WANDERER

LOL........they voted this one in for some sort of joke award and it won... but ummmm the originator of the joke also tells some others....... : ) .

Alright...but I don't claim to have all the right answers to these questions, just trying to answer them for myself and no one else, according to where I am at with my walk with God. 1. Religion is humanity's attempt to find God. It is humanity's attempt to connect with and relate to God or a belief about deity or not connect to one at all (atheism etc). a. All religions claim to be right. I'm not sure...isn't there a Buddhist belief that all religions are taking you in the right direction. This about says it: While we should live wholeheartedly within our own faith, so long as we find it to be sustaining and a sphere of spiritual growth, we should freely recognise the equal validity of the other great world faiths for their adherents, and we can also be enriched by some of their insights and spiritual practices.To support religious absolutism is to be part of the problem which afflicts humanity. I'm sure there where Roman temples out and about in Jesus's day and times. b. You must decide which one is. That would mean that all the other ones are wrong. People insist theirs is the only true religion, and everyone else is either wrong or stupid. This is insulting to believers of other religions, who probably feel as much faith as them, but behave with more humility. It is only possible to make that decision on a personal level and basis if you want the decision to be 'true' and many aren't chosing a religious group to belong to at all or do not commit to one in the form of joining organised religion. I can't make that decision for anyone else, not if it is going to be meaningful to them or a true relationship with God. 2. God's Word says that they are all wrong. Instead, God finds us. Ummm, atheists probably agree with bits of part a and not part b. a. According to John 14:6 Jesus says that He is the only way, truth and life, and that the only way to God is through him. Yes. Through grace. Works are useless without the grace of salvation. But a fruit of salvation nonetheless. b. Only Christians recognize correctly who Jesus is, and try to follow him. Things known are in the knower according to the mode of the knower . Someone who has put their faith and trust in Jesus and serve Him and others with love....or try to.

Yes I understand the history of the early Christian church and such. I can see a parallel in wanting to be more Christ-like, spiritual progression but divine progression...no.

A slight difference in opinion it seems...one group went one way and the other group went another from what I have read. Lehi.... why was this so?

Aelsa, forgive me, but I just find it funny.

Strawberry Pink : )))))

But needing to save all yellow cake lovers from it's soul-destroying properties Morning Star? It's just yellow cake and a matter of personal taste...banana or chocolate... of course if you don't like banana then you need to be healed ...noooooohhhhhhhh I am not having this conversation LOL.

Alright PC ...your views.

Thanks LDS Nana and Nate...nearly missed that the transcripts were up. RAY A thankyou so much for posting your thoughts. I'm a bit overwhelmed by your testimony.

Gordon B. Hinckley Some years ago one of our brethren spoke of the payment of tithing as “fire insurance.” That statement evoked laughter. Nonetheless, the word of the Lord is clear that those who do not keep the commandments and observe the laws of God shall be burned at the time of his coming. For that shall be a day of judgment and a day of sifting, a day of separating the good from the evil. I would venture a personal opinion that no event has occurred in all the history of the earth as dreadful as will be the day of the Second Coming—no event as fraught with the destructive forces of nature, as consequential for the nations of the earth, as terrible for the wicked, or as wonderful for the righteous. (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 576.) Sounds like a real fire, not a metaphorical one. Marshmellow?

But like, you'll be burned for not tithing? No telestial heaven thingy?

23 Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming. (D&C 64:23) What does this mean to you?

None. They will all be obsolete in Heaven.

Gerlinde, thankyou. I have a few things like that, that I think about. But I don't really know what to think : ) .

Hi and welcome to the forums.

Validation for this...why? Can't see the point. It was and is wrong: plain and simple. Perhaps energy should be put into injustices that continue: the lack of fair trade for example and many others.

Are there other options than the traditional mission available...service missionary?

I believe in the Holy Spirit as a comforter type revelations....I sometimes get mimimal information on things. Yep, pretty mundane stuff. I don't talk about it much: I guess this one's okay to share: At college I had this dream this person travelled to France and bought an item of jewelry (I had it pictured in detail). Yep, WHY? 5 years later I met them again and they had done just that (ummm about 3 years after the dream). We ended up flatmates and that was a pretty trying time of my life and that person had a few trials to go through. I accept it as confirmation type revelation. I'm not sure what goes on there, just hang around and do what I can to help when those sorts of 'coincidences' happen. I did chat with my flatty about her trip overseas and what went on there and out of curiousity about the time frame and stuff, but not why I was asking. I'll leave out the personal details of the situation. I don't put a lot of personal value on it.... I don't seek it out. I'd rather not have the experience. It's just one of those, here we go again thingies and the blessing isn't for my life in any case, I'm just the third party. I just hope that whatever the Lord wants me to do in those situations that I'm doing it. Yes I did look up the psychology of all of that and the sorts of stuff your brain can do to you. Sorry, no explanation fits. The closest thing would be believing you knew something happened after it happened or rationalising after the fact. It doesn't work well with five year time frames though. That's a little long for self-delusion. So yes, I think it's very possible that you can have revelations. Personally I'm not that into them.

Sorry, I didn't type this heading either. I originally typed Church of Christ and found I couldn't change the thread topic to Community of Christ. The 'U' rather bothers me in this moderator? fix. [title fixed by Alaskagain]

***

***

***

***

I'm confused about this...didn't Lucifer want to be God? And wasn't that the reason for his fall? At least this is what I was taught. I don't mean to be offensive, but now that the topic has been brought up..what do LDS think on this one?

***