askandanswer

Well I sure feel sorry for your parents. Probably all their friends do as well.

As a method of raising children, I think this approach has some major short comings. Children should rarely be left to govern themselves. The dangers of this approach were well illustrated in William Golding's novel "Lord of the Flies. There is far more to raising children than just teaching them.

If @zil can be RSP then surely @Vort could be bishop?

This is exactly what God is trying to do - building eternal families and sealing families together for eternity - and it is being done primarily through the hard work of Latter-Say Saints in temples. (Please forgive the "partisan" nature of the comment @prisonchaplain, I have a lot of respect and admiration for you.)

I see some similarities with multi level marketing. (This is not a critique or acceptance of the idea, just an observation)

I'm struggling a bit with the idea that God would place someone on probation in such an important role. I thought that the position of Holy Ghost would best be filled by someone/something that has already proven themselves in all ways that are necessary and that doesn't require any further observation/testing.

I believe that informed speculation, if sincerely engaged in, can lead to increased and improved understanding, as long as one keeps in mind the difference between doctrine and speculation and keeps them separate. I believe it is a good thing to attempt to increase and add to our understanding of theological matters, and to not be dependent solely upon, or content with, the extremely tiny amount of revealed knowledge that has been made available to us. I see speculation as having a role similar to scaffolding in the construction of understanding --it provides temporary support on which something more permanent can be constructed. If the structure can bear the weight of the truth which is placed upon it, the scaffolding is disassembled and taken away, and of course, we always have the option of asking our Father in Heaven if the new structure is true. If the structure cannot bear the weight of truth, then it collapses, along with the scaffolding used to support it, and we thereby know that the original speculation was unsound. The structure is not the scaffolding, and the one should not be mistaken for the other, but the structure could not be built without the scaffolding. Of course this is an imperfect analogy but I hope it goes some way to illustrating a connection between speculation and knowledge building. I see speculation as a necessary precursor to knowledge building, and as part of God’s instruction in Doctrine and Covenants in Section 9 verse 8 to first “study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”

Not quite all of us. As Nathaneal asked Philip, in John 1:46 Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth Colorado? I think not, no matter how hard they try to fool us.

Quite a few of the hymns you've posted have different musical settings than they have in today's hymn book. Many thanks for this lovely resource.

Given the discussion happening in another thread about comparisons between Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ, this seems like an opportune time to ask a question that’s been on my mind for a little while. In Doctrine and Covenants 122: 8 the Lord basically asks Joseph Smith a question that invites him to compare himself with Jesus. Doctrine and Covenants 122:8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? To me, this means either that the Lord thought that Joseph Smith was comparable to the Lord, ie, an apples for apples comparison or that it is a meaningless question, ie, an apples to oranges comparison. Both of these possibilities seem a little odd to me. What are your thoughts?

If the new version of the hymn book includes this hymn, and you buy a your own copy, feel free to remove the page of this hymn. Problem solved.

This is probably not what you want to hear, but it's straight from the scriptures Revelations 3: 15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Alma 30:8 8 For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve. Jeremiah 50: 4-8 might also be worth pondering about 4 ¶ In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. (Are you not now seeking the Lord?) 5 They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. (Are you contemplating joirning yourselves to the Lord, to some extent?) 6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. (Have you been as a lost sheep and did shepherds in your past contribute to your going astray?) 7 All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers. (Has your faith and spirtuality and testimony been devoured in the time you have been lost?) 8 Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks. (Should you not remove out of Babylon, and back to the fold?)

I haven't read all of the posts, so what I say here might have been said already. I feel that one of the determinants for deciding whether or not a hymn should be included is doctrinal accuracy. On this particular ground, I think there could at least be room to question whether or not this hymn should be retained. To me, some of the wording is, at the least, ambigous. he can plan for his brethren What else is there to plan for? Has God left some things unplanned? Death cannot conquer the hero again Death did not get anywhere near conquering Joseph Smith Plead unto heav'n while the earth lauds his fame. I understand there are several scriptural references to the idea of the blood of the good and innocent pleading to heaven, but this idea doesn't ring true to me. What are they pleading for? Justice? No need, its already assured. Revenge? Really? The blood of the prophets is pleading for revenge? I think not. Ever and ever the keys he will hold. My understanding is that at some point, the prophets hand the keys back to Michael and he then hands them back to Christ. I'm not aware of any teaching that suggests that prophets will hold the keys forever. Earth must atone for the blood of that man. I'm not sure what this means and it seems to be capable of multiple interpretations. If "Earth" is referring to the physical space we occupy, then it is clearly incorrect, because the Earth had nothing to do with the death of Joseph Smith, other than to be the place he landed on after he was shot, and the place he was later buried in. If "Earth" is referring to the people of the Earth, it is still incorrect because only a tiny, tiny percentage of the people of the Earth had anything to do with his death. And no matter who "Earth" is referring to, I don't think there is anything that anyone or any thing can do to atone for his blood. Responding to a previous point, I believe that Joseph Smith may well be mingling with God the Father and God the Son in which case it can be said quite accurately that he is mingling with Gods. As noted above, I'm not saying that these are reasons to exclude this hymn. I am saying that if doctrinal accuracy is one of the determinants, then there is at least reason to question it's future inclusion. However, doctrinal accuracy might only be one of many determinants, and when weighed with these many other determinants, some of which were referred to by JAG on the first page of posts, then it may well be that those other determinants would outweigh doctrinal accuracy. Perhaps it could be retained with a few word changes. We have at least one hymn in our current hymn book from the previous hymn book where a very short phrase has been changed - hymn 223 Have I done any good in the world today.

You want a picture of @pam on your facebook page?

I'll make a note in my diary

Don't the 3000 year old pyramids sit somewhere out in a sandy desert?

Canon Pixma MG5750 printer using PGI-670XL ink on 80 gsm reflex copy paper. Twice the beauty, half the hassle - a more efficient way to create.

I think it was Joseph Smith who taught that we will regard our absence from our physical bodies as an undesirable condition and as a form of bondage. I wander if the inability to touch and embrace is part of that bondage?

I’ve always had the idea that spirits have difficulty touching things. I don’t know if this is true or not, but I’m inclined to think that there may well be some truth in this idea. Doctrine and Covenants 127: 6-7 seems to give some support to the idea. 6 If he be the spirit of a just man made perfect he will come in his glory; for that is the only way he can appear— 7 Ask him to shake hands with you, but he will not move, because it is contrary to the order of heaven for a just man to deceive; but he will still deliver his message. If it is true that spirits have difficulty touching things, will we be able to embrace our loved ones in the next life?

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

if anybody else had told me that.............

Im thinking that engineers like @Carborendum might disapprove of roller coaster rides being constructed in sand boxes for reasons that have something to do with inadequate foundations.

Thanks Tess. Interesting

I'm seeing some promising business opportunities here.

I think on this particular matter, part of a recent statement from the church's website might support @Rob Osborn In some cases, candidates will be honorably excused from any formal missionary service. https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-changes-recommendation-process-young-missionaries