Fair Dinkum

Some things never change. My inability to spell correctly and Scott's need to be an obsessive orthographizer.

I have not been involved in the LDS Church for 20 years now, nor in this message board for nearly 7 months, but just prior to my departure, I had been active in church leadership and temple worship and I have no recollection of having been familiar with this now ubiquitous LDS catch phrase " The Covenant Path". When I left, it was not in use. Does anyone here know when it became popular and in wide use? Perhaps it started with President Nelson and his emphasis on building Temples. I don't follow him enough to know. In doing a search on LDS.org, it seems to come into wide use only recently. But am I correct is noting that this euphemism is a recent catch phrase within the church? PS: I was a fan of the Hulu TV series The Path about a upstate New York cult movement staring Aaron Paul, of Breaking Bad fame. The cult called Myerism ascribes its adherents to a covenant path, a series of advancements within the movement that if followed will lead to eternal life. It's unfortunate that the churches new emphasis with "The Covenant Path" is so similar to this TV Drama The earliest use of this phrase is from a talk given by a woman in 2013. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/04/when-you-save-a-girl-you-save-generations?lang=eng

And I, Fair Dinkum, saw that I must soon go down to my grave were I to remain here; wherefore, I said unto my friendimies on MD&D: Take these words. And I told you the things in my heart, and I honestly tried to seek understanding and answers to difficult questions. And I make an end of my posting here upon this board, which posting has been small compared to @smac97 @Scott Lloyd @Robert F. Smith but especially when compared to @Calm; and to the reader I bid farewell, hoping that many of my brethren may read my words. Brethren*, adieu. *and of course like any good Mormon man when I say Brethren, inferred in that term, women instinctively know we men mean Sisters too, right? We just can't say the actual words, but you all understand.

Great advice, I hear you and I believe I am taking the good and leaving the the bad. Holding to what is true is so endemic to being a Mormon I can't imagine ever discarding my love of what is true.

Please re-read what I posted. "DNA studies pin first contact in which DNA was assimilated into the Polynesian gnome down to the 13th century AD" Of course we have no evidence of any prior contact and one might have taken place, but the first contact of which we have evidence for took place in the 13th century.

Please re-read what I posted. "DNA studies pin first contact in which DNA was assimilated into the Polynesian gnome down to the 13th century AD" Of course we have no evidence of any prior contact and one might have taken place, but the first contact of which we have evidence for took place in the 13th century.

Thor Heyerdahl only showed that a western migration was possible NOT that it actually took place.

yup No they did not. Cuz no contact had been made by North American indigenous natives with Polynesians Can you name any other studies that confirm contact? If not this is the first confirmed contact

There has been. DNA studies pin first contact in which DNA was assimilated into the Polynesian gnome down to the 13th century AD

And yet that is what the physical evidence says they did.

You've obviously never met me 🙂 I try to see things from others perspectives and were I you I would probably share your opinions of me that you have expressed here. But I would also kindly ask that you try to see things from my perspective. The church was my life the very prism through which I viewed the world. It defined every aspect of my life. I have dedicated my life to the church. And then the wheels of that bus fell off. So while I can understand you, can you understand me? Have you ever considered what it might be like to go through a faith reconsideration? (You would probably call it a faith crisis) While I feel I have landed on my feet, it's not a fun journey losing ones faith and having to build up from scratch a meaningful life in my 50's no less outside of the Mormon paradigm. Its true that I am skeptical of all church truth claims because of my journey and because I now know that pretty much everything I had built my life upon was not true. Literally every conclusion or belief I held has had to be reinterpreted. So yes I come here with a skeptics eye on church claims, fool me once that's on you, fool me twice that's on me. I won't be fooled again. But I don't come here seeking converts, I have come seeking answers, attempting to see if there might be a way back. But I am way past study, pray & ponder and honestly regaining belief after the journey I've taken is probably not even possible and yet I am here trying albeit in a manner true to myself. During the short time since my first post here I have learned a lot. I've gained an appreciation for how some posters have been able to maintain belief despite knowing the same difficulties I struggle to find believe in. Perhps I am not only wasting everyone else's time but my own as well because I just do not find that church believable. You didn't offend me, you disappointed me. I thought we had reached some kind of threshold of mutual respect, I know that was dumb of me, but it's were I was. So to realize I was mistaken, again that's on me. I completely misread our interactions. It stings to have you refer to my posts as Gripes. But I get it you're not the first one here to pigeonhole me. I completely respect your faith and ability to hold on to it. Which is why I have always enjoyed your participation in my posts despite the fact that we share little in common perspectives. You're an honest interlocutor and I've always enjoyed that about you. I know where you are coming from. While not as bright and erudite as you, I give it my best shot in my attempts. I've never expected perfection but neither did I expect to find a well meaning but very human organization either. It's true that for me the emperor has no clothes.

President Nelson will announce that some future Temple's will have a Cross on top instead of a Moroni statue and encourage all members to run out to their nearest Deseret Book Store to buy the new line of Cross jewellery now available as both lapel pins for the men and necklaces for the women. (notice I said women instead of girls)

never mind

^^^^^^ Made me Laugh^^^^^^

I'm jealous, I'm a lover of sailing also but don't have as much open ocean experience as you. Mostly in the safety of Sydney Harbor when I'm there.