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An idea has just struck me. They say one of the central ideas of evolution is "common ancestry" - that modern humans do not only share ancestors with modern apes, but also dogs, cats, horses, snails, oak trees, cacti, mushrooms, slime molds and bacteria. Which means that just one event - one random alignment of atoms billions of years ago - led to the diversity of life we now see. Now what has just occurred to me is that this only ever happened once in all the billions of years the Earth has existed, how unlikely must that event have been? It puts the sheer specialness of life into perspective. Perhaps with all the billions of stars in the universe, and the trillions of planets orbiting around them, it was bound to happen once - but it happened to happen here on our planet. What are the odds? (Well actually the odds are 100%, because if it hadn't happened, we wouldn't be here to ask the question. I believe they call that the "weak anthropic principle".) Or perhaps it happened more than once. Perhaps the evolutionists are wrong, and that different types of life did spring from multiple "proto-life" events during the Earth's early history. Or perhaps all current life did come from the same proto-life, but there were for a while rival "lives" to ours which eventually died out - our's was the one which (by natural selection) survived. Or maybe Fred Hoyle was right about "panspermia" - that the elements of life have been drifting around the universe since forever (Hoyle didn't believe in a beginning) and dropping "like gentle rain from heaven" upon any planets they happen to meet. Or maybe the event wasn't random. Maybe a proto-life is so unlikely that it could never reasonably occur at random however many planets there are, but that God travels around causing it to happen on planets here and there. Or maybe God only did it once, and it spread across the universe under its own steam, Hoyle-style. Something to think about during lockdown... P.S. I can do a good Fred Hoyle impression: "T' Big Bang theeuury is a looada o' ooold crap!" (Well actually I can never decide if its Fred Hoyle, or Michael Palin pretending to be a Yorkshireman.) I've been reading The Secret Garden to my wife for a bedtime story for an excuse to use my "Yorkshireman" voice for all the Yorkshire characters - especially Ben Weatherstaff. P.P.S. My wife says I don't sound Yorkshire at all, but just like I'm "talking stupid". Oh well... P.P.P.S. I knew there was a word for what I called "proto-life event": Abiogenesis.

One thought comes from our family white water rafting experiences. I would tell my kids, when teaching them to river guide - When on the river, always remember that regardless of how tragic, frighting, wonderful or exciting something is that you just got through or encountered - it is more important to focus on and get ready for what is coming up next. It is important to realize and understand our past but not so important that we ever loose focus on our future. Another thought specifically about miracles. Most miracles are not large unexplainable events that change everything. Most miracles are small almost unnoticeable corrections that pile up on one another until a beautiful masterpiece is finished. Many years ago my bishop gave a talk at church about his rock garden. He was busy but decided to place at least one rock every day. Often the rock was placed at 1:00 am in the middle of the night. It took him two years to complete his garden but it was a beautiful wonder to behold. To him each stone placement represented a miracle. A miracle that by it's self would never be recognized as a miracle but in concert with the collection of many miracles of the completed task was a great miracle. Sometimes reading a verse of scripture and realizing a helpful thought or a thought of comfort is a miracle. Sometimes a smile is a miracle. Having enough to eat is a miracle. Being loved is a miracle - so is loving someone. Getting up in the morning, getting dressed, making your bed and starting your day with a prayer - outlining your plan for the day to G-d - is a miracle you can return to G-d. Heck - just praying is a miracle. Being able to hear an answer to a prayer is a miracle. It is a miracle when recognize we just experienced a miracle or able to recognize a miracle that is unfolding. The Traveler

Don't blame circumstances beyond your control. It's totally possible. You'll drive them away if you're bitter and think the world is unfair.

Good hypocrisy test to see if you're letting your sense of right and wrong be colored by your political beliefs. If this is you, you might want to rethink things: Also, if you've never even heard of Reade or her allegation, that's evidence that you might want to re-think how you get your news about politics.

I was going to take your post and start a new topic...but I think the original has run its course. So... in the Assemblies of God our congregations are mostly independent, financially. Each church supports missionaries, domestic drug rehabilitation (Teen Challenge), emergency response efforts (Convoy of Hope), etc. In fact, every year my church cooperates with Samaritan's Purse Shoebox program, and Samaritan's Purse is not an Assemblies of God program. That said, my congregation went virtual and has been following the governor's guidance. We expect to return to in-person services mid-July, since drive-in doesn't make sense for us. Some of our members are struggling financially. Fortunately, Union Gospel Mission (again, not Assemblies of God) has been working with local churches to distribute food items. We maintain a small food/clothing bank, as well. I've not heard than any churches are closing. However, our smaller churches are often led by pastors who also work outside jobs. So, depending on the type of job, I imagine some of them were stretched quite thin. Those of us in chaplaincy are mostly working essential jobs, and many have the opposite problem--12-hour shifts, plus working in places in which the stress level is sky high.

McConkie, Joseph Fielding Smith, and Joseph Smith Jr seemed to have been of a school of thought that between "restoration of all thing" and "God is unchanging", that any practice of worship that was given to the modern church must have existed in both ancient Christianity and Judaism. On this premise, they assume that if there is no evidence of such practice, it must have been lost from the record. Personally, I don't find that line of thought particularly convincing. I think it's perfectly reasonable for the concepts and principles to have existed throughout history, but the form and practice to have changed with culture and technology. It would seem unlikely to me that the Israelites were practicing baptism for the dead prior to Christ's death. They had some parallels, but nothing quite like baptism for the remission of sins. Instead, their equivalent to baptism was more along the lines of restoring their ability to enter the the temple and participate in rituals there. Under our understanding of the temple, that may not seem like much of a difference, but for them atonement and freedom from transgression was gained through the sacrifices at the temple. Baptism as a symbol of conversion didn't become popular until after the Babylonian captivity. As a symbol of repentance, I doubt it was new or revolutionary by the time of John the Baptist, as not even the Jewish leadership of the time really objected to it. So sometimes between the Babylonian captivity and John the Baptist, it had evolved into a recognized and accepted custom. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_baptism) But under either premise, there really isn't reasonable way to get to ancient Israelites performed baptism for the dead.

I have never heard that we should never speak of miracles, but rather, only if the Spirit prompts us to share. I have had miracles occur in my life. Most of the time I do not share them, but there are times when I have felt prompted to do so. For my children, now all adults, I created a binder I called “Family Treasures“. In the binder I have recorded the miracles that have happened to me, my husband, my children, and many of our ancestors. I believe there is a time and place for some of these miracles to be shared. They are sacred. I hope in my telling of the events that they will help strengthen my children and grandchildren’s testimonies.

Oops. That's all I talked about in my interview.

Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Or even better: JST Matthew 7:9 Go ye into the world, saying unto all, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come nigh unto you. 10 And the mysteries of the kingdom ye shall keep within yourselves; for it is not meet to give that which is holy unto the dogs; neither cast ye your pearls unto swine, lest they trample them under their feet. 11 For the world cannot receive that which ye, yourselves, are not able to bear; wherefore ye shall not give your pearls unto them, lest they turn again and rend you.

There are spiritual experiences that are personal - sometimes there are parts that are not to be shared. In essence sealed up or spoken of by someone else. There are spiritual experiences that cannot be expressed or explained. Any attempt lacks important elements that cannot be expressed. As far as speaking with an angel - as noted is scripture - one is more likely to be called to repentance than congratulated. If one is congratulated, it is not uncommon to face opposition as well and it is seldom a good idea to speak of dark encounters. Always spiritual things should testify of Christ and not draw attention to the person providing the experience. The Traveler

In general, I think this is not so. indeed, we are commanded to bear testimony, and what is a miracle if not a testimony to you of God? Here's my current take: Things that are given for us alone are probably not appropriate to share. If an angel appears before you to instruct you, then based on that experience you can bear testimony of the reality of God's communication with us. But you may be extremely reluctant (and rightfully so) to share details of your angelic encounter. Can you imagine the doubt and mockery from many corners that would follow such a recounting? We always bear testimony, but we do not cast our pearls before swine.

A very gradual first step might be to read all of the Ensign each month. It's a good mix of doctrine, practicality and uplifting accounts of and by ordinary people. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/ensign?lang=eng

Brigham Young - “Jesus was the first man that ever went to preach to the spirits in prison, holding the keys of the Gospel of salvation to them. Those keys were delivered to him in the day and hour that he went into the spirit world, and with them he opened the door of salvation to the spirits in prison.” (Journal of Discourses 4:285.)

Do share then.

Not for @pam