Helgi

IMHO these men, albeit "nice" should have more respect, and we should have female drs for females and vice versa. It´s not as if there were a shortage of drs. I guess we´ll just have to agree to disagree. Irrespective of some drs being GA´s, BUT, since you did mention OBs and GYNs, Yes, I do feel very strongly about why Males, should seek such a profession, especially LDS.

So Volgadon, do I then understand you correctly, that your interpretation is Christ is Kolob, and the other 14 worlds, are his two councillors and twelve appostles? I´m sorry, but that doesn´t quite fit in with The Book of Revelation and The Book of Mormon, where it mentions the 24 Elder´s which will be sitting in a circle at The Final Judgement (12 for the Jews and 12 for the Gentiles). However I thank Hemidakota for his helpful input.

Let´s get a few things straight here. Let´s begin by accepting that The Book of Mormon is True (for the sake of argument), and that the people accepted God. Since we know, from The Bible, that these people knew about Redeeming the dead (see 1 Cor. 15:29) then these souls (i.e. the spirits of the departed) were in mortal danger (wouldn´t have the work done for them) if the geneology would be lost (it was recorded on the plates). Hence the same rule applies, if you or your family (living or deceased) are in mortal danger, AND you take matters into your own hands (or are commanded by God) YOU ARE JUSTIFIED. DO NOT FORGET Nephi was NOT proud of what he had to do to get the tablets, in fact he felt great remorse and repented of this horrible deed; and eventhough The Book of Mormon doesn´t tell us, I´m sure he did the work for Laban later on (Just like an officer of an allied Navy did for a crew of a submarine he was forced to sink during WWII). As regards polygamy, let us not forget, that there were more women than men following God (just like in the Church today), and God dosen´t want his daughters to suffer because of this. Back in those days, polygamy was allowed (provided they could provide for them); After the restoration of the Gospel, the same was again allowed, BUT with the proviso, that WIFE #1, agreed, and if a third one were to come into play then the other two had to give their consent. PLEASE bear in mind, that during both times, women didn´t have any rights. No right to vote. It was a man´s world. It was only within The Church (at that time), that women had the right to vote (sustain their leaders), and for this reason, those who were against The Church, tried to murder all the men (because banks wouldn´t listen to women, only men), so those who survived, took them as wives, so that their children wouldn´t be sent in all directions and the families lose their farms etc. - Call it a marriage of convenience. Later, after women get the right to vote (and the world starts seeing women more as equals), There is no need for this anymore, and it is abolished. However, there were those, who couldn´t follow The Lord´s bidding, and wanted to be able to enjoy many women. These formed a new splinter group. There were also those (who also formed a new splinter group) who felt that the office of prophet, should only be by direct male decendants of Joseph Smith Jrs. family We have a very precarious situation, as people often mistake ideas (which pop into their heads, owing to the quiet whispers of Satan and/or his entourage) with God speaking to them (via the still small voice of The Holy Spirit). For this reason, we are exhorted to FAST & PRAY about ALL MATTERS CONCERNING THINGS SPIRITUAL. Let us not forget, that The Lord tried Abraham´s fidelity, by asking him to sacrifice his first born. Consider the act of slaying Laban, Nephi´s test of faith. If he hadn´t done so, we wouldn´t have The Book of Mormon today. God doth act in mysterious ways, doth he not.

I´m sorry LOUDMOUTH, it didn´t have a sign saying Milky Way 25 parsecs. It could very well have been OUR galaxy, as it was a spiral (SO) galaxy. As regards fighting things out in a cage - is rather OLD HAT.

I´m sorry deadinside, that The Church is specific, Family 1st, THEN JOB, THEN CHURCH. As regards voyeurism and exhibitionism etc. It is a violation of your sacred vow, whether you have lost your faith or not. If I were in the Bishops place, and you had no interest in repairing your marriage, by ammending YOUR ways. I´d say your wife has grounds for a divorce. Your wife is your helpmeet (i.e. equal) NOT HELP MATE, i.e. to run after you.

IMHO, too many doctors, are in it for their own voyeuristic satisfaction, HENCE a violation of the law of chastity, as if one person gets satisfaction out of it that is enough. Becoming a doctor, is like becoming a certified peeping tom. Just like people who are addicted or prone to pornography or other forms of decadence. You have my thanks and gratitude for your query. I know, that a lot of members, find it "alright", because they are "doctors", but this is how Satan wants us to think, and slowly and surely reduce The Church from the inside, as has been prophisied.

While investigating The Church, Many Moons Ago, I read The Pearl of Great Price, and was stunned, to say the least. I decided to fast and pray about it, and asked, that if it were true, to be allowed to see Kolob from a distance, so as not to defile it; and if it were NOT true, then to give me nothing. The result was that that night, I floated in outer space, and beheld the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. I was taken in the spirit and beheld the galaxy where Kolob is. It strengthened my testimony indedd. Thanks for the link. Now I´ll read the book.

Hear hear! Elgama is right. The Bishops have the keys, and represent Christ, as they are his envoys. The question remains, were both bishops given ALL the facts. Sometimes, people say:"It´s all right, because we love each other." But is it LOVE OR LUST. If you love and respect one another, then you can wait. It´s hard owing to sexual drive of differing proportions, but well worth the wait.

Mine was the 1st presidency´s answer to my question: Are my wife and I correct in refusing male doctors and nurses to violate my wife´s modesty because they are doctors, just because she is pregnant. I feel it is a violation of the law of chastity. The reply came from Dieter F. Uchtdorf, who said that irrespective of the worlds decadence we should say: "I am doing the Lords work, and I cannot come down." In other words, DO NOT LOWER THE STANDARDS. DO NOT SELL YOUR MORALS AND STANDARDS (OUR SYMBOLS AND TOKENS) FOR MONEY, by paying some male to do a task, that women did in the Bible, just because MORTAL MEN (Natural men (God´s enemies)) who serve the destroyer (of marriages) say "It´s all right" - We aren´t that "old fashioned" anymore. We are LDS, We have Morals and Standards, and are proud of it.

I´ve often contemplated that passage myself. I was once placed in the position, whether to obey the leadership of the branch/district I was in, or to follow my own concience. The matter regarded a mother and step dad, who had legally adopted a girl, but later the biological mother of the child, who was in reality the daughter of said mother who was the childs adopted mother and biological grandmother, - The adoption was reverted back to the biological mother. The grandmother (adopted mother) took a photograph of herself and applied for a passport in her daughter´s name (the biological mother) and left the country, on a false passport. The leadership new of the adoption process, and decided to keep things quiet. When I learned of this, I turned the people in. The mission president went ballistic on me, and pointed his finger very angrily at me. I allowed him to vent his frustrations, and asked him if he knew that they had travelled on false passports etc. etc. etc. - To which he replied no, and was like a beaten dog. The branch/district was already divided and not growing. Now the division became even clearer, and it ended up with a general authority coming to the branch/district to settle matters. It has now been over 10 yrs., and there are now two branches. I violated Church doctrine by NOT following or sustaining my leaders in this matter, but upheld The Articles of Faith, by BEING HONEST IN MY DEALINGS, AND FOLLOWING THE LAW OF THE LAND. The leadership were ignorant of the couples deception of travelling on false passports etc. So they based their judgement on false witness. They made an error in praying for justification of their actions, rather than guidance. It is very rare, that you would be placed in the same position as Nephi, However, The D&C clearly states, that if YOU and/or YOUR FAMILY are in MORTAL DANGER, and you take matters into your own hands. You are justified.

Welcome Utahangelgirl, My wife was Stake chair person for Single Members, until we got married. We both too do talks at firesides and in Church. It has been a long time since I´ve done my geneology, but it´s going to be even harder now, as half of mine is Icelandic and since we change surnames all the time it makes it that much harder, e.g. my surname is Kristjánsson, becuase my father´s name was Kristján, his surname was Sigurjónsson, his father´s Ásmundsson, etc. I´m sure you´d have a field day doing research like that. However, my Scottish side isn´t any better, as they are (Don´t laugh) The McDonalds (Burger it). The problem is, there is The McDonald of The Isles, McDonald of Sleat etc. etc. - So I´m up for alot of fun. Enjoy being here, and I hope you make alot of friends.

Just a guy is right. My wife divorced her X because of that. He was always online looking at different porn sites, and also in chat rooms. Remember, that The Bible says: (irrespective of which denomination you follow) That he who has committed adultery in his heart (pornography and lewd thoughts included) has committed the act with that person. It doesn´t matter what justifications mortal man (Natural Man) may come up with, it doesn´t change what the Bible states or what it implies or means. You are bound by your marriage covenant, to be faitful and true; To have only ONE woman, and keep the ONLY UNTO HER. END OF STORY. Give up your voyeurism, and day job, and move back with your family. Go down on your knees and repent.

Dear Dead Inside, I´m pleased to hear, that you are endeavouring to get employment back in the States. I should also like to take this opportunity, to wish you a happy father´s day. I should like to take this opportunity to share with you to short stories from our sacrament meeting today. The first is an abridged version of a story read from Chicken Soup for The Soul. "A father in Armenia had said to his son, that he would always be there for him. One day an earthquake above 8 on the Richter scale, hit the town. The father was immediately concerned about his son´s welfare, and went to his school. It had been leveled. He began digging with his hands, and other parents came on the scene and told him to go home, that everyone was dead. He replied: "Are you going to help me?", and continued digging. The fire department came on the scene and advised him to go home, as there were many fires breaking out. He replied: "Are you going to help me?" - Finally the police came on the scene and they said the same thing, to which he replied: "Are you going to help me?" After 38 hrs of digging he got inside and called for his son, who responded saying: "I´m alright. I knew you would come, as you said you would always be there for me." His father urged him to crawl out. The child refused, as there were 14 kids down there, and he knew that as long as he was there, that his father would not leave." - Those children were saved because of his father´s perseverance. Are you going to be there for your children? The other story I´d like to share with you, was presented in a General Priesthood Session a year ago, and again today in Sacrament: A father comes home, and the first thing his son asks him, is: "Dad, how much do you make an hour?" His father´s response was vehement, and the father told him to go to his room. Immediately assuming that the kid wanted something. After calming down, he went to his son´s room, and spoke to him, and told him that he made GBP 10 an hour (equiv. to USD 20 an hour), and asked him why he wanted to know. The child said: "You see dad, I´ve got GBP 7.50 saved (USD 14), when I´ve saved GBP 10 (USD 20), I´d like to buy an hour of your time so that we can play." I know that work is important and puts food on the table, but in all honesty my dear brother, The prophets have told us, that: Family is #1, work is #2 (as it provides you with food, clothing, tithing and fast offerings), and your church calling is #3. Do you really want your children to have to buy your time? You´re family was precious enough for you to start it 19 years ago. Don´t throw it away. You know the Church is true. You have a faithful wife that has stood by you thus far. Now it is your turn. I was in a relationship a few years ago. She was a non member. We agreed that every other week we would attend a Church of England Service and The Church of Jesus Christ the Next. - She didn´t even want to go to her own church, but backed out of it. I ended up leaving her and packing my job in, and became active again; and she started going to a Baptist Church, she even called me, but I had to be honest with her and said I was happy for her, but that I had found that happiness that I had missed, but that we could still be friends. To which she replied, that she couldn´t be friends with me, in case I met someone, and she was honest with me, that she couldn´t commit to Church Standards. I then fell in love, got engaged and married a beautiful daughter of God. I´ve never regreted leaving my job, or leaving my X, and going through the rough times, as being with an LDS is a far greater blessing. You can repair your marriage, for I can tell and The Spirit testifies it is so. Do you remember a song called "Cats in the Cradle" with Harry Chapman? It´s all about a son who keeps asking his father when he´s coming home, and he keeps giving excuses. Daddy finally retires and the kids are all grown up, and he asks them when they are coming over. They are too busy with their careers and family and have no time for him. They had become their father. While I was dating my wife (before we got married), a young lady lived at her place as a student lodger. She and her boyfriend, phoned each other every day, and read the scriptures together every day, and they prayed together. They got married a couple of months before us, and are expecting a baby just like we are. If you are having a long distance relationship with your wife, as I surmize from your posts, call her up, pray together, read the scriptures together, call your family up in their morning and speak to them and have a morning prayer, and tell them how much you love them, and wish them all luck in whatever they are doing, be it little league, school play, scouts, sports or whatever. Call them in the evening, and find out how they are doing, and how they did. Get a laptop, and SKYPE them. It´s free. Use a phone card if you have to phone during office hours, and dial the 0800 # on the card so it won´t cost the company anything. Repair the marriage, and if you ask your wife to find you another job she will. So what if it means having to have one car instead of two. Life is not about status symbols, it´s about life eternal. I am as I´ve pointed out, a teacher of the course "STRENGTHENING THE FAMILY", if you want someone with a listening ear, you may send me a private message through this system. You´ve already taken a big step, by admitting, that YOU pushed your wife away, YOU also turned your back on the Lord when you started loosing faith. You said your prayers weren´t being answered, BUT THEY ARE BEING ANSWERED, through every ministering angel who has joined in this thread. Just because the answer isn´t what you want (i.e. justification of or for divorce), or what you expect, doesn´t mean it isn´t an answer. The question is more are you ready to listen? My dear brother, remember the words Joseph Smith Jr. read in The Book of James: "If ye lack wisdom. Let him ask of God, who giveth all men liberally and upbraideth not. BUT let him ask in FAITH, NOTHING WAVERING." FAST, go down on your knees, and pray aloud, pouring out your heart to The Lord, and then be quiet, UNTIL you HEAR THE ANSWER. With Brotherly Love, Elder Sigurjón Helgi Kristjánsson

Halibut

About 30 yrs ago, I woke up in the morning, with this feeling I wasn´t alone in the room, and suspected it was my dad checking up on me, to see if I was up, so we could have breakfast together. To my surprise, it wasn´t. But a strange man wearing a 3 piece suit was standing in the corner. I was just about to ask him who he was, what he was doing and how he got in, when he charged towards me, and opened an oxblood red book and shoved it under my chin. He then proceeded to ask me to read certain passages, and asked me to read the footnotes and prompted my reply each time to the same question to each passage: "Do you understand what it says?" - To which I replied "Yes, I do", and then I nodded. After a while, I heard my father´s footsteps, but I couldn´t move a muscle, except to nodd, speak and move my eyes. I looked towards the door, and on that movement, he withdrew the book and stepped back, and the vision was gone. I got up and related my experience with my father, who asked me what book did he have. I said I´m not sure, it looked like my mum´s Bible. He told me to look up that chapter. I told him I didn´t know which chapter, or even if it was the Bible. I got the Bible out and opened it to about the same amount as the book had been in the Vision. It opened to the book of Ruth; but it didn´t make any sense (like it did in the vision). We went down town, and I saw these two young men with a stand in the pedestrian street, and noticed everybody was avoiding them as if they were leppers. So I asked them what they were selling. They told me that they weren´t selling anything, that they were missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. To which I responded: "That´s a mouthful"; (No wonder noone is speaking to them I thought). But I felt sorry for them, and struck up a conversation with them. Elder Carpenter, told me about The Church and The Book of Mormon, and before I left, he wanted to give me "Joseph Smith´s Testimony", which I accepted. As I looked at it, I said to him:"Hey! That´s the guy who was standing by my bed this morning." - The picture on front of the testimoney, was a drawn picture of The Prophet Joseph Smith wearing a three piece suit. - Elder Carpenter (from USA) wanted to know more, and then asked me if I would relate the story again for his companion, Elder Linus (also from USA). I committed to taking the lessons, up at The Church, as my mother wasn´t partial to missionaries of any denomination, and I asked my brother to come with me. My father was so impressed by my vision and the leaflet, that he said that if I wanted to join The Church and go on a mission, that he would fund the mission. - He died a couple of weeks later, and I lost contact with The Church after only 3 lessons (out of eight at that time). Years´ later, I had a flat (apartment for you Americans) and was doing the dishes, when I suddenly remembered that incident, and started thinking, that I had never finished getting all the lessons. At that point, the door bell rang, and there stood two missionaries, Elders Lewis and Marks (both form USA), and I started taking the Lessons again - this time they were only six, but more compact. I procrastinated, and it wasn´t until I had Elders Gardner (USA)and Guerts (from Canada), that The Spirit said to me, that three times I´ve been sent missionaries, and it was NOW time to get baptised. I invited my family who attended and I became a member. I got my endowment a year later, and my Patriarchal Blessing a year after that. I did pray about one part in my Patriarchal Blessing, and that was where would I find this choice daughter of God which was promised me. - The Still Small Voice Said: "Manchester in England". I thought that was very strange, as I didn´t know anyone there. Years later, I ended up in Manchester, where I met my wife. Love, Helgi