NateHowe

I have dated converts before. If I were not married, I would again. I would much rather spend time with a committed convert than a lukewarm lifelong member.

I do love that no homework thing. Middle school is a difficult age - I like to stay above or below it if I can. I almost became an English teacher, but looking at the workload, I think music is a better deal all around. Plus, they can't cut music out of elementary schools because it's the other teachers' break time! Huzzah!

Not certified (maybe I'll get around to it this summer?), but I do a lot of Kodaly stuff, especially in 1st through 3rd grades. As far as the preparation, I think it's a tossup. It's true that elementary kids require plenty of energy and activities, but when the bell rings, you go home instead of coaching track, directing the play, and marching at halftime!

We have been "called out" for a very long time. Our role is to stand in holy places and to establish those holy places among us. This talk may be intended to strengthen our ability to follow the counsel we have already been given, or it may be a preparation for stronger counsel to come. I tend to think it is both. As a people, we have not lived up to the teachings of the Lord's servants. We will be constantly "called out" from our complacency until we accomplish the work the Lord has for this people. The language is becoming stronger and clearer, but the message will remain the same: Follow the prophet.

Welcome. I'm a choir teacher (just graduated), and I'm looking at a K-8 job. We always need more LDS musicians!

Tim Tams! How I miss them! I can get them at a few specialty stores, but they cost too much for me to indulge frequently. Anyway, here's a recipe tip thing: Most of us should eat more fish for good health, but less expensive white fish (like Tilapia) is painfully bland. Next time you are cooking white fish, try baking it in a sauce made of honey and balsamic vinegar. I use about equal amounts of each, but you can adjust proportions to taste. Pour it over the fish fillets and coat the bottom of the pan well. Bake as usual. You can also throw some sliced onions, bell peppers, or other vegetables into the pan. They really take on the flavor of the honey/vinegar sauce.

In response to the OP, I would never kill or wish death upon my son. I would never think that dying as a missionary would be a good option for him. However, as I watch people in the Church, I see patterns. One of them is that missionaries who commit serious moral sin in the field and are sent home as a consequence seldom turn back toward the Church. Perhaps it stems from embarrassment or from discouragement at the difficult road of repentance required. Thankfully, some do repent and return and become strong, faithful members of the Church for life. Far too many do not. When faced with the odds as I see them, it would be easier on me as a father if my son died morally clean than if he committed such sins while he had committed to be on the Lord's errand. Now, if the situation arose and my son was sent home, I would love and support him in every possible way to turn him toward repentance and overcoming the sin. Again, I would not wish death on him in any circumstance. But death is not the worst possible outcome, especially with a view of eternal truth and eternal life.

Thanks - Biblical and historical, actually. Phinehas was the spelling in the Old Testament. In Church history, Phineas Young introduced his family to the Church, including a brother you may know named Brigham. Thanks to all of you for your sound advice and congratulations. He's one month old today, and we are very happy.

The way to help is to provide a positive contact with the Church. That requires two things: 1. Be an example of living the truth 2. Show others that the good in your life comes from your faith in the restored Church.

Thank you all for your thoughtful advice. Our son Phineas was born this past Thursday. We are having a great time getting to know him. You can see photos of him on our family blog at the howe family. Thanks again, friends.

It is dangerous to equate outbursts of emotion with the Holy Ghost. This happens often in the Church. Sometimes those of us who don't stand up and blubber in Testimony Meeting can feel like there must be something wrong with us or our faith because we don't have the same emotional reaction. However, strong emotion is not necessarily a sign of spiritual communication. Very few times in my life have I cried because of the feelings of the Holy Ghost. Most of the time, I recognize the Spirit by thoughts of truth filling my mind and heart, and I feel refreshed and enlightened. The role of the Holy Ghost is to testify of Christ, and this process works in a very rational way in me. I suppose what I'm saying is that I've been in the same place, and I have come to recognize the many ways in which God speaks to me, even when I don't feel some great thing.

I don't see the internet in its current state as a place where many will have the entire conversion experience. Rather, I see it as a place where many people can gain positive exposure to the Church so that they are more receptive when the opportunity to investigate is offered in person. There will be a few whose primary reason for conversion involves online contact, but we are far more likely to have success when we combine our online efforts with face-to-face testimony of the restored Gospel.

OK, we are down to less than two months before we have our first child. It's about time for me to ask you parents out there for your best parenting advice. It doesn't have to be limited to infancy, either. I'm pretty sure changing diapers and warming bottles will be less taxing than teaching him how to be a decent human being.

I do not deny that resurrected beings require some source of energy, but I cannot imagine an immortal being relying upon mortal objects for its survival. Take your example of the resurrected Christ. He ate fish and honeycomb. Does that mean he, as an immortal being, required a mortal creation (a fish) to be killed (thus undeniably assuring its mortality) as a necessary source of energy? Surely not. Yes, we have bodies with digestive tracts (some of ours might be 'digested' tracts as well, depending on condition), but we cannot know in our current state how our resurrected bodies will function. For example, platelets, antibodies, and other defense mechanisms will surely be unnecessary because we will have no occasion to bleed or to fight off infection. Although I cannot say what we will do with all our parts, I can say with certainty that their existence does not make their perfected use the same as their mortal use.

And does the scripture indicate that the food was necessary to his life? No, He is an immortal being, and if He didn't die while fasting in the wilderness for 40 days, certainly their fish and honeycomb was not vital to the sustenance of his resurrected body. It was a voluntary act to demonstrate his corporeal nature and show that He was not a spirit only.

Does it say they required food? Not by my reading. It says "thou mayest freely eat." It's not advertised as a life necessity, but a desirable option which Adam and Eve were offered as the stewards of the Garden.

We generally stick with the KJV as far as English translations go, because it's what Joseph Smith had at hand. We do not claim that the KJV is more correct or holy than any other translation, but it is doubtful that we will soon adopt a new version of the Bible as our standard. I can see a few good reasons for this: 1. KJV is well respected among most Christian denominations. Although it is not our primary goal to please them, we do want to be able to have intelligent discourse about Biblical topics using a translation that is widely accepted. The Jehovah's Witnesses have their own translation of the Bible, and no other denomination will accept it as true, so it does not function as common ground for religious discussion. 2. The Bible is not our primary source of truth. Although we are grateful for the Bible, the function of the Restoration (and of restorative actions by God in every previous dispensation) was to teach the Plan of Salvation anew and restore saving ordinances so that we don't have to rely on knowledge passed down from previous dispensations. Read about it in the Bible Dictionary (especially the first paragraph): Bible Dictionary: Dispensations Thus, the Bible (even the admittedly imperfect KJV) is clarified by documents and teachings of the Restoration sufficiently that we know the truth without fiddling with the text of the Bible. 3. The formal language perpetuated by the KJV Bible is the appropriate language of prayer. We don't call God "Dude" for a reason, and although no translation of which I am aware takes the informality to that extent, most modern translations move in that direction. The KJV is refreshingly respectful in its language regarding Deity and our relationship with the Savior.

I love this parable from Elder Robert C. Oaks: Read the whole talk: LDS.org - Ensign Article - Sharing the Gospel

If Herald House doesn't have it on its website, they probably don't publish it. They are the only ones who would, because Community of Christ (formerly the RLDS Church) owns the copyright.

Adie_Vale, If you feel you need to move out in order to live your own religious life, make arrangements to do so. Make it clear to your parents that you love them and want to continue your good relationship with them, but you must make more of your own decisions as part of being an adult. Seek inspiration from God in how to proceed. Until you can make that move, study the Book of Mormon. Read it, ponder its teachings, and pray to know the truth of it and what you should do about it. Attend Church if you can. Talk to other members of the Church in your area and ask them how they came to know the truth of the Gospel. Be with those who would strengthen your faith. Finally, write down some of your thoughts and feelings during this time. This will be a valuable record for your later reference at times when your faith is challenged. The answers you have received are powerful - give yourself a way to remember them.

Investigation is an important process, and that often includes finding and considering contrary views. However, in seeking out this information, we must sort the reliable from the unreliable, the helpful from the distracting. Those who are dead-set against the Church are not reliable sources for the doctrines of the Church. They may have opinions to consider, but as far as proclaiming and teaching the doctrine of the Church, they have no authority in the matter. Further, a sensible investigation will rely more heavily on the most official sources. I would not investigate Christianity exclusively by speaking with Atheist groups, Muslim leaders, and self-proclaimed ex-Christians. I would begin with the Bible, the most accepted text in Christianity. I would talk to Christian ministers. I would talk with common Christian people. I would learn what I could historically about Jesus Christ. Does it seem like Wanderer is doing this, as it applies to Mormonism? Yes, as far as I can tell from what he has told us. He is reading the Book of Mormon, which is the keystone of our religion, with real intent. He has spoken with ministers of the Church. He participates in this forum, which includes many members of the Church. He is searching for more knowledge. His approach seems sound. My advice, Wanderer, is simply to sift well. Those with axes to grind are not a good gage by which to measure any group. Take those documents and ideas which are most relevant to your most important questions, and lay the rest aside until you receive clear answers to the most fundamental questions.

It comes down to the golden question: Is there a true Prophet of God on the Earth? If so, we should do what he says. If the Prophet said that we should get in a big ark because it was going to rain, hopefully we would do so. Let's do the small, simple things too, like paying tithing. Now, if there is not a true prophet on the Earth, I suppose we can do whatever we want, but the Bible seems to indicate otherwise.

Much of modern Christian music displays traits of mass hypnosis techniques: A strong, repetitive beat, a short, repetitive chord structure, short phrases repeated over and over and over. Does this mean I don't listen to it? No, I sometimes do. However, be aware of what the music is influencing you to do and how it is doing it. Much of it is designed to carry you away in the moment. They then call the excitement they induce the Spirit of God. The Spirit is a still, small voice rarely present in a rock performance.

You mean the thought that God works wonders by means that seem foolish to learned men? No, I can't take credit for that thought. It was expressed by Paul, Nephi, and Alma, among others.

Part of the process of constant repentance and improvement is to acknowledge our imperfections. In the Church, as in any organization, some will try to seem like what they are not in order to obtain some social status. However, the most effective leaders I have had in the Church are those who are admittedly imperfect, but striving.