askandanswer

Activities? Any particular type of activities?

This beautiful gospel is so simple a child can grasp it, yet so profound and complex that it will take a lifetime—even an eternity—of study and discovery to fully understand it. But sometimes we take the beautiful lily of God’s truth and gild it with layer upon layer of man-made good ideas, programs, and expectations. Each one, by itself, might be helpful and appropriate for a certain time and circumstance, but when they are laid on top of each other, they can create a mountain of sediment that becomes so thick and heavy that we risk losing sight of that precious flower we once loved so dearly. Therefore, as leaders we must strictly protect the Church and the gospel in its purity and plainness and avoid putting unnecessary burdens on our members. In preparation for this week’s Priesthood lesson I have been re-reading President Uchtdorf’s talk a few times this week and the following questions occurred to me: 1. What are some of the profound and complex aspects of the gospel that will take an eternity to study? I note that Christ took just one verse, in 3rd Nephi 27:20, repeated in Doctrine and Covenants 39:6 to, define His gospel. 2. For you, what are some of those aspects of the church that form “a mountain of sediment that becomes so thick and heavy” and may become an “unnecessary burden?”

Just by way of information, Australia is one of the few countries in the world where it is required by law that on election day, you have to turn up at the election booth and have your name crossed off the list by electoral officials to indicate that you have showed up. Most people here refer to this as compulsory voting, but in truth, once you have had your name crossed off you can leave the polling booth without having actually voted, or if you really don't want to vote, you can just drop a blank ballot paper into the ballot box. But by law, you at least have to turn up at the polling booth, wait in line, and have your name marked off.

All former bishops that I know seem to be pleased and relieved when, after their release, people here immediately go back to calling them by their first name. I think it helps to remind them that they no longer carry the heavy burden of responsibility that comes with being a bishop.

I've sometimes wondered whether Pam's avatar is actually a selfie? :)

Vortemort?

\ Here is the real winner of the staring contest. This is Julie Bishop, Australia's current Foreign Minister, in a staring competition with a garden gnome on national television. This clip dates back a few years to when she was Deputy Leader of the Opposition. The good bit starts at about 3:05

From Scientific American website, copied 10 January 2016. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22930554-300-supermassive-black-holes-might-be-hiding-entire-universes-inside/ Quantum mechanics says that information cannot be destroyed Can someone explain to me what this means please? LDS theology says that matter and intelligence cannot be destroyed. There are not too many classes of things that have this property of indestructibility so it makes me wonder, when we do come across this property, whether we are seeing just one thing, or two different aspects, or manifestations of, the same thing, but calling it by two different names.

I don't feel the need to make up my mind about abortion unless my wife or daughters were in a position where they might be considering it. If that were to ever happen, then I would need to think very seriously about it. Until then, I'm more than happy to just accept the teachings of the church without thinking about it too much or questioning it. And if I ever was in the situation where I needed to think very seriously about it, then I believe that my conclusion would be to simply follow the teachings of the church. I also don't feel the need to work out the rationale for the church's position, or the rightness or wrongness, or the basis for its position. The fact that its a church position is good enough for me. I'm quite prepared to let others form and hold, and act on their own opinions. If they are a rational, mature adult, Its not for me to try and change their minds. However, if someone, church member or not, came to me asking me for advice, I would pretty much just follow the church line. If you want to abort, go ahead and abort but be prepared to live with the consequences, both temporal and eternal. If you want to give birth, go ahead and give birth, but be prepared to live with the consequences, both temporal and eternal.

I've done that more often than I would like to admit.

Not quite. We don't yet know enough about the nature of intelligence to draw reliable conclusions, although speculation can sometimes be useful, In any event, my recycling of matter thoughts were about the recycling of matter, and that matter then being joined to an intelligence to form a soul. I said nothing about the origins or existence of the intelligence prior to it being joined to matter. Its also possible to speculate that an intelligence can regress back to its original condition, and is so doing, loses its sense of identity and consciousness, without actually being destroyed. Perhaps that which is gained by obedience to law can be lost or taken away by disobedience to law, and if an intelligence, in the form of a soul, and then in the form of a body, disobeys the law, then perhaps it is reduced to the state that it was in before it began to obey the law.

This is not something that I have thought about before, but as I think about it now, perhaps, following on from the idea of eternal progression, and applying it more widely to uninhabited planets, perhaps uninhabited planets are made up of clumps of matter that have joined together and that are now currently learning how to, and preparing to become, inhabited planets. In their previous condition, these clumps of matter were individual and solitary comets or asteroids, but in the same way that souls progress by joining together - intelligence with spirit to form a soul, soul to body, and then body to body through temple marriage, and then all bodies to each other through temple sealings and by the abiding of eternal law until they are ready for celestial glory - so perhaps do planets progress by joining matter with other matter until a planet is formed, and then joining life to the planet and then the planet abides by eternal law until it to is celestialised. See (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 88:25) 25 And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law—26 Wherefore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it. These verses give one example of one earth progressing from a lower state to a higher state by obedience to eternal law. I think that same prinicple might apply to uninhabited planets.

Thanks for this Zil, I was unaware of this source and now that you've brought it to my attention, I will certainly have a look at it. My own thoughts about the recycling of matter are that those who end up in outer darkness are consigned to a black hole where all trace of individual identity and consciousness are forever erased and the matter of which they are composed is eventually stripped or cleansed of whatever it was that led that person to be so evil. Only then is that matter available to be used as the raw material to be formed into a spirit and then joined to an intelligence to create a soul. As I said, I haven't read what Nibley's thoughts are on this question but I look forward to finding out.

Traveller, I agree that the best understanding comes from studying both revelation and science. What I tried to do with the OP was to give an example of how both theological knowledge – that God progresses eternally and that His creations are unlikely to be destroyed - and scientific knowledge – that the universe is expanding - can be combined to come up with a conclusion that further informs both theology and science – that an infinite expansion is more likely than an infinite contraction and that as the universe expands, divine law comes into effect where it previously was not. As to what the universe is contained in, I think that a partial answer might be that the universe is bounded by the current, but ever expanding limits of God's power - within the universe there is order and law, outside of it, there is not.

I think I disagree with the conclusion that the passing away of a world means that it no longer exists. The reason why I disagree is that there are many scriptures which talk about this world passing away, such as the one you have referred to in 3rd Nephi, but there are also other scriptures, and prophetic teachings, that teach that this world will also be the home of celestial beings. So I think when the scriptures talk about worlds passing away it does not mean that the world ceases to exist. I think they are more likely referring to worlds being changed in some form, perhaps becoming celestialised. The location now known as Earth might continue to exist, but its composition, or the nature of the matter that it is composed of, might no longer be the same as it is now.

(Pearl of Great Price | Moses 1:33) 33 And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten. If we assume that A) God wants to protect/maintain/defend his creations; And B) He has the power to do so; Then If it difficult to see how the universe could eventually shrink back into itself and become a singularity, as many cosmologists have recently believed as this would involve the destruction of God's creations. There also seems to be a great deal of harmony between the idea of an infinitely expanding universe and the doctrine of eternal progression. One of the ways by which an already perfect being can continue to progress, and by which eventually, hopefully, we will also be able to eternally progress, is by bringing order and law to “spaces” where there currently only chaos and nothingness. I believe that as the universe expands, in the environment into which it expands, chaos and nothingness is being replaced by order and law. I understand that many cosmologists now are of the view that because of the influence of dark energy, the universe is more likely to expand than contract. However, this is a view that they have only recently started coming to. LDS theology had the means to answer the question of whether the universe will infinitely expand or infinitely contract well before Edwin Hubble even worked out that the universe was expanding. The above example may be one illustration of how LDS theology can help to shed light on problems of physics and astronomy. There may well be others. Any suggestions?

Hi David, this suggestion might be of interest to you. I hate writing by hand so for many years I recorded my journal entries using a cassette tape recorder. I still have them in a case in the shed, many of them now more than 20 years old. its much easier than writing. Today, instead of using a cassette recorded, you could use the record function and mic on your computer. And you can keep the whole file password protected so that no one else can view it, so even if they steal your computer your electronic journal will still be safe. A lot of my journal consists of a series of hard drives that I have salvaged from the computers I have used over the years. As for the idea of keeping it all in your head, well that's not going to be of much interest or benefit to friends or family members who would like to know and understand you better once you are gone.

What does your gut say?

First, I think its great that you realise there is a problem. Second, I think its great that you are seeking help. Third, uncomfortable as it feels, I think its great that you are feeling guilty. Guilt is often the first step in a process that leads to positive change. Normally when a person is seeking guidance about whether or not they have violated the LoC, and if so, what they should do about it, the best person to talk with is the bishop. However, in your case, being so new, you might feel more comfortable in first talking to the missionaries who taught you the gospel. I suspect that they might refer you to your bishop but at least that advice will be coming from a source that you know and trust, and that you know loves and cares for you. ps I love your nickname! Lds followed by the date of your baptism. Very nice :)

Is this true? So the church has a two strikes and your out - for eternity - rule? If this is true, that would seem to place some limits on God's mercy that I was previously unaware of. Of course, there always have been such limits, but this two strikes and your out rule seems to be a new one.

I'm not sure that even 70 times 7 would be enough for a lover of punk :)

If this is true, then it doesn't seem to be consistent with Doctrine and Covenants 58:42 Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. From what I recall, this verse is frequently quoted in talks on repentance and forgiveness and the forgetting of the sin is held out as one of the blessings of forgiveness. Does this mean that the Lord forgets but His church remembers? Perhaps the existence of a list of removed names suggests a lack of confidence in the ability of local leaders to not call a convicted child rapist to serve in nursery. If the calling is prayed about by the local bishop and a confirmation is received, (however surprising that might be) shouldn't that be enough? And if it is enough, why then does the church need to retain a list of removed or annotated names?

Same with me - at church and in church situations, I call him Bishop. When I see them in a work situation, I call them by their first name. When they are released, its back to their first name straight away. Usually they seem to be somewhat relieved to be called by their name rather than be called Bishop.

I've sometimes thought that the anecdote in 2 Kings 20: 1-6 goes against the idea that God's words do not change. 1 IN those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

Yes, when that man is speaking as the mouthpiece of God, and saying what God has told him to say, because then it is God, and not the man, who is doing the reversing, and I don't see anything wrong with that.