Heavenguard

When I started working alongside the kids I used to teach Sunday School, rather than with them. I thought "This must be how ABC and XYZ must have felt when I started working with them"... I've been calling ABC and XYZ's age group the "Old folks" for years and years now. I'm only 22! But through every stage of my life, I've enjoyed how I've matured to that point. I don't think I've really ever felt old, but I've always felt as though I were at the best point in my life.

Alls I know is Jesus said it is what comes out of a man's mouth that makes him unclean, not what goes in to it (Matt 15), and that Peter was told none of the animals made by God are unclean to eat (Acts 1). Granted the latter was to illustrate the point that the gospel is for the Jews and Gentiles alike, but I think the point (of food) still stands

Wow. I imagine it'd be like Prohibition and it'd still be around in the underground (and the Internet, of course), but at least it sends the message that it's WRONG.

I've seen the caffeine/coffee/tea thing much around here, but what of medicines, whether over-the-counter or prescription, that have addictive substances in them?

I'm conservative when it comes to society at large, but liberal when it comes to the Christian circles... Personally, I don't see a problem if they're both persons are spiritually mature - and smart! - enough to not fall into that temptation, and stay in separate rooms and beds. However, being that your Bishop's house is merely 10 minutes away, I indeed see no reason why he should stay overnight at all. I think we all understand wanting to stay with your sweetie, but I've sent someone home at 4.00 in the morning, and he lives about 10 minutes away from me as well.

Guys, bickering over the semantics helps no one at all, especially not Xenos. By "help", I meant to stop her (the mom's) actions in the overall sense, which I think everyone agrees is what needs to happen, regardless of label.

I completely agree with everyone here. Calling your mom out on her actions is not a lack of love. She is trying to twist it around and make it seem as though you are unloving, but the truth is you are simply just coping. Getting your mom the help she needs is the proper way to love her, even if it means exposing her actions to others. Loving parents discipline their children so that they learn right and wrong. It's more difficult for children to discipline their parents, but it is also done out of love. Just letting your mom yell and then responding "OK" and leaving settles nothing. I think the best way to settle arguments is to walk away from the situation - TEMPORARILY - and saying that you're just going to wait until everyone has cooled down, and then you can discuss it rationally and without all the immediate emotions. Then you can go, but get back to it later. But FIRST, you will HAVE to get some help with the issue of your mom touching you in uncomfortable places. It feels uncomfortable because your body knows it's wrong.

I wanted to learn more about LDS. I have a Book of Mormon and some books, but I couldn't ask them some of the more particular questions I had. Well, I could, but they weren't answering me back =\ Anti-social books, go figure.

You are better than those who have done such things in the eyes of men. We do still have a sense of morality, but since we all fall within that sin, we classify a spectrum of better and worse ones. However, God IS Holiness, he is entirely outside of the spectrum. And so whether you've killed a man, or whether you've only told fibs, you are still unholy. Say we're like glasses of water. Those who have sinned greatly have many drops of ink dropped in, but those who have sinned little only have one drop. Would you still consider the glasses with only a drop of ink drinkable? There's only one drop, and there's certainly much less than the other, more polluted glasses, but it's still got that drop of ink in there. You might think it's unfair, to be thrown by God into the same clout as murderers, thieves and schemers. But what does God owe you? His offer of forgiveness of all our wrongs, whether large or small, is extended to everyone alike. Righteousness is being in line with God. We can't be righteous by our own power. An imperfect thing can't make itself more perfect, it's logically impossible. We can only be righteous with the forgiveness that Jesus brings us.

Skalenfehl -- Great costume!! I'm going to go to work only mildly costumed, with a bandana (with a skull and crossbones on it), an eyepatch, and my fencing foil (sword). Arrr! I love halloween because I think the dress up is fun. I'm pretty goofy most of the time anyway, but it's the one day that society not only accepts, but encourages it As for the darker origins of hallowe'en ... it's just about as secularized as Christmas is to non-Christians. If you ask people (not Christians) what the true meaning of Christmas is, I bet they'll tell you it's about giving, it's about being with family and the people you love, and that kinda warm fuzzy stuff. You ask people the meaning of Hallowe'en, they'll probably tell you it's about dressing up, having fun, and getting to eat the goodies they otherwise know they shouldn't have.

Probably the hardest, but most healing thing you can do (or that I do) is to pray for that person, for their needs, and for their goodness, and for God's grace and blessings to be upon him/her. In my case, I've been praying for a guy, and also the girl that reappeared in his life and can't decide if he wants to be with her instead of me. Fun scenario for me? By no means. Am I hurt? Yes. Am I upset at him or blaming him? No. I'm not praying for him to choose me, because I'm not even sure if it could work anymore. But I am praying that if he chooses the other girl, that she's good to him, is what he needs, they are a good support for each other, etc. It hurts even to pray like that, but I know that that will heal over time. But I have no bitterness or anger in me over it.

My non-LDS opinion: If going picking and enjoying your fruit is something you do as a way of connecting with nature and appreciating the beautiful world God gave us, I don't see why its a problem. Just because you'd always meant to do it doesn't necessarily mean it's work, and neither is the fact that it requires some exertion. I went hiking yesterday, and I'm sure the teachers of the time would have given me quite the stern lecture in having walked too far a distance, but I went to enjoy the last warm weekend of the fall season, look at the trees as they start to turn colour, and enjoy the company of my friends. These are appreciations of the things God has given us. If you went out and intended to enjoy the crisp air, and gather - so that you may enjoy - the last of the summer fruits, I don't see a distinction. Work is something you do for your own gain, in these times, work usually directly translates into your paycheque. You can judge for yourself what your intentions were, and it'll be just between you and God, not you and your neighbour.

Kaaskop, your wife is doing exactly what my aunt is doing for my cousin. He's 26, and despite having worked full time for three years, has no money in the bank because he spends it all on his car, his girlfriend, and entertainment. When he went on vacation last month, he "borrowed" $3000 from his mom. (Borrowed is in quotes because I know he'll never give any of it back to her.) She pays his credit card bills. My aunt and your wife, are not doing their sons any favours, although they believe they are. My cousin and your son will never learn to be self-sufficient men men of responsibility and integrity with their mothers treating them as babies. You must tell your wife that making your son responsible for himself is not hating him, but rather loving him, because you know that he can't live like that (off you and your wife) forever. A man that lacks responsibility and integrity will not make it in the working world. He may have a girlfriend now, but no good woman wants a man who won't take care of himself, because there's no security that he'll take care of her. If he doesn't learn to manage his money responsibly, he'll never be able to afford his own place. Does your wife expect him to live with you till he's 40? 50? Your wife sees your son's "needs" now, but you need to tell her that she needs to look towards not only his, but your (the both of yours) futures as well. If he never learns to stand on his own, how are you going to continue to help support him after you retire? If anything, your son should be helping to support you, his parents, after you retire, but that part's just my opinion. It's not a realistic plan for you (or her) to continue to baby him, because it's just not sustainable.

How accurate is accurate? I don't think there have been any particular descriptions of what Jesus looks like in the Bible.

I don't understand why there are those that vehemently oppose the idea that Joseph and Mary had children after Jesus. I see no reason why he would abstain from being with his wife, and unless Joseph was unable to have children ... brothers and sisters make sense. Earthly sibling take nothing away from who he is, so why not?

I've been reading through Proverbs, and today I read Pr 17:18 - I'm the kind of person that lends money to my friends when they need it, whether a big amount or small amount. (Altho at my age, a big amount is something like $1000, so not into the 10s of thousands or more.) It just seems to me that to deny supporting your friend (neighbour) monetarily is ... not very neighbourly. Your thoughts?

It's really the church's way of saying they're not going to tell you how to vote, which, I think, is very smart. To endorse a political party would pressure the church body to vote a certain way, which borders on infringing on each individual person's right to choose and vote for themselves. My church doesn't endorse (or oppose) any party, but it does oppose certain political views regardless of parties involved. Besides ... I agree with communism ... in theory. No so much the practical application of it, because I don't believe that anyone in politics has pure enough intentions to actually do it right. But in theory.

I'm with the Chaplain here. Take two steps back and a breath while you're at it. If someone ran up to your face while you were hanging out with your friends and started to shout at you that what you believe is wrong, how would you take it? Whether you're right or wrong, or they're right or wrong, you have to think about the fact that you're inviting people to just shut you out. Look, these guys are a bunch of real nice guys. I think they deserve a little more respect than you're willing to give m.

If Judas repented, I'm absolutely certain that his betrayal would have been forgiven. However, in his grief, he instead committed suicide, which is considered another grave sin. It's between God and Judas, but I'd be expecting at this point that Judas would be in hell. I feel like he kinda got shafted a little, having followed Jesus for three years, and his betrayal being a part God's greater plan to bring salvation to humanity ... but ... there you go.

Probably the most valuable and practical thing I ever learned from my best friend: If there's a guy around, let him do it. If there isn't, then you do it. I can't speak for every guy, but the ones I know are kind and caring and willing to lend a hand whenever I need it. (Even if they try to put on a macho-man face )

Sure, it's a date, because two people are going out to do something together, but it's a non-romantically-intentioned date. I think usually the idea of trying to discourage people from dating young is the wisdom of not getting into things before the maturity is there. However, if it's understood by all sides that it's platonic, and it's no different than any other evening (besides the name "homecoming"), I don't really see a problem.

I agree with this standpoint. Looking at just how the language was, very poetic, many metaphors, significant (representational) numbers, etc., there is much that you can't read straight as literal text the way you would read a history book written in modern times. Just as we use hyperboles, so would the authors then. You might say that a concert hall was packed "with a million people", but of course no hall actually holds a million people. (That I know of?) However, I would take the account of the flood to have flooded all that was known to the author. At that time, they certainly did not have a sense of the remote continents and would not even be able to mentally grasp that a flood would or could reach them.

Thanks for speaking up for yourself, and by doing so, other non-Mormons around here, Elphaba. I'm a non-Mormon Christian hanging around without any ulterior motives. I'm simply here to learn and enjoy everyone's company. (Seriously, you guys are the nicest bunch I've come across on the Internets.) While I concede that I think I'm something of an "outsider" (for lack of a better term), I feel that everyone's been very welcoming. If I'd received a message like that, I'd feel very sad about it. So thanks for your words :)

This actually happened a few months ago at my church (not in Alabama). A pair of missionaries came to my church and at least they asked my pastor if it would be alright to come and sit in the back of our service. My pastor is not one to turn away anyone, but he did ask that they take off the name tags and not introduce themselves as Elders. They didn't like having to do so, but they obliged, and everyone was happy. The reason for name tag removal/not introducing themselves as Elders was simply to not confuse the people i(mostly the newbies or visitors) n our congregation as to who they are (that is, not elders/representatives of our church). I think it's fine to sit in another church, I do that sometimes. But I agree that it must be done with a little grace and finesse.

Mmm, I can't tell my bishop, cause my church doesn't have one, hahaha :3 (HG is non-LDS.) Fellowship ... uh ... I'm supposing we don't use the same names. Aka bible study group? Altho not just bible studies. ... La? I have blocked him from seeing me online. He hasn't called me since I kinda blew him off on Sunday past. I did see him at softball, and when he started to try my patience again, I asked him to stop. When he didn't, I repeated myself more firmly and he finally did. Wee :3 Thanks for telling me that sometimes people just need to hear it to get it.