JohnsonJones

Well, the Lord comes on his own time table...not ours. I think many have hoped for his coming for many years, but no man knows the day or the hour. I would imagine that it is still at least 3 years away (temple in Jerusalem needs to be built and two prophets preaching in the streets)...but other than that, I don't know. I may meet the Lord before others if I die before the next coming of the Lord. In that, even if the world becomes evil enough to persecute Christians, even if it is destroy them and kill us, we know as martyrs we would have the greater blessing than they if such were to happen to us and we held firm to the faith. If nothing else, we'd get to see the Lord all that much sooner, even if it's not exactly in this life.

I think it depends on what you qualify as such. For some the answers would be obvious...and I think that's what you are trying to make them out to be...however...I will use it to illustrate a different point...that viewpoints do not always align with each other and sometimes what we may view as a way to define it is not how others may see it. To Godwin the thread... 1. Hitler mostly utilized speeches in public. It was not even he who came up with what the Nazi's called the Final Solution, it was his underling. As such, who was the greater evil, Hitler or the Germans who followed him? 2. In the 1940s after the attack on Pearl Harbor the US sent thousands of Japanese Americans to what were basically concentration camps. Now, it was with the threat of physical harm for the Japanese, as well as the fear of them doing harm to the US that caused such a travesty of rights to occur. Some died in these camps. Others remember. Today, too many forget while remember the even greater horrors of the Death Camps of Germany, but of all the crimes against it's citizens of the 20th century, the threat to it's own citizens (the Japanese Americans) and imprisoning them because of it is perhaps the greatest. Which is the greater crime then, the Japanese that the US fought in the Pacific and actually killed, or those Japanese Americans that they deprived their rights from and imprisoned in their own nation? 3. In the 1960s and 70s the Vietnamese were trying to free themselves from a Tyrannical system of Colonization. They were treated as third class citizens in their own home nation. Many rebelled against this system. Into this the US entered. They fought on the side of their colonial masters. Some of the Vietnamese allied with the US, others fought against it. The Vietnamese sought aid, and as the US was siding with those they opposed, they turned to other sources, one of which were the Communist who were more than happy to use them to fight a proxy hot war with the US. The US killed many of these Vietnamese (and they killed many of the US soldiers and civilians that were sent there). Which then is worse...#1, #2, or #3. I know it was made out to be clear cut, but sometimes things are not quite as clear cut as we make them. In the first instance, even without doing the acts himself, WORDS, especially in politics and government have ramifications. Words CAN be the instigator of other events, even if the one who stated them is not the one who actually executes the brutality they cause. In the second, only those oblivious to the deprivation of rights (of which this thread is talking about, the preservation of the US constitutional rights vs. the rights granted in other nations) would say that such imprisonment and deprivation of rights (even though shelter and food was provided as such) is a good thing. Finally, is War that we enter voluntarily a good choice in all instances? Many would rank them as horrible with #1 being the worst, #2 being the second worst, and some even saying #3 was not a bad thing but something that was necessary ( from some points of view). I think the United States guarantees (or should guarantee, though that is being eroded to a degree slowly) certain rights as given in the first few amendments of the Constitution. This is one thing that makes the United States unique among nations. That does not mean all others need to agree with the United States, nor that their cultures see situations in the same way. There could be multiple ways to answer your questions beyond what one may consider the obvious from another's point of view. For those who want the rights granted by the US, they can move to the US. For those who want the rights of Canada, they can move to Canada. They may need to prove that they are worthy of such a thing (as so to attain citizenship, or at least the right to live and work in the chosen nation) but the world is a place full of different cultures and viewpoints. If one wants to move to the UK, or the Japan, or to China even, let them do so if it aligns with their personal ideas and views. It should be no surprise that there are different views regarding freedom, the right to freedom, the right to live as one wants, and how that is defined, in different nations and cultures.

Well, I have not been as successful at keeping it updated or continuing. I DID lose around 15 pounds this summer, but have almost gotten all of it back now. I still have a few months left in this year though...

Short answer... No, it is not dead Longer answer... ...though PART of it still being on earth could be debatable. It depends on WHICH part you are considering. One portion would be in consideration to the Line of Joseph and the Patriarch of the Church. It appears that for now, this idea of the Patriarch of the Church has been taken from the Earth for now. We are left with the lower Patriarchs, each with a similar authority of the Church Patriarch, but not as encompassing as the responsibility that he used to have. In addition, it would appear that in some arenas the doctrine taught by the Lord and his apostles in the New Testament has been forgotten, forgone, or taken away. We see this reflected in some individuals conversations in regards to the Temple Ordinances to a degree. I'm not really going to touch upon such things here other than to admit that these types of conversations take place regarding some changes in thought and approach within the Church. Why this occurred, I do not know. It could be that some favors or ideas in relation to us have also been taken away. Why, I'm not sure. Sometimes things are taken away due to wickedness, but as I stated, I am unsure of the exact reasons for what has occurred above. However, as many have stated, the things of heaven are Eternal and unchanging principles, not things that die on the whim of men. The Patriarchal order itself in the practice of the family is still the proper order instituted by the Lord regardless of what happens in the world. It is still found in the Scriptures and can still be practiced in the Home. In this, it is not that the father commands nor demands obedience, but that he leads the home with love. It is more akin to how Captain America and the Avengers team up (Comic Books), or Frodo and Sam (Lord of the Rings), or Joseph and Hyrum Smith. One is typically the Leader, but the tasks they take on are normally more of a co-equal job in which they tackle things together and cooperate and converse with each other on how they will do things. Sometimes it is not the leader that is the one that makes decisions, and sometimes it is the leader who needs support rather than taking charge. In almost all instances, it is a companionship that strengthens each other through cooperation rather than a dictatorship of authority. In this, as the Father is there to lead the home, but NOT be a dictator over it. Leadership is not dictatorship and normally those who are dictators are not really very good leaders. Good Leaders listen to those they lead and try to inspire them to follow them. It is a matter of inspiration and encouragement rather than one of dictatorship and force. Something else to consider, that may be dying, but not dead yet, or in better words, slowly fading from the Church but not taken away from it yet, is that of the Patriarchal Order in the Priesthood. There are some here that would disagree with what I am about to discuss. This Order is the highest one in the Priesthood. To obtain this Priesthood authority, it CANNOT be held solely by a Man. It is ENTERED JOINTLY by him and his spouse. In this way, his wife ALSO holds the Priesthood. Through this order of the Priesthood in the past, women have been able to call down the powers of their husbands priesthood in blessings and other things as seen in Church History. They are JOINT holders of this Priesthood authority. The natural order of this leads to the Man being the Priesthood Holder in the Home. He is the one who leads in the Priesthood. The ONLY instances (that I know of) when I wife called down upon the priesthood of her husband was when he was absolutely unavailable and normally other priesthood holders would be unable to help her in that instance. It does NOT mean she leads or becomes the priesthood holder in the home, but if church history is an example, that she can bless her children and home in his stead if he is absent. Though this is no longer really something we practice, it can be seen as having been done in church history. It indicates that this is a JOINT power, but also emphasizes the proper order and leadership of it in the home. Without one, the other cannot possess it. A MAN CAN ONLY have this Priesthood authority and enter into this order if they are Sealed together in an eternal union. Without a spouse, the husband loses this authority. To be clear, it is NOT a separate Priesthood, but a Priesthood authority, or natural order from the Priesthood. It is still the Melchizedek Priesthood, but a higher manifestation of it. It is the more complete manifestation of it rather than a separate grouping. This particular order of the Priesthood is the Highest there is, encompassing all others within it. It is under this authority that men act as a representative of the Lord in their homes, and in their absence the mother also has equal hold. This helps them to lead their children in righteousness, and guides them to bind their children to them both spiritually and eternally. This has not been taken from the earth or the church (that I know of) yet. It may be in the future with the way things are going (I don't know the future), but currently, it is STILL here. Thus, in this way the Patriarchal order is still among us for our present time, in my understanding.

If I remember, Life and Monopoly both had the same background game from which they were derived. The original game had the same goal, to win by having the most money, but it was also a morality game...showing how money actually corrupts and focusing on it can be a bad thing. It is interesting how that was changed so that now, when we play the games it's normally more for fun than the morality, and the morality is actually lost and the focus really is to win by having the most money.

It's not that you are robotic, it's the idea that if one checks off the list that you posted, they are righteous. AS I mentioned above, it doesn't really tackle or discuss what real righteousness is. It talks about some ideas which you feel are outward indicators, but they themselves are not what actually saves someone. Some of them are your own self values that you put up, and that's fine. However, if one is looking at that list as this is what defines who is righteous and who is not...it gives the appearance that one has missed the boat by viewing guardshack on the harbor. It makes it sound somewhat robotic, where everyone checks off the checklist and sees if everyone else is doing it too...sort of like a robotic assembly line. A better way is to say it's looking at the outward appearance of being righteous while ignoring everything else, including the gospel and other aspects. It's trying to say one case fits all, rather than allowing the idea that there are all sorts of people and followers of the Lord, even in the church. I'm not against your list, I think it can fill in what someone who is righteous may do in their day to day activities. However, just like the law of sacrifice was with the Jews, it was not the action of the sacrifice that saved them, it was the Lord's atonement. Sometimes we focus to much on the action (such as sacrificing the lamb or animal) rather than the deeper meaning of why we do it and what actually saves us (the Lord's atonement and his sacrifice and resurrection).

Parts of it, anyways. The part which many Mormon Historians claim that Lehi and his family went through are impassable...which makes most who have seen the area HIGHLY DOUBT that ANY family passed through that area. It's not just a matter of time, the family probably would have lost over half it's members trying travel through the area it's so dangerous to traverse in the fashion they would have those many centuries ago. In addition, once you have seen some of the other areas...they don't actually match up with what is described. With the timeline of 8 years and mostly an Eastward direction, to ME it makes more sense that after spending some time through the Peninsula that they traveled East through Asia. The timeline fits better...AND the currents of the ocean match better with a voyage that could have actually gotten them to the Americas (the currents and winds from Saudi Arabia stand a better chance of having them end up elsewhere with the technology of ships they had during that time period).

I have a Hotmail account somewhere...so no...not the last person on earth with one... Maybe one of the few left on Earth that actually use it. I think at least one Hotmail account I have was converted to an outlook account or something like that though, I logged into that one recently, but only because it's there for security validations or whatever they have when I log into yet another email and they want to validate that account. I don't like giving my phone for the double validation they ask about. So many of them have been hacked...that's like asking for them to give out my phone number so I can get even MORE robo calls!!!

Only the LORD judges those who are to go to heaven or not. I have a hope that many will be there, but I only know that I can try my hardest. For those who are the elect of the Lord...I don't think waking early or going to bed early necessarily have anything to do with who gets to go to heaven and who does not. Nor do I feel that list necessarily has much that describes those that accept the Lord or not. I'd say more likely it has to do with two great commandments... Those who love the Lord with all their heart, might, mind and strength... and Those who love their neighbors as themselves. With the first, I think it will guide those who strive to follow the commandments to show their love of the Lord...and in this, I think sometimes it WILL be the intents of the heart and what was intended more than what is shown... but with the second... I think it may be able to be seen in the actions of those who truly care for others and what happens to others that will reflect on what one really thinks and feels and believes. Hopefully we will ALL meet together in the Kingdom of Heaven, but I think we will be judged more on how much like the Lord we become and emulate rather than just simply following the instructions of other men or leaders, or simply following along. I think it deals more with our hearts and minds and deeds, how we think and why we think what we do, than simply just what we do in relation to the church or church callings and such. I DO think that we tend to be judgmental in our observations and thoughts on who is the elect and who are not at times. We may be very surprised at who attains the Celestial rewards in heaven. Some who may the be greatest among us may be those who we felt were the lowest of us, and some of those the world holds in high regard may not be some of those that are of the highest standing when we reach heaven. Man seems to have a very different valuation in regards to judging those who are the best and the worst than that of the Lord. I just hope that I myself will be able to reach heaven and find joy, and that my children will also be able to join me there. Hopefully we will also find many of our loved ones and friends, and hopefully all of you will find yourselves in a joyous occasion in heaven as well.

I believe they will have at least a few talks about the New Youth Program that will be in full force this coming January (though parts of it may be in force prior to then possibly).

I saw a herd of Buffalo on the Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon...probably around 50 Buffalo crossing the road. I've tracked a Mountain lion by it's tracks, it had two cubs with it (so most likely a mother Lion). Went to Okeefenokee and have camped near the Alligators there (the platform we camped on was basically just a shelter by the shore where several alligators lay about on) and ran over one or two of them. (by ran over, I mean they swam under our boat, almost making it tip over, or we ran into them in the boat...the boat probably took more damage than the alligators did, which no damage was done to either one...except my nerves occasionally). Ran over a Water Moccasin (and then reran over it just to be sure...I suppose that might make me evil on that account). Several encounters with Bear and Deer in various points (though not sure people want to talk about Hunting and such here).

With Impeachment I'm thinking the House and Senate will both go to the Democrats within the next 5 years. If Trump is President at that time, if the Democrats control both houses, I'm thinking he will be impeached. By Impeachment I'm not talking about the weak minded way it's been referred to during the past 25 years to try to weaken a president's position to a lame-duck, where the House brings in the articles of Impeachment (thus theoretically impeaching) but then, in the Trial of the Senate having NO conviction thus invalidating the impeachment in regards to the allegations, but the full on impeachment, conviction, and removal from office type which has yet to occur in the US. I expect that Trump, if he wins re-election will be the first that this could happen to. There have been many who have already wanted to do so, many with no real strong position to do so other than their dislike. Wiser minds thus far have realized that without control of BOTH the House and the Senate, there is no chance of him actually getting the full on impeachment. (and it will take a HUGE control, 2/3 in the Senate, but I think the Democrats think that may be obtainable within the next four years). Neither Clinton nor Johnson were fully impeached. If Both House and Senate fulfill their respective portions of the Impeachment proceedings. The House brings up the Impeachment charges, but it is not enforced until the Trial which is held by the Senate...which can clear the President, or level punishments including removal from Office. So, yes, Johnson and Clinton were Impeached, meaning the allegations were brought up and thus they were "impeached" but they were NEVER convicted. In similar looking at it, it is if you were arrested for a crime, brought to trial, but not convicted. Thus you stand as innocent and not being found guilty. No one has yet to be convicted in Impeachement. I expect if the Democrats gain enough control, they will fully impeach Trump, meaning allegations brought up and then conviction done in the Senate. I think they are already trying to lay the groundwork right now for this very instance in, I'd guess, about two to four years from now. It's the long game. In recent times, traditionally, Congress switches to the other party opposite of the President during the Presidents second term. I am thinking that the Democrats are betting on this same situation repeating itself again if Trump wins a re-election.

I do not think the left would ever actually bring a violent revolution with some of the values they currently espouse. It might bring protests on a large scale if it went as far as it could, but I cannot see people actually starting a civil war if Trump won a re-election. On the otherhand, as Congress seems to shift from one side to the other, it would seem more likely that Trump will face impeachment hearings and perhaps become the first US president Impeached if he is re-elected. I think the bigger question is if someone from the Far Left wins the election, would it bring the nation closer to a possible civil war?

I HAVE talked to the Lord. I have SEEN him. It is possible for those who are not General Authorities to do so. I am NOT the Prophet though, nor am I the Seer or Revelator. However, because I have seen the Lord I KNOW that he is real. Many have been given this gift and opportunity in this life. There are others who have seen the Lord at various times. Many of these have occurred in Near Death experiences or similar times. Many of those will also say they know the reality of his existence. However, this is a personal thing. I KNOW because I have seen and heard. There is no way to show you the experience, as it was not recorded on any devices I have or was able to give. Many work to try to disprove the experiences others have had so that instead of saying that they know from seeing and hearing, that it is still a belief based on the brain's actions. People can tell you what they have seen and heard in this life or their experiences, just like any other experience. They cannot make anyone believe that those experiences are true or not. The same applies in this. I KNOW he lives, but you have not experienced what I have, so I cannot make you believe that or to help your belief in that regards. However, this does not diminish their testimony of these things, nor does it mine. I know he is real because I have seen him. I BELIEVE in him because of the Spirit and the Holy Ghost. They reaffirm my testimony. My experiences are just as real as they have been when I type on this computer and touch the keyboard, or when I eat my lunch or any other experiences we have. In this, I'd say there are MORE resources than just "two biased books" but for the most part, those who testify of him are largely ignored in many ways. Even a testimony from the Holy Ghost can give one faith, and that in itself I consider a testimony and yet another resource that testifies that he is real. Those who have this testimony and bear it can have a powerful effect and they too are a resource testifying that the Lord, the atonement, and it's effects in this life are real. There are many things I do not KNOW. There are many things that are merely belief to me. There are many things that are less than that and are merely opinions, or less than that, mere thoughts on a matter. I cannot tell you about how the Bible or Book of Mormon happened in history. I believe many things but I haven't been granted knowledge of all things. But I will say that one can KNOW of the Savior being a reality and that Jesus Christ is real. I know this, and I know there are others who also have had experiences that have also given them this gift while in this life.

I think you are correct in many ways. If kids stuck to their state schools it could be a LOT cheaper for many of them (depending on the State). However, many want to go to the school of "their choosing" which means out of state schools. In state tuition can be around 10K a year for my area (depending on the school, it actually can be as low as $200-$300 per credit hour, so depends on how many credits you take if not full time). However, for an out of state student that suddenly jumps to probably somewhere in the range of 30-60K a year. Multiply out of state tuition (and you haven't even touched on housing yet) by 4 years and you are over 6 figures for an education. That's just a state school. Private institutions can be even more expensive than that. For a basic State school out of state tuition, at around 30K a year, that means just in tuition you'd pay 120K. Housing will probably be at least 300 a month, so toss that in to $3000 a year on top of that for a really cheap place that is the slums of University off campus housing and you'll have another 12K on top of that. Verses Instate without any bonuses of 10-11K a year. If you have a GPA over 3.5 that's cut in half, and with a special deal with local schools, that also can be cut in half...so someone without any scholarships at all could b paying 2500 - 3000 USD for their schooling. That's a pretty good deal, especially when compared to 120K totals. However, there are many that don't want to take advantage of that or the school isn't their idea of where they want to go. Still, I'd be in favor of making State Schools free to go to for those who are residents of the State, but that tends to be an unpopular opinion among many.