Drpepper

I must be living under a rock, I had never heard of this guy until I found this post. I had to go do some research to see what all the commotion was about. I haven't seen one person cause so much division in conversation since alma chapter 30

No , thats pretty funny, feel for your wife though.... Ive never had that. I have sat next to a couple of big polynesian men who take up the arm rest and half of my chair as well. Pretty sure i stayed awake in that sardine session...

The sacrament is not just about the covenants that members have entered into through sacred ordinances but primarily the Atonement of Jesus Christ as mentioned in the sacrament prayers."In the spirit of the sacramental prayers, we partake of the bread and water in remembrance of the body and the blood sacrificed for us." President Faust Children therefore are already covered by the atonement, there partaking of the sacrament has no bearing upon their salvation. The scriptures teach that we should not partake of the sacrament unworthily. If a non member is not allowed to partake of the sacrament and the sacrament has deep ties to the atonement i find that a little counterproductive. In my opinion i think the only person who can tell another not to partake of the sacrament in a ward is the Bishop. He by office is a judge in Israel.

I find the air-con helps me, when its freezing in there im likely to stay alert but warm it up too many degrees and i find myself in the coma zone.

If i was asked too, im sure I could get up and bear as equally strong testimony of Satan as i could the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thats just too funny can picture it now.... I once walked in on our Nursery leaders making out in nursery just after i picked up my child and had forgotten something. There about 50 so it was very awkward and they were really going for it. Church can do some strange things to people. Just have a look around next sunday when you're in church and see how many back rubs, neck rubs, massages are going on....

My friend I don't want to sound to rude but quotes, talks, papers etc will only get you so far on this topic. Interesting enough the Aaronc priesthood holds the keys to the ministering of angels. Every time I interview a primary boy turning 12 who is about to receive this priesthood we discuss the ability to call down the powers of heaven when needed and have this blessing of the ministering of angels in their life. There's no quotes from prophets, no doctrinal discourses, no elaborate sermons. They simply believe it and can walk away knowing its true. I was once in a situation where I needed protection immediately, I was the branch president at the time and the situation I found myself in was quite life threatening. Interesting enough came to my mind the need to call down the ministering of angels by the power of the aaronic priesthood. I thought it a little strange at first since I held the Melchizedek priesthood surely that was a greater priesthood . Needless to say I didn't really have time to argue with my self I simply did what I was told. The rest of the story is not really appropriate for here. I'm simply suggesting that if you really want to know about this ask god to open your eyes like Elijah did for his servant and show you.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts. Update, I just heard last weekend that the stake presidency are coming to call a new Bishop this week. :) I'm looking forward to sitting with my family again.

I have know idea what brings a person to the temple on any particular day. Im sure everyone has various reasons not just the purpose of doing proxy work. Vort i imagine the reason people find falling asleep a little humours is because most of us can relate to the experience at least once. People relating to other people provides understanding, empathy and good human relations. If your not that person that falls asleep, "kings to you". But if your 89 and I see you in the temple falling to sleep im going to pinch you in the arm:lol: I dont think anyone is making light of what goes on in the temple just our own weaknesses in attending.

I always thought it was a commandment to sleep in the temple " brethren close your eyes as if you are asleep" Funny how i see men doing this before its asked.

I sit alone most Sundays I check to make sure the microphone system is on and then gently sit back on the stand. The seats in the congregation begin to fill slowly as the clock reads 5 min to the hour. Most families collect their invisible reserved sign as they take the same seats they sat in previous sundays. I look to the left then to the right. Its just me again, The Bishop is caught up in his Stake Presidency duties as he struggles to juggle two hats. The other councillor also the Stake YM president is away again. We were told the new Bishop would be called next week, that was 6 months ago. Perhaps the members have become use to seeing one bishopric member on the stand, but I haven’t. The burden of carrying a ward is beginning to take its toll. Interviews are falling behind, my marriage is being stretched, my business is suffering, prayers seem to go un answered, theres an overall feeling of uncertainty in the ward. Why havn’t they called a new Bishop? I put my hand forward to staedy the ark but then retract it again in fear of doing wrong. I try to fight back feelings of depression and the “why me” syndrome. I see other men in the chapel who we had extended callings too that said NO. They look happy enough, sitting their with their wives and families, Their load seems light. I catch a glance at my own wife, with our 5 children struggling to manage each child and their needs. My minds cast back to when we both sat in front of the Stake President and he issued the call. We said yes, ive always said yes, thats what I was taught to say. What have I said yes too? Yes I would like to spend more time away from my family. Yes I would like to go to all the meetings. Yes I would like to watch my wife struggle.Yes I would like to have certain members in the ward dislike me.Yes I would like to be in the centre of blame when things in the ward don’t go well. My eyes shift towards the clock on the wall, its on the hour. I stand up, the music stops, I put on my brave face, button my suit jacket and welcome everyone to sacrament meeting. There are many there, yet I sit alone.

I noticed a Facebook movement regarding women praying in general conf. Personally I've never thought to much about it but I guess this must be an issue for some. They could have one of the primary children pray for all I care. I'm just there to listen to the messages. It was nice to hear a sister give the closing prayer though.

Not sure if the process was explained here but the stake president doesn't approve the calling of a new Bishop. He makes a recommendation to the First Presidency and they approve all new Bishops in the church. If your struggling with who received the revelation for this calling take it up with the First Presidency.

Dairy of a whimpy kid. Dog days. Luv all this movies funny and original.

I love primary, it's the bomb.... I've been trying to get out of my own calling to get back into primary....I even asked the primary president to submit my name to the Bishopric. If its primary or high priests... I choose primary any day...

In my opinion asking youth not to bring electronic scriptures is like trying to hold back the tide (although there is this one guy I read about who managed to pull that off :) Teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves. This is a hard thing to do with youth but im afraid the days of we only have 1 computer in the lounge room so parents can monitor internet activity are over. If a youth has a smart phone they have access to the internet in their pocket. Free wifi on public transport in restaurants and public places is becoming more common. the only way around that is to buy them one of those brick looking phones from the 80s. That should put you in the popular category. As a parent you just cant be looking over your childs shoulder and monitoring their text, tweeting, social facebook and all the other ways youth connect with each other these days. The handheld device is already entrenched in our primary children. I would say over 75% of the primary children in my ward have an electronic device. My own daughter new how to slide open a mobile phone before she was toilet trained. I just think kids these days need a better understanding on why and why not, rather than do and do not. I think his name was moses:lol:

Ive pictured Nephi and his brothers playing football on the beach. Captain Moroni taking on middle earth and the army of orcs and Ammon as a ninja assassin. Moroni must of had the plates at some stage and he saw our day. I can just picture him looking into the future and seeing someone on an iPhone thinking "where can I get one of those" You see thats what makes the Book of Mormon fun for me, characters within the characters. Ill probably never be called to be the Gospel Doctrine teacher but the 7 year olds love me...

Sometimes I picture Moroni carrying around those heavy plates for all those years. He would be spinning out at what I can carry on my iPhone in my pocket. As for the spirit, it's in the words not what there written on. Certain verses written on a snotty hanky could bring me to tears. I just wouldn't be trying to write in the margins :)

Every time my home teachers come over and say Your the head of the house who would you like to pray. I just laugh. If you think Im the head of the house clearly you haven't met my wife.

you make me laugh no i would suggest you hold onto those books a little longer:lol: What I was saying ( in context ) is that Its nice to have a modern day prophet for direction particularly in family matters.

or maybe he would say "I just leave my children with my wives they all help each other out while Im away." What about you brother? Clearly the family dynamics has changed a lot since Brigham's day and we can't keep looking back to old prophets for modern day solutions. Kind of defeats the purpose of modern revelation. It was President Hinckley that listed our four areas of responsibility in a Leadership training meeting 2003 and he did put them in an order. Here is the quote below In the worldwide leadership training meeting held on June 21, 2003, President Gordon B. Hinckley taught us that as priesthood holders we have a fourfold responsibility. He said: “Each of us has a fourfold responsibility. First, we have a responsibility to our families. Second, we have a responsibility to our employers. Third, we have a responsibility to the Lord’s work. Fourth, we have a responsibility to ourselves.” President Hinckley said: “It is imperative that you not neglect your families. Nothing you have is more precious.”

If the church was really concerned about technology distractions especially during church time they wouldn't have made the wifi password freely available to every member including the youth. At least it is in this part of the world. You can go anywhere in Australia and log into the church wifi. What the GA said about not having the spirit through electronic scriptures is just not sound. However if he said that its difficult to feel the spirit when your reading your electronic scriptures, updating your status on facebook, playing cut the rope and texting your friends all at the same time. Then that makes perfect sense. Unfortunately I see to many kids these days engaged in other activities on electronic devices in all of the meetings of the church and the truth of the matter is (its not just the kids)

Have I read that correctly. Maybe this is a typo.

I walk into the room and see 20 - 30 men dressed in suits and ties very conservative looking and well presented. This is a leadership meeting and all Bishoprics, Stake Presidency and Mission President are involved. After the opening prayer, the usual discussion about doing more, being more and working more seem to evolve naturally. Its suggested by the president that we should be out 3 nights a week ministering. I quickly start adding up my hours for Youth, Seminary, Personal Business not to mention Family Time and realise God didn't give me a 10 day week but wished he had. The Mission President drops the comment don't worry about your families you can have them in the millennium. Im hoping they will remember who I am if i commit to that many hours of service a week. I need to squeeze in Temple Visits, Family History, Part Time Study, Daddy Daughter Dates, PEC, Ward Council and Bishopric as well. Suddenly the 10 day week Isn't enough I need 14 day week. I close my eyes and continue to listen to the conversation. This meeting suddenly doesn't sound to different to some of the business meetings I had attended earlier that day. Before long 1 and half hours have passed, the scriptures were never opened, no mention of the spirit and Jesus was on holiday's, I think. A christian friend of mine's comment suddenly drops into my mind. All Mormons are trying to work there way to heaven. I don't believe that's true but im sure grateful he wasn't in this meeting with me, he would have just turned his head and said see, I told you so... I open my eyes and look around at the faces of some of the men, some are tired and worn a few have found comfort in Lehi's dream. Finally the meeting finishes, at least with a prayer, thats good i think to myself i was about to hand in my KPI's and Projected Analysis Report until i remembered where I was. I quickly do a spiritual check in with myself. Do i feel uplifted? Energised, ready to take on the world, ready to inspire others and preach to all nations. Or do i feel like I haven't done enough, should be reorganising my time, need to do more, be more. I sense a little guilt resting on some of the mens shoulders, others seem to brush it off like they have heard it all before. We all head off in our own directions atleast the pizza was good.

What's in a number? :) thought the talk might help the OP