gruden

I really wish that website were still there because it was really good reading - the guy had done quite a bit of research. I wish I had saved more than just a bookmark. One thing he found that stunned and saddened me was that the Church apparently operates certain properties where if individuals pay a hefty fee they're allowed to go and hunt big game for sport, even to the point where they're pretty much guaranteed to bag an animal (meaning the creature has no fair chance). I've found that people seem to have interesting ideas on what the term 'stewardship' means, which is usually whatever is convenient.

Hmmm, and I thought this had only happened to me! Many years ago when I was inactive, a thought became very persistent in my mind that because of my inactivity I had denied the Holy Ghost. This bothered me so much I knelt down and offered a very fervent, emotional prayer. When I was finished, those thoughts completely vanished. Later it became obvious to me that those thoughts were from the Adversary, because it's very easy not to understand what condition the scriptures that have been quoted are speaking of. Those scriptures speak of those who have been given to know - shown - that Jesus is Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost. These aren't people who have faith - as Alma speaks of - that He is the Christ, but a perfect knowledge. These are they who have been visited by the Son and have a perfect knowledge of his divine calling and Atonement, yet deny Him and crucify Him afresh. This is a level of knowledge not generally achieved, unfortunately. Even Peter, who denied the Lord 3 times, who had been a personal witness to many of the important events in Christ's ministry, didn't achieve the level of knowledge of the meaning of these things until the Holy Ghost came upon them and manifested to them afterward a complete understanding of their import and meaning, and almost literally writing it into their souls, as testimony is written line-by-line into ours if we allow it. If you had done this, you would certainly know. You would be a vessel of wrath. Those who achieve a bright light, if they fall, become a greater darkness than the fallen who had only possessed a lesser light. Just ask Lucifer. Pray about it and ask your burden be lifted, and be at ease. I think you're OK.

In my experience, the WoW - in terms of worthiness issues - is a code for the following: 1. Abstaining from certain hot drinks, ie. coffee, black/green tea 2. Abstaining from alcoholic drinks 3. Abstaining from tobacco products 4. Abstaining from controlled substances When I'm asked if I follow the WoW, I go by those four items, as that is what's culturally practiced at this time, and what the person asking the question really wants to know. If I get all worked up because I had a steak dinner the night before, he'll smile and move on to the next question. We all know there are other things in the WoW that most ignore, yet they are hidden treasures for true seekers of righteousness to find and work on when they're ready. For example, the scriptures do make a pointed effort to tell us to take it easy on animal flesh, yet how many church potlucks have we all attended that didn't offer lots of meat-based dishes? Yet what happens to people who follow these words of wisdom and cut down on meat consumption and eat more whole grains and produce? Some years ago I found a website by a church member who did a big write-up on the WoW when he decided to take the whole thing serious and not simply what is commonly practiced. He found that many modern-day prophets were actually vegetarians (or very nearly so), and the profound changes he experienced when he decided to practice the WoW in its entirety. When the Lord promises hidden treasures of wisdom to those who follow it, He's not kidding. Sadly, the web site has gone the way of the earth, which is too bad because the guy who put it together really had some powerful things to say. We have to find out for ourselves what the Lord means by those other things if we're ready to try.

Correction: The Church of the Lamb of God is perfect. We (at least most of us) are not members of that Church, but a different one, the one that we've been given in mortality. Is a church without the fullness of Celestial law perfect? That may be for you to decide. Dogma and over-zealousness are things to be avoided just the same as criticism and bitterness. All of them stop personal progress.

Because all is well in Zion, eh? ;-) I think Joseph gives us a hint of what he might think in TotPJS pg. 393-4. There he speaks of a dream where he returned to a farm that was his inheritance, which had become run-down in his absence. Some very disagreeable people came and claimed it was theirs, which led to violence. I think there's some very interesting symbology there worth pondering.

Yes, it's called the Temple. BTW, you can do it too. My wife once cast out an evil spirit that somehow got its hooks into my daughter while I was gone. I couldn't have done it better. My office is in the basement, so I recognize all the sounds in the house when it's quiet (not many). Last year I started hearing some strange sounds occasionally - especially late at night - like someone moving around and/or panting. It didn't happen often and wasn't too scary, but it was somewhat unsettling. I mostly ignored it, but I eventually asked my wife if she thought there was something going on. She's a spiritually sensitive type, and she mentioned yes, she felt there was 'someone' popping in occasionally. With that second witness I immediately prayed for its dismissal. Those strange sounds disappeared and never came back.