Solemn Assembly

[teddyaware]

1 minute ago, MiserereNobis said:

Obviously we differ, but I thank you for saying this, and I agree and say it is either traditional Christianity (Catholicism and/or Eastern Orthodoxy) or Restorationism. I'd go with you over Protestantism any day. But, of course, I believe fully in the papacy  

Do you believe the Pope is an apostle in the precisely the same manner Peter, James, John and Paul were apostles?  

[Scott Lloyd]

5 minutes ago, MiserereNobis said:

Obviously we differ, but I thank you for saying this, and I agree and say it is either traditional Christianity (Catholicism and/or Eastern Orthodoxy) or Restorationism. I'd go with you over Protestantism any day. But, of course, I believe fully in the papacy  

I never thought otherwise. 

[MiserereNobis]

2 minutes ago, teddyaware said:

Do you believe the Pope is an apostle in the precisely the same manner Peter, James, John and Paul were apostles?  

No. The apostles were special because of their direct interaction with Jesus. The bishops are their successors. And the pope is the successor of Peter, hence his place of primacy.

[MorningStar]

6 hours ago, rongo said:

You're not alone --- not that it's much consolation, but **many** active LDS families are having kids in their late teens/early 20s who just aren't going anywhere in life. It's even a struggle with those whom we manage to get on missions (my parents have served as the office couple in two missions. Lots of head-shaking anecdotes about young men and young women there), and many go missing upon coming home. My dad was a YSA bishop for 6 years, and man, what a hard calling that is compared to a family ward for this reason. It's something that the Brethren are really trying hard to address (that's why the mission age was lowered, to try to keep kids engaged younger without a gap year), but it really is the plague of that generation. I have hope that many will figure it out and take up their birthright and realize their potential. 

One thrill I have is total deadwood students I've had who are different people in their young-mid 20s (non-LDS). One only had three credits as a senior, and was just awful to his teachers. I never had trouble with him, but I had him 1st hour (7:05 AM), so he wasn't really awake. I ran into him at the gas station, and said "Patrick Hernandez!" (he was 6'5" --- hard to miss). The first thing he did was apologize for being such a knucklehead in school. He is now married with a couple of kids, and is a process server and courier for a law firm. Another one I ran into at the store. He and his wife were high school sweethearts, and as we talked, he said he was shocked I remembered them. How could I forget? I said. You pitched the game of your life against Ajo. He said I was very kind to remember only the good, and he also apologized for being such a knucklehead. I'm fascinated that this is foremost on their minds, even when it isn't in ours.

I am very hopeful that many of our wayward youth will come back to their roots. But, we're in for a painful and anguished ride while they are arriving at that themselves. 

This does make me feel better. Thank you. 💜 We just want him to progress in some way. Any way! Even if he went to a different church. 

[teddyaware]

1 hour ago, MiserereNobis said:

No. The apostles were special because of their direct interaction with Jesus. The bishops are their successors. And the pope is the successor of Peter, hence his place of primacy.

Why do you believe Paul insisted that apostles and prophets, as they existed and functioned in the Church of his day, were to remain at the head of the Church until the Church was perfectly unified and every member obtained a perfect knowledge the Son of God, meaning until every member obtained the “measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ?”

¹¹ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Eph 4)

At what point did the Catholic Church fulfill the above criteria so that apostles and apostles were no longer necessary? It couldn’t have been at the time of the New Testament Church because the Bible writers themselves plainly attest the Church of that time was divided and the members were nowhere near having a knowledge of Christ unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

Edited April 6, 2020 by teddyaware

[Calm]

6 hours ago, rongo said:

I am very hopeful that many of our wayward youth will come back to their roots. But, we're in for a painful and anguished ride while they are arriving at that themselves. 

Better that than the reverse, imo.  'No trouble' or bright kid going awol later in adulthood.

Edited April 6, 2020 by Calm

[Avatar4321]

Today was an amazing day for me. My nonmember wife was listening to President Nelson and listened to the Hosanna shout. My daughter was not really interested in any of it but she listened while she did her thing and asked a couple questions.

this has been the conference where both of them have listened more than ever. 
 

that’s progress and I praise the Lord for it

[randy]

This Conference was, for me...everything I had hoped for and anticipated it would be.  Regarding the new Proclamation, if the World didn't know what the message of the Church was before, it certainly does now!  A bold, unapologetic, unhesitating, unashamed, powerful and straightforward declaration.  The line of demaracation is clear and bright, if it wasn't already, it is now.  Like SMAC said....."WOW"!

Also, I was deeply moved by Pres. Nelson's apostolic blessing for us all.  I noticed, that just barely visible at the bottom of the TV screen...I noticed as he began his blessing...that he outstretched both arms as if to embrace us all, and plead with us to "hear him".  Just a powerful and spiritual event for me.

[rongo]

13 hours ago, MorningStar said:

This does make me feel better. Thank you. 💜 We just want him to progress in some way. Any way! Even if he went to a different church. 

My wife talked to our friend today (she had borrowed some books on Saturday). He won't do anything but play video games. She has taken them away from him, but gets overruled by her husband (I said that the first thing that needs to happen is for them to be on the same page. You can't have good cop, bad cop with this). He has gotten vicious in twisting the knife with his parents that he doesn't believe in the Church, but as I've explained to her, he's doing it a) to hurt them where it hurts active LDS parents the most, and b) to get them, his seminary teacher, and his bishop off of his back. He is 16. 

Without parental unity, not much can be done. I know what my wife and I would do: the video game equipment, phone, etc. would not only be "gone," it would be smashed in front of him to finalize it. But, our kids don't have phones or video games, so we avoided this whole problem in its entirety. We're outliers in not being a "tech" family, but I see this as a huge plus --- especially in 2020.