HEthePrimate

I'll just throw in that the Church's position on the matter is not exactly clear, let alone set in stone. I don't recall ever seeing an official statement from the Church about masturbation, and different bishops seem to have different opinions on the matter. Some think it's a sin and renders a person unworthy to partake of the sacrament, go to the temple, etc. Others think it's a sin, but not very serious. Yet other bishops don't think it's a sin at all, and only problematic if it starts disrupting the person's life. I put this in the same category as claiming that Coca Cola is against the Word of Wisdom. Many people claim it is, but that's not what the Church actually says.

Is your herbal supplement a "hot drink?" My mother cracks me up sometimes. She loves the peach iced tea flavor of Crystal Light. I pointed out to her that it actually has tea in it. She looked a little startled, but promptly said, "I don't care. I like it!"

Dontcha worry--I don't have any particular desire to go to Hooters!

Most medical and mental health professionals would say it's normal and healthy (WebMD.com, is just one example). I happen to agree, but understand that some LDS people disagree.BTW, I love your screen name! Big Tolkien fan. :)

Very true. It seems paradoxical--an addict feels shame for engaging in a particular behavior, and then does that behavior in order to feel better--but that's the way it works. The very definition of a vicious cycle!

:lol:

Do you really want your kids living with you till they're 100? Well, I guess if you can convince them to pay rent...

When I was riding the bus to work yesterday, I heard a little boy say, "When I grow up, I want to be a motorcycle... " (Pause while he thought this through.) "Rider." A minute later, his little brother, no more than four years old, said, "When I grow up, I'm going to college!" The lady sitting next to me was so astonished, she turned around to look and see who this amazing child was. Then she started talking to me about how wonderful it was to hear kids say things like that. I totally agree--that was great! :)

It seems that retailers are reacting negatively to extreme couponing: Yahoo! Finance - Financially Fit

I'm probably missing out on some vital cultural experience, but I've never actually been to Hooters. Is the food any good? Does this remind anyone of that episode of Seinfeld when Elaine applies to work at a diner were all the waitresses are well-endowed? She thinks the owner is a sexist pig, but the women are actually his daughters!

OT, but I like how sixpacktr bends the rules about political neutrality by not actually starting a political thread, but slams Democrats in his signature line. It's not even an argument of substance, but basically an ad hominem. Just sayin'.

It's quite possible they do feel a moral obligation. However, different people have different ideas about what's appropriate. For example, a pacifist might object to a movie like Star Wars, because he feels it glorifies violence. Another person might consider Star Wars to be harmless fun that also teaches good values. One person might object to Harry Potter because he's a wizard. Another will think Harry Potter teaches good values. In a pluralistic society, people can in good faith disagree with each other about what is appropriate.

A good number of hymns in the LDS Hymnbook were written by non-Mormons. I do like a lot of the LDS hymns, and also lots of non-LDS religious music. One of the hymns we sang yesterday during our "favorite hymn" sacrament meeting is one that was in the old LDS hymnbook, but not included in the current one, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing." The fellow who picked it served his mission in Germany, and the missionaries would often sing hymns in the street. Non-LDS Germans would stop and listen to this one more than others because they recognized it from their own hymnbooks. In case you're wondering, they included a photocopy of the hymn in the ward bulletin so everybody could sing it. Christmas music, of course, is among my favorite. Don't tell anybody, but I occasionally listen to it even when it's nowhere near Christmas! Sacrament, praise, and songs having to do with nature are also good.

Very interesting. Guess it just depends on what ward you attend, huh? I like it a lot. Even though I'm not a trained musician, and don't claim to have a beautiful singing voice, I do enjoy singing in a choir. In my ward, being a member of the ward choir is not technically a calling, but I consider it my main calling all the same! :) One thing to be grateful for is that other people in my ward, like the choir director, are musically trained, and I can follow along and learn from them. That, and we don't just sing out of the hymnbook, either, but get to sing a variety of stuff. On Sundays like today, we get to see what songs people like, and why.

In two wards that I've been in, if a month has five Sundays, they'll have a special musical sacrament meeting where people pick their favorite hymns, and everybody sings them. In a singles ward I used to attend, anybody could get up, name the hymn, explain why they liked it, and then lead it, if they knew how. In my current ward, the bishopric assigns a certain number of people to pick hymns and give a somewhat longer talk about the hymn first, and then the congregation sings it. That's what we did today, even though it's not a fifth Sunday. Don't know why we did it today, but I'm certainly not complaining, as these are some of my favorite meetings! Oh, and the ward choir (of which I am a member) also sang today, and I loved it. We sang "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need," arranged by Mack Wilberg. :) So I'm curious, do lots of wards have these "favorite hymn" sacrament meetings?

Feathertail, I'm sorry about your trials. (((HUGS)))

Woohoo! Congratulations! :)

Part of me wants to ask "Would you watch an X-rated movie and then complain about how dirty it is?" However, the reality is more complicated. I don't know the criteria they use for rating movies, but whatever they are, people have different opinions about what is appropriate for children and what is not appropriate. So when a movie is rated PG-13, one parent might watch the movie and think it's just fine for her 14-year-old child. Another parent might watch the same movie and think it's inappropriate. So what are the people who assign the ratings supposed to do? It's impossible to please everybody. I think the ratings system serves as a general guide, and can be useful even if you don't agree with their rating criteria. For example, if you think too many PG-13 movies are actually not appropriate for 13-year-olds, then tell your children so, and send them to G or PG movies instead. Of course plays (as opposed to movies) are not rated, so you have to come up with a different way of deciding whether or not to watch those. It's good that people are willing to give feedback to those who produce our arts and entertainment, so if you have a problem with that production of Les Mis, go ahead and say so. But do keep in mind that what works for you might not work for others, and ultimately what we watch is our own responsibility. I have to admit that there have been times when I was watching a movie that I thought was fine for somebody my age, but I saw people there with young children. I cringed and wondered what those parents were thinking. But unless they're actually abusing or neglecting their children, it's not my call as to how they raise their own kids.

I agree with prophetofdoom. Also, just my personal opinion, but a college education is important enough that if I were in your situation, I would finish that first, before going on a mission. When I was your age, I went on my mission first, and then to college, and that was expected. However, your situation is different because you are a new convert, will have to wait a year anyway, and your parents are supporting you in college. But if you want to go on a mission after finishing your undergraduate work, then by all means, do it! It can be a very worthwhile endeavor.

What's that saying about people in glass houses... ?Similar things have happened in our church, if not as much. How about if we stick to the question at hand, rather than gratuitously slamming other churches?

If repentance is thought of as a turning away from sin, then stopping the sin may be a form of repentance, if not for the right reasons. If a thief decides to stop stealing because she doesn't want to go to jail, well, the people she would have stolen from will be glad not to lose their stuff, even if the thief hasn't repented for the right reasons.But you're right that it isn't ideal, and that true repentance involves a change of heart.

One form of repentance may be more sincere than another, but I'd say that even if it's not for the right reasons, it's better that a person stop sinning than continue. If the person "repented" out of fear, at least he stopped doing the problematic behavior, and there's always a chance that sometime in the future his heart will change, too, and become truly sincere.

A couple of scriptures in support of equality:

I don't know if you actually heard a voice or not, and if you did, whose it was. I will say this, though. Satan is known as the Father of Lies. Maybe he's unable to hurt you directly, so he's trying to frighten you. And when people are frightened, they do stupid things. Don't let him psych you out. Have confidence that God is watching over you, too. Peace. HEP

If you feel the need for someone else's help, by all means talk to your bishop. Or a counselor. Or just a friend. If it's something you feel you can handle on your own, try that. If you think it's a sin, then do what you feel is necessary. If not, then act accordingly. The Church does not seem to have a clear position on masturbation, so I see some flexibility there. Sooner or later, we all have to make decisions about what we believe, or decide to simply believe what we're told by others. Peace to you.