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I understood exactly what he was trying to say. He might not have used the word in the same way another might, but it was very logical to me. Great minds think alike.

No one should demand anyone live by God's rules. That is the antithesis of moral agency. You, however, covenanted with the Savior at your baptism to follow him, to do as he does, to set yourself apart from the world. You covenanted to live in the world, but not of the world. You also covenanted to stand for truth and righteousness at all times and in all places. The Savior wasn't a piker and never minced words. He stood for the truth no matter what the consequences were. We are required to do the same. To not do so is breaking those covenants. If they are the good friends that you believe them to be, then they will accept you no matter what.

I've said this same thing to other people and have discussed it with my wife. God is God because he has all knowledge. He knows what we will do, but as you've pointed out, we have things to prove to ourselves.

I will say the same thing I said to Omega. It is assenting to and facilitating another person to commit sin. If their friendship is based on you purchasing items forbidden by the WoW, or if they would terminate the friendship because you learned something new that might be offensive in the eyes of God, then they really are not friends in the first place.

I would say yes. It would be assenting to or facilitating someone else committing sin. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

1. No. It would be against his own commandments. 2. No. It would be against his own commandments.

I'm not sure where you get this, but I despise adultery. I was the victim of an adulterous woman in two separate marriages. My wife is also one who despises adultery. I'm sure the GA's also despise adultery.

In looking at the Deseret Book's, Gospel Link while researching things regarding debt, it brought up filthy lucre in relation to debt. I was intrigued and did a little more digging thinking I knew what “filthy lucre” meant. I was only partially correct. Elder Spencer W. Kimball gave a conference talk regarding it. Here are a few selected passages from it. This got me to thinking about my own line of work. I drive a forklift for Coke in Sydney and at least half of what I load and unload consists of grog, spirits, plonk, booze, beer, in other words: alcoholic beverages. Of course, I also load Coke products, but not as much as you would think. Coke is really hurting and in a major down turn. It is the bulk sales of alcohol that is keeping my particular warehouse in the black. I have nothing to do with the sale of alcohol, but this talk has me wondering if I'm accepting filthy lucre. I load and unload the stuff, but is that accepting blood money? Next, I got to thinking about what is clean money. Food stamps. AFDC, WIC, SSDI, Social Security, and all forms of government welfare to private persons and corporations are all elements of socialism, and socialism has been identified as the end time secret combination that would enslave all nations. All of these programs are funded with money taken at the barrel of a gun and given to other people. All of these programs eliminate self-reliance and the concept of work. None of the money given away is worked for and thus “clean money.” So, are food stamps and other such stuff filthy lucre?

Turning to the scriptures is the best way to answer this. It all depends on the person's mindset as to whether or not they would have accepted the Gospel with all their heart. The fact is that the overwhelming majority of people are deceived by the craftiness of men, both in and out of the Church. In the end, only our Heavenly Father will know who would have accepted the Gospel with all his heart.

Ownership of something was not my point, although I can see I wasn't being too clear. It is the one thing the brethren has stated that it is OK to go in debt for. However, the point of living within one's means is that you have a home that is not immodest or extravagant, but adequate for what you need. It is a mindset of making do with less to make ends meet with the income you have available. For me, the best reason is that all modern day prophets have stated we should not incur debt. I don't see any possible room for interpretation or a difference of opinion regarding this. The council is: get out of debt. That's good enough for me.

Yup. However, it will take me forever to learn it.

With all the problems with the new software, I'm wondering where the "improved" part will start.

The plot thickens. The password was reset at the behest of the FBI and now they want a master key to unlock "just that phone." If you believe the FBI won't be using the master key to unlock all IPhones, then I've got some beach front property for sale in Arizona you might be interested in. http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnpaczkowski/apple-terrorists-appleid-passcode-changed-in-government-cust#.oqVzAWDBL8

The problem with debt is that it really is nothing more than slavery. When you have debt you are working to support someone or something else. What you bought on credit isn't really yours. It's on load until you pay it off. If something happens to your source of income, you can lose the thing or things that cause the indebtedness. Additionally, indebtedness (except for a house) shows that your aren't living within your means. I think this is why debt is sinful.

Not again.

I've done some research and from what I've looked into, there is no doctrine promoted by the Church that Satan cannot create bacteria or viruses. However, I do believe it can be inferred from the scriptures, and the writings and experiences of the early apostles and prophets that Satan has some ability to manipulate matter. He has his own priesthood and power, which is permitted by God. We also know that Satan has great power because he has more knowledge than we do. I didn't post all the quotes I have regarding Satan's ability to make people sick, but there are many references. What is interesting is that all through the History of the Church, the Journal of Discourses, and several books written by early GA's is that we are advised to rebuke disease and illnesses in the same manner as we would rebuke evil spirits. I could give you a couple dozen references on just that alone.

I never did say that Satan created anything. I do not believe he has that power. What I did say was that he manipulated and afflicts; not the same thing as create. Again, how do you explain the scripture in Job's case? God allowed it, but Satan performed the act of smiting Job with boils. How did he do that? What about the magicians in the court of Pharaoh? Through the power of the Devil, they duplicated some of Moses' miracles: the rod turning into the snake and turning water into blood. How was this accomplished? Either the scriptures are accurate or they are not.

I was healed from three horrible afflictions, two of which were of a more gradual, line upon line type healing. It was a process of persistence, enduring, and learning. The healing from depression was rapid, but still took a few weeks. That came of knowledge and understanding of the causes of the affliction confirmed through the Holy Spirit, then a total change of perspective obtained through the Atonement. The withdrawal from drug addiction was, well, hell on earth. I cannot begin to adequately explain what that was like. If you've ever had an anxiety attack, take that and multiply it by ten, then cube it and you might approach what type of anxiety level you go through when the withdrawal is at its peak. I prayed about every ten seconds for the strength to endure it, interspersed with the desire to die. As it ebbed and finally retreated, I then went through the post acute withdrawal phase. That was almost as bad and the worst of it took several months to mostly leave my body. However, I was supported through the entire process by the Holy Spirit. The healing from porn addiction was instantaneous. I walked into the bishop's office an addict and left healed, but with a lot of re-learning to do. I had been possessed by several evil spirits, which my wife had discerned. I didn't believe her for many months and fought her on it. However, after my final relapse, I began to wonder and maybe even believe her a bit. I told her everything then went to my bishop and confessed everything. I then told him my wife thought I was possessed by evil spirits and I wanted him to cast them out of me. He laid his hands on my head and commanded them to leave. I felt them leave me. It was like a boiling, churning, angry bee hive that was then forcibly expelled from mmy body. I left his office no longer an addict. I was left with some bad habits, but without the influence of the evil spirits, I overcame them through correct knowledge and understanding. I have pondered these miracles and wondered why I was healed while others struggle with these type of afflictions till the day they die. I've think there were a few reasons why I was healed. I learned the lesson I was supposed to learn. With the depression I learned to face my past, talk about it and put it in its proper perspective. I also left the circumstances that were contributing to it. With the drug addiction, I also learned to change my perspective because the addiction and depression were linked. I also learned to never, ever become addicted and that drugs are not the way to feel good. With the healing from porn addiction, I went to my bishop with the mindset that if I were truly possessed, I expected my bishop to actually cast out the evil spirits. I think that my expectation was part of my faith and a part of all faith when it comes to healing. I believed that Christ would heal me. I talked this over with my wife. I think you're confusing knowledge and belief; they are two different things. True knowledge consists of facts that stand alone and are indisputable. A person may deny facts, but that doesn't make them any less true. That is where their belief comes in. A person's belief can be erroneous through the misinterpretation or outright denial of facts that conflict with their worldview and “understanding.” I think that when they bear their testimonies, some LDS say they “know” when they only “believe.” When it comes to “knowledge” that the church is true, when belief and faith go the next step, it takes some type of spiritual experience that gives them an indisputable confirmation of facts. At the same time, this indisputable confirmation of facts isn't always enough to create a conversion to the truth. While on my mission, one of the things I asked investigators was: “What is more sure: to be convinced or to be converted?” Being convinced - “belief” - implies an intellectual agreement that something is true. Being converted goes beyond that; it comes through understanding of knowledge confirmed through the Holy Spirit that something is true and creates a committment to action. Thus, being converted becomes intelligence, as in “the glory of God is intelligence.” We have those who stand up and say “I know the church is true,” but lack the conversion, the committment to action. It's interesting that you should talk about Christ operating through knowledge rather than faith. In Lecture Second in the Lectures On Faith, it talks about God, “who has faith in himself, independently.” God is God because he has all knowledge, yet he has faith in himself. I don't quite understand it all, but other things I've read talk about how we need to have faith in ourselves when using the priesthood. Based on Lecture Second, it seems that faith and knowledge are intertwined. I've always said that pride is Satan's answer to faith. Pride means that you are relying on the arm of the flesh. Someone with pride gives credit to himself. Faith requires you to rely on the arm of God and you acknowledge that without God you are nothing. Faith allows you to give all credit to God. A child lacks pride, is teachable, and automatically acknowledges that someone is superior to themselves; hence their faith is perfect. I'm sure I don't have it all right, but this is a work in progress.

Are you saying that Satan cannot manipulate and afflict a person with diseases? If so, how do you explain Job being smitten by boils, which was directly caused by Satan with the permission of God? Boils are caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, How also do you explain the statements by a prophet of God?

In a two year period, middle eastern migrants committed 208,344 crimes in Germany. I'm in agreement with Trump that we need a much more stringent vetting process before allowing any migrants into the country. What is interesting is that in the process of getting my wife's green card, she has to undergo a background check. Every potential migrant needs to provide documentation that proves their lack of criminal background. http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/us/migrants-committed-more-than-200000-crimes-in-germany-in-just-two-years

As a former cop I understand the FBI's position. As a citizen I applaud Apple's response. The FBI's request is a recipe for disaster, along with all the other unconstitutional disasters forced onto the American people.

All homicide investigators are basically trained to use the same methods. One fundamental part of their training is that all deaths are considered homicides until the evidence proves otherwise or he was ill and attended by a physician at the time of death. Scalia was found with a pillow over his head. Is that normal? Possibly, but it should have raised questions. The thing that is odiferous about this whole situation is that no investigation whatsoever was conducted. Within hours, he was declared dead from natural causes without a formal investigation, without an autopsy, without a toxicology report, without any supporting evidence - period. With this particular individual being a high, very important government official, another thing that homicide investigations would normally look into is what was he involved in at the time of his death and who would profit from it? Let's look at that. Either personally or at his direction, Barry has promulgated a huge number of executive orders and rules and regulations that are questionable at best and outright illegal at worst. His orders on gun control and illegal immigration amnesty come to mind just for starters. Justice Scalia was a staunch, vocal supporter of the Second Amendment and has spoken out against illegal immigration. He did everything in his power to influence the Court to block those orders, and he was quite successful at it. Next, take a look at Barry. He is a socialist. He was raised by socialists, espouses socialism, and everything he says and does is right out of the socialist handbook. Before he ran for president, he gave interviews stating that he did not believe that any American should own firearms. He stated that he would "fundamentally transform America." The majority of the sheeple who believed that line of biological waste products and voted for him didn't realize that his fundamental transformation would turn the U.S. into the United Socialist States of America. In line with his transformation, Barry has attempted to ram "gun control" down our throats. The so-called "changes" he is trying to ram through will effectively disarm all Americans. If his amnesty gets a passing grade, his fundamental transformation will actually change the very fabric of society. He will be able to further implement the Cloward-Piven strategy and eventually bring down the welfare system, and with it the rest of America when those immigrants go straight on welfare. So, which Supreme Court justice stood in his way more than anyone else? Scalia. Who would profit enormously by his death? Barry. So, the question is: was Scalia murdered or did he die of natural causes? I don't know. Do I believe that the Gadiantons who control our government killed Justice Scalia? I don't know, but based on my law enforcement experience and the totality of the circumstances, I'm more inclined to seriously question it. However, we'll never know now, will we?

I see this in every ward I've been in. What I see as the problem is that members become part of the world. They accept the ways of the world as their way and the way of the world is Satan's way. It has crept in mainly through the media: mostly TV, then movies and the radio. I think that any Latter-day Saint who watches 98% of all TV and movies is opening himself up to accepting some of the ways of the world as normal. All it takes is the acceptance of just one worldly "truth" to open the door to accepting just one more worldly "truth," and then another, and another.... The only safeguard against deception is correct knowledge confirmed by the Holy Spirit. I highly recommend the following two talks. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2004/10/be-not-deceived?lang=eng https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1989/04/alternate-voices?lang=eng

I also think that Christ gave us the answer when speaking to the Apostles after they were unable to cast out an evil spirit from a young boy. They asked why they could not cast it out and Christ said it was "because of your unbelief" (Matthew 17:20). The Apostles had watched Christ perform miracles and thought they could do it themselves, but in spite of believing in Christ, they did not believe Christ. I think this is the same problem we have today. People believe in Christ, but they don't believe Christ when he says that he can and will heal them. They believe in the secular world, in secular science, in secular doctors, in secular learning, in worldly wisdom, but they do not truly believe in the power of the priesthood and that Christ can actually heal them. It may be that they give lip service to faith.

I'll let you decide after reading a few quotes. Elder Parley P. Pratt Key to the Science of Theology, Pg 110 You will learn that the wicked disembodied spirits have not left this people, though the most of those wicked persons who sought to destroy the Saints have left us. There are myriads of disembodied evil spirits - those who have long ago laid down their bodies here and in the regions round about, among and around us, and they are trying to make us and our children sick, and are trying to destroy us and to tempt us to evil. Brigham Young JD 6:73 In spite of the above quotes, Joseph Smith taught that “it was not lawful to teach the Church that all disease is of the devil.” HC 2:147 So, yes, evil spirits cause sickness, but not all sickness is caused by them.