Forget-Me-Not

Good, hope he thinks so, lol...

Oh, good... :)

Thanks Martain, I needed that at least one time, lol...

Okay, my turn I guess. So, let's say you're two middle aged + adults, have both been married before, have known each other for 35+ years, and have each loved the other from afar (literally 2600 miles afar) for several years (unknown to each other until last year) and you haven't even seen each other in person in more than 10 years, and now he's come home to visit for Christmas. So is taking a basket of food and going to the beach to watch the sunrise too private and romantic for a first date?

That was beautiful. Thank you.

Okay, sent in to see. I don't remember if I got and replied to a validation email or not, so now we'll see what happens. Thanks Pegasus :)

Hi Pegasus_, I added you as a friend and it says we're already friends, but it doesn't show on my friends, does it show on yours?

That was snarky? Lol. I would love to never be any more snarky than that! You're doin' good. Like, 1 level under Sainthood.

And also comforts and warns...

My Will The rocks were sharp and jagged as I stepped from off the path They sliced my feet and drew my blood to pain me in their wrath But in my pride I clenched my teeth and walked the harder there Not wishing to succumb to shame, nor guilt, nor sorrow bear Said I, "My life is mine to live, twas given me to do I'm free to choose the way I will, the road I'll travel through." And so within myself I pushed to keep my chosen course And at my sins tried not to look and suffer their remorse So on the days and years they passed, I lived as I preferred But in my vain ambitious trek my conscience often stirred And nagging deep within my heart a quiet voice did plead That I should walk the trodden path and let another lead I had the things the world could buy, I had its passion sure I had the things of lust and greed and pleasures to allure But still, in all, I had a wound hid deep within my soul And in the solitude of dark its weeping took its toll Then all alone one night I cried, "Dear Lord, where might thou be? Please help me in my anguish, Lord, my soul yearns to be free!" And then as rain began to fall outside my window pane I felt as if it washed me through, no suffering did remain But peace began to fill me up with love and tender care With warmth, where once cold feelings lay, no longer to despair And now true joy, a thing I'd lost, welled up and me did fill Into my heart my Savior came and beckoned, "Do My will."

Just some thoughts as per speculating on evolutionary processes in the creation process. The scriptures tell us, for example, that God formed man out of the dust of the ground. But what does that mean? Does it literally mean the dust we would see the wind pick up when blowing across a dry field of soil? Or might it mean basic life building chemical elements and compounds, which I guess (not being a scientist) would also be found in soil that has not been depleted? I don't know, but the scriptures don't explain what the dust of the ground is. They also do not explain how the forming was done, what processes were employed, or how long these processes took. Scripture tells us there were six "days" (Genesis account) and six "times" (Book of Abraham account) of creation. Six phases, if you will, but they don't tell us what processes were used to complete each phase, nor do they tell us how long each of those phases took, according to our reckoning of time. There are likely those LDS who believe in a literal 24 day period for each "day" mentioned, though I think most LDS probably do not take that view. But, given what the scriptures say, and do not say, I can easily see a vast spectrum of thought on the creation of the earth and heavens, of animal and plant life, as well as the creation of man from members of the Church, without conflict where belief and faith in God, scripture, and Christ as Savior are concerned.

Another article that might be helpful... No definitive LDS stance on evolution, study finds | Deseret News And just speaking for myself, mind you, I have no difficulty with the idea of God using evolutionary processes in the creation process. Sometimes there are those who think it must be either/or, though I've never seen it that way. I'm looking forward to the day all the "how" questions will be answered, but, until then, I'm satisfied with wondering. :)

Well, I keep asking Google, lol. Still haven't found what I was looking for, but I did just run across this link. Did not check all the articles, but it might have something helpful. As spamlds and others have expressed, the Lord has your answers. Really. As the creator, he is the master scientist. I have no doubt that you can resolve what seem to be difficult issues where religious faith and science is concerned. If science and faith were not compatible there would be no LDS scientists. Do, though, be patient with yourself. It's a journey. Are Science and Faith Compatible in Mormon Religion? | Mormon Women - About LDS Life and Belief

Say, found this, it might be helpful. Now I have to go back and read it, lol. The Gospel and the Scientific View: How Earth Came to Be - Ensign Sept. 1980 - ensign

Well we all have enough baggage, no doubt, to understand those kinds of obstacles. One of mine was in having the kind of father who was very forceful and violent, the kind to very much be feared, so one of my obstacles has been in learning to believe in God as a loving Heavenly Father. I can understand it mentally, but emotionally it's been a life long struggle. That's one of my particular pieces of baggage as it relates to my faith. :)

I'm pleased you appreciate my scientists = open minded perspective. As I see it, being open minded is essential to the field. No, the article I'm thinking of featured of a number of LDS scientists and talked of their faith in relation to their work. I can't remember anything more and don't remember if it was a new paper article, an article from the Church magazine (the Ensign) or some other publication.

It would not be the first time, nor the last, when the love of a woman has caused a man to want to explore her faith. I applaud you for wanting to learn more to see if you it's something you, yourself, could embrace. That is something we all must do at some point anyway, whether we've been raised with a religious faith or not. I would say you need not have much concern with the science issue. As I see it (though I'm no scientist by any stretch of the imagination) people of science must be open minded (though we often tend to think of them as closed) so I'm sure there is a way you will be able to resolve the issue of science and faith. Ultimately, when a time comes where one is able to seek and gain a witness from the Spirit, he is better able to take what he knows, along what he knows he doesn't know, and have patience with both and live by his faith in the meantime. Still looking for that article. I remember almost nothing but the topic so that's not helping, lol. Likely someone else here read it though and maybe they'll have better luck than I am... :)

Still looking, but this is an interesting tid-bit... Saints and Scientists

Looking for an article I read a few years ago about LDS scientists. This isn't it, but thought I'd include it while I search more... LDS scientist learns by study and by faith | Deseret News

Hi, I should say welcome more often, even though I'm new myself. Ordinarily I love Christmas more than any holiday. Last Christmas season was extremely difficult for personal reasons though and I'm finding the thought of it painful this year again, too, but I'm trying harder to get myself into the Christmas Spirit. One thing I used to love when I lived in Utah several years ago was going to see the lights on temple square. One of my favorite memories of my time there. Last Christmas Eve I drove around the little town I live in, alone, to see the lights, and cried the whole drive, lol, but it's one little sweet memory from last year. Sad, but sweet. I'm hoping this year will be better. Hoping to make it better. :)

Oh, might have been me, but if it was, that's not quite what I meant. Also, I should say I know far less about what groups believe than I do individuals. I'm sure there are individuals who think back past the birth of Jesus and back past creation in their belief that Jesus Christ was the Son of God then, too, and that God sent His Son into the world, not only that Jesus became His Son upon his earthly birth, or because of it, though how far they take that thought, I don't know. And whether they take that thought to the conclusion of Jesus having a Heavenly Mother, I don't know, but personally I haven't known any with whom I've had such discussions who have thought much about it that thoroughly. I would imagine that conclusion would also be much more natural to a child, such as Connie mentioned with herself, though my conversations have only been with adults and none have expressed having that perspective, that is, none of the non-LDS I've discussed such with. I have known LDS who became LDS in part because that was a core belief they held before they knew about the LDS faith.

Mine as well. Simply and beautifully expressed. It has also been helpful to me getting a better understanding of how others believe. Thank you for starting this thread. :)

I agree. Maybe I'd be considered too simplistic in my thinking by some, but on this matter and many others I can't help think of the words from Lord's prayer, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

And I don't know that the non-LDS I know who see God as the literal Father of Jesus are thinking in terms of pre-creation or the pre-birth of Jesus onto the earth, but rather that the babe born to Mary was literally begotten of God, in the literal, biological, genetic, offspring sense.

Well I can't help with an answer, but I'm looking forward to gaining some kind of insight, as I've had those core questions myself about such beliefs. The most I've gotten to help me understand what some others believe (which hasn't helped much) is when some have expressed a view that it's a metaphorical or symbolic sonship that represents God being born into the world taking on the form of man. What I've found most interesting, though, among those I've known who are not LDS but who believe in God and in the Bible, but have not been taught a belief of God in which He does not have a body, etc., is that they don't come away with that idea from the scriptures and they tend to believe so much more as we including having the belief that Jesus, being the Son of God, means he is literally God's actual offspring. An example of that was when my former mother-in-law learned there were other Bible believing Christians who did not believe Jesus was the actual, literal, Son of God (as in offspring) she was shocked and found it quite unbelievable, saying, "What, have they never read their Bible?! What do they think it means that Jesus is the Son of God then?!" I couldn't answer her, but she, from reading the Bible, understood as we and she was someone who was raised in a staunch Baptist home, attending church regularly, with devout parents, and with praying in that home and being taught of God by her parents and where each morning when she arose, her father could be found at his desk reading the Bible. So, my personal opinion is that in order to believe in ideas such as God having no body and Jesus is not being His actual, literal, Son, but being the Son of God means something else, one must be indoctrinated into that belief by other than scripture.