Average Joe

How did I survive NOT attending BYU,,,or living in Utah, and still turn out to be an active, believing Mormon? 

How did I survive NOT attending BYU,,,or living in Utah, and still turn out to be an active, believing Mormon? 

I'm 100% behind her on this. You don't make a statement by going quietly into the night. If she's willing to be jailed for her beliefs she is one of the very, very few in the country that is. Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller was jailed for his beliefs, King was jailed for his beliefs, and so was Gandhi.
 
In Helaman 10:4 it states:
 
Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.
 
We are where we're at in this country because no one is willing to be accused of being "politically incorrect." So very, very few are willing to take a stand...everyone just says, "There's nothing I can do."
 
Love her or hate her, she has feared God and not man according to her understanding, and she has made a stand.

Well, we haven't exactly achieved Zion ether.
 
We have been told what it would take to achieve becoming like our Heavenly Father, and yet, exactly how much have we been told about the Celestial Kingdom in scripture? About as much as we know about the city of Enoch. In reality - nothing.

Loyalty oaths to party before country sounded good to the communists and Nazis.
 
and remember boys and girls
 
If voting could really make a change the government wouldn't encourage you to do it.

I think all the parties running need to be involved in the debates ....My opinion.

Hmmmmmmmm here is a thought - if there is a kingdom greater than Celestial - the first step that must be taken to get there would be the consideration that such a thing is possible.  If you cannot even imagine it - you cannot achieve it.  Poor me, I am still trying to imagine what the Celestial Kingdom is.

I can see the church having its own program and severing ties with BSA because its on now, an across the board agenda push with "civil rights" to back it - regardless of our religious and moral beliefs.

While on the High Council in my stake I saw this situation in all the wards to one degree or another, among YW and mothers and a few women old enough to be grandmothers, women who I had seen in the temple and others I had never seen there (whether they had a recommend or not.) I've also seen those that wear blouses which when they lean over to a child or to talk to someone who is seated, display all the "gifts" the good Lord gave them.
 
Look away. Speak to the bishop if you feel its warranted, he is the shepherd of that fold. Let your wive and daughters know what you find appropriate, you are the shepherd of your fold.
 
Knowing that all are not on the same level spiritually helps give perspective. Love the sinner not the "sin". While this might sometimes appear like an epidemic, to me it's just the flip side of the coin of priesthood and pornography. We live in a hyper-sexualized world.   

Well...thoughts, I am glad you are able to discern my appetites and desires and I will take your counsel under consideration. Though, I think noticing a disturbing trend is hardly an admission of personal weakness on my part.
 
Joseph F. Smith must have suffered from the same lack of control that I suffer from:
 
 
I think Sister Bednar would likely be concerned with what my undisciplined eyes see as well:
 

While on the High Council in my stake I saw this situation in all the wards to one degree or another, among YW and mothers and a few women old enough to be grandmothers, women who I had seen in the temple and others I had never seen there (whether they had a recommend or not.) I've also seen those that wear blouses which when they lean over to a child or to talk to someone who is seated, display all the "gifts" the good Lord gave them.
 
Look away. Speak to the bishop if you feel its warranted, he is the shepherd of that fold. Let your wive and daughters know what you find appropriate, you are the shepherd of your fold.
 
Knowing that all are not on the same level spiritually helps give perspective. Love the sinner not the "sin". While this might sometimes appear like an epidemic, to me it's just the flip side of the coin of priesthood and pornography. We live in a hyper-sexualized world.   

As time winds down the division between those who have oil in their lamp and those who don't will only become greater.

Go on a mission.

Go on your mission.
 
One of the great pains in life is to see people exercise their agency poorly.  It hurts.
 
Love God first by serving a mission.  Love your neighbors (or girlfriend) by loving God.

Short answer: Go on your mission.
 
Long answer--
1)  She told you to do that. 
2)  You both have a lot of growing up to do still (I'm assuming you're still in HS).
3)  Just because she's lost faith for the moment doesn't mean she's going to end of pregnant with an abusive boyfriend (you are being completely ridiculous).
4)  Even if she wanted to get pregnant with an abusive boyfriend, that's HER choice and not yours.  You cannot "save" her from something she chooses.
5)  It's not like going on a mission disqualifies you from being her friend and emotionally supporting her.  
6)  July 2017 is a long way away and a lot can happen between now and then.  

It is definitely not just your ward, I've seen it in both wards I've been in since joining the church in 2011.
 
In those wards, it's been skirts more than dresses, specifically a certain style of skirt that is definitely casual by design and more suited for a weekend at the beach.  But it appears that many women think that any skirt that comes to the ankles is by default modest, no matter the design of the rest of the skirt. 
 
It seems to be a peculiarly Mormon fashion, as I've not seen these casual, clingy skirts being worn in other settings where a modest "Sunday best" kind of attire would be common.
 
Indeed, there have been a few such strange "fashion trends" that I only see at church/church functions.
 
Modest clothing is not hard to find and doesn't cost any more than immodest clothing.

While on the High Council in my stake I saw this situation in all the wards to one degree or another, among YW and mothers and a few women old enough to be grandmothers, women who I had seen in the temple and others I had never seen there (whether they had a recommend or not.) I've also seen those that wear blouses which when they lean over to a child or to talk to someone who is seated, display all the "gifts" the good Lord gave them.
 
Look away. Speak to the bishop if you feel its warranted, he is the shepherd of that fold. Let your wive and daughters know what you find appropriate, you are the shepherd of your fold.
 
Knowing that all are not on the same level spiritually helps give perspective. Love the sinner not the "sin". While this might sometimes appear like an epidemic, to me it's just the flip side of the coin of priesthood and pornography. We live in a hyper-sexualized world.   

Have you read, "Earth in the Beginning - Revised and Enlarged Edition" by Eric N. Skousen?  

I feel... strangely sad

Since the entire Bill of Rights has been under attack - or gutted by this administration...   

I think we need to separate the usage of Gods (or gods) and the reality of being exalted and/or in the Celestial Kingdom. We can take Adam/Michael as a simple and easy example. We know he helped create the earth and is therefore one of the "gods" spoken of. But he was not exalted or in the Celestial Kingdom, but had need to come to earth, get a body, and work out his exaltation, the same as all. Christ is another example -- and even a stronger one -- he was, without question, the God of the Old Testament, the God who created the world, etc., and yet he also had to come to earth to gain a body, etc., in order to achieve a fully exalted state.
 
I think it must therefore likely be understood that qualifying, at least in scriptural uses in some cases, as a "god", is not equivalent to having attained Celestial glory.

Hi Average Joe,
 
I love that you're in the scriptures and thinking on them.I'd agree with the simple answer 'no' to this question, but I do intend to share a little why I would say so.
 
Firstly I'd suggest that the use of higher kingdoms in this context is not referring to kingdoms higher than the Celestial Kingdom, but higher than the lower kingdoms just previously mentioned. As for the plurality of higher Kingdoms we can look at the divisions within the celestial kingdom as multiple kingdoms in their own right or we can also understand that there are numerous other worlds that have received a Celestial Glory and are therefore also "Higher Kingdoms" or kingdoms of a higher/highest order (as I believe cdowis was pointing out).
 
Secondly I'd take into account the rest of the scriptural record and teachings of the prophets. Heavenly Father is a Celestial being as is Christ and we know that God is the "most high". Further the faithful will be joint heirs and have all that the Father hath. It doesn't add up that there are kingdoms higher in glory than God himself.

There are many kingdoms within one higher (celestial) order of kingdoms.

Eternal progression means that glory is ever increasing. Being in the celestial kingdom means a fullness if joy, power, dominion, etc. There is no omnipotence greater than "omni" potence. But glory is ever increasing, so certainly there are those exalted beyond others. Our Father in heaven will always be our God, our Father, and we will always honor and give glory to him. But all of this is within the scope of what is the celestial kingdom.
The kingdoms of glory are, realistically, less places than they are states. (Not to say there isn't location attached...as in we know this world will be the "place").
The state of exaltation is the highest because it allows for eternal increase.

We have not been told of any.