PapilioMemnon

I was reminded of this scripture: Mosiah 29 12 Now it is better that a man should be ajudged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just. 26 Now it is not common that the avoice of the people desireth anything bcontrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the cpeople to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people. 27 And aif the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- People who believe in God, His laws, and stand up for them are accused of discrimination, being judgemental, and forcing our beliefs upon those who don't. Well,... how different are they from us then? Aren't they doing the same thing they complain about us? Why do we have to accept their beliefs, behavior, and decisions, and they won't accept ours, and persecute us for it? The only difference is that our decision and beliefs are based on laws given and instituted by God, not by men which most of the time are created to appease, justify, and satisfy themselves. Brothers & sisters, let follow the counsel in Alma 1 25 Now this was a great trial to those that did stand fast in the faith; nevertheless, they were asteadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with bpatience the persecution which was heaped upon them. Peace!

I don't like myspace :-P

I'm not sure he warned us against that, but if any of you know for a fact, please send the info to me; I'd really would like to read it. Internet dating has never been my style; I like to meet people, talk, see them, well, the old-fashioned way and then use the Internet to keep in touch daily if something develops from real life meetings. It's so easy to pretend something you're not on a dating site/Internet, or just because I might "create" a person I believe you are just for what I read about you and what you write about yourself. I have tried in the past (About 4-5 years ago), and it did confirm my previous instincts; I believe that people can find someone that way though, but it's just not my style... and I'm biased about it. People can pretend what they are not in real life as well on a dating site, and I have experienced the worst of both worlds... Interesting enough as I thought about this subject again, I received an email about marriage pasted below: Marriage Requires Thoughtful Preparation --------------------------------------------------- "The best way to avoid divorce from an unfaithful, abusive, or unsupportive spouse is to avoid marriage to such a person. If you wish to marry well, inquire well. Associations through 'hanging out' orexchanging information on the Internet are not a sufficient basis for marriage. There should be dating, followed by careful and thoughtful and thorough courtship. There should be ample opportunities to experience theprospective spouse's behavior in a variety of circumstances. Fiances should learn everything they can about the families with whom they will soon be joined in marriage. In all of this, we should realize that a good marriage does not require a perfect man or a perfect woman. It only requires a man and a woman committed to strive together toward perfection. "President Spencer W. Kimball taught: 'Two individuals approaching the marriage altar must realize that to attain the happy marriage which they hope for they must know that marriage . . . means sacrifice, sharing, and even a reduction of some personal liberties. It means long, hard economizing. It means children who bring with them financial burdens, service burdens, care and worry burdens; but also it means the deepest and sweetest emotions of all.' (Teachings ofPresidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 194.)" (Dallin H. Oaks, "Divorce," Ensign, May 2007, 73 ) With that in mind, I intend to follow the leaders' advice on it especially since I attended a full course on Eternal Marriage in 2005, and I'm so grateful I followed their counsel and avoided another failed marriage; that's what it would have been. Being alone is, by far, much better than being with the wrong person:D That I know for sure! I'm not in a hurry to make one of the most important decisions of my life (Forgive me if I sound too distrusting; they are deep/serious consequences of previous experiences that I'm working on with divine assistance!) To all of you who had good experiences in real life or otherwise, I'm really happy for you; to those who are trying, keep on going remembering the counsel of the Prophets and leaders on this very important subject. Remember, at least 2 lives will be involved, your honesty about your intentions and who you are/want will spare both of a lot of hurtful experiences so be kind to both!

Welcome to the site, and thank you so much for sharing your story!

Elphaba, Thanks for being so open and sharing your thoughts and feelings, and letting us learn from you and get to "know you." I echo PC's words, and hope that you will come to know there's a God and He is mindful of you, and loves you. I would like to share something with you and would hope that you would try it, but if not or you have it, keep it mind anyway. I have learned that even if I have tried things before, when I do it again, it just becomes better, clearer using repetition, being persistent in learning something. In the BOM, Alma 32, he teaches us about Faith, which is an essential principle we must have in order to receive any answer, testimony, etc. He compares it to a seed, that one must plant it and take care of it, even if you only have the desire to believe, he asks us to test it. Alma 32 26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge. 27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. 28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. Faith is the first principle of the gospel because nothing can be done without it. I remember the words of a father who brought his child to Jesus to be cured, and Jesus said if he believed, all things were possible. Mark 9 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. I know there's is a God, and He knows you and your situation and struggles, and loves you no matter what. I know He can do for you as much as Christ did it for the father of that child; He can help your unbelief because nothing is impossible to Him who created all things! "Who would ever choose not to accept the LDS gospel in these circumstances?" We will be the "same" person we are here now, i.e., same beliefs whatever they are. Many people have seen angels, witnessed miracles, like the brothers of Nephi and many others, and those things didn't change them. The chance to accept the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ in the after life is only for those who did not hear it when they were alive; it doesn't apply to any of us who have heard it. I hear you and my heart goes out to you as I read your words... Thanks again for sharing your life with all of us.

In a discussion about the resurrection of the dead, 1 Corinthians 15, Paul clearly teaches that the dead indeed will resurrect by mentioning baptism for the dead. Baptism is an essential ordinance; it is the gate that a person must enter just as Jesus Christ had to be baptized. The only difference is that we do it for the remission of our sins; the Lord did it to fulfill all righteousness and show the importance of this ordinance to enter His kingdom. Vanhin placed a great link for this topic. Check it out! About the Great apostasy, along with the great scriptures Flyonthewall mentioned, you can check this out: Apostasy is defined as turning away from truth, from the true God, from the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, from the ordinances He instituted, the way He did and taught it should be done. The early Christian church also turned away from the truth that had been taught by the Apostles. After all the Apostles were killed, then came the GREAT apostasy period when God's authority was removed from men and the earth until the Restoration as Flyonthewall mentioned before. 2 Timothy 4 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. This link will lead to more scriptures about the apostasy: Topical Guide: Apostasy of the Early Christian Church I hope this helps!

Hi there! God is not partial and unjust and He knows our thoughts and the desires of our hearts. People who didn't have a chance to hear the "Good News" and choose it, they have a chance as some people already explained. This is not only for the people who lived in the Apostasy, but even after His Church had been restored, and died without knowing it. In 1 Peter 3, he explains that Jesus Christ preached to the Spirits in prison: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; D&C 76:73 73 And also they who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom the Son visited, and preached the gospel unto them, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh; And in Mosiah 3, King Benjamin talks about the Atonement of Christ and how it makes up to those who died not knowing: 11 For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned. All people will be judged righteously as our Lord takes in consideration all things because He knows all things! The baptisms performed at the Temples allow them to be taught the gospel and make a choice for themselves; we just perform the ordinances that are necessary they can no longer do for themselves. I hope this helps in some way. Be well!

Welcome Ladybug!

Welcome back! It's NEVER too late to be back at the place we should have never left..., but in case we ever do, how do we come back? Well my friend, like the Nike slogan says: "Just Do It!" Just attend church this Sunday and as many others have said, speak to your Bishop... They are wonderful people who are there to help, guide you through the Holy Spirit with anything and based on the things you tell them, they will tell you all you need to know and do. Don't delay one more Sunday! Re-baptism is only required in cases of ex-communication. Even if it requires you to be re-baptized, go for it! I'm glad you're back even if I don't know you! May the Lord bless you with all you need to do to come back into His fold and Kingdom! You're needed!:)

I've been researching the "tea" issue because no one has been able to give me straight information about this subject; some people says this, some say that. Well, let me share with you what I found out about it and see if this sheds some light. To me, and I believe to many of you, the word TEA or Chá (Portuguese) means anything that we poured hot water on it and waited a few minutes to drink. Well, here is what I found out. Wikipedia defines tea as: Tea is an infusion made by steeping processed leaves, buds, or twigs of the tea bush, Camellia sinensis, in hot water for several minutes. The processing can include oxidation, heating, drying, and the addition of other herbs, flowers, spices, and fruits. The four basic types of true tea are black tea, oolong tea, green tea, and white tea. The term "herbal tea" usually refers to infusions or tisane of fruit or herbs that contain no Camellia sinensis.[1] C. sinensis. From that, I learned that Tea or Chá means the drink that uses leaves, buds, or twigs of this specific tree or bush. I wasn't convinced, so I continued and found this site that explains the varieties of teas and what they mean: Teas, Greeen, Black, Oolong, Red, Herbal Tea Herbal Tea Herbal teas, otherwise known as tisanes, are not teas in the sense that the blends do not contain Camellia sinensis. However, because they require the same techniques for brewing, many people still think of them as teas. Tisanes may consist of any variation of herbs, spices, fruits, or bark. In addition, tisanes are caffeine free. Then, I searched some more and found this: Which Herbal Teas are Okay to Drink? - Word of Wisdom and Herbal Teas Q. Which Herbal Teas are Okay to Drink? A. The official LDS Church doctrine states that drinking tea is against the Word of Wisdom. Under the Gospel Topic of Word of Wisdom at LDS.org it states: "The best course is to completely avoid the substances that the Lord prohibits in the Word of Wisdom." But to clarifty, herbal tea is not against the word of wisdom, although we have been cautioned: "Some people enjoy herbal teas, but even these should not replace more nutritious drinks in the diet" (Lora Beth Larson, "The Do's in the Word of Wisdom," Ensign, Apr 1977, 46.) The following types of tea made from the tea plant are NOT herbal teas: Black Green White, and Oolong According to the Tea page at Wikipedia it states that herbal tea "usually refers to infusions of fruit or of herbs (such as rosehip, chamomile, or jiaogulan) that contain no C. Then, I followed the link to the Ensign issue: LDS.org - Ensign Article - The Do’s in the Word of Wisdom "What are herbs? A definition current in Joseph Smith’s day was “plants of which the leaves or stem and leaves, are used for food or medicine, or in some way for their scent or flavor.” 1 In one sense, at least, herbs are simply edible plants. The same dictionary cites an 1833 usage of “fruits” as “vegetable products in general which are fit to be used by men and animals.” We usually group fruits and vegetables together because their nutritive value is similar." Even though the Lord created herbs, He counseled us to use it with caution: D&C 89:11 "... All these to be used with prudence..." He said in v. 7 & 9: "Strong ... hot drinks are not for the belly..."' Modern day revelation defined those as alcohol, coffee, and tea. I don't believe the Lord or the church will give us a list of things to intake or not; this is our job, we must use our agency to seek wisdom, knowledge, and understanding and not find loopholes to justify what we want to do. There are several drinks that contain new, questionable and/or harmful substances that are not mentioned in the WOW (Word of Wisdom). Drugs are not mentioned there... are we to use it? Obviously not. I also found helpful this address given by Elder Packer on the May Ensign of 1996; The Word of Wisdom: The Principle and the Promises LDS.org - Ensign Article - The Word of Wisdom: The Principle and the Promises "The Word of Wisdom was “given for a principle with promise” (D&C 89:3). That word principle in the revelation is a very important one. A principle is an enduring truth, a law, a rule you can adopt to guide you in making decisions. Generally principles are not spelled out in detail. That leaves you free to find your way with an enduring truth, a principle, as your anchor. Members write in asking if this thing or that is against the Word of Wisdom. It’s well known that tea, coffee, liquor, and tobacco are against it. It has not been spelled out in more detail. Rather, we teach the principle together with the promised blessings. There are many habit-forming, addictive things that one can drink or chew or inhale or inject which injure both body and spirit which are not mentioned in the revelation. Everything harmful is not specifically listed; arsenic, for instance—certainly bad, but not habit-forming! He who must be commanded in all things, the Lord said, “is a slothful and not a wise servant” (D&C 58:26). In some cultures, native drinks are claimed to be harmless because they are not specifically mentioned in the revelation. Yet they draw members, particularly men, away from their families to parties which certainly offend the principle. Promises made in the revelation will be denied to the careless or the reckless. Obedience to counsel will keep you on the safe side of life." The Lord left these promise to those who obey the Word of Wisdom: “...All saints,” the revelation promises, “who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments,” are promised that they “shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones” and “shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint” (D&C 89:18, 20) and: “shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures” (D&C 89:19) Elder Packer said of this: "This is the personal revelation through which you can detect invisible crocodiles or hidden mines or other dangers.'' and: “I … give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them” (D&C 89:21). We must be proactive in seeking answers to live the best we can the laws of God, and if we will seek, ask, knock,... He will let us know for the Lord said the Lord said, “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, , and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26) I hope this is helpful somehow. Regards,

Welcome to the site. I'm also quite new and discovering all I can do here... It's been very interesting!

I love the teachings of Elder Bednar and remember this one. Thanks for that!

Welcome Valerie!!!

Welcome Cindy! :-)

First, I'd like to say I'm really sorry for your situation... A Bishop can listen, talk, guide, but he'll never make the choice for you; that's something you must do to grow in making right choices with the knowledge the Lord gives you. I'm sure Heavenly Father is aware of your situation... One thing I learned about asking the Lord for guidance is to make a decision and take it to Him in prayer. Cry out to him, pour out your feelings,... He WILL answer you, and you'll know if your decision is approved by Him or not. Study carefully D&C 9:7-9. He WILL let you know, then you can make whatever decision certain that you have HIS approval. I hope this helps somehow... you're in my prayers!!! Be well!

I loved Elder Holland's speech about the need for continuing revelation, and how one book does not add to or diminish another, just like one prophet's calling does not erase the calling of a prior one. The Book of Mormon supports the Bible, it verifies, explains its teachings and principles, and more importantly, it testifies of Jesus Christ. "...In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." 2 Cor. 13:1 The Bible is one, the Book of Mormon is two,...

Hiiiii.... I'm Alessandra and new to the site . I was using, well still using, a Windows live spaces site to spread the restored gospel message since 2005, but wanted something more... so I went looking for and found this great site !!! I'm still getting acquainted with it , but so far, I think it's wonderful! Hope to get to know you and make friends as we work together to spread the "Good News." Make it a good day! Alessandra :)