In LDS doctrine and common belief do different people have better "access" than others to Heavenly Father? Some people think that a more spiritual or exalted person's prayer may somehow better get the divine attention than others.

Would the President's prayer be more readily answered than an apostle's?

An apostle's more than a stake president's?

The husband's more than his wife's? (And so on...)

Some things we know: only priesthood holders can administer blessings. (Right?) And they are members of the One True Church, right?

What about non-Mormons? I'm especially interested in what you believed when you subscribed to LDS teachings. What would a TBM think if a Baptist or Catholic said to her, "I'll pray for you."

Please, let's not get into rants about whether prayer works. Everybody's minds are made up on that. I'm interested in what might be identified as genuine doctrine, slippery as that is, and what active Mormons might believe, or have believed.

I think most people believe that a "Hey, would you talk to him for me, cuz you're closer to him..." situation exists.

It's like retaining a lobbyist...

It explains putting people's names on temple prayer rolls. The sheep think those 'emails' are sure to get through, whereas their own personal 'emails' wind up in ghawd's spam folder.

elderolddog Wrote:
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> I think most people believe that a "Hey, would you
> talk to him for me, cuz you're closer to him..."
> situation exists.
>
> It's like retaining a lobbyist...
>
> It explains putting people's names on temple
> prayer rolls. The sheep think those 'emails' are
> sure to get through, whereas their own personal
> 'emails' wind up in ghawd's spam folder.

A bit like Bruce Almighty! (He used Yahweh Mail).

I always thought the temple prayer roll was more to do with quantity than quality (more people praying). Also the location.

There's some truth to that, when an ecclesiastical leader (of any faith) prays they are acting as the 'mediator' between god and the people. They are as god to their followers.

Not necessarily. It may depend upon the denomination, but mostly the person, ordained or otherwise, is merely leading the prayer.

Numbers
* Prayer rolls
* Asking people to pray for X in large numbers.

Place
* We are asked to keep homes holy.
* Churches outrank homes.
* Temples outrank churches.
* Anywhere the Q12 is outranks temples.
* RMN's home outranks those.
* The Holy of Holies in SLC temple outranks those.

People
* Prayers in the name of Jesus Christ to HF outrank the rest.
* Members' prayers outrank non-members'.
* Aaronic priesthood outranks new members.
* Melchizedek priesthood outranks AP.
* Bishopric outranks ward. Bishop outranks bishopric.
* Stake presidency outranks bishopric, area presidency stake presidency and so on up to Q12, and the prophet who outranks everyone else on the Earth (humans).

All dependent on how worthy you are.

I appreciate your including "Place" in the hierarchy. Did you add Rusty's home as a sardonic inclusion?

Others--Does that Bell Pepper's list make sense to you?

caffiend Wrote:
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> I appreciate your including "Place" in the
> hierarchy. Did you add Rusty's home as a sardonic
> inclusion?

I wish I had!

According to his own words (and his wife's!), he gets most of his revelations in his bedroom in the middle of the night!!! He keeps a notepad beside his bed.

This is a long Mormon tradition. Didn't Joseph Smith claimed to get revelation and angelic visitations in his bedroom?

When I was nearing the end of my TBM days, I still had a little superstition in me.
I never thought that my prayers alone had enough "oomph", so to boost the power, I decided to call in for the temple prayer rolls.
For 3 years, I called all the temples in the Salt Lake Valley, plus Bountiful, and did so every two weeks without fail.
I included every member of my family and added some family member's friends to the growing list.
Finally, on Monday, April 6, 2015 I was able to set my mind free.
Looking back, I can't believe how brainwashed I was to think I'm not good enough.
My hubby tried to tell me, but I just ignored him and payed attention to the fear.

My hubby tried to warn me, too.

I was never taught the prophet praying was different from me. What I was taught was that his prayers were scalable to the whole church and mine to my stewardship. And all personal players were equally addressed by HF. The comforter wasn't prayed to but designed to protect and give peace. That's all I got.

I still fail to understand the logic behind asking as many people as possible to pray for someone or something.

They're effectively saying their god will answer the prayers of many more readily than the prayer of one.

That's not my kind of god. If there was one.

But still, inviting the prayer and fasting of many. Speaks volumes of their god.

Mormon Doctrine would teach us that all have equal access to God.
They gladly trot out James 1:5, however if you get any other answer, then what exists on approved mormon marketing scripts - you are suddenly being inspired by a "different" source. (Any returned missionary knows this to be true.)

Yes the mormon prophets and apostles are there to gladly stand in the way between you and God and take his place in your life. This is why no ordinary mormon can even think of believing anything contrary to what the prophet du jour said. No they have to pay gross tithing? Why? Who knows? Does the Lord need it when he can't use his first $100B? Who cares? The prophet told them so.

Bruce R. McConkie even discouraged gaining a personal or special relationship with Jesus stating it was excessive zeal to do so:

"...Those who truly love the Lord and who worship the Father in the name of the Son by the power of the Spirit, according to the APPROVED PATTERNS, maintain a reverential BARRIER between themselves and all the members of the Godhead..." BYU Speeches 2 Mar 1982

Yet, these are the men claiming such a relationship in name only. How do they do it? Presumably on the golf course or in private jets of course. It is clear they do not want you taking their place in the con. They are AINOs or Apostles In Name Only.

Not to be confused with Apostles Negating Universal Salvation or ANUS - which they appear to be on the surface but all can be saved as long as they pay the church their money. Heck they will even get rid of honesty questions on the temple recommend interviews if that is a problem for you. Now let us pray.

Apostles Negating Universal Salvation!

That is so utterly droll, especially in that it self-identifies from whence it came!!

Apostles Negotiating Unilateral Salvation

Mormons believe everyone is saved just not all their bits.

Apostles Second Sealing Heaven OverLeveraging Exaltation seems more accurate to me.

Caffiend, I'm not sure if I'm addressing your question exactly but...

A close friend at work asked everyone to pray for her upcoming surgery and I said that I would certainly pray for her. Later, she came into my office and asked that I not pollute the pool of prayer because the Mormon influence would invoke the power of Satan. I was very TBM at the time, but, I didn't think my prayers were any more powerful than anyone else's. I was really hurt.

A second similar experience: I volunteered for a pro-life organization. Went through interviews, everyone seemed to like me, etc. Finally, I got a call from the director that they thought I was just wonderful, but, my application to volunteer had been turned down. I asked her if it was the mormonism, and she told me that yes, it was.

So, hierarchy of prayer? hmmmmmm

Many of us were told that if we prayed in the Celestial Room of any temple, we could ask for anything we wanted, and it would be granted to us.

I must have believed that. When my little dog, Mr. Peabody was stolen, I submitted his name to every prayer roll at every temple from here to Washington DC. I wanted so badly for that to help.

Your first anecdote, about praying for somebody's surgery, is very suggestive of Christian Science. They believe that everything is caused by thought, so carnal thought, even prayer that is non-metaphysical ("Scientific," they call it--note upper case "S") can interfere with their "higher" plane of spiritual consciousness. "Spiritual pollution," as it were. For that reason, Christian Scientists don't tell people when they're sick, except family and their practitioner. Everything is hidden behind evasion, euphemism, and denial.

(Obviously, a Christian Scientist wouldn't mix "Scientific prayer" with "materia medica," as they often call medical treatment. The two are regarded as irreconcilable opposites.)

I'm shocked at the pro-life group's exclusion of you. I'd join hands with atheists and Hare Krishnas if it would help end the horror of legalized abortion.

I'm especially intrigued by the matter of praying in the Celestial Room, for reasons you know. Utterly fascinated! Others: have you ever heard that? Done that?

I have prayed many times in celestial room to get answers to questions I had. Was always confused by that. I wouldn't get any.
No matter what I did. Then when praying just at home, I felt like I would get an answer.

This happened enough it made me wonder how special the temple was since I was also told the pure in heart could see Jesus there. Never happened also. I tried to purify my heart and did not know what else I could do but endure to the end and pray for more trials. Eventually, the celestial math never added up.

caffiend Wrote:
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> I'm shocked at the pro-life group's exclusion of
> you. I'd join hands with atheists and Hare
> Krishnas if it would help end the horror of
> legalized abortion.

Why? Acts of God end pregnancies all the time and not many believers are as passionate about ending those.

Since the Second Anointing gives one membership in the godhead, and hence: the ability to bless or curse, I’d say they’re the ones to ask for a curse on you neighbor’s barking dog, or the mailman who has been peaking at you incoming Publisher’s Clearinghouse correspondence. In the ranks of better pray-ers, that Second Anointee is your go-to guy.

They get all these perks in the temple.

The trouble is that it’s hard to find one because they also promised not to tell anybody they’ve got the 2-A Pow-wuh. Probably if people knew who they were, everybody would be kidnapping them and heading to Vegas, trying to buy a curse on one’s mo-in-law, bless your rhinoplasty outcome, or fix the election.

But, if you can find one, they’re in the top drawer hierarchy-wise.

On my mission and throughout my life, I was taught by church leaders that church leaders were foreordained to be "leaders" based on their righteousness in the pre-existence. Answers to prayers are contingent on level demonstrated faith and obedience. The more successful a person is in this life is a sign of their righteousness, and those prayers heard more readily by deity. The funny thing is, I was promoted several times over after leaving the church, which was a testimony to me of the bull**** that is Mormonism.

Does being on the temple prayer role trump priesthood blessings?

Does having 100 people pray for you have more influence than 10 people praying for you? (Apparently people asking for prayers think God is influenced by higher numbers.)

I was taught you could to receive your own personal revelations through prayer for yourself and those under you (your wife and kids, for example). But higher ups like GAs were to receive revelation for everyone below them which would trump yours. I assumed that meant clout with prayer too. They didn't want any conflicts when answers to prayers contradicted what the GAs decided God wants.

Sorry OP, but prayer doesn't work and that's why the hierarchy nonsense never has to be accountable either way.

"trump priesthood blessings"

I wonder what those are?