bytebear

Members
  • Posts

    3238
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Reputation Activity

  1. Like
    bytebear reacted to NeedleinA in Boring General Conference   
    Elder Oaks said:
    Sound familiar??
    New for these last days?

    FYI: The quote above comes from Elders Oaks talk on the Constitution... in the Ensign back in... 1992. 
    This past conference talk he gave was awfully similar to the one he gave 30 years ago.
  2. Like
    bytebear reacted to Emmanuel Goldstein in Boring General Conference   
    Agreed, by the end of conference I felt alot better about it.
  3. Like
    bytebear got a reaction from JohnsonJones in Bruce R. McConkie’s Legacy.   
    McConkie is largely responsible for the chapter summaries in all of the standard works, as well as the Bible Dictionary.  His contributions to understanding the gospel are unparalleled. 
  4. Thanks
    bytebear got a reaction from Traveler in Bruce R. McConkie’s Legacy.   
    McConkie is largely responsible for the chapter summaries in all of the standard works, as well as the Bible Dictionary.  His contributions to understanding the gospel are unparalleled. 
  5. Like
    bytebear got a reaction from Carborendum in Bruce R. McConkie’s Legacy.   
    McConkie is largely responsible for the chapter summaries in all of the standard works, as well as the Bible Dictionary.  His contributions to understanding the gospel are unparalleled. 
  6. Like
    bytebear got a reaction from scottyg in Bruce R. McConkie’s Legacy.   
    McConkie is largely responsible for the chapter summaries in all of the standard works, as well as the Bible Dictionary.  His contributions to understanding the gospel are unparalleled. 
  7. Like
    bytebear reacted to laronius in Bruce R. McConkie’s Legacy.   
    We shouldn't confuse the Church becoming more understanding with the Church becoming more accepting. As sin becomes more prevalent Church leaders are definitely more understanding of those who fall into temptation verses those who years ago usually had to seek it out. This does not mean however that sin is any more acceptable than before. Good Ship Zion may be getting covered in a layer of my winter fleece bed sheets which makes it feel more warm and cozy for those who are struggling but anyone who runs headlong into it is still going to come away with just as big a headache and goose egg as before. Maybe that's not a good analogy but my main point still stands. 😉
  8. Like
    bytebear reacted to Jersey Boy in Preserving the Nephite language   
    If you had taken a moment to perform a simple search of the Book of Mormon you could have quickly answered your own questions. While on the Church website, I searched the Book of Mormon for any use of the word Hebrew and I found the following statement from the  prophet Mormon written a thousand years after the Lehites first arrived in America.
    33 And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record. (Mormon 9)
    So yes, the Nephites could read and write a somewhat altered form of Hebrew one thousand years after their first arrival in America.
  9. Like
    bytebear reacted to Just_A_Guy in Preserving the Nephite language   
    As @bytebear alludes, it was the gold plates (created and initially written by Nephi) that were written in “reformed Egyptian”).  The brass plates to which Nephi and Lehi are referring in 1 Nephi 3:19 had been created by someone else and were (presumably) written in Hebrew.
    The Lehites may have initially brought other Hebrew documents from Jerusalem with them initially; but they were acutely aware that any physical records they possessed/created would, at some point, be lost (Jacob 4:1-4); the brass and gold plates being the only exceptions to this general rule (Alma 37:1-5).
  10. Haha
    bytebear reacted to Carborendum in Preserving the Nephite language   
    And here I thought he was confusing "bias induced blindness" for "scornful red herrings".
  11. Like
    bytebear reacted to Carborendum in The kingdom of heaven   
    You're forgetting a priest's and nun's vows of celibacy.
  12. Like
    bytebear reacted to NeedleinA in President Nelson vaccinated   
    Elder Bednar dropping bombs:
     
  13. Like
    bytebear got a reaction from Anddenex in Censorship?   
    These platforms are "the public square" regardless of them being on private property.  if you allow people to stump on your lawn, you have an obligation to allow free speech. Someone mentioned slander/libel, and that's fine, but there are laws for that, and the people posting the lies can be held accountable.  But presenting a belief that is generally considered false is still free speech.  And I believe you must allow 1000 lies if it reveals a single truth.  
  14. Like
    bytebear reacted to Traveler in What's the difference?   
    I am intrigued by your statement, "We just won't catch up, because G-d had an eternal head start."  Does this include the possibility that we may eventually arrive at where or what G-d currently is?  And of course, whatever the answer, would likely generate many more questions.  I do admire and thank you for your engagement with us.
     
    The Traveler
  15. Like
    bytebear reacted to prisonchaplain in What's the difference?   
    A common criticism against your church is this reliance on "feelings," or subjective confirmation. This is a terrible mistake on their part. All Christians should come to faith through the drawing of the Holy Spirit. I fear we have too many "social converts" in our most of our churches. There is some patience--some 'tarrying' needed. Science, evidence, logic--these tools may bring me to the waters of conversion--but the witness of the Holy Spirit is essential, in my always humble opinion.
  16. Like
    bytebear reacted to Carborendum in What's the difference?   
    Once upon a time you had said that you could not bring yourself to be in agreement with any of the articles of faith (though you were teetering on the13th).  I believe therein lie all the differences.
    1) Trinity vs Godhead.
    2) The fall was part of the plan, not a frustration of God's original design.
    3) While we both believe in salvation through Christ, we believe that Christ's grace is free (i.e. costs no money or temporal wealth) but it is not free (i.e. takes no "works").  We've had many discussions on that matter, so, I won't go further into that in this thread.  We could start another to address this more fully.
    4) There are some "works" that the Lord commands us to go through.  And for each, we receive a blessing (or gift) to help us endure to the end.  If one thinks so little of the Lord's commandments as to ignore such clear directive, then is one really committed to the Lord?  To us, these are not just public declarations.  They are ordinances of power and authority.
    5) Sacerdotalism.  Even the Catholics don't have a valid claim on this.  None of the other faiths tend to claim it as we do.
    6) Church Organization:  Kinda the same category as #5.
    7) Gifts of the Spirit:  Pentecostals and other charismatics can agree with us on this.  I'm not sure why you had a problem with this one.
    8.) Open canon.
    9) Continuing revelation.  Again, I thought that you would be on board with this.
    10) Literal gathering of Israel.  I honestly don't know how other faiths address this.  It's hardly ever talked about in most discussions.  But it is getting to be more and more important to us in (what appear to be) these final days of the dispensation.
    11) Freedom of religion.  Isn't everyone in America on board with this one?  I don't see what the disagreement could be on.
    12) Honor the government of the land. Jesus, himself, said "render unto Ceasar..."  I think more sectarians agree with this on a practical level, but gripe and moan about it when govt oversteps its bounds.  But the thing is, that we feel the same way.  We realize that earthly governments have power.  And while in mortality, we are subject to that power just as the Jews of Christ's time under Rome.  It is not the way we'd LIKE it.  But that is the way it is.  It is simply stating that we don't rise up in open rebellion every time government passes laws we don't like.
    13) Traits of character.  Yes, I thought these were the common virtues of all Christianity.  But apparently I was wrong.  I don't know what virtues sectarians are striving for, if any.
    There are the differences as I see it.
  17. Like
    bytebear reacted to NeedleinA in Biden Corruption Emails   
    Did Biden secure permanent funding for the National Parks Service when he was office? Um, nope he did not.
    Trump did.
    He passed the Great American Outdoors Act to restore our national parks.
    Directly off the National Parks Service website:
    To some, Trump is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't - there is always something even further to complain about because when it comes down to it - it really isn't the issues they have a problem with.  Leads me to believe that little to no real thinking or digging is taking place outside of what the MSM is feeding people.

    People can assert Trump/conservatives snub their noses at the EPA or NPS, however, their own websites refute those claims.
     
  18. Like
    bytebear reacted to Vort in This would be interesting. UN overlords?   
    The NYT is an emaciated shadow of its former self, a hideous undead creature whose very existence mocks what it once was. It should be summarily ignored in all instances.
  19. Like
    bytebear reacted to dprh in Baptism of the Holy Ghost?   
    My personal belief is that the Holy Ghost is an office that has been held by multiple beings, Michael being the first.  When he received his body, it was filled by another pre-mortal spirit, maybe Enoch. So yes, I think each person who has filled that role will be born physically and receive all the ordinances they need.
  20. Like
    bytebear got a reaction from Traveler in Biden Corruption Emails   
    For what it's worth, the media has shifted their narrative from "Fake news" to "Not about Joe".  Both of which are lies, but it looks like the story has suffered from the Streisand Effect, where an attempt to bury a story actually amplifies it.
  21. Like
    bytebear got a reaction from Still_Small_Voice in Biden Corruption Emails   
    For what it's worth, the media has shifted their narrative from "Fake news" to "Not about Joe".  Both of which are lies, but it looks like the story has suffered from the Streisand Effect, where an attempt to bury a story actually amplifies it.
  22. Like
    bytebear reacted to NeuroTypical in Should POTUS/Senate push through SCOTUS judge?   
    Good National Review article on the history of such things.  
     
     
     
     
  23. Okay
    bytebear got a reaction from NeuroTypical in Kamala Harris? Really?   
    She is the attack dog, so expect her to play the race card as hard as she can against Trump.  But she won't bring out the black vote.  She has too much baggage as a prosecutor including questionable acts of evidence suppression.
    Oh, and she will not call the shots. The puppet masters will manage Biden behind the scenes. She is only here for the votes, not for anything she could actually contribute to the administration.
  24. Thanks
    bytebear got a reaction from prisonchaplain in Baptisms for the dead   
    didn't read through the whole thread so I apologizes if this was mentioned, but baptism has been uses as both remission of sins and a sign of entering Christ's church and not always together.

    Before the church was established, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry baptized each other after receiving authority from John the Baptist.  They then baptized others.  After the church was established in 1830, everyone was rebaptized as a commitment to Christs newly formed church.  And new members were baptized as members and for the remission of sin.

    And in the early days of the church, members would be rebaptized for the remission of sins.  Later Sacrament became the only outward symbol, which is frankly, a lot more convenient.  

    But I suppose one could request being rebaptized.  And of course, those excommunicated are rebaptized when they return to the church. 
  25. Thanks
    bytebear got a reaction from prisonchaplain in Temples and Adult Converts   
    Sealings of the living children to parents can be done regardless of age. All kids can participate in their own family sealing.  Kids born "in the covenant", that is, born to parents who are sealed, are automatically sealed under that covenant of the parents.  Adopted kids can also be sealed to their adoptive parents, regardless of age.  The marriage sealing is a separate ordinance than parents to child(ren) sealings.