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Irreverent though it is, I often think of this. Usually it gives me a needed moment of release, and then I can think seriously again without simply seeing red.

What's the difference between one who believes in no organized religion ruling over one who believes in organized religion vs. the other way around? Wherein is it fair or right for the one's influence to count and the others to not?

Hi, lastlily. First off, welcome aboard--both to the church, and to this website. The older I get, the less I like the phrase "have to confess." I'm not sure, for most situations, that it establishes quite the dynamic that's supposed to exist between church members and priesthood leaders. But I would heartily encourage you to counsel with your bishop over this. I think you'll find the extra support helpful.

Interesting question on Ask Gramps today. What are your thoughts? http://askgramps.org/24120/far-can-person-stretch-jesus-thing *Yes anatess I'm aware of your situation and have passed it on to our techs. :)

Sounds like for such a small indiscretion, you've already handled the repentance. Time to stop beating yourself up and move on

Do you have a favourite tip from the Book of Mormon or an insight that has really helped you out? There is a scripture (Moroni 7:16, sorry cannot get link to work) that tells us that all men have a conscience. I find it very comforting to know that the people I am dealing with do know, at some level, perhaps buried deep, that it is wrong to lie, cheat, and steal.

Baloney. You know exactly what our answers are and have been. They are always the same. and they will be the same from every believing LDS person. You know from whence our faith stems and exactly why we believe God exists and the LDS church is true. You raise these questions again and again to be confrontational, and it is useless to respond to them. You have clearly shown yourself decidedly unwilling to "learn".

If so, why ban lawyers from practicing because of their religious convictions? Why force a CEO to resign because of his political donations from 6 years ago? Why bankrupt a former employer because they do not wish to bake a cake for a gay wedding? Why fine football players $10,000 and send them to re-education camp (i.e. sensitivity training) because they state publically that the new gay football player ought not be quite so in-our-faces with his public displays of affection on national TV? "Live and let live" should not have to be quite so vindictive?

I think it's about a sea change in public (if not the general public's actual thoughts than those opinions voiced in public) opinion concerning traditional religious mores. I think religion is in the process of going from being seen as the bastion of morality to the bastion of unwanted perspectives and opinions. In other terms, it's less vengeance and more a shift towards seeing conservative religion as akin to the KKK. This is not to discount cases where there are individuals, and even organizations, engaging in revenge against conservative religion, but I think classification of happenings such as highlighted in the OP as vengeance is to dismiss a trend. I honestly think those behind barring the practice of law by those graduates are doing it because they see it as akin to a bunch of lawyers getting together to keep their marriages racially pure*. *The validity of such a comparison is of course up to debate, my point is not that the comparison is valid but that I think the individuals are making it.

in my opinion I do not think it will put off either of your emissions if it does it probably will not be for a long time it is better to discuss this with your bishop this way it will clear your mind believe me the bishop has heard everything before so don't be embarrassed. our bishops are there to help us. when you get your mission call please let us know where you're going and have a wonderful mission.

Separation of church and state means, and has always meant, that there is no state church and no church state. It means that the religious organization is not the government and the government does not dictate religion. It does not mean, nor has it ever meant, that religious people are banned from participating in government.

The recent new members of our Branch have smoking and drug addictions. All of them have been unable to break their habits. Our Branch Presidents solution, to have the Addiction Recovery classes held here at our Branch mid-week. I know one Sister is doing great with this class/program. She is living with her unmarried daughter & live-in-boyfriend and her divorced sister- all of whom smoke. Makes it really difficult to quit smoking in this situation. She pays the rent and utilities and most of the groceries - so she told them all, when they smoke they have to go outside, and away from the house. As for drinking coffee, she switched from a cup of hot coffee to Starbucks bottles Coffee Frappuccino's. One thing about the AR Classes - it is NOT being limited to just the LDS members, they have included those in this area who are in need of the class. They also hold the class in the Chapel, rather than in the RS room - they are more reverent, and the classes seem to pack more of a punch. So, lastlily, go council with your Bishop and ask him where the LDS Addiction Recovery classes are held, what day and what time. EDITED to ADD: Oh, btw - when I was inactive, I smoked, drank alcohol, coffee & tea. The alcohol was the easiest for me to quit. I just made up my mind that it was going to happen and it did. I used the 3 step patches (can not remember the product name) to quit smoking, BUT I couldn't afford them - I was in the process of coming back to full activity, and the Branch President helped me with the cost of the patches. The Church didn't pay the full amount. I paid what I could afford - gave the money to the BP and he went and bought the patches. At the end of the patches, the cost of them was the same as a carton of cigarettes - I smoked roll-you-own because they were way cheaper. I did six weeks on step two - step one was WAY too strong for me - and then a co-worker gave me one box of step three with one patch missing. That is all it took for me. That was in June of 1999 that I started the patches. I have been smoke free since then. I quit alcohol in April of 1983. I no longer drink HOT coffee or tea. I do, however drink ICED Tea and coffee. Tell this to my Branch President and Stake President every time I get my recommend renewed. They sign my renewed recommend each time. I don't feel I am breaking the WOW - actually I don't drink any form of HOT drink. During my inactivity years I drank enough HOT drinks and ended up nearly boiling the taste buds right off my tongue.

I've got my temple recommend interview soon, and the bishop said that he was very happy with my progress since returning to Church. Yes I'm hoping to do some temple work, the bishop asked me how it was going with my family history and was pleased to hear that I had done quite a bit work in that regard over the last few months. He said that it would be a limited recommend but I was so excited I forgot to ask what that meant! I must sound like some silly teenager with all my excitement!!

From Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Like a Broken Vessel:

Yeah of course there is sickness without evil spirits! However the fact that evil spirits are involved in so many people's lives but most of these people do not even acknowledge their influence or power, they automatically turn to their false God's (Doctors) and not Jesus Christ for answers. For instance my daughter has suffered from so called schizophrenia for seven years. All the doctors told me that it is all in her imagination and she needs to be doped up to the eye balls with enough medication to drop a buffalo. I could of said "oh yes my God's I will do all you request because you are the God's of this world and I love you more the Jesus Christ." (Not even) However I recognised that although my daughters cognitions were not functioning properly (yep a problem with her brain) I also noticed and felt that there was more going on. I recognised that she was possessed straight away because of the Holy Spirit. When my daughter was in a psychosis: She never broke the law of chastity and still hasn't. She didn't go on a drinking and drug binging rampage She didn't steal anything She didn't and has never hurt anyone physically But: She thought that she was Catholic ( not LDS) She thought that she was a destroying angel sent by God She swore She could see spirits all the time She could hear spirits talking to her all the time She knew things were going to happen before they happened In her damaged cognitive state she got possessed by an evil spirit and now we cast them out every night before she goes to sleep so she doesn't have the worst nightmares imaginable. Despite all this she is the loveliest most gentle girl you could ever wish to meet.

Of course. Here's McConkie on it: "By what power and under whose authorization shall the work be done? There is only one place under the whole heavens where the keys of temple building are found. There is only one people who know how to build temples and what to do in them when they are completed. That people is the Latter-day Saints. The temple in Jerusalem will not be built by Jews who have assembled there for political purposes as at present. It will not be built by a people who know nothing whatever about the sealing ordinances and their application to the living and the dead. It will not be built by those who know nothing about Christ and his laws and the mysteries reserved for the saints. But it will be built by Jews who have come unto Christ, who once again are in the true fold of their ancient Shepherd, and who have learned anew about temples because they know that Elijah did come, not to sit in a vacant chair at some Jewish feast of the Passover, but to the Kirkland Temple on April 3, 1836, to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. The temple in Jerusalem will be built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “They that are far off,” [Zech. 6:12-15.] they that come from an American Zion, they who have a temple in Salt Lake City will come to Jerusalem to build there another holy house in the Jerusalem portion of “the mountains of the Lord’s house.” (D&C 133:13.)

Good question. The answer is.... ummmmm...I don't know. I'll need to research. :)

Thanks for the advice! There is a group from my ward going so I will be with people I know who have been to the Temple loads! When the Bishop mentioned that there was a trip going on that date and asked if I wanted to go he didn't mention anything about a course to do first, found the manuals this afternoon on my tablet so going to read through them over the coming week and put some questions together. Think some emails are going to be passing between my home teacher and me over the coming days! Also got my Patriarchal blessing recommend form thing today, just have to arrange for a time to go visit the Patriarch! Exciting times ahead for me!!

I was just scanning through this thread and got knocked off my chair by this statement. 1) No. No it isn't. Tourette's and other neurological disorders are NOT caused by unclean spirits or any other kind of possession, demon or otherwise. They're physiological disorders. Just like any other physiological disorder. 2) To continue to pick on Tourette's for a moment... There is NOTHING inherently wrong, evil, or unclean with Tourette's! Ya wanna start talking badly about psychopathy, then I might be tempted to get on board for even a moment, but Tourette's??? It's just a series of tics, that while distracting and frustrating at times for sure, but in no way predicts anything about the person themselves who has it. No more than a sprained ankle predicts a limp. People with Tourette's can be phenomenally holy, totally normal like most of us, or complete jerks. Their disorder has nothing to do with their personality, who they are, or how they think or choose to act. Q

Sacrament meeting in the evening.....Primary held during the week. On fast Sunday you never had to go back to church in the evening.

Roller skate Key

There was no box for "belongs to an enlightened species-so sayith the Siv" I call shennigans!