Posted by rayww on February 25, 2006, at 15:57:51
In reply to Re: Lynn, An answer. Long. » rayww, posted by deirdrehbrt on February 22, 2006, at 23:07:08
> Rayww,
> Thanks for your post.
> I once, was Mormon as well. The missionaries I had spoken to taught quite a bit. There were parts that they left out until after I was baptized thoguh.<<<<<
My opinion is that missionaries only teach the basics. They want you to discover your own testimony of Joseph Smith, Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon. Once you have that foundational testimony, it is up to you to study and grow and apply the same principles of testimony to everything you learn, step by step. Testimony can be fragile and requires care. Testimony is divine communication from God that witnesses that something is true or divine. All people from all religions can receive it in their search for God, because it truly leads the way to Him. It is this divine force that keeps religions alive, because once a person receives it he thinks his religion must be the one God is communicating in, therefore true. (that's just my opinion of why religion got so mixed up, thinking every man made package, though different, is true) But I can see how easy it is to get out of step.If life were such that every good deed produced blessing and every evil deed caused you to suffer, it would be very clearly defined. We know that evil sometimes brings temporary peace and happiness, and even the good suffer. So there is obviously a deeper meaning to life in all of its complexities.
> I truly enjoyed the musical Saturdays Warrior, and still listen to some of that music. I went on missionary splits, I visited the Joseph Smith memorial in Vermont.
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I was in the chorus in Saturdays Warrior when our stake put it on. It was quite an experience.> This was another part of my journey in trying to discover where I actually fit. In the end, I didn't fit there.
> Still, I have enormous respect for the church. As a whole, I don't think I've seen more commitment to values anywhere else.
> Mormons would seem to have a need to allow for other religions. With many different worlds, it would seem that the plan of salvation would have to be just a bit different on each. Jesus Christ would be the savior for this world, but perhaps not for the worlds before.<<<<<<
http://scriptures.lds.org/query?words=%22worlds+without+number%22&search.x=19&search.y=3
I think we don't quite comprehend who Jesus is. We only need to worry about one God, and shouldn't try to comprehend the vastness of creation, especially if it will become a faith-weakening experience for us.> I just couldn't get past the idea of men becoming Gods. The phrase "As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become." seems just a bit out of reach for me.
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--until you think of it in terms that Jesus (God) came to earth in a body, and still has one. We're not talking instant fix in this tiny speck of existance. Man regards himself pretty special indeed if he thinks the whole universe was created just for him, or just for this one earth. Creation is going on as we speak always has and always will. There is a scripture that sums it up well, "this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" http://scriptures.lds.org/moses/1/39#39
So, we are pretty important. We bring glory to God by helping with creation, and taking care of the things you mention.> Still, I agree with you that all religions need to work together. This world, her plants, animals, waters, earth and sky have been entrusted to us. She is also our mother for in a very real sense, we come from her. Every atom in our body was once part of the air, the earth, or the ocean. It will take more than one religion to care for her, and for all of the living things, including each other.
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very very true! Think of what a difference it would make if we could all work together. It all fits together neatly in God's plan of salvation. http://scriptures.lds.org/query?words=%22plan+of+salvation%22&search.x=37&search.y=3People of my faith believe all things were created spiritually before they were created here on earth in the physical sense. It will become inseparably connected at the time of resurrection, but not until then. Your belief ends with mother earth, we believe there is a spiritual element to all of creation that is separate from earthly elements. Every living thing has spirit, and that spirit is obedient to God. Except man's, because man has the power of choice. He can choose to become like God or like Satan. Most of us try to sit the fence, but the world is now to the point where there is no luke warm. You're either hot or cold, because we get sucked in fast no matter which side of the fence we choose, and the fence is really hard to hang onto.
> I remember when I was a member, the only disappointing thing was not being able to watch Battlestar Gallictica, because it was on a night we weren't to watch TV. I found this weird as the show was a Mormon TV show. :-)
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I never heard of it being any kind of Mormon show, but family rules differ from home to home, just as individuals differ, and families. If that was the only disappointing thing, I wonder why you left :-)I think of it as God standing at one end of the line and Satan at the other, with all of us somewhere in between. There's no such thing as used to be, it's all an important part of who we are today. I am who I am because of who I was yesterday, and who I hope to become tomorrow.
> Anyway, thanks for your thoughts, and for the memories.
> --Dee<<<<
thanks to you as well. I'm curious if you remember reading any of the scriptures I referenced. Did you ever read the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price? It is the preface to the first book of Moses in the Bible (Genesis), and though it was had by Nephi on the brass plates in 600 BC, somehow disappeared from the Bible. For reasons known only to God wickedness prevents us from having certain scripture, and righteousness brings it on. All scripture is in God's hands. He has the power to give us what we need and deserve and if the world is steeped in wickedness He may withhold some from us until there is a righteous pocket large enough to receive it. If we could all ban together on some of the big issues facing Christianity and Humanity in general it would make a huge giant difference. We might begin by loving and caring for eachother, and respecting nature. I mean how often do you sit down to a good steak and think about the animal that gave its life so you might live? Or the plant or the bird. We need to open our eyes to what is going on here and see more than just ourselves and our own view point. There is a place for all people and all viewpoints, but good will prevail. The pocket is growing larger day by day in spite of the suffering that surrounds us. Perhaps it grows because of suffering. You think? :-)
rayww
poster:rayww
thread:611474
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20051105/msgs/613236.html