Durzan

Elder Holland and the Twelve to the rescue! 15 sweet old men = pure awesome. Yeah, I think that the Prophet isn't likely to lead us astray... and if on the off chance he does, then there is a defense mechanism in place. But... I trust President Monson.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN GUYS! https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/7880124928/hE763C07C/

Maybe he regrets what he did, but didn't when he rebelled against God? After all, be careful what you wish for.

Since we existed as intelligence's for eternity, what exactly did Lucifer do that caused such pride and stiff neckedness to become "part of his nature"? Even then, there still seems to be a piece of the puzzle missing. The whole "its your nature" thing is something that is built upon in time. We can't just have been what we are, the way I see it. We are constantly changing, and always have been. Over time the actions that you choose become ingrained in you to the point that it is almost impossible to change. Nothing is EVER impossible to change, I don't think... it is like an asymptote. you can approach near 100% to the point where it practically is 100% (99.9999999999999999999999999999...%), but you cannot ever achieve 100%. Thus, the reason why it is "impossible" to change your nature. It has become a part of you to the point of being ingrained into your personality.

probably!

Same here, although the Halloween Special was living up to old standards, and if not exceeding them.

Eh, like all their episodes, some skits were better than others. Especcially with episode 1 of season 3. There were 1 or 2 sketches where I was dying of laughter, but the rest, were meh.

I thought of this question a while back, and have sense come to my own conclusion. Now, I post it to hear your opinions. So, does Heavenly Father have a sense of humor? Please explain your reasoning as best as you can; I am looking for some thoughtful answers.

Part of the whole point of life IS the fact that we go through trials. It builds our character, helps us define who we are...

The fact that there is evil in the world, and that trials and tribulations are there to make us all stronger in the end...

In short and from what I can tell, no you did not commit the unpardonable sin.

^^ Sounds pretty good to me... Where do I sign up? ________________ Seriously though, I Don't Think I'd Qualify... I barely managed to get my Eagle... ...and I think I am going to be done with Scouting for quite a while... ...at least until the day (if/when it comes) where I get called as a Scout Master or a similar calling.

...and obeying God's commandments is one of the few things he expects us to do "on our own." The spirit does guide us and offers aid, but ultimately it is up to us. When you say there is nothing to figure out, I say that that is ridiculous. God gave us an entire universe to study and to figure out... If the conclusions we come are off, well then, that is part of the experience of life, isn't it? Life is full of joys, and so long as we don't over indulge ourselves, or lose our perspective, then we are free to enjoy the good (or the bad) in life. We are here to see if we are willing to obey, not specifically to obey. It is our choice whether to do so or not. We are not puppets, we are God's children. IF we are willing to obey, then we will do so, if not, well then... I don't want to get into that, as it is off topic. ...Again, being righteously independent does not mean that we are without thankfulness or obedience. Your emphasis on those particular lines puzzles me, as I cannot see how they contradict what I say, because in my eyes there is no such contradiction, provided the independent person is righteous. Following God's commandments is a consious choice of our own free will, hence why we can be independent, yet still rely on God. Those who don't rely on God suffer the lack of the benifits that come with not having the Spirit. I say it again, on Earth, we are as little children, hence why such guidance is necessary. I do not dispute that we need guidence now. Verse 18 up above would support my notion that God is aiding us because we are not yet ready to bear "all things" on our own, and hence the emphasis on relying on God. The blessings referred to are many and we SHOULD be grateful for. As stated before, being independent does not necessarily mean that we are ungrateful. Said blessings are varied, some come naturally as a part of life, others as conditions for following the commandments and doing God's will. But in the end, it is our independent choice that determines whether we follow God or not. God cannot truly help us, except we decide to accept said help, and that choice must be our own. He may be leading us, but it is our own decision whether or not to follow and that decision is what must be made on our own. In the end, it all boils down to whether we willingly accept God's aid of our own free will and on our own, or whether you discard his help and try to struggle through life on our own. As for learning, I only agree with you partially. Faith and obedience are the best way for learning, but there are stipulations. The faith and obedience are part of a personal and independent action, based on the commandment given by God. Heavenly Father said to "study [a problem] out in your mind" and come to your own conclusion, then ask God if the conclusion we arrived at is correct, which he will then confirm or deny. Thus, it is my opinion that with this statement, he is emphasizing us to try to solve the problem ourselves, but be WILLING to accept aid from Heavenly Father by asking for confirmation. As for the "Inheriting all things" being the opposite of "figuring things out", I would disagree. In life, you can inherit something, without knowing how to use it properly. Since we do not know what life in the Celestial Kingdom will specifically be like, I would not jump to conclusions that we would instantly gain all knowledge. Such a thing in my eyes would seem to be too easy. I have noticed that Heavenly Father expects us to work for things, so why should I expect anything different in the Celestial Kingdom? Inheriting God's attributes and creations, I would imagine, would require quite a bit of work even after we reach God's presence again. Since that is the case, it only seems logical, at least according to the current trend, that we would continue to learn bit by bit, line upon line, precept upon precept, what we need to know in the Celestial Kingdom, and in a similar but more refined manner to which we learn here on earth: After we being taught a parable or lesson, He would expect us to "Studying it out in our mind" aka, trying to "figure it out ourselves," until we are able to come to a conclusion. Then we ask him if the conclusion is correct, and he will use that opportunity to teach us further. ____________ I see what you are saying, but it seems to me that the idea of doing such a thing is not an issue of maturity, but rather of creativity. Wouldn't anything we create bring us joy? Didn't God give us creativity and imagination for a reason? Saying that would be like saying that artists are immature; it has no proof. Why would "I mature out of it?" I was given creativity for a reason. Why should it be considered immature? I am sure that Heavenly Father created many things, just for the fun of it and for the joy of creation. He probably has a whole list of ideas that he wants to try out at some point. Who is to determine if creating such a world would be "immature" or not? God, perhaps, although I would think that he would be understanding if my desire was to create such a place. In fact, he might give me advice as to how to go about it. I don't think that creating a world "...with dragons, and fireballs, and elves with seas of portable ginger ale and cotton candy clouds..." would be immature at all. Rather, i see it as you manifesting your own creativity and taking joy in the creation of something of your own just for the sake of creating it. Not to mention it would help your own development by allowing you to become more familiar with your own newfound abilities and how they work. Such preparation and experience would almost certainly be necessary for when you decided to move on to the real task of raising your own eternal family. I would be willing to bet that some of Heavenly Father's creations were created purely for the joy of creation, and to let His own personal creativity shine through. This universe may well be the product of such work. The issue of maturity, I think, would be more of along the line of when it would be appropriate to create such a world as you stated, and what to do with such a world once you have created it, and not that such a notion is flat out immature. Part of my very nature is world building. Certainly that would be a wonderful (and completely relevant) trait to have in the Celestial Kingdom. Such a thing is inbuilt into my creative mind. I wouldn't mature out of it. Rather, it would be refined, becoming more than it currently is. ___________ Now, I will not say anything more on the subject, as everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I will not (nor can I) force my views upon anyone. I have stated my opinion twice, take from it what you will, and no matter how clearly I try to state my opinion, it will be misinterpreted. I thank everyone for the interesting conversation. It was worth it. I hope that I got some people thinking and pondering...

After thinking about what you said, I have reasoned the following below: 1.Satan's way was worse than what you stated: His way is doing all that he can to take away your agency. 2.I would suggest that "Doing things on your own without [the need for] God's help" isn't the devil's plan, but rather what Heavenly Father ultimately has in mind for us. The problem comes across when pride kicks in, as it too often does. Instead of saying "I think I can do this without help, but if it turns out I need it He is there to aid me..." Like it is supposed to be, our thoughts become "I DO NOT need ANY help whatsoever! I can do this ALL BY MYSELF!" Notice the difference in emphasis and wording, one is humble, and acknowledges that God can help him, while the other is prideful, and says that he can FOR SURE do something without any aid and by his own power. The second is the temptation of the devil. One acknowledges Heavenly Father's aid, the other puts everything to the power of man. Now that I have said that, I also add that Heavenly Father is willing to help us, and indeed does what he can to help us. However, even with this support, he expects us to be able to do things on our own. He may add some background support, and lend us the Spirit to help us with our own decisions, but in the end, a portion of the effort is up to us.Just because we are supposed to be depending on the Lord doesn't mean that he wants us to rely on him for everything 100% of the time. He won't hand everything on a silver platter to us, because that would hinder our progression. Yes, He created us, and yes we need to be humble, and because he is our Father, we DO owe him everything and we need to be grateful for that and recognize the blessings that he does give us. However, because he is our father, and because the model of a family is based on the model of Heavenly Father's family, that means that I can draw certain parallels between our life now, and what our life may be like in the Celestial Kingdom. Heavenly Father expects us to be able to do somethings on our own. Such is the purpose of growing up, and part of natural progression. You assumed that I meant that we would be doing things completely on our own. No, far from that... 3.In fact, let me use a simile to help illustrate my thoughts a bit better: In this life, we become independent of our parents. That doesn't mean that we are completely alone, or that they are not providing advice or encouragement. What it just means that what direction we take, and the consequences we have to deal with everything is up to us; We no longer have training wheels, and we are no longer being coddled. Our earthly parents will still provide aid and advice as we need it, and as we ask for it, but it is ultimately up to us what we choose to do with it, or even if we accept the help at all. Such a thing is logically similar to what God would have us be, although it is probably not exactly the same thing. He wants us to have the capacity to function and be independent. However, we are still as little children to him. Right now, we are still in the stage of "you can make some choices, but if you fall I will catch you" kind of stage. We have not yet grown into full "Adulthood" yet, and I would suppose that can only fully come to pass in God's presence, with an immortal body, and with the proper training and authority necessary to assume the role of a creator. 4.I wasn't saying that we shouldn't be humble, and willing to ask for His help. There are times when Heavenly Father expects us to do stuff on our own, to "study it out in our minds" first, before asking for help. This implies that he expects a certain amount of independence from us, yet still wishes for us to ask him for help when needed, like any good earthly parent would. Why should we expect anything different in the Celestial Kingdom? In our mortal life, things weren't handed to us on a silver platter, and I am confident that in our first estate things were not easy either. Because of this, I think it is safe to assume that things will not be easy in the Celestial Kingdom, especially since once we get there, it will only be just the beginning of our real learning. Becoming a world-builder is no easy task, I think, and Heavenly Father ways of teaching are found in the scriptures. He tells us what we need to know, and only the bare minimum at that, then he tells us what we are supposed to do, and lets us "study [the problem] out in our minds," and/or test our hypothesis, if you will, before he will confirm or correct it. Only after that, will he give us aid and instruction. He wants our minds to grow, and what better way than to let us "figure things out". Of course, he will give us guidance, of course we won't do it alone, but he ultimately wants us to have the capacity to be independent. That doesn't mean that we shake off all his influence, rather it means that we fulfill his desire for us to become like Him. And that particular statement mean a whole lot more than we give it credit for. In the end, What I am really trying to say is that even in the Celestial Kingdom we are still progressing... to what? If we are perfect, and one with Heavenly Father, then what left is there to accomplish as far as our own progression is concerned? He is raising us to be like Him, which means exactly what it says: fully developed and independent creators, that share in his glory. Right now we are still children in the eternal sense, and as such we are still under his direct care. It will probably quite a while before we become fully developed, and until then, I think that we have quite a lot to learn. I hope that I was able to add something to this conversation.

Robert Jordan and JRR Tolkien would have a blast creating their universes! I could see a Lord of the Rings universe being created right now... I bet Heavenly Father would be doing quite a bit of laughing and/or face palming if those two made it up there. _______ But seriously... If I was an author (Which I am aspiring to be), I would totally recreate one of my fantasy worlds... More as a way to get used to the new abilities and to figure out how everything works, but also just to see how everything would turn out. I mean, I cannot think how much work went into the current laws of reality. Imagine trying to create a new one, and with a comprehensible magic system to boot! Now that is a challenge... Eternity would be pretty boring if you had nothing to do... and creating your own universe would be something to pass the time, help you learn, and prepare for the time when you want to enable your Plan... __________ Warning... Personal Speculation initiated... I think that Heavenly Father spent quite a bit of eternity just trying to figure things out. After all, if you have that much power and authority, it would probably take a while to learn how to use it. Then he probably spent quite a bit of time developing and refining the Plan of Salvation, probably learning from his own Father, and consulting with his brothers and sisters as well, before he even created our spirit bodies. At that point, He probably was ready to put his plan into action... _________ Mind = Blown! I can't even imagine how much effort an eternity's of work would cost!

Man, Thats George Lucas's reality! Don't go and create it in the afterlife without his permission!