HEthePrimate

Have you read the words of Korihor lately? (Alma ch. 30)

I've never lived in either place, but would probably prefer Seattle because I like cool and humid better than hot and humid.

Maybe the bishop is thinking of parliamentary procedure, and just wants you to yield the floor to the teacher? Though it seems to me that by turning the time over to the teacher, you are yielding the floor. And somehow I don't think parliamentary procedure applies in the classroom, given that it's a class, not a deliberative body.

How about "This is our beloved Teacher, hear him"?

What's the bishop doing wearing panties? Shouldn't he be wearing "garmies?"

I don't think you did anything wrong--people 'turn the time over' to the teacher every week in my ward! Maybe your bishop has some fine philosophical point to make, but there's no way you could have known that. Just smile, let him make his point, and carry on doing the good job you've been doing all along!

What to you mean by 'reduce the influence of religion in our society'? I believe in separation of church and state, but I don't think that's a left-wing or right-wing issue. I know people from all over the political spectrum who support separation of church and state. Also, supporting separation of church and state does not mean we want to reduce the influence of religion in our society. We just don't want the state controlling religions, or religions using the power of the state to promote their beliefs and agendas. What do you mean by 'socialism'? Normally it is defined as a theory or system of social organization in which the means of production and distribution are owned by a centralized government or otherwise collectively owned. However, I often hear Americans refer to countries like France as being 'socialist,' but having been to France, I can tell you that their means of production and distribution are by no means collectively owned, and the private sector is alive and thriving. They do have universal healthcare, but even that is not 'socialism,' per se, as much of the healthcare is provided by private entities.Anyway, no, I have not noticed this to be a general theme in socialism, nor do I think the decline of religion is related to socialism. Though if you subscribe to the Nephite Cycle theory that when people are prosperous, they tend to become proud and feel less dependent on God, then maybe if a socialist country took good enough care of its citizens, they could fall into that trap. But the Nephite Cycle would apply in capitalist countries, too.

Guilt is only useful if it inspires repentance. If guilt didn't work to make you repent, then it's not useful.Fortunately, there are other motivators, things like love, hope for a better life, and so on. If your addiction, whatever it is, is hurting somebody else, you may want to focus on your love for that person, and how you can serve them. If you don't already love them, then maybe you can try to befriend them. If your addiction does not hurt anybody else, but gets in the way of your personal happiness and a fulfilling life, then you may want to focus on building a better life for yourself, and think about how learning to deal with your addiction could help you be happier. One thing about sin is that if your mind is focused too much on the sin, it will be harder for you to avoid it. Obviously, if you are always thinking about how much you want to do the sin, it will be hard not to do it. Likewise, if you are always thinking about how to stop the sin, your mind is still focused on it, and it will still be hard to avoid falling back into sin. A curious double bind. So what you need to do is find something else to think about, like how much God loves you, how you can help other people and make them happy, and what kinds of things (other than the sin!) you can do that make you happy. In other words, distract yourself from the sin so that it's no longer the center of your mental universe. Also, if whatever you're dealing with does not hurt anybody else, and it doesn't hurt you, then maybe it's not a sin. People get all kinds of funny ideas in their heads about sin, but sometimes it's just their opinion, and you can safely ignore them. But if you are involved in bona fide sin, then by all means, repent. But like I said, rather than focusing on the sin--whether it be how tempting it is, or how to avoid it--focus instead on Jesus, how much he loves you, and what you can do to serve him and your fellow beings. Peace, HEP

It's a rare gift to like your job and your employer, make decent wages, and not be in debt.Why do you feel like you should be chasing after more money? Are you getting pressure from your parents? Are the bills getting too expensive? I'm not going to counsel you one way or the other about the job change--only you and your family know your situation well enough to make that decision. But if your only reason for changing jobs is because somebody else thinks you "should" make more money, in my opinion that's not the best reason. But if you have bills to pay, or you want to change jobs, then do it. Peace, HEP

Congrats, Rapidmc!

I started reading the series *ahem* many moons ago, when I was at BYU. I read a couple and enjoyed them, but since each book is so long, and the series kept going on and on, I couldn't keep it up, and gave myself a break for a couple of years. Since then I've followed the same pattern, read a couple, then wait a while before continuing. Just finished Towers of Midnight a week or so ago, and am eagerly awaiting the final installment, due to come out in January. Maybe it's silly of me, but I think it's cool that a Mormon, Brandon Sanderson, was selected to finish writing the series after Jordan died. I think he's doing a good job.

Do you have any friends or family members you'd feel comfortable talking with about your depression? Even if it's only one or two people, that can help. Sometimes you can talk about your dysthymia specifically, other times you can just mention how you feel and do stuff together, and that can help you feel better, too. Also, such things as eating right, getting some exercise, and GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP can help. I think they have generic versions of some antidepressants, and those might be within your budget. Medicine can make a difference, so do look into that possibility. As a friend of mine likes to say, "Better living through chemistry!" lol Good luck. Dealing with depression can be a real challenge, and I wish you the best. HEP

To get things started, I'd join the Brown Ajah. Blue was tempting, but Brown fits my personality even better.

For any of you who are Robert Jordan / Wheel of Time fans, if you were Aes Sedai, which Ajah would you join? Each Ajah has its own purpose and philosophy. Even though in the Wheel of Time books only women joined the Ajahs, during the Age of Legends men did too, so if you're a guy, feel free to choose an Ajah! Here's a brief description of each, in alphabetical order (except for the Black, which comes last): Blue Ajah -- Concerned with causes and justice. Second smallest Ajah, but has the largest network of spies. Brown Ajah -- Dedicated to the search for knowledge, and spend much of their time engrossed in study. They run the Tower Library. Green Ajah -- The Battle Ajah, they prepare for Tarmon Gai'don (the Last Battle). They are the most friendly towards members of the opposite sex, and may even marry. Gray Ajah -- Mediators, seeking harmony and consensus. They are the most skilled negotiators among the Aes Sedai and are often used for this purpose. Red Ajah -- Their purpose is to prevent a second Breaking of the World by seeking out men who can channel and "gentling" them. Least friendly to members of the opposite sex. Largest Ajah. White Ajah -- Devoted to questions of philosophy and truth. To a large extent, they eschew both the world and the value of worldly knowledge. They tend to be very serene. Yellow Ajah -- They are Healers. Black Ajah -- Dedicated to the Dark One. They have forsaken their Oaths to the Tower and the Light. For a long time, their existence was denied by the Tower and assumed to be myth, and members of the Black Ajah pretended to be members of other Ajahs.

Ach, the nerve of some people!

This is not about gun control laws. The police said he did the right thing.

That is, IMO, exactly why they fired him. They were just looking for an excuse. Too many people getting ready to retire get fired for stupid reasons, just because their employer doesn't want to pay the pension.This guy did the right thing, the responsible thing, and look what he gets for it!

Sorry, that's what I get for typing while distracted! Yes, it's true that there are more and less healthy ways of approaching questions and doubts. I just prefer to avoid the unnecessary redefinition of words. Peace, HEP

Agreed--I've never heard Church leaders specify black tea. All I've heard them say was "tea" in general, but that herbal infusions are okay.

"Questioning" and "asking questions" are two different ways of saying the same thing. Perhaps it might be better to call the one "questioning," and the other "doubting" or "criticizing" (in the negative sense of the latter, though there are different definitions of that, too). I don't like it so much when authors redefine words when there are already perfectly usable words for the concept. It creates unnecessary confusion.I think God wants us to question. I think God understands when we doubt. I think the important thing is to sincerely seek for truth, and to be humble enough to recognize when we don't have the answers.

I think they should wear costumes and call out "Trick or fast offerings!" when people answer the door.

Applepansy is right. Talk to your parents. Talk to your bishop. Talk to a therapist. If you're cutting and suicidal, you really do need to talk to people. A wise bishop, unless he himself is trained in counseling, will most likely recommend that you see a counselor, given the seriousness of the problems you're dealing with. I understand that you don't like being on informal probation, but honestly, it's not the end of the world. And it's not as important as dealing with your suicidal ideation and cutting. You need to talk to people and get help! God wants you to find peace, and sometimes you need help from other people for that. Good luck, my friend! :) HEP

It's not just you, my friend! I looooove bacon! (drooling)

I assume haraam is similar to the Jewish herem?

If you haven't already, you should totally read the work of René Girard. I See Satan Fall Like Lightning is probably the best place to start. Girard's theory of mimetic rivalry is about how people imitate each other, and each other's desires, and this often leads to conflict. To resolve the conflict, people commonly engage the "single-victim mechanism" of scapegoating.Jesus perfectly imitates the Father, and shares his desires, and yet does not fall into the trap of rivalry (perhaps because the Father himself does not exhibit jealousy?). Jesus short-circuits the single victim mechanism by refusing to scapegoat anybody else, instead sacrificing himself. It sounds paradoxical, but by allowing the crowd to sacrifice him as the ultimate scapegoat, he exposes the lie at the heart of the single-victim mechanism. (It's easier to understand if you read the book, where the whole theory is spelled out more completely.) Since learning Girard's theory, it has struck me how every time the Father and the Son manifest together, or one talks about the other, they defer to each other. Jesus was always talking about how there is only one good person, namely the Father, and how what he did during his life was only what the Father would have done. During the First Vision, instead of taking all the attention, the Father, in turn, defers to his Son, "Hear him!" There is a complete absence of rivalry between the Father and the Son, only perfect accord. But we're getting a little off-topic here. Back to your regularly scheduled programming!