askandanswer

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. (Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:19) The primary purpose of mortality is to bend and twist, eliminate and build up, shape and destroy, whatever is required to enable us to fit into the "box" of the celestial kingdom. Life is a sifting process in which we get shaken about and reshaped so that we will be able to pass through the eye of the needle. And if we don't bend, we don't make it.

True, I agree, that is not how they usually operate and its probably a good thing that they don't normally operate like that because I suspect that if they did, the faith of some might be tested beyond breaking point. I believe that there is some truth in the saying that information informs inspiration. But if they choose to operate in that way - and perhaps calling today's youth the most valiant ever in spite of the appearance of evidence to the contrary - then we should choose to accept and follow them.

The best, the most reliable evidence, is that prophets of God have said this is so. This, to me, counts for more than all the empirical evidence that anyone might care to provide. If the teachings of God’s prophets and apostles appears to be contrary to all the empirical evidence, it does not mean that the prophets and apostles are wrong – it just means that we may have some difficulty in seeing how they are right, so we need to rely on faith rather than logic. At the very least, we should be willing to suspend our own judgement and take into account the possibility that what the prophets are saying is indeed true and correct rather than actively disagreeing with what they have said. If God’s prophet points to a stone that appears to be black, and says in the name of the Lord that it is white, then clearly it is white, even if we can’t understand how or in what way it is white. It’s a matter of faith, not evidence. We might say to ourselves the stone to me looks black, but God’s prophets say it is white, it still looks black to me but I’m going to exercise faith and treat that stone as if it really is white. If we follow this path for long enough, eventually we will come to see that stone as God sees it.

I still hear occasional references to the idea that the young people of today are among the strongest, most valiant, best prepared youth that have ever existed since the world began. Given who these references come from, I'm inclined to believe them.

It wouldn't be hard to make out a good arguement that some of the things mentioned in these verses as fruits of the spirit are emotions: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (New Testament | Galatians 5:22 - 23)

I live in our very small, purpose built national capital where 42% of the workforce are public servants. Each ward would have about 3 or 4 members where they are literally not allowed to tell you what their job is. Most of those who work for the public service and who were not actually born or raised here had to go through an extremely competitive recruitment process to get here so as a result, we tend to have a lot of well educated, financially comfortable members who all speak the same public servant language.

Triumph (is)in the midst of chaos

4 And now it came to pass that when the king had sent forth this proclamation, that Aaron and his brethren went forth from city to city, and from one house of worship to another, establishing churches, and consecrating priests and teachers throughout the land among the Lamanites, to preach and to teach the word of God among them; and thus they began to have great success. 5 And thousands were brought to the knowledge of the Lord, yea, thousands were brought to believe in the traditions of the Nephites; and they were taught the records and prophecies which were handed down even to the present time. 6 And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away. 7 For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren. 8 Now, these are they who were converted unto the Lord: 9 The people of the Lamanites who were in the land of Ishmael; 10 And also of the people of the Lamanites who were in the land of Middoni; 11 And also of the people of the Lamanites who were in the city of Nephi; 12 And also of the people of the Lamanites who were in the land of Shilom, and who were in the land of Shemlon, and in the city of Lemuel, and in the city of Shimnilom. 13 And these are the names of the cities of the Lamanites which were converted unto the Lord; and these are they that laid down the weapons of their rebellion, yea, all their weapons of war; and they were all Lamanites. (Book of Mormon | Alma 23:4 - 13) 8 And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 5:58) And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: Look; and I looked, and I beheld the land of Sharon, and the land of Enoch, and the land of Omner, and the land of Heni, and the land of Shem, and the land of Haner, and the land of Hanannihah, and all the inhabitants thereof; 10 And the Lord said unto me: Go to this people, and say unto them—Repent, lest I come out and smite them with a curse, and they die. 11 And he gave unto me a commandment that I should baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, which is full of grace and truth, and of the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and the Son. 12 And it came to pass that Enoch continued to call upon all the people, save it were the people of Canaan, to repent; (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 7:9 - 12)

It seems to me as if there was something seriously flawyd in the way Mr Chauvin interacted with George.

And as a result, we have infinitely more rules, penalties, restrictions and limitations on our liberty pertaining to driving than we do on on matters pertaining to covid 19 and we spend huge amounts on enforcing these rules related to driving, but everyone accepts those rules, penalties and restrictions as just a normal part of life without questioning them.

So is his assignment to Manila just until the planes start flying to Tacloban again or is Manila likely to be longer term? I remember there used to be an incredibly long bus route all the way down Luzon, through Bicol, then a ferry from Sorsogon to Samar, then continue by bus to Tacloban.

Patience, persistance, prayer.

You're starting to sound almost half as old as @pam

6 And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy. (Old Testament | 1 Chronicles 15:16)

Were there events similar to/comparable with the interaction between George Floyd and Derek Chauvin during the Obama era, and if so, did they result in a similar/comparable outcome? I'm just curious and am not trying to take a particular side.

I wander what, and how much, significance we can attach to the word "man" in the above quote.

This comes from the church's official webpage. The page is titled "Share my Gospel" It is perfectly suitable for someone who wants to start learning about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/share?lang=eng

The most important step towards becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is to have a spiritual experience that confirms to you the truthfulness of its teachings. This spiritual experience can come in many ways, and is often different for many people but there are some common elements and there are usually several intermediate steps to take before a person can have such a spiritual experience. Often, the first step in the process is having a desire to know the truth. This desire to know the truth then motivates you to begin seeking for it. It seems like you already have a desire to know the truth and have begun seeking for it, as evidenced by your post. The next step usually involves learning about the truth. This is where the missionaries come in. Through the lessons they teach, a person begins to learn about God’s truth. Reading the scriptures serves the same purpose – they contain true teachings, and by reading them, a person begins to develop a better understanding of God’s truth. It is often the case that during this learning process, while participating in the missionary lessons, and reading the scriptures, that a person might first start to have new feelings and thoughts and experiences that they have not had before. These thoughts and feelings might include a sense of peace, a feeling of “rightness”, ie a feeling that what you are hearing and learning is right and true, a desire to learn more, a general uplift in your sense of well-being, an increase in hope and optimism, and confidence and trust that what you are hearing and learning is good. You might even be feeling a small amount of these feelings now as you read this. These feelings are a sign to you that what you are learning and doing is good and true. These good feelings are an early indication to you that what you are hearing is true, but on their own, they are not enough, they are only a beginning. Ideally, these feelings will be a sign to you that you are on the right track, and they will motivate you to continue to stay on this track and to learn more and to accept and act on the commitments and promises that the missionaries ask you to make. As you keep and act on the commitments the missionaries ask you to make, you will feel these feelings more strongly. If you don’t keep and act on the commitments the missionaries ask you to make, these feelings will begin to fade, and you may start to doubt what you have been hearing and learning. As these feelings begin to grow, and as your knowledge and understanding of God’s truth continues to grow through your scripture reading, personal prayer, your lessons with the missionaries and your keeping the commitments you have made, you will need to make a decision. That decision is whether you should believe and accept and act on the feelings and truths you have learned and to show your acceptance and continued willingness to live according to the truths you have learned by being baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and change your life so that you are living in accordance with God’s truth, or whether you should just ignore and forget about what you have learned and felt turn away from it and go on with living your life as you have always done. Many people end up choosing to live their life as they have always done. They decide that it is too hard to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and that they do not want to make all the changes in their life that are involved in becoming a member of the church. They might think it is too hard and that too much is being asked of them. They might be concerned about how others – parents, friends, significant others – might react to them becoming a member of the church. Or people they are close to, who have not felt these good feelings or have a good understanding of the truths that you have been taught might be critical of the church and its teachings and try to change your mind. Yes, there are many who, for many reasons, begin the journey with the missionaries, and begin to understand the truth and have these good feelings, but who fail to take the final step and turn away from the truth they have been taught, and continue to live their lives as though nothing had happened. However, for those who do decide to continue with the journey, the next step is essential. The next step involves having a spiritual experience confirming to you that what you have been learning is indeed God’s truth. The nature of this spiritual experience, and exactly how it happens, varies widely, and many people have experienced it in many different ways. How it will happen for you, I don’t know, but this much I can say for sure – when it happens for you, you will know it and you will be changed by it. For many people, what actually happens, and what they feel, is a more intense, more powerful, more clear experience of the good feelings they have been feeling during the missionary lessons and during their scripture readings, personal prayers and their thinking about the truths they have been taught. For some people it is a moment of great peace, when the Spirit takes away any remaining doubts they may have and replaces those doubts with a confirmation that what they have been hearing is indeed the truth. Uncertainty, hesitancy, doubt and fear are replaced by peace, assurance, comfort and certainty and a greater willingness to trust in God and do His will. Questions and doubts are no longer important as they are replaced by a clear, and sometimes overwhelming conviction that what you have been hearing is true and that you need to show your acceptance of this truth and commitment to it by changing your life and being baptized. For some people, its like a 1,000 watt light bulb going off in their head and in their heart, and everything becomes clear. For other people, it might feel like a sense of coming home. However it happens for you, and however it might feel, it is likely to involve an end to doubt, great clarity as to what you should do, and a sure confirmation that what you have learned is true and is of God. When you have this spiritual experience, and know for sure that what you have been learning is true, and when you are willing to make and keep all of the commitments that will be asked of you, then you are ready to be baptized. And as @Carborendum has said in his post, once you are baptized and confirmed, then you will be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I testify that this is God’s one and only true church on Earth, and that if you truly seek him humbly and in faith, with all your hear, He will hear and answer your prayers, and you will then come to know for yourself that this is His church. As you act on this knowledge, you will experience greater joy than you have ever felt before and you will become a light and an example to those around you. I encourage you to take the first steps and do as @Jane_DoeJane doe has recommended – contact the missionaries and start to read the Book of Mormon, and see for yourself if God will be true to His word. And look within yourself for the beginnings of those feelings I have described. I look forward to hearing how you go and I hope you will let us know from time to time. For a really detailed discussion of one person’s learning journey, I encourage you to read on this forum the thread entitled “missionaries” by @Grunt

17 And now I will ease your mind somewhat on this subject. Behold, you marvel why these things should be known so long beforehand. Behold, I say unto you, is not a soul at this time as precious unto God as a soul will be at the time of his coming? 18 Is it not as necessary that the plan of redemption should be made known unto this people as well as unto their children? 19 Is it not as easy at this time for the Lord to send his angel to declare these glad tidings unto us as unto our children, or as after the time of his coming? (Book of Mormon | Alma 39:17 - 19)

"The dismal science" is a derogatory alternative name for economics coined by the Victorian historian Thomas Carlyle in the 19th century (originally in the context of his argument to reintroduce slavery in the West Indies). The term drew a contrast with the then-familiar use of the phrase "gay science" to refer to song and verse writing.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dismal_science

I think this article here provides a useful contribution to this discussion. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-18/coronavirus-isolation-economy-social-distancing-cost-and-benefit/12258364 "Coronavirus isolation is hurting the economy, so should we keep social distancing? Top economists have answers" The article summarises the views of 47 prominent economists who consider whether or not the economic costs of social distancing outweight the benefits. It comes from the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) which is a wholly government owned national broadcaster, which I think has a bit of a left leaning bias. The ABC lifted it from The Converation, which I have never read, so I can't comment on whether or not it is biased. The study on which the article is based asked 47 economists whether they strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed, strongly disagreed, or were uncertain about, the following proposition: The benefits to Australian society of maintaining social distancing measures sufficient to keep R less than one for COVID-19 are likely to exceed the costs 23 strongly agreed, 11 agreed, 4 were uncertain, 8 disagreed and one strongly disagreed.

This immediately leads to the surprising conclusion (for me) that there were billions of spirit children of God who were denied access to the gospel for thousands of years. That conclusion raises some interesting questions.

If anyone of you knew what @MormonGator really looked like, you'd all be really thankful at this willingness to wear a mask

From the Department of Education's website in my part of the world: ACT public school students will start moving back to the classroom from May 18 as part of a staggered return to face-to-face learning. Students in preschool, kindergarten, Year 1, 2, 7, 11 and 12 will be the first to return to school. Students in all year levels are set to be back learning in the classroom by June 2. I believe our lock down and social distancing measures have been not all that different from the US but we've only had 98 deaths in Australia so far and 7,045 cases and no one is disputing the reliability or accuracy of those figures.

So maybe what we are seeing now in 2020 in response to Covid 19 is the application of lessons that were learnt from the 2009 Swine flu? It would seem to be almost criminal neglect to do nothing in response to 600,000 deaths. I can just imagine some bureacrats, scientists and medical specialists saying "look we did nothing in response to to swine flu and 600,000 people, died, we can't let that happen again, so next time their is a pandemic, we better do something."