I’ve read, in several locations now, about a possible move by the church to have missionaries live with members. Volunteers would be asked to house a pair of mishies who would still cook and provide for themselves, but who would be living under the volunteer’s roof.
Has anyone else heard anything about this?
It seems to me, it would be a serious hassle for the hosts and would be a real downer for the missionaries.
Popularity: 3% [?]
If anyone would be able to claim that they are going to die when it is God’s will, and further would be guaranteed a quick trip to the Celestial Kingdom, it would be the current prophet.
Did Jesus have bodyguards?
Similairly, the apostles all have security details when they travel as well and I wonder why.
Popularity: 3% [?]
I’m at the halfpipe last night talking to some member teens and they brought up some very good points in regard to plastic surgery, vanity, tanning and earrings.
To be modest and not draw attention to one’s body is considered a good thing by church leaders, hence the dressing modestly, no tattoos and approach to multiple piercings, etc. But it appears that the church leaders have no problem at all with breast implants, coloured contacts and tanning.
So by God’s decree we should not be wearing more than one earring per ear, but placing bags of saline in one’s chest is A-okay.
Dressing modestly implies what we put ON our bodies, so is it okay to put things INSIDE our bodies? If that’s the distinction, then why no tattoos? If no tattoos, then why is tanning alright? …. on and on it went like this.
What’s your take on these, I would say legitimate, adolescent issues?
Popularity: 9% [?]
We don’t have cable TV, so I was just wondering if anyone caught the first instalment of the documentary last night.
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So, I swear I don’t go looking for these things, but somehow they keep jumping out at me.
I’m reading through some of the General Conference transcripts.
During the Sunday Morning Session of General Conference, Mr. Hinckley gave a speech entitled ?˘‚Ǩ?ěThe Things of Which I Know.
He states at one point:
>How deeply grateful I am that we of this Church do not rely on any man-made statement concerning the nature of Deity. Our knowledge comes directly from the personal experience of Joseph Smith . . .”
This leads me to believe that Joseph was not a man according to Mr. Hinckley.
Or, and I believe this is closer to the truth, Mr. Hinckley sees Mr. Smith as not actually have been talking but was in some way merely a conduit of direct communication from Heavenly Father.
Anyone care to discuss why this makes no sense?
Enlighten me. Please.
Popularity: 1% [?]
I was looking for info on what Mr. Hinckley had said about his health at conference and I found this article with the following quote:
Husbands, love and treasure your wives. They are your most precious possessions.
I’m sure that will go over like a lead balloon over at FMH .
How do the ladies that post here feel about a statement like that?
Was he mis-quoted?
Popularity: 2% [?]
More numbers from conference:
Do you think a person could get more or less baptisms handing out $900 in a third-world country if you joined their church?
Missions must be more about the missionary, because it’s an awfully expensive way to get converts.
Popularity: 1% [?]
It’s always interesting when the church releases its statistics for the year.
I noticed something that’s either miraculous or … or … I don’t really know what it would be.
In 2005 the church had 12,560,869 members and in 2006 it increased to 12,868,606 – an increase in membership of 307,737.
In the 2006 stats we’re told that newborn member kids totaled 94,006 and converts accounted for 272,845 of the increased membership – kids+converts=366,851 in total.
Well if you take the total membership increase and subtract the kids and converts, you’re left with the number -59,114.
I’m going to assume this negative number is deaths, excommunications and resignations.
But even assuming a zero number of excommunications and resignations (which is not likely, but I’ll gloss over that fact for this example), that means that the LDS have a death rate of 4.59 per 1000 people.
To illustrate how miraculous this number is, the National death rate in the US in 2004 was 8(ish) per 1000, and in Canada it was 7.7(ish) per 1000.
Are Canadians really dying in numbers 1.7 times that of the LDS?
… or is there something screwy with these numbers?
Popularity: 2% [?]
Okay, why is it that all official LDS (and other denominational) prayers continue to use words like ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ when they could be using contemporary English?
Not to mention the fact that this 17th century language is generally used incorrectly. I believe the intent is wrong as well, since ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ are actually less formal.
Paul said something about this in 1 Corinthians 14:19:
yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Popularity: 4% [?]
This relates to the discussion over on this thread.
A problem that I’ve observed, when speaking with the LDS, is that deep doctrine is never discussed in the arenas where is should be discussed.
Most times it is spoken of in the living room, Internet, dorm room or around the kitchen table, and not the GD class or in the temple.
Am I out to lunch here?
When do you find yourself discussing doctrine?
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