Finrock

Element is the physical matter we see and interact with. As far as the absurdity of "nothing". First, we can't even invoke the concept of "nothing" without it falling apart. What I mean is that by trying to define nothing, it is something, which is absurd. There is no coherent way to know, understand, imagine, or conceptualize "nothing". If "nothing" were real, then we could never have this discussion. The fact that we are having this discussion, means that "nothing" is absurd. -Finrock

I know we've done hashed this out in this thread, but I have always learned to pronounce sudo (invoking superuser rights, etc.) as SUE-doe. This is what I was taught when I was 14 years old and learning to run Linux for the first time and it is what I was taught in school when I earned my degree in IT security, and it is how I and all my geek friends and buddies have pronounced it around each other. But, yeah, I grew up in Mississippi, and so I have a tendency to say everything all redneck like. Vort's cartoon is funny, though. Also, I am not sure I would know what a SUDO-parent is. Hard to conceptualize such a situation and what it might mean in reality. -Finrock

I have needed to forgive people who have hurt me very severely. I was not able to do it for a very, very long time. I didn't even know how to approach forgiving. I learned that I could put "forgiving" others on the back burner as I took time to heal from the affects of abuse in my life. Your husbands actions are very harmful and traumatic to your spirit and to your relationship. You need time to heal from these affects. Learn to trust in God and in yourself. You will not be able to trust your husband while you feel the way that you do. I learned from my experiences that God will carry the burden of you needing to forgive a spouse while you heal through the atonement of Jesus Christ. You may want to join a Healing Through Christ program in your ward or branch. These can be very helpful in providing YOU the skills you need to deal with your husband's addiction better. It is so very hard, but you need to understand that your husband is sick and ill. More than anything he needs our sympathy and not our condemnation. He is suffering greatly because his addiction is like living in hell. -Finrock

I have been sustained by the atonement of Jesus Christ through some very difficult trials. My parents were seperated before I was ever born. I lived with my mother until I was 8 and I was sexually abused between the ages of 4-6 and also between the ages of 8-11 by my grandmother, mother, stepfather, and an older boy who lived in my neighborhood growing up. I don't know how to succintly describe my life, but needless to say my thinking has not been "normal". For most of my life I have felt isolated and absolutely lonely. I have felt detached from others and society. I never thought that I was good for anything. Most of my life I have felt like I was absolutely worthless and that I did not deserve anything good or gentle in life. There are many other feelings and notions that I have struggled with. As I struggled alone and in ignorance, God sustained me. While I acted wickedly, God blessed me. In my blindness I did things that were carnal and devilish, yet God was merciful. I did not recognize God's love when I was in hell. I did not see the many ways in which He was blessing me while I was in hell. My pride prevented me from seeing how sick I was. My fear prevented me from know God and His love. Eventually my suffering, my depression, my anguish become so great that I was compelled to be humble. I was compelled to see how that without God I am nothing and that existence is meaningless. I wanted, needed peace! I could not live any more feeling the way that I was. I did not desire to exist feeling the way I was feeling every day. I begged for God to have mercy! I asked Him, specifically, to carry my burden and that I could not carry it. In response, He sent His Spirit down upon me where it overwhelmed my whole body in that I lost my strength. I was overwhelmed by God's love and mercy. God changed my heart that day! He worked a mighty miracle, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I have been saved from hell and from misery! This powerful feeling has faded and I was not miraculously healed from all of my illnesses. My struggles have continued and I still have many days where I can feel low. However, I am now placing my faith in Jesus Christ. I am learning that I can take my burdens and place them on Christ and He will sustain me. He has given me guidance. I have received thoughts from God that have helped me to understand and see what I need to do to improve my life and to have peace. When I don't understand or I am unable to overcome my feelings myself, I pray, and God relieves my feelings. Instead of doing things for others, I do things for Christ and I expect my reward from Him. As I remember Jesus Christ every day I feel hopeful, inspite of the trials that I face. -Finrock

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not btrue; and if ye shall ask with a csincere heart, with dreal intent, having efaith in Christ, he will fmanifest the gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may aknow the btruth of all things. Not to say that this is where I'm at, but the scriptures invite and command us to use the Spirit to know the truth of all things. This is the way, the reliable way, for any man or any woman, to know and to discern what is going on around them and in life. -Finrock

Who is going to step up and speak with their actions rather than their words? Because it seems that is what it is going to take in order to convince many that what is being spoken is not an attack but rather an invitation. The Brethren are making the same call to stop living beneath our privilege, to hasten the work, etc. The state of home teaching is a great sign of our illness and lack of faith as a people. We are happy with crackers when we could be feasting on steak! I freely admit that I am a coward. I have cowered at the thought of exercising the type of faith that I see witnessed in the scriptures. I've used the same ideas pointed out in this thread to pacify myself in to believing that I don't need to follow in the footsteps of those saints who have come before and who have made it. I am constantly rationalizing away the powerful thoughts, the powerful ideas, the ideas that seem like they belong to the scriptures and not to real life because, well, in real life I need to be satisfied with crackers and being satisfied with crackers is true faith! But, in my life I have found that God has provided more than just crackers to sustain me! In fact, He has demonstrated to me that I have been rejecting Him by rejecting what He wants to give me. Therefore I reject the notion that being satisfied with crackers is true faith! I believe that God wants to give me a lot more than just crackers and that He intended me to have a feast and to enjoy all that He wants to give me...today! But, I'm a coward and I shy away because I don't want to be let down, I don't want to admit that I'm weak, or that I just may not believe in God as much as I profess with my lips. I am glad that I have time to repent still. I am glad that God is merciful. I am glad that God is patient. I am glad that God does not condemn me for my weaknesses but rather is lovingly helping me to see them and turn them in to strengths. -Finrock

Intelligence, spirit, and element exist. They do not exist because of something, they exist because there is existence. These are the essential properties of existence. The necessary conditions of existence or of there being something, are intelligence, spirit, and element. That there is existence is the only thing that can be. There is not such a thing as no existence. "Nothing" is absurd. -Finrock

I believe if we believe that some action that we partake of is of God or that it will bring us closer to God and then we exercise sincere faith with real intent, God will not leave us hanging. He is interested in those who are willing and ready to listen. If you don't know the exact way of doing something, God will let you know. But, until you know and until you get to the point where you are ready to hear and listen to Him, He will accept your acts of faith that are sincere and with real intent, pretty much no matter what they are. What I have learned to try to not do is to prescribe and set limits and allotments as to what God can, does, or will accept from those who approach Him in sincerity and with real intent. -Finrock

Hi Vort! :) It's okay. Perhaps this time you aren't the intended audience but rather just the catalyst! -Finrock I submit that those mountains are being moved by no other force than faith. To expound, it seems to me that God is teaching me that I have more faith than I think and because I am not special and God is no respector of persons, it then means that all people have more faith in them than they believe. I have been able to do and witness some powerful miracles, not because I am or was superbly righteous or good, but rather because I exercised faith in Jesus Christ. Within me and each of us is the power to do more than we suppose or think. We limit ourselves too often. The limits that exist in my life, exist because of the limits I place due to my unbelief in the Father and in His Son. -Finrock

The right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not and if a person, I don't care who they are, where they come from, what membership they have, if they bow down before Christ and worship him with all their might, mind, and strength, and their whole soul, if they do this, the Father has promised, they shall in nowise be cast out. That is pure doctrine and anyone who believes in Christ and denies Him not is a saint and will in nowise be cast out. -Finrock

Further, in the Book of Mormon, they did not labor diligently to teach about the specifics of the law or how important the ordinances were. Of all the things that were written, what is the primary focus of the Book of Mormon? Is it the law and ordinances? The technicalities and straining at gnats? No! What is the primary concern of a true saint? What is it that they will talk about, preach about, and teach about? 2 Nephi 25 -Finrock

Why do you guys think the Book of Mormon speaks so much about the Law of Moses and how it is dead? That Law has never been applicable to us as Latter-day Saints. Why do we need to know that it has become dead? Why does the Book of Mormon tell us, over and over, that "notwithstanding the law of Moses, they did look forward to the coming of Christ, considering that the law of Moses"? They considered the coming of Christ the law of Moses. Of all the people in the world right now, which people are primarily reading the Book of Mormon? Who is the Book for? Just for non-members? For people who don't believe in our religion and will probably never pick up the Book? Vort Wrote 2 Nephi 25 -Finrock

Vort, It is the difference between a brick and a stone hewn without hands. You present a nice, neat, formulated, man-made brick. However, I like the stone hewn without hands that I possess. It feels better and is just more natural. -Finrock

Sorry, but there are saints outside of the "Mormon" circle. You are incorrect, my friend. Mormon legalism fails here. -Finrock

This isn't absolutely new, news, but the evidence is getting stronger that there is more than meets the eye to the origins of Native Americans. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/research-teams-duel-over-native-american-origins -Finrock

I don't have a problem with the idea that our pre-existence influenced our mortal condition in some way. However, I don't think mortals are in a position to judge that of others. Certainly the way to determine how valiant someone was or was not is not based on some worldly measure of status or goodness. For instance, The Folk Prophet stated: It is one thing to say that our pre-existence influences our mortal life. But it is another thing to say that because of wealth and education, one must have been valiant in the pre-existence. The implication is that if one was born poor and uneducated they were not valiant in the pre-existence. This type of judging and reasoning is false. We don't know. Each person must find out for themselves why God placed them in whatever situation he placed them. We can learn a lot about this in Jacob 5. These are things that are best left for the Spirit to discern. -Finrock EDIT: Not sure why I wrote Ether but I meant Jacob 5

I think this is somewhat relevant and might add some more food for thought. I don't know exactly what all the implications are but Brigham Young stated: "If God should suffer the [President of the Church] to lead the people astray, it would be because they ought to be led astray...it would be because they deserve it." I believe this and I can conceive of some events in Church history where something like this has already happened -Finrock

Whatever might be said, if rebuke means "sharp disapproval or criticism", then the Savior was definitely not rebuking Peter. I sense that Christ is telling Peter, "Peter, you had the faith to do it, you were doing good, why did you doubt?" I think when we act on purely faith, keeping our thoughts and concerns centered on the Savior, we can overcome and do some wonderful things. I think Peter began to doubt because he started thinking about how crazy it was for him to believe that he could walk on water, especially with all the winds and waves going on! Sometimes I think to myself how ridiculous it is for me to think that I can somehow overcome the many challenges I have in my life. Statistically I should be dead a long time ago. If I allow myself to believe that I am stuck with the conditions and limitations of mortality then I begin to doubt my ability to overcome the trials in my life that has been at least as hard to do as walking on water. I doubt when I let myself take my focus off of Christ. I doubt when a let myself think like a man. -Finrock

As far as I understand what you are saying, Traveler, I agree and it is along these lines that I feel the scripture should be read. -Finrock

I disagree with you that a major point in the story is that Peter's faith is insufficient. However, I don't disagree with Christ and I am not counseling Christ by virtue of the fact that I don't believe or agree that your opinion reflects what Christ was actually teaching or doing in this situation. Did not Christ teach, or Is having "a little faith" really a rebuke? Also, I don't know if I would make the argument that spiritually speaking "everything was fine and dandy" with Peter. I don't believe that others in this thread have said that about Peter either. I don't even know what it means, really. Peter certainly wasn't perfect and he was a fallible man. But, he was no spiritual weakling at the time he walked on water. -Finrock

Then be at peace. -Finrock

Nobody was counseling Christ, which if they were, would be prideful/sinful/foolish. It is unfair and nonsensical in context to suggest that those who are posting on this thread are prideful/sinful/foolish. It breaks down conversation and is antagonistic in nature. -Finrock

Hi The Folk Prophet! Your question is nonsense and unfair. -Finrock

Hi changed! You are right, we do need Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. However, as Vort pointed out already in his post, God's work and glory is bringing about the immortality and eternal life of man. Jesus Christ showed us the way. He showed us that we cannot be saved alone. We must become saviors in order to be saved. Jesus Christ showed us how to be the Savior. We can't be the Savior but through our service to others and because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our actions become effective and have the same result as if we were the Savior. God cannot be God alone. We cannot be gods alone. The Eternal Order or Economy is one of building and lifting others to enjoy all the good that you have. -Finrock

Could Jesus Christ be exalted and ascend to the Father without us? -Finrock