LatterDaySaint

Welcome This forum is excellent! You've come the right place.

Welcome

Hi Catholic, For me, there are lots of things..... Foremost, I think it's having a road map for my life. I have an understanding of the purpose of life: Why I'm here and where I'm going. I have an understanding that I existed before this life, and I will exist after this life. Death is not the end. I will see my grandparents that passed away again--someday. "Family" also takes on new meaning. I'm not just talking about the church's emphasis on building strong family ties or genealogy. I'm talking about "Family": The Human Family. When I attend church on Sunday, I feel like I'm coming home, visiting family. It's commonplace to call one another by "Brother ... " or "Sister ...". For instance, I can go on vacation to Timbuktu, show up at church, and (not knowing anyone there) be introduced to "Brother Benturk" or "Sister Assieh". Church is a great melting pot where the emphasis lies on our common tie--As offspring of a loving Heavenly Father, literally being brothers and sisters. There's a large sense of community in the church. The old African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child." applies to how the church functions. The church has many programs and activities. Members of the church are given "Callings" ("invited to accept volunteer, non-compensated positions") to serve one another as teachers, presidents, counselors, bishops, home teachers, visiting teachers, etc. Church programs are designed to make husbands better husbands, wives better wives, and children better children (if that's possible). Kind Regards, LatterDaySaint P.S. Here're some great articles about the family (if interested): * "Set in Order Thy House" Russell M. Nelson, Liahona, Jan. 2002, 80–83; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 69–71 Our family is the focus of our greatest work and joy in this life; so will it be throughout all eternity. * "The Eternal Family" Robert D. Hales, Ensign, Nov. 1996, 64–67 The plan of the Father is that family love and companionship will continue into the eternities.

Welcome! Lot's a friendly folk here. I recently joined the forum too....

Congratulations!!! That's wonderful!!!

Hi Rob, Thank you for sharing your video about your views in relation to God and man's relation to God. That is correct. Among other things, the video suggests: That everyone and everything is God; Our physical separation from God is an illusion.That God exists within every part of the universe.That the Spirit of God does not have a physical, human image (is not male or female).That God gains experience through us.That life is not a test.That Christ's purpose (and that of other enlightened men) was to awaken us to the divinity that we all share: i.e. That we are all composed collectively of God.I only agree with the video to the point that we are all eternal. That is true. However, the ideas presented in the video differ greatly from the most basic tenants of the LDS faith: Such as the very nature of God. To understand the prospective of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I'll refer you to the following: “Chapter 2: God the Eternal Father,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007),36–44.Time-wise, the video only briefly discusses the purpose of the life of Christ. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has enlighten us--enabled us to understand our relation to God. This is true. But, He has done much, much more than that: Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God the Father in the flesh. He was the Creator, He is our Savior, and He will be our Judge. Under the direction of our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ created the earth. Through His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and by giving His life on the cross—that is, by performing the Atonement—Jesus Christ saves us from our sins as we follow Him. Through His Resurrection, Jesus Christ saves us from physical death. Because He overcame death, we will all be given the gift of resurrection. http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoi...0004d82620a____ For further reading, see “Chapter 3: Jesus Christ, the Divine Redeemer of the World,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007),45–56. Here's some feedback:The quote by President Lorenzo Snow was “As man is, God once was; and as God is, man may become.” That, however, does not imply that simultaneously we are God and God is us (See the first link).The video also suggests that everyone's calling & election is already made sure. This is not consistent with LDS beliefs.I don't recall anything specific to "temple sealing ordinances" in the video.Once again, thank you for sharing your views. The video must have taken a lot of effort to create. If you are interested in learning more about the LDS faith, I would suggest you check out the Gospel Principles manual (link). It may have some answers for you. Kind Regards, LatterDaySaint

Hi tigerblue711, That speaks very well of your family. Half my father's family are members of the church. My grandmother (member) died when he was 17. My grandpa (non-member) provided no financial support and only sent him 1 letter the whole time he was away on his mission. Your family is right about this. Your decision to be baptized should be founded upon your belief. You must take the girlfriend out of the equation: i.e. Would you still believe if she wrote you a letter stating that she met someone else while you were away on your mission and that she was getting married? This has happened to many a missionary.... But, you needn't worry about the future. Having made the choice to follow Him, He will direct you on the path of life. "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:6)Here are two great talks for further reading: Robert K. Dellenbach, “Hour of Conversion,” Ensign, Nov 1990, 23 and Richard G. Scott, “Full Conversion Brings Happiness,” Liahona, Jul 2002, 26–28. Kind Regards, LatterDaySaint

Hi Simon, Keep going! Don't give up! Continue going to church. Continue reading the Scriptures: Bible and Book of Mormon. Watch, listen, and read the messages from General Conference (http://www.lds.org/conference/sessions/dis...23-1-19,00.html). Listen to church music (http://www.lds.org/cm/catalogsearchalpha/1...0.html#nullLink), etc. Then, ask yourself a simple question "Does this increase or decrease my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?" Having done all that, I think you'll quickly come to realize that everything the church does is designed to increase ones faith. Regarding the Bible, I quote from the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: I also strongly encourage you to read this great article: M. Russell Ballard, “The Miracle of the Holy Bible,” Ensign, May 2007, 80–82. Be strong. Don't take take counsel from your fears. This is another must read: (James E. Faust, “Be Not Afraid,” Ensign, Oct 2002, 2–6). Kind Regards, LatterDaySaint ------------------------- “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.” (D&C 68:6).

Hi again, I must say that your friend is deeply misinformed. Nothing immoral, unholy, or unethical occurs in the temple. Having gone through the initiatory myself (many times), I can state in all honesty that it is not as he has described. Kind Regards, LatterDaySaint

Hi cherisalorraine, This article has your answer: Carlos E. Asay, “The Temple Garment: ‘An Outward Expression of an Inward Commitment’,” Liahona, Sep 1999, 33. Kind Regards, LatterDaySaint

Hi kona0197, As a long-term investigator (as you may already be aware), at a minimum, a newly baptized member must wait a year to go to the temple for an endowment. Remember that this is a minimum of one year; Some members wait many years to go. And, although all members are invited and strongly encouraged to attend the temple for their endowment, the ultimate decision to attend the temple is a personal choice. Some members decide not to. It is not a requirement enforced by the church. If one decides to get their endowments though, they go to the temple and make additional covenants (or promises) to God that they will live a Christ-like life. It's really as simple as that. For further reading, here are two wonderful articles about attending the temple and about temple garments: Russell M. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” Liahona, Jul 2001, 37–40 and Carlos E. Asay, “The Temple Garment: ‘An Outward Expression of an Inward Commitment’,” Liahona, Sep 1999, 33. If you attend church, you may also be able to get a lot of questions answered by attending a Temple Preparation Sunday School class. You can ask your Sunday School President or Bishop for details. Kind Regards, LatterDaySaint

Hi deblldo, LM has it right: No doubt about it. The Lord has been leading you throughout your life. I want to testify to you that He knows you personally, and He is guiding you. If you were to ask every member in this forum about how they are able to recognize the Spirit though, you'd get many different answers. That's the beauty of it--It's personal. God, in His own time (and in His own way), will help you to gain a testimony if you work for it. Some people gain it through prayer, others from paying a tithe, yet others attending church, etc. Here is an example from the life of the prophet Elijah. Note how the Lord ultimately spoke to him. It can be that way with us too--very subtle. Learning to feel and recognize the Spirit can be difficult. It's definitely a learning process--it can take time. Many prominent leaders in the church investigated it a long time before joining. Believe it or not, many people also gain a testimony of the church after they have joined--a huge leap of faith. One such example comes from the life of President Lorenzo Snow: Many think that they need an earth shattering experience to know that they've felt the Spirit before deciding to join the church. I think it's much simpler than that. If you can affirmatively answer this question, I'd say you're ready for baptism: "Do you love God and want to keep His commandments?" 8 year olds have this very simple faith when they choose to be baptized. In fact, this was the question that I was asked in my baptismal interview when I was 8. As you immerse yourself in the gospel though, it does get easier to recognize. Pray for a spiritual confirmation of what the missionaries have shared with you. Read the scriptures, fast, attend church (and other church activities). You will begin to notice a positive difference in your life. That is the Spirit letting you know that you are on the right path. President Henry B. Eyring recently gave a wonderful talk about recognizing the hand of the Lord in our lives (Henry B. Eyring, “O Remember, Remember,” Liahona, Nov 2007, 66–69). I hope you can take a minute to read it. LatterDaySaint

The origin of all science is the desire to know causes, and the origin of all false science and imposture is the desire to accept false causes rather than none; or, which is the same thing, in the unwillingness to acknowledge our own ignorance. -- William Hazlitt The progress of science is often affected more by the frailties of humans and their institutions than by the limitations of scientific measuring devices. The scientific method is only as effective as the humans using it. It does not automatically lead to progress. --Steven S. Zumdahl Copying extensively from one source is plagiarism; copying extensively from several is research. --Author unknown The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I've found it!), but "That's funny..." --Isaac Asimov

Could it happen? Yes, I think almost anything could. Would it happen? I doubt it. Have past revelations been superseded before? Yes. There are plenty examples of this in the scriptures (think fulfillment of the Law of Moses). An article called Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet may be of interest. I must say that I sincerely believe Tenant #4 - "The prophet will never lead the church astray." That being said though, personal revelation is the key. Personal confirmation by the Spirit can help each one of us know for ourselves that what the current Prophet is saying is indeed true. Just my 2-cents, LatterDaySaint

Hi carpeomnius, This may sound compelling.... No doubt the availability of water is still something that we take for granted today in some areas of the world. Yet, the ordinance has not changed. Convenience never made it right (or valid). Remember, the actual baptismal ordinance itself can take less than 25 seconds (Think how quickly temple baptisms can be performed). Supposing just 8 people were performing the baptisms, they could theoretically accomplish this feat in under 3 hours. By no means do I think this time constraint was impossible. This is only partially correct. The Greek root is Baptismo which means to immerse--not "dip and immerse". There can be no doubt that immersion was performed. You may choose to share these verses: Matt. 3:16; Acts 8:37-39; Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 2:12; D&C 20:72-74; D&C 128:12-13. Immersion has symbolic meaning in the ordinance of baptism. That meaning is lost if the ordinance is not performed correctly. The early saints performed baptism by immersion. The early saints were taught and understood the symbolic importance of baptism by immersion (See Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 2:12; and D&C 128:12-13). Being immersed in the water is symbolic of death--as in the death of our former, sinful lives. Being raised from the water is symbolic of the resurrection, Christ giving us a new life--as one of His disciples. As Latter-Day Saints, it can be difficult to explain the importance of baptism by immersion by someone who has authority. Hopefully, some of these scriptures can help. Modern revelation greatly clarifies the matter. If you're interested, here's a great talk from the late President Faust: James E. Faust, “Born Again,” Ensign, May 2001, 54. I find that referring others to church talks can be a great help. Good luck helping your friend, LatterDaySaint

Welcome, Breezy! Another great resource to start-off with is the Gospel Principles manual. When investigators first start comin' ta church they usually attend a gospel principles Sunday School class for a while. Although you may not be able to attend, you can still make use of the manual. It's an excellent reference. Enjoy! LatterDaySaint

Hello Brothers and Sisters, I recently read about Elder M. Russell Ballard's talk about taking gospel discussions to the internet. So, I started surfing today and came across this site. Wow! I'm impressed. This site is very well-done. If anyone is interested, I also came across another great site: MormonTestimonies.org. Laters, LatterDaySaint -------------------- O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! (Alma 29:1).