LDSGator

I didn't watch the video, nor am I from Arizona.
What I've read in the News was that there was a Republican district that refused to certify.  Ironically, if they refused to certify by the deadline it meant that the Democratic candidate automatically won as those Republican votes would NOT be counted.
The CATCH was that if they refused to certify and DEFIED state law by refusing to certify, than it could lead to a crisis.  The crisis was NOT made for Arizona, but was to make a point that ALL elections EVERYWHERE could be decertified and counted as unable to be counted (similar to some ideas that were actually done in Germany so that the Nazi party would eventually gain control.  Normally do not want to Godwin the thread, but the TREND is actually REALLY BAD when people seem to be taking pages out of the Nazi playbook directly) causing unrest.
So, there was the double whammy.  The IRONY is that it was a REPUBLICAN district.  There was no way it was going to go to the Democrats and no way the Democrats could have changed the direction it was going.  The only votes to be discounted were the Republican votes counted by the Republican party leaders over the voting district.  This meant that the ONLY corruption there could have been from...Republican leaders.  They were basically calling themselves corrupt.
It doesn't mean that there isn't Democrat corruption, but the way it's been reported from Arizona isn't the way to try to prove that. 
This also is the PROBLEM Kari Lake is having.  She says all this, but has NO EVIDENCE that can be held up in the court of Law...even from the Republican Judicial side of things.  The judge is an appointee of a REPUBLICAN governor, at least from what the news is telling me. 
This judge dismissed the case, but she IS appealing it.  It could go somewhere, it may not.  Right now it is up to the courts to decide, but thus far, she doesn't seem to actually be making much headway.  IF she is having this much trouble from her OWN party which in theory is on HER side, it means that she has a LONG way to fight.

I could have easily misread as well, sorry about that. 
Yes, to a degree. I do not believe that someone can be “cured” from serious mental illness by just smoking weed. However, I do strongly believe it can help reduce symptoms of anxiety, OCD, etc. 
 
That’s really sad. From what you’ve described it sounds like it didn’t work like it was supposed to. I’m sure there are cases like that, but there are also cases where it has worked for the issues he described. If you use something as a crutch without addressing the underlying problems, the thing won’t work after a while. 
 
Again, that is really sad. But in my own experience around people who smoke pot nothing like that happens. Weed is a depressant, which means it’s chills you out. I would think it would actually work quite well with who you are describing. Nothing is 100%, not to sound cruel or dismissive. Divorce is one of the worst things in the world, my heart breaks for him. 

Just so I don’t come across as naive I absolutely think people misuse weed, either in recreation or medically. However I think it helps far, far more than it hurts. 
Breaking down what you said I think I misread you more than you didn’t communicate it well. 

I get that you are worried about drug use, but try to remember that 99% of people on drugs for depression who smoke pot don’t kill people. Maybe the guy was just evil. 

Sorry, I guess I worded my question poorly.  I'm thinking about the impact and influence MJ has on someone.  I'm occasionally told MJ makes you mellow and peaceful and less likely to be up to no good.  Or MJ helps with mood disorders or anger management.  So, a better question would be, do you believe that?  Do you believe that random person X, with various problems Y and Z, can toke it up a bit and find their problems Y and Z are reduced?
Because that guy had an impact on me.  There he was, living in happy smoke filled legalized MJ Colorado.  He had an unhappy marriage and a bad temper.  He decided to take the advice he was given, which was something like "Marijuana helps you manage your temper.  It makes you more laid back."  So he got some, spent around 6 months trying to self-medicate himself and his marriage some relief.  I met him shortly after the end of that 6 months.  His marriage was at the point of failure, his wife had kicked him out, he realized he hadn't changed a single bit, except to be (as he put it), poorer and stupider because of the cost and time spent high.
I don't automatically think ill of someone just because they do something like get high.  Maybe I used to, but again, I've met enough to discover they're all humans like me. 
I'm down with some legitimate medical uses of MJ, like nausea treatment for cancer patients, and there's some indication it helps quiet voices in some types of schizophrenics.  But as an anger control medicine?  Dude eventually ended up divorced, and he's out there today, thinking if he had spent less time high, and more time working on himself, he'd still be married.
Does that make any sense?
 
(And the only thing I want to hear, is the truth.  )
 

Honestly? Yes, and I’m sorry because I know it’s not what you want to hear. I think the overwhelming majority of people who smoke weed do so to relax and unwind. Not smoke weed then beat their spouses, stay up 8 days straight and rob liquor stores or get into fights in bars. 
 
Now, having said that, I do think weed usage can be sinful and yes, some people take it to an extreme. Having seen firsthand the agony that DUI causes (a friend lost their nephew to one. https://andrewmcmorrisfoundation.org Is his foundation.) I have no sympathy for those who do that. The monster who killed the little boy was drunk, not on weed, for the record. He’s rotting in jail thank God. 
However, I know too many people who smoke pot and lead regular lives. It also has to be said that I know people who are teetotalers and cheat on their spouses and are horrible people filled with hate and anger. I don’t know of anyone who smokes weed before a boxing or jujutsu class to get energy flowing. It doesn’t work like that. We’re not talking about cocaine or meth here*. 

*I have known of people who snort a line of coke before working out for “energy”. I find it dangerous and stupid. 

I take it the purple is okay.

Speaking as someone who is 5’06 tops (uh, with sneakers on) we better all be 6’04 in the next world or I’m becoming a Hindu and trying my luck with this reincarnation thing. 😜 

Fascinating. I have spent my life as an active Latter-day Saint in a family of Latter-day Saints. I served a mission and have been actively engaged in the Church for my entire life. I have spent many, many hours (surely many years' worth) in conversation with family and friends about the gospel, scripture, and other such topics. Yet not once in all that time have I heard "[a lot] of talk from my friends and family about" a relatively obscure verse of scripture.
I wonder why that is? Huh. Wonder, wonder, wonder. Amazing.
My guess is it's because you have never actually searched the Church's teachings. I think NT has done a pretty thorough job of illustrating this.
Let me give you a quick leg up on this topic.
The idea of "The Rapture" is unknown to historical Christianity, from the earliest times until maybe two centuries ago or so. Not all Christian sects even believe in the literal return of Christ for a millennial reign. Among those who did believe in such a literal return, American Evangelicals hatched the doctrine of "The Rapture", as far as I can tell based largely, perhaps solely, on the 1 Thessalonians 4 verses you quoted.
We Latter-day Saints don't talk much about this doctrine because it's not a revealed doctrine. It's an interpretation by Evangelical Christians from a couple of hundred years ago. Whether it's accurate or not (and it's not) is irrelevant to the course that the kingdom of God pursues. Even if we were to suppose The Rapture might be a true doctrine, so what? How does that affect our relationship to God, our duties under his guidance, and the course we are to follow?
I think your friends and family that are talking so much about 1 Thess. 4 might be better off finding a more fruitful area of concentration and spiritual inquiry. For example, faith and duty to God seem more important and rewarding areas of study.

True, but they do as well. 

History repeats itself, and those ignorant of history are condemned to repeat it.
Sure, absolutely, it goes for being needlessly fearful of technological advancement.  It also goes for the dumb crap humans try to do with their civilizations and governments.
LDS folk point to the 'pride cycle'.   Sort of summed up like this:  Bad times make strong people, strong people make good times, good times make weak people, weak people make bad times.  
We homeschooled our kids, and one of the curricula we used was the "Story of the World" CDs.  Pretty cool stuff - 4 volumes, 1 year per volume.  Repeat at grade/maturity level 3 times.  About halfway through volume 3, the narrator basically apologized that all the stories were starting to sound the same.  Folks showed up, tried something, built a community, then a civilization, then decayed into irrelevance, or were destroyed by the next civilization over, repeat ad nauseum.  He said it's what happens with human civilizations.
So just because someone is pointing to a portent of horrible things doesn't automatically mean they're just being ignorantly fearful of nothing.  You have to look deeper at why they're worried.

It’s funny, but it raises a good point. Now you and I think of a printing press as archaic technology. If you said you were afraid of what it’s doing to the youth of today, I’d think you were crazy. 
 
In 50 years, someone saying they are afraid of Facebook, Twitter* et al will be looked at the same way. 
 
*though I think you, @Godless, are probably a little afraid of Twitter because your boy is running it. 😉 
(totally playing bro) 

All true. My wife volunteers for a Masonic youth group and all the kids think FB is for old people. Their words. 

It's human nature to be fearful of the unknown and apprehensive of significant changes in society and the larger world. It's a protective measure from way back when.

I'm still mad at @pam for not setting up the "scream at each other until someone bursts a blood vessel" forum.

Oh, agree. I think it’s wonderful. I love knowing that kids will grow up with all these options. People focus on the negatives of social media and that’s fine, but I can’t get over how cool it is to connect with all sorts of interesting people from all over the world. No matter what your interest is, you can find someone who shares it. 

I go to the political right on forums.  In the past I have met some decent people on forums that I go on.  (They are not Twitter or Facebook or any of the other popular social media platforms.)  One of the people helped me build a decent quality rifle and another helped me make some money on crypto currencies.  (I never risked a lot in the crypto currencies as they are very volatile and unpredictable.)  The platforms I prefer are not toxic nor have people that tear into you and say nasty things that they would likely never to a person's face if they met you in the real world.

We absolutely agree that porn and sexual immorality are sinful. Couldn't agree more. In fact, I go a step further. I think there are good, secular reasons to avoid porn and sexual immorality. Same with gambling. No good can come from any of those activities. See? I’m much more prudish than people think! 😜 
 
Having said that I don’t go as far as to say those who engage in those activities are “demon filled.” People are human and humans can be very weak at times. Also, just because you’ve made mistakes in the past doesn’t mean you are beyond forgiveness, damaged goods or innately evil. 

Before we seek to help others, we need to first ensure that we ourselves have a strong foundation. I say this from personal experience with dealing with enemies of the church.
Make sure that you have read the scriptures cover to cover. 
Make sure that you have studied not just church history but world history for yourself.
Make sure that you are actually a participant in the world and not just an observer. 
Make sure that you're prepared to have your faith, your patience, and your hope for humanity tested. 

100% agree.  If you turn to the LORD and repent of your sins He will forgive you. 
One of my favorite scriptures is in the Inspired Version of the Bible.  Psalms 30:4 to 5 reads: "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.  For his anger kindleth against the wicked; they repent, and in a moment it is turned away, and they are in his favor, and he giveth them life; therefore, weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
Amulek also taught:  "Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you."  -- Alma 34:31

One of the creepiest things that you have to accept about life is that some people out there will do unspeakably evil things because they are evil. You can try to blame porn, drugs, or mental illness. But in the end, he might just be flat out evil. 

Uh…never said LDS did, but it's what, oh, 97% of other Christian churches believe. 
 
In fact, LDS are the one of the few Christian churches that actually treat Jews with respect instead of just lip service. 
 
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mormons-apology-wiesenthal/mormon-church-apologizes-for-posthumous-baptism-of-jews-idUSTRE81E03S20120215
 
The Church not only apologized, they actually meant it. Also, casual anti semitism would be called out in an LDS ward. No so with other churches. 
 
Same with casual racism too. If I walked into my local ward and started making racist jokes, most members would correctly call me out for it. 

Uhh....that is not what LDS believe.

Same. I’ve always struggled with the thought of adults who died in the holocaust not earning salvation strictly because they didn’t accept Christ in this life. It was/is a major issue to me. 
 
I freely admit I’m not special here. I’m sure that many, many, many people struggle with the same thing. 

I find myself hoping and praying the same thing. It might be leading to be more universalistic than we are typically comfortable with (we have a long history of discomfort with universalism), but there it is anyway.

It’s my prayer that there as many ways to Christ as there are people.