2015 April Conference Thread

[Brian]

No. Again I am very new.

he was there on sunday.
watch for him next practice. maybe practice your karate beforehand.

[Bigfoot is Cain]

BLASPHEMY!

Rendiré
Mi corazón
En secreeeeee
ta oración
Ganaré
Por ese don
Con el cielo
Comunión.

Some hymns ascended in greatness when they were translated into Spanish, and that's just a fact. I always felt superior to non-Spanish speaking missionaries because we got to sing the best version of Called To Serve.

[Bigfoot is Cain]

I think that the No opposed people are morons, but probably not for the reasons that most here are stating.

I have no desire to get up on a Saturday, shave, shower, put on a suit, and drive to the Conference Center with 20,000 other people, and I am active. I get plenty of that Monday-Friday and Sunday already (except for the going to the Conference Center with 20,000 other people).

I can guarantee you that if I stopped going to church there is no way that I would ever, ever go to that effort.

[Sullyute]

You say this like you wouldn't be willing to go down to his level? I'd go anywhere my wife went because heaven wouldn't be heaven without her. I mean that.

Joseph Smith quotes:

1: (speaking about his wife Emma) "I would go to hell for such a woman."

2: (speaking about the saints) "And if we go to hell, we will turn the devils out of doors and make a heaven of it."

[Topper]

Ha. If I didn't know better, I would have suspected you of rock-climbing with me during General Conference. Oh wait! That totally happened.
I guess you have DVR.

I sound way more adamant than I intend. For me, this talk of personal journeys, the quests for truth, the yearning to share every minute detail of faith via facebook and podcast and etc. is way too self-centered. Everyone is selling something, whether it's a church selling salvation or a dissenter selling "a personal narrative of journey and hope." Barf.

Just keep your family happy (whether it means going to church, or avoiding all churches). Show up once in awhile to help someone move into the neighborhood. Buy the overpriced girl scout cookies & clean up after your dog. Who gives a rat's butt about "truth" and salvation in the eternities? All we have for sure is the here and now. Better make it count.

I like your style, always have.

[wuapinmon]

I want to know who "Skeletor" is.

copelius, do you know this cat?
[ATTACH]5723[/ATTACH]

That's Harathan, son of Aragorn.

[CardiacCoug]

Read a bunch of talks today since I didn't watch or listen to any of it.

Favorites so far are the Silver Fox's Priesthood talk and Dale Renlund's talk.

[pellegrino]

I won't be watching, but I would appreciate it if someone could count the number of Easter themed talks. TIA.

Anyone have an answer for this? To clarify, I'm talking about talks that had Easter as a central theme, not just referenced in passing.

[Pheidippides]

Anyone have an answer for this? To clarify, I'm talking about talks that had Easter as a central theme, not just referenced in passing.

Sunday AM session had one sorta almost kinda but not really by Holland. That's all I got but I only watched that and women's session.

[creekster]

2015 April Conference Thread

Anyone have an answer for this? To clarify, I'm talking about talks that had Easter as a central theme, not just referenced in passing.

I have no idea about the number but am curious what constitutes an Easter themed talk. Resurrection? Crucifixion? Both? The atonement ? Easter bunny? Eggs?

[smokymountainrain]

I have no idea about the number but am curious what constitutes an Easter themed talk. Resurrection? Crucifixion? Both? The atonement ? Easter bunny? Eggs?

I'd say it has to mention a rabbit at some point in the talk. If it's a rabbit that lays eggs, even better.

[UtahDan]

You do stuff all the time that you don't want to, because it makes your wife happy. You go to chick flicks, you eat indonesian cuisine, you take up ballroom dance, you visit Vancouver. For your kids, you ferry them to fencing class, you watch their boring soccer games. In none of those sacrifices do you agonize "Gee, I'm not really a chick flick fan, and I struggle with pretending to like indonesian food and soccer- I'm so unhappy and I'm such a hypocrite. Why do you need such high standards about religion? What's wrong with telling your wife, "I am struggling with some of these things, but dont worry- I will still come to church with you, and I will still stay active so I can bless our children, which I know is important to you." This is a man who really loves. The men who won't participate in church because they feel compelled to be true to themselves and their mighty struggle are just saying that their feelings of ambivalence are more important than the religious devotion of their wives and kids.

KL, I think you make some good points here, but just to push back a little--don't you think that religion falls in a wholly different category than restaurant or vacation destination choices? If your husband stops believing (assuming you're right about the celestial kingdom exclusion), he's not going to the celestial kingdom anyway, whether he goes through the motions or not? I guess it ultimately comes down to how much of a conscious choice belief is. UtahDan used to argue that it's not at all voluntary. Christ seems to say that there is some volition involved with his injunction to "Doubt not, but be believing". I'm not sure where I stand on the issue, and it probably depends on what level of belief we're discussing. Would be a good thread.

I don't know if there is any such thing as free will. I think there probably isn't, but I feel like there probably is. *shrug*

Since you lit the bat signal, I'll belatedly share my perspective. I don't think there is much conscious decision making going on, not from the reasoning part of the brain anyway. I think our beliefs about all sorts of things change over a lifetime. It's human and probably can't be resisted. On the other hand, the believing person is having an equally valid, equally irresistible reaction. I feel bad for both of them. What is happening there can't be helped. Since I don't believe people can choose how they feel and think, I can't condemn/blame either and think doing so misunderstands what they are experiencing. There isn't an argument that will make either party say "wow I'd never thought of that, I think I will feel differently now."

No one is right or wrong here. There is no "should" I could sensible direct at anyone. Losing equilibrium anywhere in your life for whatever reason is basically awful but you know, not many of us stay in that place forever. Life goes on, things get better, pain receded and fades. For both partners, whether they stay together or not.

[Topper]

I don't know if there is any such thing as free will. I think there probably isn't, but I feel like there probably is. *shrug*

Since you lit the bat signal, I'll belatedly share my perspective. I don't think there is much conscious decision making going on, not from the reasoning part of the brain anyway. I think our beliefs about all sorts of things change over a lifetime. It's human and probably can't be resisted. On the other hand, the believing person is having an equally valid, equally irresistible reaction. I feel bad for both of them. What is happening there can't be helped. Since I don't believe people can choose how they feel and think, I can't condemn/blame either and think doing so misunderstands what they are experiencing. There isn't an argument that will make either party say "wow I'd never thought of that, I think I will feel differently now."

No one is right or wrong here. There is no "should" I could sensible direct at anyone. Losing equilibrium anywhere in your life for whatever reason is basically awful but you know, not many of us stay in that place forever. Life goes on, things get better, pain receded and fades. For both partners, whether they stay together or not.

Hmmm.

It also falls into a completely different level of "doing something you don't like for somebody you love".

Being LDS is a lot like being Seventh Day Adventist or Jehovah Witness, it's not a twice a year thing. If you don't believe a word of it, then sitting through religious service is tedious.

By analogy for the sake of extended family I have attended services of varying religions. Once, the novelty of analyzing the origins of the rites wears off, watching something which I disbelieve grows old real fast. At that point resorting to games on one's iPad can entertain only for so long.

It is a tremendous request to ask somebody to be active in the LDS Church if one disbelieves. Most if not all Church services are quite unentertaining except to the believer. If great music is presented or an unusually talented speaker attends, you might wake up.

Believers sometimes don't step outside themselves to see how it might be for non-believers. Almost all content of any religious service is about how God dictates something and how man conforms to God's will. The best part of religious community, charitable service, is often the least talked about during service. Religious services are mostly about indoctrination or inculcation.

I don't know, for a believing spouse to request a non-believer to participate, is a huge request. He or she better put out in all other categories.

[scottie]

I don't know if there is any such thing as free will. I think there probably isn't, but I feel like there probably is. *shrug*

Since you lit the bat signal, I'll belatedly share my perspective. I don't think there is much conscious decision making going on, not from the reasoning part of the brain anyway. I think our beliefs about all sorts of things change over a lifetime. It's human and probably can't be resisted. On the other hand, the believing person is having an equally valid, equally irresistible reaction. I feel bad for both of them. What is happening there can't be helped. Since I don't believe people can choose how they feel and think, I can't condemn/blame either and think doing so misunderstands what they are experiencing. There isn't an argument that will make either party say "wow I'd never thought of that, I think I will feel differently now."

No one is right or wrong here. There is no "should" I could sensible direct at anyone. Losing equilibrium anywhere in your life for whatever reason is basically awful but you know, not many of us stay in that place forever. Life goes on, things get better, pain receded and fades. For both partners, whether they stay together or not.

Welcome back, UD.

[pellegrino]

I have no idea about the number but am curious what constitutes an Easter themed talk. Resurrection? Crucifixion? Both? The atonement ? Easter bunny? Eggs?

Seriously, what kind of question is that?