Chango

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  1. I have a somewhat odd question to ask, yet I am curious, has anyone themselves or anyone they've known or known of had an experience where they prayed to know whether they should have another child and received the answer "no?" Instead of perhaps the overwhelmingly common response of "yes?"
  2. Dravin, Thank you for your response, and knowledge which exceeds my own. I am by no means a scriptorian but your narrative definately helps me to see how much more is actually contained in these few verses. One last question if I may, what is meant by the end of verse 23 "...and it shall be unto thee according to his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."? Is this referring to Cain ruling over Satan?
  3. ive always wondered why it is that cain is referred to as a son of perdition, Yes he murdered his brother but it takes more than to just be guilty of murder to become a son of perdition, correct?
  4. Hello, I did my best to search for this topic before posting but found understandably little. So I was wondering if perhaps others more knowledgeable than myself would be willing to contribute or help me understand a little better. I have always understood this to mean a person or individual who has for one reason or another received indisputable proof (meaning actual physical evidence) of the existence of God, Jesus, and his gospel and then willfully chosen to turn and fight against them/this. Please correct me if I am wrong in my understanding. I have always found the wording to be a bit unclear in the scriptures as to what exactly is meant by “denial of the holy ghost.” When I hear this it simply makes me think of any and all church members that if they were to turn away from the church then they meet this qualification but that certainly can't be right can it?
  5. It's not my intention to disturb anyone by my comments here, and I am not looking for sympathy or a shoulder to cry on but would just greatly appreciate honest answers. I don't want to ramble on too much but at the same time I want to present as many facts as I can in hopes of getting any thoughts from all who may choose to read... I recently lost my brother a few weeks ago to suicide, (he overdosed on prescription medication.) As my brother was an active member of the LDS church, like myself, I am greatly perplexed and saddened by this, there are no words to describe it, and it has left so so many questions to be answered for myself and family. My brother battled depression and anxiety particularly social anxiety throughout his life (he was 29, I am 31.) He never had many if any friends, and tried medication a number of times but I think it was more "life" related not a chemical imbalance. My brother also suffered from pretty severe chronic insomnia, for which he took medication every day to get to sleep. This sort of developed into a real fear or phobia for him that he battled day after day, and I could see the changes it brought about in him, he became extremely quiet and withdrawn even from our family and that just wasn't him. He was also very obsessive compulsive, and would always go on the internet or chat forums or whatever to try and read about his disorder he had, and he blamed this or himself in part for it worsening, but not for it's happening. I know above all he felt guilty for the pain and sorrow he felt that he inflicted on his family as a result of his problems and he wanted that to stop. I know he was very frustrated by the apparent lack of help from "God" as he was an active and worthy church member during his life. He leaves behind his wife and two small children, whom I KNOW he loved more than anything. He had been unemployed for the last 2 years, mostly due to this mysterious illness, and he did not nor did he ever have any kind of addiction problems to drugs or medications. His wife I know would agree with all I wrote here as we have had countless conversations. - I guess my first question is, my brother is not a "Son of perdition" for doing this is he? He was married and sealed in the temple and everything, active in the church right up until his death. Does this one act define his eternity? Will he be able to attain a kingdom of glory in the next life? (What exactly is a son of perdition? It seems a very cruel fate for any to suffer...) - I know the church has stated in print that some individuals may be subject to great distress and as such may not be accountable for their acts. This seems to me to sort of contradict the whole "You wont be given more than you are able to bear" philosophy, so which is it? Why would God send someone to Earth and have them encounter more than they could bear? - Lastly, will his wife be able to be sealed to someone else later on in life if she so chooses? Will she need to get a temple divorce first? Children are sealed to the parents only that they are born too? I apologize for the length of this post, perhaps there is even someone who has dealt with the loss of a family member in this manner? Or lost a family member period, I appreciate any and all comments and thank you for your time if you read this. -
  6. This is no time for jokes!? My testimony is at stake here! LOL j/k I am just interested in hearing what others may have to say on the subject (silly as it may be), just something I have been curious about, anyhow.. -
  7. A silly question perhaps, but I am curious nonetheless. What if anything has anyone heard or been taught to understand on Dinosaurs? If Adam was put on the earth right after it was created there is no record of them. Are they just fossil remains of species from another place and time when the Earth was organized or put together from old matter?
  8. This may seem like a dumb random question but it is something that astounds me from time to time...Of all the billions and billions of people past and present that have lived on the earth, maybe 00.01% (rounding up here) have ever been church members and had the opportunity to "know" why we are here and what our purpose is. As for everyone else, what is the purpose of earthly life for someone who is and will never have the chance to hear the gospel? Are they judged of their deeds after death? Or do they just get a "free-pass" while here and get to repent later after they die? (which I gotta say sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me......) Maybe someone can help me understand this a little better.........
  9. This may seem like a silly question to many, and perhaps it is, but it is one of many "weird" thoughts I have had from time to time. If God being all knowing and all powerful and all "happy" as He is, desires us to become like him, why are we then given the free agency to choose anything but this? In other words, could it be that some truly would not be happy if they were to use their agency and choose to be like God our father? Could becoming like God for some be compared to say choosing a sport? Could God be just like an earthly father, who we'll say is happy playing baseball and loves baseball. Therefore he wants all of his sons to play baseball, but knowing they may not all feel the same way about it as he does gives them the option of say playing Tennis, or playing basketball. Hopefully my thinking here is making enough sense, thanks in advance for any responses. -
  10. Yeah what are the odds? Or odds are you have the sex drive of the average wife that most men complain about, only you just happen to be married to a guy who wants it even less! As for having gone through the whole "porn" thing myself, I know that for me that was something that I only became drawn to because the "real thing" with my wife wasn't happening often enough and I turned to that. I would rather have had actual sex with my wife any day as opposed to looking at some crappy porn. I think that as uncomfortable as it may be the only real way to know or find out is to talk with him about it, (assuming you haven't already tried after however many years of being married now.) Otherwise your ultimately just left guessing, granted knowing him as well as you do you may have a good idea already but until you really sit down and talk with him about it or get him to talk to you about it there is no way to know for sure. Just my 2 cents though on the subject for what it's worth.
  11. If you don't mid my asking how was it that your job was saved due to your solving this?
  12. Thank you all for your responses, it has given me much to think about. I am by no means using this board as a way to confess, I know that will involve my wife for sure (as part of the restitution of repentance.) I do not have a firm knowledge and or testimony about going and speaking to the bishop however, where is it written or commanded of us to do this, or how does one know when it is required of him/herself to do so? Can I not be forgiven at all were I to confess to my wife and truly change over time? I feel very much that this whole process for me in and of itself is not a practical means of solving this problem, but that my problem is a symptom of other issues, and that I will need to do all I can to solve those in order to completely solve this. As was said its not just a matter of "Going through the necessary hoops" to be forgiven, its about really changing and forsaking the behavior. There is no excuse for myself however, the behavior is wrong no matter how I want to try and justify it, it is the wrong way to go about things and I want to change, I look forward to looking back on this in the future and leaving it behind me. Again thank you for all your thoughts it is good to hear what others think about my situation.
  13. I am new here and would just like to say hello to all. I do not have many LDS friends like myself, and with the wealth of knowledge this site seems to be I look forward to posting and learning. -
  14. Hello, Oops I misspelled "advice" silly... ha oh well I can't change it now...Anyhow I am new, and have been doing some reading on this site, so much good information and so many knowledgeable individuals. I am just looking for some advice for a current issue in my life that I suppose I am only willing to try and get via the “anonymity” the internet community offers as I do not feel comfortable talking to anyone I know personally face to face or otherwise about this issue (yet at least….) So warning to any who may read, potentially weird personal problems and/or thoughts here that I am having so I will apologize beforehand. To cut right to the chase I guess…….About a year ago I confessed to my wife and my bishop about looking at pornography on the internet, and masturbation. However, I have since unfortunately engaged in both of these activities again. I am not an obsessive user/doer, I will go weeks months without but every now and again the right circumstances seem to present themselves and one or the other happens again, ( a sleepless night, fight with or long “dry spell” with the wife, etc.) Nonetheless to be fully forgiven I guess I must go through this same process again? Again confessing to my wife and bishop all of this? (and of course the key part “forsaking” the sin and doing it no more.) I am recently all the more concerned about this I suppose as I am in a fairly new job and things all of a sudden (as of the last few months) really do not seem to be going well for me (training wise) and I am worried. I am an otherwise faithful church member, I attend meetings, pay a full tithe, live the word of wisdom etc. etc. But I guess my lacking in this one area is enough to nix all else that I am obedient to, and it is hard for me to confess to this yet again now. As if things with my job still do not work out I feel like my family (wife particularly) will just point the finger and say “Well no wonder this job didn’t work out and now we have no income etc.” Yet I feel it may be worth doing as the way things are going for me now, it does not look like I am going to make it through the training. I am also a little perplexed as to why I have made it as far as I have (and felt that I have been able to have help from “above” on occasion) only to be having problems now all of a sudden (or as the case may be lack of blessings or help from the “Big Guy Upstairs” as of lately.) Anyhow a weird struggle I am going through in my life, (not that that makes me special in any way of course as there are many who have problems and struggle.) I appreciate any and all who may reply to this (and bothered to read this at all.) - (I fixed the spelling I hope you dont mind; mega spellingmistakemaker Maya the Mod)