Finrock

Good evening Moksha. I hope you've been doing well. :) Can you provide any link to what you are posting about as far as threats against Reid from members, etc. I'm interested in reading the accounts. I would be grateful! Also, I'm unsure why there is a call to depoliticize the Church when it is church members who are being political. Surely you aren't suggesting that members shouldn't be political? Regards, Finrock

Dedicating or blessing your home is done through a simple prayer addressed to Heavenly Father. There is no protocol. It is not a priesthood ordinance. Any person can pray and ask Heavenly Father to bless/dedicate the home. Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon GaySaint! :) I can't wait either. I will only be blunt when there is no better way to communicate my point, but I try very hard to never be malicious even when being blunt. You have been respectful. Here is where we are fundamentally opposed in our views. You are only able to sustain your position by rejecting what is being taught by prophets, both living and dead, and what has been taught in both ancient and modern scripture. My view isn't just my perspective. It based on the words of true prophets of God and scripture. My view does not contradict revealed truth. I cannot accept that we are entitled to revelation and testimony that is in contradiction to the words of God's mouthpiece on earth. The issues of marriage and chastity are tied together. Marriage was instituted by God and He defines the conditions. Whether the law of the land legalizes homosexual marriage or not is irrelevant to what marriage actually is. God has defined marriage to be between a man and a woman. How a secular government defines marriage would not actually change the institution of marriage because it is not within the secular government's power to define it. And since the law of chastity requires that no sexual relations to occur outside of marriage, the Church will always be justified in coming out against homosexuality. Unless, of course, God redefines marriage. If He declares that marriage is approved for homosexual couples, then, and only then, will sexual relations between homosexual persons be justified in the eyes of God. In the end we are only accountable for our own choices. Although in some major points we are opposed, I respect your agency and I only come out against homosexuality because it is what God, through scripture and His prophets has taught. I see you as I see myself: a fallible man trying to do what he feels is right. If revealed truth were ever to change to include homosexual marriage as legitimate in the eyes of God, and it was declared so by the living prophet, I would accept it and all that it entails. Kind Regards, Finrock

Regarding the hypothetical scenario, I don't know how the two concepts are related, but, if that was required and it was indeed God's will, then I would abandon my family. I don't say that this will be easy; Just as I strive but haven't yet succeeded in abandoning other desires that are contrary to God's will, but I would accept it and do what I needed to do to align myself with that teaching. Regards, Finrock

This was directed at LocalFarms, but I would like to answer this as well. If the hypothetical scenario became reality, I would accept it. My trust in the prophets of this church is complete and absolute. For better or for worse, I will go to my grave accepting the scripturally declared words of our prophets and apostles as the words of God. Regards, Finrock

You are welcome. I meant attraction and desire are the same whether you are heterosexual or homosexual. Only difference is what gender you are attracted to. I was saying that I may not understand what it means to be attracted to a man (other than in a platonic way), I do however understand attraction and desire which I believe is the same across the board for everyone. Of course. If we believe God's will is X then we will align it with X. However, in the same vein, we must recognize that we do not have the capacity to modify truth to fit our circumstances. So regardless of what we may believe, truth is ultimately what matters. I don't think the expectation is for us to be able to change all of our desires now. I believe what is important is that we desire what God wants above anything else. I don't pretend to think that all of my personal desires and wants have been rooted from my heart. I suppose there are things that I want now that as I mature in the gospel I will not want later. I may not even recognize the desires I have now as being things I should forfeit. I've already experienced this a number of times. As my knowledge and testimony grew my desires for some things lessened or disappeared and my desire for Godly things increased. The point is not that we will not have desires that are contrary to God's will but that we desire above all else God's will, and in due time, God will root out those things that are not fit for exaltation. I imagine that when we have our exalted and immortal bodies, when we will understand as God understands, that our desires or what we felt was important during mortality will be radically changed. I can only say what I am going to say in a way that appears blunt. Please understand that I am not being malicious. If a testimony entails beliefs that are contradictory or contrary to scripture and the words of the living prophets, then it is a false testimony. Any personal revelation we receive must be measured up against the standard works and the words of the living prophets. We are not entiled to receive revelation in contradiction to what the scriptures and prophets say. I simply cannot accept any revelation that goes against what has been established by scripture and the prophets. I think it is folly to do so. I agree that in some things it is about perspective. In questions about the gospel, however, it is about knowing what is actually true and accepting that truth. Personal perspective in this sphere is largely irrelevant. Yes, that is the point, really. And this doesn't just apply to homosexuals, but to all people. We must deny and ignore any desire that is contrary to God's desire. Our desire and our will ought to be to aling our will and desire perfectly with God's will and desire. Our change of heart isn't a single event, but rather it is a life long process and we may not see the final results until after mortality, but the important thing is that we desire to have our wills aligned perfectly with God's will. This means our will will be swallowed up in God's will and they will be one and the same. To say it another way, insofar as our personal desires align with God's desires we should keep them, but insofar as they do not, we should discard them (sometimes this means ignoring them, not acting on them, or denying them even though the desire still exist within us). The truth is that God's will is not for us to practice homosexuality. His will does not sanction homosexual marriage. We either accept this truth or we do not. But, this isn't just an issue with homosexuality because all of us have wants and desires, deeply rooted at times, that are not inline with God's desire for us. All of us must be willing to forsake our wants and desires in favor of God's wants and desires. Why? Because He knows what is best for us. We may not always see why we should do something, but that is part of our trust relationship with Him. We just have to trust that what He says is the best thing. That is a good perspective to take. Our weaknesses are intended to ultimately be blessings to us to grow and learn from. It is all in how we appoach them. Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon GaySaint. It is a pleasure to meet you! :) Thank you for sharing your perspective. I as a male I don't understand being attracted to another male in the way that I am attracted to a woman. But, I do understand attraction and desire and, at a fundamental level, I don't believe that your feelings of attraction and desire are any different than mine. To that extent I understand what you mean. Although you presented your question as a rhetorical question you did leave me the option of answering so I would like to take that opportunity. I suppose I would answer that question by saying that our goal should be to align our desires with God's. Our "...sanctification cometh because of [us] yielding [our] hearts unto God” (Helaman 3:35). The scriptures speak of us having a mighty change of heart and of becoming perfected in Christ. This change is described as "mighty" in the scriptures and indeed it entails, "...a spiritual rebirth and fundamental change of what we feel and desire, what we think and do, and what we are. Indeed, the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through our reliance upon 'the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah'" (Elder Bednar, Emphasis added). As we strive to obey God and do His will, then "[l]ine upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the will of God" (Elder Bednar). So, our goal in life should ultimately be about aligning our desires and our wills to God's desire and will. We will not be able to do that perfectly, but if it is our desire, above anything else, to align our wills with God's will, then through the miracle of the atonement and the sanctifying blood of Christ, we will eventually get there. It is how we become purified, sanctified, and qualified for exaltation. Our focus in life should be on doing God's will and not our own. It is a thing all of us must understand and desire above anything else. Regards, Finrock

Good evening MarginOfError. I trust that you are doing well? :) First, I think it is important you understand that although the discussion in the thread you linked to was the catalyst for this thread, I was not addressing this thread to any one particular person, but rather I was addressing a particular sentiment. Instead of responding to particular points in your post I've decided to present my position in a more concise way. The reason why I am doing this is because many of your responses were missing the point. I'm operating under the assumption that I am at fault because I was unable to clearly express my position and this is what lead to the confusion. So, here goes... Here is sentiment S: "As opposed to heterosexual church members, homosexual church members have no hope of ever being able to have intimate physical relations while still maintaining the law of chastity. Therefore the struggle of an LDS homosexual is a unique or uncommon struggle." I believe sentiment S to be problematic because: 1. Accepting sentiment S in my experience seems to lead people to believe that it is OK for homosexuals to break the law of chastity or they should be allowed to marry. 2. Sentiment S contradicts the scripture in 1 Cor. 10:13 which states that "[t]here hath no temptation taken [us] but such as is common to man..." 3. The idea expressed in sentiment S that there is no hope of homosexual individuals of lawfully experiencing intimate relations in the bonds of marriage is shortsighted and artificially hopeless. 4. Sentiment S contradicts what prophets and apostles have said about the struggle homosexuals experience. Premise 1 is arguably anecdotal, but there seems to be some correlation between beliefs. Premise 2 is true because 1 Cor. 10:13 tells us that no temptation we suffer is uncommon, including the temptation of homosexual individuals. Premise 3 is true because reality has demonstrated that there are cases where people who suffer from homosexual tendencies have been able to resist acting on those tendencies and subsequently they have been able to find an opposite sex spouse whom they love and are attracted to and enjoy the blessings of marriage. Premise 4 is true as demonstrated by the dialogue quoted between Elder Oaks and Elder Wickman. In answer to the question "aren’t we asking a little more of someone who has same-gender attraction" to remain celibate since they have no hope of getting married? The response was that their struggle to remain celibate despite being unable to marry is not unique. Why is it important to reject sentiment S? Because in doing so one can accept that homosexual conduct falls under the umbrella of the law of chastity and it is not a special or uncommon temptation. And when we recognize and accept the fact that homosexual conduct is in the same class of conduct as any other sexual sin then how we address this issue becomes more clear and we are less likely to try and justify or somehow make normal conduct that is not justified and not normal. Furthermore, recognizing this should give same-gender attracted individuals hope that they do have a means to overcome their tendencies and find peace and happiness in living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Regards, Finrock

Good evening AintNoCityBoy. I hope you are well. :) I don't agree. Personally, I think you are speaking from ignorance. Join the discussion if you wish, but please be kind. "School thy feelings; there is power In the cool, collected mind. Passion shatters reason’s tower, Makes the clearest vision blind" Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon Elphaba. I hope you've enjoyed your weekend! :) Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to my post. Yes, I read that article from Elder Holland. I think Elder Oaks speaking about same-sex attraction summarizes the issue well by stating, "[t]here are differences, of course, but the contrast is not unique." Elder Wickman gives the example of his daughter who is handicapped and who, if she could, presumably would be married to a man. However, she will not have an opportunity to marry in this life. Because she does not have the "hope" of ever marrying in this life, in order to live the law of chastity, she will have to be celibate her entire mortal life. So, the circumstances of what is preventing a person from having a hope for marriage might be different, but the struggle of living the law of chastity without the hope of an "outlet" in this life is the same. There are many individuals in life who have no hope of marrying and who are not homosexuals and who are expected to remain celibate despite their circumstances. In this way the struggle of a homosexual person is no more unique than anyone else who must remain celibate. I agree that supporting the position that homosexuality is a unique condition does not equal "to insisting on special accommodations." As I stated in my post, however, and I emphasize here, in my experience this position has almost always lead to insisting on exceptions from the law of chastity for homosexuals. Further, I certainly was not intending to question anyone's motives, I simply was using point 1 of my post as one reason why I find the position "homosexuality is unique" to be problematic. In other words, it seems to me from my exposure to this topic, that the line of reasoning that homosexuality is unique easily turns in to a call for exceptions to the law of chastity and marriage. I wholly acknowledge that my experience might be anecdotal. Although I wasn't speaking to this point in my posts, this may be true. Oh, I think you've misunderstood my application of 1 Cor. It is my fault because I didn't emphasize which part of that scripture I was using to support my claim. Please allow me to try and clarify my point. My claim is that the struggle that homosexuals experience, of not being able to marry yet having to remain celibate, is not a unique struggle. To claim otherwise I feel contradicts the scripture in 1 Cor. 10:13 which states that there has "...no temptation taken [us] but such as is common to man..." In other words, the struggle that homosexuals struggle with is a temptation that is common to man. It isn't unique and consequently we can withstand the temptations. I assumed because I was speaking against the uniqueness of the homosexual struggle that people would understand how I was applying the scripture. I apologize. I hope you understand what I mean to say now. I wasn't making any claims as to whether a person could "stop" being homosexual in mortality or otherwise. Although I certainly think because their struggle is but one of many struggles that are common to man it is within their power to control their actions just as all persons can. In point 3 I was saying that there is hope for people who struggle with homosexual tendencies to enjoy intimate physical relations in this life. I've encountered many individuals who struggle with homosexual tendencies but who have been able to control their feelings, find a spouse of the opposite sex who they love and are attracted to, and enjoy married life within the bounds God has set. This doesn't mean that this will always be the case just as it is not always the case for heterosexual people, but, I think it is folly to claim that there is no hope for homosexuals to enjoy intimate physical relations the way God has intended. The dialogue I quoted answered the exact same position that I feel is problematic that I presented in my initial post. As a reminder, here is the problematic position: "As opposed to heterosexual church members, homosexual church members have no hope of ever being able to have intimate physical relations while still maintaining the law of chastity. Therefore the struggle of an LDS homosexual is a unique or uncommon struggle." The dialogue demonstrates that the struggle is not unique. And what is the struggle? To remain celibate your whole life. Any person, whether homosexual or heterosexual, who is unable to marry has the same struggle to remain celibate outside of the bonds of marriage. Further, homosexuals are not unique either in that they have little hope of getting married, because there are many heterosexuals who for various reasons, have little hope of getting married as well. In each case, if they wish to obey God they will need to remain celibate for the rest of their life with little hope of that changing in mortality. Exactly! Good point. This sentiment is part of what I'm trying to get across. No, I make no such insistence. I think you've misunderstood some of my points that I have now hopefully clarified. Kind Regards, Finrock

Greetings anyone who so happens to read this! :) I started this thread because lately I have been participating in conversations with people about the struggle some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have dealing with same gender attraction. The threads were started by individuals who were seeking help, guidance, support, and answers to their questions. Instead of distracting away from the intent of their thread by turning the attention away from the individual who is suffering I wanted to start a new thread where anyone interested can debate their points of view and do so without distracting from the point of these other threads. The title of this thread should give a clue as to what my point of interest is in this discussion. When speaking about same gender attraction within an LDS context I often see the following type of contention made: "As opposed to heterosexual church members, homosexual church members have no hope of ever being able to have intimate physical relations while still maintaining the law of chastity. Therefore the struggle of an LDS homosexual is a unique or uncommon struggle." I find this position to be problematic for the following reasons: 1. This position, in my experience, almost always leads to another false position that somehow homosexuality is a special condition and therefore exceptions should be made to accommodate it's uniqueness. 2. Such a position contradicts scripture. For instance in 1 Corinthians 10:13 we learn that, "There hath no temptation taken [us] but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer [us] to be tempted above that [we] are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that [we] may be able to bear it." 3. The idea that there is no hope for homosexuals to be able to enjoy intimate physical relations while maintaining the law of chastity is shortsighted and artificially hopeless. It preemptively denies the declaration that Jesus Christ made that, "...with God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26). 4. It contradicts the counsel of our prophets and apostles. Please consider the following dialogue: Certainly struggling with same gender attractions is probably very difficult. But, it is but one struggle out of thousands of others that people must face and overcome. There is no temptation seized upon us but which is common to mankind. Those struggling with homosexual tendencies are not unique in their adversity because there are many heterosexual people who struggle with the same type of adversity. And just as any heterosexual who struggles with the same type of adversity can remain faithful and hope to have their righteous desires fulfilled so too can any homosexual do the same. Why is this important to understand? Because when we recognize and accept the fact that homosexual conduct is in the same class of conduct as any other sexual sin then how we address this issue becomes more clear and we are less likely to try and justify or somehow make normal conduct that is not justified and not normal. Regards, Finrock

POST UPDATED 4/2/2010 10PM EST Good afternoon MarginOfError. I hope you are having a great day! :) Thanks for your post. I've read and understood it. Regards, Finrock Update: Because I didn't want to distract from the call for help and support from the OP I started a new thread addressing some of the points made here that are not relevant to the OP. Same Gender Attractions: A "Special" Adversity?

Good afternoon Elphaba. I hope you are enjoying your day! :) I agree in that being homosexual or being a heterosexual is not a weakness. But, I don't think that is what is being said. Even if it hasn't been stated explicitely, I think implicitly the claim is that struggling with homosexual attractions is just as much of a weakness as struggling with heterosexual attractions. If we have a predisposition to something sinful, it is a weakness, regardless of what that predisposition is. Any attribute or quality that we have that would draw us away from being obedient to God is a weakness that we must learn to overcome or control. I think you are special pleading. I feel that these condition aren't unique to homosexuals. I'm a married man and suppose if I see another woman I am attracted to, I also can never follow up on that attraction without committing sin. I must avoid it at all costs. And in the second example the same thing. The illusion here is that somehow sexual orientation makes these situations unique to homosexuals, but really this just falls under the category of things that are contrary to the bounds God has set for sexuality. All of us must practice chastity within the bounds God has set. Homosexual or heterosexual, all of us can find ourselves in a situation where acting on our desires is sinful. The only thing that is unique is the fact that one is sexually attracted to the same gender while the other is sexually attracted to the opposite gender. But neither group can act without consequence outside of the bounds God has set. And if we have a strong desire to act outside of the bounds God has set (hence committing sin), then that desire (whether homo- or heterosexual) is a weakness to us. Regards, Finrock

Good evening Saturnfulcrum! It is a pleasure to meet you. :) I can only imagine what you must be feeling. I am sorry that you are doubting yourself and your place in the Church. Feeling lonely is not pleasant at all. Others have mentioned it already but I just want to add another testimony that you did nothing wrong in the pre-existence. Although I'm in no way qualified or in a position to make any type of diagnosis, I do doubt, however, that anything you did as a child is to blame for your struggle. When we are resurrected we will have perfect and immortal bodies. Any weaknesses and/or bad tendencies will not exist. We will be free from our mortal imperfections. You can be the great person your patriarchal blessings says you can be today! You don't have to wait until the resurrection. There is so much more to you then just your sexual orientation. I think what Elder Wickman said in an interview about same sex attraction to be sound advice. He said, "We live in a society which is so saturated with sexuality that it perhaps is more troublesome now, because of that fact, for a person to look beyond their gender orientation to other aspects of who they are. I think I would say to...anyone that [is struggling with same sex attraction] to strive to expand your horizons beyond simply gender orientation. Find fulfillment in the many other facets of your character and your personality and your nature that extend beyond that. There’s no denial that one’s gender orientation is certainly a core characteristic of any person, but it’s not the only one" (Source). We aren't just born with weaknesses but God has also given us gifts and talents that we can develop and use to bring about much good in this world. We can also develop new talents. Again, there is so much more to you and to life than just your sexual orientation. Obviously it is a significant part of you and you can't just ignore it, but do not let it become the focus of your life either, else I would imagine that this will only make it more difficult for you to be happy and find that peace you are looking for. You read HappyGuys post and I think we can learn something from him. It is critical that you cling on to the gospel of Jesus Christ with all your might. It is especially important when we have difficult trials and we can see no hope ahead. But, exercise mighty faith and most importantly rely on the atonement and mercy of Jesus Christ. Although God may not remove your burden from you completely, He can heal our wounded hearts and make our burdens light so that we can bear them and joyously serve Him. I know God loves you. He wants you to be happy. He wants you to enjoy life and fill it with good works and faith. You can do all of these, with the help of God. Kind Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon InquisitiveSoul. Greetings from here in Michigan where it's finally starting to warm up! :) I present my thoughts only as opinion since I am not aware of any doctrine addressing your specific question. It is an interesting question and a new idea to me that I find intriguing. I think my only reservation about the idea is that if one were to write down a prescribed prayer that they use repititously. Jesus did warn against using "vain repetitions" when we pray (Matt. 6:7). However, I don't believe this is what you are meaning to do. Essentially our prayers should be prayers of the heart. Meaning, they should come from the part of us that is our core. If one were to write down their thoughts, concerns, questions, thanksgivings, etc. in a journal like entry, I see no reason why using those journal entries as the source of your prayers would be wrong. In fact if you are truly writing the things of your heart then I see no difference whatsoever between that and speaking from your heart at the time of prayer. While thinking of your question I also thought that doing something like what you describe might even be a superior way of praying. It would seem to me that if I am taking the time to write down the thoughts of my heart I am taking more time also to consider the things I am praying about and for. In a sense I would think that this can help in making one's prayers less repetitous than if they were just saying things on the spot. Sometimes I find myself praying the same type of prayer each morning or evening, which isn't very useful, I don't think. So, my conclusion is that I like the idea and will give it a try and see if it improves my prayers. Thanks for the idea! Regards, Finrock

Only you know the answer to that. I'm just taking part in a discussion. Kind Regards, Finrock

Good evening marts1. I hope you have had a wonderful day! :) You know, one thing I've noticed from your posts marts1 is how much significance you put in to personal scripture study and prayer. I think your faith in these principles is wonderful and I appreciate your example in this. Thank you! I don't think that TonkRogerio was suggesting that prayer isn't useful. I think he is making the point that generally speaking God is not going to give us all answers simply by praying. Seeking answers to concerns involves more than just praying. Oliver Cowdery at one point made the assumption that all he needed to do was to pray. But God told Him otherwise. Speaking to Oliver, God said: "7 Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. 8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right" (D&C 9). Regards, Finrock

Good even TonkRogerio. It is a pleasure to meet you and welcome to the site! :) I'm curious about the fact that you feel this one issue is so significant that you would reject the Church on account of it. Now, I don't mean to devalue your concern. Certainly it is fair to seek for understanding and it isn't uncommon for people to have questions about the Church. Likewise, I feel that valid concerns should be addressed. Mind you, no one can guarantee that they will always have an answer for you. I hope that this isn't your expectation. However, it seems that of all the potential issues that a person may have with the Church that might shake their faith in it, this particular one seems rather petty. Nevertheless, if simply resolving this issue is what it takes to convince you that this is the true Church then by all means lets see if we can get it resolved! :) Since I'm not smart enough to answer this directly, I will quote from a question and answer dialogue from FairLDS. As I'm only quoting the parts I think are relevant, please see the link for the complete dialogue: Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon Utahguy1980! I hope you are having a great day. :) I can definitely understand how you are feeling. It isn't pleasant to have someone attribute negative things to a loved one or spouse. I think the bottom line here is that there is a misunderstanding on your spouses part about the Sealing (and based on many of the posts on this thread she isn't alone) and somehow you'll need to find a way to help her understand that there is no risk of her having to "share" you in the afterlife with your ex-wife. Her marriage and sealing to you will be special and one-of-a-kind! I hope that you will find a way to get this all sorted out with her. I pray for the Spirit to be with you so that you both can be edified and grow together as you work to resolve this concern. Kind Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon HappyGuy989. I hope you are happy and well! :) Based on your responses to others today I have the feeling that any sort of discourse at this point will be futile, but I still like to give people the benefit of the doubt. There really is just one kind of reasoning. Things are either reasonable or they are not. However, we can tune ourselves out to reasonable discourse. I know because I've done it myself in instances like when I'm angry, when I've had my feelings hurt, or when I've let petty differences cloud my charity. Sometimes people are beyond reason because they've let themselves succumb to the temptations of the adversary and therefore they really don't care anymore about the light. But, I'm curious, why the apparently sudden animosity and prejudice to all things Mormon? You seem to have now forsaken all things pertaining to God and His gospel. Any fool knows, however, that such things don't come about suddenly. So, why the ruse with your initial post? It's hard for me to imagine that having feelings of animosity and prejudice towards a people or a religion can bring happiness in to your life, but then again it could just be a result of my delusional beliefs. In any case, I end this post with the same message I ended my last post with: Regardless of what you do, I hope you'll continue to do what you know is right and cling on to that which is light and good. Forsaking Mormonism doesn't mean you have to forsake God and Jesus Christ. Please, continue to look to God and His Son. Kind Regards, Finrock

Good morning HappyGuy989! I hope you are doing good today. :) I suspect that you've come to a point where no amount of reasoning will be effective. Though I respect your agency I nonetheless do hope you reconsider your descision. One thing I am certain about is that the worst thing for anyone to do is to forsake the gospel for any reason, because dispite how you might feel about it the LDS church is true and filled with all the principles and ordinances that we need to be happy in this life and experience a fullness of joy in the life to come. All of your concerns and questions may not have easy answers, but there are answers to be had. Remember what the Lord has said, "If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you" (1 Nephi 15:11). Whatever you do in the future, do what is right and good and cling on to that which is light, relying on Jesus Christ and His mercy. Nothing else will bring you true and lasting peace and joy. Kind Regards, Finrock

Good morning FunkyTown! How's it going? :) I agree that any type of hostility towards the OP's fiance is uncharitable. I can also understand her perspective if she does not understand the Sealing ordinance correctly. However, please see post #18 and post #37. Even if the OP could cancel his ex-wife's sealing (which he cannot), it is hardly the OP's place or any individual's place, for that matter, to simply nullify a person's sealing ordinance with it's promises and blessings. Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon All! I hope everyone is doing well. :) I feel that this post by MarginOfError needs to be reiterated. In my experience I've seen that many members of the Church do not fully understand what the sealing is and what MarginOfError pointed out is extremely important to know. Quite often in the Church being married in the temple and being sealed are viewed as synonymous events. In reality, two essential things are going on. First, a couple is sealed to each other in the "being married" sense, for time and for all eternity. Second, both the husband and the wife receive the sealing blessing which is tied to their individual righteousness as opposed to what they do as a couple. So often it seems that people in the Church only see the "marriage" part of the sealing but do not understand that the sealing, as MarginOfError points out, pronounces certain promises and blessings to the individuals involved that are independent of the marriage. Except in conditions of unrepented serious sins, it would be unjust for the Church to remove the sealing (with its promises and blessings) from a woman. And as has been stated, if this condition doesn't exist, then it is highly unlikely that the Church will cancel the ex-wife's sealing. It simply doesn't make sense. To the OP: My advice is that once you understand the sealing and have a testimony of it, lovingly teach your fiance so that she too can understand it. Pray for help so that you can teach by the power of the Holy Ghost. I think when your fiance understands the sealing correctly, she will likely agree that it isn't the sensible or right thing to demand of you. Regards, Finrock

Good afternoon InquisitiveSoul! :) The Preach My Gospel manual is bttb (Bad To The Bone) ((As in a good way))! It is a tool used by the missionaries to learn the about gospel of Jesus Christ, how to teach it, and how to help others to learn and live the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Although used by the missionaries it is not intended exclusively for them. It has been recommended by Church leaders to be used by all members. It describes principles in a simple yet comprehensive way. It provides scriptural examples. It also gives you practical exercises that you can do individually, as a couple, or as a family to further understand what is being taught. It also contains the lessons that the Elders use to teach investigators. These in and of themselves are great sources to use for personal edification or to teach others, including family. Best of all, everything presented in the Preach My Gospel manual is supported by scripture which references are made available. Thus, I use it in my personal scripture studies. I love this book. It has helped me to learn how to more effectively communicate with others. It has taught me to be more sensitive to people's needs and concerns when they are trying to learn the gospel. It has given me simple, yet powerful examples to illustrate gospel principles and truths. It has helped me to understand better the importance of teaching the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. It has helped me to recognize the difference between manifestations of the Spirit versus emotional sentimentalism. It has taught me about the importance of empathy, charity, kindness, and sincerity in teaching the gospel. In fact, I could go on and on about how useful this book has been in helping me in my role as a disciple of Jesus Christ, as a husband, as a father, as a missionary, and as a leader in the Church. Regards, Finrock

Good morning Moksha. How are you today? I hope well. :) Coincidentally, the last couple of nights for scripture study my family and I have been discussing what a testimony is and how we can know if certain things about the gosple are true. We found some scriptures to be helpful in addition to some explanations from other church resources like the Preach My Gospel guide and Guide to the Scriptures. Presented below are some of the things we found. I really love the Preach My Gospel book. It provides a collection of gospel truths in one place and presents them in a simple yet comprehensive way. On the subject of testimony, it reads on pg. 198 that, "[a] testimony is a spiritual witness and assurance given by the Holy Ghost. To bear testimony is to give a simple, direct declaration of belief—a feeling, an assurance, a conviction of gospel truth." An effective testimony is one that will help others to build their faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. From the Guide to the Scriptures we learn that to testify means to, "...bear witness by the power of the Holy Ghost; to make a solemn declaration of truth based on personal knowledge or belief." Of course the best source to consult for understanding on what a testimony is are the scriptures. After teaching about the Plan of Salvation and the atonement of Jesus Christ Alma declares: In another scripture we read a testimony given by Amulek: Here are some other scriptures to consider: Jacob 7:7-12, D&C 76:22-24, John 3:3-11, Acts 2:14-38, Acts 10:34-44. One thing that is common in all of these scriptural examples of testimony and bearing testimony is that they are all centered on testifying of Jesus Christ and His gospel. In fact, I have yet to come across an example of testimony in scripture that was not so. So, what did we learn as a family from all of this? We learned that a testimony is a spiritual witness and a knowledge that is given to us by the Holy Ghost about Jesus Christ and His gospel. We learned that unless our testimony has been received from the Holy Spirit, it cannot be a testimony. We also learned that a true testimony is a witness of the divinity of Jesus, His atonement, and His gospel. Most importantly, I think, is that we learned that we can actually know if something is true by the power of the Holy Ghost. It is by this power that all the prophets and apostles have received their witness. Regards, Finrock