pogi

If it is an echo chamber you pursue, perhaps you are the ones in the wrong place? Because this place isn’t just about “Mormoning” around. Perhaps you guys are confused with another forum. I for one would prefer to kick against a few pricks (I won’t name names) every now and then and enjoy the diversity of perspectives and ideas and, even strong challenges sometimes, then to be lulled away into soothing strains of confirmation bias or breathing in the pleasant perfumes of a reaffirming filter bubble.

I have never been a bishop, but I imagine it takes at least a year or two to get into a groove. It seems like Bishops would almost be in perpetual training if their callings were reduced to 3 years. But I certainly understand why 3 years would be more desirable too. In smaller wards, that might cause great anxiety in some men knowing that the likelihood of being called as Bishop someday would drastically increase as significantly more men would need to be called to that position in a lifetime. Might start seeing really young bishops again.

The other 12% will be dead soon from "natural causes" after a short imprisonment...so they don't count.

Since people are out and about crying repentance to others... Perhaps repentance (the change of heart and mind) is in part speaking to those who cling to old stagnant, status quo, traditional, tired and false/harmful narratives/histories that do harm and hinderance to the progressive nature of revelation and the restored gospel. "I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to receive the things of God; but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God, will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions." — Joseph Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, p. 52 Given the known fallibility of man, leaders and the temporal/fallible institution of the church, I sometimes wonder if our loyalties are misplaced. The "fullness" of the Restored Gospel is yet to come, it is progressive... Don't be so sure and hardened and quick to dig your feet in just yet. The Lord requires a malleable heart and mind.

“God, change me. I don’t want to be this way.” God smothers him with peace and love and tells “him to stop fighting it, David, stop trying to be straight. Stop trying to pray the gay away. You are supposed to be happy the way you are. (I am paraphrasing)” ”But I’m afraid I’ll make a mistake.” God- “Go do what you think are mistakes. You are allowed to make mistakes. But as you do this, you will come to realize it is not a mistake after all”. That answer to prayer, he says, is what made everything turn around for him. David then goes in to meet with an apostle. “David, we just need to find you a good girl”, he says. The disconnect is palpable. David recalls his hours of conversations with different leaders about his struggles in not knowing how to belong in the church and feeling suicidal. He then recounts sharing his personal revelation with an apostle. He would get a blanket statement, “you’re not gay. You are struggling with same sex attraction and if you get married God will help you overcome your feelings.” ”That is harmful”, David states, and “not realistic for me”. “I tried it 3 times in different engagements.” He talks about the Mormonandgay websites, and how many of the “they can do it and so can you” examples are later found on other podcasts stating that they are suicidal and that it wasn’t realistic. He talks about the false narrative of the church in hiding, or at least not addressing, all of this while still promoting the “they can do it so can you” one sided mantra. He talks about how the church tried to make him into a false narrative too by setting him up as an example of a faithful LGBTQ person who is going to choose to remain single, while knowing that wasn’t true - knowing he wanted to be married. He states “I feel like I am being taken advantage of at this point and I don’t want to lead other people astray who are suffering the same way I was.” For me, it is not at all hard to understand why he chose to leave.

That, and he might have had a lust for woman of different ages. He wouldn't be the first. The vast majority were teens and 20's, but we can't rule out lust just because a couple were older. This is more directed @ZealouslyStriving than you.

I don't think she ever did find a way to justify it as she denied that Joseph every taught or practiced polygamy after his death and blamed it all on Brigham Young. She always hated plural marriage and made sure that her children - the future presidents of their church - didn't teach or practice it. I think she relied on a heavy dose of either denial or accepting that even prophets can make grave mistakes to make things work.

Since you are not the arbiter of scriptural interpretation, my interpretation is just as valid as yours. I am glad you have found some way to make it work for you, but I don't read it that way. To me, it says clearly that monogamy is the order: Polygamy is the exceptions (only acceptable for one purpose): You note the same exception listed in the D&C: It then lists some obscure promise but then shows the purpose of the promise is this: Your scripture doesn't contradict what I said. It confirms it.

Except, the scriptures state that polygamy is evil and not a principle of the Gospel. How do you explain the canonical doctrine in the Book of Mormon which states that polygamy is evil, with the singular exception where God may command it to raise seed? Otherwise, it is a BIG no, no.

Hmmm, 40 polygamous wives and no additional seed from anyone but Emma to show for it. This raising seed argument is a common one used by many of the very people who also try to argue that Joseph never consummated any of his other marriages, thus defeating the original argument. So, which is it?

They are casually called gender blood tests, but they are actually genetic tests which can help ID genetic sex. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/blood-test-for-gender#:~:text=You can't take one,screening tools first and foremost.

There is nothing remotely graphic or violent in those photos. One of them was just a stained glass window of geometric shapes. We can jump on the persecution bandwagon, or we can give the benefit of the doubt after reviewing the photos and conclude that there is some innocent mistake going on here. It is clear they are not censoring all pictures of temples, and the ones they are seem completely random.

A quick jont to their Facebook page shows many uncensored photos of temples. What is your source? https://m.facebook.com/LatterDaySaintsStandingUnited

I don’t know anything about Latter-day Saints Stands United. Are they a violent group or do they post graphic pictures? If not, why would Facebook delete them after a review of complaints?

That’s interesting. I wonder if it is an algorithm thing over-correcting after potential complaints of people posting unfriendly and unauthorized pictures of inside the temple that they have taken down. That’s just a total guess but I could see how something like that might happen.