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When I die I shall finally overcome my oxygen addiction.

That was a joke don't you worry lol I intend to take it completely seriously. I can't imagine where faeries could ever fit into this anyways lol

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.

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For sure, once killed, everyone remember, we have three days to repent and get ready...oh wait that is counter productive -- prepare now :)

Beyond my own life - I do not have any experience. And my experience seems to be vastly different than yours. For example, when I was single I did not get much in the way of direction in who I should date or marry - when I asked it seemed to be something I had to work out mostly of my own. In essence there were no answers only promptings of opportunities to be considered. I will confide with you concerning one of my silly failures. I was having great difficulty in finding one lady that stood out in my life - there seemed to be so many while I was at BYU. It was very confusing for me. I prayed a great deal about this and then read in scripture how a servant looking for a wife for their master's son prayed and told to L-rd to bring someone to a well and offer them water. At the time this seemed like a really good idea and I had been told by many (including my bishop) that I needed to get at it and find someone. So I told the L-rd to help me out by having a young lady offer me water when I was thirsty. Within a week it happened - something that had never happened before or since. A very nice young lady of operate age and position spontaneously brought me a glass of water saying I looked thirsty. Short story - though we were and remain friends this young lady was not interested in any dates with me much less a serious courtship. My life is full of such experiences. I have received help and guidance but such assistance has always come after exhausting my own every efforts and few if any options remained. Usually in my efforts (including prayer and other spiritual endeavors) I have been able to logically conclude the best resolution to my questions. In discussing this with others - this seems to be the standard means of inspiration - Including things needed for my church callings as well. I would love to have ease of responsibility as you find in your searches - but such is so seldom the case for me - I do not dare teach such a thing but rather encourage others to do all in their power - which includes prayer and even fasting along with a great many other efforts that I would call experiments) to try to accomplish something worthwhile and if we find something that fails or does not work - not to think that G-d does not love us or care to help us - but to get back up and find some means to continue. Sometimes I wonder because of my own experiences, how it was so easy for Nephi to obtain the brass plates. And along such lines one may have to learn the science of boat building or some other science despite others saying scripture would indicate that such scientific knowledge is not really necessary nor important for salvation.

I will try to respond as best as I can to your questions. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there is not so much “official doctrine” as there is in many churches. There is no real theology and thus there is not much in the way of scholarship or official scholars. There is some doctrine but the reality is that, though the doctrine is somewhat different than most religious thought, there are very little doctrinal specifics. Like scripture; though there is a tapestry of principles in doctrine the specifics are vague. In essence LDS are very behavior oriented and specific but at the same time dogmatically vague. It has been expressed that in such matters the effort is to teach correct principles and have people govern themselves. Thus the church mission is in essence upside down and it is believed that the church structure and hierarchy is temporary and instituted to support and prepare the family (not individual per say) that we believe the family is what is eternal both in principle and actuality. Thus the LDS understanding is that there is no place for an individual in heaven – that without family and relationship within that divine family (or if you will – oneness in the family of our Father in Heaven) it is impossible for heaven to exist. Excommunication is not so much because of doctrine or to protect doctrine or to protect the church but to protect the family and ensure it is eternally viable and sustainable. Thus excommunication in purpose is intended not to punish but to wipe an individual slate clean, to allow a reset and start over for an individual to repent and establish a new, one’s place in their family covenant before G-d. In essence the single purpose of the church is to prepare a people (family including ancestors and descendants) to dwell forever in the society of G-d. Also realizing that every individual person descended from Adam and Eve is ours and G-d’s family. Since family is central to my understanding of G-d, his purpose, mercy, compassion and goodness – I see the history of the world much different than you do. Thus Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not great leaders as they were great family men dedicated to preserving the eternal family covenant and example of family. Other individuals of history focused on doctrine and theology – I do not see of much importance unless their efforts are in the sustaining, even by example, the family covenant – that I believe is important and the essence of true religion and understanding and believing in G-d as our Father. Thus my general rule is about families – those that use scripture and other excuse to displace themselves or others from family – are not much use to me. But those that dedicate themselves by covenant to family – I believe are rich soil for the seed of G-d otherwise hidden in scripture and in all creation that brings forth and adds to life.

We ride...but, never went to the Temple on our Hayabusa. We live in Utah and get to ride a lot. We also have dirt bikes. This is my husband and me. Photo is manipulated to get both of us on the bike in the picture. LOL

I always think..when the 2 start preaching at the wall..then we know it's extremely close.

I agree. Although I believe we are not to focus too much on the whether or not this or that is a "sign", we are to take it all in with perfect faith and confidence, and live every day w/purpose, b/c we truly never know when our last day will be anyway.

I had hoped that for an example one might see something closer to their own home. We are stewards that have dominion, gifts, callings or talents or what ever one may refer to our life journey. As stewards; are we eating healthy and pursuing healthy life styles both in regards to spiritual and physical health. Are we wise stewards of the wealth we have been given or do we adorn ourselves with fine clothing, comfortable dwellings and tech stuff beyond our "needs". Do we seek understanding and wisdom in the "best books" of science, politics, economics, entertainment and religion or do we entertain and enlighten ourselves on a diet of the talents of others contributing little or nothing ourselves. It seems to me that the nature of the "natural man" is to see and catalog well the sin of others, not just as individuals but as social, political or some other category, however so small the effects of such sins and then to diminish to near nothing the effects (however so prominent) our own, regardless of what impact such has on ourselves and those around us. In essence we all think we will be saved in heaven from our own sins and that others, whoever they may be - just not us; will be damned forever in some hell or kingdom less than Celestial. I do not know about everybody else but I am very concerned and my best plan is to beg as much as possible for any mercy or leniency possible - for me an everybody I know.

I am of the mind that such "signs" serve a purpose and do relate to the time in which we are living. I believe that if the truth were to be known that we would be surprised how little time is left on one hand and how unprepared we actually are on the other.

LOL... I had it on the old version! Although, it took me awhile to find it there, too (read: months). This new version stabilized on my tablet about 2 weeks ago. Until then I had to zoom in and out a lot to find things. (Still have to zoom out until the forum is about 3" across a 9" screen for the log in button, but almost everything else is available. Except text options. Have to code italics and bold manually. I bet there's a button panel that will crop up eventually during one of the updates that others can access in other formats, it's probably just further offscreen than the log in button!). I don't know... I've been through a lot of launches... And this one went off near flawless, all things considered. I've got about 98% of what I think is out there... And finding the rest is fun. Shazaam! New content button! Awesome! <grin> and since I've got preteens & teens... I take eye rolls at how slow I am as a victory parade. Eye rolls and snickering mean I'm not hopeless, yet! When we get to the detailed instructions, written in short words, on a concerned face full of love... Then I worry. Q

I would keep this in mind: When you submit your work to LDS.net you will reach a world-wide audience. For those considering submitting, we ask that you please try to write in a style similar to that which is used throughout the website. Topics should be relevant to an LDS community. Every submission will be reviewed, however not every submission has the guarantee of publication. Fiction articles regarding fairies are probably not going to get selected to publish. I would suggest going through the articles already published to find out the type of articles they are looking for.

I wonder if we can change the letter "W" -Double U to Wubble U?

I think there's a chemical and a psychological/spiritual side to most addictions. My pet theory in this scenario is that a dead meth addict wouldn't have to detox, but he would still want the stuff because he just hasn't learned healthy stress coping mechanisms and may still fondly recall the physical fix he got through using. Ditto for a sex/porn addict--the endorphin/hormonal cravings wouldn't be present after death, but the spiritual aspects still have to be dealt with. Generally speaking, I think that those who have to be redeemed from "hell" will ultimately discover that the hell was almost completely of their own making.

Shouldn't it be when he is worthy AND understands and comprehends all that is expected of him?

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.

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.

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?

Having a large family is like any other valuable trial. It's hard, but it brings great joy. This is the gospel. We sacrifice, we give, we work, we suffer -- all to have joy. I agree with those who say that practicality is irrelevant -- at least in terms of what most people mean when they say practicality. We should be wise in the size of our families. But if we're limiting our family size so we can afford vacations? Hmm...maybe the priorities aren't quite straight there. In general, we should have as many children as we can. What defines "as we can" is up to the husbands and wives. But as a general rule, we should favor looking to increase our family size and sacrifice to that end rather than the other way around.

Oh thanks for bringing that to my attention. I kept looking at it thinking something was wrong. It's corrected now. :)

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.

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

You do a lot of praying, trust in the Lord to provide, work hard and keep the commandments to the best of your ability. Things tend to work out.

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.

She = should is a typo. Referring to a stepson as a son (particularly in what sounds like a rocky relationship) would not be accidental. The husband may have said "it's not your problem" or he may have said "it's not my problem." That part is unclear. Anatess, you're great about speaking your mind and saying things how they are. You also have a history of rage and anger management issues. Not everyone is as assertive, agressive, or confrontational as you are. A timid and non-confrontational personality easily explains (without even having to think about it much) a mom who depends on the dad to deal with something like this. We also have no information about the history of this relationship, or if the mom has already spoken to the son about it. In my family, my six-year-old daughter often ignores and disregards things I tell her, because she simply is so accustomed to hearing them from me that they're rote and she figures they don't matter. There are times when I have to ask my husband to step in and speak with her about disciplinary issues (and other things) because I know she'll pay attention to it coming from him, as it's atypical of their relationship.

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

It's been around a lot longer than just a week or two. It was around on the IP board version and when that went away was available on the full version.

True, but we do know what he doesn't look like-and a white European wasn't it