askandanswer

Hi @kiwigirl1 this is probably not what you want to hear and I hope I have time to write a more considered answer later, but my initial thought is that no one, ever, has enough information to make a sound decision about what they do or do not deserve. How does anybody make that calculation? How can anyone decide what they do or don't deserve? When we start talking about what blessings we think we deserve, or what happiness we deserve, it seems to suggest that we know the ratio, or the formula or the rate at which obedience and longsuffering is translated into peace and happiness. We never know how much good stuff - scripture reading, prayer, temple attendance, service, fidelity, honesty, etc - will translate into how much good outcomes - peace, happiness, love, stability, etc. To think that a certain amount of good stuff means that you deserve something good and that you want it now, and that if you don't get what you feel you deserve, when you want it then you will do something not good, well that, to me, sounds like potentially dangerous thinking, with a strong focus on self. We can't know the rate of exchange whereby good deeds result in good outcomes, but God does, and He sees and knows all and he rewards each according to their desires and deeds, sometimes now, and sometimes later, and sometimes in the next life. Two scriptures to ponder 14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? 15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. 16 ¶ Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. (Old Testament | Malachi 3:14 - 18) 1 THEN said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. (My own personal interpretation is that this verse might apply equally as well to offended spouses, and not just little ones) 3 ¶ Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. 5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. (New Testament | Luke 17:1 - 5)

Pretty much all active LDS parents would be absolutely delighted that their children are planning to be married in the temple, and, I believe, would generally do all they could to bring about such an outcome.

This chant of net blessings / gross blessings reminds me of something that one of my former Stake Presidents repeatedly taught. He would often say if you almost keep the commandments, you almost get the blessings. He said it so often that eventually i started to think about it. What I understood from what he was saying was that anything less than 100% of keeping the commandments was the same as almost keeping the commandments, and that if you were only almost keeping the commandments, you were almost, meaning not, receiving the blessings. I eventually came to the conclusion that this teaching of "if you almost keep the commandments you almost receive the blessings" was not a true teaching as it implies that complete perfection in keeping the commandments is necessary in order to receive blessings and it fails to take into account those who try hard to keep the commandments but are not completely successful. I believe that to some extent, blessings are proportional to the degree of obedience, and it is not the case that complete obedience is required before the blessings can start to flow. I believe it would be more correct to say that if you keep all the commandments, then you will receive all the blessings and that if you keep something less than all the commandments all the time, then you will receive something less than all the blessings. On another note, I knew someone who was penniless most of his life and would move from one temporary job to another, often with periods of unemployment in-between. When he really needed more money for some kind of special need, he would give much more than 10% in his tithing in the belief that the Lord would, in return, bless him with what he needed. He told me of at least two occasions when he did this, and he received the blessing that he needed and had been anticipating.

Even if the revelation is true, I can't see any reason why it should be a reason for him to changes his behaviour in mortality. If it's true that he's going to marry this woman in the next life, then he's going to marry this woman in the next life, regardless of whether or not he becomes friends with her here and now. If its true that he's going to marry her in the next life, then its in the next life that he needs to start building an association with her, not now. Perhaps you could ask him why, or on what basis, he needs to start developing an acquaintance with her here and now, given that the revelation said that he will marry not here and not now. I can't see any logical connection between him receiving a revelation that he will marry someone else in the next life, and the need for him to start building a relationship with that person now. The revelation does not explain or excuse the behaviour. On a related matter, many years ago, a sister in another ward told my mum that she had received a spirtual impression that in the eternities she will marry my brother. My brother was already dead at that time and was single at the time he died, with no current romantic interest. I can't remember if the sister who said this was already married at the time she said this to my mum. However, even after she was married, she continued to believe that she would marry my brother in the next life.

If. after all this time, and all this fasting and prayer, you still haven't received a confirmation of the truthful of what he claims, then it is probably not true.

I think its helpful to take things one step at a time, knowing that with each step we take, we grow in strength and ability to take even longer, harder steps in the future. By the time we get to the future, what seemed like a hard step when viewed from the beginning, may well end up being just another small step.

I wander if there is any significance in the fact that before the temple ordinances had been introduced, Joseph did not see Moroni wearing temple garments, but after the temple ordinances has been introduced, when Wilford Woodruff and others saw these three messengers, they were wearing template garments?

We need you in our stake. Perhaps you should consider moving We even had a Branch President at one stage who was also a chocolatier.

Just a reminder, @Mores of a principal I',m sure you are very familiar with: 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (New Testament | Revelation 3:19) And no, I'm not calling you to repent here.

It's appropriate to cut a body down after its been hanging a certain amount of time

This might be the revelation about coloured horses that people are referring to: AND I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. 3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. 5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (New Testament | Revelation 6:1 - 😎

When it comes to Latter-Day Saints, there are Morman and Morewoman all over the place

So as well as frema-sons there are now frema-daughters? And i suppose if we have freemas-ons there are probably freemas-offs. Given the rate of decline in the number of members it looks like many former freemasons have become fremasoffs.

Well, its just that sometimes I hear that His father was God, whereas my father is not, and this probably results in significant differences - possibly even enough differences that it might be more like an apples with oranges comparison.

8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 122:8) Is the Lord inviting us to make a comparison here? If He is, would that comparison be more like an apples with apples comparison or would it be more like an apples with oranges comparison?

There's actually very little shade in this picture - almost all of what I see here is in marvellous light.

I finished it for you. Here are all the interesting bits ................

ah yes, but do you know what they are and what they mean?

Yes it is its great fun!

I suspect that these people would have a great deal of difficulty giving an unbiased, objective viewpoint.

God was the external power I had in mind, so I ask the question again - would the universe be a better or a worse place if people were somehow prevented by God from doing what they chose to do and if their ability to act was somehow limited by God?

And if you tell us about your vacation inside the expanded compound then we will have stories within storeys.

More so in Florida than most other places

My accountant father used to joke that one of the signs to watch out for for the second coming is if the church ever got out of the insurance business.

Have you looked? I haven't but I'm not sufficiently interested to look. I would be surprised if charitable organisations are not required to publish at least some sort of financial information.