crazypotato

That looks like an unhealthy diet. I think runway models are a bunch of chainsmoking smoothie drinkers.:)

so . . . very. . . . funny!!!!!!

I have to say that I don't have teenagers yet, just little kids. But when I was a teenager, I was forced to go to church, so I found ways to get out of going. I was also forced to go to Seminary, so I skipped that class whenever I could. The dad was the enforcer, and my mom was more laid back. However, when my parents found out I was skipping seminary and church, they had no reaction and there was no punishment. So by the time I was in college, I just started going again. I hate to say it because I don't want to offend the OP, but I feel the same was a Dravin. I kind of got a pushy tone out of your OP. I understand the reasoning behind making kids go to church and Seminary, but for older teenagers, I agree that it backfires into a power struggle.

Those are good questions. I think it takes people practice and life experience, coupled with a humble heart, faith in God, and a desire to know the truth, to realize who is influencing you. However, say this person joins the "wrong" church because they have been deceived with good feelings that were false. I believe that down the road, if that person is living the best way they can, God will show them the truth. Also, they can look at the church and see if it is influencing them to serve God and love their fellowman, or if it is not really helping them with their life other than to have some friends to socialize with. Maybe a church looks great on the outside, and then once they join, and a few years into it, they realize that they are still searching for more.

Not sure how this could be proven or explained, since I can't prove that the Holy Ghost has spoken to me, but he can verify the truth of what I say to others. Since I can explain how I feel when the Holy Ghost is talking to me, maybe I could logically explain how Satan could talk to me, but still, consider the audience. If someone wants scientific proof that the Holy Ghost was in my heart, I cannot prove it. Same with Satan. I believe the scriptures offer proof that there is a devil and that he deceives and speaks to people, but I cannot use those as proof to someone you does not believe in the scriptures. I could tell stories where the Holy Ghost has blessed my life or where Satan has messed me up, but if I throw the seeds of my stories on rocky or weedy soil, then the seeds of my story will not be heard and will therefore be worthless. If I throw those seeds during church or a place where the Holy Ghost can verify what I am saying, to people with humble hearts who are actually seeking the truth, then maybe the seeds of my story will be comprehensible to the listener. So I choose not to elaborate.

How do you know why people join any church? Some people join churches for social reasons, and it could be any religion. But look at Christian churches in general. What are those churches teaching their congregations? Are they teaching them to follow Christ, or are they flattering them into thinking that Christ loves them so much that they don't have to follow him, just believe, or are they organizing their members to help each other, to have charity towards the poor and needy? I do believe in the Devil. I think he tricks people all the time, but I don't think he can counterfeit the feelings of the Holy Ghost and the light that people feel inside their hearts and minds when they feel the Holy Ghost. Satan seems to deceive through using logic, in my opinion, that sounds right, but is not quite so. If he is deceiving through feelings, it is often through the feeling of pleasure, not just through substance abuse but also from lots of bad behaviors that give us pleasure. I believe the Holy Ghost can be felt by people that are in or out of many different religions. I do believe that the LDS church is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, but I also believe that other churches teach lots of the truth and invite people to do good as well, and those members can feel the Holy Ghost too.

There are many instances where God allows innocent babies and children to be tortured or murdered by sickos and that makes people think God is cruel, too. But what about where he commands people to do things, like walk across the plains to Utah, where their innocent babies and children die from hunger or the elements? Surely God knew that they would die before he asked them to cross the plains, and he did not prevent their deaths, but others were healed by priesthood blessings. They died because their parents were following a commandment. Or what about when God has destroyed civilizations because they were wicked. The babies and little kids who lived there were not wicked, and it doesn't sound like God removed all the babies and kids before the cities were destroyed. I just think you need to sometimes either have Faith that God loves us but chastises for the good of the world, or really get some good books on the Old Testament that go into all the details, and see what other people have to say about it. Those stories don't bother me anymore because I do believe that God knows what he is doing and that some things defy our logic but not his perfect knowledge.

Sure. It's a pretty freaky story. Here's another idea. Sometimes what is written to us doesn't make sense because we are coming from such a different world. Maybe the language that the Bible was written in was more symbolic, and maybe if we asked a Jewish scholar, they would tell us that it didn't happen the way we interpret it to be written.

Ah, I thought I did shed light on it. Our church believes that God is the same today, yesterday, and tomorrow. So then if we are believing the OT, then that is our God, too. I still say the parable of the olive branches answers a lot of those questions, found in the Book of Mormon in Jacob.

Sure. I am not saying that women have it tougher than men, we just have different issues from each other sometimes. I don't have the same biological male stuff to fully understand a man's issues and drives with regards to their sexuality.

I don't know. How would I know what God was thinking? As far as Laban, your reasoning is not working for me. 1. Why didn't God give Hitler a stroke? Why did he allow the world to go into a World War? Maybe we all needed to suffer through the brutality of war to gain knowledge and experience that couldn't occur if Hitler or Laban just keeled over from a stroke. 2. You got me. Don't know why God would do that. Why did God allow the gentiles to brutally murder the Native Americans and buy the African Americans. Maybe not an equal comparison, but he did tell the Lamanites that he would allow them to be destroyed, then brought over the Gentiles to do it? Maybe the Gentiles, as did those OT people, had misinterpreted what God wanted them to do to other people that they rationalized were less than them?

I think it may be more difficult for a man to understand the maternal urge that women have, and the ache in our hearts when we are unable to be a mother. Men want kids too, I know, but men don't understand the desire to be pregnant, give birth to, and nurse a baby. I am not saying I disagree with you about artificial insemination being wrong - I do, but the maternal drive in women is a multi-faceted instinct and drive.

We have concealed weapons permit classes in our state that are good for teaching you the laws about carrying a handgun and when it is okay to point a gun at someone. You really have to think that the person is ready to hurt you to even show the gun to them or you can go to jail. If you want a handgun for protection, the classes also teach you weapons safety instructions, etc. What is the point of having an unloaded handgun for protection? My handgun is loaded and in a safe in my house.

I can't read through most of these posts. Yuck! TOO MUCH INFORMATION THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE ON THE WEB TO READ!!!!!

A member missionary is often only expected to just live their religion without hiding it, not be too cliqueish as far as only hanging out with other Mormons, and answering questions if someone asks. So it sounds like you are already doing missionary work.:)

How about joining the armed forces?

I have often wondered why the God of the Old Testament was so harsh that he flooded the entire world, for example, and destroyed entire cities. But now those scriptures don't bug me anymore because I know that whether there is a fire or earthquake, the potatoes will survive, buried safe under the earth. Maybe they would rot in a flood, though. Or wait, would we sprout? Hmm. . . Seriously, if it was better for King Laban to be killed so that Nephi could get the brass plates, maybe God had to destroy entire civilizations because large portions of evil people were raising their children and their children to be evil, and no one would listen to the prophets. Maybe it was the only chance for the next generations to come from parents that were reasonably decent. From my understanding of God, when he appears "mean" and cruel, it is often because I think people lack an understanding of his motives. I don't think God enjoys chastising his children, but has to from time to time, in order to save them. Go read the parable of the olive trees in the Book of Mormon.

come on, you are taking all the fun out of us giving you a guilt trip!:lol: I am sure your kids had a great time with you.

I can't really control what I wear. People are always punching in different hats on my head, or changing my eyes in and out, or changing lips for teeth, teeth for lips. Sometimes I hold a purse, sometimes my shoes change, but I am always naked. . .

For the Strength of Youth is clearly only for white Utah Mormons. The rest of you can find your publications through the distribution center near you. Ha ha! I am sorry. . .

Your aunt has everything to do with this whole problem! Where is she so that we can talk to her? Maybe she can clear things up.

Finally! Someone who gets my sense of humor. I have been laughing the whole time I have been posting on this thread, and getting such serious answers that it is making me laugh even harder! And no one even laughed about people hurting my peelings. I thought that was a good one. It still makes me chuckle. Ahhh

Yes. I think God would not approve of those clothes because my body belongs to him and if he were to dress me, I think he would dress me is a modest dress. I think if the General Authorities are wearing suits and short hair, we should follow how they dress. The General Women's presidencies are modest, clean, and respectable. Their clothing is feminine but not distracting to what they say. Everything is important to God. Some things are more important than others. He has listed things in order of importance, and dress and clothing and appearance, though cultural, have general guidelines such as in "For the Strength of the Youth." Those guidelines are not the most important things to follow, but they are important. When I was at a BYU devotional, President Hinckley gave a talk and one comment he made, was that people who have a problem with the dress code at the Y, may think it is no big deal to break that code. But when you sign up to go to the Y and then deliberately break the dress code, it is a sign of a lack of integrity in keeping your word and even your more serious contracts before the Lord. I was offended, because I broke the dress code all the time by wearing mid-thigh shorts. I hated the shorts rule in the summer because it was hot and I didn't wear garments yet. But now, I think the reason I was offended by his assumption is because it is true, but was hard for me to hear because I was guilty of what he said. Just because we don't go to BYU now or are on a mission doesn't mean that it is time to look more worldly. If the prophet wants the youth to follow the dress and hair guidelines in "For the Strength of Youth", I believe we should respect that by following the guidelines ourselves and setting a good example for the youth. http://www.lds.org/youthresources/pdf/ForStrengYouth36550.pdf

He sounds like a normal (but frustrating) teenager who is getting into power struggles with you. I don't think that his behavior indicates that you are bad parents. If I were a teenager and my parents asked, "What can we do?" I would view them as weak, too. I think he is using church and seminary in a power play with you because he senses that those are the very most important things to you and the things that you have pushed on him the hardest, and then school is the 2nd thing you are pushing on him so he is skipping and not studying. These sound like typical power struggles that a teenager would have with his parents. I don't know what your solution is, but I think that if he is a smart kid who can't go to university, what is he most interested in? What does he want to do for a career? Maybe find out what his dreams are and focus on him taking more classes in that and getting him excited about something positive, to take some attention off of the power struggles. I don't know.

Well, I can see how you would feel the way you do and my heart goes out to you. It may seem too late for you to marry and have kids, but not yet. Maybe since you haven't had good males in your life that has affected your ability to find a good man to marry? Not that it is your fault. I don't know any single LDS women who have done artificial insemination or anything like that. I think if you were to pray about it, God would certainly understand how your feel and maybe the Savior can point you in the right direction towards finding a husband or maybe there is a child out that is already born that needs you to adopt them?