longview

RFK jr is a scion in the Democrat party. You should trust him and his many years of research.

I hear this a lot but experience hasn’t borne this out in my experience. Your experience? Are you claiming you know what God knows? Not during mortalityj!

I don’t think this has anything to do with discipleship. I don’t think any real form of purity is even possible for humans. Some elements of what we call purity or aspirational but the nature of our being makes it impossible to achieve. This is NOT about perfection. This mortal fallen world is intended to be a challenge and a test and a learning experience. We can strive to be pure WITHOUT having to be perfectly pure. The Plan of Happiness is marvelous. Discipleship is WORTH striving for! We can make choices about important issues (about everything). Some deserve careful consideration. That seem like it is just worrying about what the neighbors will think with extra steps. Jesus wasn’t big on that kind of thinking. Signaling to God is more important than appeasing carnal flesh. Which is odd since the Word of Wisdom as written endorses beer drinking and doesn’t mention any of those reasons for the things it does disapprove of. Yet some do get into grief with over consumption of beer. Trust in God's counsels and His saving commands. God doesn’t need us to do virtue signaling to figure out where someone stands. Neither does God want us to do "play acting" but to truly engage in the challenges of mortal life. It is a tremendous blessing to participate in the Second Estate. No, I would not give my child (even if they are an adult) pornography or a lurid item (I assume you mean sex toys here). That would be deeply weird. It would be weird with any family member really. This is why we gauge our choices. Some are off limits. Some require sincere and thoughtful considerations. Some are in the gray zone. I don’t know of any scripture that makes the “hot drinks” bit less important than the “strong drink” bit. I know that culturally they are treated differently on separate tiers but I have no reason to believe God makes any such distinction. God sees the heart and the mind AND knows MORE than you know about yourself. GOOO-O-O-O-O-O MAHA ! ! ! (Make America Healthy Again)

True. The Soviets downplayed computer science. They used large staffs of mathematicians. The US had a huge advantage in computers for quickly calculating orbital mechanics and also for manufacturing and design.

It is NOT just any worldly culture. This is a more important test of discipleship. It is NOT just about purity (although it is one of the important attributes for emulating God). It is about messaging. To the receiver, it is love, esteem, gratitude, etc. To some, it might signal a willingness to compromise standards or integrity. Everyone needs to be aware of the negative aspects of alcohol consumption. Such as toxicity to the liver, addictions, mind alterations, etc. Some families are cursed by fractured relationships, financial ruin, violence, etc. Why would sincere disciples want to send a double-minded message? What kind of message would they want to send to God? Suppose you substitute pornagraphy or some lurid item, would you be comfortable? We did the same for my grandma when I was a kid. FWIW I definitely don't feel the same about coffee or tea as I do with drinking or smoking. Coffee consumption is NOT as drastic as alcohol. I suppose circumstances can vary. I would NOT "finance" coffee or smoking or drugs, etc. But rather, something that both the recipient and giver enjoy or appreciate.

Buying whiskey as a gift (even for close relations) is like financing a lifestyle choice when you personally choose NOT to indulge in it. That would be a huge contradiction IMO. I would NOT purchase for inactive children (even for sons and daughters). We know that George Romney (former governor of Michigan) kept a bar in his home for his guests. That is also a contradiction IMO.

Beware the slippery slope of Sodom and Gomorrah. ETA: "Why am I in this handbasket AND where am i going?"

This is a reflection on his nihilism and his staunch advocacy of hedonism.

I don't quite understand this. You admit that drag shows are not inherently "sexual" "Drag shows are not inherently 'sexual' in the strict sense that every single one must involve explicit sex acts or pornography-level content." The number one "sex organ" is the brain. Filthy speech and lurid body language by itself are already explicit. Reading passages that are highly suggestive constitute child abuse which will lead children to a lifetime of mental disturbances and inappropriate behaviors. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Hw91N5Vgd/

The Lord did "revitalize" Pres. Nelson to appear 30 years younger. The Lord can call back "junior" apostles before they get within top 4 "candidates" to Heaven.

No. You are simply confused on terminology. "The Nephite monetary system is set forth—" could be reworded as "The Nephite commonly accepted metals measured by standard weights but NOT standard SHAPES system of commerce—". This is clarified in verse 4: "Now these are the names of the different pieces of their gold, and of their silver, according to their value. And the names are given by the Nephites, for they did not reckon after the manner of the Jews who were at Jerusalem; neither did they measure after the manner of the Jews; but they altered their reckoning and their measure, according to the minds and the circumstances of the people, in every generation, until the reign of the judges, they having been established by king Mosiah. "Pieces of metal" do NOT imply coinage. Neither is monetary system exclusive to coinage. Speaking of the "manner of the Jews" there is an interesting overview of history from AI: Note in verse 3: "And the judge received for his wages according to his time—a senine of gold for a day, or a senum of silver, which is equal to a senine of gold; and this is according to the law which was given." A Nephite judge was compensated with either a senine of gold OR a senum of silver, both of EQUAL value BUT a senine is NOT the same weight as a senum. Why? Because values of both gold and silver can fluctuate over time in accordance with supply from mines or warfare or whatever circumstances. Not always an advantage. We know from history of people chiseling the edge off coins to steal value (weight) so they can melt the pieces into a lump for "extra income".

So true. ALL of those things occurred in actual historical settings throughout ALL the history of mankind. The prophet Mormon had access to an extensive library of historical documents and records from a wide variety of sources. He was prompted to create a new record by abridging certain elements out of this vast library while being guided by the Holy Spirit. The result was scripture equal in stature to the Old and New Testaments. The Book of Mormon IS another witness of Jesus Christ and His wondrous works. It is my impression that Joseph Smith did start out by turning to the first page of the Gold Plates and using the interpreters (the seer stone/rock came later) to begin the "transcription" process. I say transcription because he had ZERO knowledge of the characters or glyphics on gold sheets. But I assume that as he was transcribing, the Spirit may have also occasionally acquainted Joseph with insights into the meaning of some of the symbols. I don't think he became "fluent" in the "reformed egyptian". Later on, he did take courses in learning and writing Hebrew but not necessarily becoming expert at it. After Joseph had taken a number of days/weeks of transcription, he probably acquired sufficient "conviction" or testimony that he was doing meaningful work. Then I think the Lord allowed him to keep transcribing without having to turn any more of the pages. Once he realized this, then he may have thought to use his seer stone to see if he could translate the sheets without having to use the cumbersome breastplate and interpreters. Later on, he became so spiritually attuned that he no longer needed the interpreters or seer stone. The Gold Plates became the "Urim and Thummim" to Joseph.

I wonder if you are referencing this quote: "Smith said the plates containing the Book of Mormon measured about 6 inches wide by 8 inches long and were 'not quite so thick as common tin.'" This was apparently Joseph Smith talking. It seems a bit odd that Joseph, having supposedly fabricated the Plates out of tin, would publicly compare the Plates' thickness to that of tin. Emma Smith said: "They seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle with a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes thumb the edges of a book." If the Gold Plates were thicker than common tin, then it would NOT rustle so readily. But sheets thinner would crinkle or rustle more noticeably?

Like you, I have submitted questions to chatGPT (see quote box below): From this I get the impression that there has NOT been a "heavy duty" investigation of the origins of the Tilma. When the Catholic Church gets wind of claims of miraculous events, it usually waits several decades before launching an "investigation" and deciding the matter. Personally, I take it with a grain of salt. However, the Shroud of Turin has been heavily and more thoroughly examined with findings being more and more astonishing. Such as the forensic discovery of the dislocations of both shoulders in the image. Several weeks ago I watched an interview by Glen Beck which greatly impressed me. I no longer remember the name of the person he interviewed but here is the list of Glen's interviews on this topic: AI Summary To explore the Shroud of Turin, Glen Beck interviewed notable figures in the field. Here are the key individuals he spoke with: Dr. John Jackson: A physicist and co-founder of the Turin Shroud Research Project. Fr. Andrew Dalton: A theologian and expert on the Shroud's historical significance. Dr. Gary Habermas: A scholar specializing in the resurrection and its implications related to the Shroud. Dr. Mark Antonacci: An author and researcher who has studied the Shroud extensively. Dr. Barrie Schwortz: The official photographer of the Shroud and a leading expert on its authenticity.

AI Summary To understand ZCMI in Utah, consider the following points: ZCMI stands for Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution, established in 1868. It was a retail cooperative created by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The main goal was to provide affordable goods to the local community and promote self-sufficiency. ZCMI operated various stores, including grocery, clothing, and general merchandise. It played a significant role in the economic development of Utah and surrounding areas. The institution eventually transitioned to a privately owned department store before closing in 1999.

It would have been natural for the Nephites to build their histories and insert metallic plates into the proper volumes. It needed to be metallic so they could survive the ensuing centuries and countless handling. If they put rings on their plates then they probably copied the features from the Brass Plates. On the other hand, those plates could have been stashed in a box where they could easily flip over to the side the pages without a need for ring holes. Did they number the pages so as to not get confused?

What if they were widowers? Babylonian incursions happened a number of times in stages. The story can get complicated sometimes.

Laban with his high status would be very skilled in personal relations and savvy with a wide swath of society in gaining alliances. At the same time being able to outflank certain competitors in his social strata. He would be wise enough to size up new visitors if he was not acquainted with them. Or if he was related, then he certainly would want to catch up on news of his extended family including Lehi. Laban might have been adding to the Brass Plates himself! Jeremiah was important enough to him. Nephi certainly did develop greater faith and exercised better judgment than did Laman and Lemuel. Sam must have been impressed with Nephi's reasoning abilities. So Sam chose not to gang up on Nephi but to accept his spiritual witness.

No, it was NOT a bunch of kids. Nephi was at least 14 years old. The other 3 were older. Laman and Lemuel could have in their mid 20s or mid 30s. They most likely had a good conversation going with Laban before they broached the subject of the Brass Plates. NOT a new thing. I have read in BYU scholarly pieces that the records represent/contained in the Brass Plates originated in the northern kingdom of Israel. That record may have started with Joseph of Egypt and passed down thru the generations. The Brass Plates had rings that allowed for continual additions for history and for the genealogies. It even had the teachings and warnings of Jeremiah added, a contemporary of Lehi. Laban might have been a near cousin of Lehi.

Reasons: Nephi was made an agent for the Lord It is better for Lehi's clan to obtain the Brass Plates than the "future nation" should perish Nephi and his brothers had already more than paid for the plates (probably several times over) with the family jewels Laban had already refused to "hearken" unto the commandments of the Lord 1 Ne 4:13 Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.

Nah. Elijah passed his "mantle" (symbolic of authority direct from God) to Elisha. Clearly at God's direction and callings. To be "mouthpieces" for God to His people. To teach. To warn. To chastise. Ezekiel and Zechariah were visionary. Proclaiming the word of God in describing current circumstances and outlining future events. No. Hosea did this at the command of the Lord to symbolize Israel's abject apostasy and to emphasize His determination to "win" back His children of the Covenant. His LOVE is amazing and persistent. FALSE. They clearly understood God's persistent warnings and relayed God's SAVING commands to pull His people out of danger and out of darkness. How typical of you to slime the works of God in bringing about the purpose of the Plan of Happiness. Earth being our "temporary home". Institution? Like the Sanhedrin? No, people simply needed to stay faithful to the word of God and NOT be like Eli and his two sons that corrupted the office of priests at the Tabernacle. Apostasy and priestcraft is what caused the destruction of the people. NOT because of diminishing support of "government" but due to increasing wickedness at every level.

@Analytics would have to set up a super sophisticated laboratory that will delve deeper and deeper into more miniscule elements and quarks. And come up with more and more observations of the multidimensional nature of the universe. How many levels? How far does it "go down" ? How many dimensions? What kind of instruments are needed for discerning and even to manipulate such "FINER" matter? D&C 131:7. There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes;

How about the traditional heritage rooted in 1950's (and earlier) culture?

This is beautifully expressed. Kudos to you! ---(as I am unable to give you a rep point)

Kind of like your tagline "Always be punching . . ." you know who? Label the "offenders" then unleash antifa hordes on them?