What is a "spiritual witness?"

[_BishopRic]

Why do you posit questions about religion when you are a spiritual slug?

Frankly, I consider myself quite spiritual. WE may define it differently:

The following appeared in the Opinions Section of the Herald Journal, Logan Utah

"To the editor:

- Religion is for the masses. Spirituality is individual.
- Religion is in the mind. Spirituality lives in the heart.
- Religion demands ritual worship. Spiritual knows only the joyful, ritual worship of life.
- Religion teaches of a God of Jealousy, a God to be feared, a God of Vengeance. Spirituality knows only the God of Unconditional Love.

- Religion demands fear. Spirituality knows no fear.
- Religion seeks to command. Spirituality knows no commandments, but these of Love.
- Religion punishes. Spirituality heals.
- Religion claims to speak for God. Spirituality speaks to God.
- Religion demands judgment. Spirituality knows nothing to judge.
- Religion is taught. Spirituality is experienced.
- Religion controls with guilt. Spirituality allows with Love.
- Religion seeks and questions. Spirituality knows and answers."

[_Nightlion]

Are you trying to say that you gave her a priesthood healing blessing? Did your God command her to be healed through you or did you just ask? What was the connection? The connection is what I'm refering to, not a lucky wish or a man begging for his wife's life.

Even a broken clock is right twice in a day.

How many different ways did Christ heal people? In fact there is not one instance where he gathered the brethren to lay hands upon someone's head and, calling them by name, proceeded to give them a "priesthood blessing".

That is all LDS know anything about. They get the percentages it affords. Sometimes the Lord gives a gift of healing for a specific pupose. Gifts do not necessarily remain constant. You can be given a gift and it departs after the work is done.

The faith of our age should equal what we have disovered about life. It is just as easy to bless from afar and command from afar as it is to use a cell phone. O ye of lttle faith.

The Lord put power upon me by his own word when I was sent to the Eastern Lands of the United States and accomplished his purposes in 1979. Right after that I received an Apostolic Witness by the power of the Holy Ghost. I am not dependant upon LDS formalilities being an Apostle at large in the earth.

[_Inconceivable]

Are you trying to say that you gave her a priesthood healing blessing? Did your God command her to be healed through you or did you just ask? What was the connection? The connection is what I'm refering to, not a lucky wish or a man begging for his wife's life.

Even a broken clock is right twice in a day.

..I am not dependant upon LDS formalilities being an Apostle at large in the earth..

Three paragraphs and no response.


Just say you know it's true..

[_Brackite]

On my mission my faith was really shaken. I went up against a minister who shredded me in a Bible bash session and made me question my testimony.

Going back to my apartment afterwards I studied up on the scriptures in question, but wasn't really gettign anywhere. My companion went to bed, seemingly unaffected, he hadn't wanted to go to the appointment anyway and things had turned out pretty much as he had expected.

I was confused and upset, and really wanted some confirmation as to what I was doing so far from home, and if I should be there at all. I decide to do what we told our investigators to do and ask God. I knelt down and offered up a sincere prayer, explainign what had happened and how I felt. I finished the prayer with the simple question of "Is the Church true, am I doing what you want me to do?"

Hi Gazelam,

When I was on my Mission, I ended up in being in many Bible Bashes.

I remember on one of My first Bible bashes, An Evangelical Born Christian invited us into his house. He first started reading to us notes he got from his Church. Then he pulled out his 'The Kingdom of The Cults', Book, written by the late Walter Martin, and he started reading to us from this Book. He gave me a sweet treat to snack on. That was a pretty fun and a pretty good time in his House.

Another time I got into a Bible bash, was when me and my Companion at the time were Tracting outside our Ward Boundaries, but we didn't know it at the time. Then we ran into An Evangelical Born Christian, who was a big time listening to the Bible Answer Show with Hank Hanegraaff. He invited us into his house. First we started debating whether or not Jesus was the Spirit Brother of Lucifer. Then we started debating about Grace Faith and Works. He Pulled out Ephesians Chapter Two on us. I then Pulled out James Chapter Two on him. He gave me a glass of Water to drink. At the end of the debate, we got on the subject of the Catholic Church. I said to him something pretty negative about the Catholic Church. However, it wasn't really him who got angry with me for saying something pretty negative about the Catholic Church, it was my Companion at the time. We then left his house right after this, and my Companion at that time was being Not so nice to me. He was telling me how we wasted a couple of hours inside his house, and he told me he wasn't happy about the negative comment I made about the Catholic Church.

Then later on that day, we found out we were Tracting outside our area when we ran into him.

[_The Nehor]

You are a dangerous human being

Are you saying that is a bad thing?

I guess your powers of Post-observation observation are severely limited by your modified intuition. In essence, your desire for an outcome has overpowered your senses and subsequently your observation of the situation.

Makes about as much sense as me saying that you left the Church because you have mommy and daddy issues and wanted to sin.

Why is death always not a call for concern with Mormons and other religious fundamentalists? Its as if the lessons learned from the death of others is co-opted in favor of lies, bigotry and avarice.

Because there are worse things then death. Spending an eternity in hell with you for example.

[_JAK]

Nehor stated:
Because there are worse things then death. Spending an eternity in hell with you for example.

There is absolutely no evidence to support the assertion of “hell.” It’s religious mythology which has evolved over time and which is used as a marketing tool by various religious groups. Today, it's used as a scare tactic by some religious groups.

JAK

[_The Nehor]

Nehor stated:
Because there are worse things then death. Spending an eternity in hell with you for example.

There is absolutely no evidence to support the assertion of “hell.” It’s religious mythology which has evolved over time and which is used as a marketing tool by various religious groups. Today, it's used as a scare tactic by some religious groups.

JAK

It's not a scare tactic. Heaven and hell only have meaning when you know God. Heaven is eternity united with him and hell is an eternity separated from him. If you try to use heaven as a bribe or hell as a punishment with someone who doesn't love and want God the concepts get distorted (why we have so many who view heaven as a place of harps and wings and hell as a place with people roasting on grids and being poked by red imp-men).

I don't assert hell. I've experienced a little bit of it and don't want to be there forever. Someone like Merc might enjoy it. The idea of becoming something like that........(shudders).

[_Gazelam]

Inc,

Don't you think you deserve something here?

I thought so. I honestly felt entitled.

But after about 3 days of fasting (while working full time outdoors in Phoenix in the middle of august), the windows of heaven had already slammed shut.

Deserve something? I don't really have any questions to be honest with you.

I know that the Book of Abraham is of God. I know that Polygamy is a divine practice, and I know that the Book of Mormon is also of God. All of these things line up with a testimony of Christ like cogs in a watch. They support, enhance and enlighten my knowledge of the Father and his Plan of Happiness that he has for us.

You had your witness. Like the song says:

How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

How can you read the Book of Abraham and no tbe inspired by its truths? Not have your knowledge of the gospel enhanced by its truths? The same with the Book of Mormon?

We don't know all there is to know about how we aquired the Book of Abraham, but we know enough to know it came by way of inspiration not unlike how we aquired the Book of Moses and the Book of Mormon.

Polygamy is a well established form of marriage, practiced by prophets in the past.

In the nicest way possible I would remind you that your lack of understanding does not make God a liar. Rest your faith on the witness you previously received, and view the gospel through that window, and let the mysteries alone. The Holy Ghost will return these questions to your mind when the answers come to you in your future studies.

[_Gazelam]

Brak,

Thanks for sharing your memories of your mission. I had alot of fun on mine once I caught hold of the spirit. ( I had a rough first three months). Bashing was never a good practice. But I do have to be thankful for that occasion since it led to my great witness.

Gaz

[_Inconceivable]

Inc,

In the nicest way possible I would remind you that your lack of understanding does not make God a liar.

I understand your comment perectly, Gaz, and you're not even a God.

Who is it that has a better command of the English language - you or God?