Finrock

I think it is clear that we are dealing with a language barrier. I believe I have misunderstood OP's original question. I believe he is trying to show that scripture and reason support the notion that important ancient religious text were written upon plates of metal or stone. Perhaps the original question was more of a question to start a discussion as to the validity of the use of plates to record scripture? Regards, Finrock

Hi Gerasim. It is a pleasure to meet you! I hope you are doing well. :) My guess is that they knew what brass was and when they say the plates they were like, "Hey, these things look like they are made of brass." Or, maybe someone told them, "Hey, you know those plates that Laban has, did you know that they are made from brass?" My question to you: What would prevent them from knowing that they were brass plates? Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon all. I'd like to point out that the premise that sexuality is determined by genes and is not a choice, which the OP daughter's argument relies on, is faulty. There isn't a "proponderance" of evidence that suggest that our sexual orientation is somehow determined at birth. In fact, the latest studies confirm what common sense has said for years; that we are a combination of our genes and our environment. "Genes work with probabilities; they don't work with certainties. So most things that you're looking at with these genetic tests, it's not like you're condemned to automatically get the disease or the syndrome. There's a lot of factors in play there (Sam Kean)." "The more that I looked at DNA, the more I realized it was nature and nurture. It's how genes and your environment work together to produce the person you are. So I don't feel like I'm really hemmed in because of my DNA. Obviously there's some things that were never going to happen for me — I was never going to play in the NBA — because I'm not tall enough or bulky enough. But even now we're finding a lot of behavioral traits that have some sort of genetic influence or roots in DNA somehow. We're also finding that those things don't rigidly dictate who we are. Genetic determinism is an idea that really scares people and understandably so. But thankfully the more we find out about our DNA, the more we realize we're not determined by our DNA (Sam Kean; Emphasis added)." If our DNA or our genes do not rigidly determine who we are then we have choice and your daughter's argument fails. Regards, Finrock

You're welcome. I understand what you are saying and it is true that immortality is a free gift given to all. But, we cannot annex the priesthood from the act that made the gift of immortality possible. However, more importantly my statement was a compound sentence and so it needs to be considered in totality. Only through the priesthood ordinaces can we can receive both exaltation AND immortality. Or, maybe if I wrote it this way it will make more sense: We can only obtain both immortality AND exaltation through the saving ordinance of the gospel which require priesthood authority. We can receive immortality without being baptized. We can not be exalted without being baptized. I don't think the concept of being "good" can be seperated from the concept of wanting the saving ordinances of the gospel. Ultimately being good means being like Jesus Christ. There is no exaltation without the ordinances of the gospel performed by the proper priesthood authority. Period. I'm not sure your examples are true exceptions. For one, I understood that the context was that we were speaking of those who are capable of sinning. Your examples introduce individuals who are not capable of sinning. However, if there are exceptions then they will be revealed to God's prophets. We have scripture and modern day revelation clearly indicating that small children and people who are mentally handicapped will be exalted but what you are proposing is not supported by scripture or prophetic utterances. The question isn't about good and bad people existing within or without the church. All good people who deserve exaltation will receive it but only after they have met the conditions that God has set. God sets the bounds, we don't. We either choose to follow God's path or we follow some other path. That is this life in a nutshell. Regards, Finrock

Perhaps it is the stigma associate with sex. I hypothesise that because sex is abused so prevalently through-out society it is associated with being base, crude, and being subject to your passions and lusts. But, that is only my guess. I do not know the real answer. Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon Heber13. It is a pleasure to meet you! :) No matter what, we can't attain exaltation and immortality without the saving ordinances of the gospel AND the authority to perform them. It comes down to priesthood. That is the one distinguishing feature that we have that no other church on this planet has. You either believe that or you don't. Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon Vort! I hope that you are doing well. :) Another reason is probably the idea that marriage implies sex and many people have problems with the idea that Jesus might have had sexual relations with his wife. Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon Swiper. I hope you are doing well today! :) If your wife is a faithful Latter-day Saint she will be devastated by your news. As far as your reasons for wanting to leave the Church? Well, to be frank, they are false. However, you have your agency and you seem like you've made up your mind. I'm very sorry for the likely pain and sufferring your revelation is going to produce in your life and the life of your family. Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon Sunny1. It is a pleasure to meet you. I hope you are well! :) It might be helpful for you to know that from other's perspective it sounds like you have made up your mind. You seem resistent to anything other than what you want to hear. This makes it difficult to give advice. Respectfully, Finrock

Good evening Tumbledquartz. It is a pleasure to meet you. :) If what you say about your husband is true then it is clear that your husband doesn't have a clue as to what he is talking about. All of us carry around unseen wounds caused by sin and often when we are wounded we lash out at others. It's possible that your husband doesn't even recognize the wounds he has, but, unavoidably whether your husband recognizes them or not they will affect him. I am sorry you are dealing with this sort of pain. As hard as it might be you have to look at your husband as one who is severely wounded and one who needs the balm of Gilead in order to be healed, just as all of us do. In the meantime: I don't care what you look like or whatever the case may be you deserve to be treated with respect, to be loved by your husband, and your husband ought to be 100% faithful to you until forever. Regards, Finrock

Hi, Eleven. It is a pleasure to meet you. :) It seems apparent that your friend believes he crossed some line in the various shades of fornication. The exact details are irrelevant. If your friend feels a line was crossed then have your friend speak about it boldly and honestly with his bishop so that it can be out in the open and vetted. The bishop will judge whether it is relevant to your friends repentance process or not. That is the bishop's job. Regards, Finrock

Hi Bini. I hope you are doing well today. :) I wish I knew what "perfect sense" was so I could recognize it. Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon Backroads! I hope you are doing well today. :) Perhaps this chart from the Family Home Evening Resource Book can provide some perspective. It gives a comparison on ways we ought and ought not to deal with those who aren't living the gospel by differentiating between the Lord's way and Satan's way of doing things. Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon dahlia! I hope you are doing well. :) I know I wouldn't be offended or bothered by this. Many LDS moms already take part in surveys and research of all sorts on a regular basis so to be asked to participate in something that might help you in your field and which could benefit the greater LDS community would likely be seen as an honor. I do not forsee this being an issue and in fact I forsee it being the opposite: It should be well received. But, what do I really know? Experience has shown not much! Regards, Finrock

Good morning RyanLDS! It is a pleasure to meet you. I hope that you are doing better. :) It sounds like you already know what you need to do and that you just need to gather up the courage (мужність, сміливiсть, хоробрість) within you. You need the courage to stand up for truth and right even when others around will not, cannot, or just don't care. But, be strong and take courage in the thought that as you pick up the sword of truth to wield it in righteousness, God will send down his power to uplift you and to support you. The scriptures make this promise clear and we can take courage from the scriptures as well. From Psalm 55:22 From Matthew in New Testament Psalm 37 is also very good to read and I'd recommend it for you at this time. Regards, Finrock

Perhaps I'm taking this too literally, but I find the statement that you don't believe in anything hard to believe. Unless your posts are just a big joke you appear to at least believe that it is worth it to get rid of your addiction. Why do you think your addiction ought to be gotten rid of? Regards, Finrock

Good Morning KK03. I hope you are doing well. :) What do you believe in? Regards, Finrock

Good evening moocow. I hope you are well! :) I was reading out of George Albert Smith lesson book and I thought it pertinent to your situation. It is President Smith speaking, so take it as advice from him, a prophet. I hope you receive it in the spirit of charity in which it is given: "If we are living as we know that we should we are entitled to the whispering of a still small voice calling attention to danger, saying this is the pathway of safety, walk ye in it. … If we have erred in our conduct the voice will whisper to us ‘turn back, you have made a mistake; you have disregarded the advice of your Heavenly Father.’ Turn from the error of your way while there is yet time, for if you go too far from the right path you will not hear the voice and you may be hopelessly lost. … “My advice to you is to get the Spirit of God and keep it and the only way we will retain it is by living near him, by keeping his commandments. … Listen to the still small voice that will always direct you if you are worthy of it in a path that means eternal happiness" (President George Albert Smith; Source). Kind Regards, Finrock

Good evening The Traveler. Thank you for the response. To answer your question; Yes, I have had good mentors ask me difficult questions. I didn't realize that you and Sicily had a mentor relationship: My apologies. Chastisement from a trusted mentor is one thing; I perceived your chastisement as condescending towards Sicily. Regards, Finrock

Good evening The Traveler. I hope you are doing well. :) You have specifically solicited the opinions of others, emphasizing that one may answer as they choose, and yet here in your post to sicily you seemingly chastise her for not understanding the question. This doesnt seem to be fair. Furthermore, she answered the question in the manner specified and then provided scripture to demonstrate her point. All conditions of your OP were met. She said that the gospel is simple for those with faith and complex for those without faith. Whether you agree with that opinion or not doesnt take away from the fact that it is a reasonable opinion and it fulfilled all that you requested. So, what more can you reasonably ask? Regards, Finrock

I think it is helpful to understand "wayward" from your parents frame of reference. I'm gonna boldly state that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on this earth and therefore any deviation from it and its precepts must be wayward. I don't think they have overlooked the part about the child needing to repent. The quote mentions that sooner or later the "tentacles of Divine Providence" (I love Joseph Smiths description here) will begin to draw the wayward child back to the fold. I think the point is that one day you will decide to come back because of the righteous influence of your parents. I think your parents know that repentance must take part but I also think they understand, quite correctly, that the sealing power of God is nothing to trifle with! For instance, is it possible that you are already feeling the draw of those tenticles? Is it possible you are simply resisting the draw by trying to find a reason to disbelieve in the faith of your parents or by trying to find something that might cause them to waiver in what they believe about the sealing powers? "Let the father and mother, who are members of this Church and Kingdom, take a righteous course, and strive with all their might never to do a wrong, but to do good all their lives; if they have one child or one hundred children, if they conduct themselves towards them as they should, binding them to the Lord by their faith and prayers, I care not where those children go, they are bound up to their parents by an everlasting tie, and no power of earth or hell can separate them from their parents in eternity; they will return again to the fountain from whence they sprang" (Brigham Young; Source). I have five children and this doctrine is glorious to me! Good luck. Regards, Finrock

Good morning anatess. I'm glad you are doing well. :) I know that in most cases when I've received something from God it has been because I asked, I was obedient, and I was faithful. When I was a young man I made the decision that I do not want a job that requires me to work on Sundays, at least not on a regular basis. I communicated this wish to God. I've made it a goal to avoid working on Sundays. I asked God to help me to accomplish my goal. I feel that God has answered my prayers and fulfilled my righteous desires to not work on Sundays if at all possible. As I understand the gospel, these are sound principles. I don't explain it. I'm not speaking in absolutes. I can only explain my own life and my experiences and that is what I've done. I wasn't making judgments rather I was sharing a perspective, which is: At least one person on this planet (me) has resolved this problem of working on Sundays by doing the following: They made it a goal not to work on Sundays. They asked God to help them keep this goal. They excercised faith and tried to live their covenants. As a result, that one person has not had to accept jobs that require working on Sundays on a regular basis. In conclusion, I wasn't trying to prove a point or even debate the principles of faith, prayer, and obedience. If you think the advice applies, use it. If you don't think it applies, reject it. I'll soon get over it. Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon all. :) I think the answer is that there is no general or univeral policy against endowed members doing baptisms for the dead, however, because of logistics and to accomodate the circumstances that apply to a particular temple district, some Temple Presidents may have a more strict policy in this regard. I would simply call the Temple and speak with someone there and they can explain the policy they have for doing baptisms for the dead. Regards, Finrock

One difference is that I know better than most people that I ought not to work on Sundays if I can help it at all. Another difference is that I've taken covenants to keep the Sabbath day holy. Most people have not. There may be other differences too, but these two differences are significant. The results of such a hypothetical situation would be difficult to predict. Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon MoHeartbrokenGuy! :) I'm sorry for your troubles. I know when I feel that I have been wrongfully accused I want to defend myself and set the record straight, as you mentioned. However, testimony meeting is not the appropriate place to set the record straight. A testimony is a "...knowledge or assurance of a truth that a person declares by the convincing power of the Holy Ghost" (Source). A true testimony is only one when it is declared by the power of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 12:3). Furthermore, in most cases, your testimony should be relatively brief and concise. The First Presidency has offered the following guidance: “We are concerned that in some instances, members who desire to bear their testimonies in fast and testimony meeting do not have the opportunity to do so. Bishoprics are encouraged to help all people learn to express a brief, heartfelt testimony of the Savior, His teachings, and the Restoration, so that more members may have the opportunity to participate.” Finally, Elder Jensen (from whom I'm borrowing most of these ideas) provided a list of things a testimony is not. A testimony is: "Not an exhortation. Individuals who stand and exhort others in a fast and testimony meeting or even try to call others to repentance, even with the best of intentions, are usurping authority and are often offending others and disrupting the spirit of the meeting. • Not an experience, although experiences may illustrate belief and conviction. • Not an expression of gratitude or love, although these are often appropriately included in our testimony sharing. • Not a public confession. • Not a sermon or a talk on some doctrinal point, although someone may quote a scripture and then testify of it. • Not a long explanation of how you know but rather what you know. • Not merely saying the words “I have a testimony.” It is not inappropriate to say this, but hopefully there is an expression following these words about the doctrines, truths, and principles of which you have a testimony." When we consider all of these things, we can see that fast and testimony meeting would be an inappropriate place to "set the record straight". Regards, Finrock