Finrock

There have been times on this forum and in other places in life when my focus and/or my desire has been to be liked or to be complimented because of my knowledge or because of the things that I think that I know. When this has been the condition of my heart when I am teaching or preaching the words of God then I have been practicing priestcraft. However, practicing priestcraft doesn't have to be so overt. I have fallen in to the practice of priestcraft in very subtle ways as well such as when I use scripture or the words of God to put someone in their place, even when it was clearly justified. I want to add that the idea here is that when we teach the word of God we should do so without any guile, with sincerity, with love unfeigned, and for the glory of God alone! -Finrock

Hi char713! :) A few weeks ago as I was pondering some serious issues in my life I felt the urge to go to the temple. I really wanted to go to the temple so I could have a place to ponder, to meditate, and to pray. I decided on a whim that I would go to the temple after work. Luckily I live within 30 minutes of a temple and this would not be an issue. After my shift ended at work I got in to my Tacoma pickup truck (2003, regular cab, 2x2) and drove to the temple. As I got near the temple I could start seeing the parking lot and noticed that there were not vehicles in the parking lot. I drove up and sure enough the whole parking lot was empty. That is when it dawned on me that it was Monday and the temple is closed on Mondays! I felt really daft for a second. Well, I thought, I'll just go inside the Stake Center which is just across the parking lot from the Temple. I walk up to the Stake Center and of course it is locked. Now I'm feeling a little bummed out. I really wanted to go to the temple. I got back in to my pickup truck (a bit rusty in spots) and I felt a bit dejected because I had felt the urge to go to temple and I had really wanted to go. I decided then to say a prayer. I told Heavenly Father that I had tried everything I could to go to the temple today and that I was sorry that I didn't make it. At that point I got the impression in my mind that God was pleased with my effort and at that point the inside of my pickup truck became a temple. I sat in the parking lot, inside my truck, and simply meditated, pondered, and prayed. As I sat there I received an answer to a huge problem I have in my life. I also realized that I had done my best to do what was right. I had done all that I could to go to the temple that day as I had felt prompted to go and even though I couldn't actually go to the temple that day, God was pleased and He poured out His spirit upon me. My sincere efforts and my good desires are good enough for Him. -Finrock

Another way to understand this passage is that sons symbolize spirits and daugthers symbolize bodies, women being the gatekeepers of mortality. -Finrock

I understand that. Based on what you wrote about the book and based on what I have read from others I am making the claim that the book is actually about leading people away from Jesus Christ and it doesn't have any redeeming qualities. It should be rejected. -Finrock

It's not duh because you think I am talking about Christian fiction, etc. The standard is not popularity. The standard is perfection. Its a standard we are all ill equipped to live up to, that is why it is silly to judge others and to think that we can somehow "save" someone through our works and our efforts. The bad book does not qualify as good because it is popular and because it has something good in it. The principles and message in the book ultimately lead a person away from Christ. We cannot lead others to Christ by being preachy and that is why I said that we must do it by persuasion, by long-suffering, (see D&C 121). We don't even have to speak of Jesus Christ necessarily in order to lead others to Christ. -Finrock

The problem with the "message" in the book is that no man or woman can save or help another unless they lead them to Jesus Christ. That is the only way we can help others is by leading them to Christ. BDSM is abusive no matter whether it is consensual adults or not. Its abusive because it deviates from that which is good or God. Jesus Christ does not abandon those who abuse Him. And guess what, we have all abused Jesus Christ! We are all equally damned and so we can't help one another in any other way except it be by leading through persuasion, long suffering, etc. others to Jesus Christ. He is the only one qualified and more importantly capable of healing all persons from all things. -Finrock

Hi Suzie! :) The reality is that God requires us to be perfect. The standard is perfection and any deviation from it is abusive. That means that all of us are constantly being abused and are abusing others or ourselves. Mortality is an abusive environment. The moment we are born we are assaulted by death, disease, and the elements. This is abusive to our natural environment, which is being safely and securely with God. Abuse: "Abuse is the treatment of others or self in a way that causes injury or offense. It harms the mind and the spirit and often injures the body as well. It can cause confusion, doubt, mistrust, and fear. It is a violation of the laws of society and is in total opposition to the teachings of the Savior. The Lord condemns abusive behavior in any form—physical, sexual, verbal, or emotional" (https://www.lds.org/topics/abuse?lang=eng). If you have committed any sin, you are an abuser, maybe not the worst, but an abuser to some degree. But, God, doesn't look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. So, we live in an abusive environment (mortality) and we all sin (abusive behavior). -Finrock

The idea of a conscious suicide is prideful. However, that is not to judge actual suicides. Only God knows the whole story and is able to make a righteous judgment. -Finrock

Hi JimmiGerman! Sounds like pride to me. -Finrock

Matt 10: 34 – 35 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. FINROCK RESPONSE: Here is how I understand this scripture and it also reconciles both scriptures you mention. God's word is a sword that cuts to the core of a person. Once that core has been penetrated and God's words sink deep in to a person's heart they must now chose. Will they continue with the traditions of their fathers and mothers or will they reject them and follow Christ. This decision to follow Christ will cause variance against those who have no desires to follow Christ, even variance between sons and fathers, daughters and mothers, or dauther-in-law against mother-in-law. -Finrock

Ruthiesmom wrote: "I think my problem is more that he didn't only use the stones buried with the plates, but he used his treasure seeker stone as well." FINROCK RESPONSE: Essentially your statement above is you judging yourself better than Joseph. Consider for the moment the condition of your life. Then consider how merciful God has been to you despite your many flaws. Wait, how could I, a stranger, know that you have many flaws? I know this because you are mortal. I know this because I am mortal. It has been all that I could do to be forgiven for my sins. If my greatest flaw was that I used stones to seek for treasure, heaven be praised! Not to mention it isn't even a flaw. I mean, what does it matter if God uses stones, birds, twigs, figs, leaves, apples, fruits, to bring about his purposes. Did not God create the stone just as well as the brain that Joseph used to help interpret the plates? Isn't the brain just as much a part of this carnal world than the stone? So, does it matter what medium God used? Your contention is ultimately silly, even though I have compassion and empathy towards having fears and concerns. Keep studying. Don't give up on the gospel. It is true. I stand as a witness to that truth. -Finrock

How can we tell good from evil? What Mormon says is true. Ultimately the answer to the question of HOW is "mortality". We will learn to tell the good from the evil as we experience mortality and all that mortality entails. God knows this. He told us that we are in a probationary state. We are in a state of training. We are in school. I heard a good analogy recently that may help. When you are in training to become a doctor or whatever profession, the trainers, your teachers, your professors, will expect you to make mistakes. In fact, that is what schooling is for. It is so that you can learn your trade in an environment where nobody permanently gets hurt or where any damage that is done can be completely fixed and made right. Mortality is that. Understand that you are here to learn the good from the evil. You've been given things to help you figure that out but if all it took were just words then the pre-mortal council is all that it would have taken to make us Gods. But, we must pass through mortality and need to learn from experience, trusting that Jesus Christ did indeed come to earth to make it possible that we do not have to pay the full price of our mistakes when we choose evil over good, if we repent. There is nothing that can happen in this life that cannot be completely fixed and made right. We need to see life for what it is. We are here to learn. Christ is merciful and kind and loves us and knows that we are but children learning to become like God. Have faith in Jesus Christ, have hope in His glorious gospel, and be diligent and never give up then by-and-by we will gain understanding and gain godly attributes and wisdom and we will know the good from the evil. So, let me condense what I have said: Question: How can we tell the good from the evil? 1. Know that mortality is the school that will teach you good from evil 2. Have faith in Jesus Christ 3. Have hope in the promised outcome of this school 4. Patiently go through mortality and be amazed as God teaches you and shows you how to be good -Finrock

Titles to me are meaningless My "Mother" raped me My "Grandmother" raped me I don't trust titles I don't trust who you say you are Bishop, Stake President, Wife, Police Man, Doctor... Titles are meaningless to me I trust the Spirit The Spirit is not a title, He is a being He doesn't say, He confirms He doesn't just say, He validates, He demonstrates I trust the Spirit And if you have got the Spirit in you I will trust you and what you say.

Speaking the truth is the top prioritoy but speaking the truth as the hypocrits speak truth is destructive to your soul. -Finrock

There is no God without a Goddess. There is no Heavenly Father without a Heavenly Mother. Godhood, as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at its basic level, requires that a male and a female be united, or sealed. God is therefore by definition, both male and female. -Finrock

Good Afternoon carter_kun. I hope you are donig well! If you decided to go through the temple and take covenants even though you had reservations and you did it because you felt pressured, then I can understand why you felt bad. You should only go to the temple if you want to go. You should only take the covenants if you want to take them. You shouldn't do it if you feel pressured. I think you should be honest about your feelings but at the same time you need to also recognize that you don't understand everything about the temple, despite what you claim! =) In any case, if you felt pressured in to doing something you really didn't want to do, well, then that is the problem. Figure out why you didn't want to go to the temple in the first place? Why did you feel pressured? Why did you do it even though you had reservations? Some things to think about... -Finrock

The answer to this question requires that you understand some foundational principles. First, you must know that we came to earth because we desired to be like Heavenly Father. God wants us to enjoy the type of life He enjoys. You must know this truth that God is interested in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. If God wants you to enjoy immortality and eternal life, then you need to understand what eternal life is. The scriptures teach that eternal life can also be understood to mean God's life, since one of God's name is Eternal. Eternal life, or eternal lives, is the continuation of life forever. Only when a man and a woman are united can there be eternal life or eternal lives. The principle of life and thus eternal life is found in the union of a man and woman. They are to become one. The reason why marriage or being sealed to a spouse is required for Eternal Life is because there is no other way to enjoy Eternal Life. A man alone cannot enjoy eternal life; it is impossible. A woman alone cannot enjoy eternal life; it is impossible. Man and woman, male and female must be united as One to enjoy eternal life. It is like the spirit and body. Neither can enjoy exaltation alone. Our spirit and body must be united as one before we can enjoy exaltation. -Finrock

The Lectures on Faith are a good place to start in gaining an understanding on the nature of the Spirit of God and as to the nature of the Godhead in general. I think for the most part we (members of the Church in general) don't understand this correctly. I do not completely understand the nature of the Spirit of God, but I do know that what I think I know or what I thought I knew, is/was wrong. I'm more prone these days to take God at His word than I am in trying to fit his words in to my Mormon worldview. The Spirit of God, to me, means exactly that. It is God's spirit. -Finrock

Good Afternoon JacoJohnson! :) You can use your life experiences to teach others that God is real and that He loves His children. You can use your life experiences to help others to know the power of the atonement. To be a leader is to be a person who can teach others about the gospel of Jesus Christ because of experience. Your struggle in life is an opportunity for you to put great faith in to God and His power to heal and make you whole. -Finrock

Heavenly Father wants us to have this experience of mortality in a fallen state. Heavenly Father wanted Adam and Eve to leave the Garden so they could experience mortality in a fallen state. He wants us to have Eternal Life. God isn't as much concerned with our physical life. The only way that man can receive immortality and eternal life is to live through mortality in a fallen state where we must make moral decisions. Some decisions are easy. Other decisions we must sacrifice that which is seemingly good for the hope of something that is better. -Finrock

The temple worship anciently as well as today has the ultimate purpose of making men and women holy. The elements or principles that allow us to become holy have not changed. The temple worship of the Old Testament is in this sense the same as modern day temple worship. The outward ordinances all pointed toward the inward person. It was about becoming a holy people, a Zion people. A people who dwelt with God. Those who could be in God's presence just as Adam and Eve were. I believe we can learn much from ancient temple worship that will help us to understand modern temple worship. They are all based in the same principles. -Finrock

The outline is helpful but it is critical to understand that the outline and the lesson is not all important: -Finrock

The reason why we don't worship Heavenly Mother as we worship and pray to the Father is because the pattern and the example that Jesus Christ gave us is that we are to worhsip and pray to the Father. Jesus Christ showed us the way to eternal life. It is straight and narrow. Not broad and all encompassing. Their is only one way and that one way is the way that Jesus showed us. -Finrock

The issue in reality is that the government has gotten in to the business of mandating that a private entity must provide health care to its employees. This whole notion is an absolutely ridiculous bundle of nonsense, irrationality, and madness. Businesses use to offer health care because it attracted the best and the brightest. Now the American psyche has been diluted so that we believe an individual MUST provide healthcare to another individual. Private business is but an extension of the individual. The goal of this current Administration is to bring all entities under government control and rule. The philosophy is one of where the government provides the answers to ALL of the ills of mankind. Government must be large and have its tentacles in every aspect of people’s lives, at all levels. Only those who are in government are exempted from their own rules. This is done supposedly, for the "good" of the people. We have a largely ignorant population who worry about the Kardashians and know the lyrics to the latest rap and pop-songs but don't know what it means to be a Republic. They don't know what it means to be The People. There is a large portion of the country that depends on the government coffers for their livelihood. There is a certain segment of society (irrespective of race) that purposefully and quite consciously remains under the poverty level so that they can receive free food, free housing, free phones, free healthcare, etc. The Liberal Left depend on this segment. They depend on the secularization of the country because it provides the rationality that government, not God, is the answer to life's difficulties. They depend on the ignorant remaining ignorant. They depend on outright lies and the principles of sophistry to win the day. The reason why the Hobby Lobby win is a limited win and barely a win to liberty and for the Republic is because the law which is the catalyst for this legal decision is still alive. The ACA is a travesty and it is criminal. It is the fruit of liars, robbers, thieves, and murderers. What worries me is that it seems only a relatively few in the country recognize what is happening and that a large majority of the People haven't yet awoken to a sense of their awful situation: Ether 8 -Finrock

One place to look for suggestions and ways to approach disruptive people during church lessons is the manual, "Teaching, No Greater Call". Here is a link to helping those who are disruptive: https://www.lds.org/manual/teaching-no-greater-call-a-resource-guide-for-gospel-teaching/lesson-24-helping-those-who-become-disruptive?lang=eng Couple of points from this section: Also... -Finrock