Superbaldguy

Re-baptism means re-confirmation and thus the gift of the Holy Ghost can be conferred at that time.....That is for those members who are excommunicated....No reason to think a LAM cannot obtain that same gift if they make the necessary adjustments in their lives and become temple-worthy.

Excellent comment, my old body is easily seen to me as a big thorn=) Mortality is all about how we deal with our "natural man" tendencies, isn't it? We will not be given the chance to be free from them all, but we can enjoy a greater spiritual experience during our mortal sojourn if we truly try our best to get better.

Oh, no doubt we have our own personal demons and devils to fight - addictions, health failures, learning disabilities - the list is endless. We simply cannot give up the fight to overcome them.

It's interesting that Paul asked the Lord three times to remove this weakness. From what I have been able to gather from study, some weaknesses will always be there to torment us and, more importantly, make us always dependent on the Lord to help us get through life. Does that make the weakness a "thorn"? There is not a sin or shortcoming that can't be overcome or forgiven (save murder and denying the Holy Ghost), but it appears that all of us cannot in this mortal sphere put behind us EVERYTHING that dogs us, despite our best efforts. Of course, this is where the Atonement is squarely applied and the enabling power is so desperately needed. This does not excuse us from stopping to try to better ourselves and we still need to keep up the fight against our demons, the Lord expects us and commands us to do so. If we fall off the horse, we are expected to try to get back up in the saddle and carry on.

I think it would be too easy to use the "thorn" excuse for unrepented sins that keep dogging us, repeating them over and over unless you have exhausted all your efforts. I guess that is the crux of the doctrine of grace - knowing when you have done your very best and can do no better, the enabling power of the Atonement can fill in the gaps.

Interesting - so, are my Gethsemanes considered as "thorns in my side" or can these issues be fully repented from with more work? I'll have to pray about that question. Paul so eloquently discusses he doctrine of grace in so many of his messages, just wondering if this is one of them.........

I have studied this quote many times and have done some research on it, but I am still a bit perplexed and have questions: (1) Do WE all have this affliction to some degree? Like you, I have a serious weakness which I am struggling with at any given time; despite my best efforts and sincere repentance, I tend to fall back into committing the same sin. I may fall off the horse but am determined to get back in the saddle. (2) The "thorn" is given to us/me for making sure we stay dependent on the Lord. Does this necessarily have to do totally with sin? Could it be serious health issues or financial woes, or any other societal ill? (3) Paul describes the "messenger from Satan" in these passages. My confusion is if the Lord allows Satan to intentionally tempt and test us or if there may be some sort of translation error in this passage. I know this congers up the question of agency and that in the Garden of Eden, our hated foe was trying to tempt its inhabitants to transgress. Is the source of ALL temptations from the adversary? Thoughts?

This is simple - if you find yourself drinking too much Pepsi or Coke (or Dr. Pepper) and it's becoming a habit, then it's time to stop or cut back. Section 89 is all about self-control and the Lord allows us to read between the lines so the Spirit guides us about dietary choices, as many are not specifically mentioned. The Lord wants us to do some thinking on our own, at times. If nothing else, caffeinated beverages stain your teeth and can affect sleep......Those should be two good reasons to curtail the activity. I find sugary drinks are mostly empty calories - you can shed a few pounds if you cut them out, you won't miss it.........

My request has generated some interesting discussion. My petitions are simply for the enhanced ability for recall, I don't expect the Lord to give me the chance to score 95% or something crazy like that, I only need 70%. That, in itself, could prove to be a challenge as exam writing is rarely done when you are over 25 years old. I intend to fast before the exam, not sure what would be the best timing. I also feel a Priesthood blessing would be helpful from my Home Teachers.

I think a Priesthood blessing may be more beneficial, thanks for the suggestion. Of course, proper preparation for any examination is essential. Thanks folks.

On April 9th, I am scheduled to write the exam for my real estate licensing. It starts at 12:45pm and goes for three hours. I am very familiar with the principle of fasting and prayer and have a testimony of its effectiveness. Simple question - should I fast BEFORE I write or would it be beneficial to fast DURING the exam?

I think I have heard that maybe 50% of the active membership pay a full tithe, meaning the best most units can do is have 50% of the congregation being able to attend the temple and 25% of all members hold recommends, assuming the usual 50% or so activity rate. In our ward, I am happy to say that about 85-90% of all endowed members have recommends, myself included.

One service I can do for other agents is to photograph their listings. I already have done that a few times, it's no cash cow but helps out with the flow of funds. I wonder if the RE market in Canada is much different than in the States. I need to continue to talk with those in the industry. Thanks for all that have contributed thus far.

I primarily sell house insurance. I *could* get a Realtor's license and sell insurance at the same time, might be a conflict. Anyway, I am trying to get out of what I do as I am running into many roadblocks, the writing is on the wall.

There are no RE people in our ward, I can't even think of anyone in the stake who is an agent.

I had a RE broker tell me it's as good a time to be a agent as any, but he could have been trying to recruit people, too. This is a case where both more prayer and a second opinion would be helpful.

For a variety of reasons, I may be getting out of the insurance industry and looking at a change. I had thought of real estate since I have heard it's a business that depends on lots of contacts, plus I am familiar with homes and properties. My concerns are whether or not it's a good time to make the move. I have prayed and fasted about the idea, I am getting the feeling it would be alright. Are there any forum members who have established a career in RE? Can you be successful at it by not working on Sundays? Thoughts?

All interesting answers, I have always found fasting and prayer can be of great benefit. One thing I often mention in my many sacrament talks (I am on the High Council), if we lived like missionaires, we would have the Spririt 24/7; of course, in the "real" world, it's not really possible to live that way but we can certiainly pattern much of what we should be doing after their lifetsyles.

I have made it a goal to attempt to have the Spirit with me at all times, as I have felt its great influence of being able to make day-to-day decisions that allow me to more fully function in this often-difficult mortal sojourn. Like everyone, however, I have the tendency to lose that companionship from time to time, due to my own slothfulness and weakness. What is the fastest way to recover and re-establish that liaison wit the Holy Ghost?

One of the best books, if not the best book, written about the Atonement is "The Peacegiver." I am using the text as the basis for the talk I am giving on Easter Sunday (April 12th). I am on the stake High Council, so I get to speak regularly on a variety of gospel topics.

Wow, my simple inquiry has become a thread with its own life=) FWIW, the sister did not ask us as Home Teachers to administer to her bird.

I think it would be best to offer a prayer for the pet.

One of my HT families is a single, lonely older sister - she told me one of her blue jays was not well, and that we could give it a blessing when we come Home Teach this week. I thought this just sounded really odd, can you use your Priesthood for such a purpose? In my mind, whoever (or whatever) receives the blessing has to have faith, a bird cannot have such a quality. I hear it all whenever I go to church.:)

Ha! I think it's hard to adopt all the practices of our fine missionaries to live in the real world, but there are simple things I can do - spend more time with the Scriptures. Cultivate new habits that can replace those situations of temptations. Spend more time doing service. The Lord doesn't expect members to live like monks, He set up His Kingdom in such a way that the gospel is preached, two by two, young men and women who serve a mission devote their "tithing" years early in life so they can move on to new challenges and frontiers, such as advancing their education and marriage. I often wish I had grown up LDS, but that was not meant to be - you have to work within the framework you are given. The callings that are extended to us also makes us grow and develop new talents. Thanks for all the insightful comments thus far.

One of my main goals in 2009 is to try to enhance my spirituality. To accomplish this, I feel I need to have more constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. There have been/are many times in my Church life I haver felt that comforting influence, and it's the most desirable of all feelings. My biggest struggles are the thoughts that creep into my mind and ultimately lead to sin - this is probably a common shortcoming or all of us - I often wonder how the proselyting elders deal with temptation and distractions. Whenever I am dealing with sins and weakness, especially those of the flesh, I think "how would the missionaries handle a situation like this?" It gives me some hope, as I know they do not allow themselves to be influenced by many media sources and are taught to focus on spiritual matters - if they do or cannot have the Spirit with them 24/7, they simply cannot function at the level they are called to do so. Is is even possible for a person such as I (single male) to pattern my life around that of a missionary? Of course, I have to live in the real world and have contact with various personalities and situations that aren't always uplifting in nature, is it realistic to try to follow the example of young man serving the Lord in this fashion?