Fether

Interesting. I seemed to have learned it the opposite way. First learning and loving the bit about Heavenly Father always willing to accept us back even after living sinfully. So I feel like the parable name fits perfectly. Later in my life I saw the bit about the brother just an appendage of the main story. I believe knowing the intended audience helps a lot in studying, but in this case, as with almost parables, trying to pin down a single audiences is not wise (which in assure you agree with).

But even the "donts" the lord provides, to some extent, have exceptions in extreme circumstances.

And that is what I'm getting at. Not having kids won't keep you from exaltation... but not wanting kids might (no idea though).

It doesn't make you a lesser person for wanting less than another person. Just know that exaltation includes marriage and eternal increase of children. There will be no exalted singles or married couples that don't want children. This isn't bad, it just means you won't achieve the highest degree because you don't want it. Not because you seek good enough

I don't understand. We are told all the time that sabbath observance is not a list of to dos and to donts. But we still debate if working, doing homework, cleaning and going to sports events are "to dos" or "to donts"

I was actually surprised it took Antifa so long to do something here in Utah x) but it isn't really the local population, it's whenever people like Milo yianoppolis or Ben Shapiro show up. All of a sudden sleeper agents get triggered and hell breaks loose.

Now here is the question. Is fascism a problem in the US?

I've always liked PBS I haven't seen a ton of their programs but the ones I have have been pretty good. This is not the first Mormon documentary they have done, they tend to be pretty good.

Holy, holy God; we believe that thou art God, and we believe that thou art holy, and that thou wast a spirit, and that thou art a spirit, and that thou wilt be a spirit forever. Holy God, we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren; and we do not believe in the tradition of our brethren, which was handed down to them by the childishness of their fathers; but we believe that thou hast elected us to be thy holy children; and also thou hast made it known unto us that there shall be no Christ. But thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever; and thou hast elected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for the which holiness, O God, we thank thee; and we also thank thee that thou hast elected us, that we may not be led away after the foolish traditions of our brethren, which doth bind them down to a belief of Christ, which doth lead their hearts to wander far from thee, our God. And again we thank thee, O God, that we are a chosen and a holy people. Amen. x)

We shouldn't make changes in the church purely to increase inclusion if a perceived minority. If I were a quorum president and chose a counselor who was black and another that was Asia on the basis of increasing inclusion, I would not be acting by revelation, but by my own agenda. The same can be said about changes in policy. It needs to be coupled with revelation

I had a conversation with a coworker yesterday and learned he had gotten only a week from being baptized. The reason he decide not to was because of a lack of historical evidence. It is a hard case when one is seeing for hard evidence. The truth is his. There are Explanations for everything in the LDS church, but the church itself does not side itself with many of them because it has not been revealed by God to be true or no. For me, I realized that there’s being possible explanations was enough to cover my desire for historical proof. All anti or doubt is based of unproven accusations. A lot of the truth is too, but like the doubt, the possible truth is just as believable as the possible falsehoods. So are we going to be doubtful or faithful? Success in this is only poss Bow through faith

I would definitely recommend serving a mission :). Not for some arbitrary standard of righteousness, but for your own righteousness The missionary I trained had been a member for only a year before serving and he was my all time favorite companion! So don’t decide not to serve because of a lack of knowledge or experience. Also. LDS women want righteous men to marry. Often times that accompanies serving a mission.

Im not looking to lose weight or gain muscle, but to just keep track of the food I'm eating and the nutrition associated with them. is There an app that does this well??

I like Vort said. Unity is not THE measuring stick of Christianity. We are to seek unity. If it is unattainable, and if our lives are in danger, we can break that unity in defense of our lives. Christ himself wasn't unified with everyone, why should we?

I am once again... sick of your garbage Zil (hope you know I'm just messing around when I say this)

Those situations still fit that standard. The Kingmen weren't just an opposing belief, but were putting the nation of the Nephites at risk. You are essentially asking about unifying ourselves with those that want to kill us. Killing in the defense of our lives and freedom has long been condoned by God.

I'm trying to streamline my study not taking by getting a single multi color pen. Now I know we have a lot of pen experts in this forum so I expect responses this is the style of pen onlooking for. What is the best one?

Which scenario are you referencing?

Haha ok well here is where I agree. I think most of us agree that Christianity is more than just getting along with the guy next to you. Also being unified with someone does not mean agreeing with them. Nor does it suggest that we should allow other to believe wrongly. This could lead some to believe a lack of unity (which in many cases it is). Where I MAY disagree with you (not sure cause you didn't make a clear stance )is that I do believe that a level of unity among all men and women should exist if we want to b called Christian.Just like Joseph Smith taught that he would stand in defense if any man is unjustly attacked, we should too.

And without getting into details of it either, I agree with your perceived concept... but with some reservations.

If you travel with the sun, you will never need to observe the sabbath!

I love the question! It's true! What if my whole family goes to the telestial kingdom? Will there be a big bad body guard angel telling me I can't stand next to my family members?? I doubt it! This is how I have rationalized it. D+C 19:6-12 teaches us that 'eternal'/'endless' is synonymous with 'God'. Now in this example it is referring to the phrase "eternal punishment". It may be that this extends to the phrase "eternal family". It means "God's family". All sealigs will eventually all be tied together and back to Adam. This is God's family. The phrase eternal family may also reference eternal progression as in a never ending size to your family

Ring shopping

You should read this (well everyone should): https://www.lds.org/ensign/1978/01/working-on-sunday?lang=eng Here is a highlight "If you are already in a job that requires Sunday work, you need to ask yourself the following: Is there an alternative to Sunday work? Can I change my schedule? If I did not work on Sunday, would it put an unfair burden on other employees? Could we trade Sunday shifts? If I quit this job, what would happen to my family? Are there other employment possibilities that could keep us secure and yet allow me to participate fully in the Church and obey the Lord’s commandments? Is there a ward where I can still attend some or all of my Sunday meetings, even though I work? Am I sure I’m not using my job as an excuse for laziness?" I live in Utah and I feel like finding a college level job in Utah where you can avoid working sundays is harder than anywhere else. I honestly can't think of a single job off hand where I don't work Sunday's. Of course we can say "I refuse to work sundays" but that leaves 5 other LDS members who have to work Sundays. So what are my options if I hold to the no Sunday working rule? Well... I will likely go heavy into school debt, car debt, rely on the church welfare, paying rent would be impossible so I would have to live off funds from my parents who don't work sundays. My wife is now pregnant so we wouldn't be able to afford insurance so we would get Medicaid, maybe even need food stamps. Then when my child comes along, I'm still 2 years till I get into my career so how would I take care of my child and my wife? We also plan on having a second before we end school. All of this ofcourse is told to us by prophets that we shouldn't do either. Keeping the sabbath holy is not just a check list of does and do nots. ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: "For those who work on the Sabbath when it is not necessary, President Kimball said, “I wonder if money earned upon the Sabbath, when it is unnecessary Sabbath earning, might not also be unclean money" "When men and women are willing to work on the Sabbath to increase their wealth, they are breaking the commandments; for money taken in on the Sabbath, if the work is unnecessary, is unclean money." - Spencer W Kimball https://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/01/keeping-the-sabbath-and-keeping-my-job?lang=eng https://www.lds.org/blog/can-i-honor-god-while-working-on-the-sabbath?lang=eng - "The question itself sounds heretical. Yet many people work Sundays not out of a desire to displease God but more as a reluctant bowing to the practical realities of life. We know Jesus says “the Sabbath was given unto man for a day of rest” (Joseph Smith Translation, Mark 2:26 [in the Bible appendix]), but in our hyper-connected world in which it’s vogue to always be available by smartphone, the vision of a Sabbath of stillness and peace is remarkably difficult for many to experience every Sunday—even for Church employees, of which I am one." The official church stance seems seems to allow it unless it is avoidable or it is to increase our gain.

Did God teach them? Were There cavities in the garden of Eden??