clbent04

Not sure if there are any Dierks Bentley fans out there, but this concert was awesome. Two of my favorite songs. Good night out with my sweetheart

Another Saturday. Went with a coworker to the gun show. I've only owned shotguns and .22 rifle before. Upping the arsenal with a Colt AR-15 and Glock 9mm

I'd like to say congratulations again to my boy @Grunt for getting the right answer on this. Good job. We shouldn't judge which service is better, and like @Fether said, we should accept whatever we are called or inspired to do (all sarcasm aside, I concede these are the right answers). Shifting gears here, I really just want to talk about the value of home teaching needing to be given more credit. At face value, home teaching may seem like an overly simple task that isn't meaningful whether you do it or not, but it should be meaningful. If more members took it upon themselves to make home teaching more than something to receive a check mark for every month, I think we would see a lot of positive value. How many Elders Quorum meetings do you go to where the EQ President talks about how low the home teaching numbers are? I've usually see the numbers right around 50 percent. I think they're always low largely due to how a lot of members view home teaching. I remember being visited by home teachers assigned to me and my family maybe 50 times (and that is being generous). And ever since I left my family home at 18 years old, I have never been contacted or visited by the home teachers assigned to me. So take the 31 years I've been a member multiplied by 12 months and you get 372 months. On average, I've been visited 13 percent of the time (50 visits divided by 372 months). Now, you might ask, were my own home teaching numbers any better? Probably not. I've never really taken it that seriously either except maybe from when I was 25 to 27 years old. I remember putting more effort into it back then. But that doesn't mean I still don't see the value in it. If I do get back into the full swing of things, I'd like to try to be a better member of the church by taking home teaching more seriously myself. I thought about this a while ago. If you were tasked with making this world a better place, what would you do? How would you design a program everyone could follow that makes a difference? I arrived at the conclusion that I would like to make a difference in my own backyard, to make positive changes in the very place I live, to get to know my neighbors, to find out their likes and dislikes, to earn their trust so that they might be able to rely on me if they ever needed help, and to share the message of the gospel as much as I can. And I thought, wait, isn't that exactly what home teaching is? We already have the program right there in front of us. Why am I not embracing it? And then I slowly stopped going to church altogether, but I'm still enthused nonetheless about how great home teaching can be when it's done the right way.

For me the sweat feels extra gross when I'm double layered. It sticks to your skin more as it decreases the breathe-ability.

I thought I had the best tithing system figured out at one point- pay tithing on net, and then, any tax refund you might get back, pay 10 percent on that too. That in my mind seemed seemed to be the right way to approach it. Paying tithing on gross just seemed unnecessary. I didn't really think what I was taxed on was considered a gain

Sorry Maureen, but Grunt beat you to the correct answer

I actually have some of the mesh garments. They're not bad, but I don't see them making much of a difference when it comes to me sweating. I just got to get over the hurdle of thinking it's an inconvenience to wear them. I used to wear them fairly regularly up until 3 years ago, and I hardly noticed them back then. My slow decent over the last 3 years led me to say, I shouldn't wear them tonight because I'm going to play racquetball, and then it evolved to, I shouldn't wear them in the home because that's time I spend with my wife, and then it progressed to, I shouldn't wear them to work because it's hot outside during the 60-second walk from my car to the building. I just need to stop with these rationalizations considering I've started to want to get back in the full swing of things. I did it before. Wearing garments isn't that big of a deal, and it's really an easy thing to do once you've made it second nature to wear them

Are you judging me for being judgmental ole Gruntster?

An LDS man for the last 37 years has never missed a month home teaching his families. He gets to know them and is involved in their lives, offers Priesthood blessings when needed, and never expects anything in return but the friendships he's fostered and his own personal relationship with the Lord. Another LDS man never goes home teaching, but loves to travel and decides for one of his trips why not do a humanitarian project in Africa. He comes back from his trip and uploads lots of pictures on Facebook posting how humbled he was to see so many impoverished people, and what a privilege it was to build a couple thatched roof huts for them to live in. The greater service of the two undoubtedly in my mind is the faithful home teacher. I am a firm believer in the divine inspiration of the home teaching and visiting teaching programs of the church. While some members may see these monthly visits as a nuisance (both for the home teacher and the families he visits), when home teaching is done right, it is one of the greatest services we can provide. What better way to serve than serving those in your own backyard, to build rapport and trust with those in your own ward? Service is more effective when provided by someone who you know to be truly invested in you and your family. Home teaching gives us the opportunity to build meaningful relationships, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to make a positive impact on our own neighbors. If we can't love our own neighbors, are we capable of loving anyone else in the world? The greatest service is always performed with love. Oftentimes, it's your own impression that you leave on people for which they're most grateful for, not just the act of service.

Why would every endowed member of the restored church wear garments today if only officiating priests wore garments back then?

If it makes you feel any better, I'm an endowed member and I haven't worn my garments for 2-3 years. Now that I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things, I've been thinking about wearing them again. But I don't like sleeping in garments, I don't like sweating in garments, so even if I do go back to wearing them, I would have to revisit with the Lord to ask the personal question of how often I should wear them. I've been perfectly comfortable not wearing my garments in any scenario where I see myself sweating. However, this can be problematic for someone like me who lives in the desert of Arizona and has a good chance of sweating from mid-March through mid-October. The best advice to follow is the church's advice. The church counsels that, "Endowed members should wear the temple garment both day and night. They should not remove it, either entirely or partially, to work in the yard or for other activities that can reasonably be done with the garment worn properly beneath the clothing. Nor should they remove it to lounge around the home in swimwear or immodest clothing. When they must remove the garment, such as for swimming, they should put it back on as soon as possible." Furthermore, "Members who have made covenants in the temple should be guided by the Holy Spirit to answer for themselves personal questions about wearing the garment." https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/selected-church-policies?lang=eng#21.1.42

I'm sorry, but this made me seriously LOL

Have garments always been worn by members of the true church of God even back during the times of the Old and New Testament?

I was writing my last post more to the tune of Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror. "If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change" weeeeee heeeeee!

Ok, I get your point now. Maybe we are losing faith. Maybe we need more members to have the level of faith that this complete nobody you knew had. I know I would be inspired to have an increased level of faith upon seeing someone perform a miracle. Maybe we can increase our own faith and perform the very miracle that will inspire someone else to increase their faith. What's to stop any of us from performing miracles? Maybe then we could help elevate the level of faith of the Saints in our own circles

I would prefer to be called a Saint as well if it was universally understood to those outside the Mormon religion what being called a Saint means. But I just don't care enough to take the time necessary to help others understand why we would want to be called Saints rather than Mormons. But maybe I should! Being called Mormons misrepresents us as to who we really are. The prophet Mormon wasn't the author of the church, we aren't Mormonites, Mormon wasn't the only prophet in the Book of Mormon. Does anyone know who decided to name the Book of Mormon as such? Was it revealed to Jospeh Smith from God for it to be named the Book of Mormon? If not, I would like to suggest we simply call it the American Testament of Jesus Christ

I wanted to make a running list of questions I’ve posted that have been answered and unanswered mostly for my own reference. Thanks to everyone for your feedback Question: Why are miracles performed by LDS prophets today not publicized like they were in the Bible? Are the miracles today just not as grandiose as they were before? Status: [UNANSWERED] Current Thought: Although I haven’t received an answer for myself on this, great feedback from @Just_A_Guy and @Anddenex. I need to dig deeper to find out how much publicity miracles really received back then, and what exactly it means in passages like the following where Jesus performed a miracle and specifically charged the recipient to not say anything: Mark 1:45 “But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.” Question: Is the church doing enough to combat pornography? Could more resources be dedicated to helping its members? Status: [NO COMMENT] Current Thought: I can’t state a definitive yes or no to the question above without undermining church leadership. What I will say is I personally would like to see in the future every ward have its own pornography addiction support group as well as someone in the ward being assigned to a calling as the pornography addiction support group leader to host meetings once a week. I believe every ward has enough men (and sometimes women) experiencing pornography issues to justify these measures. The real problem becomes opening up honest discussion on the subject to allow members to help each other overcome such a shameful, embarrassing addiction Question: Why do we pray to the Father and not the Son for forgiveness when it was the Son who atoned for our sins? Status: [ANSWERED] Answers: @Snigmorder “Jesus was sent by the Father, Jesus is the Father's servant. We did not break Jesus's laws, therefore it is not his forgiveness we ask.“ @prisonchaplain “The Godhead has determined that it is the Father who decides how sins are redeemed, and that they are forgiven.” @Anddenex “The definition of being "one" doesn't mean their roles are also the same. Remember the intercessory prayer, and how we are commanded and the Lord prays that his servants will be one like Jesus and the Father are one. Our specific roles do not change when we become ‘one.’” Question: In the multiple accounts recorded of Joseph Smith’s First Vision, why did Joseph Smith state he only saw one “Lord” in his first account while in later accounts he stated seeing both the Father and the Son? Status: [ANSWERED] Answer: The first account actually did allude to two “Lords” being present. It’s not black and white, but it’s workable when you compare the first account in 1832 to the second account in 1835. 1832 Account “…I was filled with the spirit of god and the <Lord> opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord and he spake unto me…” This sentence could be interpreted as one Lord appears first to open the heavens, AND THEN, Joseph sees another Lord who speaks to him. I tried rewriting this sentence as if I was writing it referring to only one Lord. All I ended up doing was replacing the second usage of “the Lord” with a pronoun. “…I was filled with the spirit of god and the <Lord> opened the heavens upon me and I saw him as he spake unto me…” However, even when just trying to refer to one Lord, I’m tempted to revert back to the original sentence Joseph Smith wrote to make it clear he did indeed see the Lord with his own eyes. This analysis by itself does not merit much, but when comparing it side by side with the 1835 account, it meshes a lot better with the notion Joseph did intend to describe in his first account that he saw two Lords who appeared at different times. 1835 Account “…a personage appeard in the midst, of this pillar of flame which was spread all around, and yet nothing consumed, another personage soon appeard like unto the first…” In later accounts, the choreography of one Lord appearing before the other is dismissed, possible due to focusing more on the message itself than the staging of the First Vision. Credit goes to @Snigmorder Question: How do 300,000 year old human fossil remains fit on the timeline with Adam being the father of the human race when it is thought he lived on this Earth no more than 7,000 years ago (give or take a few years based on calendar discrepancies)? Status: [UNANSWERED] Current Thought: The more I think about this topic in general, the more confused I become. God created Adam as the first man, yet modern scientific timelines place Neanderthals well before scriptural timelines. What is the relationship of that which was living in the Garden of Eden to that which was living outside of it? Were Neanderthals human and did they have a conscience? When did Neanderthals integrate with descendants of Adam, and does it even make sense that not all humans today would have a direct line to Adam? And how accurate is our measurement of time using half-life analysis? ¡AYYYY CARAMBA! Question: Do you think the Lord will judge us based on how much meat we consume in this life? Or how many animals died at the expense of our nourishment? Status: [ANSWERED] Answer: Yes, the Lord will judge us using the “sparingly” threshold Question: Is It Okay to Admitting to a Substandard Testimony from Behind the Pulpit? Status: [ANSWERED] Answer: Yes, as long as it’s shared in the right spirit. What would happen if we were more open with each other about personal struggles we are going through? Could we find some good in that? To me it seems whoever takes the microphone in Church has to appear to have a 100 percent testimony, when in reality, we all know that's not the case. I personally would appreciate it if more speakers were down to earth with admitting they might not be perfect, but that they have hope in Christ of becoming better. Question: Are Confessions Kept Confidential by Bishops? Status: [ANSWERED] Answer: No, confessions are not kept STRICTLY confidential by bishops. While they won’t be parading around what you confessed, they are at liberty to discuss your confession with other ward members, your mom and dad, and any others they see fit Question: Why do couples have to wait a year to be sealed in the temple if they were first wed civilly? Status: [ANSWERED] Answer: I think the issue is based on where is your priority. Who do you put first in your life? God or man? Also, waiting a year serves as a safeguard for those who may not be ready to take on additional accountability. A temple marriage provides some special blessings but with those blessings comes an added measure of accountability to following the Lord’s commandments. Question: Where do the desires to survive, learn, love, procreate, and prosper come from? Did God instill these desires within us? Are these desires righteous or just a part of the natural man? Status: [ANSWERED] Answer: All instinctual and righteous desires within us are animated by the light of Christ Credit goes to @CV75 Question: Is Jesus Christ the Savior of more than just this world? Status: [UNANSWERED] Current Thought: Who knows? If he is the Savior to more than this world, does he live and die multiple times to have a mortal experience on every world he atoned for? Did his atonement in our world cover just our sins or also include every world out there? Did he perform a new atonement each time he lived on a different world? If his atonement here covered the sins for all other worlds and he never had mortal experiences elsewhere, does that mean all other worlds have to accept him as an alien Savior? ¡AYYYY CARAMBA! Question: Is the Devil necessary for God’s Plan of Salvation to go forward? Status: [ANSWERED] Answer: No. If a devil is needed to tempt us, who tempted Lucifer when he first rebelled against God? We as imperfect beings can make wrong decisions without the influence of a devil. The Devil increases the challenge for us to resist temptation, but he is not necessary for God’s plan to go forward. God’s plan would go forward regardless. Question: How can we reliably use the Holy Spirit to gain a testimony of the LDS church when experiencing the Holy Spirit is not unique to the Mormon Church? Status: [ANSWERED] Answer: The summation of spiritual experiences one has is not the same as receiving a spiritual confirmation that the religion is true. We need to pray specifically to know if the LDS church is the one and only true church on the face of the Earth. Also, we can’t just gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon and then subsequently accept all teachings within the Church to be true. The “if/then” logic is faulty (if the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet, and the Church is true…). We need to ask more specific answers in prayer. If you prayed to know Mother Theresa’s words were true, and received confirmation that they were, does that mean you should accept all beliefs of the Catholic Church? Credit goes to @person0 Question: What does Matthew 7:14 mean when it says "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Status: [ANSWERED] Answer: It means few will obtain Celestial Glory (my own interpretation of a “few” is between 5-10 percent) Question: Is the LDS belief that everyone will be extended a chance to accept the gospel whether in this life or the next not one the greatest reassurances that God is a respecter of no man and he loves all his children equally? Status: [ANSWERED] Answer: Yes Question: Why would God introduce Mormons to the practice of polygamy only to restrict it, and then say the restriction is only temporary and that Polygamy is indeed a true eternal doctrine to be embraced by those worthy and willing at a later time? Status: [UNANSWERED] Current Thought: I still haven’t found an example of God behaving in a similar manner within the Holy Bible, and I don’t consider the Law of Moses to be a parallel example. We were never meant to practice “an eye for an eye” forever. Question: Should dying at a young age in itself be the reason why Celestial glory is awarded? Status: [UNANSWERED] Current Thought: If the answer is PREDESIGN, I’m only left with more questions. Did children who die before turning 8 years old live more valiantly than the rest of us in Premortal Life? If so, what’s that to say about the timing of death in all other scenarios? Take for instance a man who dies in a wicked state but who would have repented a couple years down the road given the chance. Did he not live valiantly in the Premortal Life? What about a man who dies in a righteous state but who would have fallen into wickedness a couple years down the road given the chance? Did he live more valiantly in the Premortal Life? And when have you ever seen a heavenly class of kinder garners? If a bomb blew up that school and one of the teachers lived to tell about it, do you really think she would grade every student of hers as Celestial?

I need to add that scripture to my post of "Interesting Scriptures"!

I like the fact you think for yourself and you don't just regurgitate what the general LDS population may think. It is actually very refreshing. Just because the general LDS population understands the influence of the devil differently than how it really is, doesn't mean we should accept the general thinking. As far as your answer as to why we don't see big miracles today, I think the average member does lack faith to perform big miracles. But is this any different to how it's always been? Average members, are, just average, right? The only ones performing the BIG miracles have been prophets. When it comes to these men, I have no doubt they could perform a BIG miracle if they wanted to. Just having interacted with bishops and stake presidents, I am completely amazed at how in tune these men are with the Spirit. I have no doubt the level of faith only increases the higher up the ladder you go. I know a couple stake presidents who I believe could command big miracles should they feel so inspired. At least that is my spiritual read on them. And then I look at someone like Thomas S. Monson. How could someone like that not command the Red Sea to part and have it obey? 54 years later and he still stands behind his pledge he made to his Lord and Savior. What a powerful message to listen to from someone with a life so well lived. If anyone hasn't seen this video yet, I would encourage you to watch from 5 minutes 25 seconds to the end at 6 minutes 24 seconds. It's one minute of the most powerful testimony and display of faith I have ever seen as I reflect on President Monson's life. While I don't doubt men like these could perform big miracles if they felt so inspired to do so, I just wonder if the publicity aspect of miracles being performed is the same today as it was in the times of the Old and New Testament.

@Anddenex Was this published by the church, or was it published by an independent party outside the church? I'm trying to find the reference

Entirely possible. It could have been an exaggerated application. I remember members in my ward specifically discouraging anyone from saying "I'm a Mormon". I just took it as instruction that came from the top down

Remember not that long ago when it was frowned upon in the church to say, "I'm a Mormon"? Good riddance to those days. So much harder to say, "Actually, we prefer to be called members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Here's a scenario of one conversation from back in the day (aka, like 5 years ago): (Person A) "So, are you a Mormon?" (Person B) "I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." (Person A) "But you're the ones that believe in the Book of Mormon, right?" (Person B) "Yes, that's us" (Person A) "Who do people refer to when they talk about Mormons?" (Person B) "That's usually us. We prefer to be called members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." (Person A) "So if you're a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, why is it the Book of Mormon and not the Book of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?" (Person B) "Because a prophet named Mormon was the one who abridged multiple ancient records together" (Person A) "Do you worship Mormon?" (Person B) "No, we worship God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Person A) "Can I just call you a Mormon?" (Person B) "No."

Thanks @Sunday21. That actually means a lot to me. Have you ever felt like you can tell when someone prays for you? I have. I was actually feeling like the last couple weeks someone has been praying for me, so if that was you, thank you, and thanks to anyone else it may have been

@Fether @Vort Thanks for the cautionary advice. I think I am pretty honest with myself to not place blame elsewhere when it comes to owning my mistakes. Regardless what happens with the blessing, I am trying to prepare myself the best I can for the repentance process, to have all the cards stacked in my favor to accomplish my goal of breaking my pornography addiction. Upon learning more about others' experiences with unclean spirits, I think it's prudent for someone like me to take advantage of the tools we have at our disposal. I'm trying to proceed with my addiction recovery step by step, not putting too much emphasis on any one thing. Prayer alone is not going to get me there. Going back to church won't either. And yet, somehow, just recently, after a long time of being in the dark, my hope has been reignited. Maybe it's not a lot of hope, an honest reflection of my own history limits that hope to a small spark, but it's something! I had nothing for 3 years. And for the first time in a while I attended church last Sunday and have full intentions to return again. For the first time in a while I found myself praying to God. The repentance process will work for me if I allow it to. I know I have to do my part.