At some point in many discussions like this, it is of value for those of us who have stood on the sidelines to speak up for what we believe.
I believe in God. I believe Jesus Christ is the savior of the world, and that he loves us all. I believe that he gives us each the choice to believe or not believe in Him. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, that he restored the Lord's church to the earth at His request, and that Joseph Smith translated The Book of Mormon by the power of God. I believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the one and only true church on the earth today. I know that Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet of God, and that when he speaks, he speaks with the authority of the Lord. I believe and know these things through many personal experiences and through much study and prayer. It seems to me, as a lurker, that some participating in this topic are mostly interested in discussing those little, interesting issues of the gospel that may not directly affect our lives at this time. Others appear to be "stirring the pot" to challenge beliefs that may have never been questioned. And some may be raising issues that honestly trouble them, where the answers would affect how they live their daily lives. Problems arise when people from one category don't realize that there are people from the other categories involved. And people may be involved who are not posting to the list, making it even more difficult. My guess is that there are people who have been affected by this topic who have never posted. Until now, that would be me. Keep such people in mind. Sure it is intellectually stimulating to discuss what color the grass is in the Celestial Kingdom, but if you never mention that you believe the Celestial Kingdom is real and why you believe that, then others cannot relate to the discussion with an understanding of your foundation. For those who wish to continue to discuss such interesting theological issues, I believe it would help if you could give us a taste of what you believe, whatever beliefs you may have. How I may choose to contribute to a discussion, whether it is about religion or computers, depends significantly on the background of the people involved. Not that the truth of what I believe changes, but how I present it may vary. So that you may all know my background, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I read The Book of Mormon before I was baptized, because I wanted to be sure I was choosing to be baptized for the right reasons. I prayed with all the sincerety I had to know if it was true. I did not receive an earth shattering answer, but it was an answer that satisfied my soul. There have been other times when I have prayed about a specific issue, and the answer did not come for many years. I also believe that what Moroni said in the 10th chapter of his book, verses 3-5, is true, that we may all receive answers by the power of the Holy Ghost. Lest I offend anyone unnecessarily, let me also mention that I believe the sun will rise tomorrow, and the day after that. I may prove to be wrong on both counts, but I have enough personal evidence to doubt it at this point. :) I hope that what I have said here strengthens testimonies, rather than questioning them. Thank you for listening to (reading) what I have to say. Elizabeth -- Elizabeth Sorenson [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________ BYU Unix Users Group http://uug.byu.edu/ ___________________________________________________________________ List Info: http://uug.byu.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/uug-list
