askandanswer

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Don't worry about it - I still haven't kissed him and probably never will - wrong gender and too far away. :)

It all seems a bit murky to me

So one bottle down, how many cases of Jack do you still have left?

I wonder if that's just an LDS thing, or just a western culture thing or is it universal?

Last week, our Prime Minister, after much pressure from the public, agreed to an intake of 12,000 refugees. Prior to the formal announcement, there was some discussion from politicians and media commentators that we should heavily favour Christians in deciding which refugees we should allow in. The idea was quickly dropped after lots of other commentators and pundits opposed it saying that we should not discriminate on the basis of religion. People were saying we should give preference to women, unaccompanied minors, and families, from persecuted minorities in high risk areas. In effect, this would discriminate against men, accompanied minors, non-families, and majorities from low risk areas. I was wondering to myself why we can discriminate on the basis of gender, geography, age and marital/family status, but not on the basis of religion.

We celebrated Father’s Day in Australia last week, so all the Sacrament talks were about fathers and their duties and responsibilities and what they should be doing. I’m pretty sure that by the end of the meeting, most, or maybe all of the fathers would have been squirming in their seats, afflicted with a guilty conscience as they were reminded of all the things they should be doing and perhaps haven’t been doing. My recollection of Mother’s Day last May is that all the talks were about mothers and how wonderful they are and all the sacrifices and service they do for their family. I think that by the end of the meeting, most mother’s would have been feeling happy and proud and grateful to be mothers. Father’s feeling guilty because of their shortcomings, mother’s feeling happy because of their successes. Is this how it goes in other wards, or is thing something unique to my ward?

Among life's many mysteries I've often wondered why A sense that's known as common Is in such short supply Piet Hein

Some really well organised teachers might email their lesson plan notes along with detailed notes on the learning styles and behavioural trends of all the kids in the class to whoever ends up subbing for the sub, and others might even have their husband deliver to the sub's sub all the teaching aids and snacks that they've spent the last week preparing. It could happen, but I haven't seen it yet :)

Hymn 118 - Ye Simple Souls Who Stray I don't think I've ever heard this sung in church. The music for this hymn is quite powerful. Lyrics 1. Ye simple souls who stray Far from the path of peace, That lonely, unfrequented way To life and happiness, Why will ye folly love, And throng the downward road, And hate the wisdom from above, And mock the sons of God? 2. Madness and misery Ye count our life beneath, And nothing great or good can see Or glorious in our death. But thru the Holy Ghost We witness better things, For he whose blood is all our boast Has made us priests and kings. 3. Riches unsearchable In Jesus' love we know, And pleasures springing from the well Of life our souls o'erflow. As we seek heav'nly bliss, Angels our steps attend, And God himself our Father is, And Jesus is our Friend. 4. With him we walk in white; We in his image shine; Our robes are robes of glorious light, Our righteousness divine. On all the kings of earth With pity we look down And claim, in virtue of our birth, A never-fading crown. Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788, adapted Music: Evan Stephens, 1854-1930

I think there will still be a variety of opinions held, and possibly some scope for alternative courses of action, as long as those actions meet an agreed on objective. Varied opinions and the opportunity to act on them seem to be two of the most important precursors, or requirements, for political action.

just wondering if your watch/clock has stopped? :)

ground breaking. hmmm the term reminds me of bread breaking.

Thank you TFP

I can't help but reflect on the moral similarities between lion hunting and fish hunting. Both activities seem to have some similarities.

As spirits in the pre-existence, there was an unmade decision - who shall I send - and this led to some politicking, the ultimate outcome of which was war and banishment. It would seem a little odd if, as glorified beings, we did not have the opportunity or ability to participate in a process that we were able to participate in as mere spirits

This clearly suggests that God is more interested in outcomes than processes. He seems to be more interested in what we become rather than how we become. This conclusion points the way to possibilities that could be both helpful and harmful.

I'm starting to get curious about the comments attributed to Elder Packer, although I'm a little wary of another long discussion about homosexuality. What are people's thoughts? Are homosexual tendencies inborn? Are they pre-set? Can they be overcome? If they are inborn and preset does God have any responsibility for that? And if so, why would He do that? Some suppose that they were preset and cannot overcome what they feel are inborn tendencies toward the impure and unnatural. Not so. Why would our Heavenly Father do that to anyone? Remember, he is our Father."

I've thought about this a little more. The only reason why I can think there would be politicking in the next life is if there are some decisions that still need to be made. I'm not sure if this is the case. To suggest that there are some decisions that still need to be made might imply that the Plan of Salvation is incomplete and still has some gaps. This seems to be unlikely, unless, of course, God has deliberately left some gaps so that we might grow by having the opportunity to make those decisions. But if there are no further decisions to be made, I'm not sure how much scope there would be for political activities.

I think that as long as there is agency there will be variety and once you get variety you get supporters and opponents. Its purely speculative, as far as I know, but I believe that when the Quorum of the Twelve and the First Presidency meet, even though they might be perfectly united on what they are seeking to accomplish, there might not always be perfect unity on every issue while it is still in the discussion phase and there would be some variety of opinion on how to accomplish a given outcome. In such circumstances, it seems fair to assume that those for and against a particular position will try to influence the thinking of others. And just as today, once the Prophet makes a decision and speaks, what the Prophet says goes, so it might be in the Celestial Kingdom - what Christ says will go. But in the processes leading up to the saying, or the decision, there may well be a lot of room for robust discussion and politicking.

There seems to be a misperception that my post was motivated by a desire to work out how to maximise the amount of blessings I can receive by changing the way I could pay my fast offering. This is not the case. As I noted above, whether I receive fewer or more blessings, and whether I receive them now or in the next life is not a significant factor in asking this question. Nor is it fair to impune any motive, good or otherwise, based on how frequently a person makes a fast offering. Part of my interest in asking the question is to develop some understanding of whether God is more interested in process - how frequently an offering is made - or in outcomes - the total amount of the offering.Whether one pays monthly, or annually, the amount will be the same. I think the question of how fast offering is paid is a useful vehicle to explore this question because it is one of the areas I can think of, although there are probably others, where we can follow different processes, but still achieve the same outcome.

There probably is something like a formula, or at least something like a set of guidelines. As the scriptures say, 20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— 21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. God is a God of order and there is almost certainly some sort of system as to how blessings are dispensed because they are not dispensed on a random basis. I've had two stake presidents who were fond of saying that "If you almost keep the commandments, you almost get the blessings, although personally, I think that's false, or at least excessively simplified doctrine. My question isn't about calculating how many blessings I can earn for myself. Its aimed at getting a better understanding of how God works. Whether I get more blessings, or fewer, and whether I get them in this life or the next isn't really important. Your reminder that fast offerings are collected monthly and used to help ward members in need gives support to the idea that a person who gives once a year, in advance, may be more deserving of blessings than a person who gives month by month.

Will there be political activity in the next life, just as there was in this and the previous lifes, ie, organised groups of people trying to persuade other souls to support or oppose a particular agenda or plan of action?

We are blessed for paying our fast offering. So if a person pays their fast offering once a month, twelve times a year, are they blessed the same, or more, than a person who pays an annualised amount once a year? Whichever way it is done, the outcome is the same, but the process is different so is, or should, the nature and number of the blessings be the same or different?

I believe He did it as a form of punishment to frustrate, confound and humble those who believe that they can calculate and manipulate their way to increasing their worldly wealth at the expense of others. Economists probably serve a similar role today as did the false prophets in the time of the Old Testament. :) Jeremiah 14:14 14 Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesylies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. Isaiah 36:66 Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt economists; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt are economists to all that trust in him. Jeremiah 6:13 13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet economist even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.