PeterRiley

I cannot get myself to confess,I know I am not the only one that has done this, but I am way too embarrassed. I hope I am not coming across as cheapening his mantle or revelation, but I would think what he will advise is the following: recommend fasting, scripture study, prayer, meeting and temple attendance, etc. I think more than anything, confession to a bishop is more for the purpose of accountability. Knowing you will be following up with him will probably be a strong deterrent. What do you all think?

Someone asked what I am doing to make up for the slip-up. The list:prayer,church attendance, fasting,reading the scriptures, etc. Someone asked if I enjoyed it. As you know, enjoyment is what that is what draws people to commit sin to begin with. And yes, it was Kim Kardashian. Thanks for everyone's input.

This means that any time a member watches a rated R movie and doesnt look away the second nudity is seen, that he or she should confess to the bishop? I am the executive secretary and make appts for the bishop. Most appts are for financial assistance. I would think if most members abided by this, that the bishop wpuld have a ling line outside his door. So if I dont ever confess, it sounds like there is the possibility I might not be exalted? I pay a full tithe, was EQ pres, served a mission, attend all my meetings, pray and read the scriptures daily. I honestly cannot get myself to confess bo matter how much I push myseld, so I might be forfeiting my exaltation over this. Is there something official that states what exaxtly needs to be confessed?

I heard a celebrity was baring herself in a magazine, so my willpower got the best of me I looked her up on the internet and looked at her backside. I did have a problem with this sort of thing before, but it was resolved. Is it absolutely necessary to confess this to my bishop? Or is it necessary only for repeated times of doing this sort of thing? Thanks in advance.

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I am going to start with Robert Millet, "Within Reach."

I have been in a psiritual rut for several months now, and what has helped me in the past has been reading books that althought they have not been directly approved by the church, are written by general authorities. The truth is, the scriptures bore me to tears. For the past 40 yrs of my life I have tried my hardest to pay attention as I read, but the style of writing cannot keep my interest. Can anyone suggest any newer books by general authorities that would help to jum start one's spirituality? I know that some might make the case for reading the scriptures as being the priority, but like I have said I have tried and this has not worked for me. Thanks a lot.

I wasnt referring to GA's who thought they walked and talked with God everyday, I was referring to some "lay people" who think that most GA's do this. Please dont read into my comment too much, I dont know either way, I believe it is quite possible. Elder McConkie's last testimony for example.

John Doe, I thought you were referring to LITERALLY talking to God face to face. Short of Moses, Joseph Smith, etc I don't think we can say either way do you?

I wouldnt rule it out completely. what do you think?

I meant to say that some people who are not GA's think that GA's are privileged walk and talk with angels, I didnt mean to say that some GA's think they do this.

living the commandments doesn't make our lives easier. Living the commandments makes our lives better. I really like that quote, Margin of Error. Thanks for your thoughts. Also, good to know about the gen Authority-I know that some thinkthey walk with God everyday

I would submit that you are a better person than I will ever be, because when I used to clerk, in the back of my mind I was assuming the Lord was going to bless me temporally. Not with big bucks, but by helping me pass my grad school tests, gain new insights on how to better myself, etc. I never have and maybe never will do something just to please Heavenly Father. Maybe this shows that I am a selfish person. What about the whole D and C law irrevocably decreed in heaven verse? You don't think your hard hours clerking ever come back as blessings other than a feeling of satisfaction?

The motivation behind my posts was that I have been trying so hard to be righteous, I read the scriptures daily, pray, home teach, magnify my calling, etc, etc, etc, but I seldom feel the Spirit in my life and have not been spared trials either. I am beginning to think the feeling of the Spirit is induced my endorphins, and some folks are just more fortunate to have more of this juice running in their veins than others. This could explain why it is easier for some to do good than others. Shouldn't Heavenly Father bless us with the same ability to feel the Spirit equally? I mean, is it fair that one guy has more "Spirit endorphins" than another guy? I appreciate all of your insightful comments.

Marts1-You hit it on the head, righteous folks really are selfish, but in a good way. :) Loudmouth mormon-joy and peace are great, but aren't we entitled to something more? Iggy-You made a good point in the last post-the most faithful folks in the gospel many times are the most mellow. Maybe you got the muffler from the manufacturer for free and found out you didnt have to replace you holding tank because you were righteous, what do you think? Alright, say you have two guys, both are faithful priesthood holders, one's calling is passing out bulletins before sacrament, and the other's calling is the bishop. What blessings besides "treasures in heaven" would be given to the bishop? Isn't it unjust that we don't get blessed temporally for things we do? I realize we are given the Spirit which mellows us out a bit, but couldnt we essentially learn "mellowness" from self help books, therapists, and self discipline?

Not when I am in my early 40's it doesn't. It seems like such a far time away, and I know I can be hit by a bus any day, but to be honest, I do not keep the commandments with the hope of eternal life. I do it hoping to feel good afterward and to receive other blessings like I mentioned in my previous post.

I feel like a bad person, as I think my motives might be different than most members. I help others because it makes ME feel good. I am a very devoted member and magnify my leadership calling, but I don't keep the commandments and help others in order to please a being I have never met, I do it because it MAKES ME FEEL GOOD, and I assume that I will be blessed in other ways, ie not getting a flat tire, getting a raise at work, etc. So will I not be saved in the end because my motives were not to purely help people, but to make me feel a certain way and receive other benefits?

I realize this is a silly thread title, but I got to wondering if by following the commandments we are in a better position to receive blessings other than the three most talked about blessings: personal revelation, the feeling of the Holy Ghost, and being financially rewarded for paying tithes and offerings. It goes without saying that there are natural benefits to keeping the commandments, like better health if one keeps the Word of Wisdom, but does the Lord grant blessings other than the three mentioned above? For example, say for example one day I say my prayers, read my scriptures, think pure thoughts, etc. Will I be less likely to get a flat tire on this day than on a day that I am being unrighteous? I realize that following the gospel gives one the Spirit, which gives one the strength to pass through trials whether it be a flat tire or experiencing the passing on of a loved one. And it seems that faithful active members experience the same amount of trials than non-members do. But does anyone think that there are good and bad things that naturally occur to someone that might be seemingly unrelated to the commandments he/she keeps or breaks? The reason why I ask is that I want more of an incentive to follow the Lord, and if I hear other's examples and opinions, it might help with this. Thanks a lot.

I realize this is an older thread, but I wanted to thanks for all of your input into this; my appreciation for Christ as a free-willed individual as increased due to this concepth that Christ was not literally the firstborn, but firstborn was a figurative term used. He was essentially the culmination of the finest "intelligences" available.

You all make some good points. I like the theory that the term firstborn could be meant as a figurative term. But then I read this on this website: What does it mean that Jesus is the Firstborn? | Jesus Christ In 1909, the governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) issued a statement that explains this idea further: “The Father of Jesus is our Father also. Jesus himself taught this truth, when He instructed His disciples how to pray: ‘Our Father which art in heaven,’ etc. Jesus, however, is the firstborn among all the sons of God–the first begotten in the spirit, and the only begotten in the flesh. He is our elder brother, and we, like Him are in the image of God.” (The First Presidency [Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, Anthon H. Lund], “The Origin of Man,” Improvement Era, November 1909, 75-81). What do you all think about this? Regarding "intelligences" I am not really clear as to what they are, could you please clarify this for me-is a spirit made of a bunch of small things called intelligences which are essentially "spiritual cells?" If this is true, and these intelligences or spiritual cells have free agency, maybe Heavenly Father collected the "cream of the crop" intelligences and formed Christ's Spirit? I know I am getting a bit deep here but I am doing it for the purpose of enhancing my appreciation of Christ. Thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate it.

Since Jesus was the first born of all the spirits in heaven, Heavenly Father obviously intended for him to aspire to great heights. My question is if Jesus really had a choice to fulfill his mission? Obviously he could at any time make a mistake if he wanted to, but his genes dictate otherwise. If he was the first born, Heavenly Father obviously knew he would be perfect. I want to appreciate Christ more, but I feel as though he has essentially been created as a "robot," and I hate feeling this way. It would make much more sense if Heavenly Father hand-picked the most noble spirit out of all the spirits he created, then I could see Christ as getting to where he is on his won merits. For what it's worth, I have been a member of the church all my life, served a mission, have served faithfully in calling such as Elder's Quorum president, etc; I am familiar with church doctrine, have a testimony, but this has been nagging me for yrs now. Thanks for your input.