Larry Cotrell

As I read through Alma I have come across a few passages that confuse me. I have heard that the LDS Church believes that God has a body of flesh and bones, I think that comes from D&C 130:22 "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us." But in Alma 18:26-28 Ammon refers to God as a spirit, " And then Ammon said: Believest thou that there is a Great Spirit? And he said, Yea. And Ammon said: This is God. And Ammon said unto him again: Believest thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things which are in heaven and in the earth?" This concept is repeated in Alma 22:9-10 "And the king said: Is God that Great Spirit that brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem? And Aaron said unto him: Yea, he is that Great Spirit, and he created all things both in heaven and in earth. Believest thou this?"

Yes, most Christians I have heard believe that Lucifer was an angel that rebelled (Ezekiel 28:12-18), and a third of the angels rebelled with Him (Revelation 12:4). The Bible never uses the word angel to describe him however, it refers to him as a cherub which essentially means the same thing.

I don't think God would use things of evil and pagan origins to reveal His truth. (I am reffering to tarot cards)

I'm glad we agree on tarot cards.

Urim and Thummim were a means of casting lots. 1 Samuel 14:41 is a great example of this (you can see the different translations of the verse here http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/14-41.htm). Casting lots is/was a Biblical practice Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

My question to you, @estradling75, is

Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and for ever."

What if someone came to you and said that their spiritual gift was using tarot cards to predict the future? Here's my opinion: Jeremiah 18:10-12 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Only because you asked, my personal opinion is that Christians should not get involved occult practices (I think we would all agree on that). As someone pointed out earlier, many Old Testament people such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David all sinned and made terrible choices at some point in their life (except Jesus, who lived a perfect life). The problem I have with it is when these occult influences start to seep into things he was doing in his relationship with God as mentioned here I really don't care at all that he got a misdemeanor. What bothers me is that he is using "occult practices" to communicate with God. I understand what I said is controversial and I would not have shared this unless I was asked to.

Good point, and I was just on my way to buy this ring. I'm joking, but I agree that humility can be shown through how we dress

Did you know that a shrimp's heart is in its head? I am totally joking but that actually is true.

I know, I was just curious what the common view on this was.

I have heard that Joseph Smith was arrested in 1826 for glass-looking, an occult practice. Here is the document: I will keep my opinions out of this but I was wondering what LDS people thought.

I studied up on this for a while last night as I have also been having a hard time falling asleep lately. One thing that I had read said to eat a handful of almonds. This didn't work for me but it's worth a try because a lot of people said it works really well. There is another method where you breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for seven, and breathe out for eight. You inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This also didn't work for me but some people say they can fall asleep in under a minute this way. After trying both of these things last night I tried to count sheep, about one per second. I gave up at 2,000 because the sheepfold was getting overcrowded. So, I don't recommend counting sheep.

I googled "who tempted Satan," and one of the results was an old discussion on this. Maybe there's some wisdom in here from eight years ago, maybe not.

Why would He know now if He didn't know then? Why would God have recently decided to tell Him?

There is no way to calculate when the second coming will take place. The Bible says that Jesus doesn't even know (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32). The Bible also says that He will come when we aren't expecting it (Matthew 24:4). Because of this, we need to live our lives as if His return will happen in in five or ten minutes-because it could. Followers of Christ are told to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). The field is ripe for harvest (John 4:35). Instead of trying to figure out when He will return, those who follow Christ should focus on living their lives for Him and showing Him to other people. It doesn't matter when He'll come back. He's got it covered. I don't have to worry about that. What I do have to worry about is showing others the love of God and the way to salvation. Focus on eternal things.

Matthew 24:42-44 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

True, one thing that this analogy misses is that the Son gave His life willingly. He wasn't forced to do it.

I saw this and thought I should post it because it's such an amazing picture of what God did for us. John was the father of an 8-year-old boy during the 20’s and 30’s. John was very fortunate during those times, because he had job. John loved his son very much. He was the apple of his eye. John’s son was a normal little boy who constantly wanted to go to work with his father. John decided he would take his boy to work with him one day. John was bridge conductor across the Mississippi River. John was in charge of raising and lowering the bridge so that boats could get through and trains could pass. John’s son was so amazed at the gears and all the things that went along with his father’s job. They had brought their lunch to work with them that day and decided to eat their lunch on the bank of the river. John and his son was eating lunch and John had realized that in about 3 minutes the Memphis Belle carrying 300 passengers was getting ready to cross the bridge, but the bridge was not lowered. John didn’t want to alarm his son so he patted him on the shoulder and told him to sit right their and he would be right back. John hustled up the stairs, he grabbed the lever to lower the bridge and he had realized that somehow his son had climbed to the bridge and had fallen in between the gears of the bridge. John could hear the train coming carrying the 300 passengers. In his mind he started going over ways he could get his son from the gears and still lower the bridge, but he knew he had to make a choice. John lowered the bridge just in time for the train to pass crushing his son in between the gears. John looked at the train passing by and saw a man reading his newspaper a woman drinking her tea and another talking to his wife. John screamed at the top of his lungs “Hey, Don’t you know what I’ve just done for you” they didn’t hear him so he screamed again “Hey, Don’t you know what I’ve just done for you” But again they just went along with their lives not ever realizing what John had done for them. God is asking us the same question “Don’t you know what I’ve done for you. I sent my only son to this earth for you. He died a terrible death so that you could spend eternity with me. Why are you going on with your busy meaningless live not serving me, and some of you have not even accepted me as your savior. I love you so much.

I am reading through the Book of Mormon for the first time (I am currently in Alma). Anyway, I have been reminded of this passage from 1 Nephi 13:28-29 28 Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God. 29 And after these plain and precious things weretaken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest—because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God—because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them. I am just curious as to what these "plain and precious things" are that can be found in the Book of Mormon.

Are you saying these three persons are one God or three separate Gods?

What is the difference between the trinity and one eternal God existing three parts?

So was Amulek. Here's Alma 11:44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.