[BJE]

I haven’t done the new sealings so I can’t comment on that. However there is a specific place in the endowment where just a few words left out and to me the meaning is unchanged but I don’t feel free to be so specific here as to the wording of the ordinances.

[BJE]

Roy wrote:

I love that the sexist elements have been significantly removed from the endowment. That is as close as it gets to changing doctrine. I would be willing to sit through a number of tedious meetings to help bring about that change.

To me it seems they just left out a few words to appease women but the intent of what is said is exactly the same.

[BJE]

asher wrote:

Has any research been done on church history to see if there where groups/underlying philosophies that helped mold the change of priesthood/polygamy ect. And what will things look like 50 years from now because of blogs, movements, podcasts. Changes that impact the “unfolding of the restoration of fullness of times”.

I think the biggest influence for change in polygamy was the fact that laws were past against it and had it continued the government would have seized church assets.

I think the biggest influence for change of the priesthood ban was the fact that the São Paulo, Brasil Temple was being built but there weren’t enough white members to operate it. Missionaries were being trained as temple officiators. The local people who contributed to it being built were banned from entering. This influenced the prophet to seek counsel from The Lord on whether the ban should be lifted.

[BJE]

When I was a kid in the 70’s not only was a years supply of food and fuel preached but also we were told we needed to be prepared to walk to Jackson county Missouri to build the new Jerusalem. When I asked why we’d have to walk I was told we’d have to flee on foot because there would be no fuel.

You don’t hear talk of walking to Jackson county anymore

[BJE]

Policies and programs have changed but the church and its doctrine have not changed.

I read one cynical comment that said that changes in church policy are being driven from the ground up rather than the top down. In other words the changes are a reaction to demands from the members. I can’t say whether or not that is true.

I think recent changes to the garments are a result of member complaints.

[BJE]

DarkJedi wrote:

Then we have old stern face Oaks. Keep in mind that as counterintuitive as it may seem, I like Oaks. But the guy seriously needs to smile more, and I understand that he is much different in person (although he was not the time I mean him long ago).

I guess I’m a bit stern faced. Awhile back the first councilor in our bishopric, who is a bit rough around the edges shook my hand before sacrament meeting and said “smile dammit”.

Dallin H Oaks spoke at our stake conference a little over nine years ago. He stayed after to shake hands with people. I shook his hand and introduced my son Dallin who was turning eight the next day and would be baptized. Elder Oaks said to my son that whenever he meets someone named Dallin he likes to give them a hug and asked him if it was okay to give a hug. My son said yes then Elder Oaks bent down and gave my son a big hug and stood up lifting him off the ground. That is something my son will never forget.

[BJE]

Cadence wrote:

I sometimes wonder what those early pioneer men and even women would think about todays man in the church? Being emotional and touch feely did not get your wagon out of the mud.

I have great great grandparents were on the “Hole in the Rock” expedition, written about by Gerold Lund in the book The Undaunted and great great grandparents who were called to the Muddy Mission in Nevada, written about by Dean Hughes in his new book Muddy. They were tough people.

[BJE]

What bothers me most with endowment sessions is that I get claustrophobic knowing I can’t come and go as I please. I feel trapped and get nervous. I don’t feel peace and relaxation, instead I feel anxiety. My wife feels the same as me.

[BJE]

I read the wheat and tares post to my family. They laughed and agreed. We could name a lot of men we know that fit the emasculated goofy self deprecating effeminate description. As for myself and my sons, we are the exact opposite of those descriptions. We are emboldened, serious minded, assertive and masculine.

As was said earlier, there aren’t many men’s men in the church it seems. Like in PC society, men have been sissified. Society looks down on manly men as being Neanderthals.

I think that grooming standards at church universities, church employment and with missionaries which do not allow facial hair are very emasculating.

We went out to eat as a family the other night and afterwards I told my family that our waiter must have been LDS because he was goofy and effeminate. 😄

[BJE]

I would hope that at some point they will re film the people portion so as to have live action, by I quite like the other still shots. Many of which have action within them. I suspect the only way they could change the dialog and shorten the pauses between phrases without re filming was to do still shots. I generally close my eyes and just listen because it bothers me to not see movement. However I much appreciate the shorter length overall. My bladder can only wait so long.

[BJE]

DarkJedi wrote:

BJE wrote:

DarkJedi wrote:

I think that’s why we don’t have a set time to show up and all do it together. Again, I don’t participate, but I think those who do often do it Tuesday during Mutual – but that’s not a rule/schedule and I know someone who does it early Saturday morning (the least likely time I would do it). I think the people who do it Tuesday just do it out of convenience, their kids are there and they drove there anyway, the building is unlocked, etc. (Most members in my ward live at least a few miles, and up to 20 or so miles, from the meeting house. I live 10 miles away).

Just to throw this out there, and I know not everybody agrees with this or thinks this way, but I do believe that people receiving church assistance (there are several long term ones in my ward) should be assigned weekly if they are physically able. I’m more willing to give the ones who hold a calling and contribute in other ways a pass, but some of the several in my ward haven’t even come to church in years. One of them comes every month – the first Sunday to meet with the bishop and give him the bills to pay. Otherwise they are unseen and unheard from.

In my ward it’s always 8:00 Saturday morning. Also, my ward boundaries are about 1 mile by 2 miles. I live a mile and a half from the church. Our whole stake is only about 6 miles by 5 miles and it’s rural not city.

“Benefits” of living in the rural Northeast US. It’s about an hour and a half drive between the furthest east branch and furthest west branch in my stake. Those two are sort of bookends to a southern tier of units, with three wards in between. Mine is the center one (the only ward that meets in the stake center, all but one of our buildings is single unit). For me it’s about 45 minutes to those two branches, but to the farthest north one it’s about 1:15 and I go through one other ward to get there. The branch president of that branch is 1:30 away from the stake center because he lives on the far north end of the stake, and some of the people in the eastern branch are also over an hour away. Fifteen years ago there were two new stakes created, one south and one northeast of us. Prior to that we had units that were two hours away with members 2:30.

I would absolutely not show up at 8 am Saturday – it just wouldn’t happen. It’s not my work schedule, I work M-F. Saturday morning is when I catch up on my sleep and relax a bit before doing the stuff I usually have to do at my house. It’s the one day have to have a leisurely morning, eat a real breakfast, etc. It is my time.

In the “Mormon corridor” where I live there is an LDS church on every corner so to speak. Two to three wards in a building too.

My brother lives in Rexburg, Idaho, home of BYU-Idaho, he said that in his ward boundaries there are three non member households.

[BJE]

Cadence wrote:

BJE that is a nice interpretation. I find it interesting the Mormon mind tends to jump to sex as the most heinous thing as opposed to something more destructive.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Of course that’s just my interpretation but the scriptures speak for themselves.

Other verses which indicate that leading people astray is next to murder are when Alma the younger tells about his conversion. He said.

Alma 36:13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.

14 Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.

[BJE]

People do the same thing with quoting prophets out of context.

[BJE]

DarkJedi wrote:

BJE wrote:

I had to miss my cleaning assignment this past Saturday because I had to work. The person in charge today did not want to let me off the hook and wanted me to do it next Saturday but again I have to work. The Saturday after that I’ll be out of town on vacation then the Saturday after that I have a Taekwondo tournament to go to. Then our quarter for cleaning is over. Assigning people do do something against their schedule is not a good workable solution to building cleaning.

I think that’s why we don’t have a set time to show up and all do it together. Again, I don’t participate, but I think those who do often do it Tuesday during Mutual – but that’s not a rule/schedule and I know someone who does it early Saturday morning (the least likely time I would do it). I think the people who do it Tuesday just do it out of convenience, their kids are there and they drove there anyway, the building is unlocked, etc. (Most members in my ward live at least a few miles, and up to 20 or so miles, from the meeting house. I live 10 miles away).

Just to throw this out there, and I know not everybody agrees with this or thinks this way, but I do believe that people receiving church assistance (there are several long term ones in my ward) should be assigned weekly if they are physically able. I’m more willing to give the ones who hold a calling and contribute in other ways a pass, but some of the several in my ward haven’t even come to church in years. One of them comes every month – the first Sunday to meet with the bishop and give him the bills to pay. Otherwise they are unseen and unheard from.

In my ward it’s always 8:00 Saturday morning. Also, my ward boundaries are about 1 mile by 2 miles. I live a mile and a half from the church. Our whole stake is only about 6 miles by 5 miles and it’s rural not city.

[BJE]

Here is a verse that I believe is always taken out of context. To say that sexual sins are next to murder.

Alma 39:5 Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?

This is always used to show that sexual sins are next to murder but they forget to read the whole story leading up to this verse.

2 For thou didst not give so much heed unto my words as did thy brother, among the people of the Zoramites. Now this is what I have against thee; thou didst go on unto boasting in thy strength and thy wisdom.

3 And this is not all, my son. Thou didst do that which was grievous unto me; for thou didst forsake the ministry, and did go over into the land of Siron among the borders of the Lamanites, after the harlot Isabel.

4 Yea, she did steal away the hearts of many; but this was no excuse for thee, my son. Thou shouldst have tended to the ministry wherewith thou wast entrusted.

5 Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?

11 Suffer not yourself to be led away by any vain or foolish thing; suffer not the devil to lead away your heart again after those wicked harlots. Behold, O my son, how great iniquity ye brought upon the Zoramites; for when they saw your conduct they would not believe in my words.

12 And now the Spirit of the Lord doth say unto me: Command thy children to do good, lest they lead away the hearts of many people to destruction; therefore I command you, my son, in the fear of God, that ye refrain from your iniquities;

I believe that a careful reading shows that the sin next to murder is leading people into destruction by our bad examples.

Murder being causing the physical death of someone and the sin next to it being causing someone’s spiritual death.

All the more reason to be careful on sites like this one to not lead anyone astray.

[Author]

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