askandanswer

Hi Keyra, welcome to the site. I hope it won't be long until you feel that it is time to change your name from Iusedtobelds to something like Iamlds and dropping the first two letters of your religious affiliation. I'm sure if you're courage isn't quite enough yet to get you back to church that there are many people here and in your ward who will be happy to lend you some of theirs. Hoping to hear more from you from time to time about your journey back and your safe and speedy arrival. 

Just my opinion as a parent and educator, but in the vast amount of cases, if your ten-year-old can't navigate by himself your community in a one-mile radius, you have committed a parenting fail. I have high schoolers that can barely cross streets by themselves. With crime rates down significantly from the "good ol' days when kids played by themselves all day long", why not?
 
No, the whole case is ridiculous. They were walking home a few blocks from the park. I don't know if I'd let a six-year-old make that walk, but I'm trusting the parents that the older child was with-it enough. CPS has much greater problems to go after.

My concern on the worship aspect is that, if there are "higher ups" in the supposed God heirarchy, then it seems like we should worship the "higher" God and not the "lesser." It makes more sense, at least in my mind, to aford worship to the one who set the cosmos in motion vice one who is simply another cog in the machine. If, rather, there are simply innumerable generations of Gods stretching back for eternity, it also seems as though we should honor them in the same way that one honor their grandparents and great-grandparents, with failure to do so being dishonorable at best and blasphemous at worst.
 
1 Corinthians 8: 5-6
 
5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
 6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are allthings, and we by him.

Why is that a problem in the context of this thread? The question is, "explain what you believe". Well, we believe because we  have revelation stating as much. Here it is.
 
 
On a more general note, the Gospel Principles lesson referenced in the OP even included some related scriptures for this particular topic. D&C 132:20–23:
 
 
That's the scriptural definition of 'gods' in the sense that Mormons use the term. For more, you can find additional scriptures like D&C 76:59–70:
 

Eowyn, from what I read of you here, I think the above statement is a bit of an understatement. :)

In the case of light, note that time does indeed pass for those not traveling at the speed of light. Only the photon itself does not experience time. In that sense, the passage of time appears to be a property of matter.

Other important questions:
Where does prison chaplain come from? Where will prison chaplain go when this life is over?

Most of my experience with counsels has been as an observing and recording clerk for many years at the ward and stake levels rather than as a major participant. I haven't really thought of how earthly and heavenly counsels might be different, but when I think about it now, I'm not sure if they would be very different - I suspect that both types of counsels would involve groups of people drawing on their wisdom and experience, trying to work out to best achieve a desired outcome within the broader framework of the Plan of Salvation. 

I thought they were just silent note taking.

Why?  Cause you are JELLous of his ability to speak German?

Hmm... the person they want to meet should be like them, and they should be like the person they want to meet, who, as the same person they want to meet,  expects to meet a person that should be like herself or wants one of them to be like herself, because she is the same person like one of them, who wants to meet herself by being herself? Sounds like being on a LSD trip, hihihi. 

if it is the case that our leaders do not receive revelation in the same way that Joseph Smith did, (and that may or may not be true, but if it is true, I'm not sure if the method of receiving makes any difference) then perhaps the reason might be that our leaders today, having been raised in the church as a child, and having had many decades of church leadership experience, they are so in tune with what God desires and requires that they do not need the Lord to reveal to them, in the same manner, or the same level of detail, how to run His kingdom. 
 
The church needs to be far more than a foundation, If revelation was needed to lay the foundation, then no matter how good the builders are, more revelation may be needed for the walls and roof. 

I would try again, and if necessary, maybe even again after that. If I still did not get the confirmation, I would examine myself to find out why I was not receiving it. If I felt that I had the necessary faith and worthiness to receive the confirmation, but had not received it, then I would be surprised and disappointed, but I like to think, and I hope, that my testimony and church involvement would continue unaffected. A few occasions of failing to receive a spiritual confirmation should not be enough to overturn a life time of testimony and many many other spiritual experiences. But, being human, I also suspect that if I did not receive a spiritual confirmation that my bishop and stake president had been called of God, I might not give quite as much heed to their counsel as I usually do. 

1. I am confident that the rapidly increased number of temples is a result of revelation. I suspect that in many instances, maybe all instances, the location of those temples has also been influenced by revelation. I think that the lowering of the mission age was a result of revelation, and there was probably some sort of revelation/inspiration involved in the large increase in the number of missions around the world. I think that author of the Proclamation on the Family received inspiration/revelation as he wrote that document. I think that the counsel to get out of debt that was repeated so frequently and strongly during the mid 2000's was a result of revelation. I am confident that the Lord continues to guide and inspire, and reveal to His prophets how they should run His kingdom on earth. And of course, there is the oft repeated story of how President Woodruff received a revelation during a drought in which he promised the members in St George Utah that if they would pay their tithing the Lord would bless them with rain.
 
2. When a new Bishop or new Stake President or Prophet is called, I seek a divine confirmation whether or not the person has been divinely called to that position. Other than that, I trust that my leaders are doing the right thing and leading the church in the right direction. 
 
3. I believe that as the last days get ever closer, the volume of revelation will significantly increase, as the  church and the world transitions from an earthly organisation presided over by man, to God's kingdom, presided over by Christ. There will almost certainly be revelations associated with the re-establishment of church government in Missouri and the greatly needed increase in the rate of ordinances for the dead. 
 
My question is why is it that we, the members of the church, are not given copies of those revelations in the same way that the members of the church were during the time of Joseph Smith. What we get are the responses of prophets and apostles to the revelations and inspiration they receive, which is not the same as receiving the text of the revelations, as was the practice in time of Joseph Smith. When the revelations that make up the Doctrine and Covenants were first received, the church devoted considerable resources to getting them published and disseminated, and esteemed their “worth to the Church the riches of the whole Earth.”
The church today receives many revelations, but very few seem to be published or made public in the form in which they are received. 

(Book of Mormon | Alma 5:59)
59  For what shepherd (parent) is there among you having many sheep (children) doth not watch over them, that the wolves enter not and devour his flock (family)?  And behold, if a wolf enter his flock doth he not drive him out?  Yea, and at the last, if he can, he will destroy him.

(Book of Mormon | Alma 5:59)
59  For what shepherd (parent) is there among you having many sheep (children) doth not watch over them, that the wolves enter not and devour his flock (family)?  And behold, if a wolf enter his flock doth he not drive him out?  Yea, and at the last, if he can, he will destroy him.

(Book of Mormon | Alma 5:59)
59  For what shepherd (parent) is there among you having many sheep (children) doth not watch over them, that the wolves enter not and devour his flock (family)?  And behold, if a wolf enter his flock doth he not drive him out?  Yea, and at the last, if he can, he will destroy him.

(Book of Mormon | Alma 5:59)
59  For what shepherd (parent) is there among you having many sheep (children) doth not watch over them, that the wolves enter not and devour his flock (family)?  And behold, if a wolf enter his flock doth he not drive him out?  Yea, and at the last, if he can, he will destroy him.

Vort, I think this is the pic you need for your TiffanyButterfly23 profile. It should solve most coding problems. 
 
 
 

My initial response is that having raped a member, the rapist is a danger to other members, and therefore establishing his identity, with the assistance of the person who was raped, should outweigh her concerns about this event becoming known. If I were you, I would probably leave the Branch President out of it and go straight to the Stake President. Stake Presidents are generally more experienced and wiser and better at dealing with such sensitive matters than Branch Presidents.

I heartily endorse LP's post and would just suggest that you try to lay some groundwork so that, when she feels she's ready to go through channels, it's as easy on her as possible. For example:
1) As EQP you have jurisdiction over her home teachers. Make sure her home teachers are sensitive individuals she can trust and with whom she has good repoire; and consider a change-up if appropriate.
2) Depending on the RS president's personality and sensitivity, you MIGHT want to consider letting the RS president know, in general terms, that your friend has had some personal trauma lately; that you aren't at liberty to disclose details and would hate to see the RS pres start grilling her, but that hopefully she can take your friend under her wing a bit.
3) Keep your priorities straight. It would be nice to see law enforcement nail the scumbag; but rape is so hard to prosecute and your forensic window is so nearly shut; that IMHO unless she makes a police report and has a kit done in the next 72 hours, you should probably focus your attention on helping your friend rather than initiating legal process against the perp. At most, you might (with friend's permission) call the perp's bishop and let him know that there are allegations against the perp; that the victim is in no emotional state to make a formal allegation at present but that you felt he should be aware so that he can at least put the young women in his congregation on notice (maybe not about the perp specifically--that might run afoul of slander laws--but an enrichment night about personal safety wouldn't go amiss).

A difficult question. But the idea of the light is possibly meant allegorically in the scriptures.

I can't think of anything but I'm open to the possibility. Most things that God uses to teach people have a literal aspect somewhere.

Thank you for this anatess. Next time I'm in a discussion about the causes of global warming, I'll be able to say "It's all the fault of Anatess's kids. :) If this is indeed the case, I'm hoping for your kids' sake that this doesn't mean that the cure for global warming is to eliminate the cause. I also suspect that the vehicle which conveyed you from Florida to New Hampshire might also have made a bit of a small contribution.  :)

In response to the original post: 
I haven't read the preceding 13 pages of this discussion so what I say here might have already been said, but if so, it's worth repeating, and if not, it's worth mentioning: I can't see understand how or why any empirical fact should have any impact in the slightest on a divinely revealed testimony. Empirical knowledge and spiritually revealed/confirmed knowledge are two entirely different types of knowledge, and if there ever appears to be a conflict between the two, then for the sake of one's eternal destiny, that which has been divinely revealed should always prevail.