Rosewood

We actually had an interesting (at least to me) string on the 10 commandments several months ago. In it I posted my 'Christian understanding' of them. http://www.ldstalk.com/forums/index.php?sh...ic=6693&hl= We eat shrimp. We do not separate meat from dairy. We do not buy kosher 'religiously.' We still obey the spirit of the law, and their are principles that carry over. However, Jesus himself said that it is not what goes in a person, but what comes out. He also said that if we love God and neighbor (i.e. our enemy) we fulfill the law. I'd be curious as to what you and your family make of my lesson on the 10-commands. Thanks, I'll let you know.

Do you believe the same thing about the other commandments?Aren't Christians adopted into the House of Isreal and as such bound by the same covenants? Half my family is Evangelical Christian. We respect each other and work around our differences, but none of us are theologians so when we ask questions like this we usually just scratch our heads.

This is so exciting Shan! You'll have to give us updates from time to time. We had free range chickens in the valley when I was a kid. (We didn't call them free range in those days) It was such a great learning experience. I do remember a few things. Sometimes if one gets weak they'll peck it to death. You might want a separate little pen just in case. If they stop laying for a while try warm cooked oatmeal. I know it sounds crazy, but it always worked. I have no idea why. Watch out for hawks and owls they really will get your chickens.

Yeah the football player, definately the funniest one! On the other hand, whose to say? If He ever interacts with us on earth, maybe he'll play with football with the youth. I can't really see it in a skirt though. I sure don't think he'd play church basketball.

No... because that would imply that he made a mistake. He sees everything, including the past, present and the future as if it was right in front of him. So if the fall was a bad thing why did He give us agency?

Well, I know what our doctrine is, but I'm not sure you want our doctrine. What I understand of other Christian beliefs, they mostly don't believe we had a pre-existance. So they believe we would've been better off without the fall. Of course they feel Adam and Eve weren't very smart. When you ask about "early councils", that's only LDS. If you don't want LDS thats not an issue. Are you interested in anything like Hindu, etc? or only Christian.

Amen to All of the above! Have any of you been listening to Hugh Hewitt? (talk radio) He's Christian & really pushing Romney, even before he became a candidate. He has a book "A Mormon in the White House". All pro. Lots of free publicity. Brandon; keep up the good work!

OK. Yes, I think it does. Don't you? Anything they can use or make an issue of. You know how lawyers are. (No offense to my sister-in-law.) I think thats why it seems like such a big tragedy to me. It's not that it happened or even that there are evil people in the world. It's because it's just so hard to find justice in the law. I gues that's why Christ is called the HOPE of Israel.

Oh, I just thought of something. I used to get a catalogue from a Catholic church store; It was full of Christ on the cross statues (and leprechauns). They're really into that. Well, good luck.

I’ve been to most main stream Christian churches in my life plus Buddhist and Jewish. The only place I DID NOT feel the Spirit was in the Church of the Brethren, which is similar to Baptist. It was 1967 and the Pastor who was very hell-fire-and-brimstone loved to preach about the evils of long hair. It drove me crazy! I now understand it’s my responsibility to bring the Spirit with me, not just wait to be fed. Actually I was almost baptized in that church. Jesus was baptized so I wanted to be, but when we got into the font in front of the congregation the Pastor said, “Congratulation on joining our church!” I said, “I don’t want to join your church, I just want to be baptized!” He said I had to join the church if I wanted to be baptized, it’s in the Bible. So we discussed it for a few minutes, decided I wouldn’t be baptized and sat down. I wasn’t real gutsy at 16, but I knew what I didn’t want! I finally found a Pastor of a Lutheran church that would baptize me without joining the church when I was 20. Bare foot and in my jeans, just he & I alone by the alter, I got sprinkled. It was one of the most Spiritual and significant moments of my life.

Are you talking about the Senior Executive Service? I don't know about that.What I meant was if it turns High profile and he gets a lot of organizations with $ on his band wagon like Jesse Jackson, or NAACP. That sort of thing. If there's enough media, someone will latch on to it. It might even become a political issue. This is the yr for it. I don't have TV and get pretty poor radio reception, so I miss a lot of hype. Thats usually a good thing!

I don't know, I'm just expressing my disillusionment with the legal system. Either the police will mess up evidence or be too brutal (that's funny) or the jails will be too full, or he's depraved because he was deprived. Seems like there's always something. Especially if it's high profile and he gets a hot-shot lawyer.

All new federal chaplains are given the opportunity to participate in an abbreviated and mild (temperature) sweat lodge ceremony. Interestingly, the spiritual leader that led it encouraged to meditate/pray to our own God, while being mindful of the nature they were respecting. A few chaplains chose not to join in, but I find myself able to do so without compromising my faith. I can see that the experience would indeed give the sense of spiritual cleansing and renewal. So, PC, do you believe we are praying to the same God? I know many Evangelicals don't. I think we are, because the thing in us that makes us seek Spiritual enlightenment, aka communicate with God, is the Light of Christ that is in all of us. Those of us that think we are correct about God's true nature, still don't know everything. So it's degrees of correctness we're talking about, right? I can't see Father turning His back on people trying to reach Him in the only way they know how.

You know he's a sicky, he could have gotten the purses without hiting those poor frail women. How smart could he be, doing that in front of the camera. Yeah, he'll get caught, then they'll let him go.

Thats great, I love the Christus. I know I've seen the kind of statues you're describing at Christian book stores. You might look up that source.

Was it Kava?

I found this comment particularly interesting. We are told that post-moderns (our current generation) are far more interested in authenticity and positive experiential spirituality, than they are in being the most correct doctrinally. Growing up, I used to feel negative spiritually when I was in the midst of spirituality that I believed was not in line with Christianity. As I've gotten older, I do see the good in most forms of practice. What I wonder is whether I am being conditioned and desensitized, or whether I am truly becoming more mature. Just a guess, but I think it's Spiritual maturity. God is love. We've been given commandments and guide lines for our own protection. But I think we've also been given discernment to open our eyes. LDS believe that each generation is born a little stronger spiritually than the one before it. In order for the righteous to turn bad, they have to be VERY bad, but many will have the understanding that will help usher in the Millenium. I've heard them called "Ephriam's children". I've heard a Jewish Rabbi discuss the spiritual awareness of the new generation, he called them something else (blue something). Are you familiar with Saturday's Warriors? Who are these children coming down, Coming down like gentle rain through darkened skies? With glory trailing from their feet as they go? And endless promise in their eyes? Who are these young ones growin' tall, growing strong Like silver trees against the storm? Who will not bend with the wind or the change But stand to fight the world alone? (chorus) These are the few, the warriors save for Saturday To come the last days of the world these are they on Saturday These are the strong, the warriors rising in their might To win the battle raging in the hearts of man on Saturday Strangers from a realm of light who have forgotten all The mem'ry of their former life, the purpose of their call And so they must learn why they're here and who they really are. They must learn why they're here and who they are. In their sunbright armor they march forth to conquer all And with their swards ablaze with fir watch the darkness fall But first they must learn why they're here and who they really are They must learn why they're here and who they are. Words and Music by Doug Stewart and Lex de Azevedo some inspiration by Walt Whitman

Thank you, I figured that out.

So true, Traveler! Thats real spiritual maturity when we can truly be thankful for sorrow and pain. I can be thankful in hindsight, I'm improving on current trials, not good about the future trials, and a total failure at being thankful for the pain my children have to face. Line upon line.....

Sorry you cry in the shower. I usually notice my growth in the shower and that makes me want to cry.

Life is what happens to you when you are busy making plans... I love your signature, because thats sure the way I feel about it. I think we learn in all those situations but in times of tragedy and crisis we learn the most, at least I do. You might call it a crash course in life. In those situations I learn: about past mistakeswhat our resources are: spiritual and temporalhow to pray how to lovehow to grieveour dependence on God.how family members react and what they needwhen to be tough or softto have confidence in myselfI receive personal revelation (answers to prayers) when I least expect it. The most dramatic revelation I've had was when I came home for lunch and blessed the food. Right there over a ham sandwich I was given the most amazing experience of my life!

Thank you for that; both of you. Those scriptures give me such peace. I love the gospel because it includes everyone. No matter where you are spiritually, the Lord has planned for you. The path may be straight and narrow, but we have many paths that lead to it; one for each of us.

Don't let CrimsonKairos see that! He's quite the speller.

Okay, could you define 'the gospel' for me then? :) M. xhenli, CK, a-train, I'm a little concerned about your responses to Maureen's question. Are you saying that belief in Christ isn't necessarily a part of the Gospel? If it is, I can't agree with you. I probably just misunderstood. I know that these righteous people will be on earth during the millenium and have the opportunity to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but I've always believed that belief in Christ specifically is fundamental to salvation. Why else would we call ourselves Christian? Why is it necessary to join the church, perform ordinances, etc, if believe in our redemption and our Redeemer isn't essential? Would you please clarify.

Boy I don't know if I'll be able to do this. I'm sorry for their loss.