scottyg

A little story and perhaps you have heard it before.  There was a young girl the grew up on a chicken farm.  At a very young she watched eggs as the new chicks hatched.  She saw their struggles trying to break through the egg shells.  She thought that they ought to be helped so when she saw them struggling to break out she helped crack the shell making it easier for them.  Her father saw his daughter trying to help and came to her.  He separated the chicken she had helped and explained that new chicks must endure hardships and develop strength breaking the shell that would assist them to survive their first few days of life.
Within a week all the assisted chicks had died.  So what is the point?  I believe the point is that we assist children in strength now weakness.  As powerful, smart and compassionate as G-d is - he does not focus on stopping evil - rather he call his children to the light of Christ.  I do not know what Jesus taught the little children when he said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me" but I am quite sure he did not talk about critical race theory.  And yet I am quite sure that children of his day faced greater hazards.
In my youth, I thought that there were some kids that were much smarter than the rest of us.  I was in Jr High when I discovered that the smart kids were not really all that smart except that they had done their homework.  For decades our prophets have counselled that we teach our children in our homes.  Teach them to read scriptures and pray daily.  And this we do in our homes.  I would suggest that teaching is not forcing or doing so against their or your own will.  I believe that the advice came with a blessing - that through obedience to our covenants and making a place for the spirit in our home - that our children will know the truth.  Jesus said that if we follow his "word" we will know the truth and the truth will make us free.
As difficult as turbulent as the Latter-days will be (and we are in the Latter-days) - I do not believe we can protect our children by hiding them from evil but rather that we make the light of truth known.
 
The Traveler

I've been interviewed dozens of times and in many places, and I've never heard of an interviewer doing this.  That's weird.  And in my mind, it's out of line.  The handbook (section 25.1.1) says:
 

@NeedleinA  This is late, but my area (in the South) also had a significant number of members choosing to not renew recommends.  Executive secretaries and ward clerks sent reminders and tried to schedule appointments and a surprising (to me) number of people still chose not to renew their recommends.
As I browsed through this thread I didn't notice any mention of Elder Rasband's Oct 2020 general conference talk, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/16rasband?lang=eng.  He said:
He also reminded us of Howard W. Hunter teaching that we should hold and be worthy of a recommend even if we don't have access to a temple.  He shared:
 
Aside from reminding members and trying to schedule appointments, another approach we took was to remind them of the Lord's teachings using this talk by Elder Rasband.  But I'm not sure it had much affect.

A retired co-worker caught Covid, was hospitalized, recovered and was released.  Three weeks later he was back in the hospital with pneumonia and died.  His death certificate listed Covid as the cause of death.
 
A friend's uncle had Stage 4 lung cancer, caught Covid, then died.  His death certificate listed Covid.
 
Another co-worker had a family member with some cancer related issue that was fatal (I no longer remember what on this one), caught Covid and died.  His death certificate listed Covd as the cause of death.
 
I am far from the only person with these stories.
 
The Covid death numbers are doctored.

At an opiate addiction seminar I went to a couple years ago, it was stated that there are no universal training or accreditation requirements for coroners or universal standards about how to determine “cause of death” (for example, a person may OD to the point that their heart stops; one coroner may name the cause of death as “opiate overdose” whereas another may simply write “cardiac arrest” on the death certificate).
The data should be taken with a huge grain of salt; but at the same time—we aren’t likely to get better data anytime soon; and the spotty data we have is likely more a result of incompetence rather than malevolence.

Is anyone still under the false impression that any of the COVID death rates given to us by the CDC are accurate?

The problem is that what "it's okay to be gay" means in our world and in theirs is VERY different. As is on par for the course for the gay "activists". They coop language and then twist it. And conservatives acquiesce to the language usage and then wonder why they lose the culture again and again. (Language isn't the only weapon used...but it's a huge one.) This is more of the same. They're both twisting "we're coming for your children" from the negative implication that most people mean to a "positive" one for a laugh (which is SO creepy), and concurrently twist the meaning of "love and tolerance" to mean what they say it should in the same breath. Because, who, after all, is going to argue against the idea of love and tolerance?! So they win the war of words by twisting meanings. And it's part of the way that they do, indeed, come for the children.
I mean the core catchphrase of the agenda is a lie of words. "Love is love". It's a lie. They're not talking about love. They're talking about sex. The phrase should be "Sex is sex". At least then it'd be honest.

Ezra Taft Benson
And
 

I don't believe this. It was an honest message that they obviously sincerely meant couched in a modicum of humor so they had a "it's satire" escape route when they got the criticism they knew they'd get. But it was not satire. They said what they meant and they meant what they said. They want to convert everyone to their idea of what love and tolerance is. That's what the lyrics said. And they mean it. 

I'm on a roll for personal stories today. 
After 6 years of inactivity, I had started coming back to church and working on trying to gain a testimony.  I was declining the sacrament, out of respect for what it was, and how I couldn't legitimately promise to do those things.   The Sunday after gaining my powerful and unmistakable spiritual answer, I was ready to take the sacrament for the first time in years.  It was quite an event for the people who knew and cared about me.  
The deacon screwed up the blessing on the bread.  Then he screwed up a 2nd time.  After a hasty counsel from the bishop, he nailed it on the third time.  Everyone there (including me) all agreed the difficulty only heightened the spiritual experience for me and those around me. 

On more than one occasion, I have been moved by the spirit to speak words in a blessing that I never would have come within ten miles of saying by myself.  One or two of those, have been guidance or counsel that seemed contrary to what I thought should be said.
it is one of the foundations of my testimony, that I am usually in a poor situation to judge and direct others in what they should do, but God is in the perfect situation. So in those rare, precious moments, where He wants one of His children to say something specific, that child better say that specific thing.
in other words, I’m pretty much against people giving blessings that release others from this mortal life. I am totally in favor, if that’s what God wants them to do.

I think I can understand why you may feel the way you do; however, I don't see any difference with the authority we have been given to "heal" a person in this life. If we have the authority to prevent death -- as has happened through priesthood, then I don't see anything different than releasing someone who is already on their way through the veil.
We simply recognize, in all things pertaining to a blessing, it is done by the will of God. One might think Abinadi may have stepped his bounds when he said to Noah and priests, "If you touch me you will die," (paraphrased). That is more authoritative than blessing someone to be released when they are already potentially passing through the veil.

I will speak to one of my experiences.  I have a brother that is quite different and has some problems adjusting to mortal life.  I will not go into all the details other than unlike myself he had an exceptional ability to love others and make what seemed to me to be to be ridiculous sacrifices for others.  He was quite younger than me and left on his mission after I was married and living away from home.  Shortly after he returned from his mission he was taken in a drowning accident in Hawaii.  There was a lot of discussion about him being taken early.  He had a girl friend he met after returning home with whom he was getting quite serious and in time they likely would have gotten married.   My parents were devastated - especially my father that was with him in Hawaii. 
At a most awkward time my younger brother came to me with strong thoughts for my parents and family.  I was instructed by my brother that there is a time appointed for death and that he was not taken early but that his life had been extended so that he could fulfill a mission.  I learned that through righteousness a person's life can be extended and that it would be most unusual that a righteousness individual's life is cut short before completing their mortal calling.  (I say mortal calling for lack of a better description).
It is my understanding that when a righteous priesthood holder is giving a blessing that the L-rd will speak through them to all that will listen.  If an individual has arrived at the time appointed for their passing - I see no reason that G-d would not make that known through a worthy mouthpiece.  Isaiah tells us the G-d knows the beginning to the end and makes all thing known.  
I believe that Priesthood holders should and ought to have faith to say whatever is directed through the spirit in a blessing.  Including comfort both to someone passing and to their loved ones.
 
The Traveler

It is unlikely that the western drought will placate plans and preparation that will effect the necessary events of the "End of Times".   However, for decades the Church has been acquiring land in Missouri and is now the single largest holder of land in that state.  I personally believe that when the time is right that all the Saints necessary to relocate to Missouri will be able to do so within the time needed - which I believe would be counted in weeks and months rather than years or decades.   For those that keep their covenants with G-d; all things necessary are ready or are being prepared.   And like so many things in history concerning G-d marvelous works and wonders - will likely come about in ways that seem unlikely and inconvenient and an exercise of faith.
 
The Traveler

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2020/12/24/jana-riess-why-i-stopped/
So somehow I stumbled on this article recently.  I read it and was amazed at the mental gymnastics that she had resorted to, in order to justify unto herself why she no longer needed to pay her tithing.
I pay mine.
Do you know why?  The Durnik principle.
I know right from wrong.
I made a covenant.  I know what 10% is.  I pay it. 
I know it's there even if no one else does.  
And if I didnt pay it, it would torment my consciousness. 

Calling the prophets nasty names is prima facie evidence that I won't care about their opinion.

(Continuing the tangent!)  That may be; but we have had folks like Kate Kelley, John Dehlin, Denver Snuffer, and Natasha Helfer-Parker repeatedly assure us that the Church was totally OK with their antics right up until the moment they were actually excommunicated.  Dehlin actually claimed to have fanboys/defenders in the Q70.
Beyond that, I don’t know Bennett or his work well enough to try to argue whether he does or doesn’t constitute a good example of “loyal opposition”.  All I can say is that a) he’s objectively wrong in several of his historical assertions; and b) it takes a heckuva lot of chutzpah to be able to say you understand God’s voice to a long-dead prophet better than the prophet himself understood that voice; and c) I would hope that his actions are rooted in something more praiseworthy than the typical progressive/secularist mantra that “the God I worship wants me and my friends to enjoy guilt-free sexytime; and to justify my claim that that the prophets making me feel guilt about my sexual activities are abusing their position, I need to fabricate a history wherein their predecessors also abused their positions.”

Oh, absolutely.  Let not the clerkey passion you see here, give you the impression that any of us have forgotten that.
I think finance clerk is one of the best callings in the church.  I get to see genuine Christlike charity at work every week.  Better than that, I get to have a hand in it.  Over the decade, I've written checks to cover funeral costs, medications, housing, medical bills, counseling, roof repairs so a home remains habitable, and more.   It's humbling.  
And yeah, the good I see it doing, makes me sort of passionate about those envelopes from kiddos that jangle with coins.  

Our ward is one with many elderly...we still get a good amount of envelopes. We also have one brother that doesn't use technology as it allows others to spy on him. (no joke) It's great that they are so dilligent...but youth night is a pet peeve of mine. I always have to leave my boys and run to the clerk's office to lock it up because I don't have a suit coat pocket to put it in. 😩
Full disclosure: my kids are some of those penny donating envelope using monsters who need to get with the times. 😉

Our ward is one with many elderly...we still get a good amount of envelopes. We also have one brother that doesn't use technology as it allows others to spy on him. (no joke) It's great that they are so dilligent...but youth night is a pet peeve of mine. I always have to leave my boys and run to the clerk's office to lock it up because I don't have a suit coat pocket to put it in. 😩
Full disclosure: my kids are some of those penny donating envelope using monsters who need to get with the times. 😉

I can see the argument that we want to make it so that any church member who wants to deliver their tithing to a bishopric member should be able to do it anytime they choose.  I can also see the argument that individual bishopric members/clerks can find tremendous devotional meaning in sacrificing the extra time it takes to make the deposit each and every Sunday.
But, like @mikbone, I find it irritating when people take their own personal preferences and try to cloak them with divine authority because they’re too lazy to explain the real reason that they prefer to do things their own way. 

Yep. Something terrible would have to happen there to drive out the hundreds of thousands of current residents in the greater Independence area. I personally think much of it will be from man made evils...not just "natural disasters".

Personal pet peeve of mine -
When people speak and act as if they are in the service of the Lord when in fact they are just acting in their personal best interest or use the same excuse for connivence sake. 
I believe this falls under the commandment found in Exodus 20:7
Not saying this happened in this instance… Just saying.

This is the only one needing an update.  As same-sex marriage (and other things) gained majority acceptance in US culture, calls for 'love and tolerance' became less and less useful at forwarding various narratives.  
For example, what is critical race theory, if not the exact mirror image opposite of tolerance?

Yep. Something terrible would have to happen there to drive out the hundreds of thousands of current residents in the greater Independence area. I personally think much of it will be from man made evils...not just "natural disasters".