unityinduality

Thanks for the welcome. I'm not sure if I'm exact on this, but there is about one LDS Chaplain per 250,000 members. So even though they are in your area you probably never ran into one. I was trained by the LDS Church and received my Ecclesiastical Endorsement from them. Now I am a non-denominational chaplain. The course manual for chaplains at BYU is called "Introduction to Military Ministry." That is course C 540 R. Religious Pluralism is Lesson 1. In Ensign July 1986 A handout from that manual Elder Wm. Grant Bangerter says "Do we really believe that all ministers of other churches are corrupt? Joseph Smith certainly did not intend to communicate that" Elder M. Russell Ballard whom I met with 40 LDS chaplains, most in military uniforms, at Church Headquarters said in 1988 Ensign November page 28 "We might ask ourselves how the newcomers in our wards would be treated if we were the only ones they ever met. Every member of the Church should foster the attributes of warmth, sincerity, and love for the newcomers." I was baptized in the LDS Church in 1986, but I am a newcomer here. I thank all of your in this thread for the warm welcome.

Hi I went to a Jewish passover dinner at the Orem Institute of religion. I enjoy multi-religious activities. I ministered to families who where having problems and about to get divorces with a Catholic sponsored group. I had the opportunity to participate in a catholic communion which the priest said was unusual for non-catholics. I would enjoy the opportunity to learn from an Orthodox rabbi. I've been to the temple and was sealed to my wife there. You should go to a temple dedication sometime. When a new temple is built, it is opened to the public for a short time.

polytheist or monotheist. I think some people are using these labels as if they are derogatory. It is true that LDS doctrine says there are many gods. So if you are considering the entire universe then yes you could in a very small instance say LDS doctrine is polytheist. But, if you are talking about our sphere of influence, our earth, there is only one God. God is a title like Bishop. There is only one Bishop for you. There is only one God for you. In the overall sense of how LDS members worship, they are monotheists. Ask any LDS member. I don't mind being called polytheist, or zen, or tao or catholic or LDS or whatever. If you say my belief is somewhat zen, and I am not zen, I will not be upset with that or even argue with you. I like to say I am every religion and I am none. Every religion has a portion of the truth.

Well preparedness does not necessarily mean to prepare against the biggest disasters or largest civil unrest imaginable. There are lots of little disasters that are much more likely to happen that we should be ready for. If you live in an apartment building someone else in your building may love to light hundreds of candles in there apartment. One day the cat dumps one over and you have only minutes to run out with whatever you have. I saw this happen in Buchanan Michigan. It would be good to have a 72 hour kit in the closet by the front door. I was out in the desert and a friend was rock climbing and she fell. She was bloodied up a bit but no broken bones. A first aid kit would have been good but I was not prepared that time. I was in a motorcycle accident when i was young and I could not work for 2 months. Two months food in the house would have been a very good thing at the time. I was laid off work once without being prepared. Had no idea that would happen. These are the kinds of things that are more important to prepare for. So how does location effect preparing for these smaller disasters?

There are usually local homeschool groups and state groups. Also there are often state conventions. They are wonderful to go to. You can find the groups in different ways. I went to the local library that had a list of clubs and one of the homeschool groups was listed there. One of the best things I did when my children were small was play learning games with them. There are alot of learning games at those conventions. There are lots of companies out there too. One of them I used alot was Timberdoodle Co - Homeschool Curriculum, Homeschool Program, Resources, Education, Homeschooling Materials & Books The Home School Legal Defense Association has a link to alot of site. They are also a very good organization to belong to. HSLDA | Home School Laws There are more but I cant think of them right now.

Most young adults I know would love to have health care but can not afford it.

Well the options are not good. Go to the county and beg or go to the emergency room and be stuck with an enormous bill for a small thing.

Hi I'm new here. I'm living in the Michiana area now near the boarder of Indiana and Michigan. In 1999 I sold everything I owned so I could move to Orem where I went to Orem Insitute of Religion all day long every day for a year. I received my ecclisiastical endorsement from the LDS church to enter the Army as a Chaplain. The concept of an LDS chaplain is not well known in the LDS church but they do exist. A chaplains job is to minister to all persons in the unit, military, hospital, jail, police station or where every they may be. So regardless of the peoples faith we must minister to them where they are at. I was slated to go into the Army as a chaplain and had the endoresment form the church but I ended up getting a divorce and full custody of my children. So with the responsiblity of raising my children alone I moved near family back in the Michiana area. I wrote a book about the experience called Confessions of a Mormon Minister: Professionally Qualified as Clergy and Endorsed for the Military Chaplaincy by the LDS Church It is now on Amazon at Amazon.com: Confessions of a Mormon Minister: Professionally Qualified as Clergy and Endorsed for the Military Chaplaincy by the LDS Church (9781448627684): George Blake: Books I miss being in the Orem Institute of Religion all day every day. It was the most spiritual place I have ever been (other than the temple). My personal web page is George Blake | Niles, Michigan | Author, Writer, Director, Consultant Thanks George