Is the Lord in the details of our lives? Does he carefully watch over our every move? Should we pray when choosing the type of Peanut Butter? Should we thank him when we catch the subway train or when we find our keys or baseball glove or make a shot in basketball (Bri your kids have serious skills though)?
Maybe he doesnt watch our every move, but other angels do? I dont think he is as hands on as we sometimes think. Although I do believe there are tender mercies, it seems like he lets us live. Just like the temple video, he is up there, and occasionally checks in on us. ;)
If he is watching over our every move, is our agency impaired? Does he let us make mistakes and learn and grow? And if he is always there helping, why doesnt he help sometimes? This brings up another interesting dilemma that bothered Ben Franklin, if God knows everything, is our agency in some way impaired? If he knows what we will do, and is all powerful, and can stop things, why doesn't he? Why does he in some cases? And lastly is it morally wrong for God to not act/get involved when he knows someone is going off the path? Would Judas Iscariot have been better not being chosen as a disciple? Who knows.... I guess God. ;)
Friday, February 26, 2010
Bri's Comments
Bri - thanks for commenting. I guess there are a lot of things in the gospel you just need to either ignore/not think about. The Noah's Arc thing just makes no sense to me, so I almost just need to have faith about it and will one day get to know the whole story.
Do you ever wonder if what we "believe" or "think" is true, is actually a misunderstanding? When we get to the other side, we see it for how it really is. I imagine most will stay strong, and that is why we need to be humble/teachable like a child, as opposed to prideful and confident in our own knowledge and ability. Accept that there is a lot we dont know.
Re: Blacks and the Priesthood - you make some good points. There are many instances where only a select few people are blessed with all the gospel and the priesthood (only Levites had priesthood, etc). Timing is an interesting thing. But you know - maybe the Lord just doesnt care in the end - he knows everyone will get their chance and no one will be deprived of blessings and opportunities, so it is not a big deal to him.
Interesting about your sacrament thoughts. I always thought the sacrament actually does wash the slate clean and clear you of sins. I think I taught that last week in YM. But you bring up some good thoughts. I personally think other members can repent - that being a member is not a prerequisite.
I know you can repent every day - so it is not contingent on being in sacrament meeting only. Maybe it is the same theory as Justification vs Santification. Although you can technically be clean of all your sins, you may still not be worthy to be with God/Celestial Kingdom. The Telestial Kingdom people will one day be cleansed of their sins, but they still do not have the qualities of God. So, a non-member can repent, but it is not enough. The baptismal covenant is the first step. It puts you on the path, but you need to continue to improve and purify your life, but that is what enduring to the end is all about. I dont know - just thoughts.
Do you ever wonder if what we "believe" or "think" is true, is actually a misunderstanding? When we get to the other side, we see it for how it really is. I imagine most will stay strong, and that is why we need to be humble/teachable like a child, as opposed to prideful and confident in our own knowledge and ability. Accept that there is a lot we dont know.
Re: Blacks and the Priesthood - you make some good points. There are many instances where only a select few people are blessed with all the gospel and the priesthood (only Levites had priesthood, etc). Timing is an interesting thing. But you know - maybe the Lord just doesnt care in the end - he knows everyone will get their chance and no one will be deprived of blessings and opportunities, so it is not a big deal to him.
Interesting about your sacrament thoughts. I always thought the sacrament actually does wash the slate clean and clear you of sins. I think I taught that last week in YM. But you bring up some good thoughts. I personally think other members can repent - that being a member is not a prerequisite.
I know you can repent every day - so it is not contingent on being in sacrament meeting only. Maybe it is the same theory as Justification vs Santification. Although you can technically be clean of all your sins, you may still not be worthy to be with God/Celestial Kingdom. The Telestial Kingdom people will one day be cleansed of their sins, but they still do not have the qualities of God. So, a non-member can repent, but it is not enough. The baptismal covenant is the first step. It puts you on the path, but you need to continue to improve and purify your life, but that is what enduring to the end is all about. I dont know - just thoughts.
Heavenly Mother
Emily said an interesting comment the other day: said she "Last night, I prayed to heavenly mother. I apologized in the prayer if that was wrong, but I just told HF that I needed to talk to mom, and have a little woman to woman chat." Now, she asked me if it was wrong, and technically, I dont think so. Sometimes you need your mommy.
Has the Sacrament expanded to also washing away Sins now?
“Think for a moment how different our lives could be if through repentance we were made clean each and every Sabbath and could start each week absolutely pure, renewed, refreshed, totally confident of our standing before God. That sounds wonderful to me. It is wonderful. Thank heaven for Sundays and the sacrament.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, D&C & CH Video Presentations #9, 'Upon My Holy Day')
I have heard twice over the pulpit over the last 2 Sundays (and 1 from a High Councilor) how the Sacrament is so great because we erase our slate and start fresh and clean again.
Hmmm. I have been taught that our sins are washed away at Baptism. And that we renew our baptismal covenants weekly with the Sacrament. But I wonder if these statements are incorrect doctrine? Please indulge me to argue ad absurdum: I sure hope I die on Sunday or Monday, because Saturday would be the worst day to die, what with all my sins piled up and my slate full of my sins for the week. But to die on Monday, with a clean slate and no sins committed yet, then I would be assured the *Fast-Pass* No-Line Entrance at St. Peter's Gate. That's also why on my Stake Conferences I sneak over to another Stake to get the Sacrament that day.
Of course that's silly. So, maybe our sins are not getting washed away with the Sacrament. Because if we sin on Wednesday and then repent on Thursday or even the next Thursday, the Atonement takes effect in our lives then; not just because we participated in the Sunday ordinance. Which implies that I could participate in the Sacrament with sins and in fact those sins are not cleansed from me immediately afterwards. It seems that repentance is the determining factor in sin-cleansing, and not the Sacrament. So, maybe the baptismal covenants we renew with the Sacrament are more likely brotherhood (Mosiah 18) and dedication to serve God, and not renewing the cleansing effect. So, why do people continue to say they are glad that their sins are washed away after the Sacrament? You can repent of them each day of the week and be cleansed without the Sacrament, not to take away from the importance of the Sacrament. So, maybe these 2 are decoupled and the Sacrament has less to do with sin-cleansing and the Atonement-side of things, and more-so about dedication and commitment?
To follow this through, maybe we were wrong to say that baptism washes away sin. Are your sins, the ones you remember and also the ones you don't remember, really washed away by baptism? So, if you (or a new-convert) forgot to repent of a biggie during your baptism interview, is he cleansed from the effects of that sin by virtue of his baptism? Seems kind of weird, and akin to grace-by-technicality. Maybe the baptism doesn't wash away anything. Maybe for the first time it enables us to fully partake of the Savior's Atonement. And so we still have to repent to be cleansed from sin. So, someone who didn't fully repent but lied or deceived to get baptized is not *fully clean* and still needs the Holy Ghost to bring previous sins to their remembrance at which point they can finally and fully repent of the sin and be cleansed.
But, non-members and those who never heard of the Church can repent too, can't they? Let's say a non-denom Christian reads the Bible to say he must repent through Christ for true forgiveness. So, he prays and asks for forgiveness. The Atonement would still cover his sins, right? Or is it *carried on the books* contingent upon his making gospel covenants ("joining the Church") later on in his life or even in the next Life? Because earthly forgiveness of sin seems to fall under the jurisdiction of Priesthood Authority and Bishops and Prophets. So, maybe there is some link with the Church and true forgiveness of sin.
I'm not really sure. But it just tastes wrong for people to say that the Sacrament is washing away their sins. Regardless, I hope I don't die around Stake Conference, General Conference, or on a Saturday; just to be on the safe-side, of course. ;-)
I have heard twice over the pulpit over the last 2 Sundays (and 1 from a High Councilor) how the Sacrament is so great because we erase our slate and start fresh and clean again.
Hmmm. I have been taught that our sins are washed away at Baptism. And that we renew our baptismal covenants weekly with the Sacrament. But I wonder if these statements are incorrect doctrine? Please indulge me to argue ad absurdum: I sure hope I die on Sunday or Monday, because Saturday would be the worst day to die, what with all my sins piled up and my slate full of my sins for the week. But to die on Monday, with a clean slate and no sins committed yet, then I would be assured the *Fast-Pass* No-Line Entrance at St. Peter's Gate. That's also why on my Stake Conferences I sneak over to another Stake to get the Sacrament that day.
Of course that's silly. So, maybe our sins are not getting washed away with the Sacrament. Because if we sin on Wednesday and then repent on Thursday or even the next Thursday, the Atonement takes effect in our lives then; not just because we participated in the Sunday ordinance. Which implies that I could participate in the Sacrament with sins and in fact those sins are not cleansed from me immediately afterwards. It seems that repentance is the determining factor in sin-cleansing, and not the Sacrament. So, maybe the baptismal covenants we renew with the Sacrament are more likely brotherhood (Mosiah 18) and dedication to serve God, and not renewing the cleansing effect. So, why do people continue to say they are glad that their sins are washed away after the Sacrament? You can repent of them each day of the week and be cleansed without the Sacrament, not to take away from the importance of the Sacrament. So, maybe these 2 are decoupled and the Sacrament has less to do with sin-cleansing and the Atonement-side of things, and more-so about dedication and commitment?
To follow this through, maybe we were wrong to say that baptism washes away sin. Are your sins, the ones you remember and also the ones you don't remember, really washed away by baptism? So, if you (or a new-convert) forgot to repent of a biggie during your baptism interview, is he cleansed from the effects of that sin by virtue of his baptism? Seems kind of weird, and akin to grace-by-technicality. Maybe the baptism doesn't wash away anything. Maybe for the first time it enables us to fully partake of the Savior's Atonement. And so we still have to repent to be cleansed from sin. So, someone who didn't fully repent but lied or deceived to get baptized is not *fully clean* and still needs the Holy Ghost to bring previous sins to their remembrance at which point they can finally and fully repent of the sin and be cleansed.
But, non-members and those who never heard of the Church can repent too, can't they? Let's say a non-denom Christian reads the Bible to say he must repent through Christ for true forgiveness. So, he prays and asks for forgiveness. The Atonement would still cover his sins, right? Or is it *carried on the books* contingent upon his making gospel covenants ("joining the Church") later on in his life or even in the next Life? Because earthly forgiveness of sin seems to fall under the jurisdiction of Priesthood Authority and Bishops and Prophets. So, maybe there is some link with the Church and true forgiveness of sin.
I'm not really sure. But it just tastes wrong for people to say that the Sacrament is washing away their sins. Regardless, I hope I don't die around Stake Conference, General Conference, or on a Saturday; just to be on the safe-side, of course. ;-)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Noah's Ark
Do Mormon's believe in a literal flood? Do they believe water covered the whole earth and all the trees and plant life died? All animals would not fit on Noah's Ark. He would have run out of food and water - and been unable to care for all those animals for 1 year. Plus, once they land, there would be no plant life. Seems far fetched to me - maybe a localized flood?
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