Comments for By Study and Faith

Comment on About Me by Church Organization in The Book of Mormon - By Study and Faith

Church Organization in The Book of Mormon - By Study and Faith — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:15:12 +0000

[...] it is not possible to baptize oneself; UPDATE: a statement by Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith was brought to my attention; Pres. Smith stated that the self-baptism was merely symbolic [...]

Comment on About Me by Jared

Jared — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:03:28 +0000

Thanks for sharing that quote; I was not aware of it.

Comment on About Me by Nicole

Nicole — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:57:44 +0000

Thanks, Jared! You are awesome. Great website. Thank you for all that you are doing. Please consider the following prophetic interpretation in your discussion of Alma and Helam:

Mosiah 18:14–15 —Can a Person Baptize Himself?

When Alma baptized Helam at the waters of Mormon, he put Helam under the water and he went under the water with him. With the next baptism, Alma only immersed that person and did not go under the water himself. President Joseph Fielding Smith explained: “When Alma baptized himself with Helam that was not a case of Alma baptizing himself, but merely as a token [sign] to the Lord of his humility and full repentance” ( Answers to Gospel Questions, 3:203).
Taken from: http://seminary.lds.org/manuals/book-of-mormon-seminary-student-study-guide/bm-ssg-05-mos-8-12.asp

Comment on Following the Prophet: Same-sex Marriage by Jared

Jared — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:15:12 +0000

Thanks for sharing that article. It’s a great talk Pres. Benson gave; it’s one of my favorites of his.

Comment on Following the Prophet: Same-sex Marriage by Robyn

Robyn — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:17:09 +0000

This is a really good article about following the Prophet by Ezra Taft Benson http://www.lds.org/liahona/1981/06/fourteen-fundamentals-in-following-the-prophet?lang=eng&

Comment on Following the Prophet: Same-sex Marriage by Terrie Bittner

Terrie Bittner — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:00:34 +0000

There are a few points many people miss when they pick and choose which commandments to follow and when they make decisions on this subject. First, if you only follow the prophet when he agrees with you anyway, you are not following the prophet. A prophet is unnecessary if we think he’s no more right than anyone else. Deciding he’s wrong doesn’t make him wrong–Noah’s people didn’t believe him but they died anyway. If you decide someone else (in this case the US president) is better qualified to decide eternal truths than the prophet, that person becomes your prophet. If you decide you are the best judge of truth, you become your own prophet.

Since homosexuality did not exist in the pre-mortal life and won’t exist after death, it is the ultimate cruelty to allow those families to form–and to add children–when there is no hope at all of eternalness for the family. It might seem “cool” to support it, but cruelty is never cool.

Comment on Following the Prophet: Same-sex Marriage by Rozann

Rozann — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:23:46 +0000

You are exactly right, as in correct, and on the right side. Allowing and promoting same-sex marriage legitimizes sinful behavior and encourages youths to explore, then become entrapped in sin. Why would we as a society want to do that? I can accept that some persons are born with the handicap of same-sex attraction; but that does not mean that they have to act on that attraction, anymore than a heterosexual needs to act upon his/her attraction. Everyone is under the same law of chastity and will be blessed for obeying it. Whenever I have a question I turn to the scriptures and the living prophets to find the answer. A person can’t go wrong by following the living prophet. As our family reads the Book of Mormon we are astonished to see the parallels in living color all around us. It is truly the handbook for our day.

Comment on The Savior Lives! by Mary

Mary — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:44:55 +0000

This is a great post! I grew up in a Lutheran church and was very acitve in it even through the first years of collage. Midway through collage I moved and found myself attending a Baptist church with a friend. At first, I was a little overwhelmed by the differences, but eventually I found myself learning, growing and expanding my faith to a new level one I now beleive I would not have attained had I not looked at faith from a different perspective. I find that I believe more in faith in God rather than religion. Each Christian religion whether it’s Lutheran, Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, etc. has the same basic principle the belief in God and Jesus, the belief in God’s grace, the encouragement to follow God’s Word and to be of service for others. This is the meat and potatoes of Christianity. But each is surrounded with the fluff of its specific religion and dogma. I think and beleive that the fluff is not what really matters is it really important that I say so many Hail Marys, or that I have to go through confirmation, or that I can only wear certain clothes to church, or that I have to do so many of the things that religion requires of you? Getting back to the basics, the meat and potatoes if you will the belief and faith in the Triune God, the belief in that only by God’s grace we are saved from Hell, the pursuit of making yourself a better person and Christian by studying God’s Word, giving of yourself to serve others, and trusting God to be your primary caregiver in all matters these are the things that are the most important and should be where we put our time and energy. This, I believe, is where happiness and peace within come from not a specific religion. I am by no means trying to demean or be a critic of any religion. Quite honestly, I am happy that people are indeed involved. I just hate that people are so wrapped up in the fluff of religion that they are not only missing the bigger picture, but are actually causing others to have the bad experiences (like some of the stories above) that turn them from God..-= Courtney s last blog .. =-.

Comment on Joseph Smith’s Accounts of the First Vision by Susanna

Susanna — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:32:25 +0000

Hello! I love your blog!

I’m 16-year old mormon girl from Finland. I’d love you to check my blog and leave your comment, because YOU’re a good blogger! (:
http://susanna-behindmyeyes.blogspot.com

Comment on Arise From the Dust And Be Men, Part 1 by Bruce

Bruce — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:02:00 +0000

From a Conversation with Buddha from a crowd of people
Are you a God?
No, Buddha replied
Are you an angel?
No, Buddha replied
What are you then?
I am awake, Buddha replied
Interesting?