How is the Church doing handling the latest crisis?


carlimac
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I may have missed them but have there been specific directions or counsel coming from the first presidency in how we should be dealing with all the commotion lately (other than President Nelson’s statement that looting and destruction are no-no’s and loving all colors of skin is a yay) ?

The reason I ask is because the millennial generation continues to post bleeding heart devotion to BLM, we’re all shameful racists with our White privilege,  and “cops are corrupt“ kinds of things on social media.  “Good” LDS kids posting avalanches of this stuff. Conservative news outlets and You Tubers are coming down hard with fiery arguments on the gaping holes in these theories.  Vigano from the Catholic Church has sent a warning to Trump about those that are trying to destroy our country and world. In comparison, the words of our leaders seem a little tepid to me. 
 
I don’t expect them to get involved in all the prickly political controversies but as the dark side gets continually louder as we progress into the last days, I wonder if the Church might need to turn up the volume a little lest it’s voice gets completely drowned out. Some direct pulpit pounding needs to happen IMO to catch the attention of the younger woke generations being swept up in these divisive movements.

 

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1 hour ago, carlimac said:

I may have missed them but have there been specific directions or counsel coming from the first presidency in how we should be dealing with all the commotion lately (other than President Nelson’s statement that looting and destruction are no-no’s and loving all colors of skin is a yay) ?

The reason I ask is because the millennial generation continues to post bleeding heart devotion to BLM, we’re all shameful racists with our White privilege,  and “cops are corrupt“ kinds of things on social media.  “Good” LDS kids posting avalanches of this stuff. Conservative news outlets and You Tubers are coming down hard with fiery arguments on the gaping holes in these theories.  Vigano from the Catholic Church has sent a warning to Trump about those that are trying to destroy our country and world. In comparison, the words of our leaders seem a little tepid to me. 
 
I don’t expect them to get involved in all the prickly political controversies but as the dark side gets continually louder as we progress into the last days, I wonder if the Church might need to turn up the volume a little lest it’s voice gets completely drowned out. Some direct pulpit pounding needs to happen IMO to catch the attention of the younger woke generations being swept up in these divisive movements.

 

Depending on how "woke" they are, do you really think more pulpit pounding is going to change their minds?

The problem I see today is that people are more married to a political party or belief rather than a religious one.  Therefore, they worship their graven idols of political ideology rather than the Lord above.  As it is with their parents, so it is with the children.

In that light, many of the youth that are posting these things probably would put their political beliefs above that of religious ones, and when confronted with conflicts between the two, choose the political belief over that of religion.

We see it in the generation before them and the generation before that (mine had drugs, immorality, and rock & roll, and very little could be done to sway kids of my generation from that mindset when they decided to follow it.  There were others like me who would have been seen as straight laced at the time, but those who were patriotic and love the flag at times were the mocking posts for those who did not, and those who held to religion as a bastion were at times seen as fanatical rather than moral).  I'm not sure if the church turning up the volume would do much to change many of these individual's minds.

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46 minutes ago, JohnsonJones said:

Depending on how "woke" they are, do you really think more pulpit pounding is going to change their minds?

The problem I see today is that people are more married to a political party or belief rather than a religious one.  Therefore, they worship their graven idols of political ideology rather than the Lord above.  As it is with their parents, so it is with the children.

In that light, many of the youth that are posting these things probably would put their political beliefs above that of religious ones, and when confronted with conflicts between the two, choose the political belief over that of religion.

We see it in the generation before them and the generation before that (mine had drugs, immorality, and rock & roll, and very little could be done to sway kids of my generation from that mindset when they decided to follow it.  There were others like me who would have been seen as straight laced at the time, but those who were patriotic and love the flag at times were the mocking posts for those who did not, and those who held to religion as a bastion were at times seen as fanatical rather than moral).  I'm not sure if the church turning up the volume would do much to change many of these individual's minds.

The difference being the leaders of the Church came down VERY hard in previous generations on the evils of the day. Harold B. Lee, Joseph Fielding Smith, Kimbal, Benson-they all trounced the evils of the day. Yesterday I was listening to a talk in the 70s by Benson and he was raking the coals of the immorality of music.  When was the last time you ever heard a very detailed talk given from the leaders about immoral music-and I don't mean the glossed over blather of "listen to good music", no Benson was slamming clubs, he was slamming suggestive dance moves, he was slamming the lyrics, he was slamming it all.

How many LDS kids listen to rap these days? When was the last time you heard a leader slam rap (and it is almost all absolutely despicable music)?  We all know no leader dares to slam rap today because "that's racist"!!!

If you want hard-hitting no-nonsense talks, look to the talks about 40 years ago.

sidenote: another REAL interesting thing I've noticed with the talks of yesteryear, they don't get all emotional. Every once in a while they start to choke-but barely.  No, they just tell it like it is and hit it with no emotional manipulation.

Edited by BobMaster
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LDS sermons are traditionally pretty . . . clinical . . . But I suspect that hasn’t always  been the case.


https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1980/04/where-do-we-stand?lang=eng  (Especially around 12:04)

Edited by Just_A_Guy
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1 hour ago, carlimac said:

I agree that they were pretty direct back then. No political correctness needed. But the emotion I see these days feels genuine to me. I don’t believe for a second it’s manipulation of any kind.

Emotional "manipulation" was probably too harsh of a word. I don't doubt their sincerity; I just mean that culturally we have become emotionally incontinent.  

Just like those who get up and bear their testimonies who can't talk without blubbering all over the place, I have no doubt of their sincerity, as a culture we have come to accept such emotional incontinence as acceptable-this was not the case 50-60 years ago.  People were expected to keep it together, they trained themselves to do so and thus when they gave talks on very weighty matters for the most part they did not blubber all over the place.

I term it emotional manipulation because we have become convinced as a people that "truth" is a matter of conviction of emotion.  The more "emotional" a talk makes you feel, the more true it is, because that's "the Spirit", i.e. we have confused the Spirit for emotion and that will lead to emotional manipulation. And this is unfortunate, because it is one incorrect teaching which leads people away from the Church-they have been taught that to feel emotional about something is to feel the Spirit and then they say things like, "well I was watching a really great movie and the Spirit was there", or we use soaring music to evoke emotion rather than just letting the words and truth speak for themselves. Emotion != the Holy Spirit.

Edited by BobMaster
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I’m 61. Some of my earliest memories are from testimony meetings that I didn’t want to go to because people cried. I had a brother die when I was three and I learned that crying meant sadness. So I thought we were going to sad meetings every month.  Point is, this kind of emotion didn’t just start recently. I think it has always been the case. 🤷‍♀️

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2 minutes ago, carlimac said:

I’m 61. Some of my earliest memories are from testimony meetings that I didn’t want to go to because people cried. I had a brother die when I was three and I learned that crying meant sadness. So I thought we were going to sad meetings every month.  Point is, this kind of emotion didn’t just start recently. I think it has always been the case. 🤷‍♀️

You can watch GC from the 70s and tell a difference, they are not emotionally incontinent . . .unlike today where you've got at least 2-3 talks each session where someone speaking will need to stop and they end up crying.

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6 hours ago, BobMaster said:

term it emotional manipulation because we have become convinced as a people that "truth" is a matter of conviction of emotion.  The more "emotional" a talk makes you feel, the more true it is, because that's "the Spirit", i.e. we have confused the Spirit for emotion and that will lead to emotional manipulation.

It wouldn't be hard to make out a good arguement that some of the things mentioned in these verses as fruits of the spirit are emotions:

22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

(New Testament | Galatians 5:22 - 23)

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I still hear occasional references to the idea that the young people of today are among the strongest, most valiant, best prepared youth that have ever existed since the world began. Given who these references come from, I'm inclined to believe them. 

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1 hour ago, askandanswer said:

It wouldn't be hard to make out a good arguement that some of the things mentioned in these verses as fruits of the spirit are emotions:

22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

(New Testament | Galatians 5:22 - 23)

Sort of.  The scripture says fruits; it doesn't say manifestation, it doesn't say it is the Holy Spirit.

And it helps to read this in context.  Paul states just prior to this:

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

----

Paul is contrasting directly the works of flesh with the works of the Spirit.  In other words, those items listed are the byproduct of the works of the Spirit, there are not the Spirit.  In addition, you are confusing the point that I'm making. To have love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, etc. does NOT require one to blubber with emotion all over the pulpit, it does NOT mean that to hear soaring music and to get teary eyed

To manifest joy, one does not need to cry and jump up and down.

To manifest love, one does not need to blubber and break down and cry.

To manifest gentleness does not require one to have an emotional response.

This is the very thing I'm speaking to; in modernity we have so confused emotion with Spirit, we cannot separate the two and so we think that when we hear soaring music combined with a few nice words we get an emotional twinge that we are feeling the Spirit.  It is so ingrained in modernity, that people don't even know they are doing it . . .but it is very dangerous. 

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1 hour ago, askandanswer said:

I still hear occasional references to the idea that the young people of today are among the strongest, most valiant, best prepared youth that have ever existed since the world began. Given who these references come from, I'm inclined to believe them. 

And the evidences for them being the strongest, most valiant, best prepared youth are???

It's a nice saying that gives people feel-good feelings, but where is the evidence? Missionaries need to call home once a week now, contrast with calling home 2 a year 10 years ago?

That's being stronger? More missionaries come home from their mission now due to mental issues and the fact they can't hack it. That's stronger? 50% of the youth find some form of LGBTQ+ acceptable, that's valiant?

It's a real nice platitude, but that's all it is.  The evidence doesn't quite line up with that platitude. To me, it appears the leadership is trying to build up the youth's "self-esteem", except you can't talk somebody into having self-confidence about themselves-it only comes about by doing.

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1 hour ago, BobMaster said:

And the evidences for them being the strongest, most valiant, best prepared youth are???  It's a nice saying that gives people feel-good feelings, but where is the evidence?

I do understand where you're coming from.  And I share the same feelings.  But that's all they are -- feelings.  Here are some facts from my life:

I will gladly present my children as evidence.  I will gladly present the children of my extended family as evidence.  Valiant-to-the-core.  Over 40 of them who have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  Strong gospel knowledge.  All raised on the scriptures. 

All the males are mission-bound (several already returned missionaries).  The oldest one just got engaged and will be marrying in the temple to another returned missionary.  Most of the girls are also mission-bound.  Two already returned.

All of the girls old enough have earned their young women's medallion (before they ended it).  The oldest boys received their eagle (before they ended it).  I don't know what other fruits you'd be looking for to verify my claim.

Quote

Missionaries need to call home once a week now, contrast with calling home 2 a year 10 years ago?

"Need"?  No, they get the privilege.  But who says all the missionaries in the field "need" to?  And if the prophet approved it, why do you condemn it?

Quote

That's being stronger? More missionaries come home from their mission now due to mental issues and the fact they can't hack it. That's stronger? 50% of the youth find some form of LGBTQ+ acceptable, that's valiant?

It's a real nice platitude, but that's all it is.  The evidence doesn't quite line up with that platitude. To me, it appears the leadership is trying to build up the youth's "self-esteem", except you can't talk somebody into having self-confidence about themselves-it only comes about by doing.

Results are not necessarily indicative of the pre-mortal spiritual preparation.  We are also in an era where the temptations and pitfalls are greater.  We could very well have 10x greater preparation and valiance.  But if the temptations are 20x greater, well...  You do the math.

I was just talking with my daughter who is preparing for a mission about getting a job while she's waiting for the temple to open up.  We talked about how many places require you to work on Sundays.  I remembered that back when I was a kid, not only was it easier to find places that would allow you to not work on Sundays, but it was more common for many businesses to be closed on Sundays.  But today, you're now considered a "Jesus Freak" if you insist on having Sundays off for religious reasons.

How easy was it for people to get work before?  How easy was it to pay for a mission because of that?  Today?  Not so much.

Pornography is a HUGE problem.  Back then, you could find it easy enough, but you'd have to look for it.  Today?  You practically trip over it everywhere you go.

Examples abound that it is simply tougher to be righteous in today's world.  Can you imagine if they were NOT as well prepared?  The attrition rates would be near 100%.

So, essentially, when you look at only one side of the equation, it is easy to jump to easy, simple, conclusions.  But without the whole equation, you may not be correct.

Edited by Carborendum
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Helaman 12

3 And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him.
4 O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world!
5 Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom’s paths!

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1 hour ago, BobMaster said:

And the evidences for them being the strongest, most valiant, best prepared youth are???

The best, the most reliable evidence, is that prophets of God have said this is so. This, to me, counts for more than all the empirical evidence that anyone might care to provide. If the teachings of God’s prophets and apostles appears to be contrary to all the empirical evidence, it does not mean that the prophets and apostles are wrong – it just means that we may have some difficulty in seeing how they are right, so we need to rely on faith rather than logic. At the very least, we should be willing to suspend our own judgement and take into account the possibility that what the prophets are saying is indeed true and correct rather than actively disagreeing with what they have said.  If God’s prophet points to a stone that appears to be black, and says in the name of the Lord that it is white, then clearly it is white, even if we can’t understand how or in what way it is white. It’s a matter of faith, not evidence. We might say to ourselves the stone to me looks black, but God’s prophets say it is white, it still looks black to me but I’m going to exercise faith and treat that stone as if it really is white. If we follow this path for long enough, eventually we will come to see that stone as God sees it.

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9 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

The best, the most reliable evidence, is that prophets of God have said this is so. This, to me, counts for more than all the empirical evidence that anyone might care to provide. If the teachings of God’s prophets and apostles appears to be contrary to all the empirical evidence, it does not mean that the prophets and apostles are wrong – it just means that we may have some difficulty in seeing how they are right, so we need to rely on faith rather than logic. At the very least, we should be willing to suspend our own judgement and take into account the possibility that what the prophets are saying is indeed true and correct rather than actively disagreeing with what they have said.  If God’s prophet points to a stone that appears to be black, and says in the name of the Lord that it is white, then clearly it is white, even if we can’t understand how or in what way it is white. It’s a matter of faith, not evidence. We might say to ourselves the stone to me looks black, but God’s prophets say it is white, it still looks black to me but I’m going to exercise faith and treat that stone as if it really is white. If we follow this path for long enough, eventually we will come to see that stone as God sees it.

That's not how prophets operate.

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1 minute ago, BobMaster said:

That's not how prophets operate.

True, I agree, that is not how they usually operate and its probably a good thing that they don't normally operate like that because I suspect that if they did, the faith of some might be tested beyond breaking point. I believe that  there is some truth in the saying that information informs inspiration. But if they choose to operate in that way - and perhaps calling today's youth the most valiant ever in spite of the appearance of evidence to the contrary - then we should choose to accept and follow them.

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51 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

I do understand where you're coming from.  And I share the same feelings.  But that's all they are -- feelings.  Here are some facts from my life:

I will gladly present my children as evidence.  I will gladly present the children of my extended family as evidence.  Valiant-to-the-core.  Over 40 of them who have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  Strong gospel knowledge.  All raised on the scriptures. 

All the males are mission-bound (several already returned missionaries).  The oldest one just got engaged and will be marrying in the temple to another returned missionary.  Most of the girls are also mission-bound.  Two already returned.

All of the girls old enough have earned their young women's medallion (before they ended it).  The oldest boys received their eagle (before they ended it).  I don't know what other fruits you'd be looking for to verify my claim.

"Need"?  No, they get the privilege.  But who says all the missionaries in the field "need" to?  And if the prophet approved it, why do you condemn it?

Results are not necessarily indicative of the pre-mortal spiritual preparation.  We are also in an era where the temptations and pitfalls are greater.  We could very well have 10x greater preparation and valiance.  But if the temptations are 20x greater, well...  You do the math.

I was just talking with my daughter who is preparing for a mission about getting a job while she's waiting for the temple to open up.  We talked about how many places require you to work on Sundays.  I remembered that back when I was a kid, not only was it easier to find places that would allow you to not work on Sundays, but it was more common for many businesses to be closed on Sundays.  But today, you're now considered a "Jesus Freak" if you insist on having Sundays off for religious reasons.

How easy was it for people to get work before?  How easy was it to pay for a mission because of that?  Today?  Not so much.

Pornography is a HUGE problem.  Back then, you could find it easy enough, but you'd have to look for it.  Today?  You practically trip over it everywhere you go.

Examples abound that it is simply tougher to be righteous in today's world.  Can you imagine if they were NOT as well prepared?  The attrition rates would be near 100%.

So, essentially, when you look at only one side of the equation, it is easy to jump to easy, simple, conclusions.  But without the whole equation, you may not be correct.

No we do not share the same feelings.  I don't have feelings about this, I have facts.  Fact: more missionaries percentage-wise return home early than 20 years ago. Fact: missionaries call home more often than before.  Fact: more youth look at pornography on a percentage basis than 20 years ago. Fact: family and raising children is less important today than 20 years ago. Fact: the youth are having less children now than ever before. Fact: the Church is losing more youth than it has previously. Fact: more youth than ever today in the Church are raised by single-mothers in divorced households. 

Yes, some youth are way more valiant.  However, to say in a blanket statement that "the youth", i.e. as a whole are more valiant is just not accurate.  It's a feel-good message that feels good but is not accurate.  It's not accurate in any way.

Edited by BobMaster
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4 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

True, I agree, that is not how they usually operate and its probably a good thing that they don't normally operate like that because I suspect that if they did, the faith of some might be tested beyond breaking point. I believe that  there is some truth in the saying that information informs inspiration. But if they choose to operate in that way - and perhaps calling today's youth the most valiant ever in spite of the appearance of evidence to the contrary - then we should choose to accept and follow them.

No, they never operate that way.  Prophets don't operate by having people bend their mind and twist their insides to make something fit into an incorrect box. It's line upon line, precept upon precept.  It's not-"hey turn everything you think and believe upside down and just "trust me".  That's not religion, that's a cult-like mentality.

Perhaps not everything that comes out of the mouth of a leader is God's Word.

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55 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

I will gladly present my children as evidence.  I will gladly present the children of my extended family as evidence.  Valiant-to-the-core.  

And it sounds like you and your family have done a great job raising them.  Congratulations.

The reason why this saying is a fallacy is that it puts the cart before the horse.  Instead of focusing on what parents and leaders can do to train youth properly, it says "hey youth you guys are so awesome, so special all by yourselves".  It puts the focus on supposedly innate and inherent qualities and while yes every individual comes prepackaged; it shouldn't be the focus. This kind of a teaching will lead to a rebellious youth, why? because when a child is taught to have a big ego (which is what this teaching does), they tend to believe they have a big ego and thus they can easily get as my pappy says "too big for their britches".  They will tend to discard the advice of older generations because they are "special".  It flips the God-ordained order around.  Parents and leaders are supposed to lead and train youth not the reverse.

When was the last time you heard a leader in the Church tell the youth STE "you have great leaders and parents who will mentor you; if you listen to them and pay heed to their warnings you will be instructed in right living and your lives will be much smoother"?

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2 hours ago, BobMaster said:

No, they never operate that way.  Prophets don't operate by having people bend their mind and twist their insides to make something fit into an incorrect box. It's line upon line, precept upon precept.  It's not-"hey turn everything you think and believe upside down and just "trust me".  That's not religion, that's a cult-like mentality.

Perhaps not everything that comes out of the mouth of a leader is God's Word.

19  For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

(Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:19)

The primary purpose of mortality is to bend and twist, eliminate and build up, shape and destroy, whatever is required to enable us to fit into the "box" of the celestial kingdom. Life is a sifting process in which we get shaken about and reshaped so that we will be able to pass through the eye of the needle. And if we don't bend, we don't make it. 

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This is pure speculation on my part but I believe that there may be at least two reasons, apart from the teachings of prophets and apostles, to suppose that the youth of today are more valiant and more righteous than the youth of previous generations

First reason

It is reasonable to suppose that, in general, being in or near the presence of God is a good thing, and that the longer you are in or near that presence, the more likely it is that you will be benefitted in a positive manner by that proximity. 

In the pre-existence, we were in or near the presence of God.

Spirits born in the year 2000 have had the opportunity to be in or near the presence of God for 50 years more than people born in 1950 and are therefore likely to have been the beneficiaries of being near to God for 50 years more than those born in 1950.

The benefits of this closeness to God for a longer period might show up in earth in the form of greater valiancy, greater faith, greater righteousness, etc.

I think that rejecting this argument would require rejecting the idea that there are benefits from being closer to God.

 Second reason

I think that Satan learns. Possibly the more experience he has in working with, and watching humanity, the more he learns and the better he gets at what he does. Satan today is 50 more years clever than Satan of 50 years ago, he has had an additional 50 years to refine his tools and techniques. This means that it will be harder now, and take greater faith and strength and commitment to resist him than what it did 50 years ago. So those youth who are able to do so are exhibiting greater faith, strength and righteousness than did the youth of 50 years ago.

It’s a changing situation. People are not the same as they were 50 years ago because they have had more time being in the presence of God than the people of 50 years ago, and Satan has had 50 more years of experience and practice.

 

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55 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

19  For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

(Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:19)

The primary purpose of mortality is to bend and twist, eliminate and build up, shape and destroy, whatever is required to enable us to fit into the "box" of the celestial kingdom. Life is a sifting process in which we get shaken about and reshaped so that we will be able to pass through the eye of the needle. And if we don't bend, we don't make it. 

?? And how does giving our will to Christ have anything to do with making a leader out to be a god? This scripture plainly teaches to submit to Christ, not to submit to the current leader.

I really don't understand this mindset.  The scriptures (i.e. the Word of God) plainly teach that great prophets oftentimes do things that are not God's Will, they aren't perfect, so don't try to make them perfect.  Not everything that they say is God's Will; it's just not.

Edited by BobMaster
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32 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

 

This is pure speculation on my part but I believe that there may be at least two reasons, apart from the teachings of prophets and apostles, to suppose that the youth of today are more valiant and more righteous than the youth of previous generations

First reason

It is reasonable to suppose that, in general, being in or near the presence of God is a good thing, and that the longer you are in or near that presence, the more likely it is that you will be benefitted in a positive manner by that proximity. 

In the pre-existence, we were in or near the presence of God.

Spirits born in the year 2000 have had the opportunity to be in or near the presence of God for 50 years more than people born in 1950 and are therefore likely to have been the beneficiaries of being near to God for 50 years more than those born in 1950.

The benefits of this closeness to God for a longer period might show up in earth in the form of greater valiancy, greater faith, greater righteousness, etc.

I think that rejecting this argument would require rejecting the idea that there are benefits from being closer to God.

 Second reason

I think that Satan learns. Possibly the more experience he has in working with, and watching humanity, the more he learns and the better he gets at what he does. Satan today is 50 more years clever than Satan of 50 years ago, he has had an additional 50 years to refine his tools and techniques. This means that it will be harder now, and take greater faith and strength and commitment to resist him than what it did 50 years ago. So those youth who are able to do so are exhibiting greater faith, strength and righteousness than did the youth of 50 years ago.

It’s a changing situation. People are not the same as they were 50 years ago because they have had more time being in the presence of God than the people of 50 years ago, and Satan has had 50 more years of experience and practice.

 

?? Considering how many eons and eons we have probably existed prior to this life 50 years difference is an infinitesimal small amount of time.  So little that it is inconsequential.

Satan learns?? Considering at one point in time God flooded the Earth because it was so wicked, I think Satan already knows how to get the world to be wicked . . .

Edited by BobMaster
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