Edspringer

I went to Salt Lake in 2004, but didnt have the chance to watch a live session. I'll work on going to Utah in the next year. Thanx

Corretc Thanx for bringing new light on my comments

Excellent, Carb I remember something that Morpheus, from the movie "Matrix" said:"There's a difference in knowing the way and walking the way". When you asked us about becoming Zion (and I just realized that the name of the city in the movie Matrix is actually Zion LOL) I came to realize that most of us know what to do, but dont actually do it. Giving our hearts to the Lord means santifcation (Helaman 3:35). To be pure of heart is to become Zion. I believe we know the way. But do we walk the way? thanx for your inspiring words. We all need to rely on the power of the Atonement to carry on!

Thanx for replying This, as you said, has been widely taught in the Church. (e.g. Gospel Principles class) . I don't think any of us have problems about understanding the things you so well quoted from Joseph Fielding Smith. What I meant, though, is that there are situations we don't know much about because they haven't been revealed in its fullness and you must agree with me that salvation for the dead and the Millennium are subjects we don't fully understand. We know they're an essential part of the plan of happiness, but we don't possess further knowledge other than that provided by the scriptures and by the living prophets. Just a personal example: My wife and I had two unborn babies who died, unfortunately, and we really love them and wish them to be with us, as we know they are sealed to us. Although I myself have searched, pondered, and even discussed the subject with a friend who works with me in the CES (he is a former mission president and a Seventy), I haven’t reached a conclusion whether we’ll be able to continue to bear them and have them in the Millennium. Why? Because this detail in particular hasn’t been revealed yet. We, as a couple, have to keep the faith and have hope that our unborn babies will have their chance to be born and grow up and that, as we keep worthy, will be together with them again.

I really enjoyed this tread of yours, thank you. Becoming Zion is the ultimate goal of this life as the people of God. As we have made sacred covenants, we used our agency to do whatever our Lord required from us. He said: “And after that day, I, the Lord, will not hold any guilty that shall go with an open heart up to the land of Zion; for I, the Lord, require the hearts of the children of men”. I think we are failing in this aspect: we haven’t offered our hearts to the Lord. We need to be fully obedient to His laws and commandments and live by every word of His. Of course, it’s a daily exercise and we won’t be perfect in this life. But offering up our hearts to the Lord, to do His will in everything, seems to be the greatest challenge of all. I think we should care more about those in need. For example, in our ward there’s a man seriously ill. He hasn’t been visited by the bishop, the elder’s quorum president or his home teachers yet. I myself haven’t been there yet. I need to repent and stop waiting for others to do their job while I am also my brother’s keeper. Caring about others is a crucial part of becoming Zion. I see some goodness growing among us, though. So, being pure of hearts and united are pending achievements.

Well, The Lord is just. This we pretty much know. The scripture in Mathew 22:30 refers to the resurrection only. It does not say anything about the spirit world. For what I have studied, learned, pondered and discussed with others, there must be a way in the spirit world for those who didn’t have a sealed spouse in this life (people whose spouse was not a member of the Church or those who died single without a chance) to actually get sealed to a worthy person who probably will be in the same situation. Since temple work is an important aspect of the Millenium, it’s plausible to assume that sealings will be performed by proxy just as they are done now and those that will inherit the highest degree in the celestial glory will then resurrect and enjoy their marriage. But again, this is something that hasn’t been revealed in its fullness.

No, no need for paper! I wish I could see a live session in Manti or SL temples one day.

We have to consider a whole bunch of things, such as knowledge, state of mind, emotions, circumstances, and so on. I know that it might sound awkward for some, but not all who kill are murderers. I was just reading the Book of Mormon today and came across to this scripture (1 Nephi 17:44): “Wherefore, the Lord commanded my father that he should depart into the wilderness; and the Jews also sought to take away his life; yea, and ye also have sought to take away his life; wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them”. From this perspective, murderers can be such just because they think or intend to kill someone. Can’t they repent? Of course they can. Nephi was just trying to help his brothers to repent. The fact is that we don't know much about how the Lord will proceed in Judgment Day. We do know, however, that He will be as Just as Merciful.

Interesting, DC As a member of the Church you're authorized to raise your hand in a sustaining vote as long as you are worthy to do so. I say this because in some cases, after some disciplinary action, the bishop or stake president may ask the person not to participate in sustaining votes for a season. So if you have been living a worthy life and your bishop hasnt said otherwise, you're ok to sustain the ward or stake members when it's so asked.

Something that bothers me whenever someone is called to serve in the Church is when a brother or a sister comes and says: "Congratulations". Like, we know it's an honor to serve, but it's not an achievement or a prize anyway. We must also remember that we made covenants in the temple, including avoiding calumnies against the Lord's anoited ones.

Super! As English is not my first language, can you please explain the word " officialdom"? Thanx again

Great help, LeSellers! Thanx a lot. When the scripture says" the general assembly and church of the firstborn" (D&C 107:19), what comes to your mind?

I really appreciated your comment. When you say WE it includes all of us. What I myself know is that we met worthy men and women in the premortal life and, with this knowledge, I assume that any of these valiant spirits are worthy getting married with. Thatnx for sharing your thoughts.

We know from scripture that there was social interaction in the realm of premortal spirits. We acted, learned and excercised our agency. we certainly used our feelings to express our thoughts concerning everything around, including one to another. In “the Family - a proclamation to the world”, we learn that "gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose”. So, we can safetly say that we interacted as male and female spirits. We made covenants to our Heavenly Father there. Did we promisse that we would find our mates here? I don’t know. But since we know very little (though enough to understand the plan) about our premortal life, it sounds pretty reasonable to think we had favorite ones there we wanted to meet here again.

Know this: 1) our Heavenly Father LOVES us all and is definetely aware of ALL our disappointments and frustrations and foresaw them long before we even existed as His spirit children. He designed a perfect plan of happiness and gave us His Beloved Son, by whom a perfect atonement would be performed essentialy to soccor those in need or in disppair (Alma 7:21); 2)No one will ever be punished by someone else’s choices. We learn this in the 2nd Article of Faith. Agency is deeply respected by God and it’s something He will never interfere. It so individual as it is so sacred and essential for our eternal progression. Remember why Satan was cast out from Heaven (Moses 4:1-3). Please turn to your Heavenly Father in prayer and ask Him to confort you through the Holy Ghost. You have the right to be conforted. Those who ask in faith will never be forsaken. I love you and will be praying for you and those you love.

The Lord means the families to be forever. It is a crucial part of His plan of hapíness for us. Free agency is also an important aspect of the plan, so we need to consider what the LORD wants and what WE want in this matter. If you feel bothered that your parents aren't sealed, it's a just feeling and worth considering. Their agency at the moment of not being sealed can't and shouldn't influence YOUR agency of having your own sealed famaly, though. For instance, my parents are sealed but not active. I feel bad about it, but it's their choice at the moment. I love them and always tell them how great our Heavenly Father's love for us all is and encourage them to become active in the gospel. All in all, it's their choice, their agency. Me? I have been working on having my family sealing made sure. My wife and I work every single day on our celestial marriage and the spiritual welfare of our children. I'm using my agency to work this out and although I kinda suffer with my parents's absence, I'm happy to be on the way to Heaven. About the temples, they are the Lord's house. They belong to Him and that is what matters to me. The pattern for the temples since ancient times has always been this: the house of the Lord must be the best place on earth. You may think temples are extravagant, but what they really are is a piece of Heaven on Earth. Please, think about that. Love you

Hi, everybody. Greetings from Brazil! I got a question for you: what do you guys know about the general assembly, mentioned in scriptures like D&C 107? I’ve noticed that sometimes it’s linked to the Church of the Firstborn. Thanx in advance.

Please read 1 Nephi 11. All Iearned about this subject was from that chapter alone.

I think LeSellers is right and you are right, too! What I think you might be missing on your point is that in all examples you gave the revelation was that of a calling, essentially. Indeed, revelation comes when the Lord wants, and when men and women are prepared to receive it.

I think LeSellers is right and you are right, too! What I think you might be missing on your point is that in all examples you gave the revelation was that of a calling, essentially. Indeed, revelation comes when the Lord wants, and when men and women are prepared to receive it.

Alma 11:44

Well, what I'm doing is just putting some scripture into discussion. If this episode of scripture isn't referring to something happening to husband and wife, we should look for something that proves otherwise. My mind is open. I'd love to know what apostle's declaration this is.

Excellent question! I think it leads us all to ponder on this sacred matter, as it is extremely linked to our on salvation and exaltation. As we don’t know by personal experience the nature of God, let us base our discussion on what the scriptures have to have, for they are our true source for the moment: Alma 26:35 Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name. D&C 88:41 He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever Moses 6:57 Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time. I also found this talk ny Elder Holland on the subject: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/triple-index/god-eternal-nature-of?lang=eng Also the Index to the Triple Combination gives us the following: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/triple-index/god-eternal-nature-of?lang=eng · The course of the Lord is one eternal round: 1 Ne. 10:19 . ( Alma 7:20 . ) · the Eternal Father: 1 Ne. 11:21 . ( 1 Ne. 13:40 ; Mosiah 15:4 ; Mosiah 16:15 ; Alma 11:38–39 ;Morm. 6:22 ; Moro. 4:3 ; Moro. 5:2 ; Moro. 10:4, 31 . ) · the Everlasting God: 1 Ne. 11:32 . ( 1 Ne. 15:15 ; 2 Ne. 4:35 ; Hel. 12:8 ; Moro. 10:28) · the Eternal God: 1 Ne. 12:18 . ( 2 Ne. 9:8 ; Alma 34:9 ; Ether 8:23 . ) · the everlasting Maker: Hel. 1:11 . · the Lord changes not: 3 Ne. 24:6 . ( Moro. 8:18 . ) · God is same yesterday, today, forever: Morm. 9:9 . · no variableness or shadow of changing in God: Morm. 9:9–10 . · God changes not, or he would cease to be God: Morm. 9:19 . · God knows all things, being from everlasting to everlasting: Moro. 7:22 . · God’s course is one eternal round: D&C 3:2 . ( D&C 35:1 . ) · God is endless: D&C 19:4, 10 . · name of God is Endless: D&C 19:10 . · God is same yesterday, today, forever: D&C 20:12 . · God is infinite, eternal, unchangeable, from everlasting to everlasting: D&C 20:17 . · works of God have no end, nor beginning: D&C 29:33 . · ( D&C 38:1 ; D&C 45:7 ;D&C 54:1 ; D&C 61:1 . ) · from eternity to eternity, the Lord is same: D&C 76:4 . · the Holy One is without beginning of days or end of life: D&C 78:16 . · council of the Eternal God of all other gods: D&C 121:32 . · Endless is God’s name: Moses 1:3 . · God is without beginning of days or end of years: Moses 1:3 . ( Moses 6:67 . ) · Endless and Eternal is God’s name: Moses 7:35 . The Encyclopedia of Mormonism is also a good source on the subject: http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/God_the_Father Anyway, we can see that God is more than a man. His is an exalted man, with a body of flash and bones, but perfect, and has all power and all wisdom. He is immortal and has eternal live (spiritual offspring). I strongly believe that we can learn much about who God is by looking to ourselves. We are His children and have inherited divine characteristics (creativeness, bear offspring, love, compassion, reasoning, thoughts, we can go back to the past and project to the future with our thoughts, power to learn, etc). Well, I think it’s a good point of departure for discussion.

Well, I personally believe our Savior was married, that He had a wife. Many scripture passages were mentioned here as indication that Jesus was married indeed. Actually, there’s one particular passage that amazes me about this topic: Mark 14:1-9 After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. This is a peculiar scripture passage worth discussing and pondering about. Ok, as I said, I strongly believe our Redeemer was married to a worthy woman. There are other facts we could and should consider as well: 1) Mary, our Savior’s mother, became a widow at some point of our Lord’s earthly life. Did Jesus have to take care of her? What would it imply in his married life and ministry? 2) If Christ had a child or children, what implications would that fact cause not only to Christianity, but to the natural world?

One important point we all should consider when we talk about discussion in a Sunday School class is that we're all there to be edified by the Holy Ghost so our testimony of the gospel and our faith in Jesus Chirst can increase. Section 50 of D&C gives the pattern for such: 17 Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way? 18 And if it be by some other way it is not of God. 19 And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way? 20 If it be some other way it is not of God. 21 Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth? 22 Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together. So, in a Sunday School class basis, we should be able to discuss the pure doctrine of Christ and the principles to enhance our understanding and knowledge, as well as rejoice together. Why? Because in doing so we will have the companionship of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth. Otherwise, it is not of God,