Finrock

What has helped me a lot in my life is recognizing that the spark or light that is inside each of us, no matter how small, is divine. God is not far away, on some distant planet. He is here amongst us, with you. Don't sell yourself short. Although God is there with us and it might seem like He is just standing by watching, I believe that His arm is outstretched continuously and He wants to have a conversational, personal, and loving relationship with you. God is love. Think about that. The Spirit will be felt in the heart and in the mind. You are a spirit of God. Whatever portion of light, life, and truth that is inside of you also exist in God. In that sense you are in God and God is in you. I have found that meditation is essential in my life to feeling close to God and peering through the veil and seeing not just God's hand, but His total involvement in your life. Don't forget that Heavenly Mother is also real and She too has an influence in your life and is very interested in you. We truly have loving Parents. What I'm about to say next, please don't misunderstand as me being rude or insensitive. Most of the time when we don't feel that closeness or sense the presence of God in our life, it is because of ignorance or unbelief. We either have some misunderstanding about God or we just don't believe what God says. Trust me, I'm not better and I am not saying that I am special. I'm just speaking from my own experience in life. We can get that assurance from God that He approves of us and our life. We just need to ask, quite often, in mighty prayer. I would encourage you to read the Book of Mormon, especially the examples provided where prophets such as Enos, Nephi, Alma, and others received a remission of their sins and they received an assurance from God that they were forgiven. From my experience, God is totally loving, very kind, good natured, patient, and not malicious at all. He wants to uplift us and to help us feel happy and good about ourselves. He truly understands human weakness. He won't hold that against you. He totally gets the human condition and is ready to forgive and forget. Not saying you are sinful or anything, but just saying that God thinks that you are wonderful and great no matter what! -Finrock

I don't mean to put anyone down or to sound condescending because I understand that for some people being in a particular place can be more conducive to experiencing peace or having spiritual experiences, however, I have found that in my life peace, joy, and that feeling of spiritual closeness comes from the inside. Relying on a place or even a person ultimately cannot fully satisfy. President David O. McKay observed that "...we pay too little attention to the value of meditation; a principle of devotion… Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord." I am no paragon of meditation. However, because of circumstances in my life no place or any external source has been sufficient for me to finding peace and so I have had to learn and practice to find internal peace in my life regardless of time, place, or circumstances. Meditation has been the key for me to being able to find peace, closeness to God, spiritual strength, and revelation regardless of where I might be or what might be going on. To me, these external things like temples, beautiful structures, rooms, or other physical places, be it nature or otherwise, really point to a state of being that should exist on the inside. There may be a time in the future where we cannot rely on external sources for peace and we must be able to maintain our spirituality by looking to the light that is inside of each of us. Some people may currently be or will be in abusive or in traumatic circumstances and the source of their strength and peace must be well established from an internal wellspring of life, light, and truth which can spring up unto eternal life. -Finrock

Thanks Pam. -Finrock

I'm looking forward to freedom. Freedom in its purest form. Freedom from sin. Freedom from oppression. Freedom from illness and sickness. Freedom to do any and all good things possible. Freedom to be. -Finrock

Can the temple become an idol? Something we have built with our hands using our excess or not excess wealth to build? My personal belief is that any place where we stand is holy, if we are holy. Holiness comes from the inside. Meaning, holiness is about the person, not really the place. Any building is only as holy as those who enter in to it. Also, ALL things belong to God. There is no special distinction between the temples we build with our hands versus other things we build with our hands. They are ultimately, God's. Finally, I believe the temple is a symbol of the person. Meaning, our bodies are the true temples of God, real structures built without hands, and the buildings we build with our hands is just a symbol of our body. The work that is happening inside of each individual is the true work for the dead. Have we made our temple a House of the Lord, where He can dwell? Does the Holy Spirit dwell inside of your tabernacle, inside of your temple? -Finrock

We discern who and who is not a prophet by the Spirit. Having a testimony of Jesus means you are a prophet or prophetess. Anyone can fill this role. To know who is speaking by the Spirit of prophecy or as is stated otherwise in the scriptures, the Spirit of truth, does not depend on who is speaking, where they are speaking, when they are speaking, how they are speaking, or even what they are saying. To know requires that one have the Spirit of prophecy or Spirit of truth themselves. So, the only way we can know when a prophet is speaking as a prophet is when we also have the Spirit of truth: Prophets preach the word of truth by the Spirit of truth and if they don't preach it by the Spirit of truth, I don't care what it is, it is not of God! Conversely, those who receive the preaching must receive the preaching also by the Spirit of truth. If they don't receive it by the Spirit of truth, it is not of God, I don't care what it is! -Finrock

Came across this tonight and thought it pertinent to this thread and wanted to share it: -Finrock​ ​

The more I allow myself to become like Christ, the more I feel like I am in the Celestial Kingdom already. -Finrock

I don't think he did. Jesus has gone beneath all things. He has walked the walk. He knows what it is like to sin and to be a sinner. He knows perfectly all sorrows, all pains, all wants, all needs, all desires, all sins. He can succor His children with perfect understanding and humility. He can call us to repentance because He has perfect love for us. Do you realize that you (all of us are, not picking on you alone) are an enemy to God, and yet He has sustained you and healed you and at no point has he mocked you or tried to make you feel small or bad in any way? He isn't punitive. He isn't harsh. He isn't shortsighted. He isn't narrow-minded. He doesn't want to harm, mock, belittle, or make anyone hurt. He wants to heal, no matter who you are or what you have done or where you might be! Once we have obtained God's word, through His Spirit, then we are to declare His word, even repentance. No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by the priesthood except by persuasion, long-suffering, meekness, love unfeigned, etc.! -Finrock EDIT: To clarify intent.

Vort, I've done some evil things. Probably a lot worse than you have ever done. I don't know, but I'm guessing that I have. I've been here on the forum long enough that you know my history. I don't bring this up as some sort of trump card, badge, etc. I bring it up to demonstrate that I have had an impossibly hard time truly loving anybody, friend or foe! I didn't love myself. I lived in the world but felt quite apart from it and those around me. Me not caring what other people think is not love. It takes Jesus Christ, Vort. It takes His grace! Only He could save me. There is no other way. We must surrender ourselves, submit ourselves, to God and recognize our own nothingness, our unworthingness, and our futility before Him, and BEG Him to change our hearts! Take away my stony heart and replace it with a heart of flesh! Only God can do this. He takes our carnal, natural, wicked state, and He replaces with a heart that is holy, with dispositions to love God and others, and no more dispositions to do evil. Jesus has worked a mighty miracle in my life. He is the only solution I know to the dilemma of perfection. -Finrock EDIT: Added quote from Ezekiel 36 because it teaches what I am saying.

As I understand things from the limited scripture study I have done is that all of the promises made to Israel will be kept. All of God's words will be fulfilled. In a coming time yet, which I feel is sooner than later, the Jews will recognize their Messiah and will worship Him, even Jesus Christ. God has not forsaken His people Israel. -Finrock

Vort, We've been asked to be perfect. We are incapable of doing what is required of us. Our efforts in mortality will never equal "the best". Being perfect requires loving your neighbor and your enemy. Can't you see the futility of this for someone wicked and carnal? God told me to love my neighbor. I prayed to God and told Him, I'm having trouble loving my neighbor. God then said, well, then love your enemy! Part of the solution is recognizing the futility of the situation for us worthless and unprofitable servants. -Finrock

Our default position is to be empathetic, kind, gentle, understanding, encouraging, uplifting, loving, giving, etc. When we reprove it will be motivated by the aforementioned ideas and it will be because it is the right thing to do. It will not be to gratify our vanity or our pride. It is easy to justify abusive behavior in the name of religion or in the name of righteousness so I think it is wise to hold close to empathy and tenderness. Most of us, most of the time, want and desire and even need unconditional love. It is our job as sons and daugthers of God to be stern and firm in principle but to be kind, gentle, and loving in our conduct towards others. When we are living right we will know the time to be firm and sharp, showing always afterwards an increase in love towards those reproved. -Finrock

And yet it is important for us to know and to accept the fallibility of the prophets. Not to point them out but so that you do not judge them too harshly when they fail. We must have empathy and understanding, even towards our leaders. Also, knowing and accepting the fallibility of the prophets reminds us that the only absolute sure person to place our trust in is Jesus Christ, who will never falter nor fail us in any degree. -Finrock

Brigham Young was a great man of God and I love him. I don't shy away from him in any way. I am in no position to judge another. Because I am flawed and because God has still worked with me I know that He will work with all persons, especially His prophets, no matter how flawed they are. It is no sin to be human; It is only a sin to stop trying to be divine. -Finrock

Verse 5 "And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies" You can't take away the plain meaning by replacing it with a "spiritual" meaning. -Finrock

Who, in 1844 or even in the whole of the 19th century, was calling down plagues, breathing fire from their mouth, or turning rivers in to blood? Or, who came back to life in 1844 after being dead for three days? -Finrock

Hi Eric Pierre. I hope you are doing well! :) 3 Nephi 16 would seem to support the idea that the David would be raised from the Jews in Jerusalem as God has promised in the last days that the gospel would come to the House of Israel. It is a very hopeful message: -Finrock

Good Afternoon pugiofidei! =) This is what I understand you to be saying: God, who is not a thing, has an idea of Himself that is perfect, this perfect, infinite idea of God's self is the Son, Jesus Christ? -Finrock

We can do so much better in calling people to repentence by using a tender word; by being understanding, empathetic, and showing kindness, mercy, love. There needs to be less enmity between me and thee and more humility. EDIT: Let those who are judges in Israel or with authority do the direct calls to repentence. -Finrock

Hi james12! I hope you've been well. :) You say in the quote above that the change was made after some outcry from the LBGT community. Do you mean to say that the change was caused or was made as a result of some outcry from the LBGT community or do you just mean to say, as a matter of fact, the change was made after some outcry from the LBGT community? -Finrock

I hate the hypocrisy in our society. I hate the fact that the value of a human heart is worth more than the human life. I hate that there are individuals who are so blinded by their self desires that they are willing to abuse another person for their personal benefit and gain. It is sick that our society condones the slaughter of persons who have entact organs, the organs being valuable enough to salvage because of their worth to the adults, but the life itself, the person themselves, is worthless! How sick! How twisted! How awful! How gross! It is so sick and disgusting when we live in a society where our children are used to fulfill and prolong the life of the adults rather than the adults sacrificing everything so that the next generation can live and be happy. With all of this going on, we dare make an uproar about the life of a lion! It is the hypocrisy that I hate. I hate what the hypocrisy tells me about some people and our society in general. -Finrock

Hi The Folk Prophet! I hear you and I even understand what you are saying, however, I have not been able to overcome my addictions in my life by applying the principles you espouse. To be free in my life, I have had to give up being an agent unto myself, and to become an agent of Jesus Christ. This has been a voluntary act on my part of surrendering my thoughts, my desires, my feelings, my notions, so that I can replace them with the thoughts, desires, feelings, and notions that God would place in my heart and mind. I have had to learn to trust God completely! This means surrendering my will to Him. I have not had any success in my life in overcoming my hardships and trials by becoming an agent unto myself. Never, not once. Only when I have remembered who I am, that I am a child of God, and that I am a son of God, that I am a spirit of God, and started acting and choosing accordingly, has the gospel of Jesus Christ begun to become effective in my life to the point where I have been liberated from a prison of darkness and hell. I have free will and I have free agency. There are not the same even though they are often conflated. My son complained to me one day when I asked him to do something that he has no "free agency" become I am telling him what to do. I told him that he is wrong. I may be restricting his actions, however, his freedom to be an agent is not restricted. We can be an agent of Christ no matter what situation we are in or no matter what choices have been taken from us. God has given us the gift of free agency to choose to be an agent of Him in all situations and in all places and in all times. That is liberating. Because at that point, I can be bound and beaten, yet I am free in Christ. -Finrock

All of us who have been or whoever will be in mortality, at one point in their existence made the free will choice to follow Christ. We were agents of Christ, all of us, before we came here on earth. This is absolutely true. If not, we would be with Satan right now. -Finrock

Good morning anatess! When the final scales are balanced and if you are found to be an "agent unto yourself" it will be equivalent of being an agent of Satan. There are only two options in this life. There is no grey area. We either serve God or we serve something else. Satan has many faces and there are many idols that we can serve and worship. Serving the will of self is a form of idol worhsip. Relying on our intellect and our strength is a form of idol worship. All idol worship is of the devil. So, yeah, we are "free agents" until we start making choices and that is where the rubber meets the road. Your choices determine your agency and there are only two agents to choose from, God or the devil. -Finrock