cdowis

This is just the mutterings and rantings of a theologian/philosopher. He's trying to sort out 1 Peter 4:6, but that is not what it says.

On my mission to Germany, we had a saying, "Give them their baptism certificate, and a ticket to Utah." Back in 1965 the Saints were being told to remain in their own country, so that was being taught for awhile. Zion is found in the stakes of the church, and each stake represents the gathering place for the Saints.

I didn't create the video. I just downloaded it from the Mormon Channel of youtube, and uploaded it with the new title into my own channel.

It appears to me that she cloistered herself from the world, hoping that would resolve her spiritual issues. In effect, the temple became her convent. I think she would have had better results working with the YM activities, serving at a food bank, Cub Scout volunteer, active in the PTA, etc. When a person focuses so much on their inner daemons, it becomes unhealthy. Let's call it "spiritual suicide" -- you're dead but don't know it.

Sigh. Perhaps she should have considered entering into a convent.

I have created my own channel on youtube. Basically I am using my best videos that I use in apologetics, and other videos that the church has released,. Trying to broaden the audience with fresh titles. One successful title is "The Mormon church and Syrian refugees".

This is a link to a playlist of videos addressing the Book of Abraham issues. http://mormonchallenges.org/category/scriptures/bookofabraham/

Obama has a new ally on gun control (satire) https://youtu.be/IOfEi6Qs--s

Interesting experience. There is a video on the Book of Abraham, and how members are leaving the church because of it. I wrote a post, with the excellent videos we have on the subject from FairMormon. Within an hour it was removed. I tried it again, with the same result. Oh well.

We had the lesson today, and, WOW, the stake president was in the class! We also had someone who had served a senior mission in Russia, and he knew a great deal about the church organization. As the president explained, while there are Area Seventies, they hold not keys, but only can carry out assignments from the Q12 such as finding and ordaining a stake president, and generally give instruction and counsel. The stake president is the holder of the keys for his stake, so everything related to the spiritual aspect falls under his authority. Technically he has a direct line of stewardship to the Q12. On the other side of this is the district, which falls under the mission president. One significant role of the stake is that, in order to have a temple, you must have at least one stake. The stake presidency put it like this -- "When I was a bishop, I had my stake president to back me up, to make sure that things were properly handled. Now, it falls to me." One of the main purpose of the stake to ensure that the purity of doctrine is taught and followed, and that burden falls upon the stake president, under the direction of the Q12 and advise of the Area Seventies. The Presiding Bishopric is a whole other things. The SP can go to them (there are thirteen DEA's or the local agents) and make request for repair, replacement, etc. They have a strict budget so we don't always get what we want when we want it. For example, we recently were approved to replace the old organ in the stake center. We are waiting for approval to expand the parking lot at one of the buildings, etc.

Let's look at it in another way. Did Joseph Smith really say there were men on the moon? In both cases there were reputable men who wrote something about Joseph Smith decades after his death, but unconfirmed by anyone else. And in both cases they did not give any sources.

A faith promoting myth.

I think this would be helpful https://youtu.be/EkOVbT2oxnI?t=10s

It really helps to have experience in translating the classical languages, such as Latin and Greek. Verbs are placed at the end of sentences, nouns and adjectives separated by entire phrases, etc. Just another day at the office. English has the annoying habit of being constrained by where words are placed, rather than agreement by case and gender. Once you learn the endings of verbs and nouns, things just fit together regardless of placement. I would like to point out that this record was clearly written by someone with a very sophisticated familiarity with ancient languages, and not by somebody whose sole language is English. Its awkward structure belies a sophisticated understanding of this language.

Here is some more information on this. CRITIC 1826 Bainbridge trial -- glass looking RESPONSE http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith/Legal_issues/Trials/1826_court_appearance_for_glasslooking

I think it is similar to being a "disorderly person". Here is an updated explanation of this charge http://www.morristownnjcriminallawpost.com/criminal-process/disorderly-persons-offenses-what-am-i-facing/ Basically it is saying, "We don't like what you are doing, so stop it." In this case, it was asserted that JS was taking advantage of a gullible person.

Yeah, English has this weird rule about avoiding the double negative.

Look up the road ahead Look up the road, a head!

How about a discount on tithing -- Pay in advance and get a 2% discount. Sigh.

CRITIC JS was convicted as a stone peeper. RESPONSE Paul/Saul threw the Christians into prison, and approved of the stoning of Stephen as he stood by and held their coats. JS simply looked into a stone, Paul participated in murder of a prophet. Peter slashed out with a sword at one of the guards who were arresting them, and almost killed him. JS simply looked into a stone, and Peter almost murdered one of the guards. God calls those whom he chooses. He did not ask you, he does not need your help in calling his prophets. You have the mind of man, and cannot comprehend the mind God. In your arrogance you do not understand that God judges his servants differently from what you are able to do. He can see into their hearts and know what service they can perform.

On the level of "good, better, best", the law of compensation, for me, is on the bottom rung of any motivation that I may have to live the Gospel principles. For example, we would all agree, I suppose, that living the law of tithing would be accompanied with a spirit of rejoicing rather than bean counting. This is demonstrated by the absurdity that tithing is like fire insurance. Heaven spare us all from such spiritual twinkies.

CRITIC Yet another textual analysis of the Book of Mormon "proving" that it was influenced by contemporary works published at the time. RESPONSE There is a saying, "Statistics don't lie, but liars use statistics." A fundamental principle of a research study is to validate your methodology. For example, if you compare the Book of Mormon text with thousands of books printed before 1830, and you discover "significant associations" with certain books, you could make the false conclusion that these books influenced the BOM text. NOPE! You have to go one step further, and then compare the BOM with texts printed AFTER 1830 to see if you get similar results. This is the GIGO principle -- garbage in, garbage out. If you get a similar result with these later books, you find yourself in the GARBAGE zone. You earlier conclusion is flawed! Note that he emphasized that he analyzed "all of these books" -- over 100,000, but he very quickly mentioned that these books were published BEFORE 1830. He laughs, he twitches, he knows that he is in the garbage zone, but he is an anitMormon and he doesn't care that he is speaking garbage.

Unlikely. For example, I did initiatory, and had the cards sent to the front desk, but they were not there when I was leaving the temple. It became obvious that someone "ham handed" the cards, and took my cards with theirs. I guess the lesson is to have the cards immediately brought back to the initiatory area rather than in the box up front.

We go to the temple to do the work of exaltation for our ancestors. It is work, it is service. If we personally gain from it, that is wonderful, but we shouldn't deem it a failure if we don't have some profound spiritual experience, anymore than if we had worked at the bishop's storehouse.

CRITIC Paul makes it clear in Gal 1:8-9 that even if an apostle, a prophet or ANY other person teaches a gospel different than the gospel the apostles originally taught, then reject that different gospel. RESPONSE the apostasy Perhaps you should give these ideas some thought -->> 1. Acts 1 [3] To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs,*being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:* Perhaps you can tell us specifically what was taught during the fourty days -- did He simply repeat the Sermon on the Mount 2.000 times? Well, Peter hints at one topic here 1 Pe 4 [6] For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. Baptism for the dead was obviously being practiced as part of that doctrine. 2. But a more fundamental question is why not practiced today? For the same reason that you quoted Paul -- it is part of the fullness of the gospel that was lost. The historic Christian churches have replaced the apostles and prophets with theologians and philosophers, in order to maintain that "gospel previously taught". See Eph -14. Read it carefully how long the church would have them, and why they were necessary. Christ called a prophet in our day to restore those things which were lost.+++++++++++++++++++++++ You are making a false assumption, that the Bible is sufficient to give us knowledge of the salvation teachings of Christ. The theologians, reading from the same Bible, cannot agree on even basic salvation doctrines -- faith vs works, is baptism necessary, free will and predestination. YOU need to read Paul's warning and what would happen when the apostles and prophets have been replaced -- a sign that another gospel would then be taught. Here is a brief overview of the gospel that was taught. https://youtu.be/9MiF_HKoFr4?list=FLOGthnff2vitBgcB66Ngm1A