Leaderboard

If Utah had been a mandatory-clergy-reporter state, this guy would never have come forward at all. As it was, he was able to make a confidential confession to his leadership; and by continual ministry, the Church was able within five months to get this kid into a position where he ultimately came forward of his own accord and, in the presence of his own criminal defense attorney, not only made a full confession but turned the computer over for further analysis. In the meantime, one presumes his bishop was very careful not to put him into a calling that gave him access to children. But for clergy privilege, this guy would have been completely undetected (and his victims wholly unidentified) down to the present moment. Scenarios like this are exactly why many states offer clerical privilege: in the long run, it lets us cast a wider net than we otherwise could; particularly in states where confessional religion is so pervasive. Oh, by the way: the juvie court system deals with literally hundreds of teenaged boys who did everything Alyk did and more. They do their time, and at age 21 they are released—no criminal record, no sex offender registry, nothing to warn the community what they have done and what they are capable of. If we’re going to give a pass to democratic governments whose whole raison d’être is to find predators and remove them from the community, then it’s inconsistent for us to get righteously indignant when a church that openly values repentance, forgiveness, and confidentiality is going to take advantage of perfectly legal processes in furtherance of those values.

Obviously, when one believes in an omnipotent God, one doesn’t really have the luxury of making historical modus tollens arguments. President Nelson does so anyways, for rhetorical effect. But I think most of us—including Nelson himself—would acknowledge that God could have gathered Israel through any number of mechanisms; and it’s hypothetically possible for Him to have gathered Israel without using the specific text that is the Book of Mormon. That said, you and we seem to have different ideas of what it means to “gather Israel”. The sources you cite seem primarily interested in restoring the people of Israel—locating and repatriating a race, or ethnicity or group of individuals with a common ancestor/bloodline. The Latter-day Saint notion of “gathering Israel” is different. Yes, we see a literal gathering of Judah to the Holy Land as a sign that the coming of Christ is approaching, in a “gee whiz!” sort of way; and there are special promises extended to the Jews that we look forward to seeing fulfilled. But when we talk of our own duty as a church to participate in the gathering of Israel, we are talking about restoring and expanding upon the covenant of Israel (and indeed, Abraham) and opening it up to all humankind regardless of race or ancestry. Yes, part of that entails preaching the Gospel to people who are lineally descended from Issachar and Manasseh and Simeon and Gad (wherever they may have wound up); but it goes far beyond that. At this point, God is offering adoption into the Abrahamic covenant for everyone on the earth, regardless of lineage. Modern Israel is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Israel. As I say above—sure, God could restore Israel (in the LDS sense of the phrase) without the Book of Mormon. But the restoration of Israel does require a people who are prepared to live by every word that God reveals to them—reveals, present tense. The Book of Mormon is a sort of litmus test to determine who does and doesn’t want to be part of restored Israel; because it resonates most with those who seek after and worship a living God with Whom they can commune and communicate—and Who can occasionally surprise them, challenging their preconceptions and demanding that they change and evolve and become re-made in something approaching His spiritual image. Those are the people prepared to join the covenant of Israel, and among whom God does and will work His most potent wonders. They are distinct from another type of follower: the one who, while sincerely loving God as her interpretations of the Bible lead her to understand Him, craves the stability of a universe whose Creator she thinks that she’s got mostly figured out; and who—for all her other virtues—feels more secure with a god who remains safely dead. So no, strictly speaking, the Book of Mormon specifically probably wasn’t necessary. But somehow, some way, the canon of scripture probably needed to open up again and be published to the world; just to see how people would react to it.

I don’t believe that’s accurate. He confessed for the first time, to his mission president; and was immediately sent home.

I fear you're wasting your breath, Needle. mrmarket has made his intentions unmistakably clear.

Have you confided your feelings to anyone near you? As lovely as the people are here, internet support only goes so far. Meeting let alone dating members is more difficult in some places. I am in the UK where wards are mostly composed of lots of families and lots of single women. Depending on your age can also make it harder. Is there a Young Single Adult program or institute class you can attend? Knowing people who are in the same boat and choose the same standards as you can be really supportive. It may involve a lot of travel, but you get to know people well on a road trip. This is a challenge I have also faced. It IS hard. BUT it is achievable. I found really understanding the purposes for the law of chastity helped. Having a testimony of the purpose of the family and an eternal perspective can help to keep you focussed. We have very powerful hormonal urges for a reason, but there is a time and a season for all things. As a teenage convert myself it took a real shift in my thinking to embrace the law of chastity. I learned to walk away from people and situations that would make it more difficult and fill my life with positive things that would support me to live it more easily. It is SO hard to have faith that there will be a chance for you to find a partner, but stranger things have happened!!! I am now an older divorced single sister facing the same challenges as you and feel I have even less chance of finding a partner in the church. But I live a full life, try focus on the positives and have faith that my Father in Heaven loves me, has a plan for me... even if I don't know what it is. If I don't meet a church member, I could have a relationship with someone who respects my values. However these men are few and far between too. Sorry for my ramblings, but I do hope you can find someone to support you through this challenge.

Indeed but the simple fact is that people hide their sins. (Some better then others) Yet there seems to be wholly unreasonable expectation that church leaders will some how magically bring these sins out into the light the first time and every time. If the Church failed to follow the law it should be held accountable. But one should have a reasonable understanding of what the law requires before making such an accusation or inference. If an individual Church leader failed to follow the law (and/or Church Policy) they should be held accountable. But one should have a reasonable understanding of what the law and Church policy requires before making such an accusation or inference. However no one should be attacked for not acting on something they have no reasonable way of knowing. (And yes I believe in Discernment but that gift, like all others works on the Lord's timing. Not on mortal hindsight) In both cases it appears there is a grievous sin that has taken place. Those individuals will have to answer for those sins. In both those cases the Church as responded but once more understanding is gained there is no indication that the Church responded incorrectly or poorly or illegally.

This is just my opinion, but when people say that homeschooling can't provide an adequate social education, that's total bologna. Why not send kids to a prison? They'll get the same quality of social education as in a public school. Hot takes aside, I believe that the bulk of a child's social development happens during activities outside of school. For this reason, homeschooling isn't going to fix the issues kids are now having to endure because of the pandemic.

@mrmarket ^^^^ this is exactly the type of post I previously referenced, as part of your posting modus operandi . It is bad enough that the individual in the OP is around, but your continual need to then dredge up other bad examples while then attempting to fling mud at the Church or Church leadership... why? Why have you chosen this path for yourself? Why this need to define yourself this way? You have skills. You have been blessed by our Father in Heaven. You have some semblance to a member of the Church, yet you are way too eager to use your talents for the negative. I believe you could do better, much better. Have a heart to heart with yourself, sooner than later and ask: "Are my actions, my comments helping others or hurting others?" "In my eagerness to toss out the sensational morsel have I lifted up or brought others down today?" "Did my comments strengthen or weaken someone's testimony?" Option 1: If you are continually doing this out of ignorance, then there is hope that you will see the error in your ways. Option 2: If you are doing this to be malicious, then shed the sheep's clothing already and state your real intentions for being here. I'm hoping for Option 1, this is why I've taken the time to share my concern with you.

James 1:1 is an interesting verse that has been debated by various scholars. This will be long. One of the views that is a common explanation IGNORES the blatantly obvious in front of their eyes. This argument is that the lost Tribes of Israel and the Jews are one and the same. This is actually NOT TRUE. The term Jew could be seen as the nickname for those who were part of the Tribe of Judah, as is inherent in their name. Other tribes would actually object to being called under this nickname. It would be if one was calling an American an Australian, or an Scot a Canadian. While there may be some Canadians and Americans that take pride in their Scottish or English heritage, most United States Citizens would probably not prefer to be called an Aussie as a reference to where they are from and where they come from. If pursued long enough, it could even be considered an insult. That said, ignoring the insults to the other tribes, one of the common views is that James is actually referring simply to the Jews. The idea is that after the captivity they returned to Jerusalem and simply were called Jews instead of the Hebrews, Tribes of Israel, or by their different tribal names. This is not the ONLY theory though, as there are multiple theories, some of which are contested. Some of this come from different readings and interpretations, for example, while the King James version states to the tribes which are scattered, others talk about dispersed. In this some consider that though the tribes were dispersed, they were generally thought to be outwards around the Caucases and elsewhere. Hence, in a way, James could have been talking to the Jews (and parts of the remnant of Benjamin) as if they were Israel as a whole, OR, if being more in line with the New Testament, he could have also been talking to the tribes that had lost their identity and were thus dispersed among the Gentiles, who considered themselves in a way as Gentiles. Part of this and how you interpret it may be how you get it from your church teachings and your church scholars as it can vary between churches, though many times more especially between Catholic and Protestant. On the popular Biblehub site it discusses it similarly to this... Biblehub James 1:1 commentary In this, then is the a matter of more understanding of what many other Christians may understand about this verse, in that the tribes were NOT combined as one in or necessarily at Jerusalem or thereabouts. This is very similar to what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches in my understanding of much of it. After Solomon his Kingdom was divided in two. These two Kingdoms were split with a majority of the tribes going to one, and Judah going in another to rule. As these Kingdoms fell, the tribes were captured and taken afar. Most of the rest of the Old Testament covers the stories of the Kings people, or those of the tribe of Judah. After their captivity they started coming back to the Holy Land, most of whom were Judah with some of Benjamin and what we believe were small remnants perhaps of other tribes (for example, Levites for the Priests). However, most of the other ten tribes were not returning to the Holy Land, or to Israel or Jerusalem. During the time of the Lord, it was therefore the Jews, or those from the tribe of Judah that primarily lived in that area. The other tribes were seen as dispersed among the other peoples of the earth. How much is debatable. What is interesting is that rather than specify location or which tribes, he was referring to all of them in a general sense. This is an oddity as we know at the time much of the Tribe of Judah was NOT dispersed...so if we include them and part of Benjamin...who was he talking to? Once again, it could be that he accepted that the dispersion where many did not know of their heritage or identity was a foregone conclusion among the ten tribes...thus their being lost among the Gentiles. However, in this light, he was also addressing the Jews. As this was the case, he would have been addressing the Jews and those who were followers of the Lord at Jerusalem, as well as the Gentiles who were joining them. In the Church we have an even greater enlightenment. We believe that, even if we are gentiles prior to our joining, we can either have revealed to us if we are actually part of a tribe of Israel...OR be adopted into one. If we believe that the same organization existed prior to what we call the apostasy, or loss of many great yet simple things of the gospel, than we would also believe this idea of learning which tribe you were a part of if you were part of a tribe was known to the Saints. Thus, the followers would all have also been part of one of the tribes of Israel, even if they had formerly thought they were (or actually were) a gentile. So, how does this fall into the Saints of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints understanding today. As, with many of the Protestants we believe that the tribes are lost, or at least knowledge of what happened to the tribes. You could call it a dispersion or a scattering, whatever you want to call it, today the only tribe we really know about are the ones who kept their identity. Those would be the children of Judah, or the Jews. All the others have vanished. It is impossible to find those of the Levites to perform the priestly functions even if there was a tabernacle or a temple in Jerusalem. There is no one nation or group that claims to be Zebulons or Zebulites. We cannot find Issacharites or others in a nation or group as a whole that call themselves that...unless we look at our Church. Though we have no great groups as of yet, we can find members of various tribes that call themselves of that tribe. Thus, we take it a step further than some of the Protestants in that we believe that the gathering of Israel can speak of several things. Many feel it is simply the gathering that is taking place in Israel already, and that at some point those from an unknown location in the North will voyage and join the Jews in Israel or some other way it will be manifest. First, as has already been mentioned in this thread, the gathering of the Jews back to their Homeland in Israel. We see this occurring. The land, or so we believed, was dedicated to this purpose and the Lord has shown his great power and his generous hand in gathering them back to their Homeland. Not all Jews have gone to live in Israel and in fact many millions do NOT live there. However, we believe the gathering has been taking place there and many Jews now live in Israel. We also believe in a spiritual gathering of which we believe the tribes are being gathered to the Gospel. This is not necessarily, at least currently, a physical migration, but one of spiritual fulfillment. Here we believe that many of the tribes are gathered spiritually to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Not all the members of the tribes will join, and in fact many million if not Billions have not. However, we believe the gathering has been taking place and there are millions who will say they are parts of various tribes within the church today, though a majority are probably from either Ephraim or Manasseh. There are also members of other tribes that I have met such as from Dan and others. We believe in Jerusalem as well as a New Jerusalem, both of which will herald the Saints and the tribes of Israel as their inheritance. There are other thoughts of interpretations as well regarding the gathering and in fact, that perhaps at some date there will be a mass gathering of tribes that come to Israel. Already, many of those who have joined the gospel come from what would be the North countries in relation to Israel. The same could be said of the many Jews from Europe who travelled to Israel. In this, with no more occurring, one could say the prophecy of those coming from the North has already been fulfilled...however, we do not know all things and it could be an even greater fulfillment of that is coming in the future. Thus, we believe that the scattering (or dispersion if you want) actually took place. That of those tribes in Joseph Smith's time, at least ten were lost. We believe that the gathering of Israel is currently taking place in the world. The spiritual gathering that we believe in could NOT have taken place without the gospel restoration which we believe in. The Physical gathering of those to Israel we can also believe started with the dedication of the Holy Land long before the incidents which occurred happened. There is probably another physical gathering to also occur in the future in which the ten tribes will be gathered to their respective inheritances and receive all the promises of the Lord. Thus, in that light I see no confusion or problem with James 1:1 in regards to his statements to a gathering or scattering. Even beyond that, if we go into the massive speculation further abroad from normal philosophies of men, we could guess that James was prophetic and that he was not just talking to the Jews and Gentiles of his time, but to the future tribes that had been scattered. One of those, and Ephraimite (or I think he was of Ephraim) read the words of James and was touched. He was searching for what religion was right and found of verse in James Chapter 1 verse 5 that states if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. He believed the words of James. He believed the word of God and the Bible. He believed the promise given by James. He asked God which church was true. He was answered that while many had some of the truth, none of them were the right church at the time and for him to join none of them. He saw and talked with God and received an answer or wisdom, just as the promise stated. This Ephraimite was Joseph Smith. He continued to pray for guidance and as such received other angelic visitors which led him to the Book of Mormon as well as revelations on the gospel that we, Latter-day Saints, believe in. He trusted in the words of James and in the Bible. Through this, he was led to the truth just like others can be. It is for this reason we do not (or we did not last I checked) say that men must believe without choice, but that instead they can ALSO know like Joseph Smith knew and how I learned of the truth of the gospel. We can read the Book of Mormon and then we can pray to know for ourselves whether it is true or not. In a similar vein we have a promise at the end of the Book of Mormon from a Prophet called Moroni where he states... In this way, those touched by this promise and who pray can find the truth of the gospel. This is the miraculous way the Lord finds the lost tribes today in the spiritual gathering of those to his gospel. We hear his voice and can know him through prayer and earnestly seeking. If you have not tried it, I'd invite you to give it a shot...who knows...perhaps it could lead to paths and places one never expected.

I know that the Catholic Church and the LDS Church in the Philippines are working hand-in-hand to help frontliners (medical staff) with whatever they need in the hospitals. I googled on any news item about it but this is the only thing I can find that touches on the topic and it doesn't go into detail with the kind of stuff they are helping provide. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/latter-day-saint-charities-responds-to-coronavirus-with-commodities-and-financial-assistance-worldwide?lang=eng

Back in January the Church donated 220,000 masks to a children’s hospital in Wuhan. One wonders whether it has any more stockpiled somewhere.

I’d have to read the CA statute, but my guess is that the statute is typically interpreted as requiring the reporting of sexual abuse that happened within the jurisdiction of California. If the kid only confessed to stuff that happened in Utah, California probably isn’t going to subject the MP to legal action for failure to report.

I have a nephew who came home. He did not get a test (I don't think there are enough to go around). He and his family are in self-quarantine for two weeks.

I attempted to give you one last benefit of the doubt, sadly to no avail. As a son of God, you have undoubtedly received blessings, talents and skills from our Father in Heaven, I don't need to know you to understand and know him. The praise you mistakenly perceived for yourself, was for him. Unfortunately, without skipping a beat... you launched right back into your tirade. Explain to me. Prove to me. Justify it to me. Show me. If you were sincere then sure, but you're not, so... no thanks. You are being met with the same lack of success here. There are other forums online that will appreciate your repetitive closed loop negative posts. Hint: The land of Thirdhour isn't one of them. Regrettably, you are correct Vort. His intentions are clearer than ever, he has hardened his heart.

Cabin Fever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_bggBrUbCo&t=29s

I guess I'll add the obvious that I'm not sure really fits: And another possibility I just found in my iTunes:

Part of the answer might lie in the preface to the Book of Mormon, engraved on gold plates by Moroni almost 1,600 years ago. In this preface, Moroni writes about his purpose and hopes in preparing the gold plates. Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God. 2 An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven—Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ. (Book of Mormon | Preface Title Page:1 - 2)

If we take a long hard look at nearly 2000 years of history since Christ - perhaps you may understand better - I will try to add clarity. For over 1,000 years following the death of the Apostles and Christians coming to civil power there was no religious freedom. It was the year 1649 (I think) that the Toleration Act was passed that made it unlawful to kill other Christians or confiscate their property that were not of the predominate Christian sect. Without going into all the details - even this law was not passed out of love of others but in essence to avoid escalation of a war. I would also note that Charlemagne murdered more men, women and children to convert northern Europe to Christianity; that was the civil power at the time, than was killed by the dreaded black plague. I would also point out that it was almost 200 years following the Toleration Act before it was unlawful to murder and confiscate the property of anyone that believed in a religion that did not accept the Trinity. If there was an institution; that as an institution, believed in a Christ that insisted that his disciples love one another and love their neighbor as themselves - I would be most interested in seeing the proof of such institution prior to 1649. Some may claim that there were individuals that so behaved - but there was not a church to uphold such principles. For all his mass murdering Charlemagne was honored as "The Defender of the Faith" by the predominate Christian institution of his day. I would submit that the influence of the Book of Mormon as a mark in history beginning with the publication in 1830 has been profound and that most all Christian institutions of today are much more loving and compassionate towards their non-Christian neighbors - Can you think of a greater example of gathering throughout the world for peoples to believe in Christ? The Traveler

1. Even if one of the parties to the hand-holding/kissing happens to be married to someone else? 2. What does the BYU honor code have to do with excommunication?

A scary reality in the Philippines. It is scary how fast people can be made to submit to authoritarian rule through fear. This is a lot more draconian than at any time during the Marcos era and politicians are peacocking infront of cameras on who can be the most draconian of all of them. I get that this is a pandemic. I'm simply watching in awe at the pattern set for the next Marcos.

You probably misstated this one. Knowing what comes next is not part of Preparedness. Scout Motto is being prepared for any eventuality including those you don't know is coming.

I actually just added one more volume to my library of materials relating to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: a Spanish language quad combo. Santa Biblia/Libro de Mormon/Doctrinas y Convenios/Perla de Gran Precio, a burgundy, leather, thumb-indexed edition.

The following is not my statement or post, but I found it so wonderful that I wanted to post it to my personal thread (which is in some ways also a thread of my ponderings on culture, tradition and other ideas related to the culture of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) This is originally from @Vernor's Ginger Ale I think this is a great post and of interest to me that I may want to do further study upon at a later date.

THIS is the primary problem right here. Teachers SHOULD NOT be able to demand all various different programs installed on a computer. The district should boil down to ONE singular program to utilize. Insisting that everyone use various programs (and I've seen some that are out there, some of the professors are going cheap and wanting to use Chinese made apps or other items which who KNOWS who's getting what information from that, while others point out that apps that may cost some money but be more secure are hostile to students...we have NO basic program that everyone should use which is a PROBLEM) that may or may not be compatible with students is a horrible decision from my viewpoint. Everyone should be using the SAME programs to interact. I think if we did that, even in higher education rather than the haphazard way it has been going, would standardize how we do things and how students can set up their computers. If we did that, we could also have IT help guide students through the process of setting things up easier, make it easier for Professors to coordinate between each other (especially if there needs to be coordination between different departments), and even have classes set up at different times to use that apps so that it is as easy as walking from one class to another for a student to visit. Not being standardized I think is one HORRIBLE way many schools are handling this because we are loading students computers down with bloatware.

You see everyone, it really is straightforward. We can leave this matter up to the chastity lawyers and they can assure us that there really is nothing wrong with holding hands or kissing as part of a homosexual relationship. The legal experts have informed us It's all perfectly corban.

https://thirdhour.org/blog/faith/angels-in-stone-married-baptized-same-day/ Looks like it was published just today. Kandyce and Bob Ciarrocchi (now there's an awesome Italian name!) sound like wonderful people. I'm so happy for them! I hope I and my family can keep some of this pure enthusiasm in our religious lives every day.

There is a place for everyone in God's plan, from those in outer darkness to the top of the celestial kingdom. Where we place ourself within God's plan is entirely up to us.

The bolded part above simply is not true. The answer: We don't. The realist: "Despite PP's assertion, not everyone wants the gospel. They view its covenants as restrictive and take joy in their own carnality. Until they are willing to abandon their worldly, fleshly, natural-man desires, they cannot and will not embrace the gospel." Amazing. Because, you see, I believe in a loving God, and I also believe that if you don't embrace and live as a part of the kingdom of God, then you cannot possibly receive the blessings God offers you—because those blessings are found within the kingdom of God. Not so. No such dissolution is taking place. That is a figment of your imagination. Wrong, wrong, wrong. The answer to our problems is for people to humble themselves, repent, and come unto Christ. Putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls may make the walls slightly more appealing, but it doesn't change the basic nature of the building. People come unto Christ or they do not. The problem doesn't lie in the fact that we're not luring them well enough. The problem lies in the fact that they do not want to abandon their fornications and make themselves clean so that God can bless them.

To expand on this just a bit, or at least to clarify, I don't mean to say that you have to be super-parent-teacher on Day One. Not at all. It will take some time, months or perhaps even years, before you really find your stride, and you'll be making adjustments right up until high school graduation. I meant simply that you really need to invest yourself in the effort. Homeschooling doesn't have to consume every waking moment or become the central focus of your entire life, but it does need to be A central focus and given more time than a few minutes' prep for the day. And there again: Some days, you might only have a few moments in the morning to prep for the day. So be it. No crime there. But in general, you should be planning and preparing for homeschool just as you would plan and prepare for any other significant event in your family. Of course, vacations and birthdays usually only come once a year, and homeschooling is an every-single-day sort of thing. But you get used to it. Like any other worthy goal that's a lot of work, it's worth it in the end. The simple fact of getting to spend the entire day with your children, watching them learn and grow, letting them soak in your attitudes and work ethic and values, makes it the most rewarding and natural thing in the world.

I had this bumpersticker for a while. This was back before the nationwide study that showed what homeschoolers already know - homeschooled kids (at least in the '80's and '90's) were in more extracurricular activities, interacted with kids not in their core peer group, basically were better socialized than their public school counterparts. Not sure about the last decade, public schools seemed to have caught up a bit from what I can tell. Of course, there are exceptions. As I alluded to before, take any bell curve that public schooled kids fit into, and the homeschooling version is broader and flatter.

This goes back to the whole idea of an apostasy, either the apostasy did occur or did not occur. If the apostasy did occur then when you teach people about Jesus Christ you are helping people to know about him, but not to join His Church. You are helping them join a church that teaches about Jesus Christ, and that is a good thing. If the apostasy did occur the Book of Mormon is a keystone to the restoration of Jesus Christ's Church, which is now gathering Israel and the heritage of each member is known as they are revealed what heritage (tribe) they are from. Thus we have a literal gathering of the House of Israel. The Book of Mormon, as a witness to Christ and his work and glory, people read and come to join His Church. Thus the statement, if there were no Book of Mormon there would be no restoration of Christ's Church and thus no gathering.

Yep. I absolutely stink at math. I remember the exact minute my 9 year old passed me in mathematical ability. We were doing a big bunch of addition, and I was showing her the shortcuts I'd learned to add bunches of numbers in multiple columns. I was halfway through explaining one step, and she just blurted out the answer for the entire problem. Dang kid. I kept teaching her math for several years after that, but she did most of the teaching herself by just reading the math book and understanding it. Can't do algebra and geometry and whatnot, that needs a tutor or someone else. One mommy at the co-op had a PhD in microbiology - she had paused her career to homeschool her kids, and taught a few science classes at the co-op. Eclectic stories like that are the rule of the day for homeschoolers. Your mileage will vary, you'll get whatever mileage you decide to get.

I wouldn't trust the numbers from China.

I came across this verse in my scripture reading this morning. It's a helpful reminder. 9 For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 5:19)

Hi @mimi_kute, I'm an LDS Christian lady married to a generic Christian dude. We have an amazing marriage. Here's my advice: It is essential that you date/marry a guy that respects you-- which includes your morals and relationship with Christ. If he's not 100% on board with that, then he's simply not worth your time. Simple as that. My husband isn't a member, but he respects me. He waited with me. He honors my time at church, supports me when in comes to teaching our daughter about Christ. He's kind, considerate, smart, and loves all of me. Don't settle for a thing where all of you is not truly loved and supported. If this dude loves your morals and relationship with Christ, then he might indeed be a good catch. But not if he wants you to give up that huge part of yourself. As you're having such trouble in person, I would maybe suggest reaching out over online.

I know what you mean by this, but... The discussion groups I frequent tend to focus on sexual behavior/standards within heterosexual marriage. Frequently within these groups, the question of what is appropriate between a married couple comes up, and most of the time we try to steer couples towards "use your own personal definitions to govern your understanding of the law of chastity." (within, of course, the limitation of going outside of the marriage). So many times, the most difficult cases are the "but my mom/dad/bishop/stake president said that Elder (apostle/prophet) so and so said that..." because that appeal to authority carries a lot of weight in the Church. Take Professor Brau's statement outside of the context of this particular controversy, and I see many promoting exactly this -- come up with your own personal definition of what virtue and chastity mean (if any of you follow Jennifer Finlaysen-Fife, she frequently talks about this). Is it really that terrible of a skill to develop -- the ability to make moral judgements -- to really understand right from wrong? I think the thing that I see in this is that so many of us are afraid that, if we give students permission to make their own moral judgements, then they might make (in our estimation) wrong moral judgements (in this case, deciding that homo-romantic behavior is acceptable under the law of chastity). How shall we deal with CES students who come to wrong conclusions? How far should CES honor code offices go in "policing" students' moral reasoning and conclusions and the behavior that flows out of that reasoning?

My neighbors have been talking about having a socially isolated block party when it gets a little warmer in which everybody brings a sack lunch to eat in their own driveway/yard and communicates through walkie-talkies and/or megaphones. I've been considering making a thematically relevant playlist to blast during the 'party' but haven't gotten very far yet. I stumbled across this one this evening but don't think I could add it to the playlist: Suggestions?

Hmmm. I'm familiar with quite a few unmarried LDS men who might find this inviting news. Maybe it's time for a return immigration of some of the descendants of those English converts of yore back to their motherland.

The 2 week self isolation is imposed to avoid needing to test. My son lost his grandfather last week (my ex husbands father). He had a positive test for Covid 19. His whole extended family had a party the weekend before (despite the government restrictions in place). All of them are now in isolation for 14 days. That is at least 8 households. None of them will be tested unless hospitalised. My son did not go to the party and caught a LOT of flack from the extended family initially. We can't underestimate the effect of going to family party feel a bit under the weather (and now thinking it was the virus) is having on my sons cousin. Today his grandmother developed a cough and feels warm to the touch. She is also in her 70s and has underlying health issues. He may be 27 but he is still my son and not being able to travel to console him or just give him a hug is difficult. But not as difficult as it is for the staff in hospitals which were already stretched to capacity. Final year students on my course have already been drafted in to support...and its only just beginning here.

My son did not come home. But the missionaries that came home from the Philippines did not get tested. They were simply sent straight home for 14-day quarantine. They only get tested if they show covid symptoms.

THERE’s a dismal career path . . .

This is interesting information to read. I wonder if it is true. Thanks for posting this.

I'm not sure what this story is supposed represent. There is no creation or fall that affects all mankind in it. Some woman u claim represents Eve has a child and that child is the point of the story. So, in relation to anything we're discussing, it is nonsense. Can u help me see the point of the story in relation the trinity? Or how Eve relates to that family, the trinity? Or how any of this makes what Adam did, bad.