Maureen

It was a revelation that was clearly stated to be a NON commandment. I know, but why couldn't God later reveal that it is to be treated as a commandment? Or maybe, some of the leaders back in 1904 were quite miserable that plural marriage was finally ending which gave the LDS church its uniqueness; that they decided the next best thing was to make the WofW a firm commandment which would bring back some of that uniqueness to the church. I read this particular theory somewhere but I can't remember where. M.

Isaiah 14:1-13:The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob; he will again choose Israel as his special people and restore them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family of Jacob. Nations will take them and bring them back to their own place. Then the family of Jacob will make foreigners their servants as they settle in the Lord’s land. They will make their captors captives and rule over the ones who oppressed them. When the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and anxiety, and from the hard labor which you were made to perform, you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: “Look how the oppressor has met his end! Hostility has ceased! The Lord has broken the club of the wicked, the scepter of rulers. It furiously struck down nations with unceasing blows. It angrily ruled over nations, oppressing them without restraint. The whole earth rests and is quiet; they break into song. The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, ‘Since you fell asleep, no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ Sheol below is stirred up about you, ready to meet you when you arrive. It rouses the spirits of the dead for you, all the former leaders of the earth; it makes all the former kings of the nations rise from their thrones. All of them respond to you, saying: ‘You’ve also become weak like us! You’ve become just like us! Your splendor has been brought down to Sheol, as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. You lie on a bed of maggots, with a blanket of worms over you. Look how you have fallen from the sky, O shining one, son of the dawn! [The Hebrew text has rjv-/b llyh (“Helel son of Shachar”)] You’ve been cut down to the ground, O conqueror of the nations! You said to yourself, “I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El [in Canaanite mythology the stars of El were astral deities under the authority of the high god El.] I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon… [Zaphon, the Canaanite version of Olympus, was the “mountain of assembly” where the gods met.] Isaiah 14:12 could have a double meaning and may be subtlety inferring a similarity to Satan since he was thrown out of heaven. But IMO it is mainly a taunt against the King of Babylon using Canaanite mythology overtones. It is informing the Babylonian king that he has oppressed Israel and will eventually see his downfall, like Helel did. The passage is prophetic, speaking about a future time of the destruction of this wicked king. M. Editing to mention this translation is from the NET Bible at bible.org.

Okay, I see where you're coming from.From what I remember, Helel tried to take his Father's throne (Shachar) not El's throne (grandfather). I'm not quite sure if there are similarities between Satan and God's relationship though. Satan rebelled against God, but I'm not sure if he tried to take his throne. The War in Heaven story is myth as far as I'm concerned. Can't really find anything in the Bible to firmly substantiate it. But now that you have explained your view, I finally see what you mean. Thanks! M.

I would disagree. What are the similarities between Helel, Adam and Satan?M.

I don't want to beat a dead horse Taoist but, could you explain why you would think this?M.

I can't help myself, here's more: Question: Benefits of Green Tea? I have heard you recommend switching from coffee or black tea to green tea. I drink herb tea, usually a Good Earth blend. Am I missing out on some healing aspects by not taking green tea? -- Anonymous Today's Answer - (Published 07/22/1997) Both green and black teas contain polyphenols, or catechins, which have many wonderful properties. They protect your heart by lowering cholesterol and improving lipid metabolism. They guard against cancer by scavenging for free radicals that can damage cells and push them in the direction of uncontrolled growth. They also have antibacterial effects. Tea makers prepare both kinds of tea from leaves of the white-flowered tea plant, Camellia sinensis, a bush native to Asia. But to make green tea, they dry the leaves after a brief steaming, instead of crushing them, piling them in heaps and briefly "sweating" them for black tea. (During this natural fermentation process, the tea leaves darken and develop a different aroma and flavor than green tea.) Since fermentation destroys some of the polyphenols, green tea is thought to be best for your health. Green tea contains about 27 percent catechins, oolong is next with 23 percent, then comes black tea at about 4 percent. Unfortunately, herb tea, while it may be tasty and relaxing, doesn't deliver any polyphenols. In laboratory tests, green tea has inhibited the growth of skin cancers in mice and protected against lung cancer in animals exposed to a strong tobacco extract. Human tea drinkers also showed less stomach cancer and stroke than those who didn't include tea among their habits. There is some evidence that black tea shouldn't be written off, however. As reported in the journal Mutagenesis, green, black and decaffeinated black tea all had equally strong abilities to neutralize cancer-causing chemicals in the test tube, leading researchers to conclude that the fermented derivatives of polyphenols may be active too. Another study in the same journal found comparable anti-mutagenic and antioxidant activity among instant teas, a black tea and a green tea. All of these teas also contain theophylline, a close relative of caffeine. This can be useful to people with asthma, because it acts as a bronchodilator. But people can become addicted to tea and the stimulating effects of theophylline, so I'd recommend keeping your enjoyment of this beverage to just one or two cups a day. If you're not drinking caffeine -- in the form of coffee, black tea, green tea or sodas, I wouldn't recommend that you take up the practice. (You can still get the health benefits of green tea through decaffeinated forms.) If you are a caffeine drinker, I suggest you try to switch to green tea, at least in part. Drink it instead of that afternoon soda, or use it to replace a cup of coffee in the evening. http://www.drweil.com/app/cda/drw_cda.html...questionId=3044 M.

Really. I too would like you to show us this proof. And while you're digging up that information I'll give you a list of:Top 10 Health Benefits of Drinking Tea by Lynn Grieger, R.D., C.D.E. http://www.ivillage.com/diet/experts/askdi..._601571,00.html 1. Tea contains antioxidants. Like the Rust-Oleum paint that keeps your outdoor furniture from rusting, tea's antioxidants protect your body from the ravages of aging and the effects of pollution. 2. Tea has less caffeine than coffee. Coffee usually has two to three times the caffeine of tea (unless you're a fan of Morning Thunder, which combines caffeine with mate, an herb that acts like caffeine in our body). An eight-ounce cup of coffee contains around 135 mg caffeine; tea contains only 30 to 40 mg per cup. If drinking coffee gives you the jitters, causes indigestion or headaches or interferes with sleep -- switch to tea. 3. Tea may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Unwanted blood clots formed from cholesterol and blood platelets cause heart attack and stroke. Drinking tea may help keep your arteries smooth and clog-free, the same way a drain keeps your bathroom pipes clear. A 5.6-year study from the Netherlands found a 70 percent lower risk of fatal heart attack in people who drank at least two to three cups of black tea daily compared to non-tea drinkers. 4. Tea protects your bones. It's not just the milk added to tea that builds strong bones. One study that compared tea drinkers with non-drinkers, found that people who drank tea for 10 or more years had the strongest bones, even after adjusting for age, body weight, exercise, smoking and other risk factors. The authors suggest that this may be the work of tea's many beneficial phytochemicals. 5. Tea gives you a sweet smile. One look at the grimy grin of Austin Powers and you may not think drinking tea is good for your teeth, but think again. It's the sugar added to it that's likely to blame for England's bad dental record. Tea itself actually contains fluoride and tannins that may keep plaque at bay. So add unsweetened tea drinking to your daily dental routine of brushing and flossing for healthier teeth and gums. 6. Tea bolsters your immune defenses. Drinking tea may help your body's immune system fight off infection. When 21 volunteers drank either five cups of tea or coffee each day for four weeks, researchers saw higher immune system activity in the blood of the tea drinkers. 7. Tea protects against cancer. Thank the polyphenols, the antioxidants found in tea, once again for their cancer-fighting effects. While the overall research is inconclusive, there are enough studies that show the potential protective effects of drinking tea to make adding tea to your list of daily beverages. 8. Tea helps keep you hydrated. Caffeinated beverages, including tea, used to be on the list of beverages that didn't contribute to our daily fluid needs. Since caffeine is a diuretic and makes us pee more, the thought was that caffeinated beverages couldn't contribute to our overall fluid requirement. However, recent research has shown that the caffeine really doesn't matter -- tea and other caffeinated beverages definitely contribute to our fluid needs. The only time the caffeine becomes a problem as far as fluid is concerned is when you drink more than five or six cups of a caffeinated beverage at one time. 9. Tea is calorie-free. Tea doesn't have any calories, unless you add sweetener or milk. Consuming even 250 fewer calories per day can result in losing one pound per week. If you're looking for a satisfying, calorie-free beverage, tea is a top choice. 10. Tea increases your metabolism. Lots of people complain about a slow metabolic rate and their inability to lose weight. Green tea has been shown to actually increase metabolic rate so that you can burn 70 to 80 additional calories by drinking just five cups of green tea per day. Over a year's time you could lose eight pounds just by drinking green tea. Of course, taking a 15-minute walk every day will also burn calories. M. :)

Well, yea...same guy...different language. No, not the same guy at all; unless you are referring to Lucifer and Satan being the same guy, not Helel and Lucifier. I doubt that that idea would be accepted as Mormon doctrine either. In the Canaanite Pantheon Helel, meaning “Shining One”, was the son of Shachar, God of the dawn. In Christianity Satan is an angel created by God, who rebels against God and becomes God’s adversary, hence Satan means “adversary”. In Mormonism Satan is a spirit child of God, known by his pre-rebellious name Lucifer. I doubt very much that a Canaanite/Pheonician ever confused Helel with Satan or vise versa with a mainstream Christian or Mormon. To say that they could be the same person would mean that Satan was the son of Shachar or that Helel was created as an angel or spirit child by God, who eventually rebelled. The only thing these two characters have in common is that sometimes they share the same name of Lucifer. Helel because it has the same meaning, it’s just a different language. And Satan, because over time people started to associated the name Lucifier with Satan. Lucifer evolved into Satan and vise versa. M.

Lucifer is not the Canaanite god, it is just the latin equivalent.HELEL: Or Lucifer. The Light Bringer, the Morning Star. Son of Shachar. Helel once attempted to take his Father's Throne, but failed (another myth concerning Venus' place as the last star in the sky each morning, as if trying to defy the Sun). This is the very Myth which spawned the Christian Myth of the War in Heaven (see Isaiah 14:12- which, in Hebrew, says "Helel", and not "Lucifer"). http://phoenicia.org/anchor119863 Helel which means "morning star", "shining one", etc; is the Canaanite god. It was translated as Lucifer in the Latin Vulgate and is translated as "O Shining one, son of the dawn" in newer English Bible translations. M.

This is somewhat true.Lucifer is a latin word meaning "morning star", "shining one". So when Jerome translated that particular Isaiah passage into Latin, he was not referring to Satan when he used the word Lucifer. But over the years, the word Lucifer has become synonymous with Satan. So the argument that Lucifer does not exist is baseless, since when speaking of Lucifer now people are of course referring to Satan. M.

USR - Maybe you should re-read your original post. My perception of your post is that you did imply that you thought other posters were wrong or inaccurate in their perception of the GA's talks because one should not think that GA's could possibly be boring - They're called of God!!!! It seems it was your post that was disagreeing in the first place. M.

Thanks Jenda. I see what you mean. Deacons in the LDS church take part in administering the sacrament.M.

It's all subjective UtahStateRunner. You find their talks awe-inspiring, others find them boring and their delivery mundane. Their perception of GA talks are just different then yours; that doesn't make them wrong. M.

Are you serious LaurelTree? You really think that coffee and tea are evil and therefore consuming them would also make you evil or act evil?M.

I'm like Trident. I've never read the book, just saw the video. It was probably in the early '80's. The only thing that really stands out that I remember is the actors that were doing these temple scenes had such horrified looks on their faces. I found that unbelievable. I suspect true temple goers could have confused looks, especially if you're going for the first time. But I can't imagine there are going to be many looking scared to death. M.

Hey Jenda - I'm curious. Can you be more specific with this statement. What do you mean?M.

My LDS niece was a teen pregnancy statistic. She was 14 when she got pregnant and the boy was 16. Her parents wouldn't even consider adoption, nor his parents who are Catholic - and the Branch president counseled the teens to get married at 14 and 16 years of age. The teens wanted to get married and both sets of parents gave their permission.It has been 6 years later, they have just had their 3rd child, she is 20, he 22. And as far as I can tell (we live many hours away from each other) they are doing pretty good, considering - and their kids are so cute. So Faerie, what do you think about having teens get married? For me personally, at the time, I was against it. M.

I know why Ed exaggerates. $ Really? How does that make him money? Is he rich because of his exaggerated anti position? M.

I don't understand or know Ed Decker's agenda. He obviously has problems with Mormonism and seems to require extra drama when sharing his opinion of it. I agree with Jason. Mr Decker seems to need to exaggerate for reasons only he knows. M.

That's a possibility. Maybe people should bombard SLC with letters complaining about delivery style and maybe they'll take notice. Maybe they don't realize how they sound.M.

Now that's funny! M.

Not just breakfast, but coffee and tea served also!!!! I'm impressed. :) M.

This is what it says at lds.org:Message from the First Presidency 36863, True to the Faith, 1 This book is designed as a companion to your study of the scriptures and the teachings of latter-day prophets. We encourage you to refer to it as you study and apply gospel principles. Use it as a resource when you prepare talks, teach classes, and answer questions about the Church. As you learn gospel truths, you will increase in your understanding of Heavenly Father’s eternal plan. With this understanding as a foundation for your life, you will be able to make wise choices, live in harmony with God’s will, and find joy in living. Your testimony will grow stronger. You will remain true to the faith. We are especially mindful of youth, young single adults, and new converts. We promise you that through regular personal prayer and study of the scriptures and the doctrines of the gospel you will be prepared to withstand evil influences that would deceive you and harm you. May this book strengthen you in your efforts to draw near to the Savior and follow His example. The First Presidency M.

I don't believe curvette has declared any such thing. Are you declaring that you know how many more spirits God is going to send? - if God does indeed send spirits to Earth.M.

I just found these descriptions by a different poster to be quite apropos on this board.Nothing like a little fraud to drive home the gospel message.... So little Brian was a liar. He's not the only one..... Sounds like someone is confused not only about their own identity, but also about their sexuality, to say nothing of whether or not honesty is a gospel principle. ...and then with Helen's comments I just couldn't help myself. Since I don't believe JS was a prophet of God I don't feel I was insulting that particular calling. I don't believe JS was totally honest in his dealings with his fellowman in spreading his gospel. Just my opinion. M.