askandanswer

A suggestion and reminder for, and an agreement with, you, Rob:
The suggestion: Perhaps now is the time to take your research findings to the church leaders and seek for a confirmation rather than arguing about it here. I know someone who did this once. Their letter to the Prophet was referred to the Area Presidency, one of whom wrote a thoughtful answer which made clear that the answer being given was not to be interpreted as the church's official position on the matter being asked about.
The reminder: From Elder Ballard's conference address last October:
Today I repeat earlier counsel from Church leaders.
Brothers and sisters, keep the doctrine of Christ pure and never be deceived by those who tamper with the doctrine. The gospel of the Father and the Son was restored through Joseph Smith, the prophet for this last dispensation.
Do not listen to those who have not been ordained and/or set apart to their Church calling and are not acknowledged by common consent of the members of the Church.10
Be aware of organizations, groups, or individuals claiming secret answers to doctrinal questions that they say today’s apostles and prophets do not have or understand.
The agreement: Yes, perhaps you should keep more of these things to yourself.
 

What are the scriptures, other than the words of prophets and apostles? Surely pitting the words of modern prophets and apostles against each other is no better or no worse that pitting the words of ancient prophets against modern prophets. Personally, I'd be more inclined to go with the modern prophets as events and circumstances associated with the passage of time have a tendency to distort and obscure meaning.

This is a picture of a little boy praying in front of a missing childrens board at Walmart.
 
 

I'm pretty proud of my children.  We don't live in Mormon Land and they still both ask to say the prayer in restaurants.  They don't care whose heads get turned, usually.

I do love this aspect of LDS church life--that leaders, and indeed all callings, are truly believed to initiate with the prompting of the Holy Spirit. If I were to train bishops, and other decision-makers in your faith, I'd remind them of the beauty of this belief, and encourage them to really take time to hear and discern what the Spirit is saying.

I feel for you, Petty3.  I have a close friend in our ward who has this same experience with her dad, although hers was not affairs and abuse but rather her dad committing pedophilia with his own grandchildren.  It was difficult for me to provide comfort to my friend because this is just so unspeakably evil that I feel there's nothing I can say that would ease her pain and confusion and rebuild her faith.
I believe that time when enough is enough was the time your dad got excommunicated.  The same with my friend's dad.  It took the courage of his children to bring him to task for the evil deeds he has done.  And that was when enough was enough.  I think, speaking from my vast inexperience, that God does not give us more than we can bear and when we cannot bear evil much longer, we will cry out enough is enough and that is when evil becomes weaker until it is brought to task.  But that's just my opinion.

We do better than that here. As well as having ice cream at stake priesthood meetings, every few months our ward has Sundae Sundays.

When I was in high school I was on the debating team. We debated this topic, but with a slightly different wording - high fences make good neighbours. The other side interpreted it to mean the purveyors of stolen goods who are adversely affected by illegal substances make for good neighbours. That was a hard topic to defend and we easily won.

And then all the other communists commute in to commune together

When I was in high school, my best friend and I were in the same math class one year.  My friend did not understand things the way the teacher taught.  When the teacher was done with her presentation, I would turn to my friend and re-explain it in a way my friend understood.  When that was done, we'd do the assignment.  (Fortunately, the teacher wasn't the sort to be upset by this.)
Then there's also the two witnesses principle - the Bible as one witness (or two if you want to count the Testaments separately) and the Book of Mormon as another (then you can add the D&C and Pearl of Great Price, and modern prophets).  Together, the combination of witnesses provides a clearer, richer picture - each supporting the others.
Then there's the fact that the Bible was take from the records and teachings to those who were in the middle east.  The Book of Mormon was taken from the records and teachings given to those in the Americas.  Should God disregard one of these parties and deny them his word when they wanted and lived it?  Or preserve the records of one but not the records of the other?
I don't believe God or Christ ever said, "I'm going to speak to people up until this time (or only in that place), and after that, I'm not going to speak to people any more."  The mere idea makes no sense to me.  He loves all his children... (emphasis below is mine):

The way I look at it is, if I wrote a love letter to my wife on our five-year wedding anniversary, why shouldn’t she want me to write another one on our ten-year anniversary?  There’s nothing that says there can only be one love letter, or that inherently makes the one letter of more value than the other.

In many cases, I'd trust my bishop more than most shrinks.

I'm not sure if I should laugh at this statement or shake my head in amazement. It seems to place an unrealistic and perhaps even unwarranted importance on the value of formal qualifications and a sad lack of value on common sense and the guidance of the Spirit. I believe in the teaching that who the Lord calls, He qualifies. 

I thought this scripture might provide an answer, but on closer reading, perhaps it does not.
42  Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.
43  The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.
44  Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
 
On the one hand, this scripture suggests that in the resurrection, the spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form. I take perfect to mean whole and complete, without blemish or fault. If an addiction is a blemish or fault, this scripture could be interpreted as indicating that blemishes will be removed in the next life as we will be raised in a perfect form. On the other hand, this scripture says we shall be restored "even as we are now" which suggests that in the resurrection, we shall be in the same condition as we are now. However, this clearly cannot be true as we have been repeatedly taught that in the resurrection, whatsoever physical ailments we have in this life, eg, blindness, a missing leg, a dodgy heart, etc, will be healed in the next life. I cannot see why the same would not apply to any mental illness. If an addiction is a mental illness, maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but if it is, I would expect that it would be healed in the resurrection in the same way that physical illnesses will be.
I think the scripture that @pam is relying on in support of her position might be referring to personality traits or attributes, eg, if we are grumpy and short tempered in this life, we will continue so to be in the next life, if we are a happy and cheerful person in this life, we will continue so to be in the next life.

@Blissful_Heart I think this ^^ is the wisest and best advice that you've been given in this post.  

I'm not sure if I should laugh at this statement or shake my head in amazement. It seems to place an unrealistic and perhaps even unwarranted importance on the value of formal qualifications and a sad lack of value on common sense and the guidance of the Spirit. I believe in the teaching that who the Lord calls, He qualifies. 

I'm not sure if I should laugh at this statement or shake my head in amazement. It seems to place an unrealistic and perhaps even unwarranted importance on the value of formal qualifications and a sad lack of value on common sense and the guidance of the Spirit. I believe in the teaching that who the Lord calls, He qualifies. 

I find this view really odd. It's unethical for a spiritual leader to counsel people on spiritual matters?

FIFY
So Dan Quayle has read the sealed book?
My predictions:
"Coffee and tea" specifically refer only to Taster's Choice and Snapple Beard (FOR MEN ONLY) or clean shaven is acceptable, but only Eric Clapton, Chuck Norris and Hugh Laurie are allowed to do the permanent stubble thing If you're not Sam Elliott, Tom Selleck or Burt Reynolds, your mustache looks dumb.  Either shave or grow a beard. These books contain chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer White shirts indicate a slothful servant who must be commanded in all things rather than coordinating for himself Short sleeve dress shirts rank slightly below Borat-style mankinis on the "appropriate for men to wear to Church" list The gift of prophecy is sometimes still not enough to keep a man from hearing "wine and strong drink" when God says "onions" Jalapenos were not given to man for decoration.  They are to be on every burger, in every burrito or taco, and on all nachos. Objects in mirror are quite probably uglier than you think Thou shalt not pretend to be surprised when thou keepest getting fatter while overeating and underexercising Likewise, if thou speakest every line of Game of Thrones with perfect accuracy, none shall believe thy crap about not having time to work out Partner dancing is a holy pursuit, but line dancing is descended directly from the hand of Satan Restaurant tables are still tables; any wearing a hat there shall be cast out from among you If any cheweth with his mouth not shut, it it is pleasing to the Lord that others toss in toenail clippings, dirty socks or any other vile thing at hand

This may well be true, given that the potatoe originated from the area close to where the Book of Mormon happened. However, I lack the courage to suggest that the sisters of Utah might not already be following the true order recipe. 

Its rumored that there might also be some sort of reference to the latter -day saints of southern ontario but whether its blessings, cursings or counsel I'm not sure. 

Give him a brake. Its bin a long day.