candyprpl

In primary one Sunday a 5 year old was asked to give the closing prayer and she said all the usual and then she asked that they be blessed to do what mom and dad say (she pauses) the first time! I almost laughed outloud! LOL! I know this little girl and she is something else!

Congratulations for taking that scary step. It is exciting! I hope your husband will listen to the lessons also. The missionaries are great!! They, and we, are not about a 'hard sell.' We only hope and pray that you will open your heart and mind to the message. The only one that can convert you is the Holy Ghost. I've always had a hard time making friends -- I have kind of a lengthy story behind my fears. Anyway.....I've never felt more loved or appreciated in my life! I still have a hard time with the social aspects of the Church but I feel more comfortable with these people than anywhere else. I live in Silver City, NM which is about 3 hrs from Tucson. I know that there are a lot of LDS in your area. Have you ever seen the Mesa Temple? It's so beautiful! We live in the same mssion area and I've met the Mission President -- he's wonderful and the missionaries that come to Silver have started in Tucson. I know the gospel of Jesus Christ to be true and that it has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know the Book of Mormon to be another testament of Jesus Christ and goes hand in hand with the Bible. My life is now full because of the atonement and it's my priviledge to leave this testimony with you. Do keep us posted, please!

I did read somewhere that in his son's patriarchal blessing he was told that. Don't know where I read it or if it's true. I do agree with you Ben -- still wondering if anyone knows anything else about this. I like to put rumours to rest.

When I was investigating I found it very comforting having the missionaries meet me at church and then sit with me and introduce me to people and tell me where my sunday school class was and sit with me there, etc. I'm not very social either and I know that if I had to have gone to the meeting house by myself I'm sure I wouldn't be sitting here and be excited about your investigation! Welcome LostInSpace and Mcdoodle!!

A toilet is often called a john -- maybe not the same spelling but I think it fits either way.

I think we sometimes forget that God loves us. God loves you! I know sometimes when I'm having a hard time and someone points that out to me, it's like, "Yeah, I know." And fades into dust. Don't let it fade into dust -- feel it! I have a quote by Neal A. Maxwell-- When we pray, we are not conveying any information to God that He does not already have. Nor, when we confess our sins before Him, is it news to Him that we have misbehaved. It is vital, therefore, that we open our souls to Him and tell Him what our concerns are now, as well as aknowledge what we now are, for this is a part of the process of aligning ourselves with His will. We cannot, for the purposes of real prayer, hurriedly dress our words and attitudes in tuxedos when our shabby life is in rags. More then we realize, being honest with God in our prayers helps us to be more honest with ourselves. I see so many people in church who want to 'look' like a 'good Saint' and forget the real reason they do what they do. The only person you should be wanting to impress is our Heavenly Father -- I know you know that. I have been overwhelmed at times with callings and doing all the 'right things.' And I do have to step back and take a look at what is important to me and my salvation and exaultation. It's good to stop and breathe once-n-a-while. And not letting God's servants help you is not helping you. (a tongue twister, LOL) But I think you know what I mean, lol. I agree with everyone -- start with baby steps. I also agree with everyone on the garments -- wear them. You did make sacred covenants when you received your endownment and now you are doing what it takes to get back to the Temple. And last but not least (of my two cents) LOVE YOURSELF, LIKE HEAVENLY FATHER LOVES YOU!!

I agree with all being said, repentance is for everyone because of the Atonement. It would be an incredible difficult road, it seems to me. She would have to have the courage of Amulek and leave it all behind. And then do whatever it takes to make restitution, it seems to me.

Elphaba, I would love to learn more about Church history -- my only request is that when a historical fact is being stated that it be referenced. When I started writing a lot of research papers, I realized quite quickly that I could spin a lot of facts to make my point. I'm not afraid of the facts only how they are presented. So Elphaba, let's get started!

It seems I'm always so drawn to your posts Mike, I don't know why. Sometimes I read your post and I say to myself, why respond, he's lost or gone or unreachable, etc. But then I find myself wanting to reply for some reason. I guess because I had people in my life (namely, my sisters) who never gave up on me. Boy, am I thankful now that they never did!! I was wondering what you think it would be like if you had received answers to your prayers? You are asking us what it feels like to get answers or revelations and then maybe judging to see if you have had any of these experiences in order to justify that you have not, so therefore saying, "I've not had answers to my prayers."

extra pepperoni

My eyes became wet with tears when I read your post. I hate the position of defending my faith! I know by the power of the Holy Spirit that I have been led here to this church. And I also know, when doubts appear, take a step back and ask for comfirmation -- I always receive it. It may be age (LOL) that has gotten me to the point of not needing to know all things now, but my faith does tell me that I will know all things in due time. Another thought -- even though I hate defending my faith, it has made my testimony stronger -- and that's a good thing.

pizza

:roflmbo:

dogs

Let me first make it very clear to you that I'm not hear to judge you, please understand that. I do want to understand what you are saying. I want to understand because I am a weak person and I pray daily that my testimony will grow and strengthen. When I was baptized on Dec. 12, 2004 and started reading the BoM for the first time I came across Alma 24:30; And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things. I was grateful for the strength that verse gave me. It scared me to the bones. I knew the truthfulness of that verse and I did not want that to happen to me. I was hard hearted before I came to the gospel and I knew that I would have to be even more hard hearted to leave the church. The weakest part of my testimony is JS. However, I do feel the power of the words in the BoM and I have gained a witness of it's truth. So my testimony of JS rests on that. If I could understand what happened to you I might be able to keep it from happening to me. I really hope that doesn't anger you. I'm giving you an opportunity to help a new member become strong. I would really like to know what shook your testimony. What would JS have to have been like for you to accept him as a prophet? What are your feelings about the BoM? Where will you go if you leave the church? Do you think you will not fall into transgression if you don't have the strength of your faith?

Very good question!!! I have been asking the same thing since I signed on to these forums. I've always been a student of psychology, sociology, etc. and this question in those settings would be, why do people who have the same experience react in such different matters? I would really love to hear people discuss this issue. Maybe it needs it's own thread -- I don't know.

Who the 'other person' is/was IS irrelevant. It happened with someone and revealing his name should not be the issue. What you're doing now to repent is the issue. And listen to what everyone else has posted. It's not a punishment, it's an opportunity to become clean again. How many times will He forgive? As many times as it takes.

I don't know how much you know about the LDS church----- The First Presidency (of the church) includes the President and two councelors. Henry B. Eyring is the First Councelor. His father Henry Eyring was a preeminent scientist of his era -- his era included Einstein and Heisenberg. He was also a believing and practicing Latter-day Saint. To Henry, science and religion were not opposites -- they were part of one unified picture that God would ultimately reveal. The biography of this man is called, "Mormon Scientist." It's a fabulous book and has brought peace to my mind to how science and faith can be anything other than opposing. I like his answer about "early man" -- one of Henry's scientific colleagues recalls a time when he was in Salt Lake discussing some problems of early man and he asked Henry: "How do you believe it was?" And Henry replied, "I believe whichever way it turns out to have actually been." That's how I feel and my sense of how the Church believes. We don't have all the answers right now -- God will reveal how it all came about when He does. It hurts my head to think on it too long, LOL!!!

GREAT TESTIMONY!!! I say, HEAR, HEAR!!!

I'm taking an Institute class right now and the senior missionary couple teaching have brought a great deal of insight my way. I have come to know my Father in Heaven better than I thought possible. While reading the post that I have in quotation, I remembered this handout that was given to us students a few weeks ago... Elder James E. Talmage, Conference Report, Apr. 1930. "During this hundred years [of Church history] many other great truths not known before, have been declared to the people, and one of the greatest is that to hell there is an exit as well as an entrance. Hell is no place to which a vindictive judge sends prisoners to suffer and to be punished prinicipally for his glory; but it is a place prepared for the teaching, the disciplining of those who failed to learn here upon the earth what they should have learned. True, we read of everlasting punishment, unending suffering, eternal damnation. That is a direful expression; but in the mercy the Lord has made plain what those words mean. 'Eternal punishment,' he says, is God's punishment, for he is eternal; and that condition or state or possibility will ever exist for the sinner who deserves and really needs such condemnation; but this does not mean that the individual sufferer or sinner is to be eternally and everlastingly made to endure and suffer. No man will be kept in hell longer than is necessary to bring him to a fitness for something better. When he reaches that stage the prison doors will open and there will be rejoicing among the hosts who welcome him into a better state. The Lord has not abated in the least what he has said in earlier dispensations concerning the operation of his law and his gospel, but he has made clear unto us his goodness and mercy through it all, for it is his glory and his work to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man." We have a loving Father in Heaven, full of mercy and from this quote I also think, that those WE think should only have the glory of the Telestial or Terrestial may not be the case. They will be taught in the spirit world and given a chance to learn and progress. Only our Eternal Father knows. PC -- I do enjoy your posts -- it's refreshing having a non-member post without becoming contentious.:)

You seem a little dense to me. It's quite obvious that you don't want to hear what we have to say -- you only want to argue. I've only been a member of the LDS church for 4.5 years and I have learned more through personal study, Sunday school and group studies about the scripture contained in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, than ever before in my life. (I'm 54) We DO understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. We DON'T need to argue with you or anyone else about the truth of what we believe. You don't want a debate in public, you want an out-right yelling match. LDS do not need to have that kind of stupid interaction and I would boldly say that is why you can't get anyone to take the offer of your so-called debate. It would prove NOTHING. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, called in this dispensation to restore the Church of Jesus Christ and his gospel. The Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ and works hand in hand with the Bible. Because of the great apostasy that happened when the Church of Jesus Christ was destroyed, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on earth today.

This just reminded me of a wonderful story I read. The person writing the story was telling her experience of a loving HT. Her mother was a single mom and when she was young the church was going to have a father/daugter party -- she warmly explained how her HT stepped in and made her feel loved and included in a church activity. Even when she became older, this same person was always there for her (even though he was not her HT any longer). This is the part that made me tear up -- when she was married in the Temple, this loving ex-HT sat in the sealing room in place where the father of the bride would be sitting. That's magnifying one's calling!!!:)

I don't know much about the Adam-God theory -- I'm still more interested in learning how the scriptures help me in my life -- however, I got hungup on the word 'theory.' Dictionary definition -- systematically organized knowledge applicable in a relatively wide variety of circumstances; especially, a system of assumptions, accepted principles, and rules of procedure devised to analyze, predict, or otherwise explain the nature or behavior of a specified set of phenomena. Abstract reasoning; speculation I remember reading BY admonishing people when they were so quick to believe their leaders without praying about the truthfulness of what was being taught or asked of them. (I can't remember his exact words).

It does depend on the needs of the family. My husband and I were new members and our first home teachers were great. They knew that we were enthusiastic and read our Ensigns the minute we got it. So they would just ask us if we had any questions about the first presidency message or had any other questions. It was great! We would usually talk for quite a while about the gospel. It helped our growing testimonies. And they were always available to come if we needed blessings or something. Invited us for bar-b-ques, etc.

I know what your saying. I had a near death experience and when I came out of the coma I had so many delusional thoughts. I was driving my family crazy with things that I thought were real. They still tease me about them. Even though the things I thought I was seeing and hearing were very real to me at the time I did realize after a bit that it was all in my head. I have had some sacred things happen and I know they were not a hallucination and I stand firm on that belief, but the other things, I stand just as firm knowing that they were hallucinations or delusions.