Anddenex

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  1. Like
    Anddenex got a reaction from Blackmarch in Houses you ... sort of can afford   
    The house I would like to purchase is 1.2 Million, if I justify 90% of my earnings, sure I could afford it, but this would not be wise. I assume it really depends on how much parental support they are receiving. If the parents are paying 90%, and they are only left with 10%, then I don't see anything unwise. If the parents are supporting 5% and they are 95% of a home that is over 400K, and they make less than 30K a year -- unwise.
  2. Like
    Anddenex reacted to mirkwood in Do you have a dream?   
    The trial of riches.
  3. Like
    Anddenex got a reaction from Edspringer in Patriarchal blessings   
    1) what are the roles to be played by each of these tribes in the gathering of Israel
    The only two tribes I am aware of regarding roles is that of Manasseh and Ephraim.  One of their roles is to be missionaries. They are to bring the gospel to the rest of the world which is currently being fulfilled. At some point a specific number from each tribe will be apart of a general assembly, I believe this is regarding the 144K mentioned in scriptures who have been sealed.
    Judah we know to be the covenant people of the Lord. They will fill a role regarding Old Jerusalem, I believe along with Benjamin.
    In time, more knowledge will be revealed, we will wait until then.
    2) are there other tribes to which people have been assigned to besides the ones I mentioned above?
    I am aware of six tribes that have been named.
    You mention doubts, yet what you specify as doubts are actual questions, what exactly is your doubt?
  4. Like
    Anddenex reacted to beefche in Funny Missionary Story   
    I served a mission in Bulgaria not long after Bulgaria gave up communism and was jumping into parlimentary government. We had people who were very distrustful of us as Americans as well as Mormons, and thought of us as a cult. Lots and lots of false information was being disseminated about Mormons. So, we were used to people being unkind and even belligerent towards us. 
    As my companion and I waited on a bus stop with a young teen member, I was asking my young friend what a word meant. She was trying to explain it to me, but I just couldn't understand it. Finally, the man behind us (who had been rude for quite some time while waiting) had had enough. "It means to get out of here! It's something you say to a pesky bug, Get out of here!" My young friend was frightened, but I (being used to such behavior) turned to him and genuinely thanked him. He actually helped me to understand the phrase! "Thank you so much! I finally understand it! You are so kind to explain that to me!" He looked startled and suspicious at first, but then he look annoyed and moved away. I turned back to my young friend with a smile and she looked at me. I told her that sometimes responding with kindness was best--I got what I wanted, an explanation and an annoying bug moved away from us.
  5. Like
    Anddenex reacted to Steve Noel in A Different God?   
    I think what you say here is valid. When Paul was in Athens (Acts 17:16-33) he looked at all their idols (false gods) and used one (an "unknown god") to preach the gospel of the true God. In this message he also called them to repent of their false views of God (vv. 29-30).
  6. Like
    Anddenex got a reaction from Jane_Doe in A Different God?   
    Reality being missed, or simply building upon a common belief? Yes, there are "so-called gods." Joshua declared as for him and his house he would serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). After inviting a person to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ (a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Muslim), should they refuse, my sentiments would be the same. I will serve the Lord.
    When a Muslim prays and their prayer is answered, who answered their prayer? A false God or the true and living God? Of course, if the prayer was answered it could have only been answered by God, the true and living God, assuming the prayer was "good", for all things which are "good" come from the true and living God (Moroni 7:13, 3 John 1:11). A Buddhist that worships and through their manner of worship feels God speak to him/her and the intention was to serve their neighbor, who inspired them to serve their neighbor -- a good thing? God, the true and living God.
    The Book of Mormon presents a wonderful lesson regarding building upon this common belief (Alma 18:24-30). In short, a King, by the name of Lamoni, believed in a Great Spirit, as one could easily define as a "false God," and was asked the question "Do you believe in God" (the true God)? His response was that he believed in a Great Spirit, by which Ammon, a servant of God, replied "This is God." This lead into other questions which allowed Ammon to teach Lamoni about the true and living God.  My mission experience taught me that when speaking with people of different faiths, different beliefs, different doctrines, to build upon what we both believe and then teach correct doctrines and principles pertaining to the true and living God.
    This I know for sure, when a Christian prays, when a Muslim prays, when a Buddhist prayer, or when anyone of a different faith prays (meditates) and they are inspired by good and virtuous principles and to serve and do good to their fellow neighbors, that inspiration only comes from the true and living God, even if they believe in what one might say is a "false god," because a false God does not answer prayers.  
    And as in the Bible sometimes, a false belief in the true and living God, needs to be outright confronted -- Elijah and the priests of Baal.
     
  7. Like
    Anddenex reacted to Steve Noel in A Different God?   
    I have seen several responses like this in another LDS forum where I asked this question. The reasoning seems to be that since there is only one God, whatever someone calls God must be that same God. In the other forum someone stated that if a person worships a cow or a stick and calls that God, then it is the same God, because there is only one God. What I think is being missed is the reality that there are "so-called gods" (1 Cor. 8:5). That is, some worship, pray to, and believe in gods that do not exist in reality. These gods are not the true God but are false gods. The Ephesians worshiped many different gods in the 1st century. Yet when Paul came to Ephesus he proclaimed that "gods made with hands are no gods at all" (Acts 19:26). So, for the apostle Paul, every being that was called God was not God.

    Let me illustrate: If you say that the President of the United States is a 6'1'' married African-American man with graying hair, and I say that he is a 5'4'' single Caucasian man with blonde hair, are we describing the same man? There is only one man who is the President of the United States. In this illustration, my description of the President does not correspond to reality, therefore, my "President" does not exist. A President exists, but the person I described was not him. 

    That is similar to how I see this question about God.
  8. Like
    Anddenex reacted to Vort in A Different God?   
    Steve, we worship the Jehovah of the Old Testament and the Jesus of the New Testament. We worship the Son and also the Father whom the Son revealed. If you want to maintain that you worship a different god, that's fine, I won't object. But what I do object to is someone instructing me who I do not worship. So to those who claim I worship " A Different Jesus®", I say, "Okay. I worship the Biblical Jesus, so I guess you must worship Someone Else®."
  9. Like
    Anddenex reacted to Jane_Doe in A Different God?   
    The fact that you have a very poor knowledge about the President doesn't change the fact that there is still only one President.  
  10. Like
    Anddenex reacted to Vort in The Most Odious Character in Star Trek: Voyager   
    After I posted, it occurred to me that you were probably making a funny, but I was too lazy to go back and rewrite it.
  11. Like
    Anddenex got a reaction from Vort in The Most Odious Character in Star Trek: Voyager   
    I knew this as I like both the movie and the TV series. I thought my wink would show I was being sarcastic, but alas it did not.
  12. Like
    Anddenex reacted to pam in Non Profits inundated after call to serve refugees   
    http://www.ksl.com/?sid=39145934&nid=1284&title=nonprofits-inundated-after-lds-church-urges-women-to-serve-refugees
    SALT LAKE CITY — No sooner had the Relief Society general president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints urged LDS women worldwide to serve refugees, phones starting ringing off the hook at local nonprofit agencies that assist refugees.
    "It was pretty much to the minute," Catherine Barnhart, executive director of theEnglish Skills Learning Center, said Friday.
    The center provides English instruction and offers other classes to help refugees and immigrants succeed in their new lives in the United States by obtaining citizenship, learning financial management skills or parenting techniques. Most of the classes are taught by trained volunteers.
  13. Like
    Anddenex reacted to Vort in The Most Odious Character in Star Trek: Voyager   
    Firefly was the name of a TV series. Serenity was a movie based on Firefly.
  14. Like
    Anddenex got a reaction from Sadliers in Do we all hear/feel the Spirit the same?   
    As to my current understanding, knowledge, scriptures appear to highlight two main ways the spirit will speak to us:
    1) D&C 8: 2-3, pure intelligence that enters the heart and mind, the spirit of revelation which leads to a more sure word of prophecy (Elijah, the spirit was in a still small voice).
    2) D&C 8-9, our heart will experience confirmation
    The scriptures also highlight the importance of "edification" or where all are edified and rejoice. How we experience the emotion of being edified, I believe we would all describe it differently due to our ability to express our feelings (connotation vs. denotation). 
    I have experienced pure intelligence flowing into my heart and mind. I have experienced being edified. I have experienced the Lord's chastening through pure intelligence entering my mind and heart as Sunday21 described, and I have felt soft and compassionate pure intelligence enter my heart and mind. This description as given by Joseph Smith describes my experiences, "The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “a person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 151)."
    I have wondered if we often convolute the spirit of revelation such that it appears too abstract, and yet, a child of 8 years old should be able to immediately begin experiencing the spirit of revelation, listen and follow. 
  15. Like
    Anddenex reacted to estradling75 in The Most Odious Character in Star Trek: Voyager   
    People who debate which is nerdier... are by far the nerdiest 
     
  16. Like
    Anddenex reacted to zil in Growing in the Celestial Kingdom w/o the Adversary   
    Important caveat: 1 Corinthians 2:9 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
    In light of that (which I believe is more than "oh, it's gonna be so great"; rather it's "you cannot imagine"), we know precious little.  Personally, I think there are better things to worry about.  That said, easy question first: What will be our work? To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
    The rest is speculative, but...  Satan's "plan" was not to remove opposition, it was to remove agency - a whole different matter.  Further, his "plan" was "a [lie] from the beginning".  It never would have worked.  It was a scam.  I suspect he knew that (though he may have convinced himself that if he just knew all that God knew ("give me your power"), he could figure out a better way than the one God proposed).
    Regarding opposition, I suspect opposition is an eternal principle, not just something for this Earth, nor just for mortality.  (Moses 4, Genesis 3, etc.: "And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil...")  That God is beyond temptation does not mean opposition doesn't exist, it just means that he's perfect and has made temptation subject to him rather than the other way around.  IMO, all those in the celestial kingdom will be the same, and they will not "arrive" at the celestial kingdom until they have learned everything they need to know (which I think is everything) to be there.  In other words, I think post-mortality will be a whole lot of learning until we have reached the full measure of the glory wherewith we are quickened (or for those in other kingdoms, as much of it as they're willing to reach) - godhood will not be an instantaneous change.
    Finally, I don't believe opposition along the lines of "sin" is necessary for growth.  My ignorance and a teacher's knowledge and cooperation between us are enough for me to learn.  Indeed, I think the lack of any opposition ought to make that kind of learning easier.  Some learning is easier through experience, but I suspect none of us will lack the requisite experience (the plan will see to that).
    Those are my initial thoughts and some are things I haven't spent much time on, so they're open to change.  And like I started with: it's mostly speculation and we're not equipped to understand the celestial kingdom right now.
  17. Like
    Anddenex got a reaction from Daybreak79-1 in Going to Zion   
    Members who are currently living in the area of Zion will not have any advantage over members who are in California, New York, Australia, Russia, etc... As Eowyn mentioned, we are to strengthen our stake of Zion, which is where we live that all stakes, including Zion's stake, may be strong and a refuge from the storms to come.
    The Book of Mormon teaches an interesting principle regarding "over-zealousness." The people of Zeniff were over-zealous to move back to their land of inheritance, the land of Nephi, which lead to many trials and difficulties. If the want, is from their personal desires, to buy land or move closer to either of these places, I say "Go for it," with the caveat, remember this is your personal choice.
    The Book of Mormon also teaches that God will speak to some in private conversations and while others he will speak through the head of the Church, "the Brethren will all some people to go to Zion." If an individual is called, a personal calling, then they had better move.  If a person is called by the Brethren, then move also.
    My concern is when members, without Stewardship, try to tell other members to move to Zion with them. If they have been impressed, then move, but allow other the same privilege in waiting either for a personal calling from the Lord, or the Brethren. If a family feels impressed to invite others, then like Nephi and his brothers, speak the words of the Lord, and then allow the Lord to impress upon their minds the same invitation to move; otherwise, leave them be.
  18. Like
    Anddenex got a reaction from Sunday21 in Praying to Jesus   
    The concept of Jesus not "stopping" or "rebuking" doesn't mean the action was "right." This is no different than when a father/mother recognizes a child who attempts to do good, but does not, and the parent smiles and accepts the "intention" of the giver, even if the giver is in error.
    How often have I been in my garden and one of my children pulls up a good plant. I don't rebuke and I don't stop, because I am grateful they are in the garden pulling weeds even if they pull a healthy plant thinking it is a weed. Instruction then comes later, without rebuke, knowing full well the intention was to do right.
  19. Like
    Anddenex reacted to mirkwood in Going to Zion   
    This.
  20. Like
    Anddenex got a reaction from mirkwood in Going to Zion   
    Members who are currently living in the area of Zion will not have any advantage over members who are in California, New York, Australia, Russia, etc... As Eowyn mentioned, we are to strengthen our stake of Zion, which is where we live that all stakes, including Zion's stake, may be strong and a refuge from the storms to come.
    The Book of Mormon teaches an interesting principle regarding "over-zealousness." The people of Zeniff were over-zealous to move back to their land of inheritance, the land of Nephi, which lead to many trials and difficulties. If the want, is from their personal desires, to buy land or move closer to either of these places, I say "Go for it," with the caveat, remember this is your personal choice.
    The Book of Mormon also teaches that God will speak to some in private conversations and while others he will speak through the head of the Church, "the Brethren will all some people to go to Zion." If an individual is called, a personal calling, then they had better move.  If a person is called by the Brethren, then move also.
    My concern is when members, without Stewardship, try to tell other members to move to Zion with them. If they have been impressed, then move, but allow other the same privilege in waiting either for a personal calling from the Lord, or the Brethren. If a family feels impressed to invite others, then like Nephi and his brothers, speak the words of the Lord, and then allow the Lord to impress upon their minds the same invitation to move; otherwise, leave them be.
  21. Like
    Anddenex got a reaction from NeedleinA in infiniteness of the atonement?   
    This would be a new limiting term for mankind, for me. All of God's creations, on this earth and all other like earth's (temple), receive a mortal body. Even animals, all of God's creations receive a resurrected body -- corruption to incorruption -- as specified in LeSellers verses shared. All is accomplished through the Lord's atonement.
    Mankind, as I have understood, is any of God's creations who have taken upon themselves his image.  This would include any of our brothers and sisters being born on other planets (temple).
    If God is God over other earth's, than it would be logical/rational to conclude that the Savior would be Savior over other earth's also; however, this leads to many other questions which I can't see being answered in this life, and if it was revealed, I assume then this would fall under what Nephi and other prophets experienced, "And I was constrained by the Spirit not to reveal anything more."
  22. Like
    Anddenex got a reaction from LeSellers in infiniteness of the atonement?   
    This would be a new limiting term for mankind, for me. All of God's creations, on this earth and all other like earth's (temple), receive a mortal body. Even animals, all of God's creations receive a resurrected body -- corruption to incorruption -- as specified in LeSellers verses shared. All is accomplished through the Lord's atonement.
    Mankind, as I have understood, is any of God's creations who have taken upon themselves his image.  This would include any of our brothers and sisters being born on other planets (temple).
    If God is God over other earth's, than it would be logical/rational to conclude that the Savior would be Savior over other earth's also; however, this leads to many other questions which I can't see being answered in this life, and if it was revealed, I assume then this would fall under what Nephi and other prophets experienced, "And I was constrained by the Spirit not to reveal anything more."
  23. Like
    Anddenex got a reaction from NeedleinA in Praying to Jesus   
    The concept of Jesus not "stopping" or "rebuking" doesn't mean the action was "right." This is no different than when a father/mother recognizes a child who attempts to do good, but does not, and the parent smiles and accepts the "intention" of the giver, even if the giver is in error.
    How often have I been in my garden and one of my children pulls up a good plant. I don't rebuke and I don't stop, because I am grateful they are in the garden pulling weeds even if they pull a healthy plant thinking it is a weed. Instruction then comes later, without rebuke, knowing full well the intention was to do right.
  24. Like
    Anddenex got a reaction from zil in Praying to Jesus   
    The concept of Jesus not "stopping" or "rebuking" doesn't mean the action was "right." This is no different than when a father/mother recognizes a child who attempts to do good, but does not, and the parent smiles and accepts the "intention" of the giver, even if the giver is in error.
    How often have I been in my garden and one of my children pulls up a good plant. I don't rebuke and I don't stop, because I am grateful they are in the garden pulling weeds even if they pull a healthy plant thinking it is a weed. Instruction then comes later, without rebuke, knowing full well the intention was to do right.
  25. Like
    Anddenex reacted to Vort in Praying to Jesus   
    https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/bruce-r-mcconkie_relationship-lord/
    This address includes these insights by Elder McConkie:
    We worship the Father and him only and no one else. We do not worship the Son, and we do not worship the Holy Ghost. I know perfectly well what the scriptures say about worshipping Christ and Jehovah, but they are speaking in an entirely different sense—the sense of standing in awe and being reverentially grateful to him who has redeemed us. Worship in the true and saving sense is reserved for God the first, the Creator.
    [...]
    There are yet others who have an excessive zeal which causes them to go beyond the mark. Their desire for excellence is inordinate. In an effort to be truer than true they devote themselves to gaining a special, personal relationship with Christ that is both improper and perilous.
    I say perilous because this course, particularly in the lives of some who are spiritually immature, is a gospel hobby which creates an unwholesome holier-than-thou attitude. In other instances it leads to despondency because the seeker after perfection knows he is not living the way he supposes he should.
    Another peril is that those so involved often begin to pray directly to Christ because of some special friendship they feel has been developed. In this connection a current and unwise book, which advocates gaining a special relationship with Jesus, contains this sentence:
    "Because the Savior is our mediator, our prayers go through Christ to the Father, and the Father answers our prayers through his Son."
    This is plain sectarian nonsense. Our prayers are addressed to the Father, and to him only. They do not go through Christ, or the Blessed Virgin, or St. Genevieve or along the beads of a rosary. We are entitled to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
    And I rather suppose that he who sitteth upon the throne will choose his own ways to answer his children, and that they are numerous. Perfect prayer is addressed to the Father, in the name of the Son; and it is uttered by the power of the Holy Ghost; and it is answered in whatever way seems proper by him whose ear is attuned to the needs of his children.