Edspringer

Don't forget: " 38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."
OT revelation (and hence Christ) makes a very clear stance on homosexuality.  In Latter-days, there have been many stance made, such as the "Proclamation to the World".  I recommend https://mormonandgay.lds.org. 

An important difference here: the Father is not looking for someone, but had already chosen Jehovah for the task from the beginning:
Moses 4:2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning

I wish we knew more about our pre-mortal life, but we have been taught by the prophets and apostles on the matter.


 
The Prophet Joseph Smith said:

 
“God himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself. The relationship we have with God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge. He has power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences, that they may be exalted with himself” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 210).

 
Elder Bruce R. McConkie said (and this is particularly interesting to me):

 
“Being subject to law, and having their agency, all the spirits of men, while yet in the Eternal Presence, developed aptitudes, talents, capacities, and abilities of every sort, kind, and degree. During the long expanse of life which then was, an infinite variety of talents and abilities came into being. …

 
“The Lord endowed us all with agency; he gave us laws that would enable us to advance and progress and become like him; and he counseled and exhorted us to pursue the course leading to glory and exaltation. He himself was the embodiment and personification of all good things. Every desirable characteristic and trait dwelt in him in its eternal fulness. All of his obedient children started to become like him in one way or another. There was as great a variety and degree of talent and ability among us there as there is among us here. Some excelled in one way, others in another. The Firstborn excelled all of us in all things” (The Mortal Messiah, 4 vols. [1979–81], 1:23).

 
So, assuming we all were endowed with agency, it is reasonable to also assume that sin, in some degree, was possible in that realm of existence. Peter taught that Jesus is the lamb foreordained before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20). So, we can conclude that the effects of the atonement were available even before the creation and the fall.

 
Robert J. Matthews, a BYU scholar, said in 2007 that the Grand Council might have been a series of meetings instead of only a single gathering. I quote:

 
“ ‘Grand Council’ is a term often used by the Prophet Joseph Smith to describe the setting for official, top-level, priesthood functions in the pre-earth life. The plan of God was introduced and taught in many meetings over an extended period of time - collectively called the Grand Council”. You can view his talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7noNAwLFr78

 
 
About the war in heaven, Elder Bruce R. McConkie said:

 
“What kind of war [was the War in Heaven]? The same kind that prevails on earth; the only kind Satan and spirit beings can wage—a war of words, a tumult of opinions, a conflict of ideologies; a war between truth and error” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 3:518). I hope that helps!

I will quote Joseph Smith:

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it”.

The "appendages" -- all those blessings that flow from Jesus' victory; those which are distinctly LDS are those which are tied to the Restoration (keys and covenants). As we come upon them and believe and act upon them (typically line upon line), by grace we eventually obtain all that is essential.

Sometimes I wonder how well we understand evil in mortality.  There seems to be to be a paradox and so far @Edspringer seems to have similar thought to mine.  I do not believe that evil is a substance that can be created.  Rather evil is the possibility that must exist in order that there be a choice of good.  The attempt to bring about a choice of good without evil – is itself evil and the very essence of Lucifer becoming Satan.
Evil has to be as eternal as G-d and his goodness.  The reason that G-d exist and is good is because he chooses good over evil.  But he could not choose good unless evil was possible.  But there is more to good and evil.
Because there must be evil to choose good and because evil cannot endure the presents of G-d it is impossible to come to a knowledge of good or evil in the presents of G-d.  And this is the reason that we had to fall to gain the knowledge of good and evil.  Death and Hell are synonymous – two terms trying to describe the same thing.  Likewise – eternal life and exaltation are synonymous.   Thus the choice of eternal life (exaltation) can only be a choice when Death (Hell) is possible.  Symbolically the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is the gateway to the choice between good and evil.  Without knowledge of possibilities one cannot act to make a choice but rather would be acted upon by some outside force that may or may not be acting out of knowledge.
The knowledge of evil comes about by death and by the experience of death we gain knowledge of evil.  The knowledge of good come about through the atonement of Christ – Thus it is necessary to experience both death and the atonement to have knowledge of good and evil – the choice is made complete at what the scriptures call the final judgment of G-d.  This final judgment, I have concluded, is when we will stand before G-d having experienced death (evil) and the atonement by being raised to life or what is called the resurrection (good) – thus we have knowledge.  And at the final judgment we make an account of our choice of life (good) or death (evil – Hell). 
 
The Traveler

I will quote Joseph Smith:

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it”.

I will quote Joseph Smith:

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it”.

I will quote Joseph Smith:

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it”.

Hi, my friend @askandanswer

I like discussions like that. It is always good to share our thoughts and learn from others. I myself have learned a lot in this forum.

Through what I have studied, pondered and learned from scriptures and with friends, God Himself deals with opposition.  He is a perfect being, having all knowledge and all wisdom, all power.  It doesn’t mean He doesn’t have problems to solve. He said to Abraham:

“I (God) dwell in the midst of them all; I now, therefore, have come down unto thee to declare unto thee the works which my hands have made, wherein my wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou hast seen” (PGP, Abraham 3:21)

Our Father in Heaven rules with all wisdom and prudence over all the intelligences, which means (in my view) that He deals with opposition among all the intelligences, because through the laws He instituted, they are allowed to act for themselves and not by compulsion. Otherwise there wouldn’t be any progress.

Oppositon is an eternal principle because it seems to be a pattern among all the exalted beings in order to foster the exaltation of their children. Absolute evil (like a living entity) doesn’t seem to be the case, in my opinion. What I believe is that all intelligences are free to act and this action leads closer to God’s purposes or drives away from it.

Lucifer, on all the light he received in Heaven, made his choice, but not because some entity tempted him, but because of his own making. He didn’t exercise faith in Heavenly Father and in His Beloved Son as our Savior and Redeemer. Thus, he could not progress in glory and was cast out from Heaven.

Later I post more comments. I'm in a rush now LOL

I will quote Joseph Smith:

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it”.

Ed, I'm hoping you might be willing to share your thoughts on what evil actually is.
This is a side issue, but one's that I've just been reminded while reading Ed's reply, of a topic that my son and I have discussed once or twice before. If opposition is necessary for the proper exercise of agency, and if learning how to properly exercise our agency is one of the main reasons why we are here, and since Lucifer and his associates are doing such a fine job in providing the required opposition, does it then follow that Lucifer deserves some kind of reward in the next life for doing such a good job of providing something that is essential to our growth? And if it was not actually Lucifer providing that opposition, then it would have to be someone else, because opposition is necessary to the proper operation of the plan. My son sometimes postulates that Lucifer is some sort of sacrificial "fall guy" for God's plan, and thinks that when everything is over, God will pat Satan on the back and say well done, you did a good job in what you were supposed to do. This possibility is given a small degree of support by the fact that Lucifer will indeed be given a kingdom to reign over, and the same cannot be said of those who end up in the telestial or terrestrial worlds, although I imagine that the kingdom over which Lucifer will reign will not be a terribly desirable kingdom to have.

I will quote Joseph Smith:

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it”.

To love one another.
 
The Traveler

This questions occurred to me while reading the post by curious_mormon about who tempted Satan.
Is there any such thing as absolute evil, or does evil only exist in relation to God’s will? If God has no particular will or preference for how many angels can be allowed to dance on the head of a pin, then perhaps it is no evil if 1 or 1000 angels dance on the head of a pin. However, if God suddenly decides and declares that only 2 angels may dance on the head of a pin then all of a sudden it becomes evil for any other number of angels, other than two, to dance on the head of a pin. Is there any evil in relation to matters on which God has no particular will? By having a will on a particular matter, is it only at that point that the possibility of evil in relation to that matter comes into existence? Taking things a step further, if this is true – that the possibility of evil comes into existence only once God has stated His will on a particular matter – then I guess it would also be true to say that that evil does not become a reality, or no evil is actually committed, until God’s will on that particular matter is violated.
If this is true, and I’m inclined to think that there is reason to believe that it may be, then by creating the possibility of evil, and by giving, or allowing us the opportunity to choose and act, then this might point to the (for me) unexpected conclusion that God has been intimately involved in the creation of evil. This does not in any way detract from the fact that we are all individually responsible for any evil choices we make. (And I would never presume that any one on this forum would ever make such choices)  

Here's an old Q&A from the New Era 1978 asking why Jesus wasn't baptized at age 8:
https://www.lds.org/new-era/1978/01/qa-questions-and-answers?lang=eng
The author, J. Richard Clarke, says he needed to be baptized by John who was in the wilderness in his earlier years. He provides some other reasons and things to consider.  He concludes with:
"In summary, then, my view is that Jesus was not baptized in his childhood because he had no need, as we do, for remission of sin, for he is the author of our salvation and provider of the means by which we may have our sins remitted. He began his official rabbinical ministry at age 30, as was the custom, by being baptized to “fulfil all righteousness.” (Matt. 3:15.) He came to John in recognition of John’s role as an Elias who was the only one authorized to perform the baptism and witness before men that Jesus had “come not to destroy, but to fulfil [the law] in every way. (Matt. 5:17.)"

*Jane kicks into super-logical science mode*
If you want to learn how to measure something (such as confirming God's feelings) then you got to get the proper instrumentation for it.  To develop and test any instrumentation, here is the procedure:
1) When you observe that an event is happening (such as you feeling His Spirit), look at your instrument is doing indicating this event? (your instrument =  your spirit).  Record this result.
2) The next time you observe the same event, likewise record the result.
3) Upon gathering a number of recordings, look for patterns: how is your instrument indicating the event?  
4) Develop a hypothesis: "when my spirit does X, I am feeling His Spirit".  
5)  Test your hypothesis.  Did it work?  If so, great!  If not, then we must examine the pattern further, update our hypothesis, test, and repeat until we find the answer. 
6) Once your instrument is working (aka you know what it feels like to feel the Spirit), listen for that "ding!"  When you here the "ding!" you know it's the Spirit and should Listen accordingly.  
 
 
* Jane flicks herself on the forehead to get out of scientist-mode*
Ok, I don't know anyone who feels the Spirit as a literal "ding".  But people do feel it in different ways.  For example, I never feel it as the "burning" sensation--- no to meet that's heartburn.  Rather, I feel it as "peace be still"-- like when the Master calms the seas.  My mind, which naturally bounces around like an over-caffeinated bunny, becomes still.  Peaceful.  That is me feeling the Spirit. 
@Zarahemla What does the Spirit feel like to you?

Zarahemla, I don't think this feeling is unusual.  It can take a long time for a person to learn this.  And even after we've felt like we were on the right path, our feelings can go up and down depending on where we are on any given day.  The best thing you can do is the basics, with real intent.  Perhaps re-watch Elder Cornish's talk - you will be good enough & you will make it, so long as you keep “repenting often and pleading for the grace or help of Christ”.

Being a disciple of Christ is not about saying "I did this, now give me this cause I earned it" and going about your same-old way.  It is about choosing to be a disciple- a pupil- and choosing to become like Him.  Some people choose to refuse Him completely. Some choose to give it half-hearted effort.  Some choose to give it 90% effort but refuse that last little bit.  Some choose to give it their 120%.  
A person who only chooses to give 99% of themselves to God does not want 100% unity with God.  And God will not force them to have something they do not want.
 
(PS-- as a person who is literally earning a phD, you've got some misconceptions about what goes on there).

October 2016 General Conference, Saturday afternoon session, talk by W. Mark Bassett of the Seventy - seems relevant to this conversation, however you want to define milk and meat. (Just ended.)

Thanks Ed, this has given me food for thought and added to my understanding. If I only prayed for those things which the Lord indicated, I suspect my prayers would be less frequent and shorter. But probably more effective.

“If ye have faith and doubt not…if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” (Mathew 21:21).


 
"For the brother of Jared said unto the mountain Zerin, Remove — and it was removed. And if he had not had faith it would not have moved; wherefore thou workest after men have faith” (Ether 12:30).


 
“And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done” (1 Nephi 17:50).


 
“And it came to pass that when Satan had departed from the presence of Moses, that Moses lifted up his eyes unto heaven, being filled with the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and the Son; And calling upon the name of God, he beheld his glory again, for it was upon him; and he heard a voice, saying: Blessed art thou, Moses, for I, the Almighty, have chosen thee, and thou shalt be made stronger than many waters; for they shall obey thy command as if thou wert God” (Moses 1:24-25).

I'm so greatful that the Lord has been merciful allowing me to learn, remember and think over and over on the same principles and doctrines. I'm so deeply grateful to our Heavenly Father for His kindness in helping us understand new things out of old teachings. 
I have a personal testimony that I'll spend my lifetime trying to understand faith and yet I won't be able to learn all about it. I feel comfortable about knowing that I will be taught about faith my whole life. Why? Well, I havent' learned how to use faith to move mountains yet! Maybe some of us already know how to use faith in a particular area, but still need to learn how to use faith in other areas. 
I remember Elder David A. Bednar saying something about going to lesson B only after learning lesson A. Please check this link:
https://www.lds.org/church/news/repetition-important-in-teaching-and-learning-elder-bednar-says?lang=eng
Repetition seems to be one of the manners God teaches His children. We are awlays called to REMEMBER!

I'm so greatful that the Lord has been merciful allowing me to learn, remember and think over and over on the same principles and doctrines. I'm so deeply grateful to our Heavenly Father for His kindness in helping us understand new things out of old teachings. 
I have a personal testimony that I'll spend my lifetime trying to understand faith and yet I won't be able to learn all about it. I feel comfortable about knowing that I will be taught about faith my whole life. Why? Well, I havent' learned how to use faith to move mountains yet! Maybe some of us already know how to use faith in a particular area, but still need to learn how to use faith in other areas. 
I remember Elder David A. Bednar saying something about going to lesson B only after learning lesson A. Please check this link:
https://www.lds.org/church/news/repetition-important-in-teaching-and-learning-elder-bednar-says?lang=eng
Repetition seems to be one of the manners God teaches His children. We are awlays called to REMEMBER!

A few thoughts:
Go look up wherever it is that Paul wrote about itching ears.  Seems applicable.  (Itch can't appear that many times in scripture...) Go re-read Matthew chapter 5.  Have you mastered everything taught therein?  If not, you're not ready for something new and interesting.  (It is my belief and I suspect prophets and apostles have taught this, but it's too late right now for me to go hunting for it, that until a sufficient percentage of us have mastered a sufficient percentage of what we already have, we will not receive more.  If you want more, master what you already have, then the Lord will give you more.) President Kimball (I believe) once said he'd never been in a boring Sacrament meeting - presumably because he was there to learn from the Spirit, not from the speaker / teacher.  I suspect he also wasn't self-deceiving and tried hard to extract the pieces which applied to him and which he needed to work on.  Learning requires immense effort.  (In other words, if you need something new and interesting, go to the Lord in humble prayer, with real intent, and be willing to receive whatever he gives you, through the Spirit.) There are ample resources for you to do personal study on things which will be new and interesting to you.  Church is where we are to "preach nothing but repentance" until such time as the Lord tells us otherwise.  Church is the place to learn doctrine, not be entertained, shocked, or debate some divisive issue. Until the students in the class spend as much effort preparing for the class as the teacher spends, and until they stop sitting in the class like bumps on logs, and share their own insights, and ask their own questions, and engage in teaching one another, there's not much the teacher can do besides teach the lesson - teaching is a 2-way street.  But if everyone came fully prepared, and participated, the discussion could go much deeper than it usually does (in my experience). In other words, if you're bored, that's your fault, not the teacher / speaker's fault - because you decide whether you're going to feel the Spirit, and the Spirit is never boring.  If you want to learn something new, all you need is to go do it, using tools and methods already available.  And yes, that is infinitely harder than having some intellectual-type scratch your itchy ears for you.