EandLDOW

Jamie123, actually I have not "built my life around" the gospel. I was nearly 30 when I was baptised and became a member, and it was a couple of years after that when I found out and "knew", before that I had "believed". Glad you know you're a sinner, we all are. And more glad you know that God hasn't, and won't, give up on you. He loves you. why doubt? As for how I know, and know I'm not decieved, it's like explaining what salt tastes like. I know it was the Holy Ghost for a certainty, just can only say when you know, you'll know, and you'll know you know.

All I'm saying is that when God advises you to do or not do something, it's for your own good. Why not follow the advice of God? What exceptions could there be? Do you think God would tell you to do or not to do something and that advice would be harmful to you in some way?

Let's see. God is a god of truth, cannot lie, He loves his children, will not lead them astray, He's perfect in every way, and is unchanging. The Godhead included Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. All are "God", perfectly united in their love, knowledge, power, motivation, purposes. God, in this case the Holy Ghost, has told me clearly that the Church is true, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, that Joseph smith is the Prophet of God through whom Jesus Christ restored His gospel, His Church and His Priesthood, and brought forth the Book of Mormon for our benefit, and that Thomas S. Monson is God's Prophet living on the Earth today. So, since God told me these things, then yes, I do "know" them as true fact, incontrovertable, beyond any doubt or question.

Hopefully we'll all study it carefully after it's introduced to the Church in the November Worldwide Leadership Broadcast. It would be really nice if every one actually followed it. I can hardly wait.

"I'm not trying to justify anything it was merely an example. perhaps if you reread the previous posts before mine you would understand why i said what i said. The statement was made that feeling comfortable or being willing to do something in front of the savior was the measure to use when determining what is right or wrong. I simply disagree there are a number of things which many people would feel comfortable doing in front of the savior which are explicitly not ok." That's easy to say, but I have to believe they think they'll be comfortable simply because they don't really know the Lord and what His standards are. When the time comes that they do stand before the Lord, they probably won't be so comfortable. "well of course one will receive more blessings and be closer to god for fallowing all commandments and council. however to get back to the original purpose of the thread, is there a fundamental difference between council and commandment?" Did you just answer your own question? When we know the Lord, that he is perfect, loves us perfectly, took upon himself all our sins and ailments, heartaches and disappointments, and wants nothing but for us to become truly happy and become like him, and when he , or his servants, give us commandments, counsel, advice, or whatever you want to call it, that it's for our own good.......well, why would you not want to do it?? Just simply out of stubborness? Maybe pride? maybe rebelliousness?

Actually it is possible to "know" for a certainty of the truthfullness of the gosple. When the Holy ghost testifies to your soul, your spirit, that it is true, then you know, nothing doubting. Receiving a visitation of Christ in person will not make that knowledge any more certain, receiving such a visitation without that testimony of the Holy Ghost will not instill that knowledge. Many of the prophets have testified that their experience is so. Not everyone does know, many believe. Many put forth the effort and faith to find out, many fear or doubt and so don't find out. It's really up to you, according to the good time and will of the Lord. I, for one, do know.

I rated as an INFJ Idealist, with 67%, 38%, 12% and 44% as percentages, for what that's worth. These tests are too general and vague to be of much practical value. Like a horoscope or Chinese lunar calendar animal signs, they are somewhat on target and somewhat way off base.

If you put some candy or cookies in one corner of a room, a favorite toy in another corner, and perhaps some money or other object in another corner, you probably can predict which corner your child or grandchild will go to first. It will vary depending on the child's personality. Yes, Heavenly Father knows what choices we will make before we make them. But in order to preserve our agency and to permit a just judgement at the end, he lets us make our choice, and live with the consequences. Father also already knows the consequences, both of sin and of righteousness, they are set by eternal law. That's why he sends prophets to warn us of the consequences of sin, and give us the opportunity to repent and change our decisions before it's too late. An example would be Jonah's mission to Ninevah, a wicked city destined for destruction, but which repented upon hearing Jonah's testimony and preaching of the gosple, thereby forestalling their destruction.

1. We all have weaknesses to help us turn to the Lord. Just not necessarily the same weakness. 2. Could be anything, or combination or series of things, that help us recognize our reliance on Christ to get through this life successfully. 3. The Lord does allow Satan to try or tempt us, refer to Job for example. But not all temptations come from him, some, perhaps many, come from our own fallen mortal condition, seeking after riches, power, pride, vanity, etc. Just my thoughts.

Polygamy was not the abomination that the Lord referred to. He was referring to "whoredoms" in which the chosen people, Israel" took wives not of the covenant, and to David and Solomon taking wives unto themselves not by the Lord. The scriptures show that most of their wives were given them by the prophet, but they took some on their own, too, which was not according to the Lord's will.

The doctrine of multiple marriage has not changed. The Lord inspired his prophet, revelation again, to announce that the practice was no longer required of the Saints due to the laws passed by US Congress, to prevent the government from halting the work of spreading the gospel. Actually, today, if a man's wife, to whom he was sealed in the temple, passes away, he can be sealed to a second wife. Still multiple marriage in the eternities, but the first wife has already passed away. As for blacks and the priesthood, the prophets have always said there would come a time when they could again bear the priesthood. We just had to wait for the Lord's own time to come to actually implement it. Many other things are the same way, we know it's coming, just waiting for the official word from the Lord to His prophet to tell us when.

Yes, it's possible, but again, it would need to happen repeatedly in a small area to permit those altered to interbreed and establish a viable self-sustaining population, and the altered population would also need tu survive the natural disaster that led to the viral genetic alterations. Quite a stretch of laws of probability. Naturally, people could genetically engineer the DNA changes and manage the breeding, but then that would be intelligent design, not evolution.

It's good to remember that the questions asked in the temple recommend interview are to establish the MINIMUM level of qualification to enter the temple. To gain the full blessings of the temple, more is required. Careful prayerful study of the scriptures and the teaching of the modern prophets will give guidance on what is needed.

Since you lied to get baptised, yes, you should tell your bishop. You will also need to show him your genuine birth certificate to get the correct information so the Ward Clerk can change your record.

Personal revelation is God's way of giving us specific instructions or knowledge we need to help us get through our daily lives. I wouldn't say it "trumps" what the General Authorities say, but rather it supplements it and gives us guidance on implementation of their counsel in our specific circumstances. I do know that true revelation from God will never contradict anything the General Authorities have told us.