Berean

WOW...you are seriously a Mormon? And you did not answer my question that I have seen...sorry if I am embarrassing you but are you or have you ever been a model? *blushes* I've been right before...

Hmm I thought it was every member a mission president... Psst. I saw an elder wearing a baseball cap and drinking...*soda* on a p day!!!!

Hmm sounds really good and quite sad. How do I check that out?

Thank you for sharing Vort...

I need to read that...I heard you are supposed to read the last 2 or 3 chapters first then the book form the beginning so you you do not jump off any bridges or anything...I guess he lets you know exactly *why* forgiveness is such a miracle?

I hope this is the correct forum but I cannot start a new thread on the Mormon questions forum. I am a member of a "Mainstream Christian" forum as I call most Christians. There is a thread about Mormonism where I have been discussing The Church at length. I was wondering if I could post one of my answers and the question it responds to and get feedback...these people started out fairly disrespectful towards us and that has changed for the better. They also give out "reputation points" and I have only received positive reps for my posts on this subject...the only negative one I got was an accident lol. Quote: Originally Posted by Borean View Post Jesus Christ is the Son of God begotten by the Holy Spirit. The LDS leadership (Prophets and Apostles) disagrees with this statement. They teach that Jesus Christ was begotten not by the Holy Spirit, but rather, by actual physical intercourse of God the Father (who they believe exists in a physical, flesh and blood body like ours), and Mary. LDS Prophet Brigham Young "When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was NOT begotten by the Holy Ghost." "Now, remember from this time forth, and for ever, that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost. I will repeat a little anecdote. I was in conversation with a certain learned professor upon this subject, when I replied, to this idea "if the Son was begotten by the Holy Ghost, it would be a very dangerous to baptize and confirm females, and give the Holy Ghost to them, lest he should beget children, and be palmed upon the Elders by the people, bringing the Elders into great difficulties" LDS Prophet Ezra Taft Benson "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the most literal sense. The body in which He performed His mission in the flesh was fathered by that same Holy Being we worship as God, our Eternal Father. Jesus was not the son of Joseph, nor was He begotten by the Holy Ghost. He is the Son of the Eternal Father!" LDS Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith "Christ is not begotten of the Holy Ghost". Quote: Originally Posted by Borean View Post We can only be saved by faith, repentance and baptism and reciept of the Holy Ghost. Salvation is a gift from God that cannot be earned but only gratefully accepted. Salvation is defined differently between Mormonism and Christianity. In Mormonism, Salvation is membership into the LDS church. In Christianity, it is being saved from all of your sins. On your last comment...can someone enter the LDS Celestrial Kingdom by faith only, or do they have to earn (via works) their way therein? Quote: Originally Posted by Borean View Post Jesus said "I am The Way, the Truth, and the Light, no one may come unto the Father but by Me" He is not *a* way, truth and life but *the* way...I know this and have a testimony of this. Is it not true, however, that the LDS leadership has taught that from the mother planet Kolob, uncountable spirit gods departed to populate and rule over their own planets...and that our present Heavenly Father here, is just solely the ruler of this planet, and Jesus himself, is just the furtherest along spirit child of heavenly father who is the next in line of celestrial progression to become a god and then get rulership over his own planet somewhere in the universe? The LDS Jesus specifically, is not the 'way, truth, and light' in all planets of the universe, but solely this one....correct? (not trying to badger you here with tough questions, just making sure you are aware of many of the LDS leadership teachings that are strongly conflicted with Christianity, and also that you are aware of many of the terms we use interchangeably, but the LDS defines and understands them much differently than how Christianity does...ei Salvation, born-again, exaltation, creation, etc....) Thanks for your continued replies here. We really want the best for you!!! To which I responded Would you please quote your sources from the purple text? I would guess they are not scripture...you would not continue to use the extremely unreliable and misleading Discourses would you? Anti LDS people have a field day with those. We make mistakes too and we have our heretics as well... I am not sure you read my post if you asked that question about faith and works...apologies if I was not clear. Faith saves and it is faith not works. However faith by definition produces works...we need to kindle and till our faith. Hence faith without works is dead. And the last one is a toughie but is ok...you are being extremely respectful and if not from me then I wonder where you will learn... The subject of what we call eternal progression is controversial for us as it does differ from other Christian religions...I include us as Christians and others disagree I am sure. No that does not mean that Christ is not the only Way...one cannot travel that road without accepting him as Savior and Lord. I understand that that may seem to some as salvation by works but as I said he is the only road there. Just a thought. I hope I do not seem blasphemous as some may think this so but this is our reasoning in the eternal progression subject. How many of you have children? How many of you want to see your children stay children forever? I am guessing none. Second query. Can we understand something infinite? Can we know God as well as He knows us if we are limited as we are? Does not the Bible tell us now we see through a glass darkly but then we shall know *even as we are known*? That is not possible for me now. Is it possible for someone in the heaven of what I call "Mainstream Christianity" (no offense intended that is meant to be respectful...if there is another term let me know...) to know his or her Heavenly Father as well as He knows His child if he or she is still a child? I hope that was not considered blasphemous as it was not intended to be and I do believe you wish me the best. These are honestly the best conversations about my faith I have ever had with those who are not members of my church and I thank those who participated for that. Have I gotten any disrespectful responses since I ranted? I don't think so...and I really appreciate that and maybe I will learn not to rant. ...and by the way my avatar there is an LDS painting of Jesus and Mary. I will tell them but they like it so much!

That seems to be asking the students to behave indecently I'm sorry. Lying around with blankets and pajamas in a coed environment? I have had pajama days in marching band in high school but it was fun...and *optional* and I wore winter pajamas that were flannel, had long sleeves and *footies* And texting parents seems a bit disruptive and intrusive. A letter is ideal to me...even phone calls can be annoying. And as for sex ed, that is probably the place of the parents unless the schools are very careful and according to who? And mandatory resting???? That is ridiculous and I think that not only says fornication is not only normal and expected but it is intrusive ant I think that infringes on these young ladies' rights. There is the school nurse but a girl who is worried should be encouraged to be the one to approach without it seeming stylish. My husband and I wish to adopt and his idea of home schooling is seeming more and more appealing. Several families in my church and community do this, I am trained as a teacher, and there are plenty of ways to socialize a child. I think done incorrectly this can be a huge mistake and rob a child of an education but one of the most brilliant students I have met in college was home schooled.

I did not read all six pages of posts but I recently posted a reaction to the behavior on the Big Love thread...brothers and sisters we need to support each other and everyone else...if not us then who? As I said there I am sorry if I am on a high horse but I am surprised at this...I came here to be safe and receive and give support and may be told at some point I need to cool it as well.

Huh, Darvin, I thought it was a play on the name Darwin. I am happy this thread took off... I am going to get cocky and post another thread that I love but fizzled on another forum. It is a wonderful get to know you and a get to know oneself question that a friend thought up. I really like it as I love music...let me know if I am too much of a thread starting-fiend.

People here have the tendency to be awesome especially people with lolcat avatars...and nice ones like Brandon...and I am pretty sure everyone I have read from here.:)

Yeah I heard if you like Jacob you are not satisfied in you current relationship...I just think it does not mean you like to be stalked or killed.

No that sounds more reasonable to me...a teenager is perfectly capable of more than instructional "plunking" I am sure she is fine. She is doing a good job I assume.:)

OK it sounds like no one caught the reference, but it is pretty obscure. I thought it was spelled Borean but it is with an e...I like the o better but I would rather be correct than have the cooler name I guess. When Paul preached to the Bereans they checked out what he said in the scriptures for themselves and he thought that was cool. As you know the avatar is a drawing I did of my favorite singer Tom Waits that is now hanging in a burrito shop which is fantastic (the restaurant) BTW and if anyone actually visits me which would be *awesome* but unlikely since I live in a pretty but boring state...esecially cold this time of year, we would need to go there. He did not call it Big Mouth Burrito for nothing...the stuff is HUGE and more than just burritos. There is paper on one of the tables to draw on and he will provide the materials. The guy who runs the shop is super nice and has really good taste in music IMO. So voila my screen name and avatar. :)

I hope this is not a repeat but I think this is an interesting topic. Mine is a rather obscure Biblical reference...did anyone catch it? The avatar is a drawing I did of my favorite musician Tom Waits...do *not* get me started on him or I will never shut up...:cool:

Wow, I just love the paradoxical commandments...and I only know a little German but wish I knew more. There is a story I heard about Russia every Easter sunrise service as a kid. There was a man who challenged the existence of God in front of a crowd of thousands. He challenged the audience to prove the existence of God. A young man stood before the crowd and said (this was Easter morning) "Jesus Christ is risen indeed" and without skipping a beat they responded in a knee jerk fashion in unison: "The Lord is risen indeed Hallelujah!" I always liked that.

Does large bills mean pennies I hope? Yay! I am official...my profile page colors need tweaking but I will fix it soon.:)

As I watch X Files I am pleasantly surprised that there is a Singles Ward II and I want it!

It has been about a week and I have no confirmation email...have I done something wrong? I do not measure up? ...kidding...

Amazing, you bear a striking resemblance to my James Joyce prefessor Dr. Daniel Gunn, who is an ex-Catholic and probably an atheist and a very good man. Yes it is fantastic but I could have done without the Circe episode, the scene on the beach with Gerty, and some others. Some phrases are stuck in my head forever unfortunately that I would probably get kicked off the forum or maybe just disciplined. Is it a good thing I am glad I read this and would do it all over again? And did you read Portrait and what did you think...and did you read Finnegan's Wake? I read a bewildering paragraph...:confused::confused::confused::confused: too bad you can only have 8 emoticons, the other forum with the least next to this we can use 15...and that is too bad since this has the best emoticons I have seen on any other forum and I am an emoticon connoisseur. Some I am surprised to see on an LDS forum but pleased but I digress. Yes it was risque for its time and was banned in the US for some time. If one wishes to read Ulysses I would suggest anyone with short of a genius IQ should read it with a group with an expert, an anthology, and the group should be good and inquisitive. Research helps too, as we had to do. There are great articles, short and long about this work. We all need help with this...that is, unless one knows every language, has read every work of literature ever read, and knows the Irish culture and slang of Joyce's time. And the ice cream thing was in a poster I saw for youth...it has vanilla ice cream with a cockroach...however I am disgusted by worms more...especially live ones. Rodents are cute, worms and bugs are icky. Oh and if you never tried pumpkin ice cream and you like pumpkin pie, go immediately to your local decent ice cream store and try some. You will not regret it as pumpkin has replaced chocolate with jimmies as my favorite.

Well technically the Lord but not always. My bishop, whom I love, once called his primary daughter to be the primary pianist when she could barely do better than plunk. Her mother ended up doing most of the playing...I guess he decided with his mother in law? My friend was the primary president and called someone else when she was informed that the decision had been unequivocally made with the bishop and someone who at the time had nothing to do with primary. This really confuses me because both the bishop and this woman are fine examples of righteousness but were way out of their bounds. My friend has been through an incredible amount because of this ward and did not put up a big fight because she and her whole family is in enough undeserved trouble as it is. He said she would need to get used to this as she would be doing things like this for the rest of her life. What about her son who is vastly better...but poor, part of an unrespected ward family and not the bishop's son? Excuse my cynicism but I believe it is founded as nepotism has no place among God's people. The primary pianist is now an adult but this reluctant (I could tell) little girl was pianist for quite a wile.

One of the worst things about pornography is about its insidious addictiveness...how many here have looked up something like "rainbow" forgetting the "other" reference there and seen two nude woman getting frisky? Another point I am surprised I did not see is the difference between men and woman. Although there is some variation men are more visual and women are more verbal. Than is why men have playboy and women have smutty novels. I know I am extremely verbal myself as a female and need to be careful about my reading material. I was surprised (why?) to see a romance novel in a bookstore for gay men. And this is not anyone I know to my knowledge but what about the husband or wife with a much stronger libido than the spouse? Who should comply...or compromise? I thinking asking one to do more than he or she wants is unfair but so is asking someone to go without because that can lead to temptation. That must be a difficult situation that requires honesty, emotional safety, kindness, understanding, and firmness. And what is up with violence? I do not seek this out but there are people telling women to fantasize about rape. That can't be healthy. OK I will stop and I hope that was not too much. Feel free to strike this as I do not wish to offend.

...and if you have were you as impressed, blown away, shocked, dismayed, and offended as I was not only by the Circe episode but the beach scene...14 years old...in *public*??? Other than the fact that he was an insanely intelligent arrogant drunkard, what do people think of James Joyce? Personally I liked Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which was readable and excellent. I also liked Dubliners, which got me to take the Joyce seminar...fantastic and a wild ride but with some regrets. He also wrote poetry which was technically clever but extremely dull. Not one of them being the trip to NYC where we saw La Boehme, MOBA, where the Professor bought us hot chocolate. I would be SUCH a fantastic book without the filth and blasphemy the way pumpkin ice cream would be fantastic without the bugs and worms. Oh and the nuts which BTW do *not* belong in ice cream. He wrote at least one play? My husband said he does not remember it being anything spectacular. I was asked to read my essay about Ulysses at a James Joyce Day about the Book itself being character like the others because it talks and has opinions. Unfortunately for my great professor I decided sort of at the last minute I could not bring myself to read it. At one point I could not find my draft and it occurred to me that perhaps I should not find it. I was devastated because I did not get my proverbial "moment in the sun" as this was a very difficult and respected professor. I told him I was very sorry I could not stand behind this book. I think that was the only time my father in law said he was proud of me. An elderly farmer's sparse praise was worth it just for that. The professor was great, just admittedly frustrated that I opted out at the last minute. I felt bad but this was I test I think I passed. Oh and I later got to do something cooler. I taught French to Special Education middle school students as part of a research program. It was great but was difficult due to the resistance of the SPED teacher who underestimated these students in tragic and maddening ways, see my blog if I can figure out how to put the url in my signature...but I need to be official for that don't I? I has a sad.

I would apologize if it were not for Equus...I apologize for mentioning that dreadfulness and will try not to again unless coerced to... Nor will I mention the photo I hope but doubt was photoshopped with "Harry" and "Draco":eek:: I love them all they just get so progressively dark! I also love Snape...in *that* way. Oh and what is wrong with a geek...wait nerds are kinder to chickens as I recall... I love nerds...I am a bit of one and I married a *major* one. Oh and does anyone know what the Golden Mean is? Well in the first book Harry catches the Golden Snitch in the middle of the page number that is the Golden Mean!

Hmmmmm...I have only gotten immediate confirmations to forums and it has been 4 days...is there some sort of rite of passage? I check my mail and junk mail at least several times a session...my husband wants to know when I get the secret decoder ring necessary to join groups. He really wants to try it. And I don't think I have gotten a response to the messages I did send when I could...how do I know???

Umm bodhigirl...I don't think there is an h in there, sorry... ...and please don't take this wrong, but are you a model?????