rameumptom

Take it slowly with him. Your bishop can determine whether baptism will be necessary now or perhaps in the future. It may be that your son will decide for himself later that he wants to be baptized. Kids with autism (depending on the severity) often get an idea stuck in their head and are incessant about it until it happens.

I suggest switching your eating habit in for a better habit: such as exercise. There's nothing wrong with exercising to feel better about yourself. You don't have to hide away from society, and you can replace all addictions with it. Exercise also increases the endorphines in your brain, giving you a feeling of happiness and peace (without the weight gain).

A wonderful book. I first read it in high school. The song "Watership Down" by America is also very good.

Not contagious, but may have an environmental component. Studies show that many gay/lesbian had sexual encounters with a male when they were young. The girls felt oppressed by the man who touched them, and had a tendency to no longer trust men. The young men felt the man was a father figure and so to be accepted and loved meant to be in a homosexual relationship. So, we find Olympic diver Greg Louganis' first sexual encounter was with his dive coach. Now, he is gay also. I know men who have gone into prison and end up obtaining "protection" from most of the dangers of prison by being someone's girlfriend. After years of being the woman, the person often will go on in regular life with homosexual proclivities. Note, I do not believe this is the case in every instance, but it is the case in at least some instances.

I think you need to determine what would be best for your kids. Many young women who are pregnant do the unselfish thing by giving up their kids for adoption. It may not be the thing they want to do, but it is the best thing for the child. We do not know the background regarding your previous marriage and divorce. Your fault? Her fault? Both? Was there violence or abuse involved? That we are only getting your side of the story does not give us everything in order to give advice. I do not know whether you are the world's greatest Dad or a woman beater. I just cannot judge this. And we should not be giving you advice from such thin information. You need to determine the causes of the divorce. You need to determine if your ex has reasons to want to keep the kids away from you. You need to determine if you being in the life of your kids is a blessing or a hardship on the kids. This isn't about you. This is about what is best for the kids. If what is best is for you to remain engaged in their lives, then fight on. If not or you are unsure, then do a lot of praying and soul searching to determine what the kids need. As it is, I'm concerned that you would bring such an issue to a forum like this. It seems you are either looking to justify your desire to fight your ex, or you really are unsure whether you are fit to be the father. It is none of our business. And if it were our business, we could not judge it from just a short paragraph. So, go speak with the Lord. Make sure you are seeking the Lord's will, and the best for the kids, and not just for your own pride.

Is that the old or current manual? The current manual differs greatly from the previous one in regards to the judgments made during a disciplinarian council. We are encouraged to find the best solution that will help the person repent. In the past, we excommunicated very quickly, and that led to many good people who went astray to not come back to the Church. In the past, excommunication usually required years of exile, when perhaps it shouldn't.

Give the missionaries a try. Let them know your situation and that you have to take it slowly. They'll understand and pace it to your needs. You may also want to visit with the local bishop and explain all this to him. It may be that he can find ways to help you enjoy the service (many of our chapels can transmit the audio of our main meeting into other rooms of the church, so you could sit quietly in another room and listen). They will understand that saying prayers, having responsibilities, etc., are a challenge, and will not ask you to do anything you are not ready to accomplish. It may be that there are others in the congregation/ward with Aspergers or Autism that will understand your situation, and may be able to assist.

If there are no children involved, then you have options. I suggest you tell him you are giving him a 6 month probation period. He needs to be doing his part for 6 months, otherwise you will then pray over leaving him. This is different than his promise that he will change, lasting only a few weeks. You are giving him a specific period of time during which he will need to make long term and permanent changes to who he is, not just a rapid sporadic spasm that does not last. If after those 6 months, you see real progress that has generally lasted for a while (again, not just a couple weeks), then reassess the relationship. Determine if it requires another 6 month probation, maintenance where it currently is, or that he's a useless basket case.

Sorry MOE, but not interested in signing that petition. BSA has to be very careful on who is allowed to be a leader. As it is, almost all child molestation cases between child and adult in BSA are a man and boy. Normally, heterosexuals do not molest boys, and when they do, it is a homosexual experience.

This is not always the case, mhsmd. I'm on a high council, and frequently the Lord directs the stake presidency and high council to not excommunicate, but to do something else that will increase the chances of the person repenting and returning to the Lord. I've seen former bishops disfellowshipped, and other endowed members only receive formal probation. It all depends on the situation and the Spirit of the Lord.

I'm very disappointed in the chaperones. As Taliban leaders, they should have publicly beheaded the girl as an example to the other girls to put their burkhas on!

That's the problem with society. Everyone expects government (re: the school) to be responsible for our choices and to bail us out. That or we become enraged when given a rule we already chose not to follow. Having only one side of the story, it is much too easy to take the girl's side of the story. What we should learn is that a little common sense would have told the girl to check on dress standards, brought a wrap just in case, or be ready to be subjected to school rules if she chose to disregard them. That she brought this up with the media shows that she really wasn't embarrassed by any of it, and so her claim for such is baloney.

Or, the girl could have anticipated this and brought her own shawl. She lives in Provo after all!

We get one side of the story regarding the chaperones. That there was a dress code should have been known by the boy. Being they are in Utah and even more, being in happy valley, they should have known to ask about a dress code. That said, a quick covering up of the shoulders would have ended the event quickly. Instead, it seems the girl allowed the fiasco to drag on by not putting anything on her shoulders.

One of the key things the Book of Mormon teaches is: Remember. Try and remember the times when you have had spiritual experiences. Try to re-experience those moments through remembering them. Second, the concept of the temple is not to get caught up in confusing things, but in a couple concepts: the temple is where we practice and learn to enter into God's presence, the temple is a place of peace and personal revelation. If you focus on these two things, you will strengthen your testimonies. You do not have to have a testimony of everything. At least not right now. I've been a member for 37 years, and still don't have a testimony of all things. But I do have a testimony of God and Jesus. I have a testimony that there are prophets who are special witnesses of Jesus Christ. I have a testimony of the teachings in the Bible and Book of Mormon.

Do some real marriage counseling. If you can't talk with your bishop, talk with your elder's quorum president about getting the guidance.

So before the exercise program, did you look like this Buddha?

Hermaphrodite?

Transexual

I cannot determine that from here. Please send me your phone, so I can check it for any evil spirits. Of course this may take several months to determine, so please keep paying your bill while I manage this very tricky and difficult issue. If I do find Jenn in your phone, it will take longer for me to exorcize it.

How about Noel Paul Stookey's (Peter, Paul and Mary), "Wedding Song - (There is Love)" John Denver's "Annie's Song" is also nice. Of course, you could go the other direction and use the song made famous by Fred Astaire and Jame Powell: "How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You, When You Know I've Been A Liar All My Life?"

What makes a gun dangerous? The people who wield it. A gun is just potential energy. How an individual uses it determines whether it is used for good or evil. So it is with technology. It can be used for good things, as some have noted with cell phone credit card attachments, or for evil by those who steal numbers. And yes, perhaps the Beast will someday use a similar technology. That does not mean the technology itself is evil.

Book of Mormon Lesson 17: “A Seer … Becometh a Great Benefit to His Fellow Beings” Mosiah 7-11 Zeniff Mosiah 8-9 With this lesson, we add a new group of people to the Nephite story: the people of Zeniff. There are many interesting questions that arise, regarding Zeniff and his people. Zeniff tells us: “ I, Zeniff, having been taught in all the language of the Nephites, and having had a knowledge of the land of Nephi, or of the land of our fathers’ first inheritance, and having been sent as a spy among the Lamanites that I might spy out their forces, that our army might come upon them and destroy them—but when I saw that which was good among them I was desirous that they should not be destroyed” (Mosiah 9:1). Zeniff was “taught in all the language of the Nephites.” Was he a Nephite taught by his fathers in “all the language” or was he a Mulekite that was absorbed into the Nephites and was taught their language much as today: modern immigrants often do not learn the whole language, but their children raised here do. Why did they travel back to the Land of Nephi? Was there not room elsewhere in the Nephite nation for them to settle themselves? A few generations later, Captain Moroni will establish cities in the disputed wilderness territory between the Nephites and Lamanites. Would it not have been safer to clear out the few Lamanites in the area, and establish their settlements? Or was the Land of Nephi considered part of the wilderness? Why did King Mosiah I allow an army be sent against the Lamanites in the first place? Or was this an independent militia group? Did not the Nephites have a belief in defensive wars, rather than offensive ones? Their history generally shows this, and if so, then why an offensive army? Was this considered a legitimate effort to regain and possess anew the land that originally belonged to Nephi, and therefore, them? If so, would it be considered an offensive or defensive war? Both or neither? Zeniff saw these people as good, so as not to want to destroy them. As a spy, what did he see among the Lamanites that softened his heart towards them? If a soldier refuses to follow the orders of the captain, is it not lawful to slay him for treason or dereliction of duty? In this instance, Zeniff went on the journey with the understanding they were going to fight the Lamanites and drive them from the area. What caused him to change his mind to the point that it led to insurrection? Why did “fathers rise up against fathers and brothers against brothers” in order to rescue a traitorous spy? Was refusing to destroy the Lamanites in that area worth the great battle that killed all but 50 of the Nephite army? How do the words of a spy cause such a major division in an entire army? Given that Zeniff will later find that the Lamanites actually entered into the treaty with the intent to later enslave the Nephites, was Zeniff correct in his initial assessment of the Lamanites, or would they have been better off to drive the Lamanites off instead? Given Zeniff told us the Lamanites were good and that his commanding officer was a “bloodthirsty” man, and he will later give the kingdom to his evil son Noah, just how far should we trust Zeniff’s judgment in the story he relates to us? It seems that on the three most important issues relevant to the story, Zeniff may have been wrong on all three decisions. Zeniff does admit years later when he wrote his account that he was “over-zealous” and that his people were “slow to remember the Lord our God” (Mosiah 9:3). “...they were a lazy and an idolatrous people; therefore they were desirous to bring us into bondage, that they might glut themselves with the labors of our hands; yea, that they might feast themselves upon the flocks of our fields” (Mosiah 9:12). Why did Zeniff initially believe there was good among the Lamanites, and now seriously changes his tune regarding them? In asking these questions, I hope to bring out the concept that our perceptions concerning the world around us are not always that good. Also, just because a leader seems to be good, does not mean he’s a good leader, nor that he has sound judgment. We find that Zeniff made many choices, several of which turned out to be totally wrong. He thought himself smarter than his military leader, using subjective and inflammatory words to belittle him (who knows if they are actually true?), and to gain power for himself. It may be that Zeniff was a very poor king, perhaps almost as bad as his son, Noah, but in writing his own history made himself look good. We learn here that taking one’s own counsel is not always the good thing. Also, our perceptions of the world around us may not be the best understanding of that world. Finally, those who are not close to the Lord do not receive his guidance and direction in the decisions they make. The choices Zeniff made in leading a people into a new land are very different than Lehi’s and Nephi’s humble walk with the Lord. King Noah Mosiah 11 Noah is introduced as being evil. The first evil noted is that he has “many wives and concubines” and causes the people to seek after whoredoms. When Nephi’s brother Jacob warned the Nephites to not have multiple wives, it may be that they observed the peoples around them having many wives, and sought to justify it by David and Solomon’s actions in the scriptures (Jacob 2). This suggests that one of Noah’s first and foremost sins was to take the women and reduce them to sexual slavery.. Such was just the beginning of excesses, as he not only lusted for women but for fine clothing, statues and buildings in his honor, drunkenness, and riches. Interestingly, their actions are described as “laziness”. The Lamanites were also described as being lazy, and sought to conquer Zeniff’s people in order to be lazier. In wanting to live in luxury, Noah and his people were guilty of the sin of being lazy. Taxes were raised to support their sins and laziness. Government excesses could be explained as making their land greater by all of the wonderful state buildings built, and the “freedoms” given to men as to regarding the ignoring of commandments, responsibilities, etc. As long as the taxes were paid to handle Noah’s lifestyle, people could be as spiritually and morally lazy as they wish. Abinadi will soon speak to those excesses. If we were to look at our own government and how we run our own homes, perhaps we could see some of the same inclinations. Have our excesses been justified? Do we now spend trillions of dollars in deficit spending to support indolence? Have we become a lazy people that want government reduced, but only as long as it does not reduce our personal entitlements? A Seer Mosiah 7-8 King Limhi’s people went in search of Zarahemla. In their search, they came to the lands of the Jaredites and found an ancient record. Limhi wished it to be deciphered. Ammon explained that King Mosiah II was able to translate the record, because he was a seer. “Now Ammon said unto him: I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith that he can look, and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God. And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish. And whosoever is commanded to look in them, the same is called seer. And behold, the king of the people who are in the land of Zarahemla is the man that is commanded to do these things, and who has this high gift from God. And the king said that a seer is greater than a prophet. And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God. But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known. Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings” (Mosiah 8:13-18). When we combine this description of seers and the Urim and Thummim/Interpreters with the description in D&C 130, we get a better understanding of what is going on: “ Then the white stone...will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known; And a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word” (D&C 130:10-11). The Urim and Thummim can take a variety of shapes (glasses, white stone, etc). Its purpose is to reveal “things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms”, as well as “know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed”. This device is accessed by using the new name, which is “the key word”. In essence, the new name is a password to gain access. The individual who uses such a device must use caution on what he seeks for, “lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish.” To me, the scripture is describing computer devices that are hooked up to a spiritual Internet. It requires a key word/password, and we understand the power for good and evil that the Internet has. A person can use it to gain much knowledge and wisdom, or can skulk around looking at pornography and other evil things. Such a person spiritually perishes by misusing such a powerful tool. Yet, ask any scholar how great computers and the Internet are for research and development, and one can see that when man uses them properly, they “becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings”. The Book of Mormon, translated in 1829, describes celestial computer and Internet capability. Given that Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine was designed in 1822, and it did not have Internet access nor a password, we can see that God revealed to Joseph some incredible things back at the time when simple computational machines were just being dreamed of. Three Men, Three Worlds A key concept here is we can learn from studying the differences between the men Zeniff, Noah and Mosiah I. Noah was definitely an evil man, seeking to thrive through being lazy by taking from others. His excesses are noted, but we do not see the direct impact on the people. Women were treated as lesser beings. High taxes were hard to bear for the people. Instead of working with his own hands, as did King Benjamin, he enriched himself on the backs of others. The only thing given back was permission to also engage in sin and excess, as women were treated as whores, rather than as the daughters of God. Zeniff was not a close follower of God, and his choices and perceptions of the world around him displayed his serious lack of judgment regarding his enemies, his people, and even his own son. While not evil, his mediocre attention to spiritual things seriously affected his ability to protect and defend his people. He walked into a trap, and brought all his people with him. King Mosiah I was a holy man. As his father, he worked the land with his own hands, to keep from burdening the people. We do not hear of great taxes being placed on the people. Nor are there huge buildings and constructions built all over the Nephite lands, as a sign of the “greatness” of the king and/or government. Instead, Mosiah has been a prophet-king, leading the people in charity and faith. He is the seer. Because he has access to God and the higher order of things via the Interpreters, he is able to greatly bless the people. We must all decide just what kind of person we wish to be: Celestial, Terrestrial, or Telestial. Shall we follow God with all our heart, be lukewarm in our testimonies, or reject God in revel in our laziness? Bibliography Urim and Thummim as ancient computer: http://rameumptom.weebly.com/urim.html

Try the books at saltpress.org You can download the PDFs for free. They will give you an excellent primer on certain topics within the BoM.

I have cans of tuna that date to 2005, and they are still great for eating. So, don't think they are only good for 2 1/2 years. Canned Meats store exceptionally well.