MaidservantX

You don't need a reason to ask questions. :) We enjoy and appreciate all honest questions. I hear about this assignment a lot actually. What Bible class is it that gives this assignment out on a regular basis over the years? And what were you told was the object or purpose of the assignment? Very interesting. What persons of other faiths are you interviewing as well? I hope you enjoy the website and decide to participate in the expressions of faith here on a regular basis.

Hi! I loved hearing about the list of things you do -- way cool. I hope you will visit our Testimonies section and add yours. See you around. :)

Welcome.

Welcome, Redbeard. Glad to have you on the site. :)

Welcome, YellowLight. I look forward to your participation in the forums.

(Reiteration: This is a testimony thread. Not an in/out, up/down, pros/cons, or even explanation thread -- and I'm reminding myself here too. If that type of thread is wanted at this time -- start a new one.)

I think you can count on that He does. :)

I don't know that I'd define this as murder, although some might. But both Moses and David presided over armies. I don't know if I've ever learned whether Moses' (Egyptian) armies were in active war.

Welcome!

More from the journal: Overheard: Three-year-old girl correcting her little friend in the usage of pronouns referring to the newborn baby brother. "It's not a her! He's a she!" These same two little girls love to play house. They always take turns being the mother or father. "Do you want to be the 'honey' or the 'mommy'?" I heard one say. This youngest daughter of mine has a real trial in the hour long family church services. Last week, she was especially weary of the minutes that seemed to go on and on. She said to me in a whine: "I don't want to go to church too much." My five year old son has learned the oeprate the CD player and loves to play his favorite music. One day, he said he was going to play the "I Want To" song. I wondered what he was talking about. I listened and pretty soon I heard the band leader count off the beat: "A-wahn [one], two . . . !" Just today this son reported to me that in talking to his little brother -- "Mom, I said 'hi' in Baby English."

COOL! I have that one. "Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional." Tim Hansel. Gwen . . . sending supportive thoughts your way. Yip, Hemi . . . coming to earth . . . what were we THINKING!!! Ha ha ha. I try to say YES by just forcing myself to SEE things that are good around me -- I'm healthy, my kids are healthy, I have a knowledge of Jesus Christ, my mother loves me, etc. I want to wallow, but I know for a fact that the good outweighs the bad. Doesn't mean the bad and painful is invalid -- I always validate pain right away. God bless all of you.

"Successful people accept life as it is, with all its difficulties and challenges. They adapt to it rather than complain about it. They accept responsibility fro their own lives instead of blaming or making excuses. They say YES to life in spite of its negative elements and make the most of it, no matter what the circumstances." Hal Urban It took me a while in life to realize this. I took the fact that so many challenges were part of my life as evidence that I was a bad person, and as evidence that God was against me, and that it was important that I have no responsibilty whatever in the situation. I though responsibility meant I had done something wrong -- so I didn't want any. I am so thankful that I learned (still learning!) that personal responsibility is one of the greatest freedoms in this world. It means that no one can take away from me my ability to free myself from whatever misery I may find myself in -- because I am the one responsible. I don't have to wait for anyone to get me out of my condition. I can start solving it myself (of course, I can find people to help me!) I'm thankful that I learned that I have many sins and weaknesses and my walk with God is a minute by minute, day by day experience in humility and grace so that I can be freed from the chains of death and hell by the sacrifice and power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I'm thankful that I learned that before we came to mortality we lived in safety and abundance, and after we leave mortality we will live in safety and abundance. But here in mortality is rather a hazardous place and invested with death and its cousins -- and that's a good thing. Suffering is a teacher. Problems and challenges are teachers. And I want to be taught; I want that knowledge. What do you think?

The fact that you still have a list of sins on your mind -- I think they still bother you to a more or less degree. I think you will have peace of mind getting them out in the open with your bishop -- a safe, spirit-filled environment. It may help you to forgive yourself, more than a need to receive forgiveness from God (who has already forgiven you).

It is difficult for me to put into words my love for the law of tithing. I don't know if I have an I-paid-tithing-then-such-and-such-happened story. Rather, my entire life has been a whole tapestry of material and spiritual protection for myself and my children and I attribute a great deal of that to my obedience to the law of tithing and the law of the fast (including an offering) and to the law of keeping the Sabbath holy. I have paid my tithing 100 percent of the time ever since I have been a child. It is a joy. I do not feel like I am giving it away at all, because this is MY fold. I belong to the body of Christ. All of its bounty I may enjoy and giving back 10 percent, or giving my all (consecration) is a privilege and an 'of course' thing for me. I actually had an easier time paying tithing when we were dirt poor. Lately, now that I have more financial resources, I have had to come to a new level in my faith and make sure that I have the attitude -- and action -- that I am giving to the Lord first before I used my money for anything else. I can easily say that I have received much more -- even monetarily speaking -- from the Church (my ward), from generous family and friends and even strangers, and from the Lord's serendipitous providence than I have ever paid in tithes and offerings. I consider the greatest blessings I have received, however, to be spiritual protection for myself and especially my children, which I feel that I need for some very concrete reasons. I feel that the fact that the Adversary is bound a great deal in my life and the lives of my children is directly to related to my living the law of tithing. I can not express to you the spirit that exists in the bishop's office after myself and each of my children declare ourselves full tithe payers; and then the bishop kneels with my family and intercedes with the Lord and asks that the windows of heaven be opened for us, that there will not be room to receive it. There is great faith that conceives in my heart from these experiences. It brings me to ask of my Father great miracles and blessings -- some that I barely dare ask -- and yet I know He has heard and will give. Thank you for this thread Palerider.

Hymn number 2 The Spirit of God like a fire is burning! The latter-day glory begins to come forth; The visions and blessings of old are returning, And angels are coming to visit the earth. The Lord is extending the Saints' understanding, Restoring their judges and all as at first. The knowledge and power of God are expanding; The veil o'er the earth is beginning to burst. We'll call in our solemn assemblies in spirit, To spread forth the kingdom of heaven abroad, That we through our faith may begin to inherit The visions and blessings and glories of God. How blessed the day when the lamb and the lion Shall lie down together without any ire, And Ephraim be crowned with his blessing in Zion, As Jesus descends with his chariot of fire! We'll sing and we'll shout with armies of heaven, Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb! Let glory to them in the highest be given, Henceforth and forever, Amen and amen! This evening I went to a fireside (meeting) at the church (stake center). The stake youth are going on a "Pioneer Trek" for three days in a month, here in the local wilderness. I have a son and a daughter going to this. The meeting was very nice, but at the end, after contemplating the gift the early Saints gave in what they committed to do to build the kingdom -- we sang this hymn (The Spirit of God). My heart joyed at the sound that rang off the walls of the chapel as everyone raised their voices (a lot of youth; and their parents). I felt safety. I joyed that I can trust my Father in heaven. I joyed that I can trust my Savior, Jesus Christ. I joyed that I can trust the gift of the Holy Ghost that I have received. I joyed that I can trust Joseph Smith; and the faith of the early Saints, some of whom are my ancestors. I joyed that I can trust President Thomas S. Monson; and I can trust the priesthood that governs the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I joyed that I can trust myself that I am doing my best to keep the covenants I have received. I would love to hear people's experiences with this hymn.

Gives me hope. Thanks.

Everyone who has and who will participate in this thread: please follow this rule of the Site Rules (Terms & Conditions): 4. No bickering and nit-picking toward others. Realize that sometimes it is very difficult to be able to express how one feels through written words. Please be courteous and ask for a further explanation, rather then trying to attack and find holes in someone else's post. I appreciate it.

I have a variety of ideas that go in a few different directions. I still consider myself to be in the process of learning (about the origin of the human body). Something that is very important to me is to not conclude something that contradicts what the prophets teach nor what is to be found in the scriptures. So sometimes I hold my various ideas in suspension or just as a quirk of my nature until I can find a reconciliation with what my Father in heaven has stated at face value, or until I learn more so that an idea I may have held at one time I would then forsake. I am not going to share all of my ideas here, I'm well aware that much of what I thinking about on this subject would not be well accepted by . .. nearly everyone. One of the directions I go in is that Adam was the first man on this earth (duh, right?); but that still leaves the idea (for me) that human births took place on other creations of God before Adam was (born) here. I can safely and emphatically say that theory of e (my term :)) does not convince me at all in any way. I am not going to answer your question of who was here before Adam or who the first man was -- like I said, I'm not comfortable sharing everything I think about it.

I live in a small town in northeastern Arizona. It was a town that was settled by Mormon settlers at the direction of Brigham Young -- a "Mormon" town, although in the last few decades many more different kinds of people are moving here for a variety of reasons, and I like the changes. But I bring this up to say that, yes, a lot of my daily experience is "Mormon" so-called. My best friend is not LDS. She has been talked to by the missionaries, read a bit of the Book of Mormon, and her attitude is basically, "No way!" When she and I talk, we don't talk a lot about faith directly, as in theological beliefs. But we are both single moms, widows. So we support each other in our challenges and understand one another perfectly. She is a great example to me, and I am in awe of all that she has overcome in life to become this sweet, strong woman. I don't know that she is active in any particular church, but she does have a belief in Jesus and the Bible, basically, at least. Like I said, we don't explain in detail our beliefs to each other. We are too busy talking about men and kids!!! Something that happened to me a long time ago: I was in a gas station, at night, my husband was getting the gas and paying, and I got our small children out of the car to carefully walk around a bit, as we were on a long drive. I was wearing a dress, as my husband and I had been at the temple that day. A young man came up to me. He was very nervous and humble, and he gave the most sincere testimony to me of Jesus Christ and that Jesus had changed his life (etc.) and handed me a flyer with an invitation to attend a church. I was touched, of course, and thanked him. It caused me to ponder on how I was or wasn't witnessing with the kind of humility and courage it took him to say what he did to me. I felt like I could share a Book of Mormon with my neighbor the very next day, based on the example of that young man. I have no (lasting) negative feelings or judgments about individuals who adhere to any faith (even beyond evangelical Christians). I believe everyone is doing their best with what they have learned in life and have come to believe. I am quite sad about the misunderstanding and falsehoods that exist about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that persons, including evangelical Christians, seem to buy into, and that seem to engender a passion that I do not see as Christlike. But . . . as I said . . . I know I have my problems too, so I try not to judge and try to meet people and get to know them on an individual basis and learn their story, learn from them, and hopefully by knowing me they will be influenced for good, and the works of the Father and of Christ will be revealed by my works.

Unfortunately, I don't know what you are thinking about. If you are speaking of talking about what occurs in the temple, then no. If you are talking about something else, perhaps you could run it by Heather in a private message to her first to see if it is all right to speak about on the site. Thanks. Thanks for checking.

It is my understanding that they work together. I am personally satisfied as to their reconciliation.

Yes, I do. Here on this earth and also throughout the universe/multi-verse/meta-verse. (However, I would not state this as a church teaching; it is my personal conclusion.)

Pushka, you are not alone. I prefer men who are my age or younger, or men who have youthful appearance and attitude. :thrasher:And although I laugh with you and I do enjoy the joke, I would not characterize my attraction as merely wanting a 'boy toy'. This is a huge subject. I think if we are going to talk about age gaps, period, we should start a thread in general discussion or somewhere, perhaps? Don't know as it is thoroughly pertinent to the Church's single adult program (or is it? lol).

I would not advance it as doctrine of the Church, but in my own mind I easily reconcile that "dust" means elements -- and most pertinently that our bodies are subject to the forces of a physical (and mortal) world as we begin this journey of overcoming those very same elements (through the atonement and obedience). Also in my own mind, I accept that Adam and Eve were born -- that all humans are born, going into an infinite past history. I am curious about the notion that God the Father is the physical father of Adam; I have heard this before, and while I am open to it, I am in the process of some thoughts and learning that do not allow me to conclude that at this time.