NateHowe

There is great danger in seeing oneself as the rare exception to a prophet's call. If the commandment is for every worthy young man to serve, then a young man must tread very carefully when even toying with the idea of skipping missionary service. Generally, when I look back to identify times in my life when I have thought a prophet's counsel did not apply to me, I see that the counsel usually applied directly to a weakness I held. The counsel I most want to rationalize away is that which is most important for my welfare.

"Raising the Bar" in the early part of this decade did not rescind the prophetic command for every worthy and able young man to serve a mission. In fact, it was clearly restated. Again, that does not mean we should ostracize those who have not yet made the choice, but the choice should be encouraged.

Science cannot measure religion, but religion can measure science. Science cannot approach that which cannot be empirically observed. True religion encompasses all truth, including the invisible, unmeasurable, and unprovable. Since your evolutionary origin theory has not been proven scientifically (it is still a theory), my view, based on words of prophets combined with undeniable experience with God, is no less rational or defensible than yours. If you make such a radical statement as, "there has never been any evidence for a supernatural God," you should know that it is scientifically nearly impossible to prove a negative, and that only a small portion of the scientists throughout the ages have been atheist. Rational men can still accept an authority higher than themselves, and those who cannot may eventually be memorialized as presumptuous at best.

Actually, the Church leaders want to know more than anybody why people leave. It is in the best interest of the Church for us to figure out what people's real concerns are and help them overcome them so they will stay faithful.

The realm of faith takes over precisely where things cannot be explained by the natural laws we currently understand. God does all things according to law, but He understands laws higher than we can comprehend. Casting doubt upon Biblical events is not an effective method of finding the truth. As a Church, we believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. That is not to say that figurative and symbolic representations do not exist in the Bible, but we must be cautious about dismissing the words of Scripture. On evolution, we understand that it is a natural process which is currently occurring. That is not a disputed issue. However, the idea that Darwinian evolution was the source of all life on this Earth is in conflict with Scripture and the words of latter-day prophets. Does this mean evolution is not a tool of God? No. But Darwin's understanding of this principle is not completely compatible with revealed truth. One way in which many people's views of evolutionary theory are incompatible with the Gospel is that humans - men and women - are actually children of God. God is not a goat or a paramecium or a peach tree. He looks like us, although His glory far surpasses ours. Other forms of life are His creations, but we are His children. Evolution misses the mark on this one. God placed the human race on the Earth and gave him self-awareness, spiritual knowledge, and rational thought for a purpose. Other life forms do not have these qualities. They are not acquired by evolution. Let's put this another way. Statistically, is it more likely that a lightning bolt hits a pool of amino acid sludge, resulting in Albert Schweitzer eons later? Or is it more likely that a supremely intelligent being could exist, even God, who placed His children here intentionally by a mode of travel we do not now understand? To me, the latter is more logical.

Welcome. I always love conversing with Kiwis.

Welcome. I look forward to reading your posts.

For me, the testimony of the Book of Mormon came as a feeling of deep understanding. Certain principles of the Book suddenly made complete sense to my mind and my soul. This was something much greater than a merely intellectual manifestation. However, I cannot easily explain it more than to say "I know."

Congratulations on your return to activity, and welcome to LDS.net. I hope you will enjoy the community here.

Just posted this scripture in another thread, but it bears repeating. Alma 29:8: Does that mean that the Lord sent Mohammed to teach truth? Certainly. Does that mean that we accept the words of Mohammed as a part of our Gospel? Not exactly. Some teachings of the Koran (at least the way it's been handed down over the years) are contrary to the restored gospel. Also, Mohammed did not testify of Jesus as the Son of God. True prophets all testify of the Savior. Thus, Mohammed was a man inspired of God, but not a prophet in the sense that we understand. Same with many of the great spritual leaders of all world religions throughout history.

If you want an eternal marriage, solemnized in the temple, you need to seriously date a pool of people who have the same objective. "Flirt to convert" is not a guaranteed method. However, that pool of temple-minded people can and should include faithful recent converts, and single life is an ideal time to share the gospel.

Our ward is losing some to move-outs, and replacing them as fast as possible with births.

Wisdom from Alma 29:8 All good teachings from all parts of the world come from the Lord. That does not make them comprehensive or absolutely correct, because apostasy from truth is not a uniquely Christian phenomenon. However, it means that all good comes from God, and all religion that teaches correct principles had a beginning with God.

My post was not intended to be narrow in scope or offensive to anyone. Staying in the Church boils down to testimony. The other things mentioned in this thread which cause people to leave the Church do so because they are allowed to destroy or distract from a living testimony. If you have a testimony through the Spirit of Revelation that the President of the Church is a living prophet, you will either stay firm in the Church or deny that testimony and leave. It's that simple. If you have not received that testimony, you will either gain it or go astray. I'm not trying to be harsh here. I can't judge the intents of anybody's heart. I just have to be clear on this - those who maintain their testimonies of the Restoration by obeying the living prophet will remain faithful. Those who allow themselves to become sidetracked with anything else take a great risk, and many fall away. No offensive action or piece of historical trivia nullifies that point. The prophet is the mouthpiece of God, and there is no way to follow him and leave the Church at the same time. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

There are some appropriate reasons for a young man not to serve a full-time mission. Those reasons are between the Lord, the individual, and his ecclesiastical leaders. To ostracize or demean a man because he did not serve a full-time mission is inappropriate. However, missionary service is one factor that should be taken into account when choosing a spouse. That is not to say it is a blanket prequalification - it is one of many criteria to consider carefully. I can say that missionary service changed my entire outlook on God, the role of the Church, and interpersonal relationships. It taught me how to be more spiritually independent. It allowed me to develop leadership skills not available in other settings. I know that my marriage would not be as strong if I had not served a mission, even if I had married the same girl. Now, does that mean that my peers who did not serve are inferior? No. Some of them have gone on to successful careers and Temple marriages. But many of them have traveled more difficult roads on the way to that goal, and many have not made it. On the flipside, there are some who go on missions for no other reason than to have the "RM" status. In the words of scripture, they have their reward. Faithful missionary service will strengthen the man who serves with real intent. So if I had a daughter, my counsel would be this: Look for a man who has invested wisely in his future eternal marriage. Past performance often does indicate future results. A mission is one of the best investments toward that goal. If a young man has had the benefit of growing up in the Church, but has neglected to follow the Prophet's counsel to serve a mission, he ought to have a good reason. If he did serve, how is his life now? Is he living up to the standards he was commissioned to teach? Examine the whole person, and take the mission experience in context with the rest of the whole. There is no set formula for finding the right partner, but certain indicators show the pattern of one's life. It is appropriate for missionary service to be on that list.

Agreed, Snow. People give many nominal reasons for leaving, but the actual reasons boil down to these: 1. The person did not gain a solid testimony in the first place and/or 2. The person is not actively living the commandments sufficiently to keep a testimony intact and/or 3. Because of pride, the person is denying a testimony in favor of a seemingly more convenient way.

My advice? Enjoy the experience, then go back to the temple as soon as you can. Don't try to get everything at once. The first time, there is a sense of newness and excitement which often prevents much real understanding. It's like picking up the Book of Mormon for the first time - most people need to read it through once to get the story down and figure out what's going on, then subsequent readings yield deeper insights. My further advice is to come to the temple every time after the first with a specific question or topic about which you want to receive revelation. The Lord will sometimes give us great wisdom out of the blue, but He seems to give it more readily when we are actively seeking in this way. For me, this has been especially true at the temple.

I would not introduce any foreign matter (like shavings) into the page. Try the copy shop approach first. If that doesn't work, go to a document restoration expert. You don't want to ruin what's left of the journal by smearing stuff on it.

I've never been a smoker, so I am not trying to appear an expert here. However, I know quite a few smokers, and some who have quit. With that in mind, here are a few things that might help: 1. You have triggers that make you want to smoke. For many people, those include waking up, before eating, after eating, while drinking certain beverages, and taking a break at work. You have to be proactive in those times. A good approach is to brush your teeth at those times - before you get the craving. Use a toothpaste and/or mouthwash with a strong flavor - cinnamon is good. This changes the taste in your mouth and helps with your craving. 2. Vitamin C helps you detox faster. Use a product like Emergen-C or chewable supplements. Drink plenty of citrus juices. These will also change the taste in your mouth and help overcome cravings. 3. Exchange a habit for a habit. Whether it's knitting or writing or vacuuming or practicing the piano, find an alternate activity that can become habitual as smoking leaves your life. Reading scriptures is a good one, too. 4. Prayers like, "Father, help me quit smoking" are nice, but specific prayers about your specific need in the moment are better. Consider these alternatives: "Father, please help me to resist this craving until lunch." "Father, please help me to find something to do for the next 20 minutes while my body wants a cigarette." 4. Get away from other smokers. Smoking has a strong social component. Until you've kicked the habit, stay away from people whose clothes and hair will act as a trigger for you. 5. Breathe deeply. Smoking is one of the few times when many people take a long, deep breath. Why not take a few long, deep breaths during a craving without smoking? This will help you get more oxygen and think rationally to work through your craving. 6. Plan your day. This is not really smoking-related. It's just a great idea. If you wake up a few minutes early, pray, then ON PAPER plan your objectives for the day, you will be able to visualize your strategies for success in this goal. That will make them much more powerful.

As an educator, I can see definite benefits to preschool. We're talking a couple of times a week - not a daycare situation. However, parental involvement in education at home is far more beneficial than any structured program. No structured program can be successful without it. In other words, if you send your kids to preschool and fail to reinforce the concepts taught there, you are essentially paying for nothing more than babysitting. In nearly every case, I would rather have a Kindergartener with parents who read to him every night than one that had two years of the best preschool without the benefit of parents who care enough to participate.

Jacek, what are your religious beliefs?

I don't think it's much of a story or much of a shock - according to the article, 1997 approximately equaled 1957 in the NUMBER of births in the U.S. The population of the U.S. was significantly smaller in '57, so the birth rate then was a big deal. We have just slowly risen back to that point. The actual birth rate (births per 1000 population) is not startlingly high.

God will not force anybody (including your husband, sorry) to accept the Gospel or participate in its ordinances. He will reward you AND your husband according to the knowledge that you have. He does not yet understand the truth of the Gospel. You do. You both need to live as well as you can, according to the knowledge God has given you.

To say that you believe in the Book of Mormon but ignore its revelatory origin is akin to saying that Jesus Christ taught some great things without admitting that He is the Son of God.

Right, but if one partner continues in righteousness and the other falls off the boat, the righteous one will not be penalized eternally for his or her spouse's negative choices. God is just, and we are responsible for our own sins.