bytor2112

That was in the first edition and is not in the revised edition. Elder McConkie made some changes in the second edition along with the assistance of Spencer Kimball and under the direction of the First Presidency. So, my assumption is that the second edition which has a much "softer" tone is viewed as an accurate characterization of LDS beliefs. I think the views of McConkie who was a Seventy when he published the first edition of Mormon Doctrine were reflective of the brethren's understanding of those issues. I have read some talks by other GA's that reflect the same sentiment.

I tend to think this comment by Stallion is at least part of the reason, it had to do with being prepared for it. I would just tell him the truth......which is we don't really know the exact answer. The following quote from Elder McConkie, I think provides some insight.

We'll take pro-growth victories wherever we can find them these days, and last week saw a small one in the U.S. Senate, of all places. The Members voted 51-48 to cut permanently the death tax rate to 35% and exempt all estates of less than $10 million per couple ($5 million for a single taxpayer) from any tax. President Obama wants a 45% rate with only a $7 million exemption.

America was and is a nation founded on Judeo/Cjristian principles, but we are a secular government.

They are sinners and so are you Elph. .......and so am I and so are we all.

I have high hopes for my friend. It is sooooo wonderful to watch the Atonement work in someones life. There is definitely a miracle beginning in his life. He is gaining a testimony and really changing. What ever happens during the repentance process, excommunication or disfellowship, he is going to come out of this clean and a true disciple of Christ.

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Maybe they just like having a diverse group of friends.....

Or you could have scores of people like you mentioned if you could have shot Hitler.

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I find it interesting how the War in Iraq is so awful, yet sending more troops to Afghanistan is the right thing to do.

So, how do you determine which Mormon is enlightened enough to engage you in political discourse? How do you spot those fellow Devil followers???

Not at all. I am all for asking company's who receive tax dollars to forgo excessive bonuses. You do understand don't you, that a great deal of executive compensation is tied to bonuses? In other words, certain compensation packages include a base salary and bonuses tied to performance. So, I am not for eliminating bonuses completely, even when the company receives tax money....considering for some it may be the majority of their compensation. What I am saying is that the government should not have the right to become the Board of Directors and decide who the CEO of a company should or should not be. That kind of government control is dangerous and threatens the very system that has made this country great. It is fascinating and scary to watch as the imbeciles in congress grand stand about an economic problem that they were the great architects of. Do you feel like these idiots in congress deserve the money that they receive from tax payers? How will we grade the congress for there out of control spending and reckless stewardship of our tax dollars ....nearly three trillion dollars in bailouts? We spew venom towards AIG executives for receiving bonuses promised to them by our government....President Obama included and they pretend they didn't know??? I think it rather foolish to hold business execs more accountable than we do politicians who spend our money like it is monopoly money.

No need to apologize Mahone....I was just making conversation:)

So, you trust greedy politicians more? Corporations are accountable to their shareholders. The laws that allowed these corporations to reek havoc on our economy were passed by our elected leaders and when you get right down to it, the people who borrowed money to buy over valued property that they didn't have the means to pay back should own a large slice of the blame.

What can I say....the Democrats have controlled Congress since '06 and now they control the Whitehouse. The Republicans are a bunch of spineless weasels and have trashed there Party and sold out their alleged principles.

????? NO LW, I would rather that our government NOT have the authority to determine who sits in a position of management and who sits on the Board of Directors. Are you comfortable with this? You shouldn't be.

I normally do link the article, but I wanted this one to be read. Thanks for the advice though and sorry for the confusion. -Bytor

I hope you don't see my posts as anti-democrat posts. I do see the Democratic party as completely out of control, led by a bunch of incompetent boobs that may well succeed in destroying this nation as we know it. The Republican Party is only slightly less dangerous and filled with a bunch of incompetent boobs as well. I am a libertarian by nature...please note the small L. I am for what is best for America and could give a rats hind end about the name of the party.

You didn't state two facts. You made an erroneous comparison. Black people cannot change the color of their skin, they cannot hide the fact that they are black. A race or skin color is very different than a sexual preference. I am betting that the blacks in this country that were lynched and beaten and had their homes burned down and were denied the rights to be seen as a human being , much less a U.S. citizen would gladly trade places with the alleged intolerance that the G/L community faces.

- Tim Geitner

Obama Wants to Control the Banks There's a reason he refuses to accept repayment of TARP money. I must be naive. I really thought the administration would welcome the return of bank bailout money. Some $340 million in TARP cash flowed back this week from four small banks in Louisiana, New York, Indiana and California. This isn't much when we routinely talk in trillions, but clearly that money has not been wasted or otherwise sunk down Wall Street's black hole. So why no cheering as the cash comes back? My answer: The government wants to control the banks, just as it now controls GM and Chrysler, and will surely control the health industry in the not-too-distant future. Keeping them TARP-stuffed is the key to control. And for this intensely political president, mere influence is not enough. The White House wants to tell 'em what to do. Control. Direct. Command. It is not for nothing that rage has been turned on those wicked financiers. The banks are at the core of the administration's thrust: By managing the money, government can steer the whole economy even more firmly down the left fork in the road. If the banks are forced to keep TARP cash -- which was often forced on them in the first place -- the Obama team can work its will on the financial system to unprecedented degree. That's what's happening right now. Here's a true story first reported by my Fox News colleague Andrew Napolitano (with the names and some details obscured to prevent retaliation). Under the Bush team a prominent and profitable bank, under threat of a damaging public audit, was forced to accept less than $1 billion of TARP money. The government insisted on buying a new class of preferred stock which gave it a tiny, minority position. The money flowed to the bank. Arguably, back then, the Bush administration was acting for purely economic reasons. It wanted to recapitalize the banks to halt a financial panic. Fast forward to today, and that same bank is begging to give the money back. The chairman offers to write a check, now, with interest. He's been sitting on the cash for months and has felt the dead hand of government threatening to run his business and dictate pay scales. He sees the writing on the wall and he wants out. But the Obama team says no, since unlike the smaller banks that gave their TARP money back, this bank is far more prominent. The bank has also been threatened with "adverse" consequences if its chairman persists. That's politics talking, not economics. Think about it: If Rick Wagoner can be fired and compact cars can be mandated, why can't a bank with a vault full of TARP money be told where to lend? And since politics drives this administration, why can't special loans and terms be offered to favored constituents, favored industries, or even favored regions? Our prosperity has never been based on the political allocation of credit -- until now. Which brings me to the Pay for Performance Act, just passed by the House. This is an outstanding example of class warfare. I'm an Englishman. We invented class warfare, and I know it when I see it. This legislation allows the administration to dictate pay for anyone working in any company that takes a dime of TARP money. This is a whip with which to thrash the unpopular bankers, a tool to advance the Obama administration's goal of controlling the financial system. After 35 years in America, I never thought I would see this. I still can't quite believe we will sit by as this crisis is used to hand control of our economy over to government. But here we are, on the brink. Clearly, I have been naive. Mr. Varney is a host on the Fox Business Network.

The partisan divide......recent poll stats.

Well....he's not my type, but, I would say that he is very fit. We hit the gym 4-5 days a week and he takes good care of himself. But cute.....mmmm, not sure about that one. I feel compelled to defend my friend here. He does love his wife and is an honorable man. He is concerned about the feelings he is having and just isn't sure what to do about it. He is not bashing his wife, he's just a bit confused. Oh and before you suggest that he go to the gym with his wife instead of me, he has already tried....no interest. Maybe she just wants to do it on her own.Probably a bit embarrassed.

If I were black, I might take issue with this comment. I would never know someone was "gay" unless they told me, but you can't hide being black.