RipplecutBuddha

1. prayer 2. prayer 3. prayer 4. prayer 5. If I'm still sad and stressed, I pray. Seriously. Prayer is the best tool ever. I'll pray out loud at home when I'm alone, or I'll go on a drive and pray out loud in the car (eyes open, of course). God knows when we're stressed, upset, ect. and he want to help us. All we gotta do is talk to him about it and ask for help.

The trend is disturbing, and yes, more and more people are leaving religion every day. However, the prophecies of God still stand, and I have greater faith in them than one person's study. It is part of human nature to ask questions that science cannot answer; questions science cannot even properly address. How does one quantify how much love they feel for their spouse? Religion will not die away. It will come and go, just like any other aspect of human society, but it will never disappear alltogether.

my trick to cut swearing...wait. when something happens that typically causes you to curse, don't say anything at first. Just be silent until you can get control of yourself again. Don't say the first thing that comes to mind. Just wait for something else to come to mind.

I agree. I also think it involves learning to be selfless. When we do everything with God's glory in mind rather than our own, it helps us learn, and recieve, the blessings of selfless actions. When we remember that the more important aspects of our lives are the spiritual ones, not the physical, it helps us keep our perspective more in harmony with that of God's.

and thus ends the thread of yet another person unwilling to accept the possibility that their ideas/beleifs could be wrong. If you're not willing to listen to, and consider the weight of, our answers to your questions respectfully, then why bother asking them? When one asks questions with the tone that any and all answers to it are automatically wrong, the fact is very easy to pick up on by those of us who've been in a few debates before. This isn't our first rodeo, and you are welcome any time you are willing to hear us out.

I'm also of the Article of Faith reply camp. So long as their worship does not involve violence, criminal activity, or harm to innocent people in any form....let 'em worship away as they choose.

The OP's silence is deafening. Allow me some comments to him/her in absencia, for whenever they get back to this thread. Let's discuss the two issues you brought up in a different way. both Joseph and Brigham said and wrote quite a few things. Since they were mortal men, they were just as prone to being wrong as you and I. There is nowhere in the Bible that states once a prophet is called, he is under the direct influence of the spirit constantly to the end of his life. For heaven's sake, Noah got drunk after the flood....considering what he'd been through I can't really blame him either. Jonah's prophecy failed, and Christ's prediction of the second coming was wrong, both of which have been mentioned already, so 100% prophetic accuracy is a shaky claim. Let's leave off of that vien for a moment and try the new direction I mentioned earlier. At several times throughout Joseph's and Brigham's ministries several people left the church because of what they said or wrote. The exact same thing happened to Christ more than once during his brief three year ministry, so having followers leave the church is not a sound measuring device either. I marvel how many times the advice of an accepted prophet of God is rejected, especially when it comes from the Bible. James 1:5 -- If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. I hope you are searching for wisdom, and in that search I advise you, as James advises us all, to take the search to God himself. Websites can't give you the answers you seek...not even this one. The source of all truth is God himself.

um, wouldn't under the neck mean.....the chest?

It is a sound point IF all 73 books were selected by revelation, Something that has never been claimed. Yes the men were bishops, but a bishop is not an apostle, nor is it relevant to claim that one has equal authority with the other (else why the different title?) The apostles were prophets. They recieved revleations from God, and relayed them by word and writing to the world. Bishops were the next authority in line when the apostles were gone, but that doesn't make them apostles. Eph 2:19-20 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. 20 And are built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. Eph 4:10-15 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: I merely cite these verses in question of your claim that the age of prophets is over. By just these two citations, it seems to me Jesus intended prophets and apostles to be part of the church he established, and that he intended for them to be so to the end. For example, the second quote, verse 13. I can honestly say I don't think we're at that point yet in our common belief in Christ. There remains deep divisions about him throughout all of Christianity to this day. By this verse, it seems we very much need apostles and prophets still. If Joseph Smith really was a prophet of God, and God told him not to worry about the apocrypha....If God told him the protestant KJV bible was sufficient for doctrinal foundation, then any argument otherwise is a loss. God is in charge, and we are taking dangerous steps in questioning his actions. I understand that it's a very big IF regarding Joseph Smith being a prophet, but then, we've been aware of that from the beginning of the LDS church itself. Even Joseph said he wouldn't have believed his life if it were someone else and he was told about it. The doctrinal differences are what they are between the LDS church and every other Christian religion. I don't mean to begin a re-hash of them here. I merely want to point out that our position can be, and always has been, supported by biblical precedent regarding ongoing revelation, prophets, and so on.

Well, given that Jesus is now a perfected, and resurrected being, he has a physical body and is thus incapable of being everywhere at once. He's gotta pick somewhere to show up On a serious note, it's a great question and I don't have an answer for it. Instead I'm going to add it to my study list.....right after the other three dozen great questions I've found on this site get answered....I gotta pray more I guess.

The most clear form of vain repetition I've seen is when the prayer is given with the use of the name of Jesus added after every statement in the prayer. The form of the name varies, ie. Jesus, Father God, Holy Father, etc. I'll give a brief example, "We thank you Father for all the blessings you give us Father, and for how forgiving you are Father even though we sin so much Father...." I understand that how one prays is all but instinctual given how we learn to pray, and I don't think that in such prayers the person giving them is any less sincere than I am when I am pouring out my heart to Heavenly Father. It's just that the phrasing is distracting to hear from my perspective. I just feel that once we address Heavenly Father, we have his attention, and are thus free to say what is on our minds and in our hearts. The phrase from the Book of Mormon "And they think they will be heard because of their much speaking" always comes up in my mind when I pray.

Mind = destroyed Just imagine when we find a star larger than Vy Canis Majoris

Even more telling is the course of the discussion below the article. On display is the truth that it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round. The great news is that God loves us all no matter what kind we are.

Okay, as much as I love music, I got nothing in the song department, but I do have a joke.... Two cows were talking in a field..... Cow A. "I know it's been a while but the whole Mad Cow thing still has me worried....what do you think?" Cow B. "What do I care? I'm a helicopter."

My avatar is my most recent sketch of an atom of hydrogen. Actual size.

Let's use the example of running a red light as given by the OP. What dangers present themselves if you run a red light? How many of them remain if you stay put? At the very least you're protected from getting a ticket and having a good chunk of your next paycheck or two given to the city. Now look at the laws God gives us, and ask the same questions you ask above. How do God's laws protect us, and from what? What does this protection for the law-abiding look like to you? He that keeps the laws of God has no need to break the laws of man.

Also for the sake of information, any time anyone over the age of 18 (I think it's 18 anyway) is baptized into the LDS Church, they must be a member in good standing for one year before going through the temple for themselves. They may participate in baptisms and confirmations on behalf of the dead in the temple almost immmediately (subject to approval by their Bishop). The one year waiting period is also applicable for people in the process of repentance for certain sins, whether they were raised in the church or joined as adults. Temple attendance is one of the main points of the efforts of the LDS church. We want as many people as possible in the temples as often as possible. However, due to the sacred nature of the temple and all that it involves and represents, we must do so according to the will of God. God has set the standard for temple attendance and it is important that we do all we can to meet that standard. Sometimes patience in this is tough to come by, but when it's done God's way, the blessings are unimagineable.

sweeet....that means my CDL will be valid for --ETERNITY-- since it doesn't expire until june of 2013. Which begs the question, will I be able to drive a Kenworth in the Celestial Kingdom? Oh, and I just heard the day has been moved to February 30th. (Now, to go get a stupid loan started on that Lamborghini.....)

Most of the things people want to see God or angels doing in our lives are things we are fully capable of doing ourselves. You want to see a decrease in drunk driving....get involved and put your heart into making a difference. I forget who said it....it might have been Ghandi; "Be the change you want to see in the world." As for natural disasters, it's part of the world we live in, and God knew about them before he even began making this earth for us. We live in a world where merely being here means we'll die. Death isn't really what matters in this world. It's how we treat each other before death takes us that matters. As for God needing an excuse.....I can't begin to express how far off track that line of thought will take you. What God does is always the right thing. Just because we don't see his rationale at the time doesn't mean he needs to explain himself to us. Or do you imagine an artist having to explain himself to the brush, the canvas, or the paint? Remember who is ultimately in control here and remember that He is striving in every way to bring us back to His presence. When we're not cooperative, it's hardly His fault.

I call it the "easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission" syndrome. And I also agree that it horribly flaunts the Atonement of Christ as something we can use at our lesiure, rather than something we ought to strive to need less and less as we go through our lives. I think of it this way; Jesus suffered the pains of all sin so that we wouldn't have to. If we then continue in sin deliberately, then we're putting Christ in the position that what he went through was of no use to us, or that we don't regard it to be of any worth in our lives. Add to that the final part of the hypothetical....once we've had our fill of sinning, we then approach Jesus and seek out the blessings of the Atonement....suddenly when we've had our fun, we seek to avoid the consequences of our decision to willfully sin. How much more insulting can we possibly be? It's like we want to go swimming without having to get wet. True repentance must involve a complete turning away from the evil, a heartfelt desire to remove the very urge to sin from our lives, not a full abandonment of ourselves to sin as much as we please when we're jonesing for some 'fun', then a temporary cessation until the next time our desires build. We ought to take advantage of the Atonement as often as possible, but only as we strive to improve our standing before God each time. We need to feel true sorrow for our weaknesses and a drive to overcome them. We need to recognize what Jesus went through for our sakes and hold it rightfully as the single most generous gift to ever be offered to us. We cannot afford to take it for granted.

What also needs said at this point, is that Joseph was not seeking to be a prophet. He was seeking the true church of Christ. The most poigniant verse that stood out to him was James 1:5. I'll quote it here, along with verses 6-8; 5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7. For let not that man think that he shall recieve any thing of the Lord. 8. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. In other words, it was the inspired words of a recognized man of God from the NT that inspired Joseph Smith to proceed with what he said was his first attempt to pray vocally in his life at the age of 14. The interesting thing to remember is that the advice given from LDS leaders from Joseph Smith to Thomas S. Monson, who is the recognized prophet today, remains exactly that which James gave so many centuries ago. So long as the examination of Joseph as a prophet of God remains the purview of human rationale, historical records, and human attempts at gaining the entire picture, you will never reach a moment of facts beyond a reasonable doubt. There will always be aspects of Joseph's life that will cast shadows upon his claims. He even said the angel Moroni told him his "name would be had for good and evil among all nations." However, if you do as James directs from the Bible, and God tells you Joseph Smith was indeed His chosen prophet, then all the issues that cast doubt beforehand will begin to be resolved. In asking us to demonstrate how Joseph was a prophet, you're asking us to do something God can do for you far more effectively. Seek the truth from God himself. He won't lie to you at any time.

Actions have consequenses, and the laws we are given are there to protect us. This applies to the laws of our nations as well as the laws God has given us. The consequences of running a red light can range from nothing at all, to wiping out a family in moments. The question should be asked, are you willing to accept those concequences? As long as we operate within the laws we are given, we are protected. As soon as we step outside the bounds of the law, it can no longer protect us. The concequences of our choices are thus ours to claim, whether we like them or not.

some things to remember in this process. 1. In talking with the bishop, you aren't confessing to him so much as you are asking for help in confessing to Heavenly Father. In other words, don't view your bishop as the one in charge, because he doesn't see himself that way either. He's playing a similar role as Jesus in that he's an advocate for you. He's on your side in this. 2. As mentioned above, Jesus is on your side as well. He's been through what you're feeling. He knows what needs to be done. 3. Most importantly, remember that Heavenly Father himself wants you to overcome this issue. Everything he has set in place for us has been geared for helping us conquer our weaknesses. Though he is the true authority, He does not want to punish us. take courage and realize you're not the only person to struggle with this. Also realize people have overcome this issue as well. There's every reason to have hope in your heart as you work through your struggle.

Speaking for myself, I'm sure Heavenly Father relaxes a little when I go to sleep, but when I wake up again......

Some fun number crunching I did with the stats on that solar wave.... it was 100,000 Km high. That's 7.83 times the diameter of the earth. It was taller than seven earths....almost eight. The wave traveled at 250 Km/second or 560,000 miles per hour....that's Mach 729, or 729 times faster than sound travels. The space shuttle reaches a maximum speed of Mach 23. The SR-71 flew at mach 3+. Most commercial airliners fly in the range of Mach .8 to .9 Finally, the explosive force was measured at 2.4 million megatons, or 48,000 times the size of Tsar Bomba, Russia's (and the world's) largest nuclear explosion, which was 52 megatons Tsar Bomba alone was 1400 times the power of both bombs dropped on Japan, or 10 times the power of all the conventional explosives used in all of WWII.