askandanswer

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Everything posted by askandanswer

  1. I think the following quote from President Nelson’s conference address last April is definitive proof that there is at least one kind of connection between this life and the spirit world. I realize that the OP is about near death experiences, and the kind of experience related by President Nelson is not what we normally refer to as a near death experience, but it does show that there is at least one type of connection between here and the spirit world, and this raises the possibility that if there is at least one type of connection, there could easily be others. Then one night last May, I was awakened by those two little girls from the other side of the veil. Though I did not see or hear them with my physical senses, I felt their presence. Spiritually, I heard their pleadings. Their message was brief and clear: “Brother Nelson, we are not sealed to anyone! Can you help us?” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/the-price-of-priesthood-power?lang=eng
  2. Traveler, thanks to the faithfulness and obedience of your great grandparents, 150 years later, on the other side of the world, I, and presumably others, gain the benefit of your posts. Its interesting to reflect on how things come about, and how decisions, both good and bad, can have such long lasting effects on so many people.
  3. (New Testament | James 5:16) 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Does the fervent prayer of two righteous people avail twice as much as the prayers of one righteous person? Or is there something like the laws of diminishing returns happening, whereby the fervent prayers of two righteous people avail something less than double what is availed by the prayers of one righteous person? Or is there a multiplier effect in operation, whereby the prayers of a second righteous person availeth more than double what is availed by the prayers of one righteous person? Is there some sort of limit whereby once a certain number of prayers is reached, the prayers of additional people above that number no longer have any additional effect? What exactly is it that is being availed by the prayers of a righteous and to what extent, if any, does the number of faithful righteous people praying for a specific outcome increase the likelihood of that outcome coming to pass? Which has the greater impact - the faith or the person praying, or the righteousness of the person praying? Or is it more to do with the faith or righteousness of the person being prayed for? Or are faith and righteousness of no effect when it comes to God's will being done because His will will be done regardless of who is praying or how many people are praying? Or is God's overall will and plan sufficiently flexible as to allow for the variations that might arise as a result of granting the petition expressed in the prayer of a faithful and righteous person. These questions occurred to me yesterday when I was pondering the two facts of 1) President Monsons continued ill health and 2) the large numbers of faithful righteous people who are praying for him every day, myself included.
  4. I can understand why it might sometimes be helpful to sleep apart but why does this have to mean separate rooms? Surely two beds in the same room would be better than two beds in separate rooms? I recommend that if you have the time, you find a new hobby or interest that will take you out of the house and that you enjoy doing. If you regularly participate in something you enjoy, some of this joy should carry with you back into the house. That should help to reduce the depression and make you look and feel and be a more desirable and attractive spouse.
  5. A silly four line syllogism suggesting that at some point, plural marriage will be reintroduced followed by a more reasonable reply: 1. I am married 2. It would be severally unjust if God disallowed any other woman from marrying me 3. God is not unjust 4. Therefore, at some point, polygamy will recommence I admit there might be one, possibly even two exceptions to the specific example above. However, I think that the following general principle holds true: Subject to the great and eternal laws of justice and free agency, I cannot see that a loving Father in heaven would disallow or prevent an action - in this case, a plural marriage - that would stop His righteous children from carrying out the desires of their hearts. I suspect that this general principle of allowing all sorts of actions as long as they do not violate these two laws holds true not just for plural marriage, but for other types of actions as well. As to whether or not the recommencement of plural marriage will occur in mortality or post-mortality, I see that as an irrelevant detail as I believe that the timing of the recommencement probably makes no difference to the underlying principle of plural marriage or the manner in which it will be practiced.
  6. Needle, there are some great ideas here! Thanks for the suggestions
  7. When considering the idea that God created the universe, I think we sometimes overlook to well known facts. The first is that in talking about the creation, Joseph Smith and others have taught that a more correct translation of the scriptures tells us that the gods undertook the creation – it seems to have been a joint effort, involving many god-like beings, and not just a single Being. The second fact is that what we often refer to, or think of, as a creative process, was more a process of organisation. The gods imposed order on pre-existing material. Perhaps all that was involved in this imposition of order was simply tweaking a few parameters in such a way conditions that were once indisposed towards the creation of life became disposed towards the creation of life. A small intervention at the exact right moment into circumstances that originated elsewhere, or through other means, can bring about dramatically different outcomes than would have been the case if there had been no intervention. I can envisage how, in some ways, the creation of the universe is analogous to solving a traffic jam. The vehicles in the traffic jam already exist, but they are in a disordered state. By simply changing, or correcting, one or two lines of computer code, you can change the sequence in which the traffic lights flash, thereby imposing order on a pre-existing situation. The sooner and more strictly the drivers in the traffic jam comply with the new directions, the faster order is restored. In much the same order in our own lives can be improved as soon as we start to strictly comply with divinely issued directions.
  8. Clearly this, or some other universe, predates the existence of God, because God, as a mortal, needed a universe in which he could grow up and pass through His mortality.
  9. The fact that God, in His mortal life, before He became a God, did not create the universe in which He grew up, to me, leads to either one of two possible conclusions; either God did not create all that we now refer to as the universe, or there is more than one universe – the one that we live in now, and the one in which God spent his mortality. As soon as Joseph Smith taught that God was once mortal, in the 1844 King Follett sermon, it became possible to conclude that there is more than one universe. This sermon was preached many decades before scientists first come up with the possibility. This strikes me as one of what is probably a great many examples of where theological knowledge can be used to inform our theories of physics and astronomy. At present, I can’t think of other examples, but I am quite sure that they are out there. I think it would not be an unreasonable approach to build scientific knowledge by first drawing conclusions about the universe based on what the scriptures and prophets say, and on personal revelation, and then looking for evidence of those conclusions in our microscopes and telescopes. I understand that this was often the approach taken during the dark ages and the middle ages, and the results were not encouraging, but that was a time when the heavens were closed and the quality and quantity of revealed and man-made knowledge were dramatically different from what they are now. I think that scientists, in their search for knowledge, undervalue the knowledge that can be gained from divine sources, and that their search would be hastened if they looked more closely at the Source of all knowledge. It sometimes surprises me that this does not seem to be a common methodology used by the LDS scientists I know as I believe it would be a very fruitful approach.
  10. In the back of my mind I have this nagging question "would it really be outer darkness if there were no women there" but I'm not going to ask it here because I'm concerned about what the reaction might be.
  11. Gator, in these uncertain times where everything seems to be changing, I thought I should ask the question - are they all female?
  12. I plan on delegating all the drudgery work to my angels. They will benefit more than I would by the doing of it.
  13. Yes, its facetious. The scriptures are suggestive, rather than definitive, on the question of whether Christ had tattoos, and my interpretation is that the suggestion is that He did not. However, the scriptures are quite clear that He did have, and still has, body piercings, which He sometimes shows to His friends. www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/19.34?lang=eng#33 www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/20.27?lang=eng#23 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/11.14?lang=eng#14 And if you are reading this it means that so far I've dodged the lightning bolts.
  14. Evidently Christ had long hair and a beard. Perhaps He also had tattoos on His hands? (Old Testament | Isaiah 49:16) 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;
  15. Last weekend our stake held its second annual mini-mission. This event is for Priests and Laurels. it involves participants arriving at the MTC (local stake centre) at about 6;00 on Friday night and participating in a dinner followed by two hours of mission preparation classes. After MTC they were each paired off with a full time missionary (threesomes in some cases, but mostly in pairs) and then went to the missionary apartment for the night. For the next 48 hours they lived and worked exactly as the full time missionaries, following the missionary daily schedule and all mission rules. On Sunday they returned to the stake centre for dinner and a fireside. During the fireside, attended by parents, they shared their experiences. It was very clear that for most participants, it was a powerful spiritual experience, and for many, it greatly strengthened their desire to serve a mission. It was equally successful last year. I thoroughly recommend annual mini missions as one of the tools that should be included in the missionary preparation tool kit.
  16. This might sound like a slightly Machiavellian approach, so I don’t feel wholly comfortable with it, but I offer it here in the hope that it might be helpful. I suggest you take the offensive – start asking things of her instead of her always asking stuff from you. Specifically, I suggest that you invite her to church. I suspect she will refuse. This refusal then becomes the basis for the termination of the “friendship.” You could explain to her how important church is to you and how your character/values/identity have all been significantly influenced by your beliefs and church membership and that because your church membership means so much to you, and is such an important part of your life, you would like her to have the opportunity to experience the blessings of church membership. If she is not interested in a) learning more about what has made you the person that you are, a person who she claims to like and be friends with, and b) exposing herself to an opportunity that could help to strengthen her moral values and character, then I think you can use her refusal as a legitimate reason to terminate the relationship. If she’s not interested in learning more about why you are who you are, then her interest in you seems to be somewhat shallow, and her refusal to come to church should be a clear demonstration of how shallow her interest is, both to you, and to herself. Of course, if she does come to church, and comes on a regular basis, that provides a great opportunity for you and her to start helping her shift her values, priorities and behaviours more towards those that you would feel more comfortable with.
  17. (New Testament | John 17:5) 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 4:1) 1 AND I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor. (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 4:2) 2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever. 1. John 17:5 seems to record Christ asking His Father to give Him glory, presumably for the great work He has done and is about to do. Moses 4:1 seems to record Lucifer asking his Father to give him glory for the work he would like to do. What do you see as some of the differences and similarities between these two situations? Moses 4:2 seems to record that Christ offered all the glory to the Father, whereas John 17:5 seems to record that Christ asked for some of the glory. Does the apparent difference between these two verses suggest that Jesus might have changed His mind about whether He should have any of the glory?
  18. Sometimes when I am in circumstances when I want to write something down but am unable to do so, I use the voice recorder function on my phone and then transcribe it later. I also find that when I record, rather than write, I capture much more information. The recording also captures the tone of my voice at the time, which can sometimes convey more feeling than written words on a paper. Then when the circumstances are more favourable, I can transcribe the recording into my journal.
  19. I believe that the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve hold weekly meetings in an upper room in the Salt Lake temple. Possibly, those who attend take notes in these meetings. Maybe even written notes. But that's a different kind of circumstance to what you are inquiring about and maybe it only happens in the Salt Lake temple. However, it would be a little surprising if the Temple Presidency of every temple in the world does not take written notes when meeting with his counsellors in his Temple President's office. And when we read our scriptures, as we are often encouraged to do, and are allowed to do in the Temple, are we not also encouraged to mark and make notes in our scriptures?
  20. I think there is at least a grain of truth, and much for you to consider, in this short anecdote given by Elder Hales in his General Conference address last April on the Holy Ghost As we receive the inspiration of the Holy Ghost for ourselves, it is wise to remember that we cannot receive revelation for others. I know of a young man who told a young woman, “I’ve had a dream that you are to be my wife.” The young woman pondered that statement and then responded, “When I have the same dream, I’ll come and talk to you.” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/the-holy-ghost?lang=eng
  21. I think there is at least a grain of truth, and much for you to consider, in this short anecdote given by Elder Hales in his General Conference address last April on the Holy Ghost As we receive the inspiration of the Holy Ghost for ourselves, it is wise to remember that we cannot receive revelation for others. I know of a young man who told a young woman, “I’ve had a dream that you are to be my wife.” The young woman pondered that statement and then responded, “When I have the same dream, I’ll come and talk to you.” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/the-holy-ghost?lang=eng
  22. The Lord through His prophets has commanded us to hasten the work. I would buy the car as fast as I could. However, if I was to disregard this counsel to hasten the work, and rely entirely on my own judgement, I would attempt to base my decision on the principle of seeking to do what is the greatest good for the greatest number. And then it becomes a bit tricky trying to work out whether the best thing to do is to stop wicked people from engaging in further wickedness, or whether there is still some hope of bringing some to repentance and whether the good that would be achieved by bringing some few to repentance is greater or lesser than the good that would be achieved by denying the wicked the opportunity to continue engaging in wickedness.
  23. Is Exodus 7 verse 22 where Pharaoh's magicians duplicate the miracles that Moses did an exception to the principle that John stated in John 3 verse 27 where he says a man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven? I understand John 3 verse 27 to mean that a man can do nothing, unless he receives from heaven the power to do something. Surely the power of Pharoah’s servants to perform this duplicate miracle was received from somewhere - it is not a power inherently in man. If John’s statement holds true in all circumstances then it raises the question of from whence came the power of Pharoah’s magicians? If the answer is that this power came from Satan, then it would suggest that there are some limits to John’s statement. If the answer is that this power came from God, then this would be a contrary example to the argument that Jesus used when He was accused by the pharisees in Matthew 12: 24 - 26 of casting out devils because he was the prince of devils. .
  24. Did Jesus have a home? Matthew 8:20 (foxes have holes, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head) suggests that He did not, but the footnote to Mark 2:1 suggests that He did have a home, in Capernaum, and John 1:38-39 indicates that Christ invited two of John’s disciples to His home. My guess is that in His early ministry, Christ lived at home, but once He began His ministry, as with some of the early missionaries of the church who served for three years at a stretch, away from home, He had “not where to lay his head.” There’s quite a difference between being homeless, which is sometimes how I’ve heard Matthew 8:20 interpreted, and leaving, or giving up one’s home to engage in missionary work.