Drpepper

He is NOT blessed to receive revelation on your behalf. Ummmm

My wife and I go for a walk every Sunday morning before church. Our church is in the afternoon. We walk down a forest path and along the banks of a large dam. It's the only time of the week I get out to nature, here the birds and enjoy all of Gods various creations. But the real bonus is the time walking with my wife, talking, sharing, connecting. We walk for about 4-5 miles so there is a health benefit element to it also. I believe physical well being and spiritual well being are closely interconnected.

Haha, yes I'm speaking from experience not one looking from the outside in. Have a look around at your ward next Sunday and you will see I'm not alone :)

Not sure where Sugar fits into the WOW but if you ask me I find this one of the most addictive substances and biggest causes to health problems. We had a fifth Sunday potluck and the tables were laced with sugary foods and deserts. Of course the prophets have never spoken about this so the general consensus is it's ok. It's also ok to put into our bodies prescribed drugs that alter our mood or behavior. Why? Cause the Dr said it's ok. This leads me to think that maybe rather than droping those things ( tea, alcohol,coffe, ) in the WoW we haven't just exchanged them for other potentially worse substances.

Not sure where Sugar fits into the WOW but if you ask me I find this one of the most addictive substances and biggest causes to health problems. We had a fifth Sunday potluck and the tables were laced with sugary foods and deserts. Of course the prophets have never spoken about this so the general consensus is it's ok. It's also ok to put into our bodies prescribed drugs that alter our mood or behavior. Why? Cause the Dr said it's ok. This leads me to think that maybe rather than droping those things ( tea, alcohol,coffe, ) in the WoW we haven't just exchanged them for other potentially worse substances.

I think the issue is that we are blessing the food personally. I always wonder what God is thinking when at some church and family functions someone is asked to bless the food and the table is decorated in fatty chicken, sugary deserts, and enough calories to make us run a marathon just to burn it off. He must be thinking please don't use the healthy or nourish word in this prayer. If you wind the clock back a few generations we realise that they wouldn't use the phrase "lets bless the food" but rather more correctly "let's give thanks" This prayer was for the purpose of thanking God that they had food, thanking him for their crops, their work, their labors, the rain, each other, and all things which he has blessed them with so they now may sit down and eat together. It was a prayer of thanks giving. Next time you eat rather than say "who wants to bless the food? Maybe try saying. Who would like to offer thanks to God for the food we have? Or a quick discussion on what we are thankful for and there ask someone to include that in the prayer. A more common practice was that they use to go around the table and each person would say what they were thankful for and this was the prayer.

Marriage is the purpose to why we were designed. The first marriage took place before the fall and was eternal from the very beginning. God is without end because his seed is continued throughout all eternity. Marriage in the temple does not guarantee automated access to an exalted life. Exaltation in the highest order is achieved when it has been sealed apon by the Holy Spirit of promise and both individuals live in obedience to the new and ever lasting covenant. If the covenant is broken they may still be exhalted but will be left to the buffetings of Satan while still in the flesh. The covenant is exclusive between a Man and a Women. Thoes void of the opportunity in this life will be given it in the next.

Unfortunately, some members associate wealth ( in the worldly sense) with some form or level of righteous lds living. Perhaps a look at the top 500 listed companies and who started them may help adjust that thinking. Sadly to some, there simply is no pin code to Zion's bank disclosed to members who freshly come forth from the waters of baptism. If anything the scriptures paint a different story. " Christ said foxes have holes and birds nest but the son of man hath nowhere to lay his head". Peter replied on the steps of the temple. " silver and gold have I none" and Amulek who did have wealth and status lost it all when accepting his call to peach the Gospel with Alma. Perhaps as so one else alluded to here that if God did grant unto us an abundance of wealth we too like the prodigal would squander it away loosing both it and ourselves in the very act. Like most conversations around lds members and money the young rich man from the scriptures makes a cameo right on cue for his usual public trial of who not to be like. What they fail to see is this story has very little to do with money, and more to do with giving up that which keeps us from following Christ. Unfortunately for him it was money, but for us it could be a buffett of different vices. Some people grow up despising money, too many lessons on money being the root of all evil or talks on " you can' t take it with you has left a psychological scar which see money fall through their fingers easily. While they would like more of it they no longer prioritse it over spiritual things. They spend a great deal of mental energy balancing the guilt line between the tree of life and the great and spacious building. Some refuse or have never learn't the principles for both obtaining, retaining and multiplying money that the children of this generation may have learnt making them wiser than the children of light as recorded in the parable. Perhaps the most sad comparison to money and members is that obtained to righteousness. Yep that money is often associated with position in the church. This type of flawed thinking is often rolled out in the same sentance like. Did you know the new stake president is the CEO of a mining company? Church leaders have addressed this already. I knew a Bishop who was in finance when the GFC hit and was out of work for 6 months while serving as a Bishop in a large ward. He never complained, never murmured and never counted his blessings by the number of coins in his possession.

I might sound naive but is internet sex simply pornography or something else?

I'm happy to ask the JW's when they come knocking on my door next. There always preaching end of the world stuff.

Since the post didnt specify LDS i like this one. These guys took Isaiah 2:2 literally

Both is important" we are to love our neighbours AS OURSELVES. I know some people would have to continually verbally tell their neighbours off for being no good, worthless, hopeless, useless and many other things multiple times a day if they were to treat their neighbour as themselves. Surely it's as important to love and respect ourselves also.

Personally I would just be a little kinda to myself. I like the path I'm on and I don't have any problems with the road I have travelled to get here. But during the tough, rough and difficult times I would like to have reminded myself to be a little more patient and long suffering to myself and perhaps others.

I think the stake president should have taken the time to correct and encourage the YM. He is probably like so many heading out on a mission who merely believe what their parents, teachers, bishops etc say about the gospel being true. If I was in that ward I would look forward to hearing his talk when he comes off his mission and if he still holds the same view. Believe and knowledge are not the same but a form of progression. Here is the formula for spiritual growth below as outlines in Ether 4 Belief = visitation of the HG = knowledge 11 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good. (Ether 4:11)

I like lemmings

I like what you have said here and I understand completely. But I also understand those who may not get this. Unless you have personally had to walk in this part of Gethsemene you may think " pray and get over it " is the answer. I don't think anyone is really saying this however the journey of repentance is different for all. The only common denomination is Christ.

I think the advice given on limited information about your issue is sufficient and echo the sentiments of others regarding exercise etc.It was however the sentence above that grabbed my attention. Probably because I see around these forums and church in general a lot of people beating themselves up. Almost like they carry a spiritual stick around with them, the moment they step one foot out of line they whack themselves like a spiritual piñata. The scriptures talk about the 2 great commandments. Love God, Love our Neighbors. I actually think there is 3 in this invitation. Love our neighbors, as ourselves. For many people they would have to go around beating up their neighbors cause that's what they do to them selves. Hence we need to learn to love ourselves a lot better, be patient in our weakness, softer to our souls and put down the piñata stick. If we can be kinder to our own selves we will find it much easier to love our neighbors and God.

We always have an Easter egg hunt. There is always one small egg that ends up in dog poo every year. Most years it just stays there and no one is gain enough to grab it. This year my youngest son decided his bag wasn't full enough and he would approach the traditional Dog Poo Egg. He carefully retrieved it from the poo, delicately unwrapped it and ate it.

Thanks for putting in words what I could not.

The church's advertising campaign has taken some interesting twists and turns over the last few years. I was expecting an ipad to pop up after watching the Easter video. The music, editing etc reminded me of an apple commercial. Yet it's had a lot of hits on the internet over 5million. The I'm a mormon campaign was an interesting one, rock climbers, professional sportsmen, people with interesting careers and families with one or two kids. I would have liked to have seen one with a mother unloading her 7 kids into the church car park, doing up Johnny's shoes, wiping Kelly's nose, hustling everyone along, looking a little frazzled and tired but still smiling. That's what I see most Sundays. I'm a mom of 7, I do my best, life isn't perfect, no it don't fly around in helicopters and yes, I'm a Mormon.

Wow, this is a massive assumption. You mean because viewing a little porn at night hasn't destroyed the relationship immediately that everything is normal and healthy.... Pornography has no boundaries. Families of all races, beliefs, religion and cultures are being slowly unstitched by this addiction. LDS members can often appear to unravel quicker than others because the addiction is often associated with the breaking of eternal covenants. The church is so concerned about pornography that it has even published a website dedicated to overcoming the addiction.

I can't give you a intellectual explanation of this I'm sorry. Yes cloth is just cloth. However there Are many people who will attest to my previous comment.

Dress standards are very much apart of the ethos we live in. I once was in a ward that was very affluent. The dress standard was so high that each Sunday was like walking the red carpet. This was the culture of the ward. It was easy in a situation like this to get carried away in appearance over repentance. I've also been in churches where Women are dressed up but the clothing manufacturer seems to have left half the material on the cutting floor. Yes, it can be quite distracting to listen to the sermon, preacher, minister, priest, when the lady in front of you is attracting attention off her own. Personally I'm just glad to see you there. Lds does have its own culture though. Even lately I've been on the recieving end of various comments regarding the stubble on my face. It seems to some if you haven't shaved for a while your lessor in Gods eyes. Luckily I've been around long enough to know when to take notice of others and when not to.

The garments we wear are symbolic to the garment given to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. As I understand it they fulfill a 3 fold purpose. 1) to cover our nakedness the same way the atonement covers us. 2) as a shield and protection both in a spiritual sense and physical. 3) as a reminder of the Covernants made in the house of The Lord.

My only pattern is the lack of consistency. Sometimes I will pour over them for hours other times leave them for weeks.