laronius

This seems like a define the words you are using carefully type of thing.
Exaltation is returning to dwell in Gods presence in the Celestial Kingdom. OR "Exaltation is eternal life, the kind of life God lives." (Which to be like God requires a Body)

When Christ was on Earth, he was not "exalted" in this sense, since it required resurrection at the least, and at the most returning to the Father after entering into mortality.
The test, trial, and attaining of perfection is not complete until it has happened, even if you are perfect.
Christ "grew in wisdom, and stature, and favor with the Lord" Luke 2:52
Christ also was baptized to "Fulfil all righteousness" Matt 3:15
"It is Finished" John 19:30

As a metaphor, Getting straight A's in 4th grade may mean they are getting perfect grades, but doesn't mean they are done with school.

Christ entered into exaltation upon his returning to his Father, shortly after his resurrection. (Note when Christ says he has not ascended to his Father)
 

I like his insight and it does bring some clarity but I don't completely agree with his conclusion. Saying that God said No, No, and then Yes might be oversimplifying it but that is in essence what He said, conditional though it may have been. And yes, God will eventually give us what we want, even contrary to His will if we persist long enough. Just recently I had felt to take a certain action that I kept finding excuses not to, when in one of my doubting prayers the Spirit in essence said "Then don't do it." Sensing the Lord growing weary with me I quickly humbled myself and acted on the original prompting. In both instances the Lord's "Yes" isn't signifying approval of the act (or in my case lack of action) but rather the Lord not willing to subvert agency by applying too much pressure. If we want to do things our way He won't stand in the way but will be waiting for us on the other end of those poor choices to encourage us back onto the right path.

Most married men would disagree with you.

Most married men would disagree with you.

Matt. 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
I don't see why righteous Abel would not have been resurrected by now. If their time is anything like our time the gospel should have already been preached to everyone of that dispensation. I would think his work was done.

Matt. 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
I don't see why righteous Abel would not have been resurrected by now. If their time is anything like our time the gospel should have already been preached to everyone of that dispensation. I would think his work was done.

Matt. 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
I don't see why righteous Abel would not have been resurrected by now. If their time is anything like our time the gospel should have already been preached to everyone of that dispensation. I would think his work was done.

Most married men would disagree with you.

I don't mean it's the only box but for Jesus it was His final box. He had already become perfect in every other way.

Most married men would disagree with you.

Most married men would disagree with you.

Most married men would disagree with you.

This is all interesting on a sort of academic level, I suppose. On a personal level, I am curious why the Priesthood ban was in place—especially since it's obvious that a man of black African descent could hold the Priesthood before 1978, as demonstrated by Elijah Abel and others. The video you reference suggests a fascinating possibility, one I'd like to investigate.
But curiosity notwithstanding, my main personal concern is the increasingly common belief that the Priesthood ban itself was some sort of horrible mistake, an unqualified evil that somehow infiltrated the Church under Brigham Young. This belief I consider to be tantamount to apostasy. It is not merely disloyal (though it is quite clearly that). It is pandering and obsequious, a capitulation to political correctness and an open demonstration of shame at the mockery from those in the great and spacious building.
We should be better than that. Nephi showed us the correct response to such mockery. It's high time we started to engage more actively and regularly in "heed[ing] them not".

You can, of course, take whatever you want in whatever way you see fit. But a disavowal is not a reproof. Saying, "We do not now accept this as revealed teaching" is much different from saying, "This is false." So in point of fact, the supposed falsehood of Brigham Young's teachings is not itself a teaching (aka doctrine) of the Restored Church of Christ. Those who say "Brigham was wrong" are expressing nothing more than an opinion—and I think that accusing a prophet of heresy is an unwise and dangerous thing to do in most cases.

A good communications director knows how to keep personal opinion out of how they represent their employer. Time will tell if he is good at his job. It sounds like he works pretty close to the brethren. If there were multiple levels of separation, personnel speaking, between he and them I would be more concerned. But regardless I doubt this was an uninspired decision so I'm not worried.

That's the trick, isn't it. So very little has been said by the brethren, past or present, that definitively addresses the question. Here's two quotes from the essay @LDSGatorreferenced:
"None of these explanations is accepted today as the official doctrine of the Church."
"...the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past..."
Disavowing and not accepting falls short of saying it's not true. In the absence of an official doctrine I think they are going out of their way to not put revelatory words into the Lord's mouth. But it doesn't mean it's true either. Just a lot of theories.

That's the trick, isn't it. So very little has been said by the brethren, past or present, that definitively addresses the question. Here's two quotes from the essay @LDSGatorreferenced:
"None of these explanations is accepted today as the official doctrine of the Church."
"...the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past..."
Disavowing and not accepting falls short of saying it's not true. In the absence of an official doctrine I think they are going out of their way to not put revelatory words into the Lord's mouth. But it doesn't mean it's true either. Just a lot of theories.

That's the trick, isn't it. So very little has been said by the brethren, past or present, that definitively addresses the question. Here's two quotes from the essay @LDSGatorreferenced:
"None of these explanations is accepted today as the official doctrine of the Church."
"...the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past..."
Disavowing and not accepting falls short of saying it's not true. In the absence of an official doctrine I think they are going out of their way to not put revelatory words into the Lord's mouth. But it doesn't mean it's true either. Just a lot of theories.

That's a correct quote, but I can't guarantee the original transcription is correct. JD 11:266

That's a correct quote, but I can't guarantee the original transcription is correct. JD 11:266

The only real way to know about the things of God are spiritually, by prayer.  Only the faith of the 1847 Pioneers got them across the Plains to Utah.  That faith was hard earned through Prayer.
The invitation of Moroni:
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not btrue; and if ye shall ask with a csincere heart, with dreal intent, having efaith in Christ, he will fmanifest the gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may aknow the btruth of all things.

Alma 32:27 ...even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe...
It sounds like this is where you are at. I underlined "until" because there is no set timetable for how long this phase lasts. Just know it is a recognized step in the process of developing strong faith. So don't fret over not having the faith you wish you had, you are already on the path that will get you there. Just keep desiring.
I'm going to be really frank here. This mindset is pointless. It's a rabbit hole to nihilism. What if nothing was real? Then what's the point? Even Satan's warped plan for us had more merit than this line of thinking. At least he'd force us to believe something.
Concerning the spiritual experiences you've had:
Alma 32:34-35 ...ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand. O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible...
The joy and peace you've experienced was real because it was light. This is a subject you might want to study because light defines our very existence and purpose on earth.
At the end of the day though believing is a choice. You can either choose to believe or choose not to. Perhaps you just need to make that choice and allow God the chance to prove you right.

Alma 32:27 ...even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe...
It sounds like this is where you are at. I underlined "until" because there is no set timetable for how long this phase lasts. Just know it is a recognized step in the process of developing strong faith. So don't fret over not having the faith you wish you had, you are already on the path that will get you there. Just keep desiring.
I'm going to be really frank here. This mindset is pointless. It's a rabbit hole to nihilism. What if nothing was real? Then what's the point? Even Satan's warped plan for us had more merit than this line of thinking. At least he'd force us to believe something.
Concerning the spiritual experiences you've had:
Alma 32:34-35 ...ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand. O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible...
The joy and peace you've experienced was real because it was light. This is a subject you might want to study because light defines our very existence and purpose on earth.
At the end of the day though believing is a choice. You can either choose to believe or choose not to. Perhaps you just need to make that choice and allow God the chance to prove you right.

I'm not a mechanic but it sounds like the only issue that would keep you from driving are the brakes. So unless there are other issues you might want to focus on that first and buy some time for the rest. Some mechanic shops will try to find every little possible thing to fix even though they aren't particularly urgent. Also, your bishop may have connections to a more reasonably priced mechanic or even a second (honest) opinion.

Chapter 10 should be included in the pondering of this question:
Part of me thinks that in the first 11 verses (of chapter 11), the Spirit finishes his job (of testifying of Christ) and thereafter hands things off to an angel.
I have wondered about this, too.  The Spirit (whichever Spirit it was), leaves as soon as Nephi starts seeing the mortal life of Jesus Christ, so it does seem like it could be for related reasons, if not the same reason.  The part of me that's willing to believe that anything is possible for God wonders if this was Christ (in spirit) and Nephi was time traveling, so someone else had to step in because Christ was elsewhere during the time Nephi traveled to.  Or, same scenario, but it was the Holy Ghost and he had to go because, for reasons that we haven't been given, he doesn't seem to fully operate when Christ is physically present.  (For the record, a bigger part of me says time travel is nonsense.)
The slightly rebellious and silly side of me thinks the angel was late for work that day and the Spirit had to fill in until the angel arrived....
Whatever else is true, I don't believe Nephi said or did anything that offended the Spirit or drove him away, or that the angel's arrival constitutes a downgraded experience.  If Nephi had done something wrong, I think the vision would have ended.