Letrell

Members
  • Posts

    72
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Letrell

  1. Thank you so much for sharing that clip. I cried; my eyes are still teary. What a joy it is to know that President Hinckley is with his precious sweetheart back in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

    A wonderful tribute (now I want to see it all).

  2. I don't know how I missed it....I really didn't catch that Tamar was Er's widow! Now it all makes sense.

    I went back a few minutes ago and reread all my references. I'm good now. I get it. I can't believe I didn't put it together that Tamar was Er's wife!!! Now you can all see why I try to stay out of scriptural conversation. I would rather remain quiet and appear a fool, than to start typing and remove all doubt!!!! Only one excuse (I know, I know...excuses are like dirty feet..they both stink)....nonetheless... I started this lesson at 2300 and "woke up" at 0115...having fallen asleep reading it. Thought I'd understood it and didn't reread it. That'll teach me.

    Here are the references if any are interested...they come from the student manual distributed by the Church - the one I used at BYU :D :

    Genesis 38:1–30. Judah and Tamar

    With typical honesty, the Old Testament includes the sordid tale of Judah’s incestuous relationship with his daughter-in-law. There seem to be several reasons for its inclusion here. First, once again are illustrated the effects of the covenant people forgetting the importance of marrying in the covenant. Unlike his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather (Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham), Judah was not concerned about intermarriage with the Canaanites. The negative results of this marriage out of the covenant are clearly shown here. Second, the story shows the lineage of Judah from which the Messiah would eventually come (see Matthew 1:3; Luke 3:33). An additional lesson here shows that ancestry is not the determiner of one’s righteousness. Finally, the truth that failure to honor one’s commitments often leads to greater trouble is clearly shown. Had Judah faithfully kept his promise to Tamar, the seduction would never have taken place. Likewise, had Judah been faithful to the laws of morality, he never would have sinned with Tamar.

    Genesis 38:5–11. Why Was Tamar to Marry the Brothers of Her Husband?

    Ancient customs of the Middle East provided that a brother of a deceased man should marry his widow. Under Moses this custom became law (see Deuteronomy 25:5–10). The purpose of such a marriage was to produce a male heir for the dead man and thus perpetuate his name and memory. It was regarded as a great calamity to die without a son, for then the man’s lineage did not continue and also the man’s property reverted to someone else’s family (through daughters, if he had any, or through other relatives). It may be that Onan, who by virtue of the death of his older brother would have been next in line for the inheritance of Judah, refused to raise up seed through Tamar because the inheritance would have stayed with the elder son’s family. He went through the outward show of taking Tamar to wife but refused to let her have children. Thus when Judah failed to keep his promise to send the youngest son to her, Tamar resorted to deception in order to bear children.

    Genesis 38:24

    It is important to note Judah’s twisted sense of values. He had no qualms about sending Tamar home with unfulfilled promises nor of picking up a harlot along the road. But when he heard that Tamar was pregnant he was so incensed that he ordered her put to death.

    Thanks, everyone, for your comments! I appreciate the help!!!!

  3. I'm a 15 year old male, and my ward is going to do baptisms for the dead on Thursday. There are rumors going that I'm not worthy to do baptisms because I made out with this girl. Although I didn't make out with her, I'm just wondering... If I did, would I still be worthy to go to the temple? Thanks.

    I am so sorry I didn't see this until right now. Hon, if you think there is a question EVER on worthiness for the Temple, go ask your Bishop. Eowyn is spot on. "Making out"... although at 15 I tell my son, "don't you DARE", :D... is not something to keep you from going into the Temple. If it were a reason....lemme tell ya, a whole bunch of singles (including me when I was single) would NOT be in the Temple...and I was a Temple Worker.

    Ignore the rumor-mongers. Someone is just stirring the pot.

    I hope you are enjoying your day! I love the Temple!!!!

    Letrell

  4. What do you believe this statement means?

    "At the end of our life we will become the sum of all the good choices we have made."

    Second, do you believe this is a true principle? Why or why not?

    Regards,

    Finrock

    Finrock...I love your way of thinking.

    I absolutely agree with the quote. To take it one step further...Up to this point...to this very day...30MAY2013, we are the sum of all of our good and bad choices in our lives. Looking to the end of my life, I hope to make the correct choices enabling me to become all I want and dream of becoming in the next life.

    In 1971, Hartman Rector Jr. gave a talk on intelligence and ignorance. This is a quote from that talk:

    Well, isn’t there anything good we can take with us when we go, we may ask? The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the knowledge and intelligence gained here in this life would go with us when we leave.

    “And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

    “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

    “And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (D&C 130:19–21.)

    This being true, then it would seem that we all should place the pursuit of light and truth, or intelligence, uppermost in our selection of goals, since we may have them eternally. We must seek after enlightenment. Since “the glory of God is intelligence” (D&C 93:36), if we would be like our Heavenly Father, our course is fixed.

    Thank you for putting this quote before us! I love it!

    Letrell

  5. I refer a lot to the Church website, knowing it is overseen by the Prophet. Rather than dispute this and that, I just went in and searched "was Christ perfect". I already knew He was. Don't care what anyone says. Reading the comment that He was not put that ugly feeling inside. So I immediately went searching....It's not correct. Here is a total copy and paste of the link:

    ****************************************************************************

    PERFECT

    Complete, whole, and fully developed; totally righteous. Perfect can also mean without sin or evil. Only Christ was totally perfect. True followers of Christ may become perfect through his grace and atonement.

    Let your heart be perfect with the Lord:1 Kgs. 8:61;

    Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven:Matt. 5:48; ( 3 Ne. 12:48; )

    If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man:James 3:2;

    Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things:Alma 32:21, 26;

    The Atonement was made so that God might be a perfect God:Alma 42:15;

    Moroni was a man of perfect understanding:Alma 48:11–13, 17–18;

    The Spirit of Christ is given to every man to judge and know with a perfect knowledge whether something is of God or the devil:Moro. 7:15–17;

    Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him:Moro. 10:32;

    Continue in patience until ye are perfected: D&C 67:13;

    These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus: D&C 76:69;

    The offices in the Church are for the perfecting of the Saints: D&C 124:143; ( Eph. 4:11–13; )

    The living are not perfect without their dead: D&C 128:15, 18;

    Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generation:Moses 8:27;

    Perfect

    *******************************************************************************

  6. Good afternoon Letrell. I hope you are doing well! :)

    Not on topic, but we've experienced this issue at work where I am in IT. At least with Dell laptops the issue was traced down to a glitch/flaw with the touchpad on the laptop. By disabling the touchpad, the cursor bouncing around or screen scrolling up and down goes away.

    In the Dell laptops the ability to turn the touchpad off is easily down via software. In the Run command prompt type "Mouse" and it will take you to the mouse properties in Windows. Again, depending on your laptop, the option to disable touchpad, if it exist, would be found under the mouse properties.

    Regards,

    Finrock

    Thank you so much. I will try that!!!

  7. Thank you, Pam. That sounds like it could be right. I know Judah didn't care about marrying in the Covenant so had no issues with any of his sons marrying Canaanites. What brought this question on in my mind is that with all the evil, wicked people we know about...how wicked would one have to be for the Lord to slay him?

    This has me just blown away.

    His brother, Onan, was commanded to lay with his brother's wife...I am assuming it was Er's widow, and to bear a child. Onan went to her but would not leave his seed in her. This angered the Lord and the Lord slayed him as well. (Am I reading this scripture wrong?)

    What could the significance of this be? Why is this included in the scriptures? There is a lesson here and I want to figure it out.

    Maybe the lesson is simply to know that the Lord truly does not look upon sin with the least degree of allowance...and Er and Onan crossed the line.

  8. I am not looking for a debate....just want to know...does anyone know anything about Er? He is mentioned in Gen. 38:7

    "And Er, Judah's firstborn was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him."

    I was just curious when I read this...what did he possibly do to be so wicked that the Lord would slay him? So I started researching...Nada, nothing, net, just....nothing on this guy.

    Does anyone know anything about him? If so, I am looking for references to any information on him.

    Thanks so much.

    Letrell

  9. The funny thing about this thread is that grace is not found in intellectual conversation. But those who have experienced grace know exactly what it is.

    THANK YOU, Dr.Pepper. That is exactly how I feel. I have read all the comments and I am thinking, dang it, I know what it is. I feel it. I understand grace, but I can't put it into any words to define it other than it too, is a gift to us.

    I turned to the Church website and searched "define Grace". Silly me. It took me straight to the Bible Dictionary. The first comment in there is EXACTLY how I see grace. I hope this helps:

    "A word that occurs frequently in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ."

    I think of comments such as, "There but by the Grace of God, go I" and "God's Grace saved me". I understand those comments. I have a difficult time with the indepth comments.

    I want to thank all of you for putting so much time into this topic. Wow. I will indeed read all the explanations and probably do some studying up on what you have been posting. I'm amazed at how indepth it goes. I think maybe I am too simple-minded when it comes to the Gospel. But, hey, it's me. I love it with all I have inside of me. And I know it's the truth. So all that y'all post in this sight only adds to my education? (LOL).

    Enjoy your day today!

    Letrell

  10. Joseph didn't start a new church...... the Church that Christ established was restored...hence the restored Gospel. And just for purposes of clarification...Joseph's prayer was answered thus in the Sacred Grove:

    "I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”

    Thank you so much, bytor. Before I jumped in and said just what you said, I decided to take a few and scroll through all the comments. This was the only response I sought.

    The Gospel of Jesus Christ was "restored", not "created", to the earth. BIG difference.

    I applaud you for seeing this! :rolleyes:

    Sometimes when we get into gospel/doctrine discussions, we forget the basics and get caught up in trying to figure things out. That's why I step back a lot of times...well that and my cursor jumps around a lot and deletes what I spend time posting. LOL.

    Anyway...just wanted to say thank you for this comment.

    Letrell

  11. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is personal. Even with all our opinions, the harsh reality of it all is that your life is between you and Lord...between you and Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

    We are emotional about the Gospel and the Plan of Salvation because our very immortality and eternal life are affected by all of this.

    The Plan is pretty simple. The Gospel really is pretty simple. Just so very much to learn...to contemplate. However, back to basics. It is your right to choose for yourself how you will live your life. It is your RIGHT. The Lord, Jesus Christ, died giving that to you.

    It's an amazing gift. So..emotional to us. Heck, yeah, it is. What each of us does with that gift is in itself a gift we give back to the Savior.

    Enjoy what you learn. It will change your life.

    I am so excited for you and all who are investigation....you are exercising your right to choose.

    We all stand by you, regardless of how you decide. Enjoy what you learn. And know you are among friends and we will all do everything we can to answer questions.

    Have you attended church yet?

    Have a great week?

    Letrell

  12. Hi folks...what is a "calling"? I'm new to the forum & making my way through the different sections here (have also started reading the Book of Mormon).

    Thank you!

    Tim Ouellette

    YAY! You will love the Book of Mormon. If you would like a "study guide" while you read, follow this link to the Church website for the Book of Mormon student manual. (I LOVE manuals...they help me understand more of what I am reading and it is most helpful trying to figure out the customs and attitudes of the early time periods.

    This link is to a lot of Church issued manuals. ENJOY!!!:D

    Institute

    Letrell

  13. Well shoot. I had a nice reply...Has taken me half an hour to write it and because my keyboard on my laptop has that problem that so many have, the cursor bounces around and I lost the entire post.

    Frustrating. I really don't have time to retype it or rethink it.

    I do appreciate all the comments. I don't agree it was political in the War in Heaven, and my post said why. LOL, I understand why others may consider it so. I AM reading the responses and as I said, I appreciate them.

    I just want all to know that.

  14. The War in Heaven was political? Holy cow. You believe this? I'm gobsmacked. The War in Heaven had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with choosing the right and finding a way back to our Father in Heaven.

    I am just gobsmacked here. Our Father in Heaven is NOT a God of politics. I am just.....gobsmacked. So...I've said that and will just read further and see where in the heck this thread is going.

    *confused and amazed*

  15. I just recently asked to be released from one of my callings. My husband and I don't/didn't see each other at Church because of my calling. It was having a horrible effect on me and I had no problems saying...let's stay home today.

    I took it to the Bishop, told him I wanted to be released; in his kindness he simply asked if I would mind telling him the reason. He clarified that I should not feel bad about asking but that he was curious. I told him flat out the reason and he said he most certainly understood and it would be handled as quickly as they could replace me; which they did. The one in my former position is now a "two-some". Husband and wife.

    Amazing. The Bishop ... our Bishop ... is wonderful. Truly a good man that listens to the Lord. He found an easy way to fill the position without making another sister (or brother) feel as I was feeling...call them as one. What a brilliant solution.

    Don't fret over it. Go talk to your Bishop. He is a Bishop, not the Prophet. I try to think of why I was called if it was only for a few months, and I think I can put my finger on a few reasons..probably none of them correct. LOL.

    Hope my thoughts help a tiny bit anyway.

    Letrell

  16. nispio,

    I have yet to have to purchase any church videos. I find them online, 99.99% of the time, the church gives them as a free downloads. Such is the case with the video you seek.

    I just downloaded it at a high rez and it looks great on my laptop. You can download it in 3 different "qualities". I don't know the professional code for the download, just that it works just fine. Here is the link for you. I hope it helps!

    Feature Films

    Take care,

    Letrell

  17. Welcome, Tim! I've been a member for a little bit now, but just started to really participate. The people on here are wonderful...even when I don't agree with what they say, I find I have a deep respect for everyone. Good people.

    We have a bit in common. I was born and raised Catholic. Well...until I was 16 and I attended Sacrament meeting with a friend. I never looked back. I have found in the Church, my life. I encourage you to read the Book of Mormon and challenge you to ask the Lord if it is the truth.

    Enjoy the forums. Be safe and enjoy life!

    Letrell

  18. Well if he can tough it out and make it through training, a pretty decent chance. It's pretty humbling to say the least, I'd say pray to have his heart and mind directed towards Christ and to remember the church as he goes through it. (Probably dedicate any fasting you do towards it as well).

    Excellent response, BlackMarch! Most excellent!

    Allie, if you choose to fast, please message me, tell me the day, I would love to join with you in the fast.

    Letrell

  19. Welcome, Amy...hey there, Allie...

    I've been a member a while but have been busy so haven't been on here. I am very thankful that this site is open to us. I really like it.

    And I am really wanting to know about this efoodstorage thing. Realizing you aren't here, Amy, to promote your company, it is still interesting to know about the company you work for. I'm going to look on here and see if there is someplace to discuss food and food storage...a separate section. If not, I will request one be set up. I think it will go over well.

    I found it. Under resources...toward the bottom of the forums on the home page...I'm going to start reading through that topic. I'm really excited!!!!

    Have a great day...

    Letrell

  20. My husband said Portland is a "no go". There is no training in the Portland area. I was thinking maybe Bremerton. Possibly they will give him a brief leave to visit Portland? I dunno. But husband was adamant...said he would go to MCAS Pendleton for advanced training.

    Maybe when he said San Diego, the recruiter meant he would be in San Diego for all his training. Technically, Pendleton is indeed San Diego. So after that, I dunno. But there are no Marines in Portland.

    :D

    Lemme know....

    Letrell

  21. Okay, Darlin....husband just called. Here is what your son will be doing. He said this is guaranteed.

    He will do basic training at the MCRT (Marine Corp Recruit Training Center) located next to the old NTC (Naval Training Center). The NTC is now mostly leased out to civilian companies...very sad to see.

    He said you have nothing to worry about for basic. The Marines won't let him out of their site until 3 days before he ships out for his 1st duty station. He said no Marine is permitted off basic during basic training until the 3rd day before they leave. At that time, they are given 1 (ONE) day at the beach. Then they go back and are stuck on base again. He said the only way he can get into trouble is if he pissed off someone of higher rank or doesn't pull his own weight. Other than that, no worries.

    He also said there is nothing in Portland. His 1st assignment, if he does well in Basic and advances (which he said most men/women do) will be Advanced Infantry Training at Pendleton. That's Calif, not Oregon. Pendleton is small, but nice. No place to get into trouble there either. LOL. It's on the beach..kinda...he will be across I-5 just east of the beaches. They do a lot of exercises on the beach. When Desert Shield was called, back in 1991 (???) it was the marines at Pendleton that showed up on the beaches that day. Was so cool to see...the tanks were lined straight up from the Mexico border, north, I don't remember how far. Pendleton is north San Diego. Gorgeous.

    He said you really don't need to worry about him. He won't get into trouble. And if I'm remembering correctly, the LDS men/women hold Sacrament on Sunday morning.

    Best to you. I hope this helps. I'm not worried about my son at all. But then, we are military AND LDS, so we know both sides and what to expect.

    Take care.

    Letrell

  22. My 18 year old son just joined the Marines. Will ship out for basic training middle of June for San Diego. His activity in the Church is not totally dedicated now. What chance has he got of making it religiously?

    Allie,

    We are from San Diego...husband was the Command Master Chief at Miramar for years. He will LOVE the area.

    I'll do some checking...we've been gone a few years, but still know people there.

    I LOVED my singles ward. The people are fantastic. Strong, good LDS men and women. The ward I was in was in Pacific Beach. Good, good people. So as far as members go, don't fret. He will be welcomed.

    San Diego is a huge military community...PRO military. So he will be met with a lot of smiles. Will he be in Pendleton or at Miramar? Since they closed the NTC, I have no clue anymore where they go.

    My oldest boy will be joining the Marines as soon as he returns from his mission (he still has a year before he is old enough for a mission). He was born in San Diego...says to tell your son...CONGRATS and oooohh rahhh (even if I don't spell it right...your son will get it).

    I'm out the door heading to work, so won't be able to repost until tonight. Take care and again, don't fret. Membership is strong! Singles are strong and very friendly.

    Take care.

    Letrell