Taldarin

Has there ever been a statement by a general authority on this ever in the history of the church? Or we're left to our own personal interpretations?

Is it doctrinally sound or condemned to pay more than 10% tithing? Let us assume that someone has so much faith in the law of tithing that they expect even more blessings from paying, for example, 15%. I thought I've read that you're not supposed to, but now I can't locate a source to that thought.

I love video games, and have always been somewhat talented at playing them. In some games, I would go to regional tournaments and win, and at one point I got 2nd place in the world at a tournament Nintendo hosted. I used to play a lot(practice makes perfect) but I would always use the same screen name: Mormon. I became famous among some gamers and everyone knew me only by that name. Inevitably, their curiosity led to many gospel conversations. People never stopped asking "so are you really mormon?" "but what does that mean, or what?" And it was my pleasure to explain, and guide them to mormon.org... I believe God gives everyone talents and that perhaps the quick thinking and quick fingers abilities needed to play video games can actually help the gospel cause. It may sound crazy, but I sincerely believe it. However, there are obviously some games that are not appropriate... I do not play gears of war or any of those overly gory games. I stay away from that content as I would if it were a movie... But these talents, used correctly, I believe can be made to do good things. For example... How do you get to an inactive teenager's heart? There are very few effective ways, but if you send another teenager over to his house and they start playing games together... They bond a little and now the inactive has more friends in the church and more reason to go to church. But that's just my $0.02

Maybe if we were talking about "color" vs "colour" I could understand your point, but if we're still talking about general spelling and grammar on the internet, you still look stupid if you can't spell or put together a cohesive sentence that is easy on the eyes.

That is sooooo true haha. Especially on 4chan... My pet peeve would be... Moochers!! People that invite themselves to do something with other people's things or time haha.

It was a joke, which was lamentably missed, apparently. I was just trying to make the point that we can't really make ads like that anymore. It's far too easy to take the wrong way. And that's weird how what it says in spanish is actually pretty different from the english version 0.o

That seems to be encouraging women to be lesbian. Seriously. Title - "Eternity is a lot of time" Below - "Live it with a friend" Below that - "Remember that the gospel is for everyone." With two girls alone in a field? Yeah, you can't make ads like that anymore.

"Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine." So this would, obviously, apply also to Paul? Are some things that he wrote be simply opinions declared as scripture, and not the actual doctrine of Christ?

Could Preach My Gospel be considered scripture? I've had this question for a while now haha. In the MTC, they taught us that it was. But I still wasn't sure. It was written by the apostles, and everything the apostles wrote in olden times would eventually be counted as canonical scripture... Obviously, Paul is a major example of this. But at the same time... Isn't it consistently under revision? How many times did Paul revise his letters before he sent them? Hmm...

I grew up in metro detroit where we had to drive about an hour to church, so I was obviously the only mormon I knew for basically my entire life(in terms of school/jobs). Elementary school, middle school, high school, I was often the only mormon or one of two or three mormons. I told everyone I was mormon. It was a pretty religious area, so there was obviously a lot of anti-mormon sentiments. But everyone knew me as "the mormon kid" and many people didn't even know my name, because my nickname was simply "mormon". Like "hey mormon are you going to practice after school?". They just knew me like that. And I think it was a good thing. Everyone knew I didn't swear, didn't look at porn, didn't do anything everyone else did. It got to the point where people would offer me money to say a single curse word(which i never submitted to... my integrity is worth a little more than that), and kids that were grounded were not allowed to leave the house EXCEPT if they were going to hang out with "that mormon kid" because they knew their kid wouldn't do anything bad or get himself into trouble. Thankfully, for being on the basketball and soccer teams, I had that whole jock status, so I wasn't thought of as a loser. Yes, they made fun of me all the time. But it didn't matter. Now, none of my friends that I had brought to church converted. However, because I was so openly mormon, at least almost everyone in my high school actually knows what it means to be mormon, knows the answers to the typical questions, and will probably think about it later in life when they've got kids to raise and they don't want them getting into things they shouldn't. I've never been in the situation where it could cost me job opportunities, so I don't know how openly mormon I'd be, but I figure if I at least let it be known who I am so I can be that light of the world, the Lord well bless me for it...

Sometimes it's not the fact that they've been forgiven, it's what the situation showed about that person. If your husband isn't loyal, yeah, he can go through the forgiveness process for his sin, but he just showed you that you aren't at high-level priority if he's getting with other women. Hence why they say we need to make righteous judgements... He may be forgiven, but he still probably isn't the kind of guy you want to be with. You still have to make that judgement. That's how I see it, anyway. But it seems like skadooshness already made the decison a long time ago, so there's no use of crying over spilled milk. Sometimes we just have to make the best of what we have and what we have chosen. You can still make your marriage a happy one--it just requires a lot of work. Like... A ton. But it's possible, and worth it. I'm not saying you're doing this, but whining about it or wallowing in self pity just brings us down. And keeps us down. Try to avoid it. You don't have to be unhappy, but it's your choice. How you do all of it, how you take all of it, it's all your choice. Be positive, and try to make your marriage awesome. Don't give up.

...I definitely never thought about it from that perspective.

No objections here. =)

Vort used a talk by the Apostle Elder Nelson but I guess you would discount it as non-doctrinal, because it doesn't support your theory. ...it goes both ways. "Divine love is also conditional. While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional." ("Divine Love," Ensign, Feb. 2003, page 20) By the way, did you cite the lesson manual? I'd like to read it(page numbers and everything please) I think of unconditional love as a love that isn't barred by anything, nothing can get in its' way. It never stops and never ends, and nothing can overcome it. It is my personal belief that if God loves us like that, he'd still find a way to not damn us to endless suffering for making some horrible decisions in a very short period of time. But, because there are conditions, or, as I refer to them, His laws... he can't do it. Did anyone say that God only loves them in the celestial kingdom? Does God damn everyone outside of the celestial glory to endless torment and suffering? Now it just seems like we're getting a little on the pretentious or presumptive side... I simply don't believe that the act of damning someone to suffer eternally, without end and without exit or relief, is an act of love, or is due to an overwhelming love for someone. I'm just stating my own personal beliefs, and I'm kind of getting sick of spending so much time on a subject that doesn't really matter, so I feel like I should just quote Elder Nelson one more time, and then tell you to go argue with him. The quote is as direct as it gets... ""Divine love is also conditional. While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional." ("Divine Love," Ensign, Feb. 2003, page 20)" I'll take a break from this thread now before we start getting contentious...

What you are proposing is that a loving parent (to be loving) will hunt down their child who they knows hates them and has extreme emotional upset and pain at their presence, tracking them across a couple continents, kicking down the door and watching them rage and suffer, "I know my very presences causes you pain and suffering, but because I love you I'm gonna force you to be with me anyway." I truly believe that our disposition in the life to come is the best we are capable of handling, I do not think Cain is (currently) able to bear a Celestial Glory and God sent him to outer darkness because he hates them, that there is no love, no pain in God's heart for Cain.. I think on some level Sons of Perdition (or anyone really) are going to be more content where they are then they would be if forced to live with God. God isn't that selfish. P.S. You are welcome to hold a different view on things, but I've got the nagging suspicion that the second half of my post is the source of the discrepancy between us. Thank you for quoting that scripture. That was what I was talking about. They make their decisions consciously, and then the day comes when they fully realize the consequences of their actions. It says they become consumed with guilt and anguish. In a sense, they feel horrible for what they've done. They realize they haven't exactly been wise in their decisions. In that moment, when divine justice calls, they apparently don't want it. If they wanted it, they wouldn't be feeling guilt, anguish, and pain. They'd be receiving something they wanted. But, because they feel remorse, they feel horrible. Now, if you were the parents of the self-destructive child that wanted nothing to do with you but had recently hit rock bottom and suddenly felt remorse/guilt/pain/anguish, you'd help them, obviously, if you loved them. Their soul had been awakened. They wouldn't reject the people that could save them from the consequences they just fully realized they don't actually want. But because there are conditions, otherwise known as His laws, he can't help you. No. Those notions are completely ridiculous. We all know that we suffer here in order to learn and grow, and to gain our reward in heaven. We die, and our spirit continues on, perfectly fine(though in a state of happiness or not). Eternal torment, however, is completely different. You can't gain anything from it, there is no coming back, and God is damning you to suffer for eternity. I'm sure plenty of people do, but I do not. If you assume I've said that, you've misunderstood what I've been trying to say.