Misshalfway

Hey Holly, was the trinity doctrine the only concern you had about the church?

What verse in the Bible are you referring to with regards to no more prophets after Jesus?

I have to say that this was a wonderful talk. Cut thru all the clutter. So clear.

You will get those answers you need. Father knows you!!! He knows your name, and you strengths, and your needs! And He will talk to you and deal with you in His wisdom. Be believing. Dispute not, because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. (Ether 12:6)

I was so very impacted by this conference! Especially Saturday AM session. So many talks addressed the very subjects posted on this forum over the recent past. I can't wait to go and study all of the talks! I thought maybe we could share together our "take aways" from this historic meeting! I invite anyone to share new learnings or spiritual awakenings they may have felt. For me, I will start by saying that this last two years has been so very hard. Satan has seemed to attack my little family and my testimony with storms of doubts and confusion. I have plead with the Lord from the darkness and pain and abandonment. I have questioned everything from the existence of God and the truthfulness of this church -- while holding onto my faith for dear life as the darkness and storm inside my soul seemed to rage. Slowly, over the past months, comforts and answers have come. This conference has meant so very much to me. It has answered some of my prayers and the deeper pleadings of my heart. And I am so very grateful for all the words spoken. And I think this new First Presidency might be the exact group of souls to help me in my life. I am so grateful for the remarks of Pres. Monson. When each new prophet speaks, I wait for that moment when I know in my heart that they are the 'one'. This came in the first Sun. am session. I am so grateful for all the comments about him.....how he always notices the one. I am afraid have been the one...away from the fold....hoping some hand of love would find me. His voice found me today. I can't share enough in a post of all things, how I feel about this church ....and this work. It is absolutely true. There is so much light and love and truth and purity in the words of these apostles and teachers. I feel so blest to be a part of it. Daniels stone is certainly still rolling forward. MH

Holly, Hello. I don't think I have had the pleasure...... I, like others, am saddened by your post. And not knowing your history, I don't know what brought you to this decision. You say it is over issues about the nature of God. I think that in this world of Christian diversity it is hard not to be confused about the nature of God. This is one of those doctrines for me that has never been fuzzy. I have seemed to know in my heart somewhere that Jesus and the Father were separate and that they had a body. No explanation of the trinity has every made sense to my inner spirit. I can see why some may interpret the scriptures this way. The biblical terminology is sometimes merky. I guess I am hoping that you would take another look at this. Perhaps give the church another look.... a clean slate sort of look. Where you push out all the voices and search your soul. The church cannot apologize for the doctrine that has been received thru revelation. It won't change its position to conform to the more popular doctrines of the day. I guess that I am just asking you not to go. You must have felt something when you joined the church.... was that not an honest spiritual conversion? Why is it that those feelings have gone away? I know what it is like to doubt. I know what it is like to have the foundations of my testimony shake beneath my feet. But I will tell you, that thru all my trials the most important confirmation that has returned to my heart and spirit and mind is the true nature of God. No missionary or church leader or any other person for that matter helped me with this. These truths came to me in the quietness of my prayful struggles before the Lord. I hope you will reconsider. With Love, MH

Traveler, What is your point? That there are ways of discovering and confirming truth other than the Spirit of the Lord? Or are you saying that these other methods are more reliable than truth revealed from God? Adeipho, I gotta disagree with you. I don't think truth is broken into degrees. Perhaps man's understanding of truth comes in degrees. And Satan.....dude, he knows he is a liar. He knows he is not right! And he don't care! He cares about power...and he will use any means to destroy the work of God. To say he doesn't know what he is doing, is completely underestimating our common enemy.

We believe in foreordination. LDS.org - Youth Chapter Detail - Foreordination I think we did make some promises. I am not sure about the accuracy of Saturday's Warrior. I actually think that musical is a very romantically skewed view of things.

Salt in the wound.

LOL!

Volley to Canuck.... 23 Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God? D&C 6:23

Lots of conversations lately about how we are to determine truth. Some say search your emotions. Some say science. Some say bible scholars. Some say biblical proof is the only way. Some say archeology. Some say we shouldn't trust our own feelings but that we should rely on our intellect. Some say logic. Some say following the Spirit is not the way to know. I was reading today and came across these scriptures: Matt 16: 13-17 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Even Jesus himself, felt that relying on the arm of flesh was less reliable than communication from God.

LDS.org - Ensign Article - Bridging the Gap between Uncertainty and Certainty I found this old talk. Thought I would pass it along to you.

Tom.... relax.

Sweet! We'll have to talk afterwards. How's the reading? Any thing touch your soul?

Hey DS, you gonna watch conference this weekend?

Alma 32:27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

On my mission some called it "the book of the Normans." Oh my!

My feelings have always told me that God does not exist. I don't trust my feelings because they have proven themselves to be wrong before, so I am giving religion the benifet of the doubt and investigating. I do believe this may just be faith! :)

Good point. I usually feel a sense of peace, a feeling that tells me the matter is settled. No more need to question.

You are absolutely right, Maureen. And neither are all men wonderful leaders! We are talking about roles. We are taking in generalities .... not in specifics of personality and character. I think within the application of these roles, the genuine disciple of Christ can learn and become refined thru performing duties within them.

Another goodie, MM! You are on a roll!

For what it is worth, this was my LDS gem today. As faithful [members] of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have been blessed with the Holy Ghost. As we invite the Savior into our lives, the Holy Ghost will bear witness to us of the love which the Father and His Son, our Savior, have for each of us. But feeling Their love is dependent not only on our desire but upon our actions as well. And the actions we need to take are known to us: genuine prayer that is specific and humble, followed by quiet listening for the Lord's answers; regular scripture study and time to ponder what we read; and, finally, a willingness to be introspective about ourselves and to trust in the Lord's promise that He will 'make weak things become strong unto [us]' (Ether 12:27)."

Yes! Exactly! I actually think that one of them did feel he had the right spirit. But even so, I was given the right to choose. I could have been a good choice for him...and God told him so. But, he wasn't right for me. Remember my "that's not him" story??? And is that knowledge lost on this poor rejected guy? NO! Because perhaps he learned what kind of person to look for. Perhaps he learned to obey, even when the outcome wasn't favorable. Perhaps he thought it was the Spirit and later realized it was his own desires talking. Perhaps we both needed the experience to confirm our faith that God talks to man about the concerns of our lives. I think sometimes people want to be right so badly.....that they are afraid to be wrong....and so they justify themselves. I have done it before so I know.

Perhaps the problem is learning to recognize the communications of God. I know so many get confused between ways to determine truth. Use your emotions. NO! Use your intellect! NO! Only read the Bible! This can be very confusing and frustrating to say the least. The Holy Ghost will cut thru all the confusion. It WILL lay controversy and contradiction to rest. It has for me -- many times. I think the challenge for you is learning to listen to a voice you have never recognized before. Perhaps there are experiences in your youth...... where you felt led, or warned, or guided? Perhaps you have discounted these and therefore can't remember. The Holy Spirit's job, well one of them, is to "bring to your rememberance; whatsoever I have said unto you." (john 14 :26)