Intrigued

As an outsider.. I don't see what the big deal is. Can anyone explain why it's a big deal? It doesn't seem to be outside of the U.S... I'm trying to get a feel for why a rational person would discourage marriage between two adults because of a slap on the wrist where you have to wait a year to get sealed in a temple. What you do in the eyes of the government should have little bearing on your spiritual well-being and if the Christian God would punish a couple for becoming man and wife.. well.. He needs to get his multiple personality disorder treated.

Just forward your post to whoever is in charge IMO. As a semi-outsider I can say.. keep your head up and don't look back.. it's nothing worth beating yourself up over. You had a good time.. you gave into natural urges.. next time, be stronger.

I'm a little confused as to how the disbelief in any deity would lead to unhappiness..

just once? you're a saint. if the bishop needed to hear about it every time a young man in his ward masturbated.. well.. i don't think he'd have time for a job at all.

Absolutely. If he's an RPG gamer he's probably upset with the more recentish care-bear games that hold your hand. This game is brutally hard and it's worth every penny and minute spent playing.

Your teacher would probably be glad you chose something other than Twilight.

Absolutely this. It's in that same light that Catholics 'pray to Saints' too. I think it's cool

No, I absolutely love your avatar.

Strong avatar picture to post content relationship..

It's just a primitive story and it didn't really happen (or an allegory?). Meant to inspire faith or explain away a previously unexplainable phenomena. Learn from the lesson it teaches.. it's much like that of Icarus, who ignored instructions and flew to high and the sun melted his wings made from wax.

Some say you're defiling the temple.. some say you are decorating. Thankfully, it won't stop you from receiving any blessings.. which pretty much tells you all you need to know. It's more about avoiding the 'appearance of evil' (you have no idea how much I hate that phrase ).

They are two different animals but are largely intertwined. On the topic of the sperm and egg not coming from the husband and wife.. does the church have the same stance when it comes to adoption? I've never really looked.

I just hope the Church isn't punishing members for refusing to vote against the right to choose. On topic.. surrogacy is a fantastic thing if one is mentally equipped to deal with the stress that comes along with it. I'm around quite a bit of IVF and the like.. and it changes lives for the better. To deny this to joy to LDS members who want it seems cruel.

People pray 'in the name of Christ' all the time. I fail to see the difference.. it's really the exact same concept.

Well most people do go under to have their wisdom teeth removed

Yet some are preset hermaphrodites.. Those factors also include a persons genotype among other things. So what he is saying when you get to the bottom of it is that homosexuals have no control over it. I hate to break it to Mr. Dean Byrd -- but the psyche of a person is largely biological [and inheritable] (this is why things like depression and other mental instabilities run in families). So, in his opinion, it is half biological (and subsequently God given) and half environmental. Which is an entirely fair statement.. but to act like there is nothing biological behind it.. is silly IMO.

I'm gonna say probably -- after all -- most of us have been to the dentist and had our teeth whitened..

It has not been observed in nature due to.. well.. the fast paced environment it takes place in. It has been observed in labs, though. The wiki article itself is not a solid source, unless references are listed (which they are, they're just clunky). Just one thing to point out.. you do not know that you come from said creator, you believe it. I tossed that link about the immortal hydra out there because it is interesting and it showed that in perfect conditions it is not necessary for a being that had a beginning to have an end. Matter? Sure. I know that LDS believes that spirit is matter which I have no issue with. If I take some object X and reorganize it into object Y I still gave object Y a beginning.

Turritopsis nutricula - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is all that matters, IMO. College is not a requirement for anyone and at times it does seem like nothing more than an expensive day care. To be frank.. for the next 6-7 years you'll really be unable to work much due to a child.. so make due with what you have. When your kid is a little older maybe you can go back to school if you want. I swapped majors quite a bit too. Pre-med, nursing, molecular biology, etc.

What was the quote about evolution during general conference? I did not attend nor watch it, so I'd love to hear it. When you say spirit I assume you are speaking of intelligence, which is demonstrated by things that do not even have nervous systems.. so I have a hard time believing they have a 'spirit' in a religious sense. Also, your definition of life is giving you quite a slippery argument which I think is unfair when dealing with the subject of evolution and the formation of life from 'nonliving matter'.

I don't mean to come off as flaming (because I'm honestly not) but you should check with LDS theology before you.. erhm.. call God indecent. I don't want to derail this thread.. apologies for the driveby comment.

I don't necessarily see the two as exclusive.. if the 'blood atonement' were real and practiced by the Church (now or ever) it doesn't demean the sacrifice that Jesus made in any way.. it also does not mean that it [the sacrifice] would be insufficient. It makes sense in an odd way -- 'you do the crime you do the time'. Forgiveness of sins does not mean there will be no punishments or restitution for our crimes. Perhaps the more severe the sin the more severe the punishment.. who can say?

Read quotes of some early LDS leaders, repugnantly racist. That doesn't make them repugnant -- it is their culture that is at fault. Just like the majority of people born in the U.S are christians.. it's something you're born in and is difficult to escape. I don't understand what is wrong about his statement? In a world of ups and downs there has to be a best and a worst, it's undeniable. It's not politically correct to talk about but it is true. It all depends on how you define 'best' really. Disagreeing with a mans science because one has a problem with his morals or attitudes is ignorant. A villain can discover the truth just as readily as a hero. Evolution is widely skeptical and most scientists that I've met are adamant that it happened/happens. They do not particularly care if it happened on earth or if it happened on some other planet. It's a nonfactor because both abiogenesis and evolution had to occur somewhere (close to us, likely) within our universe or we would not exist.

How much more evil has come into this world because of religions and their followers? As previously covered the myth that he converted on his deathbed and recanted evolution is entirely false. How many other false things do you believe due to your lack of research?