captmoroniRM

Well, I'm here now, and totally forgot I posted this. lol. Yeah, I don't come here as often as I used to.

Looks like I'm moving to Vegas at the end of the year. Anything anybody can tell me about life there? We're probably going to be in the NW portion of the city, more than likely.

I think its funny the original article linked in here talks about his "vocal anti-gay political stance" but I clearly recall gay characters appearing in some of his works and they were portrayed favorably....Even in his Homecoming Series, which was basically a Sci-Fi retelling of several Book of Mormon stories.

The Mayan people were predicting the release of the Hobbit. That is all.

True. I'm not saying it is all bad, but the majority of it is. Linkin Park and Metallica are good, but even by today's standards they are "old." Long gone are the days where artists can maintain popularity for decades rather than be a stylistic xerox of whatever is popular at the moment.

The ideas of soul mates and "the one" are flawed. Like Eowyn said, soul mate aren't born. You find someone you are compatible with and make them your soul mate. In scripture, there are only two people we are commanded to love with all our heart. The Lord and our spouse.

We can only guess why "Brother of Jared" was prefered to his full name. One of the best ideas comes from a friend of my dad's who was a military linguist who learned several Arabic languages. The linguist said the Book of Mormon translated beautifully into Arabic. He also noted that many longer phrases like "And it came to pass" were only one or two characters in Arabic. We also know from Mormon's writings that their "reformed egyptian" was a very condensed languge, taking up less space than even Hebrew in order to maximize space on the plates (Mormon 9). He theorized, and it is very possible, that spelling out "Mohonri Moriancumr" took up more space on the plates than simply "The brother of Jared."

To the original question, yes, Joseph Smith did defend himself with a 6-shooter given to him by Cyrus H. Wheelock, an early church leader earlier in the day. 3 of the shots actually fired, the rest misfired. John Taylor later wrote that he heard two of the attackers died from those shots, but there is no evidence to say they did.

My personal theory is you can't dream anything you've never seen before. Every locale, every person, every wacky thing, you've seen in some form, even if it is something on TV, something in a picture or some person you simply passed on the street.

Pretty much anything, save country and the majority of what one would consider Top 40 stuff now a days. I have little faith in the American music industry's ability to produce real talent these days. Top favorite bands of mine include Poets of the Fall, Phoenix Effect, Muse, Imagine Dragons, and especially as of late the orchestral group "Two Steps from Hell" who produce music for movie and video game trailers.

Depends on the context, tone, and manner in which it was delivered. Between friends, it could be a friendly jest. I've also seen people who, when they dress up, look completely different. It happens.

Torchwood is basically the "After Midnight" version of Doctor Who.

Now a days, saying no R rated films is too specific as the church is global in scale. Different countries use different rating scales. In recent years the word from the Brethren has shifted from "no R movies" to "don't watch anything that offends the spirit" or however it is worded in the "Strength of Youth Pamphlet." Me, personally, I avoid all R rated movies and then am selective about any other movies I watch. Also, I doubt movies like any of the movies influenced young men into killing. Media can be a powerful influence but not THAT powerful. In situations such as the recent CO shooting, there were many other factors leading into it other than Batman. The guy just chose the Batman movie as the "theme" for his crimes.

It obviously didn't provide any particular advantage.... ....too soon?

I'm not saying it wouldn't be a big deal that proving the Book of Mormon is a valid historical document. Defenders of the Bible often use the historical evidence supporting the biblical stories as proof that it is a true book, and contains the word of God, but all it does is prove that the book is old and accurate in its account of history. It does nothing to prove that Jesus is the Christ, or that following its precepts will lead one to salvation. The same goes for the Book of Mormon. Even if it could be proven that Nephi and Alma really existed and that the wars and peoples described in it were real, it wouldn't prove it is the word of God. Yes, it would raise eyebrows as to how Joseph Smith new about these civilizations before archeologists did, but only living/applying the precepts taught in it and heeding Moroni's challenge will prove the book is the word of God.

Weirdo....how can you not eat sushi?

Alma 37:11.

Interesting read, though at best, it is evidence that the Book of Mormon is an accurate historical document.

Right. I'm not saying you should go to him for every little thing. But if you've done something more serious which would throw doubt on your worthiness to do so, chances are you need to talk to your Bishop anyways.

It stems from the idea that Coffee and Tea (the "hot drinks" mentioned in the Word of Wisdom). People argue that Caffeine is the reason those drinks are on the "do not consume" side, but specific reason as to why they are on the list, to my knowledge, has never been given. Just that we aren't supposed to consume them. The Church has no official position on caffeine consumption but because of the studies showing its negative/addicting effects (as it is a metabolic stiumlant) many argue that it is against the word of wisdom.

Ugh....I need to do this Caffeine reduction thing too. Rotating shift work makes it next to impossible to settle into a sleep schedule and I find myself chuggin Monster way more than I should.

Best advice from my stake president when I was your age: If you feel what you think is a prompting, write it down and act on it. As you do, you'll be able to discern if it is a prompting or whether you are talking to yourself. A few years later, I asked Richard G. Scott about how to discern spiritual promptings and he told me the exact same thing. Important Caveat: A prompting of the spirit will never encourage you do break a commandment or covenant you have made. So as far as a prompting to go to the Temple, do it. If you haven't taken out your endowments, talk to your bishop about getting a limited use recommend so you can do some baptisms or something.

We worship God the Father through Jesus Christ. He is our mediator. Christ himself said"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Add in all the scriptures declaring "And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth" (Mosiah 15:4) and it can get kinda confusing. By worshiping one, we worship the other.

When in doubt, ask the Bishop.

I'm military. I'm around people who swear and stuff all the time (especially the guys in the Navy detachment I work with). Its easy to get desensitized to it. It doesn't even phase me when I'm around it anymore, and I rarely notice until my coworkers are around my wife and I. Plus, they've all figured out that instead of swearing, I just slip into Portuguese rants. Perks of being bilingual. @bcguy, ah, good ol' BMT. Never had anyone calling me gay, but then again, I always talk about how awesome my wife is, so they figured it out.