Superbaldguy

Yup, whisperings of the Spirit can sometimes be a bit more audible.

The way I understand thoughts is that they have tremendous power, and those of us in position of discernment (we all are to some extent depending on our callings) can tap into the "radio waves" if we are living worthily - the key is having the Spirit to be our attendant. The Saviour's greatest skill may have been exercising perfect self-control - perfect thoughts, totally without any impurity. That is my great challenge. All of my sins begin as thoughts, if I dwell on them they turn into action; learning how to declutter my brain of negative thoughts is almost overwhelming but is worth the effort. When I have good thoughts I seem to be able to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost. This can mean such simple things as reading good books, listening to uplifting music, reading the scripture and a host of all the "seminary' answers. No doubt that scientists will be able to map out the brain to the point where they might be able to identify areas for certain thought processes, but it is far more than biochemistry at play.

I would be interested in seeing if my pre-existence friends are all now with me in mortality, maybe there are many more to come. It would be also of great interest to see if my weaknesses I am now facing were part of some sort of agreement or test I wanted to take, no doubt that is the case but why did I choose these situations?

Wow, has it been six months, already, since the last Conference? The beauty of the whole General Conference weekend is that the Lord needs to communicate important messages to us through His chosen servants - we all need to have the attitude that GC is not a holiday or a break from the usual rigors and that the Brethren make a lot of preparations for our benefit. I usually watch/hear all 10 hours, sometimes at our meetinghouse and the odd session at home on the PC. It's not quite the same reading it in the Ensign. Six months is a good time frame, things do change so quickly in the world and we need to hear timely direction and guidance from the pulpit.

Hehehe - maybe we should have name tags=) The Internet is another one of the wonderful tools the Lord has given us to use if we use it in a a wise manner.

I can testify that this works, I recently helped a cyber friend with many doctrinal questions and she was subsequently baptized - she has told me many times I was her greatest influence on this momentous decision.

Wow, I have seen some thought-provoking comments to my original inquiry. For me, it's simple - to make the Atonement effectual in my life, I need to be striving to overcome these weaknesses and be continually repenting. if I am satisfied that I am doing that, grace can allow me to bridge that chasm. The question I ask - when do we know we are doing our best? We can have that peace of conscience to know we are forgiven, it's not the exact same thing as being able to declare we have put that weakness behind us - such things tend to come back if we are not careful. Fully overcoming and repenting of a sin a far greater accomplishment, since we are told the Lord remembers these sins, no more - and we shouldn't harrow up old memories.

Yup, it's like climbing great mountains and seeing other peaks in the distance as your next challenge.........It doesn't seem fair but we are supposed to be gods in embryo.

I know the answer is yes, but Sister Pingree brings up an interesting point that I never thought of in this article, near the end: (LDS.org - Ensign Article - Making Weak Things Become Strong She says the Lord may not see fit to remove certain weaknesses in our lives despite our very best efforts. Is it possible that we cannot fully repent of some things in this life - that we must rely SOLELY on the enabling power of the Atonement for our greatest battles? I don't know if that gives me any comfort, seems the Lord fully expects us to struggle with at least one major shortcoming - can we be simply too hard on ourselves?

Hi Candy - carefully read Moroni 10:3-5, they are powerful passages in the Book of Mormon. Any Web forum such as this will elicit various opinions, sine none of us are perfect but we should all striving to be. We offer no apologies when we claim to be the only true church - the Lord instructed young Joseph not to join any of the other religions since they were not correct - He wanted to make sure His church would be restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and I have a testimony of this as fact. Hope this helps.

I suppose it would be no less sacred but the Lord has yet to authorize it; all such ordinances are to be done in temples, qualifications are so important. It's great that 12-year olds can participate.

If the Lord would have authorized proxy baptisms outside the temple, this would have taken away the sacredness of the ordinance. He is very specific about why such holy structures were created in the first place and all the great sacrifices that have been made in this dispensation are a testimony of the work.

The benefit of the first Sunday fast is that everyone is supposed to be doing it, together, it can be a very powerful experience both individually and collectively. With my busy duties as the ward ES, I often find I am in the building several hours each Sunday, it is actually very practical to fast since I really don't get an opportunity to get sustenance for a long period of time - I do have access to candy, though, many of the youth know I stash it away in the clerk's office, little rugrats=)

Great answers, folks. I find when I fast, my mind is crystal-clear and I do feel close to the Spirit. It seems a good fast will help me feel as if I have gained some ground in conquering my enemies. But, as most of us inevitably do, I tend to gravitate back to that weakness. I keep struggling and fasting/prayer seems to be the best solution. I don't think the Lord glories in these battles we have, most of them are in our minds - our thoughts are the precursor of our sins. Our sins are nothing more than a product of unhealthy thoughts which play out themselves. The key seems to be to be striving to overcome sins and infirmities. If we have to go on regular fasts to help in that fight, that is a solution for me and seems to be my best answer until I fully overcome my issues; giving up is not an option. I have to speak next Sunday, I may try a 36-hour fast that will include my speaking assignment; I used to regularly fast when I did my High Council visits, I simply felt like the words were more directed than when I haven't fasted. It's wonderful the Lord has given us many tools to help combat our weaknesses and shortcomings, He really wants us all to be perfect at some point.

When I joined he Church, I was still at home. It was frustrating to arrive and want some peace and quiet and find the TV blaring or the lawn mower buzzing. I soon moved out and this was part of the motivation for doing so. Keeping the Sabbath day is easier since I am now by myself, but still is challenging. I usually spend 6 hours at the meetinghouse, I don' feel like doing too much when I get back but lounge around and nap - this may actually be breaking the Sabbath to some degree, so I set up interviews and get the prayers picked out for the following Sunday. For me, the Sabbath is the busiest day of the week but the most uplifting since I do the Lord's work.

Seems there can be enhanced spiritual experiences by going longer than the 24 hours, I must try that in the near future. Thanks for your insights.

If you read between the lines in the scriptures, you can see that anything in excess can be a violation of the Word of Wisdom. This almost assuredly includes overeating, I see so many Church memebrs who are in need of a healthy lifestyle change to one of sensible dietary habits. Many of us somehow rationalize that since we abstain from the "vices' in society that it's OK to indulge by making two or three trips to the food table at a pot luck supper. Even the thought of getting out of balance can be a violation of the WoW to some degree - if one spends all their free time walking and exercising and forgets about scripture study, that is an unsafe course. The Lord wants us to strive to find that elusive balance in our lives, the Word of Wisdom can help us get there.

I always start and end my fast with a prayer. I see many members who don't do that, seems almost as if the fast would have no efficacy without it. Ideally, a fast should be in relative isolation and quiet. I have tried to fast during the work week, it's not as easy and may not be effective with all the usual distractions around me plus trying to focus on one's temporal work takes away from the spirit of the fast. Maybe I should "retire to the mountains" and see how that works out. I am struggling with something, right now, that I feel needs more than the usual fasting unless I do this endeavor on a regular basis, say every Sunday, for a month. I find the Sabbath is clearly the best day to fast, I always feel an uplift from the experience.

There are a few sins that are grievous enough that confession is needed in the Church to the appropriate leadership, namely the bishop, and such situations may require a ward or even stake-level court. Sadly, I have been on High Council courts and have seen some very serious cases that involved criminal activity. We surely don't need a Catholic-style confessional......... Most sins are to be confessed to the Lord, but He knows your wrongdoings - He still wants you to acknowledge your mistakes and that your conscious is pricked to the point where you need to repent and effect changes in your life.

It's interesting who we meet on Web forums, I know Ducky quite well=) I have a simple approach to service. We are told in the Church that we can learn to love those whom we serve; ultimately, if we learn to serve everyone then we can learn to LOVE everyone. I feel this is exactly why the Lord emphasized this doctrine so poignantly throughout His ministry.

This looks like a great forum for Church members (and those of other faiths) to frequent. I have a question which has never been fully answered to my satisfaction. Are there any benefits to going beyond the usual 24-hour period for fasting? I regularly fast two or three times a month in addition to the first Sunday, I feel it is the best way to work out things in my mind and attempt to overcome weaknesses, plus various other purposes that certainly include seeking temporal blessings. If we have some detrimental issue in our lives, would a 36-hour or even a 48-hour fast have any advantages? Do any members have experiences they would like to relate to answer my question? Many thanks for anyone who can shed light on this inquiry.