prophetofdoom

Get a civil marriage. The church can't tell you not to do it. If you have already been having sex regularly.. it will not be reasonable to stop for a year to get a temple marriage.. The church encourages temple marriage... but the hand was already in the cookie jar my friend..

I think masturbation definitely effects worthiness. I would not go to the temple if I had a problem with it. It's not the most grave of sins, but, the guilt associated with it can reduce the confidence a person has.... not good to have as a missionary. As a Priesthood holder.. I don't want to be giving a blessing to someone on their death bed.. knowing I have a problem like that. Those are the situations you will be called into on your mission.

Would it be easier just to create a corporation and treat it as a separate entity? Then, when your business turns a profit and you are paid by the corporation.. you can tithe your 10%?

Okay, given we don't have much specifics.. I could see her not being given information if his council occurred after they were legally divorced. However, if they were still married when the council occurred, I don't see how she wouldn't know. My wife was present during the judgment that took place during my council.

I think Satan's plan had major problems... no free agency? How could we progress without it? There is no way we could have become like Heavenly Father without the essential free agency. Satan's plan was very contradictory.

Another example of America having its hands tied. We can't compete with a world that has people working for 10 cents an hour, no environmental regulation, lower taxes, etc.

WBC is a very hateful group of people. I wonder if they ever opened their Bibles and read about the 2 great commandments Jesus gave.

This issue sure comes up on this board a lot!

It is a good decision to talk to the Bishop. However, I think you may be berating yourself too much my young friend. Most teenage boys have challenges with this issue and I don't believe anyone is going to think less of you.

Satan wants you to keep this dirty little secret. It will fester and burden your spirit... and you will continue being miserable. I agree with Slamjet. Pray mightily and fast mightily. This will have to be resolved with Priesthood Authority. I am going to pray for you brother.

One more thing... are you giving this too much energy? Sometimes, "What we resist persists." Because when we think we battling something or fighting something... we are thinking of it.

I always think of this... "Garbage in, Garbage out." What do you occupy your mind with? I have struggled with the same issues before in my life. Trying to master your thoughts is the key. I still have to consciously change my thoughts when they drift on to something inappropriate. I have found (as one poster already said) that saying "NOOOOOO!" and shaking my head as thoughts fill my mind... works for some reason. Also, remember your mind is a stage... you can't think of "nothingness." Your thoughts always have to be focused on something. Try to FOCUS on other things. This takes real discipline and takes constantly telling yourself NOOOO!

There are various types of secret societies. I don't think it is a good idea to delve into researching masonic ceremonies. These ceremonies are the counterfeits I was talking about.

Okay, I was a little over dramatic by using the word "burning." I just want him to know that dedicating 2 years of your life is a big decision. I am not trying to discourage though. It is just that I have learned from personal experience. When I went on my mission.. I was really unprepared and rushed by my parents and Branch Pres. I had been less active from the ages of 16-19 and did a lot of partying in those 3 years. I had a lot of baggage and issues that were not fully dealt with before I went and it really dragged me down throughout my mission. About the Army.. I would really put A LOT of thought into this as well. You will MOST LIKELY be in harms way with combat troops still in Afghanistan and Iraq... not to mention.. the flare ups in the Middle East. This is a big commitment as well. You are still very young... take time to think about the next steps in your life. "Fools Rush In."

I just wanted to add this... a mission isn't for the faint in heart. If you don't have a burning testimony and a drive to serve the Lord.. I would rethink before any commitment.

I wouldn't RUSH to go on a mission. I would definitely take some time to ponder, pray, and work out any loose ends in your life. Attend church for a while and work on your testimony.This is a critical step in your life... the military is also a hard life... make the decision CAREFULLY.. don't be rushed by recruiters, parents, or anyone else at this point.

I, personally believe, that there are modern day Gadianton Robbers (though they probably don't call themselves such). Just as the Gadianton Robbers took over the government, bought off judges, planned secret assassinations, and committed all types of crimes.. so there are groups that do that today. Just as the Lord has set up his church and appointed prophets, seers, and revelators to lead the church under Jesus Christ...Satan also has his counter organizations. This is my belief though and not an official doctrine of the church.

There are no links between the Illuminati and the Church. Satan does have counterfeits out there though.

I tend to agree that biblical scale calamities are coming soon. Not just because of the gay marriage issue per se. I believe that wickedness, in general, is increasing. For example, most people I work with, live with g/f or b/f without any thought of marriage in the future. I am seeing in an overall increase in the amount of children being born out of wedlock.. it is becoming the cultural norm. Look at the sitcoms.. The Secret Life of An American Teenager.. glorifying sex before marriage. The amount of abortions in the United States is estimated to be at 40 million since Roe vs. Wade. The iniquity level is increasing at an alarming rate.

I wanted to continue the discussion from the "Foxs News" thread. I assert that there are secret combinations working in concert to cause global chaos right now. The strategy is "order out of chaos." They want to stoke the fires in the Middle East and cause chaos to spread across the globe. They want chaos so they can present their solution to the problem. Problem---->Reaction----->Solution Their solution will be a one world government with a one world currency. Of course, this one world government solution is not in the best interest of humanity. It has been put into the hearts of the controllers by the evil one. So my question is this... do you believe there is a global conspiracy or not?

Just another example of the gentiles' increasing iniquity. It is a slow and incremental advancement of iniquity taking place.

Okay, if you are confessing masturbation problem... i doubt you are going to have anything other then informal probation (or no action). You will not pass or partake of the sacrament (for a small period of time). but I understand that you can still say prayers. I have never heard of any serious penalties from the church for that.

I agree with rubondfan2. I do believe that the media is only one branch of an overall conspiracy authored by Satan. Do all the players in the "conspiracy" realize they are part of some Satanic plan pushing humanity towards a certain agenda... of course not. I believe most lower level moles in the conspiracy think they are doing the right thing. To me, the media is the propaganda outlet for the masters at the top. Do I have absolute proof of it? No. But, I have the prophets and the scriptures that tell me Satan is deceiving MOST people on this planet. The media is how the controllers at the top control the flow of information to the general public. Notice how all the political issues of our day are in terms of Republican vs. Democrat? They fit us into a nice little thinking box so that we don't think about the real issues effecting this world and the nation. Notice how the media keeps telling us that the unrest in the Middle East is because of the Muslim Brotherhood, evil dicators, etc? They are not telling you that the real reason is that food prices worldwide are increasing as a result of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy increasing the money supply. The media isn't telling you that America's way of life is going down the toilet with the food prices increasing and the oil prices increasing. No, the media is telling us that there is a grand recovery taking place. They are not telling you that the stock market is measured in US dollars (the value of the dollar is plummeting). When you look at the US stock market measured in Gold.. you see that it is crashing.

Now that you have come through the straight gate, (Baptism) the adversary is trying to take you down. This is the time to really get on your knees and pray to your Father in Heaven for help. Another thing, it sounds like you may want to make some more friends at church. This takes effort. I am a person that usually doesn't like going out of my way to make friends... but, I have found that at church... you kind of have to throw yourself out there and make yourself known. The world is very alluring sometimes... it looks like everyone it just having a blast and having unrestricted fun. Trust me, that is all smoke and mirrors by the adversary. People may appear to be "happy" but that is not joy. Joy is eternal happiness... the peace that comes to your soul because you are following Jesus Christ. Wickedness was never happiness. If people look like they are having some fun, living in sin, it is very fleeting and leaves a feeling of emptiness in their lives. Stay strong. With time, you will make more friends and your testimony will grow.

Response: I am not saying everyone is highly competent. Response: I don't assume everyone is involved. There is compartmentalization. That is how intelligence agencies are able to keep state secrets. It is well know that most news comes from few sources. Most news outlets just regurgitate what comes over AP or Reuters. Also, anchors just read teleprompters.. they may or may not be involved in the development of the story. Producers can tell reporters to cover or not cover certain stories... for example.. a story that might embarrass a sponsor... most likely will not air. Response: I don't have insider knowledge. Most things are hidden in plain view and don't require special insider knowledge.