Rhoades

Remember that mortal life isn't the total of our existence. Everyone on earth at one time accepted God. And, I'm sure everyone prayed and pleaded for his help to some degree. Some people just aren't aware of this because they have forgotten. All blessings from God are because of obedience. Some of the obedience was before this life. On a related note, keep in mind that while on earth everyone rejects him to some degree. Here are some scriptures related to your questions. D&C 130:20-21 Matthew 5:44-45 Galatians 6:7 I wish I could add more scriptures and provide commentary explaining how they answer your questions, but I'm short on time. Maybe you'll learn some things pondering these or maybe someone else will provide good answers before I get back to it. One other thing to remember -- a heart changed and intelligence gained is much more valuable than any short term prosperity we experience.

I'm not sure exactly what we'll be doing, but here's a scripture related to the topic. Genesis 2:2-3 Having the right amount of work is enjoyable and rewarding. I suspect we'll get to do some work no matter which kingdom we end up in, and we'll enjoy it. The "right amount" might be different in the next life, but I don't know. In any case, I don't think a celestial being will feel overworked and miserable.

Frequently the Spirit helps answer questions as we study the word of God about the subject. We should study both ancient and modern prophets. In "For The Strength Of Youth" God's prophets have said, "Never do anything that could lead to sexual transgression" and "Avoid situations that invite increased temptation, such as late-night or overnight activities away from home". Although the counsel in the book is primarily to youth, the wisdom behind those statements is very applicable especially to people in a romantic relationship.

It's not you. It sounds like you're trying to do things right and follow the Spirit as you make your requests. I think it's great that you are a thoughtful enough person to pray about who to ask. God will certainly bless you for this. Your experience reminds me of scriptures that teach that sometimes even when we pursue a good thing there might be some unexpected obstacles in the way (e.g. Lehi's sons trying to get the brass plates) Try not to be discouraged. Let the Bishop and possibly Elder's quorum president know about your experience when asking for blessings and request they assign you a home teacher who is willing and able to give blessings should you ever need one. One good thing that likely came out of this already was that those who didn't feel up to the task were reminded that they have some work to do. Hopefully they'll respond and become prepared to exercise the priesthood. But even if they don't, it was good that God gave them the chance.

You should probably not interpret the answer that you received as "she is the one", but rather that she would be a really good spouse for you. However, just because she would be good for you doesn't mean you would be good for her. It has to be a good fit from both angles. And both parties have the right to receive inspiration to help them in their decision. Whether or not she decides to marry you, you should learn more about Jesus Christ's restored church.

In verse 26 guys came to John and told him Jesus was baptizing people and drawing lots of people. This was significant because John was a really great prophet and Jesus was gaining in popularity. But John knew he must decrease while Jesus would increase. John 3:27 says: I think he was indicating that Jesus's authority and greatness were from heaven. If we have a calling from God or have authority, it is from heaven. The footnote in John 3:27 references James 1:17 which teaches that every good gift comes from God. I think another good verse it could have referenced is Hebrews 5:4 Now, the interpretation you put is broader. You said, "a man can do nothing, unless he receives from heaven the power to do something." I think that works too. I look at it as the fact that God has given us agency. We can act. Our ability to do things is a gift from God. We can do both good and evil, but that doesn't mean God did the evil. We could even try to solicit Satan's power to do miraculous things, but that's dangerous. He just wants to make us miserable and destroy us. Pharaoh's servants had agency from God. They either did a magic trick with no real power at all, or they relied on Satan and by his power did things. Their ability to act in that way was a gift from God.

Another interesting thing that happened tonight was that while in the celestial room of the temple I killed a bug. I saw a tiny dark speck on the light colored floor and when it moved I realized it was a bug. I was just going to pick it up, but it got smashed. Then I remembered that just hours before I read D&C 42:18 and "thou shalt not kill".

Tonight I remembered someone I knew many years ago telling me about when he went on a mission. He had been involved in inner city gangs and had to meet personally with the President of the Church before he could go. He didn't say exactly what he had done, but I've always assumed it was murder. He was able to go on a mission. Interestingly, the prophet that he met with who granted him permission was Spencer W. Kimball.

Reading through this thread, I saw the forgiveness of murders by the people of Ammon (aka anti-Nephi-Lehis) mentioned. If you carefully study the middle of Alma, I don't see how you could conclude anything other than that they deliberately murdered people and later repented and that they will be saved in the Celestial Kingdom. These accounts in the Book of Mormon are there to teach us of the infinite power of Christ's grace and atonement. After they repented of their murders and other wickedness they became as righteous as any people that have ever lived. They were absolutely amazing. From Alma 27: Since their story is so important to our understanding of this topic I'll paste some verses here. These are from Alma 24: These people who murdered were forgiven and we have no reason to doubt that they were saved. This verse in Alma 27 also mentions their repentance for murders: This is an interesting verse earlier in chapter 27 showing the depth of their regret: Elsewhere in the Book of Mormon, these verses talk about repenting of murders: Some people have trouble reconciling this with D&C 42:18 Note that this was spoken "unto the church". There are various interpretations for what "the church" is in this case.

If someone is tempted by something we can not conclude that it is due to lack of repentance, nor does it mean that they were ever guilty of an associated sin. After all, Jesus "was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15, see also D&C 20:22) We know his temptations were not due to past sins, because he had no sin. Concluding that someone suffering from pedophilia needs repentance is like the Jews thinking that either a sin by the man born blind or a sin by his parents caused the blindness. It's true that sins (even after being fully repented of) can lead to temptations that wouldn't be there otherwise, but it's not always the case.

Government can not avoid legislating morality. Society deems some things as wrong or hurtful to others and has laws accordingly. Not everyone in society will always agree on whether a particular action is hurtful, or helpful, or indifferent to others. Society must decide based on its collective morality what is or isn't harmful and then what it wants to legislate or ignore. The obvious example is that our society outlaws viewing a naked 17 year old. The laws around this are obviously based on morality. We could end up deciding viewing naked 19 year olds is also harmful enough that it should be prohibited. However, it's not just drug and sex laws. Even laws about whether or not I have a right to cut down and burn a tree are based on morality. Lots and lots of laws are based on morality. I don't think it's possible for a society to be without laws based on morality. If it tried, it wouldn't survive. In an address in 1992 Elder Oaks said: I don't think the community I live in now at this time should prohibit alcohol consumption by people 21 and over. The alternatives would be worse due to its existing entrenchment in society. However, it's not necessarily wrong for a government to prohibit alcohol consumption. It depends on the people in the community, their current use and acceptance levels, etc. There could be a time and place where alcohol consumption being outlawed by a government would be OK. One thing the Old Testament teaches with the Jew's rejection of a higher law and the introduction of the law of Moses is that God realizes that different sets of laws are more appropriate for different groups of people. It depends on their preparation and their righteousness / morality. (I would also contend that the appropriate optimum size of government also varies depending on the people.) In my community (in Eastern U.S.) marijuana is not legal. This is a generally accepted law based on morality. It's prohibition causes some problems, but most here agree that the benefits to society of outlawing the drug outweigh these problems. However, as morals degrade and its prohibition problems become worse if the voice of the people ever chose a "lesser law" that would be very unfortunate but not too shocking. Although not every individual will agree with each law, to work they should be generally accepted. There's a balance between preserving agency and outlawing actions in order to protect society. And you can go overboard outlawing too many actions. I'm not sure what the exact balance is. Again, I do believe it varies based on the people. We learn from Alma 1:17-18 that the Nephites didn't have laws restricting what people believed but they had no problem with laws regulating sinful behavior such as lying. Alma 42:19-20 teaches that laws can be used against sinful actions in order to discourage people from sinning. Another thing to remember is that no form of government can govern a sufficiently wicked people. We learn that in the Book of Mormon. Wickedness will lead to their destruction. Helaman 5:2-3 says: The next verse is insightful. Instead of focusing on his political position to restore order, it says this about Nephi: And that kind of reminds me of Alma. Alma 31:5 says I think with the Constitution, the U.S. has exactly what it needs for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Although we should vote and be active in improving our government through traditional ways including at the local level, we can't forget the importance of improving our government by helping people become more righteous and moral. If we're generally moral things will be fine, and if not ... well ... we'll ignore and twist the constitution and we won't be able to be governed and there's nothing else that would work either. So, if we want a better government look at ways to influence society for good. How can we let our light shine and be a positive influence on others? Even if they don't fully embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, there are things we can do to help foster morals and values in other people. Our examples and friendships can help others steer clear of some of the things that pollute and cloud the light of Christ within them. Our actions and words can help them receive additional light, even if it's only a little. Even if the collapse of a once great people seems inevitable (especially after reading 3 Nephi 20-21 and Mormon 5), we still labor like Jacob (Jacob 1:19). And we take courage and find hope in knowing that if we are on the Lord's side all will be OK. We rejoice that we are in the time where "no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing ..., but the truth of God will go forth ... till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." (Joseph Smith).

To Those Confused By Posts From @zomarah , Understand that he/she does not believe The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is led by revelation. I think the hang up is the Church's discontinuance of polygamy. Re-read the posts with this in mind.

@Latter-Day Marriage This discussion motivated me to further study the role of confession in the repentance process. I have a renewed appreciation for the value and benefit that comes with confession to those we have offended. It not only helps them, but it also helps us acquire sufficient humility. Thanks! I obviously did a poor job explaining my thoughts. I do NOT think one should avoid confession to those offended for fear of consequences to themselves. Nor do I think the unrepentant will be without consequences at judgement day. In addition to poor explanations, some of my thoughts were off the cuff and maybe not appropriate for the topic. We must overcome the fear of the consequences of confession with hope and faith in the consequences of full repentance.

I think you've already received some valuable advice. To further address your last questions, consider what Christ taught in Matthew 19:29: "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." The key is "for my name's sake".

Suppose you lived in a war torn area and you took some money that did not belong to you to feed your hungry family. This was wrong and it hurt others. Suppose you feel bad about it and forsake it and have not done anything like this in years. Suppose you have confessed your sin to God, yet you wonder if you should confess to those you harmed. Even though it has been years, suppose according to the laws of society doing so will land you in prison separated from your family. Although no one will die from it, it would be devastating to your wife and children. If you came to me and asked if you should disclose this transgression, I would not give a definitive answer one way or the other. I would offer some guidance both ways and urge you to counsel with the Lord and your Bishop about it. I wouldn't demand that those you offended must know you "as he really is" or on judgement day you will be revealed and it will "hurt even more" (your words). I think there are situations where it could go either way. And if you knew me you would know that I am not at all the type of person that keeps things from people. We don't even do the Santa Claus thing because I wouldn't feel comfortable deceiving my children in this way. We do a variation where we fully disclose it is a game that mom and dad do because we want kids to enjoy it. They still get excited and love it even though they know the truth. My point was simply that it depends on how it will help and/or hurt others. You have to use wisdom and guidance from God. It sounds like the OP is trying to do that, so that's great!

Like Abraham saying Sarah was his sister. Or like Nephi pretending to be Laban to Zoram. Right? I'm not advocating we should be deceitful by telling partial truths. I don't know if I've ever had any reason to withhold truth like this, but you have to use some wisdom and look at intent. I don't think it's right to insist that the OP must disclose every detail to his wife by saying it's a matter of honesty. Whether or not he should is a matter between him and the Lord and the correct course of action for him might not be the same as for others in a similar situation. === edit === Before anyone feels the need to explain, yes I know what Abraham said was correct in a sense. However, it led people to believe something that was not true and as such was deceitful.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth" (D&C 1:30) It was in 1831 and it is now. I sense you either don't believe this or you don't really grasp the "living" part. It's important to know that one of the ways the Lord answers such questions and gives us knowledge is through apostles and prophets. (Ephesians 4:11) The scriptures teach this and provide many examples. If you don't eventually come to realize this, you'll be left in the dark.

Rather than just remove the duplicate post, I'll address the OP. In my judgement you've received some good advice, but also lots of bad advice with false doctrine from both sides. Use fasting, prayer, and possibly counsel with trusted priesthood leaders before talking to your wife if that's what you decide. Proceed only if you feel it is best for her and best for your marriage at this time.

Your definition of adultery is wrong. The True to The Faith book says, "The Ten Commandments include the command that we not commit adultery, which is sexual intercourse between a married man and someone other than his wife or between a married woman and someone other than her husband." The woman in the verse doesn't necessarily have to be married for it to be adultery. If the man were married and the woman not married, it would also be adultery. In the LDS guide to the scriptures on lds.org ( https://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/adultery?lang=eng) it says this about Adultery: "The unlawful sexual association of men and women. Although adultery generally refers to sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her spouse, in the scriptures it may also refer to the unmarried. " In the Church today, that's not how marriage works. Having sex with an unmarried person is NOT the performance of a marriage ceremony. Marriage must be done beforehand. Here's a scripture that teaches that a married man lusting after another woman (doesn't matter whether she's married or single) is sin: D&C 42:22-23: “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else. And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit; and if he repents not he shall be cast out.” I suggest in your studies of these issues, you rely heavily on the basics such as these: For the Strength of Youth : https://www.lds.org/youth/for-the-strength-of-youth/sexual-purity?lang=eng True to the Faith: https://www.lds.org/manual/true-to-the-faith/chastity?lang=eng

We couldn't even get our children to talk in 6 weeks, I can't imagine teaching them to read. We use a more gradual approach that takes about 5 to 6 years. Although it takes a while, they very much enjoy the process and they become very good readers in the end.

If you are claiming that getting government out of education would make all education problems go away, I disagree. There are counter examples where government has provided education. Saying government is inherently incapable of providing education discredits whatever point you wanted to make. Advocating personal debt as the way for the poor to educate their children is a bad idea. This could lead to poor families getting loans to send their children to bad schools in their bad neighborhoods and those kids still end up in poverty and not very educated. And in the end neither parent or child is able to pay back the loans. In some cases, it would just mean no school for the kids. People would be better off without schooling than to have the state supply it? That's a bold claim. There are many children from bad backgrounds that benefit from a public education system. I've known some personally. If they just stayed in their bedroom playing video games all day or doing drugs with the adults around them I don't think they'd be better off. Yes, there are some bad schools. But not all schools are as bad as no school. I have seen plenty of bad in schools. I know education is being hindered and damaged by government overreach and ridiculousness. It needs addressed. However, that's not the only problem. Education's huge problem is the lack of family support and societal morals. Privatizing or eliminating schools when everyone is a hoodlum with no morals is not going to make all problems go away. We actually live in an area right now where public schools are pretty good. We were very familiar with public and private schools in 5 other states and I didn't think such a place existed until we moved here. I think the public schools here are way better than any public or private schools in ID, UT, and AZ for example. For the most part the students come from traditional families who love and support them. Most teachers and local administrators are decent people too. Having good families with morals is the key to good schools. Having good families with morals is the key to good schools. I'll say it again. Having good families with morals is the key to good schools. Even though our schools still have to put up with common core and other garbage like the average US school, they are helping children become well educated and better people. Don't underestimate the importance of morals and the importance of the family. If you think big organizations inherently can't do anything of worth or value if they are not driven by capitalism, I disagree. One counter example is the Church. This big organization provides Sunday schools and other programs and curriculum to help support our family's gospel learning. Both public schools and Church programs work best if the family plays an active role in the child's education. But, sometimes they work even for children who have no support at home. Both public schools and Church programs work best if good people on the local level implement them and if they help the youth take ownership. Both public schools and Church programs work best if they aren't filled with wasteful activities that do little or no good. Both public schools and Church programs work best if local leaders and teachers are given guidance that is wise and then allowed to adapt to the needs of their students. I can sympathize with some of the frustration and such with government and schools. However, if you think less government would necessarily fix everything I disagree. Having good families with morals is the key to a good society. In fact, less government when the people can't govern themselves could make things worse.

If you are asking "How do you learn true doctrine or how do you know what's true and what's not?" Some things that help are: Scriptures (2 Tim 3:15-16) I wonder if the answers in this thread make it seem like we undervalue "it is written". We absolutely use the scriptural canon as a basis to measure things. This is very very important. Prayer (James 1:5) "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God." Leaders called of God like apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, etc. (Ephesians 4:11-14) These are given to us so we can come to "the knowledge of the Son of God." Righteousness (John 7:17) "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine". See also 2 Peter 1:4-9 which teaches if you acquire divine attributes such as diligence, faith, temperance, charity, etc. they "make you ... neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.". That's not a complete list. Offhand I also think of fasting with prayer, meditation, and pondering.But the underlying key to ALL of these is revelation. The Spirit of Truth is the one that helps us know and recognize truth. We can ONLY know the things of God through the Spirit; "the things of God knoweth no man, but [by] the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:11 with "by" added to clarify its meaning. See also 12-14 which support this; verse 12 teaches we have received the Spirit of God that we might know the things of God.) I'm sure you're familiar with others such as "the Spirit of truth ... will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13)Another thing to mention is that anything that denies Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God and Savior and the only way to salvation can be rejected. We know this because of scripture, the Book of Mormon as well as the Bible.Some related teachings from the Book of Mormon include:Moroni 10:5-6:5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.Moroni 7:16-17:16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.Ether 4:1111 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good.Alma 5:46-48:46 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.47 And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God.48 I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.Here Alma explains that its through the Spirit that he knows truth, including the truthfulness of the scriptures ("words which have been spoken by our fathers").This leads to something you brought up earlier in the thread that I'm not sure got answered: person X believes one thing and you believe another and you both claim your knowledge is from God. Q: How do I know which is right? A: Use the things I mentioned above and rely on God to guide you. I maybe could have put humility and willingness to follow in that list too, although those are somewhat implied with prayer. If you humbly trust in God and you seek to learn truth from Him, He'll lead you there. And, if Person X really does believe something that is not true he will have to answer for himself. But I am certain that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior. And, I am also certain that the Bible and Book of Mormon are true. Like Alma, "I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And ... the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit." To Latter-day Saints, knowledge of divine truth must be received from God through His Spirit.

I wouldn't word it the way you did. See what I write below about misinterpretation even after getting revelation. This is right. Recall 1 Corinthians 2:12,14 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. The Holy Ghost is given to us so we can know the things "given to us of God". This includes the scriptures. We need the Spirit to know them. We need personal revelation to know the revelations. John 14:26 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. " As the Apostles remembered and reflected on the things Jesus had said (which was already scripture/revelation), the Holy Ghost was able to further teach them and help them understand. They received revelation to understand the revelation. Like you mentioned, we pray for help in understanding the scriptures and he can open our understanding (Luke 24:45). This is revelation. Others have mentioned our belief in modern prophets and apostles and their help in interpreting scripture. I would point out that even assuming they are of God speaking truth through the Spirit, one needs personal revelation to truly understand what they teach. Revelation through the Spirit is ultimately the way we learn truth. Even if we are talking about real revelation from God, I say no. We could still have misinterpretation or misapplication. Let me explain. A key thing to know here is that although He reveals things to us, He doesn't reveal all things to us all at once. Just because He reveals something to me doesn't mean He has revealed all to me. I could therefore make incorrect overreaching conclusions or misapply things. We are weak and imperfect and simply don't know everything. However, if we are striving to walk with Him our knowledge and understanding will increase over time. In His wisdom, He doesn't reveal everything to us all at once. We learn bit by bit over time. We see evidence of this in the New Testament with the apostles. He'll give us more and more truth as long as we accept what we have and we're open to learning more. If we personally learn something that dispels a wrong interpretation we previously had, we accept it. Another key thing to know is that although our understanding might not be perfect and complete, if we sincerely rely on Him things will work out for our good. In other words, it's OK that our learning is a process. He'll give us as much as we need to know and as much as we can handle according to His timing. If we reject what we already know and don't walk with Him, we have no such promise. We can lose the spiritual knowledge we once had. One of my favorite scriptures from the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 50:24) is: That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. Of course not all that is claimed to be revelation from God is revelation from God. Furthermore, the Muhammad example reinforces the notion that although the Bible is scripture and from God one can misunderstand some of its teachings. We need God's help in discerning it. He's given us great gifts to help us understand scripture (e.g. other scriptures, apostles, prophets, teachers, prayer, etc. ) but the ultimate helper working hand in hand with all of these is the Spirit.

One thing that particular scripture supports is that angels look like people. (Or at least they can be made to look like people.) I believe they do look like people (and that they are people, although not mortal people). LDS doctrine teaches that spirits, humans on earth as mortals, and resurrected immortals all resemble each other (i.e. have a face, two eyes, legs, arms, etc.) Agreeable to this is Mark 16:5 which describes when Mary & Mary see an angel: "they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment". The angel looked like a young man. Acts 6:15 says when Stephen was tried, the council "saw his face as it had been the face of an angel". I take that to mean some light or glory was about him yet he still looked like a man. Other descriptions (such as angels with wings) are just literary symbolism.

Learning about the pre-mortal existence adds new meaning in other areas too. For example, these scriptures take on new meaning if you think of spirits in God's presence before their mortal lives: Job 38:4-6 (Sons of God shouting for joy when God laid the foundations of the earth.) Ecclesiastes 12:7 Speaking of death it says "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." The word "return" becomes more literal. Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." This takes on new meaning to think of Jeremiah as a spirit being with God and him being ordained by God and prepared to come to his mortal life.