eddified

Notice that evolution proponents often use the "mountains of evidence" talking point. If the evidence is so overwhelming, it would speak for itself. The mere utterance of "it's no longer a theory, it's a fact" and the assertion there is so much evidence assures me that the theory of evolution is not as sturdy as one might expect. Many things in the Book of Mormon hint at evolution being untrue (see scripture quotes above in this thread). Also, please ponder one of my favorite scriptures from Moroni 7: And another scripture, from D&C 77:6 (emphasis added by me): Does the theory of evolution persuade men to believe in Christ, or does it do the opposite? Christians in general are losing believers to atheism, thanks to the theory of evolution. [1][2][3][4]. Do you really think a true doctrine would convince people to leave Christianity for atheism, contrary to what Moroni taught? When it comes to contradictions between something I have felt Spiritual confirmation of (Book of Mormon), and a theory of man (evolution), I'll take the former. If you wish to harmonize them (theistic evolution), that is your right, I have nothing against it. I do not find it distasteful when my parents tell me they believe in theistic evolution. I personally do not find the ability to make evolution and my religion compatible, yet I harbor no resentment to anyone that believes in evolution (theistic or atheistic). Don't forget that the Church has leaders that believe evolution, and some that don't. Many wish to paint creationists (specifically the young earth version) as uninformed, stupid, unscientific, and unintelligent. There are many intelligent, informed, learned men which do not buy evolution, including inside the church and out, so recognize these types of attacks on creationists as just incarnations of the ad hominem fallacy [5]. Keep this in mind: if you profess a disbelief in evolution, be prepared to be in the minority, at least among the vocal people on the internet, including on this forum. You will be besieged by people opposing your viewpoint. This however shouldn't be a problem; we as LDS should be accustomed to being different. Why would the origins of the world be any different? Doesn't the adversary have an interest in deceiving us regarding origins of man and the earth? I'd argue that yes, he most assuredly does. BYU scholars [all?] tend to believe in evolution. Here is an excellent resource by LDS apologetic scholars regarding the age of the earth https://www.fairmormon.org/answers/Mormonism_and_science/Age_of_the_Earth . The primary takeaway from this link is that belief in evolution is not critical to salvation. Is it a question in the temple recommend interview? No. Does it affect Jesus' teachings regarding how we should treat each other? Again, not really. The church doesn't take on official position on the issue. So, do your own study of the matter and follow the valid evidence where it leads. Do not let the massive number of people that believe in evolution sway you - you figure it out yourself, using your own study of the matter. Truth is not affected by popularity, of that I think we can all agree. [1] http://www.faith.org.uk/article/god-and-evolution-the-fundamental-issue-today [2] http://www.godofevolution.com/raised-by-theological-conspiracy-theorists-how-i-lost-my-fait/ [3] https://uncommondescent.com/education/evolution-was-the-key-in-joseph-campbells-loss-of-faith/ [4] http://biologos.org/blogs/archive/how-science-almost-ruined-my-faith [5] example of an ad hominem attack on this forum, where it was stated that I as a Creationist don't know what I'm talking about: https://mormonhub.com/forums/topic/61159-science-and-religion/?page=2#comment-903019 Related, but perhaps not directly: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expelled:_No_Intelligence_Allowed

It is believed that Joseph Smith taught that there are two basic things in the universe, (a) intelligence and (b) element. Both are eternal and uncreated. http://ldsdoctrine.blogspot.com/2010/01/element-and-intelligence.html Edit: the link above is not my blog, and I do not necessarily agree with the text at the given link. I supplied it because it seems relevant to the conversation, and I find it interesting discussion material.

Albert Einstein is credited with the famous equation, e = mc2, which is the "mass-energy equivalence" relation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass–energy_equivalence This states that matter and energy are convertible. One could say they are fundamentally the same thing.

This is so true. It's not just true in the context of this thread, it's also true in more general terms. There are a great many subjects in which we would do well to abide by this principle. Joseph Smith decried tradition, saying that if we could get over our traditions, we could learn a great many things about eternal truths. (paraphrasing). I'm thinking that we should substitute "influences of men and the world" when Joseph Smith decried "tradition". (I'm not correcting Joseph Smith, I'm just offering an additional perspective of his teachings regarding traditions.)

I don't know why, but ClearPlay apparently lets me watch filtered movies on Amazon for free. (Well I pay for the Amazon content, but the filtering is free). I don't even have a ClearPlay account! It works using a Chrome browser extension, provided by ClearPlay. I can then cast the movie to my TV using Chromecast. Not the best experience since I have to use a laptop (the Roku would be better). But free?! Wow. I watched "Star Trek Beyond" this way this week so I know it works.

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/06/elon-musk-the-worlds-population-is-accelerating-toward-collapse-and-nobody-cares.html

This is great. I always figured an RV wouldn't help much for living free (as in free as a bird), since you still have to park in an RV park. But in order to make a van livable, it needs a bathroom and a kitchen. Which means you still have to dump and refill water tanks occasionally. Are there places to do this besides RV parks?

And for those of you who like BBQ sauce, I recommend Jack Daniel's Barbeque sauce, regardless of (not because of) the fact that it contains Whiskey.

I never thought it was a problem to eat food that has alcohol in it. Cooking wine? Fine with me. Beer beans? Gross, but I suppose eating it at a party wouldn't be a problem. (Had some accidentally at a party in Texas years ago, didn't finish the serving.) Someone at work brought in some home made ice cream he had made that had alcohol in it. I'm fine with that, too. The word of wisdom specifically uses the word "drink", so if I'm eating food that contains alcohol, I really don't think it's a problem, personally. Are there any good quotes from church materials to the contrary? D&C 89: .. it doesn't say anything about strong foods. As someone pointed out earlier, it's hard to get a buzz off strong foods.

But more to my point, why do people make fun of those who choose to eat differently, regardless of the reason?

Who says most don't "need" to be? Is there some data on this ?

It's good to see the good and the positive in the school system. I'm glad you found something good in the public school system, something to help you since your parents were, as you said, "irresponsible". However, thinking the school system will, on the whole, be able to successfully pick up where the parents are slacking off/neglecting their duty is a recipe for disaster. There is a reason that the Church has emphasized the importance of family and being good parents. I don't want the socialization that public schools have to offer. They offer lots of socialization regarding teen sex, drugs, and gang behavior. I fail to see how being socialized in these areas is a good thing. Now, I don't mean to bash public schools. They do a lot of good. But, I really, really don't think that relying on them to meet the needs the parents should be meeting is a good idea. The children with poor family backgrounds need help. Do not take me for one who doesn't want to help them. I firmly believe that they need good parents, perhaps through adoption, or being raised by Catholic nuns, whatever. It is wonderful to help these kids. I think the main reason that public schools will not work for fixing the family issues is that the government is running the school. The cold, bureaucratic hand of the government will never, ever do a good job (on the whole) of providing the love that children need. [I mean that public schooling can do a lot of good, but on the whole, it never will fill in for good loving family.]

This has got nothing to do with downloading. You signed an NDA saying you wouldn't talk about it...

This stuff is covered by the NDA. Technically they can sue you for $1,000 since you are talking about this stuff here, publicly. Just FYI. And no, I'm not going to tattle on you

The church has an addiction recovery program for pornography issues (and other addictions as well). The church even has service missionaries to help run the program. https://addictionrecovery.lds.org/?lang=eng I encourage you to speak with the bishop and do what you can to attend. If you are too remote to meet in person, I think there are phone-in options. God bless.

@zil, I agree Regarding (3) - removing yourself from the room when something inappropriate is on the TV.... I have family members that watch things on TV which I am uncomfortable watching. This becomes an issue when I am their guest for a muti-day stay. It is extremely difficult to avoid it since it's on all the time. In the evening when the kids are in bed, my wife and I have to find a different place to hang out so we don't have to be affected by the filth on the TV. But if the bedrooms all have children sleeping then where do we go? It is extremely difficult. But I still think it is the right thing to do. It can be very hard, but stick to your principles.

This nugget was a fun way to close the article: "For the husband, he may now face charges under the state’s tough prostitution laws, which make it illegal to engage in any type of sexual activity in exchange for money or some other form of compensation – even if it is with one’s own spouse."

Drugs are spread in public schools. For this reason I'd like my children to spend less time there. We've had children attend public school for kindergarten and first grade but not after that. Homeschooling is our method of eduction. I fear that junior high is a horrible, horrible environment for my children to be avoided at all costs. It's not because of the education. It's because of the students. The amount of time spent in school is of little concern compared to other matters. Our school system is getting a bad rap. I didn't attend any special private school or have any special after school programs during high school. My normal public high school offered many advanced placement classes which I took full advantage of. I graduated high school in 1999 fully ready to attend BYU, which I did. The point here is that there is some really good education happening in public schools. Yes there are many problems. Yes the public schooling system fails on many accounts. But it's not all bad. My aunt has been teaching in public schools for decades. Her opinion is that the parents are primarily to blame. This I tend to agree with. The parents don't teach their children true principles. They don't teach the gospel. They don't emphasize education and learning in the home. I lived in South Korea. Those families value education much more than we Americans do. It's not the public schooling there that makes the education levels so high--it's the parents sending their children to tutoring and intensive after school programs. It's a cultural thing, not a public school thing. When liberals compare our public school system in favor of the Swedish (or was it Finland or Norway?) system, they might have a point but they're missing the main point entirely. The problem is that parents blame the public school system while at the same time relinquishing their stewardship over their children's education. If Ameican parents as a whole took full responsibility over their children's education (and I'm not just referring to a secular education) then our education as a whole would correspondingly improve.

I think you need some encouragement. You can learn to be the spiritual strength of the family. It's critical that you do, for the children. Don't fight to hold family scriptures, for example, just read them with the children once they get a little older, you can start with the children's illustrated scripture stories. They are available in the Gospel Library app. You CAN have a testimony of your own. Just start doing the important things. I know you can. Start small. God bless.

Reading between the lines it sounds like you still believe, or at the very least, you badly want to believe. My heart hurts for you and your family. The advice that comes into my head right now is to nurture your testimony on your own. Read your personal scriptures and say your personal prayers. Also, try to love him for who he is. See the good in him. Accept his decision to be worldly and love him anyway. I would not recommend that you leave him -- rather I strongly recommend that you stay with him. You didn't mention abuse so I assume it is still very important for your children that you stay together.

@Just_A_Guy, @Latter-Day Marriage, there is also the fact that it's a gift to your children. It's not really a factor in this context, it's a much bigger factor in the context of staying chaste after marriage. Let's see what unchastity after marriage can do , according to the Book of Mormon: (from Jacob 2). "Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to God against you"

@Vort I'm having trouble understanding your position. Seems to contradict your previous statement: The former says "yes, sex changes a person in a big way, so it matters" but the latter basically says "she's repented, so it doesn't matter". So does it matter or doesn't it? Please expound.

A blind man vists the state of Texas There once was a blind man who decided to visit Texas. When he arrived on the plane, he felt the seats and said, "Wow, these seats are big!" The person next to him answered, "Everything is big in Texas." When he finally arrived in Texas, he decided to visit a bar. Upon arriving in the bar, he ordered a beer and got a mug placed between his hands. He exclaimed, "Wow these mugs are big!" The bartender replied, "Everything is big in Texas." After a couple of beers, the blind man asked the bartender where the bathroom was located. The bartender replied, "Second door to the right." The blind man headed for the bathroom, but accidentally tripped over and skipped the second door. Instead, he entered the third door, which lead to the swimming pool and fell into the pool by accident. Scared to death, the blind man started shouting, "Don't flush, don't flush!"

Hey if you've never been to Texas, don't rag on it I grew up in Texas and it's a fine place (well, parts of it are, at least) but you won't find me among the group of people asserting it's the best state. I'm open minded when it comes to which is the best state. I lived in CA and there are some things I really like about it. Currently live in Utah and love it (certainly not perfect but I do love it). My favorite Texas city is Austin. What a great place to visit!

My wife was a month younger than 20 years old when I got married. I was barely 24. My aunt (who is middle aged and never married) warned me that research showed that chances of staying together are much higher if both partners are at least 22 years old. She seemed pretty worried for me, and pleaded for me to reconsider marrying her since she wasn't the magical age of 22 yet. Well, 12 years later we're still happily married. And I wouldn't say it a was ever a rocky marriage either; her fears of us not being able to make it work seem unfounded to me. The takeaway: when it's right, it's right, regardless of research. There may be wisdom in the "22 year old" age guideline but it shouldn't be a rule.