askandanswer

Yes, perhaps it is not about that. But its not hard to see how the sentiments that are praised in this song - give, give away, could easily contribute to the creation of a belief in a young and impressionable mind that that is what people are supposed to do - just give away. Which could then quite easily lead to an expectation, and maybe even a sense of entitlement. Clearly this would not be correct, but its not hard to see how it could happen. Might this be an example of an unwanted message that our Primary songs could be giving out?

Here is something similar, for Mars. Its almost like a google earth, but for Mars. http://marstrek.jpl.nasa.gov/

I enjoyed your blog. Great name!

This post has reminded me of the words of a popular Primary song that I'm sure many of the life long members here would have sung and loved as children 1. "Give," said the little stream, "Give, oh! give, give, oh! give." "Give," said the little stream, As it hurried down the hill; "I'm small, I know, but wherever I go The fields grow greener still." Singing, singing all the day, "Give away, oh! give away." Singing, singing all the day, "Give, oh! give away." 2. "Give," said the little rain, "Give, oh! give, give, oh! give." "Give," said the little rain, As it fell upon the flow'rs; "I'll raise their drooping heads again," As it fell upon the flow'rs. 3. Give, then, as Jesus gives, Give, oh! give, give, oh! give. Give, then, as Jesus gives; There is something all can give. Do as the streams and blossoms do: For God and others live.

I'm not sure if the quotes below are actually official doctrine, but certainly I have heard them referred to many times in talks given by General Authorities on the question of the qualifications to be a bishop. Titus 1:7 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 1st Timothy 3:2 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Hi Catlick It seems to me as if you want everything to be settled and sure in your life before you make a move. Perhaps you could allow a little more room for faith to work in your life. If you have a belief that the LDS church is true, and you act on that belief, even though you might still have concerns and questions, then you are showing faith in our Heavenly Father and then you are opening up greater opportunities for the Lord to bless you, and help you with whatever it is you might still be struggling with. If you wait until you are certain, you might be waiting a long time. Sometimes we have to take show our faith in God by taking those first few steps into the unknown by ourselves before we then feel the reassuring presence of the spirit confirming that what we have done is pleasing unto the Lord. But you would not be taking these steps into the unknown by yourself. You would be surrounded and supported by the missionaries and many members of your new ward. Its amazing how our perspective can change once we have acted on faith, and how seeming mountains can suddenly fade away into molehills. I think anatess would be a great person to talk with about the family and social situations that can arise when moving from Catholicism to Mormonism. She, along with several others on this site, has travelled that journey and can provide lots of helpful advice on how to manage that change. You can send her, or anyone else, a private message, by clicking on the “members” button on the left side of the screen, searching for the member you would like to send a message to, clicking on their name and then clicking on “Send me a message” near the upper right side of the screen. You mention in your post that you’re not totally sure if the Book of Mormon is true, but it feels right. Might I recommend that you re-read and further ponder and pray about Alma 32: 26 – 43. By all means read it here and now below, but I suggest that you also re-read it and ponder about it several times in the coming week and ask yourself how it applies to your situation. And then ask the Lord what you should do. (Book of Mormon | Alma 32:26 - 43) 26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge. 27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. 28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. 29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge. 30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow. 31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness. 32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away. 33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good. 34 And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand. 35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect? 36 Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good. 37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit. 38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out. 39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof. 40 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life. 41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life. 42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst. 43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

This was in St George, I think in the mid 1890's, and I believe the statement was made by President Snow.

When I first arrived at the mission home I left my suit jackets in a large, very full cupboard, along with all the other suit jackets. I picked it up again two years later on the way home. Its good to see the official church catching up with what I guess has been unofficial practices for the last many decades.

It may be well for some of us participating in this forum to occasionally remember and follow what Elder Hales' said during the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference last April. No one should be criticized, persecuted, or attacked by individuals, or governments either, for what he or she believes about God. It is very personal and very important.

Would you seriously let any of your children make one of the most important decisions in their life without giving them the benefit of your wise and loving counsel?

I guess the Brethren go where they are needed most :)

Thank you Leah, that was very informative for me to read.

Capitalist_Oinker, on 01 Jul 2015 - 02:00 AM, said: I have since looked up and read the lesson (Chapter 12: "Seek the Spirit in All You Do") and I can't find a single reference to tools, home repairs, or disciplining children, much less John Wayne movies. Sounds like there's a whole bunch of fairly serious omission from the lesson manual here. Who should I write to about this?

I thought that in Philippines culture, the cash wedding present was pinned onto the bride's dress while she danced? I guess this isn't a Filipina wedding?

Five years! I don't think we've ever had an EQP last more than three. Congratulations on a calling well done.

Could you and a few other attendees get together and hire another photographer, and then present them with another wedding album sometime after the wedding, perhaps with notes and comments from you and your friends written on the backs of the photos. Given that the photographer would only be like a back up or unofficial photographer, you probably wouldn't need to get someone too expensive. You could instruct the photographer to hunt out all the candid moments when people are not expecting to be photographed, and therefor look most like their natural selves. (Do people still do hard copy photos and photo albums for weddings?)

   

In the lead up to my dad's retirement, he negotiated a deal with his employer that allowed him to work a certain number of weeks each year for the next three years. This phased approach to retirement seemed to work out pretty well both for him and the business. It avoided some of the problems that can happen when you jump straight from full time employment to full time retirement.

A widow might know of the story you are referring to. :)

Surely a horse would be better?

So what's the answer? When will it end?

Many years ago when I was serving as a ward clerk, someone donated 10% of their home garden crop. They had a small garden so It only amounted to about 4 vegetables. This entry was not recorded on MLS, although I guess we could have approximated the value of the donation and entered that amount. We didn't know what to do with the veggies, and I think that eventually the bishop nominated a needy person they could go to.

Surely such devices are like boats and ships - they exist only for those who lack faith?

I’m trying to appreciate the spirit which motivated the original post – a desire to seek advice on a potentially tricky issue that if mishandled, could lead to pain and anguish for several people. That is certainly a commendable motivation. However, I also feel a little uncomfortable with being asked to provide input on an issue which could be used to facilitate the departure of one person away from what I know to be the one and only true church of Christ on this earth. If the desire is to see her grow in her faith in Christ then it’s probably best to leave her where she is. I sincerely believe that membership and active participation in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and living in conformity with its’ teachings is the best way to grow faith in Christ. Ideally, in Sunday School and Young Women’s she will regularly encounter experiences designed to help her grow her faith, designed and delivered by men and women called of God.

Luke 20: 1-7 might be interpreted by some as an example of Christ appearing to stir up contention by deliberately asking a question that He knew would create a division among the people. 1 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders, 2 And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? 3 And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: 4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? 5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not? 6 But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet. 7 And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was. 8 And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. Acts 23: 6 - 9 also gives an interesting example of when Paul, while preaching the gospel, deliberately created a contention, ostensibly to get himself out of a difficult situation. Ironically, it was the situation that he thereby created that led to him being taken into protective custody, and ultimately sent to Rome and executed.