Annabelli

Everything that you said is totally true. I believe that some people are just trying to get their way when they do not understand this. We have a Relief Society President who can address the Sisters and help them to understand the views of the Church and the Heavenly Father. An example: If Dad says no, go ask Mom. If she says no too, ask your Grandparents. How far will someone go before they get what they want?.....Satan, is that you?

What about singles wards? The Church should be placed above all else. Fellowship should come second.

I believe that Churches should hold to their values regardless of the size of their membership. If you publicly announce that these people are members, you might as well list them on Church records. Otherwise it is an unethical practice of deception. Churches should not be known as a "place to pick up a date." I believe the Church comes first and fellowship second. The Church that I mentioned has about three hundred actual members. About 800 divorces were filed by people who attended that Church and are not members. Out of that number, about 200 remarried within the year of their divorce with people who attend the Church but are not members. That Church has a reputation BUT is it the one that they should have?

What kind of car was it? Was it a restored el grande show room classic with a worth of many thousands of dollars? OR was it the family transportation and in need of a lot of mechanic work and driving it was unreliable? Maybe it was a brand new car with a large monthly installment payment. Was the car's name "ole Betsy?" I would ask for a blessing to find an honest mechanic or to find an affordable new vehicle to buy. If the ring received a blessing and you did not, chances are your ring might survive a car crash but how about you?

The Church of God has many people attending it's services since the epidemic of the AIDS Virus. While the Church is small in membership, they do boast publicly about their large numbers. In doing so, they are publicly calling all these people members. They need to be held accountable for condoning sex abuse and adultery to take place in their Churches.

The Lord cleans his churches every hundred years and he always makes an example with the Catholics first. In the 20th century, they were in trouble for money embezzling. That problem is pretty much cleaned up in all the churches now. I recall the Baptist dealing with it in the 70's.

Who is the author? I could only find the The Great and Terrible Beauty. Sounds like a good read.

We teach our children the "Stranger Danger" Program. It applies to our homes, neighborhoods, schools, parks, shopping malls, and Walmart. How does it work at church ??? If the 5th graders are working on a "Stranger Danger" assignment and bring up the registered sex offender list and see pictures of people from their churches, what do you tell them? It is a well known fact that the sex offenders are in the churches of every denomination. Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program was immediately targeted by sex offenders. How do these programs cope with sex offenders? You cannot teach your children that Church is a good safe place when it is not.

.....Family Tradition

Isn't there a talk about faith and the five senses (touch, hear, sight, smell, taste)? Or maybe that was faith and the sense of intuition.

There should be a "no tolerance" policy for student behavior in Seminary. In cases like this the Seminary teacher should be able to call the parent to pick up their child. If no parent is available, the teacher should be able to call their home teacher, counselor, or bishop to have them escorted out of class. Since there is a high value placed on a Seminary Certificate, I think this would strengthen the program.

I believe that our spiritual gifts are pure and given at the time of our birth. Although Satan cannot touch our gifts, he can present evil opportunity to use them for sin.

Starting a big rumor would have as much impact as a jet plane. But a big rumor would not have as many innocent casualties. I'd rule out the terrorist as for the rumor.

Shouldn't that be fried rat meat?

Thanks a-train. I think some of my problems dealing with the end of times is that there is so much to be achieved here and now. It is very frustrating dealing with people who are setting on the edge of their seats with their bags packed and waiting for "the call." More importantly "What are in their bags?" What can you have accomplished that you no longer have to work? What is the Lord's Will? I believe that we must prepare one generation for the next generation as though the end of days are far away in our own life times. We have witnessed five to ten generations in America and that has only occurred in 200+ years. Nephi obviously acknowledged the Book of Revelation as being sacred scripture and I respect that as true. I would not lust after another form of religion who think that they have the keys to it.

Some of these people decorate themselves to promote the idea that they have spiritual powers. While we do not decorate ourselves to receive the blessings of the Heavenly Father. False prophets come in all forms.

I am observing many HS'ers using their attendance in Seminary and Church Programs as leverage in getting what they want from their parents and I am not talking about material things. Some of them use it as an excuse for not getting their homework done or studying for test. I think that using Seminary as an excuse not to participate in a school service program is ridiculous. If you cannot take a day off from Seminary to help set up folding chairs for a memorial service for a fallen student what are you getting out of Seminary? Our HS and many others across the nation offer before school bible study programs at 6:00 a.m. HS's also offer a number of academic classes that students can take at 7:00 a.m. So Seminary students are not the "only" kids getting up early. Now if you ask Seminary students to attend Seminary in the evening at 6:30 or 7:00 p.m., I think that would be making a sacrifice.

Doctor Steuss: Thank you for all the wonderful works that you have given me. It is all totally fascinating. I am reading the first one (you can rotate the pages). Paul's work was so much like Joseph Smith's.

Thanks Doctor Steuss. Do you have any recommended reading or favorite works on the the Epistle of Paul? Are there books written which gives accounts of his Missionary Journeys and separates them into chapter?

Thank You for your responses. It gives me an insight as how to read/receive the Book of Revelation. Some years ago, I read a book which I think was entitled "The Epistle of Paul." While it was more the accounts of Paul's work, they kept switching his name from Saul to Paul. Saul/Paul stayed in character with the accounts of Paul's work but the name changing was very confusing. (I had just borrowed the book from a private library and read it on my lunch hour. It was a book written around 1850-1910 and was not associated with any Church.) I just do not understand how Saul and Paul fit together.

I don't understand how the Book of Revelation relates to the gospel as taught by Jesus in the New Testament. Without the Book of Revelation, the New Testament ends similar to how the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon ends. In doing some ancient scripture studies, I have found several accounts that that the Book of Revelation was written much later and added at a later date. There is also mention that the Book of Revelation is the only book that is not authored or does not bear a signature trait. What are your thoughts about this? I would like to have a better understanding of the Book of Revelation's importance in the scriptures.

Didn't the author give Frankenstein a soul?

The Lord inspires most people who enter into religion to work. Whether a person wears religious clothing/jewelry or not, people respond to those inspirations. Therefore, we will feel a greater society of religious figures than is usual during this time as was the case in the 60's. An Episcopalian Priest was picking up his car from the dealership automotive repair shop wearing casual street clothes. When the serviceman came out to give him the keys, the serviceman blushed and said "I'll be right back." The Priest waited nearly an hour before the serviceman reappeared and gave him the keys. A Pentecostal student took a job at a small discount store. Many of the customers were very moved by him and would ask him where he was going to college. Two Missionaries were in the bicycle shop when I went in to get a bicycle part for my son. It was their day off and they were dressed in casual dress clothes, cotton shirt and slacks. The shop owner was being so reverent that I barely recognized him. Although I said hi to the Missionaries, I stood quietly by while the shop owner took care of their business. While we may not know who the false ones are, we definitely know who is called of God. I do know that President Gordon B. Hinckley was called by God.

I'm not sure which particular faith group you are referring to. My fellowship has roughly 34,000 ordained clergy for 13,000 churches. You do the math. Many serve as assistant pastors, and quite a few a volunteer pastors. Then there are the many who are paid part time for full-time work. I've no desire to re-argue the appropriateness of clergy being paid for their labors, but you should know that for every teleevangelist making $1 million - plus, there are 10,000s making less than public school teachers, but often having more education. No sympathy needed--just the realization that there are definitely easier ways to make a living. No, No, No, I used paid clergy because religious figures who hold their calling until death do not retire. (you are a bit sensitive about paid clergy.....a paid clergy's salary is dependent on what their Church can afford to pay them.....it's usually comparable to a school teacher/principal's earnings.....while paid clergy can support a modest lifestyle.....they are not going to become rich. Some paid clergy do have to attend to more than one Church of the same faith because not all of the Churches can afford a paid clergy. There are many volunteer clergyman who do conduct services where there is no money for paid clergy.) Back to the post that I made: With a high retirement, it will inspire many more people to enter a religious school of study and to seek employment in the field of religion. Therefore we will see many more religious candidates than is usually. During the 60's when this occurred, many people saw it as a "sign" of the times and thought it was significant to the last days.

I think most of it is based on cultural charisma and nothing else.