rameumptom

And I see this as events that are inevitable, but necessary. In Christ's teachings on prayer, he stated, "on earth as it is in heaven." Guess what, for us to have heaven on earth requires the earth to go through a cleansing of the wicked. At the same time, the Lord will not destroy the wicked until the wheat and tares are mature, which means some wheat will have to endure being among the tares for a time. Ether 12:4 tells me that hope is an anchor to the soul, making it steadfast and immoveable through the trials of faith. Hope causes us to envision a better world, even the kingdom of God. If to bring heaven to earth means we must go through hell and back, I'm willing to do so, and even do it with a hopeful smile on my face - knowing God's will is being done.

I look forward to those tribulations of the last days. It isn't that I enjoy such struggles, but they will signal how close we are to the end times. I also know that the Lord said in scripture that the faithful will be saved, even if by fire sent down from heaven. This will, of course primarily have to do with those dwelling in Zion, or with the faith of Enoch. Those with weaker faith may still experience much of the tribulation and ask, "why me?", when the experience is exactly what they need to develop the faith to overcome all things.

We will see that such relativism will be a major factor in what divides the wheat from the tares, Such see their position as moral, because they believe in social justice. Yet, spiritually they risk snuffing out the little Spirit that remains. Feeding the poor is usually a good thing, unless one steals the souls of those one is feeding at the time, tearing families apart by policy, and encouraging sexual immorality as the norm. Such are as the Pharisees and Sadduccees of Jesus' day, who focused on doing alms and feeding the poor, while leaving the weightier matters alone.

I think we are getting close to the end times. But that could mean 20 years from now. That said, there will be an Armageddon. Just be aware that what Armageddon states in the scriptures may be different than Elder McConkie's view of Armageddon. I personally suggest using D&C 87, the Prophecy on War to determine many timelines. I've written my understanding on it here: DC87 - Life, the Universe, and Etcetera If I read it right, I say we are now in the period when a lot of chaos will occur, both in wars and natural disasters. It is at this time we are called to stand in holy places. I personally think the USA will collapse economically. At that point, the nation will break up into tribes (a Nephite term) or regions of states - dividing the righteous from the wicked. The righteous, led by LDS (who are organized and prepared to deal with such problems) will begin to build Zion. The wicked will exist under mob rule in chaos. Those areas affected by the mobs will become very dangerous and wicked. And as D&C 45 tells us: those among the wicked who will not lift up their swords to fight, must needs flee to Zion for safety. We will no longer be the world's police force, though other nations will generally leave Zion and America's chaos alone. Meanwhile, the Old Hemisphere will focus on their own problems. It will have three major coalitions of nations: the European Union (including Russia), China and the east, and the Arab/Muslim world. Over a period of just a few years, we will see them blame Israel for their economic woes. Armageddon will then primarily be the Arab world invading Israel.

I have seen the BN Nook. I bought a Kindle Touch for myself, and love it, though like all ereaders, its internet experience is limited. My wife loves the fact that the Touch can read a book to her, as her stigmatism is pretty strong. I like the built in wikipedia, book marks, etc. I have friends with the Kindle Fire HD, and they really like it a lot. The reviews I've seen rate it higher than the IPad Mini, for much less.

Just to clarify one thing: Hitler was not a fascist. He was a Socialist. Mussolini was a fascist. Of course, both are totalitarian organizations which can lead to radicalism, social unrest and warfare.

Backroads, as long as you don't compare me with Hitler or Obama, you are okay....

Anytime a Democrat's name and Hitler are stated in the same sentence, someone is going to cry "foul", regardless of whether the two were compared. It is political correctness gone amok. Also, most people today are generally illiterate. They can read Harry Potter, but cannot type anything beyond a Twitter feed. Cathy was unable to dissect the sentence properly. Third, you are dealing with people on Facebook! That is often akin to the "People of Walmart". While there are a few intelligent people that walk the aisles of Walmart, more and more of them choose to shop Target in order to avoid the minions of Dogpatch, USA.

Do your own fundraiser to raise the $60.

With those ears and big nose, I thought you were Quark!

Lesson 45: “Never Has Man Believed in Me As Thou Hast” Ether 1–6 https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSw7jkmYQu4MribF7f-J-iP-9kqORoNFXzSLGzdiVQrIGYfBS9OTw Background on the Jaredites at the Tower From what we read in the Book of Ether, Jared and his brother Mahonri Moriancumer, lived near the Tower of Babel. Traditionally, the Tower of Babel was built by the great Babylonian King Nimrod. In ancient tradition, Nimrod inherited the garment of Noah, which Ham stole from his father. The garment, which caused animals to trust the wearer, was used by Noah to gather them into his ark. Nimrod is known in the Bible as a “mighty hunter” denoting this enhanced ability he received from wearing Noah’s garment. Nimrod built the Tower of Babel in order to obtain heaven. He was ruler over much territory and saw himself as a god on earth. He now desired to be god in heaven, and so organized his people to build the tower so as to overthrow God. Nimrod’s version of a theophany was to force his way into God’s throne room, and then place himself on the throne as god and king. Isaiah would compare Nebuchadnezzar to Nimrod in calling him “Lucifer”, and in Nebuchadnezzar’s desire to be the second Nimrod and to rebuild the tower in his day: “That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!... How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:8-15). Nimrod would be the arch nemesis of Abraham and his family. In the traditions, the young Abraham would miraculously escape the machinations of Nimrod on many occasions. Eventually, Abraham would flee to dwell with Noah and Shem in safety. Abraham’s grandson Esau would slay Nimrod, either as a hunting accident, or because he sought to own the garment of Noah and return it back to its rightful owner (himself). In George Laub’s autobiography, he mentions the ancient historian Josephus explaining that Nimrod built the Tower to fight against God for bringing the great Flood. In addition, he explains what Joseph Smith related to him regarding Nimrod and the Tower. “Now I will tell the story of the designs of building the tower of Babel. It was designed to go to the city of Enoch for the veil was not yet so great that it hid it from their sight so they concluded to go to the city of Enoch. For God gave him place above the impure air for he could breath a pure air and him and his city was taken, for God provided a better place for him. For they were pure in heart for it is the pure in heart that causes the Zion to be”. If the City of Enoch, in being carried up to heaven, was still visible to people on earth, Nimrod could build a tower to reach it. Nimrod could then seek to overthrow God (or at least Enoch as Metatron the archangel) on the city’s passage to heaven. The tower would actually have been a Ziggurat, an ancient temple design. Unlike most artistic depictions, Ziggurats are square. As with temples, they represented the place between heaven and earth where the people could go to worship their god. In Nimrod’s case, he built the tower of Babel to overthrow God, instead. So, we see there is a very complicated and interrelated story line going on here in the ancient literature and revelations of Joseph Smith. God interrupts Nimrod’s plans In the Bible and other LDS scriptures, we find that the story of the Tower of Babel introduces the concept of the confounding of languages. This becomes somewhat problematic in that there is written evidence of several languages preceding the Tower. While Nimrod would probably have used Sumerian, other languages (Egyptian, etc) already existed. Not all the people in the world were situated at the Tower, although the size of the city of Babylon may have seemed like it was the center of everything on earth. Perhaps the way to read this is a more narrow way. It is possible that Jared had sacred written records from earlier prophets. We know that the original plates of Ether contained the story of man from Adam down to the Tower. It may be that the confounding of languages occurred only in Babylon, as a method to stop the united effort to build a Ziggurat to overthrow God. Speaking various languages would cause the people to disperse, meaning Jared’s company were just one of many to leave the area in order to find their own place for people who understood a similar language. Jared’s request to not be confounded may mean he did not wish to lose their language, and therefore not be able to understand the sacred records they possessed. Jared’s company travel The ancient city of Babel is situated south of modern day Baghdad, Iraq. They are first sent northward to a valley named Nimrod (obviously not named by them). It is possible this was a wilderness area favored by Nimrod for hunting, as the Jaredites are successful in catching animals and birds with snares. The area would have been an oasis in the desert. Perhaps they stopped at one of the few lakes northward of Babel. Tharthar Lake is the closest large lake and is about 160 miles away. Several hundreds of miles further north, one finds Lakes Urmia and Van. They must have been a people that were used to raising flocks and fishing, as they brought flocks with them and made a large container to carry fish with them. “And it came to pass that the Lord commanded them that they should go forth into the wilderness, yea, into that quarter where there never had man been. And it came to pass that the Lord did go before them, and did talk with them as he stood in a cloud, and gave directions whither they should travel. And it came to pass that they did travel in the wilderness, and did build barges, in which they did cross many waters, being directed continually by the hand of the Lord. And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise…” (Ether 2:5-7) Here we see that before they arrived to the “sea in the wilderness” they crossed many large bodies of water by building barges. What bodies of water could these have been that they would be forced to navigate, just to get to an area where they could then travel the ocean to the Americas? Some LDS scholars think they traveled eastward into the wilderness, where they picked up some travelers of the Far East with them. This is how some explain how most Native Americans today have DNA from the Far East (Siberia, Japan, etc). This, however, can be explained by other migrations, including those crossing the Bering Strait. The problem with this direction of travel is, there are literally no large bodies of water between Iraq and Korea/China/Russia which require building barges for travel. Some would suggest they went south to the coastline, and used barges to travel along the coastline until they needed arks to cross the Pacific Ocean. Yet, why would the Lord send them north, and then into a wilderness where men had not been before, only to send them back into civilization among people? Northward from the valley of Nimrod, we find the Black and Caspian Seas. To me, it seems likely they would have traveled to the Black Sea. It would require barges to cross this body of water, or to use it for travel. The Black Sea then brings the Jaredites to the Mediterranean Sea, or the “sea in the wilderness.” They were not to stop once they arrived on the coastline of the Iberian peninsula, but to then build the arks which would carry them across the Atlantic to the Americas. God Speaks in a Cloud As we just read above, God frequently spoke with Moriancumer in a cloud. This is very representative. It symbolizes Moses speaking to the burning bush and Israel being led by a pillar of cloud during the day. It mostly symbolizes the ancient temple in Jerusalem. The high priest was not allowed to enter into the Holy of Holies until after the incense filled the room with smoke. This smoke would obscure the glory of God, allowing the person to enter and not die. In Isaiah 6, the prophet finds himself in the heavenly Holy of Holies with the seraphim and God on his throne, but the smoke has not yet filled the room. Isaiah instantly grieves, because he knows he will die for seeing God directly. However, an angel touches him with a coal from the incense and it transfigures him, so he becomes part of the divine council and able to stand in God’s presence. “And it came to pass at the end of four years that the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and talked with him. And for the space of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord. And the brother of Jared repented of the evil which he had done, and did call upon the name of the Lord for his brethren who were with him. And the Lord said unto him: I will forgive thee and thy brethren of their sins; but thou shalt not sin any more, for ye shall remember that my Spirit will not always strive with man; wherefore, if ye will sin until ye are fully ripe ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And these are my thoughts upon the land which I shall give you for your inheritance; for it shall be a land choice above all other lands” (Ether 2:14-15). We often note how the Lord chastised Moriancumer for three whole hours for not praying. Have you ever had God chastise you for not praying, and saying if you do not repent the Spirit will cease to strive with you and you will be destroyed and cut off from God’s presence? It seems harsh, doesn’t it? Yet this is exactly what we should expect in an experience regarding the Holy of Holies. Anciently, the high priest would cleanse and prepare himself before entering the room. His robes included bells, so that other priests could listen to see if he were still moving inside. A rope was tied to the high priest, so if the other priests could not hear his bells and voice for a period of time, they could pull his corpse out of the Holy of Holies. So sacred is the experience to be in God’s presence, even if he is hidden in a cloud, the unrighteous risk being forever cast out of God’s presence. This would have left the Jaredites stranded in the wilderness, far from the Promised Land they long desired to reach, and without any assistance from God. In Ether 3, we see that Moriancumer climbs a very high mountain, “which they called the mount Shelem.” In saying “they” does Moroni mean the Jaredites called the mount Shelem, or was it another people in the area who had already named it? Note that temple endowments or theophanies are often experienced on an “exceedingly high mountain.” Moriancumer has previously discussed with the Lord his need for light in the arks or barges to cross the great ocean. The Lord sent him to figure it out. For us, we too often seek God’s help at the very beginning, without first offering a solution and then letting God perform what is not in our power. Moriancumer’s plan showed both effort and faith. He didn’t just pick up 16 stones off the ground and ask God to change them. He molted them from rock. Once there was nothing else he could do, he went to the Lord. His exceeding great faith, then, led to his theophany. He saw Christ’s finger touch the stones and he gasped to find out God had a body like his own. Then God stepped out of the cloud, and as with Isaiah being cleansed and transfigured by a coal/stone from the holy incense, Moriancumer was cleansed and transfigured by the touch of the Lord upon his 16 stones. Bibliography Mahonri Moriancumer as the name of Jared’s brother: https://www.lds.org/liahona/1996/09/the-brother-of-jared-an-expert-at-learning?lang=eng Nimrod and the Garment of Adam/Noah: Joel's Monastery: Search results for nimrod George Laub’s autobiography: Autobiography of George Laub Enoch as Metatron: TITLES OF ENOCH-METATRON IN 2 ENOCH Tower of Babel: Tower of Babel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ziggurats: Ziggurat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Google Map of area around Babel: Tower of Babel, Al-Mahawil, Bābil, Iraq - Google Maps

So, which one of you will be "baring" something unexpected at the event? And can I take pictures for Facebook and here?

Try a Lab. They are much like the golden retrievers, but without all the hair.

Before you hand out rewards, you better check my stats out: Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: United States - Religion: Mormon / LDS / Christian Age: 53 Posts: 6,851 Thanks: 1,774 Thanked 4,265 Times in 2,442 Posts Laughs: 338 Laughs at 750 Times in 340 Posts I started just a little earlier than Vort, but he has more posts than me. I've graciously given more thanks to others than him, showing how narcissistic he is. He does lead me in time thanked and laughed (at), so you could give him an award for being more addicted to this list and pushy to get noticed than I am. Meanwhile, I'll humbly continue trying to do the good, but quiet work I do for the Lord at my blog, the Millennial Star blog, the More Good Foundation, and the hundreds of poor stray puppies and kittens I've rescued over the last year. So, give Vort the award he seeks, while I continue trying hard not to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing....

I've already told Dan Peterson that I'll be in the audience that evening. If I could get off early enough, I'd also attend the event at the museum of art as well. BTW, as you drive from Denver on I-70, be sure and get off at the Plainfield, Indiana exit and visit me, as I'm just a few minutes from the highway. Dravin and Beefy, are you going to attend?

Vort, nice deductions here. I'm glad you are finally starting to see things my way.

It is best to get permission when possible. The question is: how old would your grandparents be right now if still alive? If they were born less than 95 years ago, then you definitely have to have permission. If they were born more than 95 years ago, then the Church doesn't have a problem with us doing the work for our ancestors. If you cannot start work on your grandparents yet, then begin with your great-grandparents or g-g-grandparents, as they've been dead long enough that no one should care regarding you doing their work. The reality is, you will not get everyone's permission. I did my mother's line. While she is now LDS, most of her family are Catholic and would not have approved of me doing the work for my grandparents. I suppose most of them do not know the temple work has even been done, which is fine with me.

Weberbela24, Most people here at LDS.Net are LDS. There are some non-LDS here, as well. Welcome.

Book of Mormon Lesson 43: “How Could Ye Have Departed from the Ways of the Lord?” Mormon 1–6; Moroni 9 In Alma 34:35, the prophet teaches a very profound concept: “For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked” (Alma 34:35). A person or people may become so wicked and hard-hearted that the Holy Spirit withdraws completely. Such a person has procrastinated the day of his repentance “even until spiritual death.” What a contrast to the last several lessons of Jesus’ sojourn with the Nephites. In these chapters, we’ve seen the people renewed, reborn, and sealed to Christ. They have been filled with the Spirit, which they prayed for and desired most of all (3 Nephi 19:9). Christ has all power over the righteous Nephites for about 200 years time. When they died, they were received into the bosom of Abraham, which is the final state of the righteous. In our study of Mormon and Ether, we will see how a people become so depraved that the only solution for God is a mercy killing. They are telestial beings at best, sons of perdition at worst. They love evil and contention. They thirst for the blood of their enemies. The Nephites have a love/hate relationship with Mormon. They see him as their only hope for rescue from the Lamanites, and yet will not give heed to them. Here are some of the things Mormon says concerning the Nephites of his day: “The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea” (Mormon 1:7). It seems the destructions occur only after the people have populated the land. Today, we see over-crowding into cities causing a rise in gangs. Over-population can cause famine and poverty. In this time, Nephites and Lamanites would seek to extend their kingdoms in hopes of dealing with the struggles just mentioned. So, we have a premise for beginning war. “But wickedness did prevail upon the face of the whole land, insomuch that the Lord did take away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people. And there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief” (Mormon 1:13-14). Imagine the world without prophets, miracles, or gifts of the Spirit. Imagine a world without faith, hope and charity. Here is the situation Mormon finds himself. “ And these Gadianton robbers, who were among the Lamanites, did infest the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof began to hide up their treasures in the earth; and they became slippery, because the Lord had cursed the land, that they could not hold them, nor retain them again. And it came to pass that there were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics; and the power of the evil one was wrought upon all the face of the land, even unto the fulfilling of all the words of Abinadi, and also Samuel the Lamanite” (Mormon 1:18-19). Signs leading to destruction include Gadianton robbers or gangs infesting the land. Today, there are over 100,000 gang members in Chicago alone. People turn to witchcraft and magic, because they do not have the gifts of the Spirit. The Spirit of Satan (as opposed to the Holy Ghost) displays his power in the land. “But behold, the land was filled with robbers and with Lamanites; and notwithstanding the great destruction which hung over my people, they did not repent of their evil doings; therefore there was blood and carnage spread throughout all the face of the land, both on the part of the Nephites and also on the part of the Lamanites; and it was one complete revolution throughout all the face of the land” (Mormon 2:8). The people refuse to repent. They no longer are capable of repenting. Repenting would require them to trust in God, rather than on their swords. And yet, their swords and other treasure is slippery. They cannot trust one another, nor can they trust God to deliver them. In rejecting God and his power to save and order things, they rely on the power of Satan. Revolution, or chaos, runs rampant. As I’ve written elsewhere, God seeks to give order to the earth and all things. The Creation is all about God creating order from chaos: light from darkness, earth from the chaotic waters, life from no existence, etc. In the Nephite Millennium, we see God’s order hold sway. Now it has collapsed and completely replaced by Satan’s chaos. Order leads to more life. Chaos leads to destruction. Or, in scientific terms, chaos leads to entropy. “… their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin. And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die. Nevertheless they would struggle with the sword for their lives. And it came to pass that my sorrow did return unto me again, and I saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually; for I saw thousands of them hewn down in open rebellion against their God, and heaped up as dung upon the face of the land. And thus three hundred and forty and four years had passed away” (Mormon 2:13-15). They experienced misery and sorrow. But they had no recourse for their misery. Unlike the rebellious Alma, who suffered for three days in intense and exquisite pain, but then found peace and joy in repentance (Alma 36), these Nephites refused to believe and repent. Instead of believing and repenting, they chose to “curse God, and wish to die.” When Mormon states that “the day of grace was passed with them”, we must wonder if they are so far beyond the Spirit that Christ’s atonement can no longer reach any of them. Perhaps in the Spirit World, some may believe and repent, but it seems that many would likely refuse Christ there, as well. To be in “open rebellion against their God” suggests that they had a true and perfect knowledge of Christ – after all they just concluded centuries of perfect peace with Christ dwelling among them occasionally. If they had such a witness, but then chose Satan – many joining the Gadianton robbers or just choosing to be as bad as the Gadianton robbers, suggests that they were “subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal [them] his”. We can only anticipate that at the end of the final Millennium, when Satan is loosed for a season and many choose to follow the devil in that final act of open rebellion, those will also become sons of perdition. “And now, because of this great thing (beating the Lamanites) which my people, the Nephites, had done, they began to boast in their own strength, and began to swear before the heavens that they would avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren who had been slain by their enemies. And they did swear by the heavens, and also by the throne of God, that they would go up to battle against their enemies, and would cut them off from the face of the land. And it came to pass that I, Mormon, did utterly refuse from this time forth to be a commander and a leader of this people, because of their wickedness and abomination…. And when they had sworn by all that had been forbidden them by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that they would go up unto their enemies to battle, and avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren, behold the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because this people repented not after I had delivered them, behold, they shall be cut off from the face of the earth” (Mormon 3:9-15). Instead of thanking God for their victories, they boasted in themselves. Worse, instead of being on the defense, they chose to begin an offensive war of revenge. You’ll note they still believe in God, as they swear by God’s throne and the heavens. Yet, they want God to work on their terms. They sought to destroy the Lamanites completely. Mormon recognized that this evil desire would become the beginning of the end for the Nephites, and refused for a time to be their leader. Because the Nephites attacked the Lamanites in seeking revenge and to destroy them, Mormon explains, “But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed” (Mormon 4:5). When war comes, it is always the wicked who start it. They stir men’s hearts to bloodshed, rather than into defending themselves. They seek to inflict the world and the innocent with the chaos of war. In doing so, hearts are hardened, people lose faith, the wicked destroyed and the innocent suffer. “And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually. And there never had been so great wickedness among all the children of Lehi, nor even among all the house of Israel, according to the words of the Lord, as was among this people” (Mormon 4:11-12). Mormon’s pleas are useless. They will not listen: “Behold, I am laboring with them continually; and when I speak the word of God with sharpness they tremble and anger against me; and when I use no sharpness they harden their hearts against it; wherefore, I fear lest the Spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them. For so exceedingly do they anger that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death; and they have lost their love, one towards another; and they thirst after blood and revenge continually” (Moroni 9:4-5). Idolatry, Torture and Cannibalism Mormon then gives us a glimpse of some of the worse violence provided: “…they (The Lamanites) did also march forward against the city Teancum, and did drive the inhabitants forth out of her, and did take many prisoners both women and children, and did offer them up as sacrifices unto their idol gods” (Mormon 4:14). He expounds upon this to his son, Moroni: “…the Lamanites have many prisoners, which they took from the tower of Sherrizah; and there were men, women, and children. And the husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain; and they feed the women upon the flesh of their husbands, and the children upon the flesh of their fathers; and no water, save a little, do they give unto them” (Moroni 9:7-8). But as bad as the Lamanites are, the Nephites are far worse: “For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they (Nephites) taken prisoners; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue— And after they had done this thing, they did murder them in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death; and after they have done this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts, because of the hardness of their hearts; and they do it for a token of bravery” (Moroni 9:9-10). “O the depravity of my people! They are without order and without mercy. Behold, I am but a man, and I have but the strength of a man, and I cannot any longer enforce my commands. And they have become strong in their perversion; and they are alike brutal, sparing none, neither old nor young; and they delight in everything save that which is good; and the suffering of our women and our children upon all the face of this land doth exceed everything; yea, tongue cannot tell, neither can it be written” (Moroni 9:18-19). Women and children are the victims. Men are sons of perdition, as they love only evil things. They are like Cain: “And Cain loved Satan more than God…. And Cain said: Truly I am Mahan, the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get gain. Wherefore Cain was called Master Mahan, and he gloried in his wickedness. And Cain went into the field, and Cain talked with Abel, his brother. And it came to pass that while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and slew him. And Cain gloried in that which he had done, saying: I am free; surely the flocks of my brother falleth into my hands” (Moses 5:18; 31-33). The Solution for all times, places and people Mormon tells us there is a solution. In fact, there is only one solution. There is a way to avoid the great destructions and violence that inflicts our world even today. “…that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that the Father may bring about, through his most Beloved, his great and eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews, or all the house of Israel, to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God hath given them, unto the fulfilling of his covenant; And also that the seed of this people may more fully believe his gospel, which shall go forth unto them from the Gentiles….” (Mormon 5:14-15). Bibliography My article on Order and Chaos: Joel's Monastery: Gospel Scholarship: Order out of Chaos

There is tradition, there is science, and there is the ultimate truth. I believe there was a global flood in a traditional sense. My scientific mind does not necessarily believe the flood was global. And the day will come when the two will come together with the full truth. That God allows mankind to believe certain traditions that teach us symbolically about his great work can be found in prophecies and parables throughout the scriptures. I'm not bound to think that religion nor science is perfect. I use both to the best of my ability to improve myself and the world around me. For example, we use Newtonian physics for many things. We also use Quantum Mechanics for developing things relying on the infinitely tiny matter. These theories of Newton and Einstein conflict with each other, and so scientists are seeking some Grand Unifying Theory. Until they find it, they continue using both theories, as they both are useful in their own way. We would be foolish to toss out Newton and Einstein's theories, simply because they are incomplete or perhaps wrong in certain ways. Why? Because they work. Without Newton's laws, we could not manage in the normal world. Without Einstein's laws, we could not build computers or nuclear reactors. So it is with religion and science. Both provide me with very valuable information that help me in life. However, neither is complete. I would be foolish to reject one or both of them, simply because they do not provide me with 100% accurate information.

Pull out your cell phone and take a photo or video of the man exposing himself. Then call the cops on him. You will have the evidence to have him arrested, and you will not be arrested for assault.

I am sorry for the struggle you are going through. It is similar to the struggles many others go through, whether for SSA or other sexual issues or tendencies towards addictions. The key is, you may not "overcome" these feelings in this life. Some things are given to us to manage through this life. Recognize you have same sex attraction, and then consider alternatives. There are active members who have discussed their SSA and how they deal with it. I suggest you contact some of them. Here is a link to Ty Mansfield's story on his SSA. I suggest you look him up and talk with him. The key is, while you are attracted to men, you can find yourself attracted to one woman enough to have a fulfilling heterosexual life. This is the same as for the man who is attracted to many women, but can have a happy and holy life with one wife, if he focuses on living a spiritual life in Christ. You have to realize that there is more to you than sexual urges. Society would have you think it is the biggest part of who you are, but it isn't. Hormones will be there, and they will tempt you, just as they tempt people towards any form of sexuality or other addictive behavior. But you are more than hormones. You are more than just your physical self. You are also a spirit child of God. You are a being with a mind to think and reason. For those heterosexual members who cannot find a spouse, the Church encourages them to spend their time developing themselves and their talents, and not pine away because they are not married. Marriage is just one component of what we may become. Sex is the same way, it is one component. Many people live very happy and productive lives without any sex at all. Others live very miserable lives in a world focused solely on sex. Loneliness is a difficult thing. Many of us have been there. Yet, you have a choice. You can focus on the loneliness and sexual urges, or you can use that energy and time to make something of your life. The girl of your dreams will show up eventually. Right now, you need to spend your time making sure you will be the man of her dreams.

Great question. My view is it ties in to the main theme of Christ's teachings: unity. The watchmen are those who give the voice of warning, the prophets. That people will then sing together denotes a unity. They are singing the same song. They are harmonious as their voices blend together in one (think Mormon Tabernacle Choir). So, they listen to their watchmen and sing together in harmony. They now see all important things as one. They see eye to eye, or can see truth through the same lens.

Sometimes the Lord allows us to repent and move forward, instead of always being stuck in reverse. I know some who have held onto a sin for decades, and in finally confessing it, the bishop/stake president told them the Lord has long since forgiven them and to move on. You did some stupid things. Fortunately, they did not go extremely far. If the Spirit has told you that you have been forgiven, then believe it and be grateful the Lord is giving you another chance. Then, be extra dutiful to your covenants and wife. We have to note that some things do not have to be confessed to a bishop. This one is probably on the line. You did not touch the girl nor commit adultery. It was a one time event. It has been years, and you've been faithful (at least that's what you state). You feel the Spirit again. I suggest you ask the Lord what you should do, and then do it. If the Lord says to just move on, then do so. If the Lord says you need to confess, then set up an appointment.

At BYU Idaho, they have had 5000 young women file their papers for a mission. My high priest group leader knows a bishop there, who is having 8-10 mission interviews per day! I'm guessing that is only a fraction of the number of young men and women everywhere who are suddenly eligible to serve.