Leaderboard

There are also a surprising number of Church members who seem to have some sort of vendetta against Utah. I get that modern Utah life is not everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s fine. But when you can’t abide the idea of the LDS hymn book containing *any* hymn celebrating/giving thanks for the safety and freedom and prosperity that the early Saints found in the mountains (which is ultimately what #37 builds up to) . . . that frankly baffles me. And I don’t understand this rage to drop stuff from the hymnal. If you don’t like a hymn, don’t sing it! Don’t insist that the rest of the Church throw it down the memory hole. Other churches have hymnals that are far thicker than our own . . .

I’ve seen all the videos and they are all scholarly accurate and insightful... but the content of covered in heavy sarcasm. It is certainly a smear approach to fight anti. Their “Midnight Mormon” podcast is slightly more entertaining, but again it is a lot of smearing. I’ve never been a fan of Kwaku (guy on the left). His “apologetic” style is always emotion based. Often times while he is dropping historical facts and logic, he is also attacking the person’s views. Because of the attack on their views, the historical facts get lost on deaf ears as their ego gets involved. I honestly think the best thing to do when it comes to “apologetics” Is provide historical context, information of difficult topics; and faithful (but believable) responses to questions, and let everyone make the decision themselves. The anti Mormon movement is worst than politics. I use to follow it closely, watching every FairMormon video I could, I would listen to interviews on popular anti Mormon podcasts, and read the current popular anti Mormon literature. It came painfully obvious to me that the decision to leave the church and attack it is never a factual or doctrinal one but an emotional one. No amount of correct information, no matter how eloquently said, is going to persuade someone to rejoin the church or stop attacking it. You can tell in the interviews that most of the ex Mormons had little understanding of many basic doctrines of the church when applied to even the least complex situation. When a difficult situation arises, they resort back to basic mainstream Christian creeds. I remember an ex bishop saying “I just don’t believe that God would send my daughter to hell for eternity just for being gay”... well ... we don’t believe that so looks like you are in the right place... these interviews are full of these Freudian Slip moments where it shows they do not understand basic doctrines. That or they don’t care because emotionally they left and now they are trying to logically justify their decision. Needless to say, I don’t follow it too much anymore. I’m far more interested in the social movements within the confines of the church. Articles being written by accepted 3rd party sources (LDSLIVING, MGF (this site even), Saints Unscrioted, etc.) that are pushing non-church backed messages like it’s ok for young men to not serve missions if they don’t want to, or it is ok for mothers to work while a daycare raises their kids, or that it is ok to watching media with filthy content (nudity, large amounts of swearing, and amoral messages).

The social justice warriors cannot ever get enough. I think they invent problems because they have very few or none in their life.

Ever since I've read Psalms I've felt that our hymnal is woefully lacking songs about raining vengeance on our enemies.

As someone who grew up on Utah, the only place this song was ever song was in a ward in Kentucky who made it a point to sing through every hymn in a year.

On Dec 11th, all the US/Canada folks got a letter stating wards can request a zoom license if any free options aren't meeting the local unit needs. I just got my ward's info from our stake tech, and will start broadcasting next week. Anyone else? Anyone else fighting the good fight to get our less-technology-savvy members on board? Anyone having weekly conversations with a few people to explain how to check their email, so they can click a link? I'm finding many people just haven't wanted much to do with computers and internet. Now they're coming up to me, asking how to use the

This confuses me as well. For example I'm not a fan of "In our Lovely Deseret". Its tune is the same as a beautiful and sad Civil War song about prisoners in Andersonville prison that I love, so it already doesn't quite live up to my expectations. Plus the lyrics in "Deseret" make me laugh (probably an indictment against me if anything, it just sounds so hokey to me). But I will not be leading a protest movement to have it removed from the hymnbook. If someone gets something spiritual out of it, then by all means sing it.

I don't know of any people in my ward that don't know what email is. Every link I create says "CLICK HERE" We also don't have many people that don't have a computer or smart phone. Ministering brothers and sisters are responsible for assisting members who have issues, but it really is very simple and no major issues have popped up. We've been doing this since spring. I'm the one that fields most of the issues.

In October General Conference he made this invitation: "As you study your scriptures during the next six months, I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I think you will be astounded! Ponder these promises. Talk about them with your family and friends. Then live and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in your own life." https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/11/46nelson?lang=eng "We live in a glorious age, foreseen by prophets for centuries. This is the dispensation when no spiritual blessing will be withheld from the righteous. Despite the world’s commotion, the Lord would have us look forward to the future “with joyful anticipation.” Let us not spin our wheels in the memories of yesterday. The gathering of Israel moves forward. The Lord Jesus Christ directs the affairs of His Church, and it will achieve its divine objectives." https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/11/58nelson?lang=eng He mentions gathering three times in his opening remarks as well: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/11/11nelson?lang=eng The covenants and blessings are tied to the Gathering of Israel. I think it is a call to activate the "belonging module" in our spirits -- reach out to others on both sides of veil in various ways, be loyal to the Church and fellow members above all other identities, and promote this loyalty (one heart and one mind of Zion) that is based on the principal basics of testimony and ordinances.

I think that dividing entire populations into so-called generations is foolish, a futile work that ultimately misses the entire point and takes the wrong things as important. I have felt this way for a long time, and the older I get, the more I disagree with the practice of generational "naming" and segregation.

That’s exactly it. They are trying to be to the antis and they are to us. However, we are standing on the grounds of Christianity and the antis are not. They cry out “you are being unchristian” and we can’t say anything back.

This appears to be an effort to fight on enemy ground. Jesus was occasionally condemnatory, as with the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, but he was never sarcastic or mocking (though see some prophets, e.g. Elijah, for a counterexample). I fear all such efforts, however well-intentioned, will ultimately be unsuccessful if not actually harmful. As one who has used mockery and sarcasm, I don't say this sanctimoniously. But wrong is wrong, even if I have been guilty of it.

Let's see if this works: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mormonhub/permalink/3457548407708004/?comment_id=3457944534335058

She doesn't think that song should be in the hymnbook because it's not about God and it has offensive wording such as bands of Indians. What gets me is she also talks about patriotic songs being in the hymnbook. I can understand that one with an international church. But she says she knows how to separate patriotism from faith. But this country was founded on faith and God. But I also understand that hymnbooks in other countries don't have the patriotic songs like we have. I'm not 100% sure if that is true.

I've never heard it sung in the congregations I've attended. My mum used to sometimes play it as part of the prelude music when I was a kid and now I sometimes play it as part of the prelude music at funerals, it seems to fit in quite well with the mood of a funeral. I also occasionally as prelude music before Sacrament meeting as well. This is the favourite hymn of an elderly sister in our ward and she thanks me every time I play it. 2001-01-0370-the-wintry-day-descending-to-its-close-vocal-and-instrumental-192k-eng.mp3

They appear to be triggered by the "Indian band" part? Wonder how they feel about the state name "Utah"? How about them Utah Utes... double whammy

I've developed a real fondness for Ezra Taft Benson

We've been broadcasting on ZOOM since the spring. We just provide a link in our newsletter for people to click to get to the stream. No technology knowledge needed. Streaming to Facebook is also easier for many of the technology challenged since many are familiar with it.

Here is an interesting and relevant talk by Ezra Taft Benson: “Civic Standards for the Faithful Saints“ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1972/04/civic-standards-for-the-faithful-saints

I think I'm going to try this. Boundless energy does sound like a good thing (especially considering I can barely even get out of bed at the moment). Thanks for the suggestion Suzie.

You should read a book called Supreme Power by Ted Stewart, which is a very interesting commentary on the evolution of the Supreme Court. Supreme Power : 7 Pivotal Supreme Court Decisions that had a Major Impact on America One thing I see that has changed and dramatically altered how the Supreme Court works is not the Supreme Court basically has been enabled to write laws. A prime example... With the Gay Marriage laws that have come into effect, previously before it had this power, the Supreme Court could have ruled laws AGAINST Gay Marriage as Unconstitutional, but it could not have mandated laws to be made to equalize them. Thus, there would be a vacuum until such laws were made in accordance to recognize Gay Marriage on the same footing as Traditional Marriages. Instead, the laws were conformed immediately to take into effect the Gay Marriage as the same exact thing in a legal sense (which is writing new laws) as other Marriages. In my thoughts...of course. Traditionally, when originally created, the Supreme Court had the ability to rule things unconstitutional and mandates in accordance, but not necessarily the ability to actually write and create laws without the approval of Congress being involved with the process...once again...in my feelings on the matter. Ironically, even Judicial Review, which we take for granted today, was not inherently felt to be given until over a decade after the Constitution was written, but this review has expanded today into what we see where not only can it strike down, it can also mandate laws put in place to enforce such things (for example, striking down a school districts regulations and ordering it to pay fines in order and to create new organizations...thus by ordering new organizations to be made to create equality, also dictating new laws in order to mandate such actions to occur). Because of this, those who wish to force the creation of new laws which otherwise cannot be passed via the traditional means either by vote or through Congressional legality, have pushed for more Judicial activism regarding the Federal Courts all the up to the Supreme Court. How far this could go is questionable, but with more extremes placed upon it, one could see that this may result in a Crisis in the future.

Bummer that she's a live girl. To answer the question honestly though, I'd "react" to it the same way I react to anyone getting married. Be happy for 'em, and mind my own business.

I learned today that I have been deceived all of my life. Did you know that nature has nothing to do with God? Yeah neither did I. There is a conversation going on on the Third Hour Community facebook group regarding hymn #37. Someone is all bent out of shape over it.

“The saint shall rejoice when they seeth the vengeance, the heathen is locked with his sentence. We’ll sing and we’ll shout with the armies of heaven the vengeance, the vengeance, the vengeance is mine!”