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My family is the holder of the best known copy of the Rules of the United Order. For your fun and enjoyment I have printed out a copy (on my compurter not a photo copy) of the rules of the United Order. The Traveler

"I bear witness that when Christ comes, He needs to recognize us—not as nominal members listed on a faded baptismal record but as thoroughly committed, faithfully believing, covenant-keeping disciples. This is an urgent matter for all of us, lest we ever hear with devastating regret: “I never knew you,” or, as Joseph Smith translated that phrase, “[You] never knew me.” Fortunately, we have help for this task—lots of help. We need to believe in angels and miracles and the promises of the holy priesthood. We need to believe in the gift of the Holy Ghost, the influence of good families and friends, and the power of the pure love of Christ. We need to believe in revelation and prophets, seers, and revelators and President Russell M. Nelson. We need to believe that with prayer and pleading and personal righteousness, we really can ascend to “Mount Zion, … the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.” Brothers and sisters, as we repent of our sins and come boldly to the “throne of grace,” leaving before Him there our alms and our heartfelt supplications, we will find mercy and compassion and forgiveness at the benevolent hands of our Eternal Father and His obedient, perfectly pure Son. Then, with Job and all the refined faithful, we will behold a world “too wonderful” to understand. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." -President Jeffery R. Holland, April 2024 General Conference.

I don’t think Joseph Smith ever really saw any of his revelations as being truly “done”; he continued to tinker with their text throughout his life—even the text of revelations that had already been published. Brigham Young, at a Council of Fifty meeting, ”. . . supposed that there has not yet been a perfect revelation given, because we cannot understand it, yet we receive a little here and a little there. He should not be stumbled if the prophet should translate the Bible forty thousand times over and yet it should be different in some places every time, because when God [speaks], he always speaks according to the capacity of the people.” The point of canon is not to encapsulate all truth. The point of canon is to get us each in harmony with the mind and will of God and bring us to a spiritual state where we can learn all truth directly from the source. The current canon—while certainly not perfect—at least does accomplish that. This isn’t to say we should resist additions to the canon that the Lord, through His servants, offers us from time to time. But not do we need to live in terror that the existing corpus of scripture is somehow insufficient for God’s purposes.

So, my family is going to see the eclipse this coming Monday. We're just a few hours away from the path of Totality. We're planning on heading out right near @Ironhold's stomping grounds. We have no idea what the popularity will be. But if it is the nearest spot for me, you can bet that most of the eclipse chasers (out of 4 million people in Houston) will want to go to the same location. Texas is fortunate since the duration of the total eclipse will be longer with a decrease in latitude. We'll get nearly four minutes of the total eclipse. With the roads clogged, we may have difficulty returning. I hope we don't run out of gas. Or we'll be the only idiots driving out in the middle of nowhere looking at an event for just a few minutes only to returrn home with a memory. We can't really take pictures... can we? But memories will be what makes and breaks this family.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2010/10/cleansing-the-inner-vessel?lang=eng Compare with the audio at about 1:05

If they aren't canonized then how would you know if Joseph, Brigham, or Russell received one? The point was that Joseph received "thus saith the Lord" revelations and they were never presented to the Church for a sustaining vote. If Joseph Smith were alive today you would have the same concern. I'll state again that I think it's worth checking our assumptions about what constitutes "revelation" versus "inspiration". I think the fact that Joseph's revelations needed editing before publication shows that there's a level of wiggle room even for "thus saith the Lord" revelations. And baptisms for the dead seemed to progress as they were practiced. I don't think revelation is as strong as you think it is, nor inspiration as weak as you think it is. No, I'm suggesting that just because we do not have the text of a revelation that does not mean that the revelation did not happen. The testimony of the apostles present make it clear that the lifting of the temple and priesthood ban came about because of revelation. The canonized record is the conclusion of such a meeting and not the revelation itself. That does not discount that a revelation was had. I do believe, and am suggesting that properly run council meetings become conduits of revelation and meeting minutes should reflect that. Joseph seemed to think the Lord sustained the high council's decisions enough to warrant including them in the Doctrine and Covenants. And although the practice of baptisms for the dead are mentioned in a revelation, the proper execution of the ordinance is explained in epistles -- not textual revelations. If Joseph Smith were alive today you would have the same concern. On the contrary, I believe there have been. I don't think they've warranted canonizing in the Doctrine and Covenants. I've seen saints stare in confusion when they read D&C 16 after reading D&C 15. What percentage of the D&C should we devote to the thousands of mission calls extended every year? Should we plan on adding a fresh revelation every time the First Presidency is reorganized? You'll notice the Doctrine and Covenants starts out with many revelations giving specific assignments to specific individuals, but once the assignment has been outlined the assignment revelations fade out. If Joseph Smith were alive today you would have the same concern. I think that's debatable. Let me see if I can make my point clearer. President Nelson, in his inaugural talk as prophet, says The word of the Lord came unto me and said, My servant Russell, I have heard thy petitions and thou hast found favor in my sight this day. Inasmuch as you have sought my will concerning who should serve as your counsellors, verily I say unto thee that thou shalt appoint from thy fellow-servants Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring; This is my word and will for the First Presidency. And now, as for thy concern over who shall sit among thy brethren the apostles, thus saith the Lord, Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses S. Soares have I called for this work; And they shall serve as special witnesses to my name and testify of me. I will be with them and with thee in thy councils with the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve. If ye will gather in my name, esteeming thy brother as thyself, then I will pour my power upon thee that thou shalt speak by the power of the Holy Ghost. President Nelson would either have to speak like this his entire talk, or find a way to smoothly transition to it. This style seems to have fallen out of the common tongue early in the 20th century. Instead he said the following: I testify that the Lord instructed me to select President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring to serve as my counselors in the First Presidency. In like manner, I testify that the Lord inspired the call of Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Elder Ulisses Soares to be ordained as His Apostles. I and we welcome them to this unique brotherhood of service. When we convene as a Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, our meeting rooms become rooms of revelation. The Spirit is palpably present. As we wrestle with complex matters, a thrilling process unfolds as each Apostle freely expresses his thoughts and point of view. Though we may differ in our initial perspectives, the love we feel for each other is constant. Our unity helps us to discern the Lord’s will for His Church. In our meetings, the majority never rules! We listen prayerfully to one another and talk with each other until we are united. Then when we have reached complete accord, the unifying influence of the Holy Ghost is spine-tingling! We experience what the Prophet Joseph Smith knew when he taught, “By union of feeling we obtain power with God.” No member of the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve would ever leave decisions for the Lord’s Church to his own best judgment! President Nelson quoted the Lord directly using more modern language and you missed it. "[T]he Lord instructed me to ...." I wonder if there's something specific you're looking for that's blinding you to what's already in front of you.

AskGramps posted some thoughts on this subject. In summary: 1. Not all of Joseph Smith's revelations were canonized (either narrowly-scoped, redundant, or the revelation simply wasn't recorded) and many of today's revelations are of the same sort 2. You seem to draw a distinction between "thus saith the Lord" revelation and "inspiration". When Elijah (representative of "the Prophets") receives revelation as "a still small voice", I think it's worth checking our assumptions about what constitutes "revelation" versus "inspiration". 3. Even meeting minutes are records of revelatory experience. One example has even been canonized. 4. Elder Widtsoe classified latter-day revelation as "foundation" - doctrines and Church offices that need to be revealed only once -- and "daily guidance" which has the narrower scope -- given for a specific circumstance, time, or person. Gramps concludes that if Joseph Smith were alive today you would likely find yourself asking the same question of him. I would add that given the decline of biblical literacy in recent history, modern revelations are not going to be couched in King James formatting. Instead of "thus saith the Lord" we may instead hear something more like:

I believe it is being referred to as "inspired counsel"? There's also a hefty dose of good old fashioned Old Testament-ey prophetic warnings and calls to action in it: The forces working against the family are pretty much everywhere now. Plenty of voices decrying outdated European models based on an oppressive patriarchy, plenty of sympathetic ears.

I’m pretty sure we have more revelations than any other dispensation. Other than the City of Enoch perhaps. There is great struggle with the Family Proclamation. I wish that we were ready for more revelations. That we could live a higher law. Don’t think we are ready yet.

Indeed, including statements from our leaders during the last fifty or so years that unanimously affirm that this life is the time to prepare to meet God, We have been warned against the philosophy of "eat, drink, and be merry...and it shall be well with us; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God." Jacob goes on to call these "false and vain and foolish doctrines". Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance. Don't say, "Oh, celestial is too hard. I'll just live a telestial/terrestrial life. That's good enough, because eventually I'll get there." The truth of the matter is that celestial living is not merely far more rewarding than terrestrial/telestial living; it is EASIER. Show some faith. Believe the prophets and the scriptures. Think celestial.

I've been off arguing church finances with the critics on another board for a few years. I did a little research on where we stick our temples, measured by the GDP of the country where they're built, and I made this chart: Each dot represents all the temples in a certain country. So those two dots at the bottom right represent Brazil's 22 and Mexico's 25 temples, both horrendously poor nations with a per capita GDP of under $10k per year. Temples are a massive investment of funds. Maybe ~$60 million each to build, and maybe ~$3-4 million per year to operate. Yes, roughly half of the temples are built in happy rich 1st world high GDP USA. Because that's where roughly half of the worlds' saints live. But with only two exceptions, every other temple we build is built in a nation poorer than the US. 158 temples are in countries with under $40k per capita GDP. 150 in countries with under $20k. 131 in the world's poorest nations, with the crushing poverty of under $10k per capita GDP. If the saints in those areas had to rely on their own tithing donations to fund their temples, they couldn't hope to ever pay for one. If you're a church critic with issues on how the church uses it's wealth, even you are forced to admit that half of the temples cost more than they bring in. We're currently seeing exponential growth in new temples. When I ask myself how long that exponential growth will continue, one possible answer would be "as long as we can afford it". Someone with a background in monitoring how large wealthy organizations run their charitable endowments ran the numbers. Their back-of-a-napkin numbers said the church might be able to fully fund roughly ~2500 temples in poor areas who can't afford to pay for it via tithing. At the current rate of growth, we could reach that in the year 2067. Imma be paying attention in General Conference when they announce new temples! Hoping for 18-20 or more! And every time a poorer nation is named, I'll be rejoicing!

As I delved into the narratives spanning 1 Samuel 16 through 2 Samuel 10, a profound journey unfolded—one that took a young shepherd boy and transformed him into the king of Israel. This stretch of scripture is not merely a historical recounting but a rich tapestry that reveals the complexities of divine anointing, the essence of godly leadership, and the intricate ways in which God's sovereignty intertwines with human agency. The stories of David's anointing, his rise to prominence, his complex relationship with Saul, and his eventual kingship over Israel offer timeless lessons on faith, power, and the heart of true leadership. Anointed Yet Patient: David's Early Journey In 1 Samuel 16, David is anointed by Samuel, chosen by God not for his physical prowess or royal lineage but for his heart. This divine selection of a shepherd boy underscores a fundamental kingdom principle: God values character above external qualifications. Yet, what struck me most profoundly was David's patience and humility following his anointing. He did not rush to seize the throne; instead, he served faithfully under Saul, even when Saul sought his life. This period of waiting and service was not wasted time but a divine incubation period where David's character, faith, and reliance on God were refined. Leadership Tested Through Adversity David's ascent to kingship was fraught with challenges—from evading Saul's jealous rage to navigating the political and military complexities of uniting Israel. Each trial tested David's leadership, not just in terms of martial prowess but more significantly, in spiritual faithfulness and moral integrity. David's lament over Saul and Jonathan's deaths in 2 Samuel 1 reveals a leader who could mourn his adversaries, showing the depth of David's capacity for empathy and forgiveness—hallmarks of godly leadership. The Heart of Leadership: Serving God's Purposes Upon becoming king, David's actions—from his desire to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6 to his military campaigns that expanded Israel's borders—were driven by a desire to fulfill God's purposes for Israel. Yet, it was God's covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7, promising an everlasting dynasty, that highlighted the essence of David's leadership: a heart aligned with God's will. This covenant underscored that David's kingship was not merely a personal achievement but a pivotal moment in the unfolding of God's redemptive plan for humanity. Personal Reflections and Application Studying these chapters has prompted me to reflect on the nature of the leadership roles I occupy—whether in family, work, or community. Like David, am I leading with patience, humility, and a heart aligned with God's purposes? David's story challenges me to evaluate not just my actions but the state of my heart in leadership. Moreover, David's journey from shepherd to king serves as a powerful reminder that our current station in life is not our final destination. With faith in God and fidelity to His commands, the seemingly ordinary can lead to extraordinary paths of divine destiny. As we navigate our own life's challenges and opportunities for leadership, may we draw inspiration from David's journey, remembering that true greatness in God's kingdom is measured by the condition of our hearts and our faithfulness to His call.

@JohnsonJones If you have the experience you say (I'm taking you at your word that you do) then you know how safe that child was and how ridiculous your concerns are. Timestap 7:40 so you can see clearly what you will also see in the next picture. Rifle slung downwards. Time stamp 7:42 the rifle is slung. Non threatening. Puh-leeze JJ...puh-leeze. My bonafides on the topic: I am 26 year officer (still working.) I am a building clearing instructor. I am an active shooter/rapid response instructor. I am a MACTAC instructor (counter terrorist active shooter stuff.) You are really reaching JJ.

As I've begun, for the first time, to read the Journal of Discourses, I have come across tidbits that are helping me to erase any assumptions I may have had about eternity and progression. My ultimate answer? I just don't know but God is really, really merciful- I trust Him.

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. These verses have always struck a cord with me. When Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden into the lone and dreary world, they longed to return home again, back into God's presence. In the scriptures we read of this longing for a home (promised land) over and over again. But receiving a land of inheritance is only the beginning. It's not truly home until God resides there as well, in other words, Zion. We see the perfect example of this with Enoch. He helped create a true Home on earth and then were taken up into God's bosom. It makes me wonder what that process was like. Surely they experienced many of the same struggles that modern families and communities deal with. And yet they were able to endure and eventually overcome them.

The fam went and saw One Life last night. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Life_(2023_film) I can highly, highly recommend it. Everyone should know the story. Inspiring and important reminder of how average folks can rise to the occasion. Anthony Hopkins and all the other actors did an amazing job. Easier to watch and less traumatizing/extreme/violent/shocking than Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan. Excellent movie for older teens on up. In my life, as the son of a WWII vet, I've felt the pressing need to preserve and pass along the lessons my dad's generation learned. This movie really really helped me forward that goal with my older daughter.

I really have missed this group! My children keep having children, then they get married and you know the routine. With the grands and great grandchildren...there are 32 of the little critters with another 2 greats coming this summer! I read the highlights sent to my email, and inbetween dehydrating, found time to sit down and say hi!

Since He's one of 'em, it would be sort of hard for Him to be there without Him present...

As a matter of mechanics, how do you think the “thus-switch-the-Lord” revelations in the D&C (and for that matter, the rest of canon) were transmitted to their recipients? Dream? Waking Vision? Physical material visitation of a divine being? Audible voice? Trance? Specific words coming to to the recipient’s mind? A image coming to the recipient’s mind, which the recipient then had to articulate in his own words? Something else? Were *all* the “thus-saith-the-Lord” revelations in our canon transmitted through the same method? Are you sure? How do you know? Oh, and on a completely unrelated tangent: what do you think of Denver Snuffer and John Pontius/Thom Harrison?

For the sake of argument, let us pretend for a moment that you are right. The Church membership is less spiritually robust than in past generations, have turned their back on certain elements of their covenants, and therefore have had some of the light and truth in their doctrines, practices, and temple covenants taken away by divine decree. What would you have us do? I mean, repent, of course—but that would be true in any case. What would you, Maverick, have us TH participants do? Should we contact the First Presidency and express our displeasure? Should we chain ourselves to the gates of the Seattle temple to show our unhappiness with the direction things are going? Should we, I don't know, get on public message boards and broadcast to all who will hear how the Church is drifting into apostasy and forgetting its covenant roots? Should we go all Jana Riess and start publishing as publicly as possible our displeasure, unrest, and rebellion against such things? Or should we perhaps sustain our leaders in their challenges during these difficult times? Should we rather bear fervent testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of the reality of the restoration of Priesthood keys, and of the existence of the kingdom of heaven right here on Earth, with Christ Himself at the head and His chosen apostles leading and administering? I'm trying to figure out what it is you (Maverick) hope to accomplish in spreading your warning of wickedness and spiritual slothfulness among the Saints. As a result of the dire warnings given us by you, we should immediately do—what?

Joseph once said that he could reveal 100 times more about the degrees of glory than what was revealed in the various sections of the D&C, as soon as the Saints were prepared to receive it. Joseph knew. But he also recognized that the Saints were not ready to hear it. He said If it was that difficult for what might (in the Church) be considered "the greatest generation" imagine what our generation is prepared for? Are they the great and noble generation saved for the last days? Or are they the lost generation being tossed about by every wind of doctrine? When I look at the many youth in the four stakes I've been frequenting, I'd say "Yes."

From a talk that I know some people here highly appreciate https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/ezra-taft-benson/fourteen-fundamentals-following-prophet/ Sixth: The prophet does not have to say “Thus saith the Lord” to give us scripture. Sometimes there are those who haggle over words. They might say the prophet gave us counsel but that we are not obligated to follow it unless he says it is a commandment. But the Lord says of the Prophet Joseph, “Thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you” (D&C 21:4; italics added). And speaking of taking counsel from the prophet, in D&C 108:1, the Lord states: “Verily thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Lyman: Your sins are forgiven you, because you have obeyed my voice in coming up hither this morning to receive counsel of him whom I have appointed” (italics added). Said Brigham Young, “I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call scripture” (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints’ Book Depot], 13:95).

OK, so I got curious. It would have been "inspired counsel" (counsel = advice; council = group of people). So, I sharpened my google-fu and searched (cuz the Church website search options are lacking). In October 2011, "Counsel to Youth", we find: ...but the video says the same thing. In "Parents in Zion" (Oct 1998), it's listed with other things as "inspired guidance". The end. So I removed Packer from the equation and required "family", "proclamation", and "inspired". Elder Richard J. Maynes calls a portion of the proclamation "inspired counsel". Elder Scott says it was "inspired of the Lord". And, I'm tired of perusing the results. At this point, I think it's up to @Maverick to provide a link.

I should note that I didn’t condemn the entire younger generation; I condemned that subset of them which has abandoned a certain set of principles. I’m probably getting into the weeds here, but . . . I disagree with this. Kids don’t always do what they’re taught. In fact, for millennia people have bemoaned the tendency of adolescents to do precisely the opposite of what they were taught. Humans are not computers; and I think it’s a stretch to suggest most incidences of human dysfunction are the result of some sort of manufacturer’s or programmer’s error.

There are some General Conference talks that are obviously inspired. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1989/04/beware-of-pride?lang=eng https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1977/04/our-great-potential?lang=eng D&C 1:38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. Joseph Smith routinely gave us revelations in the voice of the Lord. Ezra Taft Benson’s talk about pride is in his own voice. The question is, do we appreciate those messages equally?

Yes and no. I agree generally that the Lord withholds things until we the members more fully utilize what we have already been given. The prophets have said as much. But when you consider the early days of the Church many revelations came during periods of apostasy or turmoil among members. So you can't just say the members are to blame. I personally believe that the fledgling Church simply needed more support to help it keep going and growing. As the Church became more stabilized the importance of a steady flow of publicly recognized revelation diminished. Looking forward, when all heck starts to break loose again it wouldn't surprise me if that flow picked back up.

What about D&C 138 1918 I consider a vision continuing revelation.

We, the membership, only receive what we prepare ourselves to receive. If there is a lack of "many great and important things" it's because we haven't responded adequately to what we have already been given. Remember the Liahona wouldn't work unless they had the faith to exercise obedience. I believe Pres. Nelson has much more he has received and wants to reveal it, but unless we get to the House of the Lord as counseled, it will continue to be withheld.

It's a fine question. I think one without any doctrinal answer, but one we can speculate and opine about. I think about dispensations and folks setting off into new uncharted territory needing guidance from the Lord. We are a relatively young restored church - a scant 200 years. The restoration kicked off something that doesn't need a bunch of changes. The D&C is a record of those changes. I think about how things get canonized, sometimes a lifetime or three after the record is actually made. It makes me wonder, as the Proclamation on the Family approaches turning 30, if it might become part of the D&C eventually. I also think about Enos, Jarom, and Omni, books documenting ~300 years of BoM history, and how they get only 3 short chapters. Enos gains a solid testimony. The Lamanites resist missionary efforts. Prophets keep prophesying same old stuff. Oh look, it's Zarahmelans. 3 centuries, that's it. Omni gets 3 verses. One verse saying "I'm writing something because my dad told me to." One saying "I fought a lot, and wasn't a good person." One saying "Lotta peace, lotta war, nothing much else to say. Wrote this down because it's tradition, so here's my son Amaron for you." Amaron's record is equally as short and unremarkable. Holy, sacred scripture at it's most routine and unremarkable. Omni certainly didn't think anything about him or his record should have been thought of as holy or precious, other than he was an unimportant part of an important story. It makes me think about what 2020-2024 would look like in scripture. "A new plague crossed the entire world and killed many of the old and sick. In the church, there were some disputations about how the sickness should be dealt with, but mostly the saints did their best to practice their religion in safety. I, Russel M. Nelson, being a doctor by trade, urged the world to receive a medicine, but nevertheless to love all no matter their choice. The sickness did not stop us from our missionary work, nor did it slow our work of building new temples at a fast pace across the world. Nevertheless, the dark one took advantage of the disruptions caused by the sickness, sowing much confusion and dissention among the children of men, with some men crying "lo, I am a woman", and others crying "because of injustice of one, it is not just to be subject to laws enforced by many". And these notions did confuse and anger many, including amongst the saints." A heck of a lot more interesting than Omni, if you ask me.

Jesus is risen! To commemorate the Resurrection of our Savior, Redeemer, and King I thought perhaps we could share things we could resurrect in our own lives to try to be better and do better. I will resurrect my life by: *Praying more *Reading and studying more *Spending less time online *Being less contentious while still vigorously defending the Restored Gospel *Making more of an effort to show kindness to those around me *Being more diligent in my daily labors *Communicating more regularly with family He is risen indeed!

I very explicitly disbelieve this. We have been told almost nothing about the lower kingdoms or what covenants are required to enter therein. This is because God wants us to be celestial. Our current prophet and senior apostle has clearly stated that we are to "think celestial". We are not to resign ourselves to a lesser kingdom or start planning for our more modest mansion in the terrestrial regions. The Lord Himself, both during mortality and in His eternal nature, has told us that eternal life—which is to say, exaltation—is the greatest of God's gifts, and that He wants to bestow that gift upon each of His children, and will do so to all who will receive that greatest of gifts. No, we do not need a better understanding of a lesser place. We need a better understanding of the celestial realms and, more importantly, a better understanding of what we must know, do, and be in order to gain that exaltation.

I will be going to the temple more often

Eating my lunch and scrolling, and I came across an example of what I’m talking about: https://youtube.com/shorts/GMq9NalMTp8?si=JGF6ByKYshz-JJ2I it is nice to see younger folks arrive at a little bit of wisdom on their own. Completely secular viewpoint being given here.

In my youth I had a personal relationship with Apostle Hugh B. Brown. It has always been my nature to seek out and ask the most difficult questions – at least the questions I considered the most difficult to me. Like some that have posted I was aware of leader that were obviously in error. And so I asked Apostle Brown the question – Do we still sustain our bishop even if we know absolutely that they are wrong? This answer has stuck with me for decades. Brother Brown looked me squarely in the eyes and said, “You sustain your bishop, especially if he is wrong because he will need your support more then than at any other time.” Perhaps we do not understand what it means to sustain (support). There are two parts. One is to be agreeable, to help, to love, to honor and respect. The other is like unto the servants of Elijah that held up his arms when he was weak. When our leaders (or fellow members) are weak or failing – we hold them and their mission and purpose up. This second part is known in the covenant to not speak evil of the L-rd’s anointed. My friends @mrmarklin , @ZealoulyStriving , @Maverick and other Saints of G-d: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not just the L-rd’s Church. The Church also belongs to the Saints of G-d and is why the Saints are included in the name. I would suggest that if anyone is aware of anyone or anything that is a problem in the Church that they humbly pray to G-d concerning that problem and inquire what it is that they can do (or sacrifice) to assist G-d in his mitigation of the problem. As I have done this myself - almost always in such things, the first thing I am commanded to do is to repent. The Traveler

What I don’t understand are those people who “fear commitment” but have matching tattoos and three kids together, yet are not married

Part of some science-y show I watched explained that doorways trigger our brains to "leave the old behind" and "prepare for new" (to greatly simplify). As we get older, it's harder to recall what we left behind - though going back into the previous room can help. They explained that if one wants to retain something from one room to the next, one should simply repeat it to oneself as one passes through the doorway. This seems to work for me.

What does this mean?

Utah judges don’t tend to have much discretion on felony sentencing. They can only impose the statutory period and specify whether the sentences (if there are multiple counts) run concurrent or consecutive (in this case, four sentences of 1-15 years, running consecutively; but Utah has a separate statute limiting consecutive terms on second-degree felonies to a total of 30 years). The case is then handed over to the state board of pardons and parole, which decides when a person may be eligible for release. Theoretically one would think there would be a 4-year minimum, but I’ve heard well-placed sources suggest that if Mom reeeeally impressed the parole board at their first meeting (likely to occur sometime this fall) then they may declare her eligible at that point. Given the public furor that has come out with this document release, I think the parole board will be under a lot of pressure to keep her locked up.

Greetings! Investigator here..

I am to both , although studying on my own for the most part.

I already hear this has been a good career boost for her, and I'm happy for her.

Brothers and sisters, today on this Palm Sunday, let us as disciples of Jesus Christ also praise our holy God and rejoice in His goodness to us. “What do we hear in the gospel which we have received?” Truly “a voice of gladness!” - Kevin R. Duncan And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. - Luke 19:37-40

The expression “they are one God” in verse 4 is referring specifically to Christ in his simultaneous roles as the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh, the Creator (Father) of all things in heaven and earth when an unembodied Spirit, and the Father of salvation through the atonement to all who believe on his name. Hopefully, the following annotated verses will help make things clear… 3 The Father (Christ is here being referred to as the Father of our of salvation) because he was conceived by the power of God (I.e. Christ was endowed with the divine power needed in order to successfully offer an infinite and eternal atoning sacrifice while in the flesh); and the Son, because of the flesh (the same person whom we call the Father of heaven and earth and the Father of our salvation is also be called the Son of God because he is the literal earthly Son of Elohim); thus becoming the Father and Son (the Father because he is the Father of heaven and earth, as well as the Father of our salvation through the atonement, and he is also the Son because Elohim is the literal Father of his earthly body). 4 And they (i.e. the Father of heaven and earth, the Father of our salvation, and the Son of God in the flesh) are one God (in this particular instance the prophet is speaking of only one personage, namely Jesus Christ), yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth. (Mosiah 15) These seemingly inscrutable words of Abinadi become clear when it’s understood that in these verses the prophet is speaking of Christ in his dual fatherly role as the Father of heaven and earth, and even more especially as the atoning Father of salvation.

The big hurdles I'm facing now: 1. Getting people to understand that because I'm wired differently, I sometimes have a few issues. For example, if I get stressed enough, the muscles in my jaw and tongue will actually seize temporarily, leaving me unable to speak for a brief period. Rather than understand that they need to give me a second, a lot of folks who witness this will just presume what I was going to say and go off of that. 2. The combination of my being on the spectrum and what I've lived through has left me high-strung at times and constantly on alert, which leads to anxiety issues and the like. 3. The assemblage of mental and physical health issues I have mean I have no peace or comfort. Even on a good day I'm usually in some degree of constant dull pain, and trying to be "normal" is also mentally taxing. 4. There is no "my bad!" big enough to magically undo the damage that was done to me, but whenever I try to explain to someone how A led to B there's a non-zero chance they'll flip out on me for how I'm still "blaming" them for what happened in the past and I need to let it go. 5. The combination of my being on the spectrum and what I've lived through has rocked my perceptions of what is "normal". It's to the point that I'm actually having trouble writing fiction because I have no frame of reference for what certain emotions feel like or how someone feeling those emotions would act.

This is what the government shows me for my options. Im hoping the the 2nd coming occurs prior to Social Security failure.

Contrary to what a lot of "progressive" individuals wish to believe, a lot of people who identify as "conservative" do so because they believe that old and new need to be tested against each other in order to determine the best way forward, and that rejecting one or the other wholesale will only lead to misery. To put it bluntly, a lot of the problems we're seeing in society these days are a result of people rejecting the old norms, traditions, and standards wholesale, only to discover the hard way why things were done a certain way for so long. This includes the realization that rejecting older institutions without providing something that can replace what these institutions offered in the way of structure and guidance was a bad idea. It's tragic that your own family is seeing this for itself.

Sadly, the rebellion continues. Apparently, these women (or some women) called for sisters to "boycott" yesterday's Sunday meetings and the RS broadcast last night over this issue. Satan is laughing. In what way does refraining from worship and instruction aid anyone? Anywho, before knowing anything about the boycott, my extremely introverted self opted not to go to the stake center last night, knowing I could watch it online today (at 2x, with pauses for pondering or notes, as I wished). So this morning, as I was scrolling through IG, President Nelson's account had a portion of his talk from last night, and many of the comments were sadly negative, including complaints related to this sitting on the stand issue. I read those negative comments and then went and watched the broadcast. Funny thing: all but one concern those commenters had was addressed in some way by one of the speakers. If they had only listened to the broadcast, with humble hearts, seeking answers through the Spirit, their minds could have been enlightened. Satan is deceiving "the very elect" with things like this, and it's heartbreaking. Refraining from worship and instruction (surely the equivalent of telling the Spirit to take a hike) isn't the answer, sisters - faith, humility, covenants, Jesus Christ is the answer. And if you think you don't have power or access or whatever, go re-read President Nelson's October 2019 GC talk, "Spiritual Treasures": This is nothing new. Stop listening to the world and listen to Christ.

In my estimate, I have paid around $51,000 into Social Security over my life of working and I will probably never collect it. Give the Federal Government control of part of your retirement funds. What could possibly go wrong? Social Security is the biggest Ponzi scheme ever created in my opinion.