Snigmorder

My statement is somewhat confusing, let me clarify. Traditional Christendom imagines Spirit and element to be completely different things. Spirit is nonphysical while matter is physical. In Mormon doctrine all things are made of matter, all things are corporeal. If there is something that is incorporeal it cannot exist. So what I mean by my statement, why didn't god just create everything in the spirit, in an incorporeal fashion? Why bother leaving the envelope and making a corporeal reality?

Lets think about the idea of an uncreated mind. That would mean that there is an infinite number of self existing minds that will never have opportunities for increase via spirit or flesh. And they do have to be infinite, or else God has been untruthful about eternal increase. Sure, if someone has to create a spirit, wence cometh spirits? But does an uncreated mind have The powers to create for itself spirit and flesh? Didn't someone have to enable the uncreated mind? It seems to me that everything we know is a raindrop given to us out of vast waters. In the way I conceive things, intelligence as matter seems to work better with the reality of spirit generation in the wombs of glorified women. But intelligence as mind could just as easily work with this reality of spirit generation. I will say this, Time is different where God is. He physically dwells in the same universe we do, but his existence is something else. Just consider his omniscience, I can't even begin to wrap my head around knowing something that has not yet happened, yet he knows it, it is possible to know it. There is a reality so far beyond our current station that we physically could not understand. The same way an ant physically cannot do calculus. In both intelligence as matter and intelligence as mind, a beginningless race seems to be self evident.

Well, just look at the arrangement of space. If God created everything out of complete nothingness, meaning he determined the very nature of existence and reality, why did he make an empty void and fill it with physical energy and matter and then caused these things to interact and create stars and planets and other bodies? Why are there atoms? Why are there quarks? Why didn't the God who created from nothing have a strictly spiritual existence (as opposed to physical per traditional christendom?) Why didn't he have an infinite plane of "earth" with infinite sky filled with his infinite creations? Why is it a series of islands rolling through a space? To me, it seems self-evident that pre-existing materials were given laws and were organized. It just looks that way, it is that way. This is a very strange reality to design from absolute scratch, ex nihilo, out of all the possible realities that could have been made manifest.

@Carborendum It should be said that the term "intelligence" is never defined precisely and there's no official church definition. The two predominant views of intelligence are these: Intelligence is an individual, uncreacted, and indestructible "mind" or entity which God gives a spiritual body. You see this in books like 'Eternal Man' by Truman Madsen. The second sees intelligence as the very matter from which spirits are created/generated. You see this and books like 'Mormon Doctrine' by Bruce McConkie. I used to hold to the first definition but now I go with intelligence as matter, or the second definition. The way I see it, intelligence as matter fits better with the doctrine of eternal increase.

https://publications.mi.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1123&index=4 This is a chapter from Hugh Nibley's "Temple and Cosmos" wherein he talks about the meaning of "temples." It's not necessarily about the LDS endowment, but I found it very interesting.

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench (hinder) not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Thessalonians 5:14-23

My Deseret is a "Deseret and Distribution." Also, I think they might all sell the same one because this is the tag that came with the Bible and it's the same one I see at Seagull.

I went to the distribution center and bought a regular size synthetic leather 2013 efition LDS KJV bible. This Bible cost me $30.75 and it feels less durable than my $7.85 economy Bible (same edition) from the same store. So I went around the house gathering up all the 1981 edition scriptures and found that the quality of these older scriptures feel and look way more durable, this $30 2013 edition reminds me of the dollar store. I searched Fascist and I can't seem to find any other 2013 editions that aren't distribution. Do you know of any place which sells non-distribution 2013 edition Bibles?

The people who talk like that seem to see the afterlife as a retirement home rather than the principal existence.

I believe it is irreverent to express any kind of contempt or ingratitude for creation. Whether that be through littering, unnecessary destruction, unnecessary pollution, killing things unnecessarily, etc. However, the State is the medium through which the environmentalists peddle their agenda. Seeing as Federal Government is wicked, there's not much reason to support the environmentalists.

Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior. Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out. -D&C 76:1-2

I think if I met an LDS neo-Nazi I would keel over dead from neural vaporization due to the sheer paralyzing contradiction between neo-Nazi doctrine and the reality of the origin of spirits.

It's not like death was guaranteed.

In the time of Jesus wine would be more ideal than water for sacrament seeing as the water could make you sick or kill you.

One could say "the Mormons aren't inclusive." Then drive a few city blocks over and then conclude "the Mormons are inclusive."

The Word of Wisdom essentially defines sparingly as "only eat meat when there's nothing else." I disagree with the idea that meat eating has any bearing on salvation. Because if it did, we would have been told so.

"Mormons" is an ambiguous term.

Michael Ash is starting to look like George Lucas.

I used to wear 3 day stubble as an accessory. Got more looks from girls at church once I shaved it off. Whether that's a good or a bad thing is a another matter.

Apparently, according to my mom, when I was 9 or 10 years old, I ran down the street with my machete (yes, it was my machete, I picked it out, and I also kept it under my pillow, not joking.) Another time (9 or 10,) I mounted steak knives to the front bumper of my high powered RC car, each knife sticking out the right and left side with the blades forward. I could've really injured someone! And another time (9 or 10,) I had this sort of knock off NERF bazooka which fired foam "missiles" which were about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide. One day I got the bright idea to Mount a steak knife straight down the middle one of these missiles point forward (I had to bust out the plastic grate on the bazooka's "missle mount" to make room for the knife's handle.) I honestly could've killed somebody with this thing. It had the power to launch this steak knife missle in a pretty straight arc from about 20 to 30 feet away (or what seemed like 20 to 30 feet to a 10-year-old) from target and it would embed itself in the wooden fence like a dart in a dartboard. Aside from me, my family's normal.

They're scumbags, expose them. Don't sustain them in their callings, raise your hand against them. Do not let them get away with it. I resent those men just reading about it. Honestly if I was in your ward I don't know if I could help but confront them myself (might be bad if I did that though.)

84 And if a man or woman shall rob, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of the land. 85 And if he or she shall steal, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of the land. 86 And if he or she shall lie, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of the land. 87 And if he or she do any manner of iniquity, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law, even that of God. 88 And if thy brother or sister offend thee, thou shalt take him or her between him or her and thee alone; and if he or she confess thou shalt be reconciled. 89 And if he or she confess not thou shalt deliver him or her up unto the church, not to the members, but to the elders. And it shall be done in a meeting, and that not before the world. 90 And if thy brother or sister offend many, he or she shall be chastened before many. 91 And if any one offend openly, he or she shall be rebuked openly, that he or she may be ashamed. And if he or she confess not, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of God. 92 If any shall offend in secret, he or she shall be rebuked in secret, that he or she may have opportunity to confess in secret to him or her whom he or she has offended, and to God, that the church may not speak reproachfully of him or her. 93 And thus shall ye conduct in all things. -D&C 42:84-93 As far as I'm concerned anyone making a mockery of the covenant needs to be exposed to the proper authorities, follow the inquiry up the chain of Priesthood offices as seems fit. Mockery includes abuse, sexual harassment, using the Church mission to get sex, bad behavior on dates, etc. One of the things I take solace in, is that Jesus resents child abuse (or any abuse.) If someone somehow gets away with abuse, they still have Divine Justice to contend with.

Excellent, the old ship Zion continues on its way.

It's better to obey the law of the land than have His fledgling church scattered by federal troops.