VisionOfLehi

We're currently seeing this right now? Sorry, but the idea that George W. Bush is the antichrist, as implied there, is ludicrous. We accept the prophecies as prophecies. We know they'll come true, that doesn't mean we fully understand them. A lot of this is stuff we study and pray about to receive our own answers. And, by the way, could you please cite sources about this treaty being signed? For all I know it's anti-Bush propaganda, or just fake or exaggerated news meant to incite people.

The "answer" isn't necessarily thicker skins. Old timers need to be re-taught how difficult it can be to join the Church. It's not just a religious institute, but an entire culture. It's not something (usually) you can just jump into and perfectly mesh in. And new members need to be carefully "watched over." Not spied on, but in the way a shepherd attends his flock. The mission and Church leaders should make sure they have what they need as they learn to integrate, and do it at a reasonable pace. But, ultimately, whether or not you go is up to the individual.

"Sin" is the knowing breaking of commandments. Sometimes when a thing is called "sin" it gets a big reaction, but it's not THAT big of a deal. You're commanded to be humble and submissive and forgiving... It's not easy. We all sin all the time in that sense. McConkie's statement shouldn't be taken in an accusatory manner(although it quite seems like that's how he meant it.) It should be a tool that makes us recognize, "The reason these people fell away is because they have some other desire or need. If we want to help, we should try to find out how to overcome or fulfill it."

Just to clarify, there's no LDS believe in the "rapture" as it's generally referred to by Evangelical denominations (I may have the denominations wrong, sorry :X)

Why would you even bother posting that? In the future, please refrain from joining the conversations if you can't actually add anything to them. We welcome posters of all beliefs and levels of understanding, but we ask the to contribute.

We need to remember that "carnal" doesn't just mean sexual. Perhaps the carnality you "enjoyed" was not enduring, and having problems with other members. It's much easier to hold grudges, dislike, or not get along with people than it is to forgive them or not be bothered by them.This may not be true for you, but I'm sure there's a way to apply it to Brother McConkie's statement. I don't doubt that what I just described is how it applies to many others, though.

Day!

As LDS single members, I think it doesn't matter who we date, as long as we keep one thing in mind: The Temple. That's where we should be trying to steer our life towards. You can date non-members, but it shouldn't take too long to discern whether or not they'll end up joining and being worthy to enter the temple. And, they might, at some point... But that doesn't make it your job to wait for them to do it. You can stop dating and find someone else who's a "better" prospect. You just can't ever forget about the temple, and you can't put the New and Everlasting Covenant on hold because someone "might" join.

I don't think so, Skip. I don't think it's that easy to "reject" the Holy Ghost.

I'm way behind, but thinking about my Laws topic, I wanted to find some scripture chains that I really like, and post them for posterity. (Haha?) The Greatest Two Commandments Matthew 22: 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. Mark 12: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. John 14: 15 ¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments. Matthew 22: 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. John 15: 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. John 5: 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. Matthew 22: 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Mark 12: 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Yes. Those are the 2 greatest commandments, but there's certainly Laws which I think are necessary to know and "master." Although we're supposed to follow those 2 commandments to an incredible degree, take a look at this scripture: Emphasis added.In order to obey the 1st greatest commandment, to love God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength, we must obey the other commandments! On this, and the "love thy neighbor" commandment hang "all the law and prophets." They're interconnected. And, as far as I can tell, this: Is the same as the Law of Obedience.

Please go here: http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/11253-what-laws-discussion.html to discuss these.

My post in the other thread was too long for 1 post, and moving posts around didn't work (because the posts go in chronological order.) So, I made this a separate thread.

Laws of the Church Law of the Lord/Church: Doctrine and Covenants 42 From the Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, pg. 82 Law of the Gospel: Doctrine and Covenants 104 Law of Common Consent: Doctrine and Covenants 26 Law of Witnesses: Doctrine and Covenants 6 LDS.org - Ensign Article - Witnesses LDS.org - Ensign Article - The Witness: Martin Harris Vision's View: These are all Laws concerning Christ's Church. The Law of the Church and Gospel are those that deal with the purpose of the Church, and the Law of Common Consent and Witnesses deal with the establishing of the Church and spreading the Gospel. Extra Laws Law of Plural Marriages: Doctrine and Covenants 132 not given unto the Children of Men. Mastery of this law, currently, means having 1 wife. Vision's View: For the Law of Plural Marriages, I don't have another spot for it, because right now it's "inactive." The Lord has revealed that if we tried to keep to this law, the law's of man would persecute us and prevent us from establishing Zion. So, we're not to practice this law until He gives us the go ahead.

I updated a couple, and added Law of Agency and Law of Service. If any of you can find "better" links or references to these, please post them! I will add them to the first post. I need to reorganize some of this. Some of these laws are rather tied-in together and I want to put them into groups.

When I started dating my ex-girlfriend I was anti-theist agnostic and was determined that the Church was a cult and she was brainwashed. I was antagonistic and showed no sign of changing that. However, as I studied more on my own, and watched how the LDS life went (pretty typical American life, here), I became less stand-offish. From the first couple months you'd have never guessed I'd turn around. But here I am today. More stubbornly LDS than I was stubbornly agnostic. You can't know.

While I haven't seen them firsthand, I've seen photos of the murals in the Nauvoo Temple. They're beautiful. NAUVOO INTERNET NEWS Nauvoo Temple interior photos

There is a guy in my Stake, used to be in my Ward, that joined the Church at 16 (I guess before parental consent was needed) and was thus disowned by his folks. They kicked him out.

I currently live in a mostly Catholic town. (The Archdioceses of Iowa is in my town.) "Although sources vary, Catholics make up between 65-85% of city residents" And, we have a LOT of different churches in town. That said, I haven't met many people who outwardly show that they're religious. Often it just doesn't enter the discussion. However, one of my coworkers last year was a Southern Baptist minister, with a new start-up church here in town. We got along pretty well, and discussed religious topics fairly often. Most of them were about how important Christ is and how people should have Him in their lives, and if they just try to be like Him they'd have a lot more going for them. I know there was doctrine we didn't and wouldn't agree on, and he knew it, too, but it was sort of a mutual, never even mentioned, understanding that we wouldn't bother discussing those things. We wanted to get along, not find differences.

I understand that when youth do the Called to Serve program they get set apart for the days they're being missionaries. Set apart as missionaries. Some youth I had talked to considered themselves to have been official missionaries (even since the boys were titled Elder) for those few days. But am I not right in thinking that missionaries actually receive some keys? And to be an "actual" missionary, doesn't one have to have been through the temple, first? Any insight would be great.

I'm just going by what Scriptures or General Authorities have called "laws." Some of them seem very much like commandments, but some don't (Celestial Law, Law of the Lord, Law of Witnesses). I also believe that the laws encompass multiple commandments. The Law of Moses is the most obvious, but another law (I think Mercy, I can't remember which I had looked up) includes all of the Beatitudes. And others are less obvious, like the Traveler demonstrated (Law of the Sabbath)

Ask yourself... Are you seeking answers, or are you seeking flaws?

I have a question along these lines, regarding a claim I have heard. I have heard that we all have seer stones, but we're just not worthy enough to see and use them. Is that right? Are these the same white stones that the celestial will be given?

Thank you! I will add them and try to get references when I have the time.

On the thief on the cross: Lexicon Results for paradeisos (Strong's 3857) Greek for 3857 Pronunciation Guide paradeisos {par-ad'-i-sos} Outline of Biblical Usage 1) among the Persians a grand enclosure or preserve, hunting ground, park, shady and well watered, in which wild animals, were kept for the hunt; it was enclosed by walls and furnished with towers for the hunters 2) a garden, pleasure ground a) grove, park 3) the part of Hades which was thought by the later Jews to be the abode of the souls of pious until the resurrection: but some understand this to be a heavenly paradise 4) the upper regions of the heavens. According to the early church Fathers, the paradise in which our first parents dwelt before the fall still exists, neither on the earth or in the heavens, but above and beyond the world 5) heaven