rameumptom

I think it means that you paid too much for the event. Throw away terms are useless, unless you are also taught the why and how. It is like a Sacrament meeting talk on the importance of members doing missionary work, but never discussing ways in which members (many of whom have never been FTMs) can actually do such work in their area. Another one is where someone tells you to be happy, because Adam fell so that men might have joy. However, they never address the "how".

Tell him that you will pray for him, but not for a relationship that you do not feel is condoned by God. Tell him that joy and happiness are found in God, not in a physical or emotional attraction. Don't call him to repentance, but call him to develop his relationship with God, to seek God's will and not his own. Then leave it at that.

He would say, "Did the Lord tell you personally to do all that?" As it is, the young rich man in the NT may not have had wife and kids to consider. Christ did not tell everyone to sell all they had and follow him, but only the one man. The woman caught in adultery was commanded to "go and sin no more." Others were told to repent, or do other things as needed for that specific individual. That's a big problem with having a church based solely on the Bible, and not on current revelation. One size does not fit all. This type of view ignores the teachings in the Old Testament, and much in the New Testament, as well. It takes one story, and applies it universally in a way that should not be done. The Law of Moses dealt in black and white. Everyone had to do things in a specific way. There were few options. But with Christ, we learn that there is room for gray areas. While the letter of the law kills, the "Spirit giveth life", as it adjusts things according to the present need. So, in Adam's day, there was no need for a large and extensive priesthood organization. For centuries there were Patriarchs, then Prophets and Priests. Apostles were not needed until Jesus' day. So, the system adjusts, according to the needs of the period. We do not live the Law of Moses today, because it is not part of the commandment for us now. Following living prophets allow us to understand how to apply scripture to us today.

Awesome!!!!!!

I think a company has the right to do what it wants in this regard. This allows them to create a proactive health program for its people. Those who smoke, or have other unhealthy lifestyle choices, can choose to pay more for healthcare, and not punish those who do not. Diabetes, obesity and tobacco probably account for over 1/2 the costs of medical care these days.

Your mission president's counsel goes against the teachings of the GAs. They state that your family comes first NOW, not in the Millennium. What good is it to save the world, and lose your family? There needs to be a balance in our lives. Yes, we must sacrifice, but each of us must determine what that sacrifice will be as we counsel with God. It is not a "one size fits all". Leaders that push numbers, acting like you are being paid to do their work, when in reality we are all volunteers (hopefully doing the best we can), is ridiculous. That said, there are many who do not live up to their potential. Still, there are better ways to reach them: individually, not as a huge group. As for being out 3 nights a week, and that it is okay to neglect your family: that is a devil's formula for destroying the strong families in a stake. Yes, there may be some who can do 3 nights a week all the time, and most who can do 3 nights a week on occasion, but to mandate it as fiat for everyone seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Better to teach the leaders how to work smarter, not longer.

D&C 11: "The Field is White, Already to Harvest" The manual covers the lesson fairly well. Here I want to invite all my readers to share one or two of the following: 1. Your Conversion Story 2. Your Experience opening your mission call 3. A neat experience from your mission 4. A missionary moment you have had with someone else. Let me share three of my own experiences. In the Spring of 1975, my high school in Montana suffered several big tragedies. Students died or were seriously injured over a 2 week period in about 1/2 dozen incidents. In one event, friends went 4-wheel driving and turned over their Jeep, with 2 dying. In another, 4 friends went up a canyon and drank rubbing alcohol, with 3 of them dying, and the girl who survived ending up shriveled up and in a wheelchair. Then some kids took cow tranquilizers and were found dead at the fairgrounds. Other events occurred. It shook up our school back in a time when counselors were not sent to schools to help the students. That summer, my grandfather died. I remember being a pallbearer with my brother and cousins. As we sat in the back of the car carrying us, one cousin noted that there had to be a better way. I agreed. I was shell shocked from all the death I'd seen in just a few months. That Fall, I met some new friends at school. Most of them were Mormons, and one of them invited me to play basketball on his church team. I accepted. Prior to playing that Wednesday night, the bishop invited me into his office. He explained to me that to be able to play in the future, I would have to cut my long hair and attend church on Sundays. Normally I would have refused, as my Dad could never get me to cut my shoulder length hair. But something happened in that bishop's office to me, which I would not understand until much later. The Spirit of the Lord was thick in the room and moved me to change my life. As I attended and studied the Restored Gospel, I began to understand the Atonement of Christ, salvation, eternal families, and the hope of a glorious resurrection that I did not understand when my friends were dying. Since then, I've always been ever grateful to my friend who invited me to play Church basketball, and to the bishop who introduced me to the Spirit. From 1978-1980, I served a mission in Bolivia. On the southern border is a small town, named Yacuiba. In 1970, when there were no missionaries in the region, the town drunk staggered home in the rain. Looking down, he found a pamphlet in a puddle of water. He picked it up, took it home, dried it off and read it. He then turned to his wife and said, "I don't know what Church this is, but when it gets here, w e're going to join it." The pamphlet was the Joseph Smith First Vision story. In 1979, the first missionaries were sent to Yacuiba. His was the fourth door they knocked on. By the time I arrived in Yacuiba a year later, he had gone from being the town drunk to a respected businessman with his own logging truck. Not long afterward, he was called to preside over the congregation as its branch president. While in Bolivia, I saw many such marvelous experiences of people being led to the LDS Church by the Lord. Another experience came when the Air Force had me stationed in South Korea in 1985. A young man, who had a notoriety for being bad, was moved to my squad. Korea was very challenging for good people to live morally, as drinking and prostitution were a way of life outside of military bases. I avoided the scene directly outside the base, choosing to travel to other areas where I could get to really know the people. I knew the day would come when I would be assigned to work with this other young man, but did not look forward to it. When I saw we were being stationed together in a solitary post together, I prayed that I would survive what I expected to be an onslaught of obscenities and filthy talk, as this is how the man was described to me by others. Yet, when we arrived at our post, he said that he admired my standards and my life. He once had been active in a church and was happy, but fell far from his moral lifestyle. We spent the night talking about God and faith. By morning he wanted to talk with the missionaries. So, I contacted a missionary couple up in Seoul to come down once a week to teach my new friend. After a month, we took a trip to Seoul to see the temple, then under construction. As we walked around the temple, I showed him where the corner stone would be set on the first day of the dedication. He asked me if he could touch the sacred building, and I encouraged him to do so. "This is where I want to be married someday", he said. Within a few weeks, I baptized him in the base swimming pool, the temple being a key component in converting a man, whom I would never would have guessed to be wanting to change his life so drastically. From these and hundreds of other experiences, my own testimony of Christ and his work have grown. It truly is a marvelous work. In the early 1830s, Joseph Smith told the few members of the fledgling Church that they were not to only be a congregation, but that someday the Church would fill both North and South America, indeed, it would fill the world. As people throughout the world find that the LDS Church has solutions to worldly problems and answers to spiritual questions, it will continue to grow, preparing the world for the 2nd Coming of Christ. Please share your experiences.

Pam, that is true. However, that's because they are doubting Thomases there. In Happy Valley, we're talking about Thomas the Tank Engine.... Missouri produced Mark Twain. Utah produced the Book of Mormon movie. Need I say more? (Palerider, you can buy me dinner later)

D&C Lesson 10: “This Is My Voice Unto All” The earliest sections of the D&C contain many personal revelations to people asking guidance of God through the Prophet Joseph Smith. D&C 25 is the only section containing a personal revelation to a woman: Emma Smith. Meeting Joseph in 1825 while he was working with Josiah Stowell, searching for buried treasure. Joseph would return to Harmony Pennsylvania several times to court Emma. Her father disapproved of Joseph the treasure hunter courting his daughter, and so they eloped. Emma must have felt isolated, with much of her family considering Joseph a fraud or crazy for his claims of angelic visits and a book with gold plates. Yet, Emma was present with Joseph on the night he obtained the plates from the Hill Cumorah. Later, she would be his scribe and assist him in hiding the plates from others who attempted to steal them. Emma patiently waited and served Joseph. She saw Oliver, Martin and David become the Three Witnesses. Soon after, 8 others would be additional witnesses of the gold plates. She would listen to Joseph describe receiving the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods with Oliver Cowdery. She saw these many men come into the home to receive personal revelations from Joseph, many being called to special responsibilities and missions. She was the woman in waiting, never directly involved in the revelations or events that occurred. Yet, she was also the woman who patiently went through the many trials: watching Joseph arrested dozens of times or being tarred and feathered. Seeing most of her children die in childhood. Visiting Joseph in Liberty Jail, Carthage Jail, and other jails along the way. Escaping Missouri alone with her children, while Joseph was imprisoned and mobs wandered the hills looking for Mormons to harm. Watching the wagon slowly bring the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum back from Carthage. So, when she did receive her revelation, the Lord seemed to explain that her position would not include a center position in the early events of the Restoration. She was told to patiently support and strengthen her husband, and to be a source of joy and good cheer. Perhaps one of her two defining responsibilities in the LDS Church was her assignment to put together the first hymnbook (the other being the first Relief Society President of the Church). When we consider how important music is in the Church today, we can owe it all to Emma. Many of the hymns she selected are still found in our hymnbook today. The hymnbook inspired many members to write hymns, including Eliza R Snow (O My Father), William W Phelps (Spirit of God), John Jaques (O Say What is Truth), Joel H Johnson (High on the Mountaintop), Parley P Pratt (The Morning Breaks), and many others. Today, we have the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and many other local choirs and performance groups that inspire millions. Indeed, “the song of the righteous is a prayer unto” the Lord. Emma was faithful to Joseph throughout his life, and served the poor and needy throughout her own life. She definitely is an elect lady.

JAG, that is true. However, I wanted to make it easy for all those Utah Mormons to understand....

I'm thinking JD is taking advantage of the Obama welfare system. I'm convinced he has more than just one EBT card, and has applied for many other government benefits, as well. Thanks for being a drain on society, JD!

One downside to this idea is that she is still liable for any of his debts. If he is sued for thousands of dollars for the repair to a building that has been painted, then she could end up holding the bag for both paying for the building and any lawyer and court costs.

I was explaining my credentials, because others questioned my previous statements. I have no problem with others discussing and sharing their views on this or any topic. However, if they choose to question the validity of my statements, then I have the right to explain how my experience contributes to it. If someone makes a statement that I disagree with, I also have the right to explain the issue in my own view. To have someone who has no experience dismiss my opinions (based on experience) without giving substantial reason to do so, does not promote discussion. I see this from anti-Mormons frequently in apologetics that I work on - they dismiss LDS scholars by calling them ignoramuses, and not dealing with the argument - therefore hoping to win by ad hominem. So, please share your opinions. However, do not dismiss mine with glib statements that I cannot understand what is going on in the head of a tagger, as I deal with such behavior all the time.

I am speaking in generalities from behavioral patterns. You are speaking from no experience. Other behavioral patterns that suggest someone is involved in risky behaviors that can lead to prison? Tattoos, piercings, drug use, gang involvement, etc. Most people that are arrested for theft, generally are trying to raise money for their drug habit. Yes, there are exceptions, but the patterns are there. Someone who seeks fame, wealth or power by doing something illegal is someone who is displaying risky behavior, which can lead to darker things. So, I don't lump taggers together. I lump those who display risky behavior together. And if he doesn't turn things around, he belongs in prison to protect other people's property. You would have no problem lumping murderers, drug dealers or rapists into groups, why cut slack for those doing other crimes? There are victims of non-violent crimes too. The cost of cleaning up his vandalism can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. That means some shop owner cannot afford to send his kid to college. So, let's focus on the risky, illegal behavior, not on the issue of how pretty his vandalism art is.

Laugh it up kids. I was joking. I reserve condemnation for those women who have more than one set of earrings or a tramp stamp....

BTW, doing this kind of illegal activity is often done for the thrill of it. It is impulsive, which pumps adrenaline into the blood. I work as a counselor in a prison, and this is a sign of someone who is ripe for jail. Watch for signs of him also using drugs, or perhaps breaking other small laws, as well.

Tell him that if he goes out to break the laws, you will call the cops on him. Then, if he breaks the law, send the cops on him. Usually, the first offense/incident of vandalism will be a misdemeanor, with a big fine and community service.

Tough choice. My Mom demanded that of me a couple times as a teenager when I joined. Of course, she settled down afterward each time and didn't push it too far. Martin Harris had a wife that always caused him fits in regards to the Church. Eventually, he left her. Heber C. Kimball noted that had she been his wife and told him to choose, he would have said, "Be gone and be damned!" Before you get to that point, consider these suggestions: Perhaps you can explain to your husband that the Church helps you to be a better wife and mother, and see just what areas he has struggles with. If it is that he does not like men coming by the house, perhaps you can live without home teachers visiting the house, but seeing you for a few minutes at church on Sunday. If it is some other area, then discuss it with him, and see if you can accommodate his concern. Hopefully he isn't against the whole thing, which gives you no room for compromise. Iit is a tough choice. You will have to decide what is of most importance to you. That said, if you follow the Lord, he will reward you.

I believe Pres Kimball, in Miracle of Forgiveness, noted that those Christ prayed to have forgiven were the Roman Soldiers, because they were mocking, beating and crucifying him in ignorance. Scriptures tell us that we are not accountable for things we are ignorant of, especially if that ignorance is not of our own accord. So, little children are saved in Christ, even though they can do terrible things out of ignorance. Choice is different than a guess. Choice is when there is a decision to be made between two or more things. We choose good or evil (or a wide swathe of levels in between the two absolutes). Some of what we do is out of ignorance, but much of the evil is done out of selfishness, disregard toward God and others, or laziness. Such are choices. We choose to serve others, or watch television. We choose to read our scriptures or play video games. We choose eternal marriage, earthly marriage, or sleeping around. We choose between political parties, which God to worship (or not), what to eat (healthy or not). These are different than guessing which color/number the little roulette ball is going to land on. With the roulette ball, it is all guessing, based upon odds (you can bet which color, odds/evens, or a specific number). However, deciding what to eat for breakfast is not a crap shoot (which is also a guessing game of luck). It is about the evidence we have available to make a decision. Some things we have lots of evidence, while other things we have few facts. General Colin Powell noted that in war, a general usually had to make a decision based upon having 40% of the information. It is less than half, but still much more than nothing. If God knows all things, including the future, then we do not have a libertarian free will ability to choose, as the choices are already made and cannot be changed. So, we either have a limited agency based upon compatibilism (too complicated to adequately describe here, see the links I gave earlier), or God does not perfectly know the future(s), but is the Grand Master chess player, who can foresee all the potential moves of every player involved in the game.

Traveler, we do not make any decisions in this life based on 100% knowledge or certainty. We get up in the morning, because we believe the sun will rise. That is our agency: to believe the sun will rise because of past experience, and make decisions from the amount of information we have. We experience the Holy Ghost and then act with faith, based upon the experience we have. In this life, we walk by faith. But Lectures on Faith also tells us that God works by faith also. Yet, does one have/use faith, if he knows all things past, present AND future? What is there to choice, if the choice is always perfectly laid out before us? If we perfectly know the future, then what decision is there to make, as the future is already determined? Again, this is deep philosophy, of which I'm still an amateur compared to people like James Faulconer, Joseph Spencer and Adam Miller in the LDS Church, and of many outside the Church.

ANOTHER reason why the Book of Mormon warns us about costly apparel, and Isaiah warns about the women in Zion wearing crisping pins, bonnets, and other ornaments, and then "mince" as they walk! Gel Nails, real or fake, are the devil's playground!

First, be patient. Things get better after the storm, and we all go through storms where we ask "God, are you there?" Second, I work on my spiritual development outside of Church, expecting three things in Church meetings: 1. to partake of the Sacrament, 2. personal worship regardless of what is taught, and 3. opportunities to serve. Begin with the handful of people you do know, and visit each of them once a week or so, on a different day. This way, you'll have friendships develop without over-visiting an individual home. Second, work on your own testimony. You leaned on your first bishop's testimony, and it is nice to be able to do that. But we all must get to where we can stand on our own more and more. You can do this over time. Finally, the basics are very important: prayer, scriptures, fasting, meditating. Do these frequently, with the intent to have frequent spiritual experiences between you and God. They will come.

I don't think you will find the term "eternal now" in the scriptures. Elder Maxwell did use it in his writings. There are philosophical issues that arise with using this concept. If all things are immediately before God, including future things in their final state, then there is no cause and effect. I receive the final judgment at the exact same time I am born, in the premortal existence, or deciding whether to join the Church or not. There is a difference between libertarian free will, having a real and full choice in this life, and a compatibilist free will that gives us limited agency and choice, because there is no real cause and effect brought about by my choices. No, God is not forcing anything on me, but it is already decided before I even come here. God could have made only those who would be exalted with such a foreknowledge, preventing those who would end up suffering perdition and hell. So, there are issues that really make this a head-spinner. What Elder Maxwell taught answers some questions, but creates more questions and issues. We will likely have to wait until the next life to see just how it all works.

When you purchase popcorn from a store, it is always dried and ready to use. The dry ice keeps it from getting moisture in the container and kills any weevils/etc. Not sure what the best price for popcorn is. You may want to search it on the Internet and locally.

FYI, Matthew and Luke get much of their main information from Mark. Some scholars believe there was a 'Q' source that Matthew and Luke got other info from. However, some recent scholars (Mark Goodacre) believe that Luke took stuff from Matthew and Mark, and so there is no need for a Q source.