I found this paragraph in a talk given by President Monson at the General Relief Society Meeting in October. (Text, Audio, Video)
"I learned recently of loving service given to a mother when her children were very young. Frequently she would be up in the middle of the night tending to the needs of her little ones, as mothers do. Often her friend and neighbor across the street would come over the next day and say, 'I saw your lights on in the middle of the night and know you were up with the children. I’m going to take them to my house for a couple of hours while you take a nap.' Said this grateful mother: 'I was so thankful for her welcome offer, it wasn’t until this had happened many times that I realized if she had seen my lights on in the middle of the night, she was up with one of her children as well and needed a nap just as much as I did. She taught me a great lesson, and I’ve since tried to be as observant as she was in looking for opportunities to serve others.'”
Friday, November 23, 2007
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Media
Ezra Taft Benson May 1986
"Don’t see R-rated movies or vulgar videos or participate in any entertainment that is immoral, suggestive, or pornographic. Don’t listen to music that is degrading."
For the Strength of Youth
"Do not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in entertainment that in any way presents immorality or violent behavior as acceptable."
“If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things” (Articles of Faith 1:13).
"Don’t see R-rated movies or vulgar videos or participate in any entertainment that is immoral, suggestive, or pornographic. Don’t listen to music that is degrading."
For the Strength of Youth
"Do not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in entertainment that in any way presents immorality or violent behavior as acceptable."
“If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things” (Articles of Faith 1:13).
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Lies and Half Truths About the Church
If the Church is wrong then people should be able to create a logical argument against it without having to lie.
Below I will list of critics that I have found to be disreputable. Below that I will detail some of the things I have heard about the Church that are not true. Where possible I will note the person that said it, so that as people come across works about the Church they can identify authors to avoid.
Disreputable Critics
Details
Lie
Mormons talk to dead people in their temples. If you are a member in good standing and you want to talk to your dead grandmother you can go to the temple and do a ritual and talk to her.
Source
Eric Grieschaben
Truth
There is not temple ritual to talk to dead people.
Lie
Mormons are not Christian. They believe in a different Jesus.
Source
Eric Grieschaben
Truth
How different is Jesus between the various protestant denominations, yet they all consider each other as Christians. An example of this is whether God is one entity taking on different forms or whether the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are individuals. This is a huge difference about who Jesus is.
To say that Mormons do not believe in the same Jesus as Christians in order to classify them as being part of the occult is ridiculous.
One of the arguments used to bolster this argument our Jesus not being Jesus is to throw out that Mormons believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers. Scandalous!
The bible states that Lucifer was with God and he got greedy and tried to take over and was cast out and became Satan (Isaiah 14, Rev 12:7-9). The bible also states that before the Earth was created that Jesus was with God (John 1:1-4). Many families have family members that go on to greatness, while some of those same families also have family members that are trouble.
I realize that based on the biblical record that we have today this could be perceived as speculation, but is it a doctrine that really throws Mormons into the category of the occult?
Lie
Women can not be saved without men. This goes in the category of "the Mormons are oppressive to women."
Source
Shiela Garrigus
Truth
Being "saved" to protestants means going to Heaven or not going to Hell. This would be equivalent to getting to the Celestial Kingdom to Latter-day Saints. You don't have to be married to get to the Celestial Kingdom. To obtain all the blessings of the Celestial Kingdom one must be married. This applies to men and women both.
Lie
"Mormons refuse to take off these garments completely even while taking a bath..."
Source
I didn't catch the source, but it was some guy being interviewed in a cafe and was pontificating rubbish about Latter-day Saints.
Truth
He mentioned something about Latter-day Saints would take a bath and keep their hand outside the tub covered with their garments. This is a flat out lie and totally inflamatory.
Below I will list of critics that I have found to be disreputable. Below that I will detail some of the things I have heard about the Church that are not true. Where possible I will note the person that said it, so that as people come across works about the Church they can identify authors to avoid.
Disreputable Critics
- Shiela Garrigus
- Eric Grieschaben
Details
Lie
Mormons talk to dead people in their temples. If you are a member in good standing and you want to talk to your dead grandmother you can go to the temple and do a ritual and talk to her.
Source
Eric Grieschaben
Truth
There is not temple ritual to talk to dead people.
Lie
Mormons are not Christian. They believe in a different Jesus.
Source
Eric Grieschaben
Truth
How different is Jesus between the various protestant denominations, yet they all consider each other as Christians. An example of this is whether God is one entity taking on different forms or whether the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are individuals. This is a huge difference about who Jesus is.
To say that Mormons do not believe in the same Jesus as Christians in order to classify them as being part of the occult is ridiculous.
One of the arguments used to bolster this argument our Jesus not being Jesus is to throw out that Mormons believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers. Scandalous!
The bible states that Lucifer was with God and he got greedy and tried to take over and was cast out and became Satan (Isaiah 14, Rev 12:7-9). The bible also states that before the Earth was created that Jesus was with God (John 1:1-4). Many families have family members that go on to greatness, while some of those same families also have family members that are trouble.
I realize that based on the biblical record that we have today this could be perceived as speculation, but is it a doctrine that really throws Mormons into the category of the occult?
Lie
Women can not be saved without men. This goes in the category of "the Mormons are oppressive to women."
Source
Shiela Garrigus
Truth
Being "saved" to protestants means going to Heaven or not going to Hell. This would be equivalent to getting to the Celestial Kingdom to Latter-day Saints. You don't have to be married to get to the Celestial Kingdom. To obtain all the blessings of the Celestial Kingdom one must be married. This applies to men and women both.
Lie
"Mormons refuse to take off these garments completely even while taking a bath..."
Source
I didn't catch the source, but it was some guy being interviewed in a cafe and was pontificating rubbish about Latter-day Saints.
Truth
He mentioned something about Latter-day Saints would take a bath and keep their hand outside the tub covered with their garments. This is a flat out lie and totally inflamatory.
Monday, January 15, 2007
2 Nephi 4:13-15
2 Nephi 4:13-15
Summary
Laman and Lemuel are upset with Nephi because of their father's words to them about their disobedience. Nephi is constrained from giving them any more instruction, but continues his record. This record can then be used by future generations to find their way back.
It struck me that this can apply to us. When we get stuck in our own traditions and our own wants we harden ourselves and distance ourselves to where the spirit stops instructing us. In order to get further instruction we need to go to the scriptures get get those instructions and to get the spirit to begin instructing us again.
Summary
Laman and Lemuel are upset with Nephi because of their father's words to them about their disobedience. Nephi is constrained from giving them any more instruction, but continues his record. This record can then be used by future generations to find their way back.
It struck me that this can apply to us. When we get stuck in our own traditions and our own wants we harden ourselves and distance ourselves to where the spirit stops instructing us. In order to get further instruction we need to go to the scriptures get get those instructions and to get the spirit to begin instructing us again.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Mighty Prayer
I was listening to the December 2006 Ensign article What I Have Learned about Mighty Prayer by Mary Jane Woodger on the way to work this morning. A quote from President Hinckley in it made me think. “The trouble with most of our prayers is that we give them as if we were picking up the telephone and ordering groceries—we place our order and hang up."(Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley (1997), 469)
I think most of us have had the concern at one time or another about repetitious prayers or prayers that seem to barely reach to the ceiling let alone to Heavenly Father. One piece that I think I miss frequently is meditating.
The world has perhaps made the concept of meditation seem hokey, but I think if done properly and with the right spirit it is a critical part of prayer. I have heard several talks over the last couple of years on meditating. I think meditating could be defined as the part of prayer when we listen. I think the word meditate indicates something a bit more focused than listening, but I think listening is something we all understand and it is a good place to start.
In my opinion, meditation is not the chanting that we sometimes see on TV, but a simple, focused listening and pondering or focused observing.
This article was a nice reminder that prayer is a communication channel and is a two way channel. We must listen and not just rattle off our requests and leave.
I think most of us have had the concern at one time or another about repetitious prayers or prayers that seem to barely reach to the ceiling let alone to Heavenly Father. One piece that I think I miss frequently is meditating.
The world has perhaps made the concept of meditation seem hokey, but I think if done properly and with the right spirit it is a critical part of prayer. I have heard several talks over the last couple of years on meditating. I think meditating could be defined as the part of prayer when we listen. I think the word meditate indicates something a bit more focused than listening, but I think listening is something we all understand and it is a good place to start.
In my opinion, meditation is not the chanting that we sometimes see on TV, but a simple, focused listening and pondering or focused observing.
This article was a nice reminder that prayer is a communication channel and is a two way channel. We must listen and not just rattle off our requests and leave.
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