scottyg

Hopefully a national divorce doesn't happen as it did with the Nephites and Lamanites in 4 Nephi, but the sifting will continue, and sides will be taken. Very soon the days will be gone when folks could get by just sitting on the sidelines.

I truly fear that in the coming years we will have a "boy who cried wolf" situation, and for those who read scripture, it will likely align with more financial crises, as well as wars of various kinds. Things are going to get bad, and we need to prepare our households in more ways than one.

They definitely were a very liberal "woke" bank, and didn't pick good commodities, but they also invested way too much money in long-term bonds. Only an idiot buys bonds when interest rates are at or near zero...because interest rates have nowhere to go but up, which means the bonds will be worth less. Your average local bank that doesn't deal with large hedge funds and the ultra wealthy does have between 30-40% of funds available in fairly liquid forms. Still not enough to cover everyone if a rush was to occur, but better than 10%. Silicon Valley Bank didn't have many average Joe customers, but hopefully the few they did have will be covered by insurance. Those millionaires who were knowingly playing with risky investments get what they deserve...which is unfortunately a part of playing that kind of risky game. Also, putting your money into a woke corporation that hires executives based off of gender, sexual preference, and skin color rather than knowledge, experience and education is foolish. Even though hindsight is 20/20, they really didn't plan well at all, and some of the info that is leaking out about them is embarrassing.

Our local Asian market has ramen up almost 40%, and almost doubled the price of their sauces and citrus juices like Yuzu. And don't get me started on the price increase of Mochi and Almond Cookies.

She says she didn't, and was actually happy at the thought of never being pregnant again. Never had nausea or odd food cravings, but also had very little energy while pregnant alongside terrible back pain and uterine cramps. When she got pregnant again she was actually quite depressed for several weeks.

This is true. Sometimes we only receive blessings if we ask for them. And such things can over time have great impacts, and change the course of our lives. God knows what would happen either way, but we get to choose. Perhaps something occurred in the space of a few years that changed the course of our family, and altered the impression that I originally had. What that would be I do not know, but I do know that God cannot lie. So if my impression was real, He would have a valid explanation as to why things turned out different...and I look forward to hearing His answer one day.

I will try to find the reference, but I remember one of the Latter-day prophets saying that the next life will mirror in many ways what we are doing on earth now...but without sin holding us back we can participate in greater forms and/or levels of learning, creation, joy, etc... Agency (defined spiritually) is choosing Christ over the things of this world, and many circumstances will arise throughout our lives that will try our faith in various ways. Staying true to the Lord will ultimately bring the best possible blessings for us and our families.

“No longer certain that one ever does win a war, I am. For in fighting the battles, the bloodshed, already lost we have.” Yoda

Yoda?

How do you do family travel / vacations? Do you have a 15 passenger van, or drive 2 separate vehicles?

All great responses so far, one of which I had not thought of. Thank you for your insights.

As I was reading D&C 3 this week (specifically verse 2) I was reminded of a past experience. About 7 years ago, my wife and I had our 3rd child. After the child was born, I received a strong spiritual impression that my family was complete - that 3 children were what was being sent to me by the Lord, and that our family as presently constituted would be my family for my duration on the earth. The impression was very specific, comforting, and clear - it was not my own thoughts. I was a bit taken aback by this as my wife and I hadn't ruled out having more children. We took each potential pregnancy one at a time, and had talked about possibly having up to 5 kids. Later, after talking with her about this she also said she felt like we were done having children, and that our family was complete. We were both happy with the impression and life was great. Fast forward 5 years, and we ended up having a 4th child. We never felt like we needed another one, and we weren't trying to have one, but we also weren't preventing it per se. Now, I love my youngest, and we're very happy to now have 4 kids, but I have always pondered that impression I received. Does anyone have any thoughts as to why the Lord would send me a clear spiritual impression about my long-term family if He knew that our situation would be changing in a few years? Why not just let us continue our lives, and give us the impression to have another kid when the time was right if our family needed one? Neither of us were against having another child, and if that impression came, we would have done it wholeheartedly. Yes, God's ways are not our ways, but He also doesn't say one thing and then do another. I have thought about if for a couple of years now and it still befuddles me; God is omniscient, so why would I receive an impression from Him that was contradictory to, or inconsistent with what would ultimately happen?

It still boggles my mind how people can downplay CHAZ/CHOP as a big nothing burger, and yet view other things like the Canadian Trucker Protest as an act of rebellion worthy of military force.

As far as I can see, only the Catholic Church is more valuable in monetary terms. Others like Novo Nordisk or the Gates foundation are both less than the LDS church, but those are foundations...not charities. Not much of a difference by definition, but still less.

If that's true they need to take a long look in the mirror.