Ragerunner

YES we should be very concerned.

This person got what they wanted. Attention by ‘right wingers’ to scream the sky is falling, without taking any time to understand the situation. Isabel even got a growing 9 page thread on Mormon Dialogue. Events like this remind me of a quote by Dallin H Oaks. (Even though this event took place in the UK, I think it applies.) “But even though the First Amendment obviously guarantees the right to exercise or practice religious beliefs and affiliations, that right is not absolute. As advocates for religious freedom, we must yield to the fact that in a nation with citizens of many different religious beliefs or disbeliefs, the government must sometimes limit the right of some to act upon their beliefs when it is necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of all.”

Do you know what the church teaches on this subject? To many forget the following and to many new laws strip members of the church of their religious freedoms to follow church teachings on this subject. The Church allows for possible exceptions for its members when: Pregnancy results from rape or incest, or A competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy, or A competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.

I like his videos. Glad he takes the time to make them.

This post helped me realize how much the church is trying to live the two greatest commandments.

These major issues have a lot to do with the 3-fold of the church and more importantly how to love our neighbors the way God does. Without the 2 greatest commandments the rest will struggle to move forward.

I am not attached to any location. But I find the Great Lakes, Midwest and down to the Mississippi delta to be intriguing. Lots of Ore and copper smithing in parts of the upper and lower Midwest dating during the Nephite times. Hopewell civilization has been dated to similar time frames (not exact). They had some significant cities. Several other tribes are dated even earlier in this region that could have been the Jaredites.

If this was the main concern for the Church, then they would just stop marrying people at church or in the temple. Which they already do in many countries around the world and you can now do in the US as well. Let the members in the US get married under the authority of the land and then only go to the temple to be sealed. (Which the church is already allowing to happen.) LGBTQ or others won’t have any legal standing to demand a sealing, since society and laws don’t see that as a valid action of any kind. No country (communist, socialist, dictators, capitalist, etc) in the world has tried to force the church to seal people together. Maybe, just maybe it could be the Church realizes and supports people having access to basic civic rights like, jobs, housing, basic accommodations and marriage under the law of the land. That is it.

The Church itself is openly advocating for the Respect for Marriage Law that would require the US federal government to recognize the validity of same sex and interracial marriages in the United States. Which means members can support this law and be in good standing as well.

No excuse for damaging others property. I might also point out that the Focus on the Family group really doesn’t like the LDS Church.

Unfortunately you may be right. But I think the time has come to try and do more. It’s going to take a lot to unpack decades of cultural/political intertwining within the church. That ultimately, to often, lead to incorrect teaching within the church.

Watching the Church make statements on many issues like, racism, gays, immigration etc. and then seeing how members react has made me feel the church needs to take it a step further, start providing examples. Too many members ‘justify’ their position and politics on these issues. Especially at the local level, all over social media and forums. (Example: I know a local high council member who openly uses the N word still and yet justifies it as not being racist.) While the church has given some very strong statements on racism, it might be time to actually provide some real world examples of what racism actually IS. Same with dealing with anti gay rights movements/efforts, etc. I also think it might be time to start reading some of the Church’s statements at the pulpit. I know many members that have never heard the church’s recent statements on many of these subjects. Including many local leaders. When you point it out you can see the mental gymnastics begin. I know a lot of members don’t know the Church is supporting the ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ and are shocked when it comes up. To many are still reading and posting old quotes from Ezra Taft Benson, Brigham Young, Joseph F Smith, etc. to justify their positions and their politics.

I don’t believe that is what is happening. I think the church leadership has gained more knowledge and understanding over the last few decades and realize there is more to this. I still think we will see even more light and knowledge on this topic in the future. The days of Kimball and Packer’s position that this is a ‘mental disorder’, ‘chosen feelings’, ‘they are deviant’, ‘curable disease’ and that gay marriage will some how destroy heterosexual marriage are over. Now comes the hard part, helping members understand that Kimball was wrong on this topic with much of his statement in Miracle of Forgiveness and yes this is a major pivot from Prop 8 effort days as well. This is also going to challenge many members ingrained political views as well. Which have already been on full display on Deseret and Tribune comments threads and many other social media forums. That is the win.

He has clearly been through a lot of pain and suffering. He might feel a ‘little snarky’ about life right now or not. Does this mean every time someone on this board get ‘a little snarky’ our response should be ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if their life was all complicated right now, including the peace part.’ If that is the case their is a lot of people on this board with complicated lives and struggle with peace at times. Oh wait, THERE ARE and it’s part of navigating life.

So basically she did the following? I just saw a play last night about a religion, I think I will go home and post a nasty gram about that church now!? I stand by my original comment. She is a hot mess.

Glad she tried to correct. The real questions is, why did she feel a need to go after Joseph Smith and the church. It wasn’t just a random moment. She could have pick from millions of post options. She chose the church.

Reading this thread was kinda like watching mental gymnastics. ‘I really don’t like that she is lying about the prophet Joseph Smith but, see really hates transgenders and my politics tell me that a good thing.’ What to do, what to do.

Do you ever read before commenting? No one was ‘wishing’ for anything. Show me how I wished for anything? It’s clear they softened the language from the previous language. But I also said, maybe not. I made and observation not an opinion on the subject matter.

Had a chance to look through some of the new Strength of Youth. I really like the focus on learning how to have your spirit gain strength to control your physical body. (Big Picture Approach) I did notice this change: New SFY: “Outside of marriage between a man and a woman, it is wrong to touch the private, sacred parts of another person’s body even if clothed. In your choices about what you do, look at, read, listen to, think about, post, or text, avoid anything that purposely arouses lustful emotions in others or yourself. This includes pornography in any form.“ vs Old SFY: “Do not do anything else that arouses sexual feelings. Do not arouse those emotions in your own body.” It seems they maybe steeping away from a focus on masturbation. Maybe not? What do you think? I can remember when I was a teenager in the late 80’s/early 90s and our leaders and Bishopric would tell us young men that masturbation was just as sinful as having sex with a girl outside of marriage and it would make you unworthy to serve a mission without full repentance. This was a repeated discussion item.

She is a hot mess.

So if nothing transpired in Florida that has created concern why would the church take the time to make this statement? At the very least I can point to cause and effect. You have nothing to support you view that this was just a general, benign statement by the church because it has nothing else to do for the day. I am also aware you think Deseret News shouldn’t have made a similar connect. I am sure they don’t care what you think about that as well. Your mental gymnastics that this has nothing to do with any current events/laws in Florida is quiet amazing. Moving on.

I just saw this post. What laws have been passed by Florida’s Governor and legislators over the last year related to Gay rights that the church would feel the need to make such a statement? Clearly something has changed recently causing the church to defend gay rights in the State of Florida. If nothing had changed then the church would feel no need to respond.

Or the article is pointing out recent new laws being passed in Florida that precipitated the church responding to these concerns. There is a lot more to these laws than just the laws themselves. There is additional ‘directives’ from appointed State agencies (that these laws give power too) that make it even more clear that LGBTQ rights are under attack. The church has taken a stand on other/similar laws recently in other states on LGBTQ rights. The church is not making these statements randomly. They are responding to many of these new laws.

Bingo!!!

From more research it does seem the church has ‘not prohibited’ CBD. But Ayahuasca may or may not run into the following quote in the strength of youth. “Avoid any drink, drug, chemical, or dangerous practice that is used to produce a ‘high’ or other artificial effects that may harm your body or mind.”