David13

I understand they build them solid, to last a long time. I've heard about earthquake capabilty of the Salt Lake Temple as well. In terms of Georgia, remember that the most severe earthquake to hit the United States was centered on New Madrid Mo? Or Ak? In terms of steep roofs they have torrential rains in Florida. A steep roof is a good idea. One of the major things that drives me nuts about California is ... flat roofs. They always leak. It's just the nature of the beast. Worst, but cheapest type of roof possible. dc

Lightening struck the tower or steeple of the St George Temple just after construction was completed. Thus, they had to build a new tower, and they did change it. But you cannot protect against all natural, or act of God occurrences. Stuff sometimes just happens. At the new Payson Temple, I noticed lightening rods, about a foot or two tall, all around the outside perimeter of the roof of the building. They looked like thorns sticking up. Which has to be a good idea, as the Temple is about the tallest thing for miles around. I don't know how the tower or steeple would fare in a lightening strike. Usually there's no lightening and thunder in Los Angeles, and no rain all during the summer. But one month ago there was a lightening strike so close that it sounded to me like the building had been bombed. It shook the walls. One cat ran and hid, and one cat ran to the window to see what caused it. Also, about a month ago, lightening struck near a meeting house here, near Burbank, started a brush fire, and the brush caught the meeting house on fire, and burned it almost totally down. dc

Well, CO I suspect that it may be a little boring. The suits (well, here we are all suits) the big wigs arrive at the last minute, some speeches are made, a blessing given, prayers said, then a fancy shovel is brought out, and the top big wigs turn over a few scoops of dirt. Amen So it could be boring but if you are young enough, and I think you are, you will be able to attend Temple (your district, I think) there and have an extra feeling to remember that you were there at the birth or conception so to speak of that Temple. Myself, at the Manti Temple, I couldn't help but think of the 1890s and the Saints going in there by horse, or horse and buggy, or just walking. You will be able to have lived a little of the history of it. dc

I hope I live long enough to make it to the open house. dc

Invitation only. As I suppose every person in the Temple district would like to go. I'd like to go. I'm going to Utah in late September. Maybe I can ride by the site at that time. dc

I don't feed the missionaries at home, but take them out to restaurants. Yes, they all seem to be able to eat like horses, even the skinny ones. dc

Yeah sure. I never would have tuned in to Math Problem. dc

Then you get a pass. dc

Mormon gator A thing that is bad is bad. It matters not if it's only 87% bad as opposed to 93% bad. Going to jail is bad, for political correctness crimes, and for believing in and exercising your religion. But also bad is losing your job, or in the case of the Navy his job and his pension which he was one year short of, after 19 years of military service. Bad is bad. Period. dc

I don't have kids, you know. That's just the way it worked out. But, I think you all can be rather glad you are dropping your kids off at MTC. Rather than the county jail or a prison for them to begin their jail time. So, I think you can be proud and happy that you done all right. dc

Mormon gator You might also look into a Navy pastor/counselor who was drummed out of the service for so counseling people. That story was around a month or more ago. So these are the dark things that are now happening. dc

Stay away from drugs. dc

Me too. It turned out that I don't have children. And I'm frequently glad for them that I didn't. I feel sorry for the decent young people out there today. It is going to be a long ugly road for them. dc

I suspect that it will get much much worse. dc

Someone on another forum wanted to know as they had suffered various misfortune after joining, and then later in life reactivating in the church. I'm in a similar situation. I joined the church in April, not really by choice, but some inspiration or draw into it. I'd like to say I dreamt of an earthquake and then saw the church standing, or the Temple or something, but it was just subtle. Just walking in the door after having stared many times at the meeting houses and wondering. In May medical issues started and seem to indicate blood or bone cancer. And thus that I only have at most a year to go. I'm not young. I've outlived my mother by 14 years, and brother by 12. But I would have 25 to go if I wanted to live as long as my father. And I know I would die one day in or out of the church. But I consider myself extremely lucky to have finally entered the church and started to receive the joy and benefits of the gospel. Someone gave a quote from Joseph Smith from the 6th Lecture on Faith. "7 Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things: it was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things, that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has, for the truth's sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice, because he seeks to do his will, he does know most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice & offering, & that he has not nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life." So I could only be luckier if I had joined the church long ago. dc

Yes, I feel it too. As to the real freedom, an article in this months Ensign entitled We Found True Freedom in Obedience sums it up nicely. https://www.lds.org/ensign/2015/08/we-found-true-freedom-in-obedience?lang=eng From living outside the church and the commandments and the d&c and the wow we know that too much freedom can be a bad thing. So I like the guidance of the church, but in my case I'm talking about long ago. I have been living the commandments and 95% of the wow for the last 30 years, but without the gospel and the d&c. Also, part of the joy for me is Utah. It's difficult for me to see a lot other than LDS=Utah=Zion. And the Temples. There are more Temples in Utah. And more Saints. I have to start a new thread here, as my story has unfolded along the way here, from the beginning, and now there is a new development. dc

It's unbelievable moving that many people for a concert. So I guess they better plan ahead. dc

Try your ward. Stand by the front door just prior to Sacrament meeting, and shake hands and introduce yourself to everyone that comes in. Converse with them about your situation. Attend the other events at the church. Baptisms, etc. Again, talk and introduce yourself. Talk about yourself. Have a lunch or open house or some other type of get together at your house. It doesn't matter if you live in an apartment, many Mormons live in apartments. Get involved. Ask the Bishop and the missionaries to take you with them for home study, investigator meetings, etc. Volunteer. Usually they ask for volunteers. Get out there and get known. Then you can ask them about theology, culture, etc. dc

You can't fight city hall. Nor the school board, nor the school administration. The office you worked in was probably not a government office. Things are different in government. So, if you want the end, then do the foot (paper) work. Ain't no other way. dc

I've only been to one open house - Payson. There were no protestors or antis. dc

Many years ago when I was young in the Catholic church I forget all the rules, but you were supposed to go to confession before you did, to confess your sins and say your penance. This year, in the LDS church, the first week the missionaries looked wide eyed at me when I didn't parktake of the sacrament. And later mentioned, chagrin like, you know, you can partake of the sacrament. You are supposed to. Maybe it was their way of bringing me in. Which was best as I was on my way in in any case. dc

We got to do all we can. Even with isolation they will think we are white bigots, etc. And racists. Because they have no other way to legitimately attack morality. So they sling mud. Make false accusations, not matter what we do. dc

Hagoth, I have to agree with you to a certain point there, but I'm still uncertain at to the trade towers incident. I'm again reminded by all the self righteious politicians (usually Democrats) who declare they "shall bring peace to the middle east". Yet the middle east has been at war one tribe versus another since the beginning of recorded history. Thus I conclude that there is just a general extensive human tendency to make war. At least for a certain amount of time, it is the 'natural state' of mankind. So the military doesn't necessarily have to look for combantants or create or stimulate them. They do act on their own accord. But you are right. Military/industrial does have a great, a tremendous financial interest there. dc

All the dna study that has been done, with genetics and genes and all that, and they never have found any homosexual gene at all. Learned behavior, not born behavior at all. dc

Well, it is the topic, isn't it? It was in your original post. dc