Mr_Lazy

Can not go into detail but two from my platform have been shot and killed by rebel group. Two others kidnapped. We're talking American civilian oil workers!!! I was in the decompression unit when this went down. The U.S. Navy is in the area now... The stupid thing is that the oil leaders are just now talking about what to do with the rest of us here!!

Hello from beautiful war torn Nigeria!! As some of you know Im over here until Dec working underwater laying pipeline for an oil company. Well, a few weeks ago while fying back out to the work site off shore the helo I was in was shot at by some rebels on the ground. We didnt realize it was the prelude to something much bigger... They've declared an "Oil" War here in Nigeria!!! Al Jazeera English - Africa - Nigeria rebels declare 'oil war' I'll try to get some photos if I can, but thankfully my work site is several miles off the coast in the gulf and under water!

Dont be afraid dear. Those people immersed up to their necks swimming around him were most likely hired hands who were putting something in place for him to walk on, all the while pretending to be just innocent bystanders, amazed by his "power". Its only an illusion sweetie.

Hello, perhaps this article would be a good place to begin this unique and worthy thread. I've listed all of the references at the bottom for the quotes used. There are a lot of myths both inside and outside Mormondom about the LDS claim to be the “one true Church.” That claim is difficult for people of other faiths to accept for obvious reasons. But it may also be difficult for many Mormons to reconcile that claim with their belief in a just and merciful God who loves all his children. I do not expect it will ever be “easy” to accept the “one true Church” claim. However, I think Church members sometimes make it more difficult to accept by drawing implications from the “one true Church” claim that do not necessarily follow from it. In order to correctly understand what the “one true Church” claim truly means, we first need to understand what it does not mean. The following is my attempt to bust the myths surrounding the “one true Church” claim and its companion doctrines, the Apostasy and Restoration, using the words of Church leaders and Church publications. Myth: God stopped communicating with mankind for hundreds of years during “the Apostasy,” when the priesthood was not found upon the earth. MythBuster: “The line of priesthood authority was broken. But mankind was not left in total darkness or completely without revelation or inspiration. The idea that with the Crucifixion of Christ the heavens were closed and that they opened in the First Vision is not true. The Light of Christ would be everywhere present to attend the children of God; the Holy Ghost would visit seeking souls. The prayers of the righteous would not go unanswered.” Elder Boyd K. Packer “All down the ages . . . good and great men, not bearing the Priesthood, but possessing profundity of thought, great wisdom, and a desire to uplift their fellows, have been sent by the Almighty into many nations, to give them, not the fulness of the Gospel, but that portion of truth that they were able to receive and wisely use.” Elder Orson F. Whitney, quoted by Elder Howard W. Hunter[ii] Myth: In Joseph Smith’s day, the Christian churches were completely corrupt and were an abomination to the Lord. MythBuster: “Informed Latter-day Saints do not argue that historic Christianity lost all truth or became completely corrupt. The orthodox churches may have lost the ‘fullness’ of the gospel, but they did not lose all of it nor even most of it. . . . [T]he actual LDS view, [] is that the orthodox churches are incomplete rather than corrupt. It is their postbiblical creeds that are identified in Joseph Smith’s first vision as an ‘abomination,’ but certainly not their individual members or their members’ biblical beliefs.” Stephen E. Robinson (as quoted on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)[iii] Myth: Because Mormons are the only people currently guided by true prophets with the priesthood authority, they are the only people eligible to receive God’s inspiration. MythBuster: “[W]e claim that God’s inspiration is not limited to the Latter-day Saints.” Elder James E. Faust[iv] “All men share an inheritance of divine light. God operates among his children in all nations, and those who seek God are entitled to further light and knowledge, regardless of their race, nationality, or cultural traditions.” Elder Howard W. Hunter[v] “[T]he Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have.” Book of Mormon[vi] Myth: As God’s covenant people, Mormons are the people God has chosen to perform his great and marvelous work. MythBuster: “God is using more than one people for the accomplishment of His great and marvelous work. The Latter-day Saints cannot do it all. It is too vast, too arduous for any one people. … We have no quarrel with the Gentiles. They are our partners in a certain sense.” Elder Orson F. Whitney, quoted by Elder Ezra Taft Benson[vii] Myth: Although well-intentioned, leaders of other religions and churches are unwitting servants of the devil who are deceiving and leading God’s children astray. MythBuster: “We believe that most religious leaders and followers are sincere believers who love God and understand and serve him to the best of their abilities. We are indebted to the men and women who kept the light of faith and learning alive through the centuries to the present day. . . . We honor them as servants of God.” Elder Dallin H. Oaks[viii] “The great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals. … We believe that God has given and will give to all peoples sufficient knowledge to help them on their way to eternal salvation.” Elder James E. Faust[ix] Myth: People belong to either the LDS church or the “Church of the Devil,” also known as the “great and abominable Church.” MythBuster: “ndividual orientation to the Church of the Lamb or to the great and abominable church is not by membership but by loyalty. Just as there Latter-day Saints who belong to the great and abominable church because of their loyalty to Satan and his life-style, so there are members of other churches who belong to the Lamb because of their loyalty to him and his life-style. Membership is based more on who has your heart than on who has your records.” Stephen E. Robinson (Ensign magazine)[x] “We must understand . . . that not everyone is going to accept our doctrine of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For the most part, our neighbors not of our faith are good, honorable people-every bit as good and honorable as we strive to be. They care about their families, just like we do. They want to make the world a better place, just like we do. They are kind and loving and generous and faithful, just like we seek to be.” Elder M. Russell Ballard[xi] Myth: If a person doesn’t join the Church after learning about it, that person must not be honest in heart. MythBuster: “Perhaps the Lord needs [] men on the outside of His Church to help it along. They . . . can do more good for the cause where the Lord has placed them, than anywhere else. … Hence, some are drawn into the fold and receive a testimony of the truth; while others remain unconverted . . . the beauties and glories of the gospel being veiled temporarily from their view, for a wise purpose.” Elder Orson F. Whitney, quoted by Elder Ezra Taft Benson[xii] ________________________________________________________________ Published by Andrew Ainsworth on January 21, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Boyd K. Packer, “The Light of Christ,” Ensign, Apr. 2005, 11 (quoted on Church website at: Newsroom - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). [ii] Orson F. Whitney, Conference Report, Apr. 1921, pp. 32-33

This very same thing happened to me when I was about 9!! Beware free candy scams my friends.