Maxel

Brian Regan ftw! I was thinking whether to cite him as a shining example of real comedy, but decided to keep it short'n'sweet.From one Regan fan to another, thank you for keeping his good name out of the mud.

That helps a lot- thanks! I'm not surprised that different Mormons believe differently about mono/polytheism. Personally, I believe we're monotheists because we believe all the power that Christ and the Holy Ghost possess originated in, and is still supported by, the Father. Therefore, we come unto the Father through Christ, who is our mediator. It is in this way, I think, that we are able to maintain monotheism. That makes sense; I never thought about it in that light before.I do appreciate you making this post and helping us learn more about the Trinity!

Ah... no reason. Just playing around. And I wanted to whip out my poker face. It never gets to be used.

First asking if ceeboo has a picture of himself, now seeing if FunkyTown is a physics major... What's your game, Hemi?*Puts on a poker face*

Ceeboo, my friend, you are on the money 110% (IMHO).Being active in the theater, I've spent a lot of time struggling against the blatant immodesty present in modern 'art'. I've come to the conclusion that we as a society have become so hardened (on a general scale) as to the things of God that we can't feel emotions at the same level as previous generations were. Because of that, art has to go to greater lengths in the wrong direction to generate an emotional 'rise' out of the audience. I look at the most of comedians featured on Comedy Central, and I think to myself, 'These guys aren't funny; they're just bigoted, profane, or overly sexual'. In these examples, the art of comedy has been warped and twisted by its practitioners until it barely resembles what it used to. C.S. Lewis talked about the different causes for laughter: one was Joy (the feeling of God in one's life), one was good humor, and one was uncomfortable laughter due to inappropriateness. It seems that today's society has become so accustomed to the last kind of laughter that we think it's the healthy, normal kind. In actuality, it's the unhealthy, abnormal kind. Extrapolate that idea into any art form, and you've got the facts about a lot of modern art productions. As you said, the art of dance has been reduced to a contest of sexuality, with the winners often being mediocre (at best). I've heard it called 'shock entertainment'- a form of entertainment that doesn't activate the mind or inner emotions, but forces jarring images, sounds, and ideas onto the audience to create an emotional response. Pornography and overtly gory horror films fall into this category.

I think that's the case. Under the 'Edit Signature' box, there's a list of features allowed for signatures. 'Allow Image BB Code' is OFF. Sorry man... it's a nice picture.

You ask some pretty in depth questions. The truth is that much of what you ask is not direct subject to canonical scripture. You may glean hints of the truth from LDS authorities, logical processes, scripture, etc., but the only way to really know the answers to these questions while on this earth is to receive the information privately from the Holy Ghost. Once you receive that information, however, you would be under the strictest obligation to keep such treasures of knowledge hidden from the world. The truth of such matters are given to individuals for purpose of edification and instruction only, and to be shared with a select number of God's children as the Holy Ghost dictates.One bit of advice on learning the answers: remember that much of scripture, especially the Old Testament, is heavily steeped in symbolism and metaphorical phrases. If you apply yourself to learning the symbols of the scriptures you'll come closer to understanding the answers you seek. I know that's not helpful, but I've actually asked myself these questions before and I found that following the aforementioned advice helped me find the answers I believe to be correct. Personally, I'm hoping for some new scripture that touches on these subjects within my lifetime, so we can all be enlightened. Having said all that, I recommend the perusal of what everyone else has said for your intellectual and spiritual stimulation.

Nice!... The page is now officially bookmarked. Thanks for coming back and sharing that!

Dude, you're a life-saver! Thanks much.UPDATE: The link cjmaldrich provided works admirably. Also, the scripture search engine at lds.org is back up. Crisis, averted. Catastrophe, avoided. I want to thank all of you who stuck by me in this time of crisis. Thank you. (Yes, this thread has run its course and can now be closed.)

When I was in high school (a whole 3 years ago!) I was a big emotional support to my friends. A lot of people would come talk to me about their problems, and I would help them work it all out. Once, one of my friends told me she tried to commit suicide, and I decided to tell a teacher. That friend's parents moved back where they had come from because of it. And, she was one of the popular kids, so I kind of got a stigma as a tattle-tale after that. Senior year I failed all my classes b/c I was working full-time at the family daycare and had to take classes online. Me + internet = no productive work. I finally decided to get my GED and placed in the 96th percentile of my graduating class. Let's see... there was the time I stayed out 2 hours past my curfew (12:00) on New Year's Eve without calling home... I was grounded for a long, long time. I was a good kid, for the most part. Most of my failings were in secret.

It's geek excited/agitated speak.UPDATE: The website is still down, for all you concerned people out there. If it stays down over the next hour, I am planning on organizing emergency response teams to be deployed to Salt Lake City. Please PM me if you are interested. This is a serious issue!

I think Ben has this one coming... Thank you for doing all you do around here and keeping us in line!! Much appreciated, and I think this thread is one great expression of love.

Oh... that's a complicated issue. =/ Prayer + scripture study + meditation + Preisthood blessings = success! Apply the formula liberally until healing is achieved. (Note: Actual time of healing varies with situation. To see if prayer is right for you, consult your local Holy Ghost.) Seriously, it is a complicated issue... It sounds like your parents-in-law are good people, but the negative influences they have on your daughter seem to override the positive ones. As john doe mentioned, though, she is an adult and there's not much you can directly do about it. I would pray for advice and wisdom on how to proceed from your end: knowing how you need to act in the situation will help you feel more at peace about her, even if she decides not to do the right thing.

The online scripture site at LDS.org are down! *Runs around screaming* Right when I figured out how to edit signatures again, too. I wanted to add a pithy and moving scripture verse. Guess I have to look it up the old-fashioned way... *grumble* Yes, I think it is a significant enough of an event it warrants its own thread.

3 Nephi 11:30-31 30 Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away. 31 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine. You do an admirable job letting the doctrine speak for itself, and in following the doctrine that you offer others. You are truly the BoM warrior!

I love your math. Beyond being concise and to the point, it helps root the doctrine in terms other than the purely philosophical, which is refreshing from time to time. I've seen this defense a lot- that the doctrine of the Trinity was arrived at, in part, by a dire need to preserve monotheism in the religion (that's not what you're saying here, but I've read elsewhere that that was the case). I have no problem with monotheism (I describe myself as a monotheist, after all) but I am hesitant when an undue concern for one particular doctrine seems to trump all other factors. Was that a deciding factor when they cemented the final drafts of the Creed? Thank you for the clarification. And, I was going for fairness. When matters of inter religious doctrinal discord arises, I try to approach with a completely open and unbiased mind. I'm glad I mostly succeeded.

As exampled by ErikJohnson's post about what defines a Christian. When approached from a strictly doctrinal point of view, the Nicean Trinity is a philosopher's dream- so complex that one could arrive at any conclusion with enough rearranging of logic and words, yet so relevant that the import of said conclusion affects the basis of an entire religion. If a person wanted to claim the right to be called a Christian and exclude others from that same privilege, the Nicean Trinity seems the perfect place to start.(That's not a comment about the verity of the Trinity as doctrine, but rather about the philosophical complexity of it.) This also brings something else to mind: what is so important about the nature of God? Why is it so important that we have a correct, if not basic, understanding of His being? That's something I'd like to hear about from a non-LDS Christian standpoint as well. Personally, I think the nature of God is one of the most vital things we as human beings can learn because His nature reflects volumes of truth about Him, which in turn reflects volumes of truth about us. For example, to truly understand and appreciate the works of the great artists of the past, one must understand the artists' social circumstance and status, personality, philosophy, and more. As comprehension of said artist grows, appreciation and understanding of the artist's work grows. PC's latest post seems to further justify this thinking. In LDS theology, we find many seeming paradoxes that arise naturally from the reality of things (free agency vs. predestination, for example) but no paradoxes in the nature of God. In Trinitarian doctrine, we see a paradox that must 'be forced' upon the nature of God to help finite mortals understand the nature of things on a higher plane of existence, eternally separated from our own. The same thing applies to the nature of God, but in a way much more profound. Because we are His creations, understanding His nature helps us understand ourselves more. For example: I see the nature of God in a much more organized, businesslike manner than non-LDS Christians (from my experience with other Christians). I see myself in but one stage of a life meant to progress far beyond my current comprehension. I see the family unit not only as a competent reflection of God's love, but as the best possible reflection of the power and nature of His love I can feel on this earth. I live my life according to the Gospel of Christ (as much as I can) in the hope that one day I will return to my Father in Heaven and that He will embrace me in His arms that He possesses as part of His physical body. I also hope that one day, in a time infinitely ahead of this singular moment, I will attain the kind of power and glory that the Father and the Son enjoy, and will be able to express that glorious love to my own spiritual offspring. These are some of my deepest emotions and spiritual feelings, and they all derive, either in part or completely, from my understanding of the nature of God. If I were to honestly believe that God's nature was different than the LDS Godhead, my own spirit; my own personality and being; would be changed.

I'll re-post something I said in the other thread here, as I believe it is relevant to this topic of conversation.So, would it be fair to say that the LDS viewpoint about the nature of God is clearer and easier to understand, and that the Trinitarian viewpoint about the nature of God is less clear and difficult to understand the basics, while impossible to understand it fully? It seems to me that, if that is the case, then each viewpoint validates the theology of each religion: the LDS see God's Kingdom and the nature of God as making rational sense even from human perspective, and Trinitarians believe that God's Kingdom and the nature of God don't make rational sense from a human perspective. I do not believe the doctrine of the Trinity to be difficult to understand in its essence, but it is not easier, at any level, to understand than the doctrine of the LDS Godhead. Questions similar to 'Is God talking to himself when Jesus addresses the Father?' are not adequate examples of the hole in Trinitarian doctrine. In fact, the Trinitarian doctrine only seems to run afoul of incorrectness if one is to believe that God is a rational, explainable phenomenon. That's always how I've looked at it, anyway.

Some clarification: Trinitarians do believe in 3 persons in one being (I think I worded that right) but they wouldn't associate God as having MPD, if for no other reason than MPD is a human disorder and God is perfect, immune to all blemishes and imperfections.(I learned this from How Wide the Divide) Whenever attempting to come to terms of understanding other faiths, it does the other religion injustice by declaring they believe something actually different than what they do. I daresay that most/all Trinitarians would not say God had MPD, even if a human who had 3 persons in one being would be afflicted with MPD. For example, I don't like it when others tell me how I don't actually worship God or Christ, but instead I worship something else (usually Joseph Smith or Satan) because it's not what I actually worship. Disclaimer: PC started a thread devoted to the understanding of the Trinity- it can be found here.

I don't mean to pick sides, but it seems you wouldn't come and ask help on how to help your daughter with this problem if you didn't truly love her. I get the feeling that you care very deeply about your daughter, and her poor decision is affecting you terribly. It's not snobbish to want your children to practice good personal hygiene. My father doesn't, and it actually makes a distinct impression on his life. Taking care of our bodies is an edict handed down by God, and your concern over her disregarding this commandment is valid and healthy. Personal hygiene is also a very sensitive issue; it is connected to our deepset emotions of self-esteem and self-image. It may sound rote, but possibly the best thing you could do is pray for guidance and proceed from there. To effectively communicate with her on this issue, you'll need the help of the spirit. Have you tried praying with her and seeing if she opens up her spirit to Heavenly Father? If she does, and she ponders her decisions about her personal hygiene, she will know she needs to take better care of herself. If she is open and still refuses to clean up, then there's nothing you can do about it, and you might have to go back to praying and supporting her from the sidelines. As for her strong attachment to her grandparents... That could be a serious issue, or it might not be. I think the severity of the issue is related to how much of an influence they have over her, and whether that influence is ultimately for good or bad. Obviously the poor personal hygiene is a negative influence, but are there other, positive influences that might outweigh it? For example, are they members of the Church in good standing? Do they practice a mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy lifestyle?

I think saying that God has "Multiple Personality Disorder" is doing the doctrine of the Trinity disservice, as it isn't how Trinitarians actually see it. Admittedly, I can't technically tell you how they see it, but I don't think they'd see it in those terms.

I have no qualms with you kiwi, but I must defend my favorite apostles of the past. Everything worthwhile I know about philosophy I learned from listening to talks from past and present apostles. Much that I know about the Kingdom of God comes from the same source. In many of those talks, they wax extremely philosophical.Like tomk said, it's a milk before meat thing. Some will never get to the point where they can handle the meat, so the apostles usually don't make it the subject of their big addressed (like firesides and General Conference talks)- but, all the knowledge is there. Digging is all that's required. Well, that and a lot of thought,prayer, and supplemental scripture study. As more knowledge is given to us, there's a greater chance we'll misunderstand and misuse it; that's one reason that receiving knowledge is contingent on us working for it. Having said that, I agree with your second paragraph completely.

I have a roommate who's really, really into gaming and he does a lot of LARP's. I think he has 3-4 going at any given time. He's a great guy, but I actually get scared when he invites me to go with him. It's like the spirit's saying 'Don't do it!'.Of course, he plays Vampire and Werewolf and all the other ones that naturally lend themselves to dark subject matter...

My bad, I was under the impression D&D was a LARP.

Wow, 97 posts in less than 24 hours! BenRaines is apparently so old, his oldness generates undue excitement among the whippersnappers!