scottyg

"The standard is clear. If something we think, see, hear, or do distances us from the Holy Ghost, then we should stop thinking, seeing, hearing, or doing that thing. If that which is intended to entertain, for example, alienates us from the Holy Spirit, then certainly that type of entertainment is not for us. Because the Spirit cannot abide that which is vulgar, crude, or immodest, then clearly such things are not for us." Elder David A. Bednar, April 2006 General Conference

Just make sure you look online or call ahead to make sure clothing rental is available...some of the smaller temples do not offer that service.

True, I didn't think of it that way. Something similar is the calling and setting apart of other church leaders like bishops. The stake president is a high priest, and may choose to ordain an elder a high priest when needed, but he cannot ordain a man to the office or calling of bishop of his own accord. As the handbook states, before a new bishop may be interviewed, called, ordained, or set apart, his recommendation must be approved by the First Presidency. The stake president may extend the calling after he receives written approval from the First Presidency. With this approval, the stake president may also ordain and set apart a bishop after ward members have given a sustaining vote. The approval of the First Presidency is also required before a stake president may release a bishop.

Hopefully the adoption does happen...all children need a father and a mother. I am not disagreeing with you as I am not an expert, and I know this is getting a bit off topic, but Temple Presidents hold Keys. Do the sealers not report to them? I know that the calls of sealers are under the direction of the President of the church, but is the Temple President also not given the sealing power upon his setting apart? Someone needs to make sure that from an administrative and spiritual point of view that all of the conditions for a sealing have been met...I would assume that much if not all of this is done at the stake level, but I would think the temple would have individuals in the sealing office also double check. Wouldn't the temple presidency counsel the sealers if they had any questions...implying that the sealers report to them? Again, sorry for going off topic.

I served my mission from 2005 - 2007, near the beginning of the Preach My Gospel era. Personally, I never asked anyone about baptism until "lesson 3", when baptism as a gospel principle is actually taught. Lesson 3 above is in quotations because Preach My Gospel allows for lesson deviation in favor of spiritual promptings. However, regardless of the lesson order, I never asked anyone to be baptized in a first or second lesson, but I did hear about others doing it. I often let those I was teaching know that that is what we were ultimately working towards, but I never popped the question earlier than a 3rd meeting with the person or family, and I never asked someone to be baptized unless I knew they first had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and were actively trying to repent of their sins.

In theory it's possible, but very unlikely. Crazier things have happened though. I do not know if the Temple President would allow such a sealing to take place if a sperm donor was the father and the woman had since married...cases such as that may need to be referred to church headquarters, but since I have never served in a capacity to authorize a sealing I have little first hand knowledge. Again, it would get very messy, complicated, and difficult. Regardless, unless there are both a worthy father and a mother a sealing won't happen, period.

This is from the church's handbook of instructions to church leaders. Since Handbook 1 is not available for public distribution I will not post what it says verbatim, but my comment is the gist of it.

My view is similar. I don't believe in predestination, but I do believe in foreordination. Many are called, but few are chosen, and why are they not chosen... In 1992, Elder Marvin J. Ashton said..."Generally our Heavenly Father will not interfere with the agency of another person unless He has a greater purpose for that individual. Two examples come to mind: Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, and Alma the Younger. Both these men were deterred from their unrighteous objective of persecuting and trying to destroy the church of God. Both became great missionaries for the Church. But even as the Lord intervened, they were given choices. Alma, for example, was told, “If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God.” Many things happen because God has willed it so, and many other things happen because of our actions alone. And sometimes, our actions coincide with the actions of another, creating a coincidence, for good or bad. Also, not everything that happens in life is related to the Gospel. A few weeks ago a co-worker and I got in the elevator at the same time and we were wearing the exact same shirt and tie combo to work. (we must have hit the same sale at JCPenney) It was a fun coincidence...God played no part in that, and that's okay.

Yep. Some events he places in our way for growth and learning; others may be due to the actions of others, and some are just happenstance or coincidence. It's all a part of life.

"And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them." Mosiah 4:29. It is a temptation leading to a sin, nothing more. Why are some people tempted to do or try other things that are harmful to us? Drugs or alcohol, stealing, gambling,, pornography, murder, lying, or...to engage in heterosexual relations outside of marriage? Sin is sin, and those who are a part of the culture of lgbtqixyz, or whatever it is called nowadays, are just pushing an agenda to make their sin not appear as a sin, but as a normal acceptable behavior. The common thoughts are "this is something internal...you were 'born this way', so it cannot be wrong to be 'who you truly are'. These thoughts are real...they are feelings, not temptations...be true to who you are on the inside...it doesn't hurt anyone". To that I say read Isaiah 5, especially verse 20. Many know it is wrong, but want approval from others to make them feel better about their lifestyle choices. I once cared for a man in a nursing home that swore up and down that cigarettes weren't bad for you and didn't cause cancer...that the attorney general warnings were all a scheme from the government or something like that. Well, he died from lung disease. Perhaps our weaknesses and temptations have been passed on from the pre-existence...or, perhaps God has given them to us to teach us something...to make us humble. No matter how much we want something to be right, it is still wrong if God says it is, and we must trust in his love and wisdom to truly grow and reach our potential.

You did. The Lord's house is a house of order. Well done. 👍

I only express thanks for the food and those who took the time and effort to prepare it. Asking for an actual blessing on the food implies that it is not going to nourish our bodies well without it. If that was the case then most of the earth's population would not exist due to malnutrition. I am not saying that a blessing couldn't actually be requested for the food if it was wanted or for whatever reason needed; but that phrase in prayers everyone seems to say is really nothing more than habit. I doubt they really give it much thought when they say it.

It's a family name...we're most likely related.

Ok, I'll bite too. Define wealthiest. What is true wealth...money? You say the conservative states are the poorest...well define poor then as well. The cost of living in many of those states is much cheaper, and just because the states are the poorest doesn't actually make the people "poor". Someone in Kansas making 45-50k is likely better off than someone in san fran making over 100k. Even then, you can't define the prosperity, happiness, and success of a state and it's people by how much money they make. Wealth does not equate to success in life. As for which leftist policies have led to the debacle, there are too many, but for starters just go and read the san fran city council minutes. Look at how they continually dismiss average joe's that try to raise complaints and offer solutions. Look at how they decide to hire a "poop patrol" with each member having a 6 figure salary to manage the symptoms of homelessness and drug addiction without actually addressing the real problem...(they can't do that because asking homeless people to clean themselves up is a trigger and now a form of violence). They have to increase housing fees to be in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act...which they helped pass. They passed an ordinance allocating over 25 million dollars to give people free syringe access and disposal services. They worry about how large the signage needs to be for the harvey milk terminal at the airport so everyone can see his name...they passed an ordinance requiring a minimum size for the sign. There is more an economy than money - the complete social structure of the bay area and most of california in general is falling apart. They do not address problems, their focus is severely blurred, and the city is going to crumble under the weight of it's own baggage. Rome didn't fall in a day, and neither will san fran...but it will fall.

Yes, a bit too literal.

They won't.

Well, then you won't meet the worthiness requirement. Just because you say that you can't stop this behavior doesn't mean that the rules will no longer apply to you. The fact that you are now refusing to keep trying and continue changing shows that you no longer want to repent. Why would you want to even take the Sacrament then? The Bishop not allowing you to partake of the Sacrament is actually a blessing in disguise. It is meant for those who want to draw closer to the Savior and become more like him...to repent. If you are thinking that you will never be able to stop this behavior then the adversary has already won...don't let him.

For me the answer to that is humility. We should never have preconceived notions of what we should be doing, or what calling we should have...because the calling we do have is what we should have. It doesn't matter if the thought of something different comes from us or from another. We should never refuse a call to serve. If something is standing in the way of effective service, those concerns should be brought up to the authority extending the call, but we should never refuse because we want something "better" or different. We should be willing to accept what the Lord wants of us, and trust in his better judgement. Wanting to be right isn't bias, it is pride.

Agreed. Often, those who want to be in a leadership position are those who have never done it before. These callings are tough, and oftentimes lonely. I have only ever seen 1 person released form a calling because they were doing a poor job...and it was more because they just couldn't find the time to serve due to a change in work schedule. I have always grown from every calling I have ever been in...and 2 of the last 3 have been ones that I wanted to say no to.

For me as a youth, I needed a leader who was blunt and to the point. Someone who was always "sunshine and daises" and who beat around the bush wouldn't have helped me grow and desire to repent. All kids are different, but for me, I needed a kick in the pants and to be told to "buck up"...otherwise I wouldn't have. Regardless of the situation, the best course of action is for the Elder's Quorum president to fast and pray, and to them inform the Ward and Stake leaders of his decision...he holds Priesthood Keys and is entitled to revelation. Although he makes recommendations for his counselors (in consultation with the Bishop), the final say is between the Stake presidency and high council. They will determine if the call remains extended or is recalled.

Yep, my wife and I struggled to have children at first. I also once made the mistake of asking that question to someone who had also been trying for years to have a child. I felt terrible, and I will never ask it to anyone again.

This is even happening in the U.S. Many insurance plans now cover "transition surgery" for "gender dysphoria", and all you really need to get it covered are letters from medical providers and/or social workers saying that it is "medically necessary" for the individual's overall well-being. Methinks not, since the suicide rate for individuals after trans surgery is no different than those who identify as trans but do not undertake the surgery. The people and politicians who are pushing for this child to make these changes will one day be held accountable. The following is an article worth reading sometime. https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/sex-reassignment-doesnt-work-here-the-evidence

Personally I do not see this as a religious/church matter at all, but more of a family and community one. Why should the Bishop get the final say in whether or not the home is reported? His keys have nothing to do with something like this. The LDS culture places too many things on the shoulders of ecclesiastical leaders that they really have nothing to do with. This is a public health issue and the home should be reported ASAP. If individuals in the ward want to help, that's great, but it should ultimately fall on the homeowners and their family. No one should be living in those circumstances, and the fact that the home is in such disrepair shows that those individuals cannot take care of themselves. I would have called the police as soon as I saw what was inside.

"I had such a test decades ago when one of my medical faculty colleagues chastised me for failing to separate my professional knowledge from my religious convictions. He demanded that I not combine the two. How could I do that? Truth is truth! It is not divisible, and any part of it cannot be set aside. Whether truth emerges from a scientific laboratory or through revelation, all truth emanates from God. All truth is part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet I was being asked to hide my faith. I did not comply with my colleague’s request. I let my faith show! In all professional endeavors, rigorous standards of accuracy are required. Scholars cherish their freedom of expression. But full freedom cannot be experienced if part of one’s knowledge is ruled “out-of-bounds” by edicts of men. ...Spiritual truth cannot be ignored—especially divine commandments. Keeping divine commandments brings blessings, every time! Breaking divine commandments brings a loss of blessings, every time!" Russell M. Nelson, April 2014 General Conference

Ah, Michael Bolton...or as I like to call him "the screaming Baritone". I actually like a fair amount of his music. With regards to Van Halen I usually change the station...they aren't my cup of tea.