work visa to live and work here. She flew back to the UK around September 2012 under this visa. In February 2012, two months after we moved here, my job circumstances changed that meant my services were required for a longer period of time. By May 2013, I felt it was now justified to leave, so we applied for my visa to live and work in the US. This is where all the troubles started. I had fully expected that the process would be quick and smooth like that of the UK visa for my wife, and the absolute maximum length of time that the process should have taken from start to finish was eight months. However, it turns out that only months earlier, Barack Obama had initiated a pathway to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants currently living in the US illegally, known as 'deferred action' applications (I-821D). These applications swamped United States Citizenship and Immigration Services with hundreds of thousands of additional applications, and they were given no additional resources to help process these applications, causing massive delays. In December 2013 our application was transferred to a Texas Service Center, where it sat for a further 3 months untouched. Finally, in late March 2014, they approved the application. That isn't the end though, as it then took them a week to send it across to the National Visa Center, where it sat for a further month before we got an application number. We've now waited a further week before we get access to the payment portals and fully expect a further two months for the application go to through the whole NVC process. Then it gets passed onto the US London embassy where we'll likely wait a further two months for my interview, according to recent timescales. So overall, we originally submitted the application in May 2013 and it probably won't be completed until late August 2014, 7 months after we expected and planned to have migrated everything. As a result of this delay, my professional life is in a mess, it's cost us a lot in finances and caused us immense amounts of stress, just not knowing whether it'd be done within a few months or a few years as USCIS didn't give us any correct information regarding timescales throughout the entire process - there is only so long you can carry on telling workplace bosses and family that we simply don't know when we'll be leaving, and not being able to make any plans to do anything, or make any changes in any part of our lives for fear of it clashing with our departure. My wife misses her friends and family immensely, it's not easy being stuck in a foreign country without any knowledge of when you'll be able to go back home. And then to add to all of that, we could have actually filed through the US embassy in London which wasn't affected by the delays - if we had done that, the process would have been over by September 2013. We didn't find that out until afterwards though - hindsight really is 20/20. It's been a really rocky journey and one that I'm glad we won't have to repeat again, as we're both fed up with our lives being on hold for unknown amounts of time. Finally got all that off my chest! I like this place!

The handbooks set as a guideline that if a member is going to be attending another ward for more than three months, the record should be transferred to the new ward. But that is a matter of making sure the presence of the member is known and that the member's needs are being addressed. It is not at matter of "I'm going to be there 91 days so I'm supposed to have my records transferred." If you think that the ward you will be in for the next three months can satisfy your needs without transferring your record, then there's no need to transfer it. It's really up to you. Transferring a record is really only a matter of a few key strokes, so it really makes no difference administratively. Do whatever you think will make you more comfortable wherever you go. Regarding the temple recommend, it is the duty of the bishop of the ward that holds your membership record to determine your worthiness for a temple recommend. If you leave your records in your student ward, you will have to get a recommend from him. That could be hard to do after you leave. It is possible to get a recommend from the other ward, but involves more coordination between bishops and is administratively more challenging, but not prohibitive. I imagine they would be happy to work it out if you needed to. But it would certainly be easier on the bishops if you did it before you left school.

Back in the 2010 Worldwide Leadership training, President Monson included some examples similar to the OP's to encourage leaders to familiarize themselves with the Church Handbook of Instruction. As Estradling points out, it's the presiding authority's place to correct such things and follow up with training.

The only things I like more than Mexican food is Chinese food and Tex-Mex.

This happens every year at my ward, around November. It's called "hunting season". A few years ago, we had more of our local priesthood leadership present in a ward building 210 miles away, than there was in our ward building. (Yes indeed - the bishop, both counselors, and someone in the High Priests all went on a hunting trip, and attended church at the nearest ward where they were shootin'.) As for cool stories - here's one about Brother Elza Richter. Orson Scott Card: It's a matter of how, not where, we serve

E-hugs for everyone! All better? No, I'm sorry! Quin, I can understand the feeling of a strong sense of apprehension, though for entirely different reasons. I hope all goes well for you. Anatess, may your sons sense of compassion for the smaller things never leave him. There are too many cruel people in this world. As for FB, well, I can't say much. I have a 'no family' policy when it comes to social networking sites. It's for their protection . Oh, and this thread idea is GENIUS..... just saying. I suppose I should help keep it alive by sharing my own overly dramatic plight. I apologize if it's too sarcastic or long winded for any ones taste, but I have tried to style it to be somewhat entertaining: I guess this is my journal. Something to get me typing every day, even if it is all convoluted nonsense. Why am I doing this now? Well, at this point in my life I hate my job. I used to love it, minus the drama. But now it’s toxic. The sword of Damocles is ever looming over my head. I risk getting fired because my vastly inferior “superiors” don’t like my personality. It doesn’t matter how much I’ve given to the company or my team. It doesn’t matter that when refuse hits the fan I’m constantly reliable. It doesn’t matter that my shenanigans are innocuous. All that matters is they don’t like me, as a person. Mostly because I dare to challenge authority, but not in any truly aggressive manner. No, it’s because I see through the lies. Their lies. Petty people playing petty games. They are incompetent and they know it (and they know I know it). They don’t like that. Not one bit. Like Pol Pot, free thought is threatening to them. So is the belief of equal treatment. And I’ve seen them get rid of other hard working, honest individuals because those people dared to voice how they were sick of being treated like a peon. What was I talking about? Oh yes, the sword of Damocles. That ever looming dread that makes me sick to my stomach. Wait, let’s back up again, why is this blade that threatens my corporate existence threaded so precariously above my head? An office prank. Juvenile but harmless. The kind that people have been pulling around my place of employ since day one. The kind that everyone (but me) still pulls. However, because I was too foolish to accept the warning signs that ’the powers that be’ were gearing up for a witch hunt, their scarlet brand already hot in the waiting fire, I carried on as if nothing was amiss. Now I’m on a ’final warning’. No verbal, no written. I also live in Utah, which means no labor laws (none that actually protect employment, anyway). Slavery never ended in Amerika, it only changed form, but that is another rant entirely. What caused this situation? I’ll get into that story some other time. Oh, and if I come off as bitter it’s because I am. I taste it constantly. Like I just got punched in the mouth and my gums are bleeding. This might turn out to be a good thing. I’ve known for a long time that this place is no good. Every one who has left says the same thing, no matter what job they got it was a markedly superior atmosphere. The (potential) other part of a silver lining: it’s slowly getting me to not only consider what I should be doing with my life, but motivating me to take steps to get there. Even if they are small steps. Like writing again. P.S. If they really want to punish me they’ll keep me there, in my own private hell.

Faith4 is spot on, in my book. Our ultimate faith is in God. However, He chose to reveal himself through the scriptures. Those scriptures are reliable. We get caught up in debates about them being "perfect" or "inerrant." They are right. They are what God wanted for us. They are for our edification. Interestingly, our priest asked me last week about the canonization of the Bible. The gist was why we Protestants accept the compilation of the scriptures, when that compilation was done by Catholic hierarchy. In other words, why do we recognize the books, but not the authority that approved them? Of course, the question was asked openly, not as an accusation or challenge. I thought about it for a day, trying to recall my seminary conversations/lessons about canonization. Ultimately, what I remembered is that we focused on criteria. What standards did they use to select scripture. Also, we do believe that God's anointing was on the process. Why does this conversation remind me of that Baptist minister who used to come here--the one who preaches from the Book of Mormon, but who remains Baptist?

So NextElement, What did you think of the Sunday services?