Misshalfway

Well, welcome back to the church and to this site. It is a great place to associate with others. There are some great people here and I have learned so much! Hope to see you around.

Maurice, It is clear to me that you disagree with the idea that Prophets and modern revelation. But forgive me, I am still unclear as to why you are "hurt" by the position of the church. I see nothing hurtful here, just differences in beliefs.

Welcome to the site! You are not alone. There are others who have experienced inactivity here and who are very wise. Looking forward to your insights.

It is in a John Mayer Song too. And since I get my gospel from rock n roll..... J/k! No really -- his song about "Daughters" is right on.

Forgive me for interjecting here, Maurice. For full disclosure to you, I am LDS and I have heard this concern before. To be honest, it is a surprising reaction for someone to be hurt by such an assertion, if you don't mind me saying. If Joseph Smith was wrong, why be hurt by that? Why not just say, "Old Joe is wrong" and be done with it.

No fair! I want new toys. ;( Great title for the new thread! Brilliant. Go ahead and start it. I will catch up.

Welcome

Well, and because teeny-bopper girls had to see it 800 times! :)

LM, I love your post! I think it is so wise. God's time and His vast purposes are sometimes so unknown for us. I don't always know why, but I do know that God does let us go the distance in our trials sometimes. I suppose that is part of trusting that God is working out something bigger or perhaps more broad for us. Once I went thru a trial with my health and plead with the Lord over what seemed like an unfair trial. My answer was that the trial wasn't for me -- it was for one of my loved ones. My trial with my health isn't over and may never be. But I have made friends with it and I see many blessings because of it. I read once that things happen "for" us, not "to" us. There is a blessing....a gift in every experience if we decide to look for it.

Can't decide if you are supporting this study, Moe, or if you are saying it is ridiculous.

Yes it is policy. There must be two teachers with each class at all times. To protect the kids. It is the same rule with the scouts.

Mine is doing both!!! Two wards were split to make a third and so we shrunk. But so many are moving in that we are growing. Multiple new families each week!

Hey DS. I started reading the BofM. I am on 1 Nephi 12. But then I thought, I better start finding out where you want me to read. I will say that we should prolly take the conversation to a new thread, considering this one has been completely derailed. Anyway, Let me know what you want me to sink my teeth into. There is no pressure from my end.....except I feel we should have bet some chocolate or something on the reading schedule! :) I am looking forward to opening my mind to new ideas. My scientifically inclined brother would be so happy to see my brain expand! LOL.

Oh honey!!!! I wish I could tell you how much I relate to those words! I am sure I have uttered the same ones and believe me when I say that I understand how hard it is!!! First of all, commit to yourself that you will only believe truth about yourself. Are you really the bad guy? I know he prolly wants you to believe that because if he can control you with that guilt then you will stay to take care of him to prove you are 'nice'. I think that is crap and you hand that crap back to him and refuse to go there. Maybe you could also start will little boundaries. Like, if he is hungry he has to get out of bed and come to the table or maybe make his own! Or, maybe you will restrict his access to your money and tell him if he wants to spend money he will have to earn it himself. I don't know. I am just imagining. I think that whatever windows open up for you in terms of boundaries, you should start there. In my experience, the action of setting one boundary usually leads me my next step and also builds strength to help me do it. Much love to you! Hugs and strength and power to fight lies and manipulations!!!

Sky, You remember the woman caught in adultry ( the NT ) who was brought to the Savior. Remember His love! Remember His acceptance! Remember He did not condemn her! Satan is so good at tempting us and leading us to unhappiness and then hands us a stick and instructs us beat ourselves! Don't give him anymore satisfaction on that count! You were doing well. You can, even in this moment, go back to doing well again. The road of repentance doesn't have to be sackcloth and ashes. It can be a gentle and joy filled walk.

Well my dear, I too, can relate to your situation. I know all about manipulation and victim mentality and medicating and escaping. I was reading your last post....and I wondered why you felt that you were the only one who could help him change. That perspective is a red flag to me. I have done that too. The truth is that HE is the only one who can do that and He can only do it the way the rest of us do....by taking responsibility and relying on our Higher Power for help. You can't change him and when you sign on for that kind of effort, you hitch your wagon to a sinking ship and you start sinking too! Thru my situation, I am learning to hand the responsibility for happiness and healing and change back to the proper people in my life. And then I am learning to take care of my own happiness and healing. We as women do make hard choices for our children. We sometimes carry too much in order to protect them and sacrifice the wrong parts of ourselves to help control uncontrollable situations and out of control people. I look back at some of my sacrifices and I realize that sacrificing the wrong things not only hurts me but it hurts the other important people in my life too. I am now learning that acting in my best interest is usually in the best interest of others as well. I don't know if you should remain with this man or not. I have no answers on that score. But I do however believe that you don't have to help him maintain this pattern of destructive behavior and you don't have to keep putting yourself in a position to be hurt by it either. You don't have to give in the manipulation and you don't have to babysit or carry him or take care of him. In fact, you might be making it worse by going along with his "stuff" and doing him a bigger dis-service by taking on this responsibility. Getting married means we agree to share our lives with another. It doesn't mean that we agree to become a doormat or a martyr or caretaker. Whenever we take responsibility on that is not ours, we stop loving. Does that make sense? And we actually enable the behavior that is hurting us. You do, however, have the responsibility to yourself to make choices that protect you from being used or exploited. You don't have to give up your happiness and dreams and satisfactions because your husband chooses a destructive path. There is nothing in this gospel and our temple covenants that requires us to sacrifice in these unhealthy ways and I don't think God would for even a second sacrifice your earthy joy for your husband's unfair needs. I think you do better for your kids when you show them an example of how to deal with difficult people in healthy and balanced ways and how to teach other people how to treat you, then going on and on year after year wearing yourself out. I don't know how these are manifest in your life. But in mine they are all about boundaries, and detachment and the principles of self responsibility and self care. The more I practice these concepts the more loving I am to myself and those around me. Perhaps you could take steps to make your life safe and controlled and hand him and his problems over to God.

There is in every members scriptures a section called "Joseph Smith History" at the end of a book called the Pearl of Great Price . You can find it on LDS.org. It isn't long. But it does give a basic look at Joseph Smith and what led him to start building this church. There is also another bit of his history at the beginning of any copy of the BofM. It gives a quick overview as to how Joseph came to know about the book and how he came to acquire it. You might then want to try A Marvelous Work and A Wonder, By Legrand Richards. You can get it from Deseret Book online or the store if you live near one. Many members have this book and wouldn't mind lending it to you, I would guess. If you want more depth than that.....goodness! There are many places to go. But these are a good start and will give you a general overview. I will also include the Articles of Faith. This is the most basic and complete overview of what we believe. 1 We abelieve in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. 2 We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression. 3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. 4 We believe that the first principles and aordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. 5 We believe that a man must be acalled of God, by bprophecy, and by the laying on of chands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof. 6 We believe in the same aorganization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth. 7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth. 8 We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated ccorrectly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. 9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. 10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal gglory. 11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own cconscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. 12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. 13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. Joseph Smith

Gaining a body is essential to progression. It is essential to and part of salvation for all mankind and exhaltation for the elect. But I am not sure that it is prerequisite for Godhood. It is clear that gaining a body is essential for us to progress and to become 'like' our Father. Jesus, as we know, gained his body and the HG will too at some point when his mission is complete, so it must be essential for them too, but perhaps the timing of such is measured differently than we can now comprehend. I think the answer to your question has yet to be revealed. I know Jesus made it clear he was Alpha and Omega. In my thinking, members of the Godhead must be different than us. And even though we understand that one day we will become God's I am not sure what that means really. The Father will never cease to be our Father and he was a savior and even though I may progress, I will never be that. All we have been told is that we will progress and gain all that he hath. In my mind, members of the Godhead are different than we are, period.

Gosh! I don't know about the whole death piece. I think you are right that we wouldn't fear the idea of moving from this life to the next. But those ideal longings get really cloudy in me when I start thinking about how and when people pass. But perhaps if more of us humans realized our divine worth, then much of the destruction on this planet would cease and more of us could live to a ripe old age.

What? She wants you to call and cancel? She sounds young and like her perspectives and wisdoms haven't caught up with her good intentions. What is cool to me is the patience you are showing. That says a lot about you!

Welcome. Hope to see you in Chat as well.

Why can't we always remember we are children of God? Well, because the enemy of us all has a global campaign against such beliefs! Tell me one sin or abuse that doesn't chip away at our self worth or add shame to the mix! And why do you think we all need our big shiny material possessions? Or our well connected social structure or our prideful comments and attitudes? Because somewhere inside we don't believe that without all of that we will still be good! And why is this the core of his plan? If he can keep us from knowing who we really are and what we really can do, then his plan works!!! What a powerful message is in this LDS gospel! To truly understand who we are!!!! That "I am a child of God" message!!! It is so key to happiness.....to truth....to reaching our potential. But we fear it. I think it is the hardest thing we will face here in these last days. But on the other hand is such a powerful weapon if we can truly master that fear and all the flatterings of the deceiver. I wonder, if we really knew who we were and who everyone else was, would we really have need for sin???

Setting standards is a deliberate choice. Living by those standards is a deliberate choice to. Show me which part of that isn't thinking for yourself!!! Your BF isn't really thinking about you!!! If he was, his behavior would have been much more respectful. It sounds like to me his words are much more geared to something a little South of the border. Why not make your attitude about this Bishop visit more independent of the bishop himself. I mean, are you going with the idea that he is a hall monitor and that he will catch you at something bad.....or are you concerned about your relationship with the Lord and your commitment to being true to yourself and your standards and the stewardship you hold with your body. The Bishop is there as a support for you. Let him be that. If you are worried about any lines you may have crossed, go in and say, "BIsh, I am worried about my behavior. Can you help me determine where I stand and if I need to course correct? I personally think this kind of attitude puts you in the drivers seat of your life. No fear. KWIM?

I so agree with LM. I would, first of all, be absolutely certain that this was in fact her intension and then I would talk to her about it and let her know your feelings calmly and respectfully, of course. Respect is an essential element to both sides of any issue.

I agree with Steven. I had traditionally struggled with prayer and the visualizing helps. I think also adjusting expectations. If I decide God's mind before he does, it doesn't work out too well. But if I pray in my most sincere and authentic self and I give God the freedom in my mind to act however and whenever He will, that helps to increase my faith too. I kinda just put myself out there and then trust that He will take care of the rest.