HEthePrimate

HiJolly, I think those quotes are great! And absolutely true. As my CES buddy likes to say, "The Gospel is all about relationships." Problems arise when people lose sight of that fact, and pay more attention to minutiae (the Devil's in the details, indeed! ) and abstract principles than to the people those principles are supposed to serve, and so Jesus emphasized that all the commandments hang on the two greatest commandments of loving God and loving our neighbors. Thanks for sharing that with us. :)

I think the principle expressed in Mark 2:27 applies: God gave us commandments for our benefit, not his own, and he's not going to flip out and get all angry with you if you can't fast for medical reasons. Fasting is a good thing (in moderation), but if you can't do it, you can't do it, and God understands. There are other things you can do to increase spirituality, and that's perfectly ok. You know yourself best, so don't let judgmental people make you feel guilty for something that's not your fault. I wish you the best, my friend. :)Peace, HEP

sister_in_faith, People fast for different reasons. Some people like using it to exercise self-discipline over their bodies. Others do it for health reasons, to get toxins out of their system. Others use it more to focus on spiritual things rather than the physical. I've found that I can actually enjoy fasting because during that time I don't have to worry about the distraction of preparing and eating food, not to mention the time it takes, and I can concentrate more on God. There are other ways to do that, though, so if you can't fast, there's no need to worry. Setting aside some time to study and ponder the scriptures is one thing you could do. Something that works well for me is going out for a nature walk. Walking a distance physically separates me from a lot of my daily concerns and distractions, and the beauty of nature helps me think of God and find peace. Putting on some good music can help, and so is meditating. HEP

I like ice water, but prefer not to put ice in other drinks--don't want them getting watered down. Although, ice can be nice to munch on, once the drink is finished. More so in summer time, though!

So, the Urim and Thummim are dangerous to tamper with, and Joseph Smith was off base using a seer stone to reveal the Book of Mormon? Not to mention the ancient apostles casting lots to choose a new apostle, and the Lehites being guided by the Liahona.I'm certainly not suggesting anybody abandon prayer, but I see no reason why God couldn't reveal his will by any number of means.

When I was a missionary and interviewed people for baptism, we were supposed to ask the person if they had ever done certain things like have an abortion. If they had, we were supposed to refer them to the mission president for an interview, and he would decide whether to let them get baptized. So in those days, the issue would have been resolved at the time of baptism. Don't know if that's still how they do it. In any case, Vort is right. She should be able to get a temple recommend, assuming she has repented.

Yes, I was happy to hear the news. The next reform I would like to see made to the monarchy is true separation of church and state. Don't make the monarch the head of the Church of England, and don't give the church tax dollars. I'm sure the Archbishop of Canterbury wouldn't mind being promoted to head of the church.

Just for the record, fornication is not the only reason people get married outside of the temple. So no, people don't obviously know why (unless you told them, of course).It seems to me you have four options: (1) Don't get married at all. (2) Get married in a civil ceremony. (3) Get married in the temple right away, which would involve lying during your interview. (4) Wait, repent, and get married in the temple later. Someone in my family committed fornication and got pregnant. They chose to get married civilly, and sealed later, at which time their child was also sealed to them. I'm glad they both took responsibility, and chose to raise their child in a two-parent home. If you're not pregnant, that makes things a little easier. There'll still be challenges, but don't panic. Discuss it with your boyfriend, and make sure that whatever decision you come to is what you both want, or at least can honestly live with. Good luck.

Oh my, I didn't expect my little joke to elicit such strong feelings. (sigh) In any case, and on a more serious note, I'm honestly not sure that God really cares what kind of sexual activities you engage in with your spouse. What I think God is more concerned with is the type of relationship you have with your spouse. If you are respectful and kind to each other, and both partners enjoy the experience, I suspect that God is just happy that you're happy with each other. What you should not do sexually is anything that your partner doesn't want to do, or that makes them uncomfortable. It's not so much about what specific activities you engage in, as it is your attitude towards each other, and the consideration you give to each other. We are adults here. You can decide for yourselves whether or not to play Nurse Candy and Doctor Studmuffin--you don't need permission.

(Accidental double post.)

Why's the Spirit watching people have sex? Honestly, let's have a little privacy here! We're respectable people, after all.

Why do you ask? Do you really want to be "commanded in all things?"

Lots of Mormons are environmentalists. Like you, they read the scriptures and go to the temple, and come away with the conclusion that looking out for the earth and other creatures is part of our stewardship. And many of us just plain like nature (I'm a huge animal lover! :)). The Church is also pretty involved with the Boy Scout program, which teaches boys to be mindful of the environment, one of the things I appreciate about it.There was a book published a few years back that might interest you. It's called New Genesis: A Mormon Reader on Land and Community. Don't know if it's in print any more, but if not, I'm sure you can find a used copy at Amazon.com or somewhere. It contains essays by LDS people concerning the environment, including one or two by General Authorities. Peace.

Giving birth is difficult and taxing, to be sure, but it is also a natural process as opposed to a work of artifice. Therefore it is by definition not art. IMHO.

I served in France, where they don't celebrate Halloween. (Some of the more observant Catholics do observe All Saints' Day, though, but that's neither here nor there.) We missionaries organized a Halloween party for a branch activity. It was fun trying to explain the whole concept to the French members--they didn't have a clue about Halloween! Also, we wanted dry ice for the punch, to make it look like witches' brew, but it was a bit difficult to find any. Ended up going to a coffin factory, appropriately enough, to get the dry ice! I think they said something about dry ice being used in the embalming process. (??)

Everybody sins, even you and I. Sin is a practice contrary to what the CoJCoLDS teaches. Since each of us here at LDS.net is a sinner, you should not affiliate with us, nor should we with you.Adios!

If we weren't allowed to read non-Mormon literature, we wouldn't be allowed to read the Bible, seeing as how it was not written by Mormons.

LeKook, In my opinion no, you are not evil for having these experiences. How could you be held responsible for something that's beyond your control? If you receive visits from the dead, then that's just the way it is. When it comes to the dead, I would say deal with them the same way you deal with the living. Treat them with respect; listen to what they have to say. If they want you to do something, think about it, and the potential consequences, and decide whether it's good or bad. If it's good, then why not do it? If it's bad, then don't do it. Also, I think it's ok to talk to people you trust about these things. If you're indiscriminate about who you talk to, some people may brush it off as nonsense, or they may think you're crazy, or evil, or whatever. I have heard of people feeling the presence of the dead in the temple, which makes sense if the Veil is thinner there. FWIW, since my wife died, there have been occasions when I have felt like she was there. Frequently I talk to her, even if I can't tell if she's around or not. (Now everybody's going to think I'm crazy! )

Hi Sena, I've got good news for you. Whatever "punishment" your bishop or stake president might give you is no worse than what you are already experiencing. My guess is that if you confess, they will either disfellowship or excommunicate you from the Church. If they disfellowship you, you will not be allowed to partake of the sacrament, hold church callings, or pray or give talks at church. You will be allowed to pay tithing and wear your garments (in fact, they will expect you to). This might last a year, or two, after which, if you have followed the bishop's instructions, they will reinstate you to full fellowship. Alternatively, they might excommunicate you, which means you would no longer be a member of the Church, and therefore not allowed to take the sacrament, hold callings, give talks or prayers at church, and furthermore you will not be allowed to wear the garments, and they will not accept tithing from you. Regaining your membership would probably take at least a year or so, though it varies from case to case. According to what you said, you have already stopped attending church, paying tithing, and wearing the garments, so really things will not change that much for you if you confess. EXCEPT for one very important thing: If you confess, you will at least have the chance to sort things out with yourself and the Church, and after a couple of years (or however long the authorities decide), you can be fully active in the Church again, if that's what you want. So basically, you can only win. Yes, it'll be embarrassing to confess, but believe me, you won't be telling your bishop anything he hasn't heard before, multiple times. He won't ridicule you or anything, just try to help you come back to full fellowship. He will want to meet with you several times to check on how you're doing and find out if there's any way he can help. So what you need to decide is if being an active member of the Church is really what you want, and if you're willing to do what's necessary to get there, like attend church regularly, keep the bishop up to date on your progress, keep the commandments, etc. It'll take some work and some patience, but you can do it. Most important of all, as others have said, is your relationship with God. Pray. Meditate. Read the scriptures. Listen (spiritually, not with your physical ears) after you pray to find out what God wants to communicate to you. And always remember, no matter what, GOD LOVES YOU! I wish you the very best, my friend, whatever you decide to do. :) HEP

Seems likely that this is simply a side effect of Utah having so durn many Mormons! Agreed. This attitude seems to be dying out here, but for a long time, LDS folks in my area frequently criticized Utah Mormons, and tried to "out Mormon" the Utahns. I admit that as a result, I felt that way myself, until I moved to Utah and discovered that Utahns are people like the rest of us, many of them quite nice.Still, I had to laugh a few years ago when a woman from Utah moved into my ward and bore her testimony. She had been afraid to move to "the mission field," but was relieved to learn, after a few months of being here, that the Church is just as true here as it is in Utah. I imagine a lot of people in my ward were rolling their eyes at that one!

I openly admit that I can be judgmental, and do make an effort to try to overcome that weakness. However, I also think it's fair to call people out for being judgmental. After all, the people Jesus judged most harshly were the hypocrites who judged others.

I grew up in the "mission field," but moved to Utah for the last two years of high school (and later BYU). I LOVED Utah! :) There's nothing wrong with living where there aren't many Mormons (though I do prefer to avoid morons! ), but I was a shy kid, and felt less like the odd man out after moving to Utah. In some ways I think it's actually easier to go inactive in Utah than elsewhere. I'm back in the "mission field" again, and if someone stops coming to church, we notice it. In Utah, or other places with lots of LDS, there are so many members of the Church that it's easier to go unnoticed if you stop attending. I've never been inactive myself, but I do notice it more when people disappear when there aren't many of us to begin with. Whatever you decide, I'm sure it'll be fine. If people cross your boundaries, just tell them to stop. Take care! HEP

Nah, human nature makes people judgmental. Of course there are times when religion, or other causes, can exacerbate it, but it's not unique to religion, and it often depends less on a religion's teachings than on what a person chooses to make of them.

That is absolutely true. However, if you want people to know you're a Christian, you can be as saintly as you want, but if you don't tell people you believe in Christ, they won't know you believe in Christ. For all they know, you could be a saintly Hindu.We do call ourselves Christians... amongst ourselves. But when we introduce our religious belief to others, we typically call ourselves Latter-day Saints, Mormons, or some variation thereon. We do not, in my experience, start out by simply referring to ourselves as Christians. The reason for that is we want to get denomination-specific so we can do missionary work by pushing our particular brand of Christianity. I think we should talk about Christ more often in general, both amongst ourselves, and with other people. That way it shouldn't matter so much how we introduce ourselves. If we talk more about Joseph Smith or Thomas Monson than we do about Jesus, you can hardly blame people for not knowing we are Christians.

I frequently agree with the ACLU, but yeah, like you I think they're right to take the student's side in this case. In fact, I'd have been surprised if they didn't.