skalenfehl

99.9% is an interesting statistic. Where did you obtain it?

I'm answering PC. It wasn't a complaint. Just an observation over the years in wards that I have lived in. I don't understand the question. Please reword. If it helps, I did say "not all Mormons..."

There are two comforters. Those whom the Lord baptizes with fire (2 Ne 31) receive one comforter. Those who continue in the path (2 Ne 32) receive the Other Comforter.

This happens when receiving the Second Comforter. Ask and ye shall receive. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened.

Thanks for the link! I've been looking for the speech.

Mormons can be just as judgmental if not more so than Christians in general. When it comes to fast and testimony meeting, we Mormons like to get up and tell each other just how blessed we are to have the truth unlike everybody else (we have a living prophet, restored gospel, etc). We can be just like the Zoramites who stood up on their rameumptom to thank God that they were not like everybody else. Not all Mormons are like this but they are definitely out there.

Well, the advantage we have of living in a telestial world is we are already spiritually dead. So making mistakes and learning from them BEFORE going into a terrestrial or celestial world is why we're here. We get to make mistakes and learn from them on a free pass paid for by Jesus Christ. As long as we keep moving forward and relying on His merits, then I believe we'll be fine. :)

The endowment ceremony isn't going to change your heart. If your heart isn't changed already, you might come away feeling even more guilt if you relapse. We all sin. Neither baptism nor the endowment session fixes that or makes you magically worthy. It's the mighty change of heart-that broken heart and contrite spirit that enables Christ to heal you.

The endowment is another ordinance whereby you are taught a specific path, which is found throughout the Book of Mormon, and where you make covenants to walk that path. If you have been baptized a member of the church and also confirmed, where you were told to "receive" the Holy Ghost, I believe your first priority is to "receive" it. If you have not experienced that mighty change of heart explained by Alma in Alma chapter 5, then may I suggest beginning there? Once you know that you have been baptized with fire, you will be ready to continue receiving further light and knowledge. Until then, work on what is on your plate now before going on to the next course.

As a father of two troubled and adopted boys, now full grown and on their own, I can tell you that you will know the answer to your question when it's too late. I had different challenges than you do, though. My own dad very rarely spent time with me because he worked full time and went to school full time while I was growing up. I love my dad dearly and looking back, I realize that he did what he had to. But that doesn't change our relationship today:

Gileadi has talked about televisions being worldly urim & thummim. A smart phone, ipod, ipad, etc, would easily qualify, in a sense as one. You might be interested in this excellent essay, which addresses your post in the following link: Twelve Diatribes of Modern Israel

Theme elements can easily be twisted with new elements into corrupt themes. I have clearly demonstrated this with my previous posts. Only those with eyes see and ears hear, both good and evil.

Wow, so if anybody read my previous post about Isaiah's archetypes, I found this video on Youtube. It's a trailer for a series called Galavant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPNVhGbw_Sg It reminds me of the Disney stories and fairy tales with the symbolism found in Isaiah, the which has been used in many stories, movies, etc, the noble hero always getting the girl, the evil king is defeated and the kingdom is saved. Jesus Christ, the bridegroom puts all enemies under His feet, Babylon is destroyed and Zion is redeemed. Interestingly, in the video, Galavant is rejected by the maiden, his true love who was kidnapped by the evil king and seduced with fame and fortune, winning her over. What an interesting and unprecedented plot, which I have never before seen in a fairy tale. But looking at life around me, it seems quite an accurate assessment and a clear parody of life. The Lord's covenant people, represented by the maiden Zion, as I have observed, are quite infatuated with Mammon and Babylon today. I watched a couple episodes online out of curiosity and I will say that network TV has become blatantly sexualized since a number of years ago when I stopped watching TV. There just isn't any subtlety. It's all in your face sex. And violence. No thanks. Oh, and having read through the replies since my last post...the guy's name in 50 shades is Christian!? How ironic. And is Anastasia a Grand Duchess? Does she "Steele" herself against the abuse she received. Anyway, I digress.

OK, I'll revive this. Round Two! Here's an easy one: Name two Book of Mormon ship builders.

Do you mean me?

I'm going to make one final post to build on what PC said about a false messiah complex. Having studied the book of Isaiah for several years, I have found a pattern, which has been adopted into fables, fairy tales, etc. There are archetypes in ancient biblical history that have been used to tell and retell stories, even today that involve heroes, villains, etc. Consider the following archetypes: Jehovah-God of Israel Seraphim-Angelic Emissaries Sons/Daughters-Servants of God Zion/Jerusalem-God's Covenant People Jacob/Israel-Believers in a Creator-God Babylon-The Wicked of the World King of Assyria/Babylon-Perdition Now let's plug in their types and shadows: Zion/bride=The princess/fair maiden needing rescuingJesus Christ/bridegroom=Hero or PrinceThe Harlot Babylon=Evil Stepmother or WitchThe tyrant=Ogre or GiantMinistering angels=Fairies or secret helpersetc. We see these in many Disney cartoons such as Snow White, Cinderella, etc. and also movies like Superman, The Matrix, etc. It's kind of fun to plug in these archetypes into familiar stories, though not all types are always utilized SupermanClark Kent (Kal-El, son of Jor-El)Jor-El program to help Clark find his wayLois LaneLex LuthorZod, Ursa, NonPeople of Smallville and The Daily Planet The MatrixNeoThe Oracle, Morpheus, etc to help Neo find his wayTrinityAgent Smith AgentsPeople of the Matrix Star WarsLuke SkywalkerKenobi to help Luke find his wayPrincess Leia (though she ends up being his sister!) Darth VaderStormtroopersDenizens of the Empire (Jawas, droids, aliens) There has to be a plot, a struggle, a conflict, which causes the hero pain. He descends to the depths of hell to rescue the girl (Zion). In the end, evil is destroyed and all the good people live happily ever after. It's the classic story of a real scenario. The good people have to simply struggle as they endure to the end. I have noticed that such stories have morphed into corrupt and grossly twisted symbolism like Beauty and the Beast, The Princess and the Frog and The Little Mermaid. With the first two, the symbolism of Savior is completely twisted into some "thing" that needs to be saved by the girl in the hopes the he becomes someone that she can love. With The Little Mermaid, I remember Ariel being completely distracted and seduced by material things from the "world" that she wants more than anything to be a part of. The symbolism to me is clear. I know-they're just cartoons. But they are cartoons that affect the way we as a society thinks. Steven Covey once said that we see the world not as it is, but as we are, or as we are conditioned to see it. And so we have been conditioned over a period of time to accept new philosophies. Twilight seems harmless enough, but the girl is portrayed as a very plain and without going into too much detail, it's a kind of Beauty and the Beast story (come, on-Bella?). Here's a good article, which sums it up: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/psychologist-the-movies/201111/relationship-violence-in-twilight Twilight, with all its popularity, is arguably with all its issues, becomes a gateway for grosser mentalities of abuse, violence, etc. which brings us back to the topic: Fifty Shades of Grey. The types and shadows of this story are still not as bad as things can get. But society has accepted that women can be objectified, abused, etc and they are left wondering how they can find the right man. There is no right man in this scenario. If we were to take this pattern to its conclusion, we need only look at the Book of Mormon scripture that I quoted in the OP: Returning to the Bible and the proper archetypes, a man should love a woman and cherish her and lift her up just as Christ gave Himself up to lift Zion up. Ephesians 5 is a good chapter to read, but I'll just quote a verse or two: We live in a world today ripe for the sword of justice to fall on us. But even as wicked and corrupt as it has become, we can still remain unspotted from the world. Going back to the Book of Mormon, regarding the scripture I cited above with the wicked Nephites defiling women and killing them, we learn that although Mormon and his son Moroni lived in a society that glorified such sex and violence, they were able to remain unspotted from the sins of their generation. Amidst decades of war, they knew Christ and could still teach us about charity, the pure love of Christ (Moroni 7). So while society around us accepts and supports and glamorizes sex and violence by degrees until it is fully ripe, we can, like Mormon and Moroni, remain unspotted from the world, receive gifts from the Lord, ministering of angels, calling and election, and the "Other Comforter." (Moroni 7)

Although...it does give the girl the opportunity to be creative. She doesn't have to be trapped with yes or no (lose/lose or win/win). She can reply with "you decide," or "maybe" or "I'll think about it." This gives her an out or maybe show that she can be equally crafty. This can turn into a more interesting conversation if the two are interesting people or it can all end very quickly without any feelings hurt. Lot's of possibilities, that is unless they both are just dull. In that case, maybe they're perfect for each other.

Cut to the chase with one simple question to determine if you really want to pursue her: If I were to ask you out on a date, would your answer be the same as the answer to this question?

Personally speaking, it is not a Sabbath activity for me. Furthermore, as a personal trainer and one who has worked out all my life, not working out one day out of seven never did hinder my progress.

RMGuy, does drinking cyanide kill people? How do you know?

Yes. Yes it has.

I apologize, Eowyn. I think The Folk Prophet rubbed off on me just a little. And notquiteperfect is correct about the subject being garbage. But we are all facing a terrible moral crisis not only in America, but especially here in Utah. Many of us on this forum live on the Wasatch Front and it's clear to me that this isn't just a worldly thing. But if the issue of this topic woke up even a small handful of members who lurk on these forums, by putting a spotlight on it, then maybe more readers will throw away their books and decide not to buy any more. PC, your last line, "Godlessness really is hopeless bondage" reminds me of Winston in Orwell's book, 1984. If you haven't read it, may I recommend it? Winston didn't believe in God and ultimately ended up loving Big Brother.

Q

I wonder how many sisters on this forum have secretly read books like Twilight, 50 shades, etc. The themes are the same. The women seem awfully quiet on this topic.

Interesting.