HEthePrimate

I can't imagine why interracial marriage would be an impediment to Celestial glory. We are all God's children. Some (though certainly not all) LDS have an unfortunate tendency to believe everything every LDS prophet has ever said. I think most of us understand, though, that the prophets may have their own opinions and speculations about things, and that not everything they said was necessarily on the Lord's behalf. Just to be ornery, I'll add that John Taylor is a dead prophet, and I don't recall ever hearing our living prophet, President Monson, say anything against interracial marriage! HEP

This story gave me a good laugh: U.S. defense chief lauds soldier in pink boxers - Yahoo! News I especially like this line: "I can only wonder about the impact on the Taliban. Just imagine seeing that: a guy in pink boxers and flip-flops has you in his cross-hairs. What an incredible innovation in psychological warfare."

LOL! I can just imagine how the leaders felt upon hearing your kids were explaining those things to other kids. But if they're not going to explain themselves, they can't really blame the kids, now can they? HEP

Goodness, I'm torn between spreading rumors and putting people down! But I'd say those two are the worst on your list. HEP [Edited to add the following] I'll add the long makeout/necking/petting sessions and make it a "Top Three" list of worst sins on the list. Sorry I'm indecisive, but I have a hard time ranking sins like this. :?

It's not just any couple of hours on any day in your life they're being asked to miss out on, it's your WEDDING, for crying out loud! And I'm not even insisting that they be allowed in the temple to see the sealing ceremony. All I'm saying is I see no reason not to have a civil or religious ceremony outside the temple that everyone can attend, and then the couple goes into the temple for their sealing. There is nothing wrong with that. There is no contradiction. There is no need to compromise our principles, our morals, our way of life, or anything. It's simply making accommodations for the family who are, after all, the most important people in our life. Is that really so hard to understand? I have a hard time believing that the Lord would purposely cause conflict among family members for no apparent reason.If you have good reasons why a couple should not have ceremonies outside the temple, to accommodate their families, and in the temple, to make it eternal, please do share them with us. HEP

What's in it for us, to get involved? Whether one agrees with it or not, the brutal reality is that America is unlikely to get involved in foreign conflicts for purely humanitarian reasons. There has to be some prize or advantage for us to win, commonly referred to as "national interest." HEP

MikeUpton, I thought your post was really sweet. :) My mission was to a Roman Catholic country (France), where in prayer they typically use formal pronouns to show respect. Well-intentioned as that is, we missionaries were told to teach our investigators to pray using the informal pronouns, so they would get a sense of closeness to and intimacy with God, who is our Father.God is big enough He can handle whatever you throw at Him, and not get upset. And as my Institute director points out, parents sometimes get tired of their kids only talking to them when they want something. They enjoy just sitting down and talking with their children about whatever, just having a conversation. I think Heavenly Father likes that, too. It's clear to me that you both love and respect God. Keep it up! HEP

Hmm... When I think "forced conversion" I think of the Sephardic judíos escondidos. Be that as it may... I was BIC and my parents raised me LDS. I've always been active in the Church, generally believed, and generally did what I was supposed to. However, for a long time I didn't feel like I "knew," or that I had been "converted." Then, as an adult, I was converted, as it happens, to the same religion my parents raised me in. :) People are largely products of both genetics and the way they were raised. Yet agency certainly plays a part. "Conversion," properly speaking, cannot be forced. But adherence to, and even belief in, may be. HEP

Well, it seems to me that the extremists are framing the whole abortion debate. At the one extreme, some people say abortion is child murder. At the other extreme, some people say the fetus is "merely" part of a woman's body until birth. Fortunately (IMO), the LDS Church falls somewhere in the middle, allowing for abortion in certain circumstances, but trying to avoid it when possible. I think what President Obama was trying to say was simply this: "We're going to disagree on some things--let's stop demonizing each other. Let's get a civil dialogue going." Thing is, I don't think he would have said a word about abortion had not the protesters made such a stink. HEP

And Mormons wonder why so many people think of us as a cult... "Sorry Mom and Dad, you can't attend my wedding because my Church says so."

Hi Spiritseeker!I've never heard anybody say it's forbidden to speak about Heavenly Mother, but I have heard people say we're not supposed to pray to Her. Don't know the reason why. I don't buy the "reverence" argument because it implies that God the Father is somehow less holy and deserving of reverence than God the Mother, and that doesn't make sense. I think it's generally accepted that Heavenly Mother exists, but we talk about Her so little that nobody seems to know anything about Her or Her place in our theology. Or maybe it's the other way around, and we don't talk about Her much because we don't know much. Peace. HEP P.S. I've always found it fascinating we sing the final verse of the hymn "O My Father" to both Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, even going to the trouble of changing from singular to plural pronouns. If the song of the righteous is a prayer to God, then this would appear to be the only officially-sanctioned LDS prayer to Heavenly Mother (and Father, as a pair).

Yes, God does come first. However, the Church is not God, and I believe God puts family before the Church. I think that having to tell your family "Sorry, but you can't attend my wedding because you're not members of the Mormon Church" is messed up. IMO, there would be nothing wrong with doing a civil ceremony and a temple ceremony on the same day, much as they do in countries where that is a legal requirement.HEP

Some people knew, some didn't, some suspected. He felt marginalized because there were members who said some pretty hateful and hurtful things about gays, told jokes, etc. No, homosexuality is being attracted to members of the same sex, regardless of whether or not you act on it. I am attracted to members of the opposite sex and am therefore heterosexual, even though as a widower, I don't currently have a sexual partner. 'Asexual' means a person has no, or very little, desire for sex at all. (Just thought I'd throw that in! )HEP

Well, appreciating the Church from a distance is better than disapproving of it! Seriously, though, you may want to attend one or two services if you can just to get a taste of what they're like. But there's no hurry to join. I think it's a good idea to learn what you need to know and feel confident about your decision before you get baptized. Anyway, thanks for thinking well of the Church. :) HEP

Well, to get back on topic, I have a good friend who's gay and LDS. He's an RM and still has a testimony, but no longer attends church because his needs are not being met there. Actually, it's more than that. He kept hearing LDS people saying bad things about homosexuals and he got sick and tired of it. It didn't matter that he wasn't "living the lifestyle" and even had a temple recommend, people still marginalized him. Whether or not the Church develops any special programs for homosexuals, I think we, as individual members and families, should make a conscious effort to reach out to them, be their friends, and think about how what we say might affect others. HEP

I'm just wondering why anyone cares? Either about Ms. Prejean's opinion about gay marriage or her photos. I like Jon Stewart's take on it in the first segment of the May 12 Daily Show. HEP

Then stop reading it...

Yikes! Her parents probably think the Church is some kind of cult, and wanted to "save" her from "drinking the Kool-Aid," so to speak. *sigh* When will people learn better? HEP

Today I watched the entirety of Sykes's talk, and thought it was hilarious. The President's jokes were also funny. Come on folks, lighten up! Besides, considering the vitriol that Limbaugh daily spews forth, if he's going to dish it out, he should be able to take it. HEP

The proper emphasis is on family. It's not a matter of putting the Lord first before man, but rather of putting family before the Church. (The Church leaders DO tell us that family comes first, do they not?) IMO, people should be allowed to have both a civil and a temple ceremony, even if they're on the same day. There's nothing at all wrong with that. Marriage is one of the most important events in a family's life, and not to allow accommodating the family is just messed up.HEP

Actually, I hear Limbaugh every day at work. My coworkers like him and insist on tuning the radio to his show every day. I've heard him plenty, and am of the opinion that he is an idiot when it comes to politics. When it comes to making money, he knows what he's doing.HEP

Rush Limbaugh is an idiot. An idiot who's very successful at being a shock jock and making money, but an idiot nonetheless.I agree with Sykes (except about wishing harm on Limbaugh)--to hope Obama's administration fails is foolish. I, for one, hope they succeed so our country gets out of the mess it's currently in. If Rush wants to disagree with Obama that's fine, but hoping that our country fails just to make a political point is idiotic. HEP

It sounds lovely. :) I hope to be able to go there someday, as well as visit other sites in the UK. HEP

I think people of all persuasions like to paint their adversaries as "fascists," in order to make them look bad. No, fascism does not go hand in hand with religion. I'm not sure what you mean by "does hypocrisy know no boundaries," but I do think it runs rampant and that almost everybody is guilty of it. It'll probably take a lot of time, and lots of effort, to escape the vain ideas of humankind.Not to sound pessimistic, or anything! There is also plenty of good in this little world of ours. :) HEP

I think the notion that all our soldiers are conservative nationalists is a myth perpetuated by the Right Wing to make people think that the only people who are patriotic, and willing to put their lives on the line for it, are conservatives. I suspect there are a substantial number of patriotic liberals among the troops, too. (I have liberal friends who have served or are currently serving.)HEP