tesuji

Just because something is hard to measure by science doesn't mean it's not real. I believe God exists and in a Holy Spirit that testifies of him. I've felt it, I know it's real, but science can't easily measure that either. Psychology is a young science and I think it has a long way to go. But that doesn't mean it's worthless. Ask a mental health counselor if mental illness is real - they deal with it every day. If you have no experience with mental illness, then I can understand why you don't understand about it. It doesn't sound to me that you do. [added] In my opinion, psychological health or illness is much harder to evaluate than a physiological condition. We are talking about the sum of many things - the brain, the mind, the human psyche. These are very complex things, as is their interrelation. And the mind, the eternal human spirit? That's might be the deepest subject of all. So you're not always going to be able to come up with an easy test for chemical imbalances or whatever. Even regular medicine, the physiological type, is far from understanding everything.

Some people have no experience with mental illness. So it can be hard for them to understand.

I don't have a lot of ideas, but I just wanted to commend you for being such a loving and conscientious leader. I hope my two daughters always have leaders like you. Certainly, prayer and seeking the guidance of the Spirit for these girls would be important. The Lord loves these girls so I would expect he will help you to help them. Also, talking with the bishop, and bringing up the issue in the bishop council, whatever it's called (ward council?).

Are the FLDS Mormons? Well, "Mormon" is kind of a vague term. If by "Mormons" you mean are they members of the church that was re-established by Jesus Christ in modern times and is currently led by a true prophet of God, then no, the FLDS are not Mormons. If you mean people who are following the true prophet of Jesus Christ, then no, the FLDS are not Mormons. If you mean people who believe some of the general doctrines of the "Latter Day Movement" then I guess you could say they are sort of Mormons. But they are not "Mormon" in the ways that matter.

Whether Jesus returns in a person's lifetime or not, the most important thing is to be living the gospel and repenting. Jesus may or may not come soon. But death is certain for all. (Of course, in a real sense, there is no such thing as death - your body just goes into the grave, but you live on in the spirit world while you wait the resurrection.) The important thing is to be as ready as you can, no matter what happens. It is apparently much easier to repent in this life than later in the spirit world. And we are all going to either repent or suffer to pay for our sins ourselves, eventually. So it makes sense to live the best life we can now.

No politician is going to ram through any massive changes in American politics. Not while we stay a pluralistic democracy. Sanders might move the needle a little, that's all. Unless we get a real leader who can unite and motivate the country as a whole. Or a big war or something that does the same thing. Or we get a dictator.

I think the original poster here just wanted to find like-minded people, to befriend and share in her troubles about politics. Nothing wrong with that, even though it might not fit the forum's purpose. I wish her well.

From what you have said about your ward, I would recommend you try to largely let go of politics and focus on continue living the gospel. Patience is a life-long endeavor, I think. Certainly, continue to bring up the problem in your ward with your bishop and stake president. In my opinion, it is seldom constructive to argue politics in internet forums. Few people are truly interested in hearing views that differ from their own. Our country is becoming more divisive - not coincidentally, this is at the same time it is becoming more proud and wicked (wicked = disobedient to God). Proud people are more offensive, and also take offense more easily. It's easy for me to see now how the Nephites destroyed themselves. President Benson's talk "Beware of Pride" keeps coming back to me as I look around the world. I'm not saying you are proud yourself, I'm just telling my overall idea about the world, and why fighting about politics is usually not worth the effort. I am certain that whatever political view a person has, no matter how educated a persons is, they still have a lot they need to learn about the world, and could very beneficially listen and learn from others' diverse views. I definitely include myself in this. If we would listen to each other instead of fighting, I think we would realize our core values are pretty much the same. We just have different ideas about how we should realized them. Also, demagogues are very happy to preach divisive, narrow views to help them gain power at the expense of the welfare of society. Especially in an LDS forum, spending a lot of time arguing politics is counter productive to our missions as disciples of Christ, and wastes a lot of valuable energy and time. This is my opinion.

AGMom, I'm very sorry to hear about this latest development. I sounds like things are very hard for you, and I can only imagine how hurt you must feel. I wish I could help you more. I will just say that if this happened to me I would insist that my spouse go with me and discuss your whole situation with the bishop. Perhaps he will suggest counselling (I don't know, I've never been a bishop). I would also like to say to try to not take it personally. I'm sure you are a loving, attractive, good woman. It sounds like you are doing all you can, from your side of the relationship. If your husband were willing, I would recommend he read the books Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus, and also The Five Love Languages. There are other great books out there, I'm sure, but these were helpful to me and my wife. I believe in general that the thing that will help him most is the gospel, if he is willing to let it and to work at it.

I'm at about the same level as you in Greek. I found this awesome tool with the Greek text, and when you click on a word it gives you the grammar and meaning of that word. I'm using it to work through John now. No looking up words or anything: http://biblewebapp.com/study/

I understand about the PTSD. My nerves get easily frazzled in church with the noise and the crowd. Keep pressing forward and trying to do what's right. Elder Holland's talk at the end of this last General Conference was great encouragement. Worth listening to again.

Don't blame yourself if it was an accident. No need to feel guilty in that case. When the image comes up, let go of it and focus on something else instead. If you keep doing that it will fade out over time.

I'm on my mobile so I'll be brief. My advice is to have faith and feast on the words of Christ. Stop reading anti-Mormon stuff, which poisons faith, and instead pray and immerse yourself in the Scriptures. Try to be humble and grateful. Forgive and repent. Most of all remember the great commandment: Love and serve God and others. Maybe these are all Sunday School answers. But I have found that the simple Sunday School answers are very profound.

Here's a lot more information about the non-doctrinal Adam-God theory. It's instructive for this thread, as a case study, I think. http://en.fairmormon.org/Mormonism_and_doctrine/Repudiated_concepts/Adam-God_theory

I like the question. I consider it my religion to sustain my church leaders, both local and General Authority, and take it on faith that they are generally leading me where the Lord wants me to go. However, members are becoming less naive, more aware these days, that there is no doctrine of infallibility of leaders in our church. Jesus was the only perfect person who ever lived. So in that case, what about my leaders? Do they make mistakes? Have they ever been wrong? Yes, of course. So what do do about that? I have always taken comfort in the following quote: However, ultimately, as I understand it, it all comes down to faith and testimony and following the Holy Spirit. You might say, well what about the scriptures. Surely, I can just follow them and be OK? I believe, yes, in general. But there is always that story about Nephi who was commanded to kill Laban, in cold blood. Way, way against the Ten Commandments. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/4 This story comes right at the beginning of the Book or Mormon, as if the Lord wants to make sure we don't overlook it. I think this story is very instructive in may respects. How did Nephi deal with this instruction from the Spirit? He pondered it first, even argued with the Spirit, until he was sure it was right. He didn't just rush out to do something that was against his previous understanding. But he did follow the Spirit in the end. What I get form this story is: Whatever the Holy Spirit tells you to do, that's what is right. The Holy Spirit trumps prophets and scriptures. So we as members have this great burden of responsibility: Live to have the Spirit with us, and follow it. But make sure it really is from the Holy Spirit. I'm amazed that the Lord trusts us with this much responsibility. But I think it's how we grow in faith and how we prove our obedience - these are the purpose of life. Lastly, I will say that when someone questions council from the prophet or something the scriptures tell you to do, I would tell them to err on the side of following the leaders. I have never heard anything from the scriptures or from the modern prophets that I thought was leading me astray. There's a reason we have prophets and scriptures - they will usually tell us what the Spirit wants us to do anyway. Some things you may have to take on faith, like why couldn't blacks have the priesthood for so long? I don't know, but I do know the Lord is at the head of the church, and I trust him. If he thought it was important enough for his purposes, he would have given a revelation to change it earlier. Ultimately, after all learning and pondering and reasoning a person might do, any question of belief and doctrine still always comes down to faith. (Except when maybe a person has progressed beyond faith to full knowledge? - I don't know anything about what that might be like.) I love being a member of a church that 1) tells me to use my mind, to ask questions, to learn, and to pray and ponder about my decisions. But that also 2) teaches faith as its first principle. And that trusts me to figure out how to reconcile these two.

I love the FairMormon.org website. I've learned a lot from their topics page http://en.fairmormon.org/Table_of_Contents The specific lecture you referred to sounds like the speculations of someone going beyond the mark, so I don't think it's worth my time to investigate it. We just don't have enough information to talk about this, I think. The question that does interest me is that of pre-Adamites. We don't know the answer but I'm looking forward to learning it one day. Nibley has some interesting speculations about it, http://publications.mi.byu.edu/transcript/before-adam/

Give it another chance. It gets better. Yeah, when it first came on TV, I thought, "What, this is Avengers without any Avengers. How is that going to work?" But it's my favorite show on TV now. It really kicks into gear beginning second season. And I just love Coulson.

I just watched Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the second time, on Vidangel. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed it more the second time. And I want to watch it a third time now. It's rare for me to want to watch any movie more than once. I didn't love it the first time, in the theater. So I've been afraid it wasn't going to stand the test of time for me. But it will. I'm a happy Star Wars fan now!

Agents of Shield has gotten darker. I'm tired of dark. I want more light!

All the apostles and prophets are old, white, men too, if you haven't noticed. Which is totally fine. The Lord can give revelation to anyone. He can use anyone who is humble and knows how to work. How many college degrees and successful entrepreneurial ventures did Joseph Smith have before the Lord chose him to become a prophet and lead his church?

I agree. However, the Greek and Hebrew texts we have are as close as we can get. We don't have the original Nephite either for the Book of Mormon, but thankfully that was translated by revelation. From what I understand, Jesus probably spoke Aramaic, which is related to Hebrew. But possibly some Greek too. Paul and the others wrote in Greek.

"Beware of Pride" by President Benson is probably the best talk I've ever heard. It explains so much about the world, and tells me so much what I need to do in life. If anyone asked me, I'd vote for it to be added to our scriptures - would probably fit best in the Pearl of Great Price. "Pride is the universal sin, the great vice " -- Ezra Taft Benson

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The LDS Bible Dictionary says the main reason we use the KJV is because it is better doctrinally than other versions. Other reasons too. It's good to realize the weaknesses of different translations, and to know something about how we got our Bible. From the Bible Dictionary: Just always remember you are reading a translation. There's nothing wrong with consulting other Bible translations too. They are all just translations. The ideal: learn ancient Greek, so you can read the original New Testament. And Hebrew for the Old Testament. I'm learning Greek. I know enough so far, that I'm able to look up words and see their original meaning. If you haven't read something in the original language, then in a very real sense you haven't read it.

Tuckabee, You are not alone. Most Mormons lean conservative, but not all, by any means. I consider myself a left-leaning independent. I find wisdom and folly in both of the main US political parties. I think democratic capitalism has a lot of strengths, and also a lot of weaknesses. As Churchill said, democracy is the worst possible system except everything else we've been able to think of. I am sympathetic to many of the ideas in socialism - if they can practically be put to use to help the poor and needy, then I'm all for it. I am fascinated with what I hear about Denmark, and wish the US could learn from them. I have enjoyed the following article many times - be sure to see page 2 of it: "Why I'm a Mormon Democrat": http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Why-Im-a-Mormon-Democrat I am confident that if people put aside ideology and focus on their core values, and work together, we can solve many of our problems. Most people in all parties have the same values: freedom, security, prosperity, peace, education, fairness, helping others, etc. And the more that the gospel of Jesus is part of the discussion, the better the solution. I commend you for keeping politics and the gospel separate. They are. Politics is worldly ideology, and it usally acts to divide people. The gospel transcends politics - our goal as LDS members is to serve God and our neighbors, and to learn to be one in heart, to build Zion. We should not allow partisan thinking to hinder those things. My advice is to keep an open mind, to allow people their freedom of thought, and be patient when you hear Mormons putting politics before the gospel. Just smile and pray for them.