Like any thinking, rational, logical human being, I'm disgusted with the guy who sexually assaulted you, but I'm also disgusted with your "friend" who implied that it could have been (in any way) your fault.
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Have fun with this, but to me, this discussion is about as meaningful as who was the better Star Trek commander, Captain Kirk or Captain Picard--and I've known people who can get very passionate about the Kirk vs. Picard debate. Christianity, Mormonism, Kirk, Picard--which version of fiction do you prefer?
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I’m sure that TSM will be as insightful as past LDS leaders were about Iraq, Rwanda, Bosnia, Vietnam, Korea and every other conflict in the past 183 years.
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Tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" speech from the March on Washington. I watched a video of that speech today and I was literally brought to tears. I was trying to remember the last time a General Conference talk had that strong of an effect on me. I think it was.......never.
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Funny thing. I remember being taught as a missionary to ridicule other denominations that said that the bible was complete and that we didn't need any more revelation.
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If god makes things “fair” by giving the priesthood to men and motherhood to women, what about a couple who aren’t “blessed” with children and are past child-bearing age? Wouldn’t it be “fair” to revoke that man’s priesthood? And seeing how the priesthood is given to 12-yeal-old boys, shouldn’t 12-year-old girls be starting motherhood? Silly me. If I were trying to be
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My FB "friends" are all over the place when it comes to politics, religion and everything else. They often post some fairly inflammatory statements. I personally have seen no evidence of censorship.
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I am much happier now, but it’s hard to say how much of that happiness came from me abandoning long-held beliefs. During the time I was moving away (emotionally and intellectually) from TSCC (and any other organized belief system), several aspects of my life improved. My health, my job and some personal issues all significantly changed for the better in relatively short period of time. I kn
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Cooking wine isn't fit for drinking, it's barely fit for cooking. I don't use expensive wine for cooking, but I do use "real" wine.
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Tithing and Fast Offerings (and every other kind of donation) all goes into one big pot for TSCC to do as they please. Though I'm shocked to hear that Paul H. Dunn was ever dishonest about anything.
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How similar is the typical cop movie to the average day in the life of a police officer? The last romantic film you saw, how close was that to your love life? I can enjoy a fantasy without expecting (or even wanting) real life to be the same.
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This is a very important point that somehow becomes moot to apologists and true believers. Inspiration is not revelation, and neither inspiration nor revelation is translation. Also, believing something is very different from "knowing" something.
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"there is no evidence that any church leader has claimed a separate new revelation, or even a spiritual confirmation, of changing the Word of Wisdom from "a principle with promise" to a commandment." Hmmmm
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If not 100% correct, I suspect you're pretty close. I just don't understand how something that is allegedly a direct revelation from Jesus could be changed without another direct message from him. Either Section 89 is a complete fraud (which of course, it is), or TSCC went directly against the explicit word of deity to fit in with other Christians.
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When, where, how and by whom did the WOW change from "not by commandment or constraint" to one of the most important rules of the church, a rule that requires strict obedience? Was there even a claim of revelation in this matter?
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I have two more questions: 1) How drunk would you have to be to have sex with your own daughters, and not even realize they were your daughters, and 2) How could you maintain an erection at that level of intoxication?
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You'd think that the "one true" church, led by a "living prophet" who received "continuing revelation" would be on the leading edge of accepting all races in full fellowship, rather than the trailing edge.
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In my TBM days, it always confused me that Satan would so willingly play an essential role in "the plan of salvation."
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If you try to "buy" blessings (or protection from punishment) by paying tithing, aren't you really being selfish?
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Sundays from September through February, I show my devotion to the NFL.
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Can I vote for you for president of the LDS church?
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If you were in charge of the LDS church, and you wanted it to continue with as many members as possible, would you: A) Try to become more mainstream, de-emphasize the BOM, gradually remove troublesome scripture (Section 132, BOA, etc.) become more lenient with things like WOW, tithing, chastity, make meetings shorter, overall be less demanding (similar to the COC). Or B) Double down on all cur
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I knew my mission letter was somehow mechanically signed. At the time, we had to forward a letter to our local draft board to be classified 4H (Minister of Religion). Both my mission letter and my draft board letter were “signed” by SWK. I held the letters up to the light, lined them up, and the signatures not only matched exactly, the pen even skipped in the exact same places. A person c
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I won't waste your time explaining the LDS "spirit of Elijah" because what you said about the importance of genealogy (or lack thereof) makes more sense.
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Somehow I just never caught the “spirit.” There were many things I did over many years, some because I wanted to, others because I felt a sense of duty, or obligation. So I paid tithing, attended Sunday meetings, attended the temple, did my callings in the ward, did my home teaching, but even at my most TBM, I just couldn’t get the least bit motivated about genealogy. On a couple of occas
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Ever get the feeling that this would work for Patriarchal Blessings? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dp2Zqk8vHw
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I was there just before the MTC opened. There were rumors of demons in the building that may have come from a missionary wearing a mask at night.
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My first exposure to the seer stone in the hat was the “All About Mormons” episode of South Park. It was first broadcast in 2003, but the first time I saw it was 2 or 3 years later. I remember thinking “Wow, these guys really did their homework. They’re right on the mark about almost everything. The only problem is the stone in the hat thing—that’s not how JS translated the BOM.”
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Before starting my mission (1976) I received a letter from my MP strongly encouraging me to buy and bring Mormon Doctrine. Not many years later, TSCC seemed to want to forget that book ever existed.
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Back in the 1970s, polygraph tests were routine for the job selection process, and just about any time an employer wanted to investigate an employee. I remember two examples from close friends: The first guy had been stealing and falsifying records to support his drug habit. I was unwittingly involved in one of his deception thefts. He was given a polygraph exam and passed it with flying color
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