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Adam's sin, or Adam's transgression, also known as the Fall of Adam, is utilized by many other religions to justify why we are all going to Hell without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, even after that atonement was made. We believe that unless one knows good from evil and chooses, they cannot sin. Thus, as Adam did not know Good from Evil before he partook of the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil, he could not specifically sin. However, by choosing to eat of the fruit of the tree of Good and Evil he was going against the commandments given him, thus he transgressed the laws of the Lord and the punishment that ensued. By doing this he brought upon himself a physical and spiritual death. As we are children of Adam, we too inherit this. We believe in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This means that we believe that as long as one repents, they can have their sins (and transgressions) completely absolved by the atonement. This means that any things Adam did which broke the Laws of the Lord and he repented of are erased. The effects on him going to heaven or hell are done away and the sin is as if it did not occur when determining where he goes in the afterlife. As he repented (as we believe) this means that his transgression is erased in relation to physical and spiritual death. His sin after this life is as if it did not occur. His robes are white as it were. As his children, we also inherit this and will not suffer from the effects of his transgression in the eternities. This applies to anyone, through the atonement all our sins can be washed away. Because of this, though we may die from this mortality, it is not permanent, we will be resurrected. Physical death has no hold upon us. The same applies to spiritual death in regards to the sins of our fathers, or in this case...Adam. His transgression holds no power over us after this life due to the atonement. As Adam fell, Jesus raised us back up again. Thus, no one is going to Hell simply because they were born, as Adam's transgression is fully erased in regards to him and his children in the life after this. This is ALSO why we believe little children do not need to be baptized. They are unable to tell the difference between Good and Evil, the Lord's laws or not following those laws. As they learn more, they become more accountable, but until that point, they are unable to sin. As such, and as transgression is made whole or done away through the atonement, and they are not held by any inheritance of it, they are sinless. They will all go to heaven regardless of what they do in this life. However, this does NOT absolve us from personal responsibility. Even though Adam has repented and was forgiven, we can still act against the Lord on our own. When we do this knowingly, knowing good from evil and choosing evil, we Sin. This is independent of Adam. When we do so, we are doing our own sin, and of that we will be judged. We need to repent of our own sins in our own lives. Because the atonement is universal, if we do this, we, like Adam, can also be forgiven.

I have to admit, I originally was also under the idea that when we got immunity from something, that immunity lasted for the rest of our lives overall. An example is that I was immunized against Small Pox. That immunity I think is supposed to last. I had heard that with the flu, though we may gain immunity from one strain, it may not confer immunity to the other strains. In this, it could apply to Covid-19 in that even if we got immunity from Beta, it may not be conferred for Delta, Gamma, or Lambda. That said, that does not appear to be the catalogue of ideas currently in relation to Covid-19 and T-cell immunity. Modern science appears that I may have been wrong in regards to vaccinations lasting for the rest of our lives though. In regards to the measle vaccine and others it appears that it does wane over time. It seems that the less exposure one has, the faster it wanes. Measles decline of immunization over time study It also appears that I may have been dealing with outdated information regarding immunization for a bit as it seem studies going back to at least 2002 were studying this. Estimation of waning vaccine efficiency From a Non-US source, as that way you won't think it is merely a United States thing, a study (and other research currently) suggests that the immunity to Covid-19 will wane, though in the study they were still trying to figure out exactly how long immunity lasts. Covid-19 Immunity How long does it last Now, from a US source, but highly respected (John Hopkins and the WHO) we see from the graphs of the study outcomes at around 4 months that immunity is still going on but there is some waning occurring among the variant aspects of immunities Studies Forest Plots So, it appears that immunity DOES wane over time even from the initial research into it for what it seems to be natural immunity as well as vaccine immunity. though I cannot say exactly why as I am not a Biomedical expert or even study in the field.

I was fortunate in that I don't recall ever getting into a direct altercation for no other reason than my uniform, but it may also be that I was from a rather conservative (though, ironically, mostly democrat at the time) area of the nation. I was unfortunate enough to be involved in a great deal of combat though, with more time in combat than many other troops. It's not something I really talk about though, nor enjoy discussing. That said, I completely agree with you in that it seems to me that things are escalating. There were some rather terrible things happening in my youth and there were protests and even riots of a sort, but I do not recall them being on the scale of violence and defiance that they are today, nor that they were as regular on the occurrence as they appear to be today. I think the morality and wickedness of the nation is increasing (and has continued to increase since the 60s when morality started to be seen more as an optional thing, something that has grown in acceptance over the decades rather than slowing down or dying out) the violent tendencies and division between us also are increasing. I also agree about the Book of Mormon (and recently remarked a little on that in other locations on the forum in relation to my reading) and secret combinations. It also appears to me that the trends are escalating and not becoming more calm.

Are you sure about that? What I've read via the university research and the news say the exact opposite (and no offense, I'd trust those who actually are experts and professionals in the research community over others). Those who have had Covid-19 have antibodies, but they do not seem to last as long as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations. Furthermore, they are more specific (for some reason) on the Covid-19 variant they have had, and thus are less effective against alternate variants (For example, perhaps you had the original strain, it is not as effective against Delta as Pfizer or Moderna). What they DID find out is that the HYBRID of the two is VERY effective. What this means is if you had Covid-19 prior to being vaccinated, or get Covid-19 after being vaccinated, you get a hyper-immunization against Covid-19 and all it's variants (they are not sure for how long a time period it lasts yet from what I can tell) that is extremely effective. It is hoped that the boosters being given out also can replicate this (thus far I have not seen evidence that it does, though it does boost the immunity against Covid-19...they still are not sure for how long though). I do not know why you are blaming the CDC or NIA in this as much of our information regarding boosters have come from Israel (which is NOT connected to the US in this regard...unless you are trying to convince me of a world-wide conspiracy between all the nations of the world, nations that cannot even agree to disagree over things such as communism, oil, and power) and other nations...NOT specifically the CDC. The CDC in many instances is just a repeater, or repeating information they have already gotten from elsewhere...information that can be gotten by others who want it if they so desire and seek it out. The predictions of getting back to normal DIED when many in other nations refused to listen to any medical advice from professionals. Refusing vaccinations, any efforts to curb the disease by masking, social distancing, quarantining, or any sort of item to care about those around them or their communities. There are a multitude of Medical professionals that would LOVE to go back to "normal" as they are exhausted and the constant stream of filled up hospitals has been taking it's toll on their community with burnout and simply tired of putting up with people dying who refused to take any precautions until it was too late. Many Billionaires and Millionaires are tired of it because they've actually LOST money during the pandemic as people haven't participated in certain activities that they used to (mostly in the entertainment industry such as restaurants, theatrical shows, musical concerts, etc). I do agree though that there are probably some Billionaires that ARE happy about it and have been growing richer with the Pandemic as it has brought a LOT more money and business for them (Jeff Bezos and Amazon come to mind for example), and it is obvious that politicians have been making it a political issue (starting number one with Trump, though Democrats have been using that as a jumping off point themselves to ALSO garner power and support, so we see it on BOTH sides of the United States Political aisle) to tear the nation apart rather than simply sitting down and helping to end it. I think most WANTED to get back to normal, including people like Fauci, but as people like Tucker Carlson and others who spread misinformation and lies (interestingly enough, Tucker Carlson almost took down Fox News being Fox News...they had to claim in court that no one in their right mind or who was reasonable would believe a thing Carlson was saying and that he was NOT anything related to news to be able to continue*) and people actually BELIEVED those lies...it became clear this would be endemic rather than something that could be ended by us all banding together as a community to end it when we could have at the beginning. *Findlaw tucker carlson successfully argues nobody really believes tucker carlson is reporting facts Fox wins McDougal Case, Argues No One Takes Tucker Carlson Seriously NPR You literally can't believe the facts Tucker Carlson tells you, so say Fox's Lawyers

I cannot speak for you or what you felt. I do not know. I will say it could have been the Holy Ghost saying something, but the question comes on how one knows what it is telling them. Most people do not know or cannot say themselves, it being more of a feeling to them rather than a distinct wording or statement. They do not have an angel come and visit them in person (and frankly, most Christian religions today except for Pentecostal teach that this would be impossible as visions and prophets do not continue in their theology) nor does the Lord come in person to tell them (as per the prior statement on their theology saying this no longer occurs). The spirit that the Pentecostals seem to listen to seems to be on an opposing end of the spirit we claim to listen to in some of their more lively churches. The pentecostal in those branches of their religion tend to feel it is a very loud thing to make one jump and shout, to be boisterous and speak in gibberish which they claim to be tongues (but from which, at times, those who actually know those tongues will say that the words they speak are not words from any version or form of that language). Not ALL Pentecostals feel this, but there are some that do. This spirit is very different (and perhaps almost the exact opposite of what we claim to listen to and be inspired by). They feel the way they do, we feel the way we do. The bigger question i would have is how do you KNOW exactly what it was saying? Is it by the way that the very lively Pentecostals claim (and they are one of the few of theology that claim they can hear specific things and statements...unlike many other theologies that deny that the Lord speaks to men in this way anymore, nor that the Lord visits or creates prophets anymore), or is it by some other means. Is it by the same way the Missionaries said, which, if so, why would it speak in that manner to you in opposition to what other religions claim? I know there are many, even in our own religion, who claim to have felt the Holy Ghost but no more felt it manifest or can tell if it is there than a Baptist or Catholic or any other member of any other church would say. When the wind blows, if it blows (and hopefully it will not, but sometimes it does) it is shown. They refuse to follow the prophet (for example, we see a LOT of that these days with those openly in defiance of our Church leadership in preaching against vaccines, masks, and the items asked of us by our Church leaders in the highest positions of leadership today) and claim that the spirit told them to do this. We see others say they feel this same spirit to deny the Holy Ghost and the Gospel, claiming that they are resigning from membership because of this. These are members of our church that claim these things at times...and if they cannot identify the Holy Ghost in their lives...I can imagine it may be difficult for someone who is new. I think you could have very well felt the Holy Ghost. The bigger question is how do you know what it was telling you? How are you sure? I do not know. I am not you. It may be that there are things in your life that you have yet to do. Personally, I HIGHLY doubt it was specifically saying the Book of Mormon was not true, but then, I was not there and I am not you. I have no idea what it told you or what you felt. Perhaps it was telling you what you need to know or feel...I don't know. I think there could be mistakes about what exactly it was trying to say...but once again, I'm not you and did not participate in your experience. In my estimation, the Holy Ghost does not lie, it reveals truth. In that light, in my understanding, it would never actually specifically say that the Book of Mormon was false. It would only testify that it was true and that it contains the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, there may be other things it may indicate or state that could mean any number of things. It may be that you misunderstood what was being said or told...I don't know. Two years is a long time to try to find the truth and I can understand the weariness of it. I can understand being invested in something and not receiving the answers one wishes or hopes for. I hope that you can continue to pray and read the Book of Mormon, and hope to receive the blessing of belief, but you must do what you feel is necessary for you and your life and your choices of faith and belief. Either way, whether you choose to continue to study and pray, or to go your own way and follow a different path or faith, I think you are always welcome here to discuss with us faith and our joint love of Jesus Christ.

There may be several things at work. All of which I am to say is mostly supposition on my part rather than any thing else. 1. Some believe that the Church is a vessel for the gathering of Israel. This means that those who become members are those of the House of Israel. A few others may join and be adopted into a house, but if you believe in the literal gathering of Israel, one of the ways it becomes true is that the church itself is the vessel for the West, and Israel the vessel for the East (for the Jews, though mostly not for those who are not of the Tribe of Judah, the Church gathers most of the rest in). The Tribes of Joseph being the most dominant in the Church (as per the promises to Joseph), though other tribes are there as well. 2. With this in mind, it may be that those who are not of Israel may not feel the call as intensely, or the desire as strongly to gather themselves into the flock. What may be obvious to a son or daughter of Israel may not be as apparent to those who are not part of the gathering. 3. In this instance, it could be that without that intensity of feeling or inspiration they are left to other means to come to the truth on their own, if they truly desire it. It may be a very rocky road. 4. When reading the Book of Mormon I come upon things that, in my study of History, I feel there is no way a young man of Joseph Smith's age could have known or realized about Hebrew civilization or melding it in with some of the ideas of Native Americans in the past. Even with their knowledge at the time, many of the things that are in the Book of Mormon that correlate to these civilizations were not known at the time. A young man could not have guessed so many items on his own. At the same time, there are items which seem extremely counter to our modern understanding of those civilizations. In that light, it seems almost as if he made it up as some of these items seem impossible. They could not have occurred here or happened here in the Americas. This creates confusion if one is merely relying on the knowledge of man. One the one hand you have evidence that something is going on beyond what is natural or normal, that there is evidence that Joseph Smith had knowledge that was not available to anyone else at the time. On the otherhand, you have things that go so contrary to what our modern knowledge of the Americas show that you can come to almost no other conclusion than that he made it up...IF relying ONLY on the powers of man and our current knowledge and observation. It is only with the help of the Spirit that one can actually get that testimony...BUT...if this is the gathering of Israel and those who are not of the House of Israel do not feel the call so keenly...it can lead to a much harder path where the ideas and knowledge of men have a greater sway. 5. That said, I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I felt the Holy Spirit testify strongly to me, and it continues to testify of the truthfulness of the gospel when I go to church, that the Book of Mormon is true when I read the Book of Mormon, and that the Lord and his atonement are a reality when I study the scriptures and pray. I was surprised when I got my patriarchal blessing many decades ago that I was actually a member of a tribe of Israel. i was not adopted in, but was a member. AS such, it was a surprise to me what tribe it was and that I was a member of it, though I think I had hoped for it to be so. I am not from a member family. I am a convert but many of my family, especially those of the older generation (my children and grandchildren joined the church, though some have had difficulties in recent years so this is not about them) are NOT members. They did not feel the need to join. We are of the same bloodline and genealogy. If it is the gathering of Israel the question could be...why did I join and not they? 6. I feel that some of them got a testimony but for various reasons let it die or chose to follow a different path...BUT...I cannot make that judgement absolutely. I do not know. If they did, than according to the scriptures they can still attain a degree of glory, though perhaps not the fulness of it...BUT...that may not be what is in store at all. There are some that say that things sometimes pop up which prevent someone from getting the truth manifested to them. Sometimes things happen where they may hear the gospel, but do not have the opportunity to know if it is really true or not. There may be some reason where because of other events or things occurring, that even if they visit with the missionaries and hear the gospel and study it out that they never actually get the opportunity to truly hear the gospel or accept it's message. I don't understand it completely myself, but I understand the idea. This is why many say that we do not know whether someone will have the opportunity to go the Celestial Kingdom in the next life, even if they did not accept the gospel in this one. We do not understand all the things about or around what may have been involved with them being able to accept or reject the message. It may be that even if appearances seem to indicate that they had an opportunity, in reality, they did not. Thus, they will get the true opportunity to accept or reject the gospel message in the next life and receive all the blessings thereof. 7. This is why we do temple ordinances, even for those who may seem to have heard and rejected the gospel in this life. We do not know all the circumstances of the situation and it may truly be that they never actually had the opportunity in this life for whatever reason. It is also this that I can hold onto in regards to dead relatives that we visited with the missionaries, gave Book of Mormons to, and talked to and felt the Holy Ghost with...that perhaps they did not actually have the opportunity and will receive it in the next life. I do not know who I will be sealed to in the next life in regards to my parents and onward. It is an unanswered question currently, but I think that all sadness will be resolved and joy will be with us throughout our existence there. I realize that there may be reasons at times why people do not get a testimony in this life, and sometimes it's for reasons we may not entirely understand. I feel it is all within the purposes of the Lord though, and through him we can find what is important in our lives and hope for all those in this life in regards to the gospel and the lord.

Well, I cooked the Turkey, cooked green bean casserole, cooked rolls, cooked sweet potato casserole, and coordinated with my wife who was using the oven when (she also cooked a number of items). Always remember how much I dislike cutting turkey (why is it the Father's job to carve the Turkey? Well, my wife doesn't like to do it either, so that's an excellent reason for me to do it, if for no other reason than to make it so she does not have to). I should make one of the kids or grand kids do it one of these days. It is interesting that after you have children, you are always the ones responsible for doing the Turkey and dinner as (at least for us) even after they've grown up you'll always have at least one (many times more) come visit for Thanksgiving. Instead of just the kid, you have their entire family though, so we get to cook more and more as we get older. I suppose it's a good thing though, as it makes your home still the center of visitation for them and thus the center of the family...at least for now.

I must admit, I'm not a fan of property taxes. In the United States we can buy property, but in truth we never truly own it. We continuously pay rent to the government in the form of Property taxes. Of course, it is a very old thing and is never going to depart from us. (It started as a feudal thing, where the King was the true owner of the land, and thus his nobility, which paid fealty to the king, would pay taxes to the king. To raise these taxes, they would tax their lessers, and so on and so forth until it came to the lowest peasant to pay taxes. This continued in the Colonies as paying to the King and as such, forced those who settled land to develop it rather than have it lay vacant, so as to make a profit so as to pay the king. In some ways it is directly responsible in part for the expansion and development of the Colonies, and later the United States. After the Revolution, as there was no King, the writers of the Articles and later the constitution replaced the King with the Federal Government, it now being in place of the King was the owner of the land in the end). With that, if I have to pay property taxes anyways, and where I live, much of it is what supports the education, it might as well be for education rather than worse things.

As the coming of Christ approaches in the Book of Mormon things continually seem to get darker and darker. It is the darkest right before dawn some say. If we see the Book of Mormon not just as a history of the Nephites and Lamanites, but also as a type and shadow of our day to be related to how things may go before the second coming, it can depress our hearts to a degree even as we look forward with hope to how it ends. In this, I was reading the Book of 3rd nephi today in Chapter 6 and was struck by some verses and how they may apply to me. and later Two things struck me in this. First, that there are those who argue that High Priest was an office that was thought of later in the church, but we see right here in the Book of Mormon that the Office of High Priest has been around since the beginning of our Church, even if not specifically called (and I've had this thought before, but it is a good thing to bring up and remember). Secondly, that High Priests are members of the Church and more than that, the LEADERS of the Church. That is in the Book of Mormon and that is today as well. It indicates that as the Second coming draws nearer that even many of the High Leaders of the Church will be full of iniquity and wickedness. That when called on to be righteous, rather than do so, these men will do evil instead. It could be that this time is already upon us (if so, the second coming may be sooner than we anticipate or think, but I do not know as no man knows the time or day). It is a scary thought. It is also one for self-reflection. Am I included among the Saints of God and the Faithful of the Church, or am I falling in my responsibilities and acting in ways I should not act. I would hope that I may remain humble and a loyal servant of the Lord, but once again the above verses speak of dire times before the second coming (if one reads it as an allegory as well) within the Church just as much as without. Luckily, this dark reading is almost over and (at least for a day or two) I'll have much happier reading within the next few chapters.

I hesitate to point out others, especially to specify individuals, but in general there has been a great inclination among some to toss out the words of our Prophet and First Presidency, even when the Prophet and First Presidency are direct in their statements. Last year we had an a apostle of the Lord in his position as an apostle tell us to do things, and to do these things if not for anything more than to love our neighbors and our fellow man. In action, this was also reinforced by the Prophets and their actions with General Conference, each other, and interactions with the church. Early this year the Prophet came out and gently told us that we should do certain things in regards to the Pandemic we find ourselves currently in. He showed us by example in personally doing these things. Later this year, our Prophet and the First Presidency came out much more strongly on things we should do. Rather than agree with our Prophet and apostles, in every instance, we have had many, including many members, come out against them vocally online in posts and other locations. They have said all manner of things to dissuade people from following the prophet or doing as the prophet has asked them to. It appears that this is MORE than just idle talk and idle speech. In what I have seen this has been reinforced by their actions and what are choosing to do. Even as the Delta variant has ravaged across many of the areas populated by Members, they ignore what is happening and the words of the Prophet, blatantly refusing to do the things he has asked in their totality. I admit, wearing a mask is hard for me at times. It is EVEN HARDER when the members themselves disdain with scorn those who wear a mask or try to do the things asked of by the Prophet in some of the areas of the Church. When almost ALL members of a ward or an area are not doing as the Prophet has asked, this is not just one or two forgetting a mask or forgetting something one Sunday, and when it is done regularly, this is no longer chance, it is planned and blatant rebellion against what has been asked of them. We have had other things to solidify what has been asked of us in the Handbook and other locations. This is a repeated thing to us. I am reminded in my readings of where the prophets tell the people repeatedly to do something (and in fact, in my reading today something else came up in my thoughts that I'll place down in this thread of my gospel readings) in the Book of Mormon and repeatedly the people mock them and cast them out. I do not believe the prophet is infallible, and I believe he is a man, but I also believe he is a prophet of God and given to guide us in these modern days in telling us what the Lord would have us do and what the best direction for us to take as members. I do not feel we should ignore the repeated warnings and statements that have been given to us. However, I suppose it is in line with the things that happen in the Book of Mormon and how the people rise and fall in the Church. This does not mean that all are unfaithful or rebellious. If that were so I think we would be ripe to destruction and already be in worse straights. I think that there are plenty of righteous people in the church following the prophet, and it is probably due to the righteousness of these members that we are not yet destroyed overall as members. But as I read the Book of Mormon and see the parallels of our modern day, I wonder how much worse it will get and how far off the second coming is or will be. At that time in Helaman they still were a good 30-50 years off from when the Savior would be born (and interestingly enough, that was my reading today). I think the righteousness of the members following the prophet are what may be keeping this nation from destruction, and our church from great damage, but I also can see signs of a great many of our youth trending towards ways against the Church and even Christianity (as Elder Oaks talk in general conference was about to some degree). It worries and saddens me to see it occurring in real time. I think it has been there for a while, but the blatant rebellion in the church I think has been made more visible by what is occurring due to the pandemic and the responses to the Prophet and apostles statements regarding it.

I got the Moderna version of the vaccine. From what I've seen, I think I actually prefer it currently to other versions, at least for myself. I am part of the older crowd though, but thus far I have not had a bad experience with it. Granted, I am rather healthy (for my age, or even younger than my age. For someone in their 70s I've been told I have excellent blood pressure, almost like a healthy individual in their 40s...and hopefully the lord continues to bless me). I had a rather adverse reaction to the flu shot this year which was far worse than any Covid-19 vaccine reaction I've had (temperature shot up and got chills and such), but I was okay when I had the vaccine given. Most of the rest of my family (children, grandchildren) from what I know have gotten vaccinated as well, though I think most of them got the Pfizer vaccine.

I was reading in the Book of Helaman recently and was struck by the close parallels of the events in Helaman to some of the things that have been occurring in the United States and among the members of the Church recently. In Helaman chapter 1 we read... I was reminded of the events of early this year. In the United States the people do NOT elect the president directly, instead the choose a group/party who will have their electors vote for a President. The electors are the actual election, and it is this election which is then validated by Congress. In the United States the Electors had voted, but the results of this election made MANY people wroth and angry. In it we saw on January 6th an assault on the very heart of our government. Not all, but some of them, were said to have sought out our Vice President and Speaker of the House and if they could, they would have killed them. We were fortunate that no such event occurred, but as investigations into this and how it happened continue, it appears that we have had a secret planning and organization behind some of these. It sounds very much like the plans of the secret organizations as seen in Helaman, or that is what struck me as I read it. I think there are many secret organizations today, but I think that there are some that are planning to try to overthrow the government and replace it as their own if they could. I also read the following in Helaman 4 The prophet and First Presidency have asked us to get vaccinated, social distance, and wear masks. I recently went to attend a meeting where some of my grandkids were doing a primary program. There were around 10 people in the entire meeting (probably several hundred) who were wearing masks, much less social distancing. I have read online where people argue against the words of the Prophet and the First Presidency (even here, on these forums) and make reasons against them. I have seen recently, as I saw above, that many are not just saying things, they are actively acting upon them in a way to directly go against the counsel we have received. In many ways, I think that we, as Saints, are falling into the same pride and arrogance as shown in the Book of Helaman. It makes me concerned for the future if we do not soon repent as a people, as members of the church, and as we proclaim, hopefully followers of the Lord. How much longer will we be given a grace period by the Lord before his wrath falls upon us for our pride and the way we are acting today in the Church? I see a lot of parallels in my recent reading in the Book of Mormon and how we, as a Church, as well as many in our nation, have acted recently.

Interestingly enough, the current church policies (from what I understand) actually AGREE with the original Roe Vs. Wade arguments, which are to allow medical doctors the ability to decide what is the best course in regards to their patients health, including if that individual requires an abortion. In this aspect, the agreement is that in cases of rape or incest that a medical professional can perform an abortion (after prayerful consideration) in many instances. The above instances in which abortion is allowed in the US (but not other nations) is due to Roe vs. Wade in most areas today. Prior to that, even for some of the instances listed in the handbook, the abortion would have been illegal in many states. What the church does NOT agree with are later rulings which have altered WHAT Roe vs. Wade means or represents, ESPECIALLY rulings made in the 90s (PP vs. Casey). Elective Abortion is against Church policy. (clarification, elective abortion for personal or social convenience). While some may cheer about Roe vs. Wade going away, I'm not sure people realize the full ramifications if it were eliminated completely. That said, I think the push on abortion is too focused and other areas (for example, perhaps looking at the more recent rulings of Gay Marriage with an eye that at the time, the Federal government actually neglected it's duty in defending Federal policies in the Court cases of the time) should be looked at with more scrutiny that may have a better chance to find a more favorable footing or investigation of how they are actually implemented in relation to society and religion than an entire overturn of the Roe vs. Wade argument. A Modification of Roe vs. Wade may be possible, but I do not feel the legal tide has turned enough for a complete overturn of Roe vs. Wade has occurred yet, nor do I think people truly have the stomach for what would happen if it were completely overturned (as it has also impacted other medical cases in regards to doctors having the ability to make choices for patients based on precedent set by the earlier case).

My thoughts, as each situation is different... Express love for them and listen carefully to what they say. Listen to the spirit and heed what it has to say. Let the Spirit guide you. In many instances by the time someone has come to the Bishopric on an issue they have already made up their mind on what they are going to do. There can be very little that can be done to change it. Sometimes the spirit has solutions that the Bishop or Counselors would not think of but are what is needed at the time. It may not be what we expect, or it may align with what we thought to do all along. The biggest thing I think is to express love for the people and interest in them and their lives, then let the spirit guide your actions.

We have a sandpoint we can fall back on if the water is ever cut off or unable to be pumped by the local water company. it's under the Southwest corner of our home. Depending on where you live and how high the water table is, a sandpoint or a well can be useful to have. Store Oats or Rice, they don't require a wheat grinder and can be easy to make (as long as you have water) or cook. You could also store cracked wheat (you can buy them in large bags), though they don't keep as long as normal wheat. It makes a tastier cereal than oats (which is why I'd also suggest keeping a 5 gallon storage bucket of sugar as well as several waterproof containers of salt if you also store oats) and is pretty healthy overall.

Depends on the Nation. In the United States they have been disappearing for some time. In some other nations they are generally there for people (though, those nations also normally have free healthcare which actually tends to help those in dire need FASTER than they are in the United States in some situations, as well as having some other items which are distinctly not found in the US. On the otherhand, they also don't have as much freedom of speech, press, and other freedoms that some take so much for granted in the United States either...so it can be a tradeoff on what one feels is or is not important I suppose).

Mr. Baldwin is also one of the producers. He is the one who, ultimately, is in charge of who is hired and other items such as safety on the set. There had been several such incidents already on the set and much of the techs and groups had walked off in protest to the safety going on. I think with that in mind, a manslaughter charge probably should have been considered (though not necessarily prosecuted until everything is investigated), but I am not the one who is in charge of such things.

We have about a year's supply of food, though we will be eating a lot of wheat, rice, and oats if it ever came down to that. We have a bunch of other items we cycle through (canned soup, vegetables, and fruits), but it probably would extend up to around 6-9 months as we cycle through it each year. That's accounting for extra than me and my spouse, we plan that we could also support one of our kids and their family with us. If it just me and my spouse, we probably have enough for several years.

It's a little mixed up from what I have heard. Trump decided it was time to pull people out, so he pulled people out. He made an agreement with the Taliban (objected to by the Afghan government, which after the deal was made basically had many of their top officials pull out because Trump's plan meant disaster for anyone who wasn't Taliban in their opinion, and those that were left, they started trying to barter their own deals with the Taliban because Trump's deal basically meant they would fall to the Taliban. Their estimates put it around September or October...which were actually proven too long of a time with Biden as it occurred much faster than they even anticipated) in which he released 5000 prisoners to the Taliban (once again, over the objections of the Afghanistan government at the time, this increased the Taliban forces from 10-15K estimates to 20K estimates in less than a year), and drew down U.S. Troop force from 13K to 2.5K in less than a year. The Draw down was opposed by everyone from Generals to Military leaders, to Afghans, to...well...just about anyone who wasn't Donald Trump and his adminstration or those who worshipped him as a false idol. Every military advice and advisor seemed to be against the plan. Trump's deal had the US withdrawing even sooner than Biden did. This "Deal" done by Trump gave the US nothing except Taliban agreements NOT to attack any of the Afghan capitals, to attack Al-quaeda, and to cease hostilities toward the US. Despite this, the hostilities in Afghanistan increased after this agreement. Instead of calling the Taliban out on this, Donald Trump continued to scale down US troop presence in Afghanistan itself. At the end of 2020 Republican Leaders warn that what we are doing in Afghanistan is bad. That it will create a Vietnam type withdrawal situation and that it will condemn our friends and allies in Afghanistan. By January, we are down to 2500 troops, we have removed over 10,000 Troops from Afghanistan under Trump in less than a year, giving the Taliban the opportunity to solidify control of it's areas and start preparations to expand. And that finally brings us to Biden who is left without control of the outer areas of Afghanistan because he only has 2500 Troops left there and a time table that says they need to be out of there in 5 months. The Taliban is blatantly NOT following the deal made by Trump and actually flagrantly flaunting it and showing that they actually intend on taking over Afghanistan upon the US's Departure. So...what did Biden do? He simply agreed with Trump for the most part except moving the timeline a little bit. Other than that, he did as what Trump was already doing and agreed upon...though if Trump's timeline had been followed it would have been EVEN MORE HECTIC and the FALL EVEN FASTER. This doesn't look good on Biden either though, as the result was just as the Military leaders, Afghan leaders, and others had already told Trump it would be if he went through with this even as the Taliban showed no signs of following the Trump "Deal." (or at least portions of it, they never agreed NOT to take over Afghanistan, just not to attack the major cities) Neither he nor Trump actually kept the Taliban to keep their end of the Deal. The both ignored the Taliban's obvious actions that showed their intention to take over Afghanistan and press forward on their own initiatives. The only aim I think was to make an excuse of why they could get US troops out of Afghanistan, whether that excuse was valid or not. A remarkably balanced article on it (I actually like other articles more, but decided to post a first one that took a view that was probably more acceptable to more conservative voices here)... NYTimes Trump, Taliban, Biden, Afghanistan However, this narrative has recently been changed. An Advisor to Trump has stated something else (despite ALL evidence showing that Trump wasn't just trying, he was actively pushing for a MUCH earlier pullout BEFORE the end of his presidency...)... Trump's Final SecDef says pullout a ruse I'd imagine this is the guy that Fox News is interviewing? I tend to think they are trying to rewrite what actually happened, but Chris Miller IS saying this. He is probably the one you are referring to. An overall picture of the withdrawal... Taliban Politics in Afghanistan - timeline of US withdrawal MY thoughts are that both are to blame on this to a degree. Trump for drawing down and Biden for deciding to continue with it. Even with 2500 troops, he could have stealthily ramped up several thousand more very quickly if he so desired and prepped for an Taliban attack if they wanted to keep Afghanistan stable. On the otherhand, I don't feel we were making much progress in Afghanistan at this point, so in truth there was no reason to really remain there. We should have pulled out after our initial goals were met (kill Bin Ladin for one). In that, both Trump and Biden accomplished what they should for the most part, get US involvement away from Afghanistan with a minimum of casualties, letting the Afghans resolve their own matters again. Though the Taliban has attacked the capitals and taken over many, and violence increased, from what I can tell they did also increase action against Al Quaida and other groups in Afghanistan and for the most part tried to control the violence against US troops and members (though the attack that did occur at the airport occurred, I think it was from another group outside of the Taliban's control who they actually were fighting at the time). I'd put either the blame or the rewards on both of them, as both had a part they played in the Afghanistan withdrawal.

I think that it was more WHO she was related to than that she was a woman. I think her father is pretty well known, and thus she was hired as a result of this...from what I have heard.

Not completely informed on the subject, but what little I can find... The Church has a retirement plan for employees on top of the 401K they can contribute to. I believe this applies to full-time employees and I am uncertain if all temple staff positions qualify. I think it depends on what they are coded. It sounds like the retirement is 8% on top of whatever their 401K contributions they have made. Like many other organizations today, it is more dependent on employee donations to their retirement funds. The retirement funds I think are currently handled by DMBA. Their contact from their pdf and website is The pamphlet on retirements... Dmba Retiree General Information PDF

Going a little earlier in the Book of Mormon, not as gospel centered but of interest, I was Reading in Mosiah earlier this week. In it, there is mention of the Sons of Benjamin. One of them is Helaman. This got me thinking, Alma named his son Helaman. Many of the names in the Book of Mormon tend to go along family lines, especially the descendants of Alma later on. This made me wonder how close Alma and Mosiah's families were later and if it were possible that they were intermarried in some way. Perhaps the daughter of Helaman was married to Alma the Younger or something in that degree? Obviously wild speculation on my part, but with the way the name Helaman pops up in Alma's family tree, I wonder if there is a connection there between his and Mosiah's family.

There is speculation on the City of Enoch in many academic circles. There is an idea that they were ALL equal in rank, faith, and belief. This would mean there were no Popes, Bishops, Cardinals, Deacons or any other that had religious authority over any other, as they ALL we equal in rank and authority. They ALL had equal power, but they acted in unison because they were one in faith, belief, and action regarding the Lord. They KNEW the mind of the Lord and thus ACTED in Unison in accord with that. There was no ranking system, no system of unequals. In that same light, just ONE of them could move mountains, hold armies, and be equal to any force on Earth. ALL of them united were a thing beyond what we could even imagine. In a Just society, this idea would actually be an ideal, but in our material based world seems almost a foreign idea to most people on this earth. We are caught up in pride, prestige, and putting one over the other rather than true equality among all, thus unless one truly would have the Judeo-Christian Deity to help them, it would seem impossible to achieve. However, we know from the scriptures it WAS achieved. BECAUSE they all had such great faith and were united with the Lord in thought and deed as they were with each other, they were taken up. HOWEVER...this is mere speculation, but it shows an idea of how a group of believers could all be equal in spirituality and faith while at the same time equal in earthly gains as well.

When we put anything over that of the Lord, we are putting things first before the things of heaven. Those who value material wealth are like the Rich Man who when asked to give away all he had...could not do it. I'm sure he would have said he would or could do it at times when he wasn't actually asked to do so (like many today probably say they can), but when it truly came time to do as asked...he could not. Many of those who have material things and wealth put their OWN comfort over others, and their own desires over others. Instead of living in a 1 bedroom apartment in old age with only the things they need, they live in big houses, nice cars, and other things while there are those in the world that go hungry, homeless, cold, and lacking in many of the basic necessities of life. We put our OWN selves and needs over that of others. In very act and deed we are not "loving our neighbors as ourselves" as one could put it. The more material wealth we have, the harder it is to put others before ourselves or at least equal to our own needs and necessities. In fact, I'd say 99% of the Western World (US and Europe) fall into this boat (and yes, in that way even I would be hypocritical of pointing this out). We don't want to live in that meager existence with just the basics as we get older, we want all the creature comforts society has to offer. The question is, who are we REALLY putting first then. Are we putting ourselves before others, above others by keeping what we have and making excuses of why they are not as well off as we are? Are we putting our material things over and above the Lord and his desires? An realistic look at the things the Lord asked of us in the New Testament and how Peter and the Apostles went about enforcing it would show that almost all of us today are NOT putting the Lord's higher laws first, nor are we putting his desires above our own. If we did, we too could live in a society like the Nephites where there were no rich or poor among them. Many times people focus on the idea that there were no poor among them...but forget...there were no RICH among them either. There are many today that would refuse to live in such a manner.