NateHowe

The only beings of whom we know who had the Priesthood and were permitted to live past the span of their natural lives until the Second Coming were the three Nephite disciples and John. The Book of Mormon tells us that the three Nephite disciples were taken from among the people because of wickedness. It can be assumed that a similar situation occurred with John. They still live, and they are still witnesses of Jesus Christ, but it seems that during the period of the Great Apostasy, they were not permitted to ordain others to the Priesthood until the Restoration, when Peter, James and John ordained Joseph Smith.

I am thankful to have married a woman who exhibits the attributes Sister Beck mentions. She is not oppressed, downtrodden, or restricted - she is active, intelligent, and influential in her community. Those who want to find this talk offensive choose to do so by applying a "frumpy, isolated housewife" stereotype to teachings which describe excellent Latter-day Saint mothers of all types.

Wanderer, Thanks for your updates on how things are going with your search. You may or may not have been introduced to it, but I think it might be helpful to review the promise of the Book of Mormon, found in Moroni, chapter 10, verses 3-5: To me, he seems to lay out these steps: Read the Book of Mormon (or any other thing which purports to be true).Ponder on it. This includes reasoning, meditation, asking questions, etc.Receive it in your heart. This means that you have a desire to believe and a willingness to act on the truth if the book is true.Pray with real intent. Again, this is active prayer, including a willingness to live by the answers you receive from God.Listen for God to answer. It may not be a voice or a vision, but through the feelings of the Spirit of God, He will send an answer in a way you will recognize. This may be immediate, or it may take time and repeated prayer.I hope that you will continue in this process and receive the answers that God wants you to know. It is a joyous journey.

This argument is an example of external philosophies being applied to the Gospel of Christ. If we examine the Gospel through the lens of our political ideas, our interpersonal biases, or the teachings of external sources, we are likely to find baseless fault with the Gospel, or to manufacture inaccurate, yet convincing, contradictions. The answer is to see all external matters through the lens of the Gospel, and to realize the place of law and the place of religion. Government is responsible to appropriately punish civil and criminal offenses. Religion can take disciplinary action for offenses toward God. In the area of the law where a criminal offense is also a religious offense, religious punishment is only effective within the religious sphere, and the law only has effect in the legal sphere. If I kill, the Church has the obligation to deal with me on a religious level. I would most likely be excommunicated. As representatives of God, they may advise me of certain problems I will have in the hereafter as a result. That is the extent of the Church's sphere. Then the government must try and punish me in accordance with the law. If I knowingly murder in a nation where capital punishment is the law, I should expect to receive such punishment if I am guilty. That is a clear-cut legal expectation. To expect anything else is like walking down the aisle at the grocery store, picking up items, and then being shocked and outraged when the clerk demands payment on the way out. Let government govern, and let the Church point the people to God, and may they serve their functions separately until Christ comes again to set things in the order He would have.

I have been trying to do more online missionary work in the past few days, and not just through this site. I don't find it productive to argue on boards and chatrooms, because those who are genuinely convinced of their anti-Mormon views will generally not be swayed by any argument. However, I try to search out places where people are asking genuine questions about the Church, and I try to give clear, brief answers and refer them to official sources, including mormon.org, where they can get more answers. As I have mentioned elsewhere, I am also working on my Why am I a Mormon? project, which has generated more hits in the past few days. I now in the process of actively seeking more submissions. If any of you want to give a written, spoken, or video response, please contact me through PM or any other method. I would love to feature responses from some of the great missionaries who frequent this site. Again, it's not a moneymaking project or anything - there are no ads on the site, and the only links on the links page are to official Church sites. I just think it will fill a need.

"God" is a title more than a name, as "Father" is. However, when we say "God," we generally mean our Father in Heaven, who is the father of all of our spirits, including Jesus and Lucifer. Jesus is also rightly called by the title of God, because he has inherited all that the Father hath, including all power, glory, and knowledge. The Holy Ghost can be called by the same title. No other being can take the place of our Father, the God who presides over the universe. For example, Jesus Christ is not trying to usurp power from his Father - that would be contrary to eternal laws and thus negate his power and glory. He is the Son of God, and as such is a rightful heir who works in harmony with his Father. So may we become by following their plan for us.

There are two types of apostasy. Personal apostasy happens when an individual does not live according to the truth of God. Apostasy of a people (a nation, a church, the world, etc.) happens when certain necessary truths and/or authority are lost. Regarding "this lady was talking about her sadness in regards to her former Christian beliefs being an apostasy," let me clarify. Christianity itself is not an apostasy - it has experienced an apostasy. In other words, many true doctrines still exist in general Christianity, but precious things, such as the authority to act in the name of God, called Priesthood, were lost. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a restoration, meaning that unlike any other Church on earth, it did not split off from the ideas of another existing Church. All doctrines, ordinances, authority, and truth which is necessary for us to gain salvation through Jesus Christ has been restored anew, so we do not have to rely on past traditions or incomplete doctrines of the past. We respect other churches and agree with their doctrines as far as they are true. We have no argument with the good they do in the world. However, they cannot agree among themselves about fundamental Christian doctrines. This is apostasy.

There are two distinct types of callings: 1. The calling to come unto Christ, live His gospel, and be saved. 2. Specific callings, or assignments, given by those with authority from God. It seems you think of callings in the first sense only. Yes, part of answering the call of the Lord is doing our best in whatever way we can to build up the kingdom of God. However, Christ also organized and called many to specific positions within His Church. He gave some prophets, some apostles, some pastors and teachers, etc. Those who were called by Christ in ancient times did not seek the calling, nor refuse it when it came. They obeyed and were magnified and blessed to fill the callings they received. We should do the same.

I can't say there's a calling I actually dread. Perhaps Tabernacle Organist. That would be intimidating. However, if there was a calling that I thought was completely terrifying, I probably wouldn't tell anybody. That would be a sure way to get called.

Just for the record, I'm an active Mormon, and I am not anti-Romney, but I am certainly not sold on him or any candidate at the moment. Just as Romney's religion should not disqualify him as a candidate, it certainly doesn't qualify him, either. After all, Harry Reid is a Mormon, and I think he would make a terrible president. Anyway, I am one of the undecideds thus far. Thought you might like to know.

Although the Lord sometimes chooses to give me a recognizable feeling (this IS the answer), more often He reminds me that I already know the answer. Here is an example of a conversation (slightly dramatized) I often have with myself and with God. Me: University or work? God: [silence] Me (reasoning): What does the prophet say? Get all the education you can. Plus, I don't want to work as a waiter for most of my life. I think I should probably register for classes. Now. Is that right? God: Yep. Another one: Me: Which girl should I marry? God: [long silence] Me: Well, here come Girl 1, Girl 2, and Girl 3. All of them are cute. With Girl 1, we get along well, and she's fun, but our conversations are pretty superficial. Girl 2 is really, really nice and intelligent, but I don't really feel attracted to her. Girl 3 is brilliant and cute, and we are great friends. I'll try dating her for awhile and see what happens. [A few months of dating occur with Girl 3] Me: This is great - we have similar views on the things that are really important to each of us, and she helps me to keep the commandments. Should I marry her? God: Of course. Me: Woohoo! Basically, the Lord doesn't cheat us by telling us answers before we go through the necessary process to get them. Many times, it requires experimentation - action in the direction you think is most right without a confirmation. The confirmation will come from God when it is needed.

God has plenty of children, and he can work through any of us - even K.C. and the Sunshine Band.

You will find some on this forum who have been in your shoes. You can read some stories of conversion on LDSblogs.com - A blog by Mormons about Mormonism and the Mormon Church in the missionary section: How to Be a Member Missionary - Category: Conversion Stories - A blog by Mormons about Mormonism and the Mormon Church An excellent site with testimonies of Church members is: Main Page - MormonTestimonies - Why We as Latter-day Saints Believe in Mormonism - (LDS Beliefs) Some stories of other kinds are available in archives of the Church magazines, available for free online through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - click on Gospel Library and select Church Publications. The difficult and exciting thing about testimonials as you describe is that everybody's story is unique. Search around these resources and post more forum questions, and you will find many who have been in similar situations.

President Eyring has said, "When we become casual in our scripture study, we will become casual in our prayers." Start by opening the scriptures with an expectation that you will find the answers through revelation while reading them. This is not a one-time exercise - do it every day for a period of time, and you will find yourself coming to know God again as you live by the truth you acquire. Moroni's Promise in Chapter 10 includes the requirement of REAL INTENT. Study the scriptures with real intent, and it will be a great benefit in your search for revelation.

Wanderer, First, congratulations on this step. I firmly believe that God has far less interest in where we currently are in our spiritual journeys than he does in which direction we are walking. Perhaps a good first step is to ask questions. You will find that as you come to believe that the Church is true, the Lord will provide a way for you to overcome obstacles in your path. Your concerns are valid, of course, but with God all things are possible. If he can make stars and mountains, he can certainly tell you what is true and help you to live your belief. So ask - Ask God for answers. Ask members of the Church for clarification. Ask God for strength to live by whatever you discover to be right. He will help you. If I can personally answer anything for you, let me know. All the best for your journey.

I have marked scriptures in many ways, using different systems. Currently, I underline significant words and phrases with a ball-point pen and write notes about them in the margins. Colors don't particularly matter, but I use two different colors if I'm trying to sort out two different subjects within a chapter.

Scriptures are words of prophets, and words of modern prophets are modern scripture. We are constantly gaining new light and knowledge from God, so some things President Hinckley now knows were unknown or irrelevant to the world of Brigham Young or the world of Moses. Thus, the words of modern prophets provide a clear view of the scriptures, and in rare instances when the wording of the scriptures seems contradictory to the teachings of living prophets, it is our duty to pray and receive our own witness from God as to which course we should take. Christ, the greatest among the prophets and the Savior of the World, contradicted many of the teachings of the Old Testament. He had greater light and knowledge than was previously taught to the Children of Israel. However, as with modern prophets, the spirit and intent of his teachings never contradicted the core beliefs inherent in the ancient scriptures.

1. We do not know the reasons for the Priesthood not being available to black people for a period of time. No matter what we may speculate, those reasons have not been officially stated by the Lord or any modern Prophet. 2. If the revelation granting the Priesthood to black men were a popularly motivated response to the Civil Rights Movement, it would have happened years earlier. By 1978, much of the civil rights progress of the 60s was well-established, even taken for granted in some ways. The revelation was a result of inspiration, not pressure. 3. Since its very early days, the Church has been a proponent of racial equality. One reason they were driven from Missouri and other places where they settled was their anti-slavery view. At a period of history when Native Americans were considered savage animals by most others, early Mormons saw them as part of the House of Israel, brothers and sisters who needed the truth of Jesus Christ as much as the white man. The Church is not a discriminatory organization.

Congratulations on your baptism! Now you get to share the gospel with others, which is just as exciting as accepting it for yourself - perhaps even more.

It seems like the idea they are presenting is to go float rather than fixed on the forum width. Perhaps they could place a small toggle button somewhere in a similar manner to the Wordpress theme I used for Why am I a Mormon? (see the top right corner, near the color buttons). Really like the concept, though - the integration of the various site portions is very nice. I am not usually a fan of horizontal nav bars, but this works well for the content involved. I don't know how much of the actual design you did, but it is quite well done, and it's a big improvement over the former forums. Thank you.

First off, great decision. Second, it was good to talk with you in the chatroom earlier. Third, a suggestion. Go to the meetinghouse locator (Mormon.org - Worship With Us - Extended) THEN, once you have found the ward into which your neighborhood falls, go to the phone book. In the white pages, you can usually find a phone number for the bishop of each ward, listed by ward under "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Call your bishop and let him know your situation. Maybe meet with him personally. Tell him your concerns, in person or over the phone. This does two things for you: first, it will solidify your commitment to show up on Sunday. Second, you will have somebody looking for you on Sunday so you won't have to feel like an absolute stranger when you show up. All the best - I look forward to hearing how it goes.

As far as training Bishops receive, the Church has leadership training, usually administered by the Stake, but also occasional worldwide training meetings. Bishops also receive many written instructions, in the form of handbooks and letters from the leaders of the Church.

You can listen to my LDS music for free, but beyond that, I'd recommend you get a subscription to KZION LDS Internet Radio at KZION LDS Internet Radio. They have most of what's available in the commercial LDS music market, and it will give you a decent idea of what's available and what you may want to purchase.

This is an excellent talk which includes an excellent example of how to conduct such a visit: LDS.org - Ensign Article - And Nothing Shall Offend Them

Mormon is fine with me, because it's a title that has earned a generally good reputation, even though it's not an officially acceptable term. I am also fine with being called a Christian, because I am. Really, the spirit and tone in which something is said matters much more to me than the actual words used.