LDS Moms ~ It's that time of year again!

[MamaSheep]

Proper authority is important in the LDS church. As an analogy, an ice cream truck and a police car both have flashing lights and make loud noises--they have some similar external characteristics. However, a traffic ticket issued by a police officer is legally binding because the police officer has been given authority to act on behalf of the state, whereas a traffic ticket issued by an ice cream vendor has no value and is not binding on the person it's issued to because the ice cream vendor is not a duly authorized officer of the state. He may even have a state-issued business license or vendor's permit, and he may even have received an award for being the top ice cream salesperson in his company, but that still doesn't make his traffic tickets binding.

 

Similarly, only baptisms performed by people with genuine authority from God are valid baptisms. Having a degree from a university, or a license from the state is not sufficient. And being given authority by a group of men who have good intentions, but who do not themselves have legitimate authority from God to act on His behalf is also not the same thing, even if there's a solemn ordination ceremony. That would be like a group of ice cream vendors getting together and discussing the speeding problem in their neighborhood and selecting one of their number to go give out speeding tickets. The authority comes from the wrong source, and is not legally binding.

 

Does that help at all, or just muddy the waters more?

[garddwr]

Okay, soo...because I wasn't baptized by an LDS authority, my baptism is considered null and void, even if it was done by an ordained pastor?

 

There's a lot to take in, isn't there? I think the key to understanding the need for a second baptism is understanding our view of the restoration. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints declares itself to be the same church as that established by the Savior and his Apostles during and immediately following his mortal ministry. At that time, the Lord himself ordained men to administer the church and the ordinances and sacraments pertaining to it. When Peter or John or one of the others baptized, they did so with authority directly from Jesus Christ--they could act in his name because he had authorized them to do so. We call this authority the priesthood, and believe it is required to perform any ordinance in the Lord's name.

We believe, however, that in the years and centuries following the time of Christ apostasy in the original church eventually led to a loss of priesthood authority--the outward performances of such things as baptism continued, but the power and authority of God were no longer available to validate them. A modest comparison might be a person who signs a legal document in behalf of someone else--unless that person has legal power of attorney to do so, the document is not binding and the signature counts as no more than a forgery. Anyone can say the words "I baptize you in the name of the Father (etc.)" but without the proper authority from God, the ordinance is not truly effective.

 

As you consider the teachings and doctrines of the LDS church, this will be a key point that you will need to ponder and pray over. In the end, conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints hinges not on deciding that its doctrines make the most sense or that the members are nice or that the programs fit your family--it hinges on gaining a personal testimony, through the witness of the Holy Ghost to your own heart, that this is in the restored church of Christ on the earth; that God has once again called Prophets and Apostles who hear His voice and administer the church directly through His authority. Joseph Smith was not a great religious scholar or thinker or minister--he was a prophet called of God. Just as God called and spoke to Abraham and Moses and Samuel, just as Jesus appeared to Saul of Tarsus and commissioned him to bear the gospel to the gentiles--so he appeared to a 14 year old boy in 19th century New York, a boy who was praying earnestly to know which of the churches he was familiar with was God's true church. God himself appeared with his son Jesus Christ, they spoke to Joseph just as God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, just as Jesus spoke to Saul on the road to Damascus. The Lord had always known that the early church would fall into apostasy, and he had prepared the way for a restoration, a restoration that would once again bring the true priesthood authority to the earth, a restoration that would recall forgotten doctrine such as the baptism for the dead that was only fleetingly referenced and never understood in the New Testament, a restoration that would bring to light buried scripture, the record of God's dealings with a branch of the House of Israel in a part of the world far from Jerusalem.

 

Have you read the Book of Mormon? A world of doubters will tell you that it is nothing more than a made-up fantasy...but when I read it I hear the voice of God speaking through words on a page, just as I hear His voice through the Bible. There is a power of inspiration in scripture that no man could falsify, and I find that power in the Book of Mormon. That witness can only come by reading the book for yourself.

 

God is our father, the father of all men and women, in the East and in the West, in our time as well as in the past. He loves us. He is not hiding from us. His work is going forward--it is the work of salvation of souls, and He is directing it, through Prophets and Apostles and Elders and Teachers who hear his voice and act with his authority. God witnesses of his own work through the Holy Ghost that touches our hearts and teaches and witnesses to us when we seek confirmation of the truth. That confirmation is the true answer to questions of doctrine and authority.

[LittleIzumi]

:iagree: x 10,000

 

These are huge changes and ideas at first. I'm sure it's really overwhelming! Feel free to mentally step back, read the scriptures (including the Book of Mormon), and do a lot of pondering and praying, and then some more praying.

 

From the end of Book of Mormon, in Moroni: "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

[welovetoread]

I'm getting there!! HAHAHA~~

 

Okay, here is another one....Is BYU a mormon college? I didn't know that.

 

The meeting house that is near us is under a renovaton because they have outgrown the spot. They are meeting in a 2 hour block instead until Jan. when they can go back "home". They are meeting an hour from my house.

 

Missionary-I did have some fo those show up at my house. When I wanted a book of Mormon, forgetting they don't mail it lol

[Xuzi]

You can go here to request a visit from missionaries. They'll bring you a free copy of the Book of Mormon. ;)

 

Or, if you don't want to wait to have a hardcopy of the Book of Mormon, you can start reading it here on lds.org.

 

And I would start with the Title Page, Introduction (which includes the Testimonies of the Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. Men who personally saw the Gold Plates from which they were translated), and the Brief Explanation of the Book of Mormon (self explanatory ;) ) then start tackling the actual book itself in 1st Nephi.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Xuzi

[LittleIzumi]

I'm getting there!! HAHAHA~~

 

Okay, here is another one....Is BYU a mormon college? I didn't know that.

 

The meeting house that is near us is under a renovaton because they have outgrown the spot. They are meeting in a 2 hour block instead until Jan. when they can go back "home". They are meeting an hour from my house.

 

Missionary-I did have some fo those show up at my house. When I wanted a book of Mormon, forgetting they don't mail it lol

 

*cheers*

 

BYU is run by the LDS church, yes. Non-members are welcome to attend bjt pay different rates (as member tithing is a part of funding) and have to abide by the same Honor Code standards as the LDS students (no smoking/drinking, no staying the night with the opposite sex, etc). It has tighter rules than the actual church, probably because of the age group, lol.

[Xuzi]

I'm getting there!! HAHAHA~~

 

Okay, here is another one....Is BYU a mormon college? I didn't know that.

 

The meeting house that is near us is under a renovaton because they have outgrown the spot. They are meeting in a 2 hour block instead until Jan. when they can go back "home". They are meeting an hour from my house.

 

Missionary-I did have some fo those show up at my house. When I wanted a book of Mormon, forgetting they don't mail it lol

 

There are actually *3* BYU's (Brigham Young University ~ Brigham Young being Joseph Smith's successor after he was martyred, and the one responsible for leading the exodus to Utah). One in Provo, UT (the original one), one in Rexburg, ID, and another in Hawaii (I forget which city). If you ever go to Hawaii and visit the Polynesian Cultural Center (also LDS owned) you'll find it staffed with BYU-H students. :)

[Xuzi]

Proper authority is important in the LDS church. As an analogy, an ice cream truck and a police car both have flashing lights and make loud noises--they have some similar external characteristics. However, a traffic ticket issued by a police officer is legally binding because the police officer has been given authority to act on behalf of the state, whereas a traffic ticket issued by an ice cream vendor has no value and is not binding on the person it's issued to because the ice cream vendor is not a duly authorized officer of the state. He may even have a state-issued business license or vendor's permit, and he may even have received an award for being the top ice cream salesperson in his company, but that still doesn't make his traffic tickets binding.

 

Similarly, only baptisms performed by people with genuine authority from God are valid baptisms. Having a degree from a university, or a license from the state is not sufficient. And being given authority by a group of men who have good intentions, but who do not themselves have legitimate authority from God to act on His behalf is also not the same thing, even if there's a solemn ordination ceremony. That would be like a group of ice cream vendors getting together and discussing the speeding problem in their neighborhood and selecting one of their number to go give out speeding tickets. The authority comes from the wrong source, and is not legally binding.

 

Does that help at all, or just muddy the waters more?

 

I'd say the one thing I dislike about this analogy is that it seems to disparage the work these honest men and women of other faiths add to the building of God's Kingdom on the earth. (and I know that's not your intent, MamaSheep ;) ) While we disagree with their claim of Priesthood Authority, we DO believe that many priests, pastors, bishops, etc. of other faiths provide valuable service to the Lord and can and are used as instruments in His hands in the service of His children.

 

Just wanted to make sure there wasn't any confusion on that point. :)

[MamaSheep]

I'd say the one thing I dislike about this analogy is that it seems to disparage the work these honest men and women of other faiths add to the building of God's Kingdom on the earth. (and I know that's not your intent, MamaSheep ;) ) While we disagree with their claim of Priesthood Authority, we DO believe that many priests, pastors, bishops, etc. of other faiths provide valuable service to the Lord and can and are used as instruments in His hands in the service of His children.

 

Just wanted to make sure there wasn't any confusion on that point. :)

 

Yes, every analogy has its faults, and that is one of the faults of this analogy. Maybe an ambulance driver would have been a better choice as another type of vehicle with flashing lights and loud noises. But thegardener's analogy of a power of attorney is probably an even better one.

 

I have great respect for anyone who chooses to devote his or her life to serving God according to his or her best understanding of what that means, whether in the clergy or in the laity (although I will admit to a lack of patience with TV evangelists and a certain brand of street preachers, if I am completely honest). I agree that clergy of other faiths, both Christian and non-Christian, definitely provide valuable services and do a great deal of good in the world. But I do think that their authority originates with man, and not with God, much like that of psychologists and social workers. I have no desire to disparage anybody at all, and I have great appreciation for the work they do; they help a lot of people who would otherwise go without help. And I think that God does indeed use them as instruments in His hands. (I think the same is true of psychologists, social workers, paramedics, police officers, and all others who work for the cause of goodness in the world.)

 

But I have seen and experienced a difference, and I cannot view the clergy of other faiths as equivalent in every way to the priesthood of God as found in the LDS church. I think there is a difference between honest, good-hearted men with pure intentions who do good work motivated by their love of God (as awesome as they are, and as much as I admire them), and honest, good-hearted men who have received a true commission from God to do His work in His name, in His way, at His direction, and under His authority. Or at least...maybe not so much of a difference in the MEN, as such, but a difference in what they carry with them.

Edited October 9, 2012 by MamaSheep

[garddwr]

Yes, every analogy has its faults, and that is one of the faults of this analogy. Maybe an ambulance driver would have been a better choice as another type of vehicle with flashing lights and loud noises. But thegardener's analogy of a power of attorney is probably an even better one.

 

I have great respect for anyone who chooses to devote his or her life to serving God according to his or her best understanding of what that means, whether in the clergy or in the laity (although I will admit to a lack of patience with TV evangelists and a certain brand of street preachers, if I am completely honest). I agree that clergy of other faiths, both Christian and non-Christian, definitely provide valuable services and do a great deal of good in the world. But I do think that their authority originates with man, and not with God, much like that of psychologists and social workers. I have no desire to disparage anybody at all, and I have great appreciation for the work they do; they help a lot of people who would otherwise go without help. And I think that God does indeed use them as instruments in His hands. (I think the same is true of psychologists, social workers, paramedics, police officers, and all others who work for the cause of goodness in the world.)

 

But I have seen and experienced a difference, and I cannot view the clergy of other faiths as equivalent in every way to the priesthood of God as found in the LDS church. I think there is a difference between honest, good-hearted men with pure intentions who do good work motivated by their love of God (as awesome as they are, and as much as I admire them), and honest, good-hearted men who have received a true commission from God to do His work in His name, in His way, at His direction, and under His authority. Or at least...maybe not so much of a difference in the MEN, as such, but a difference in what they carry with them.

 

You know, I think maybe we could view Jesus Christ and those who seek to follow him in two ways: First, Jesus Christ is a King, and his Kingdom--like any kingdom--must be administered in an orderly manner. This is the organized church, with rightful priesthood authority and proper channels for receiving direction and revelation. Second (just in my numeration not in importance), Jesus Christ is a shepherd--and in his flock are all those who seek sincerely to know and follow what is right and good. The man or woman who prays in sincerity for God's direction in their life will receive inspiration and direction as he is able to accept it--whether a baptized member of Christ's church or not, whether an ordained minister or not. I believe that God inspires and directs and helps many who do not hold the priesthood or who have not received the official ordinances of the church, and that there are people in many places and circumstances who are contributing to the work of God and doing his will as best they understand it. Nevertheless, there is a very real need for a clear line of authority when it comes to moving forward the Kingdom of God in the form of the established church, and for administering the ordinances of salvation. That is what the priesthood and its organization are for.

[MamaSheep]

You know, I think maybe we could view Jesus Christ and those who seek to follow him in two ways: First, Jesus Christ is a King, and his Kingdom--like any kingdom--must be administered in an orderly manner. This is the organized church, with rightful priesthood authority and proper channels for receiving direction and revelation. Second (just in my numeration not in importance), Jesus Christ is a shepherd--and in his flock are all those who seek sincerely to know and follow what is right and good. The man or woman who prays in sincerity for God's direction in their life will receive inspiration and direction as he is able to accept it--whether a baptized member of Christ's church or not, whether an ordained minister or not. I believe that God inspires and directs and helps many who do not hold the priesthood or who have not received the official ordinances of the church, and that there are people in many places and circumstances who are contributing to the work of God and doing his will as best they understand it. Nevertheless, there is a very real need for a clear line of authority when it comes to moving forward the Kingdom of God in the form of the established church, and for administering the ordinances of salvation. That is what the priesthood and its organization are for.

 

That is a much better way of explaining what I was trying to say. Thank you. I have a headache today and I think I'm getting myself in trouble trying to explain things when my brain is not working properly. I think I'll bow out until tomorrow (or another day) when both of my brain cells are firing.

[dangermom]

Man, I'm missing all the fun. But as a data point, my mom was baptized Methodist as a kid and then baptized into the LDS Church at 18 or so (in Kodiak Bay! brrr!).

 

It really seems to come as a shock to many people that we don't accept other churches' baptisms. We don't mean it as an insult, or as though you were never a Christian in the first place. I remember being quite surprised when I found out that the majority of Christian churches accept each others' baptisms, though obviously not ours--and I think most Mormons would be very shocked if other churches did accept our baptisms.

[Veritaserum]

I thought it was great that they mentioned the *why* of the difference in the ages. (why the young women are older). I have to admit it makes sense, although I still think this new adjustment will mean more post-mission marriages of couples who met while serving. :lol:

 

I think it was more implied than spelled out--they said they have found it works better if the young men and young women are not quite the same age and best if the young women are older, presumably to prevent flirtations/romantic associations from developing--at least, that is what I took away from it (and what I have always assumed was the reason) although honestly a lot of the sister missionaries will be the same age as a lot of the Elders now.

 

My parents met while on their missions, so.... ;) My mom is 2.5 years older than my dad.

 

I think the real reason they didn't make the ages the same is because there is resistance among the more...conservative leaders to have outright equality. As a woman in the church and a feminist, I notice things like this and wish the policies were more egalitarian. Overall I was pleased by the change in policy. It just would have been better if the age requirements were equal. :)

 

In the end, most missionaries will be the same 19ish years old at the start. My son has a summer birthday, so he is one of the ones who could graduate from high school, turn 18 immediately afterward, and report to the MTC as a brand new 18yo. Most boys turn 18 at some point during their senior year of high school. A September birthday elder reporting in June will be almost the same age as a sister missionary with a June birthday.

[stansclan89]

My parents met while on their missions, so.... ;) My mom is 2.5 years older than my dad.

 

I think the real reason they didn't make the ages the same is because there is resistance among the more...conservative leaders to have outright equality. As a woman in the church and a feminist, I notice things like this and wish the policies were more egalitarian. Overall I was pleased by the change in policy. It just would have been better if the age requirements were equal. :)

 

In the end, most missionaries will be the same 19ish years old at the start. My son has a summer birthday, so he is one of the ones who could graduate from high school, turn 18 immediately afterward, and report to the MTC as a brand new 18yo. Most boys turn 18 at some point during their senior year of high school. A September birthday elder reporting in June will be almost the same age as a sister missionary with a June birthday.

 

:iagree: But we are getting closer to equality.

 

ETA: At least this is a step closer. And the attitude of the members in general are headed that way, imo.

Edited October 9, 2012 by stansclan89

[Heidi]

I had the privilege of watching most of General Conference.

 

I have a close family member that is struggling with the death of friends, so he is wondering why God allows bad things to happen and is questioning the existence of God. Unfortunately, he is closing his heart to God rather than coming to Him and searching for answers. This conference, it seemed that almost every talk addressed a specific question he has had and has provided the answer. It was a testament to ME that God loves him and is reaching out to him. I hope he was listening! I look forward to the conference coming out in print. It was amazing.

[welovetoread]

I'm still watching and listening. Is a boy required to be a missionary? If so for how long? Do the kids pay for that or does the church help? What about girls? required?

[welovetoread]

Oh and I practiced no coffee today. It went really well, until 630am. Went really well again until 1pm. :tongue_smilie:

[Forget-Me-Not]

I'm still watching and listening. Is a boy required to be a missionary? If so for how long? Do the kids pay for that or does the church help? What about girls? required?

 

The official counsel is that "every worthy and able young man should serve". However, if a young man chooses not to serve, it will not affect his standing or membership in the church. For girls, it's considered an option and a great opportunity but it doesn't carry the same "should" that it does for the boys.

 

The missionaries themselves are encouraged to pay their own way. I think it's $400/month right now (or has it gone up to $425?). Often parents or other family members will pitch in. If it's a financial hardship for the family, the church will often pitch in and help. Members can donate to the general missionary fund or on behalf of specific members.

[TKDmom]

Oh and I practiced no coffee today. It went really well, until 630am. Went really well again until 1pm. :tongue_smilie:

 

:lol:

 

Eta: I was trying to write more, but I got interrupted and didn't make any sense anyways. :tongue_smilie: I see now that a couple of other ladies answered your other questions.

 

I think I'd drink waaay to much coffee if I weren't LDS. I don't much like 6:30am or 1pm either...

Edited October 10, 2012 by bonniebeth4

[dangermom]

I'm still watching and listening. Is a boy required to be a missionary? If so for how long? Do the kids pay for that or does the church help? What about girls? required?

 

 

For a boy, it's not required, but it is expected (barring extenuating circumstances)--it's a priesthood responsibility. We'd consider it a duty, but it's not like there's an official penalty for not going, though social pressure definitely exists from friends and family. Currently a boy's mission lasts two years, and it costs ~$400/month. Ideally the missionary will have worked and saved much of the cost--kids are taught to save for missions from a young age--but of course not everyone can manage that. There is a general missionary fund to help with support, and it's quite common for a wealthier relative or ward member to help support a missionary.

 

For girls, currently it is 18 months and is considered a great thing to do, but not necessary. The costs and everything else are the same. There is much less social pressure to go, though certainly when I turned 21 people were asking me if I planned to go on a mission.

[LittleIzumi]

Oh and I practiced no coffee today. It went really well, until 630am. Went really well again until 1pm. :tongue_smilie:

 

:lol: Baby steps, baby steps! I had three doughnuts today. :ack2:

[Live2Ride]

I'm downloading them today to listen again. I do better that way because I can take a talk in and then let it sit awhile in that brain of mine, lol.

[welovetoread]

Do all LDS wards in the U.S. do mid week services? Do they all do boy scouts for boys and a different program for girls and a different one yet for teens? How about adults, is there usually programming for adults too mid week orjust kids or depends on the ward?

 

I have to be honest and say I am not thrilled with the news the boy scouts have produced in the last couple of months.

[Xuzi]

Do all LDS wards in the U.S. do mid week services? Do they all do boy scouts for boys and a different program for girls and a different one yet for teens? How about adults, is there usually programming for adults too mid week orjust kids or depends on the ward?

 

I have to be honest and say I am not thrilled with the news the boy scouts have produced in the last couple of months.

 

If you're talking about worship services, there are no mid-week services, just Sunday worship. During the week there will be Boy Scouts (for young boys) and Activity Days (for young girls), and then Young Men/Young Women activities once a week for the teens. (the Young Men will do an alternating schedule of Scout-related stuff, and non-Scout related stuff). For the men and women, they typically have activities no more than monthly, and the women far more often than the men (at least in my ward. the men hardly have more than maybe a bbq in the summer, but some wards are more active). The women's activities are typically in the evening, and involve crafts or classes on a specific topic, or some other type of activity, usually with treats involved. :tongue_smilie: And then there will be occasional ward activities, such as a Christmas dinner where all ages are invited to participate, and there's usually a visit from Santa. (this has saved me from ever having to take my kids to see a mall santa. :lol: )

 

And I'll say, while the Church does have strong ties with Scouts, it depends on the leadership of the ward as to how Scout-focused the young men's activities are. DH hardly had anything to do with scouting after about the age of 13 because the "leadership" in the ward just wasn't there (he could have gone to a non-LDS troupe with no issues, but didn't really have the motivation to). The majority of the young men's activities he went to had 0 to do with scouting, except for the occasional camp out. :)

[Starr]

Man, I'm missing all the fun. But as a data point, my mom was baptized Methodist as a kid and then baptized into the LDS Church at 18 or so (in Kodiak Bay! brrr!).

 

It really seems to come as a shock to many people that we don't accept other churches' baptisms. We don't mean it as an insult, or as though you were never a Christian in the first place. I remember being quite surprised when I found out that the majority of Christian churches accept each others' baptisms, though obviously not ours--and I think most Mormons would be very shocked if other churches did accept our baptisms.

 

 

Kodiak Bay ! :svengo:

[dangermom]

Do all LDS wards in the U.S. do mid week services? Do they all do boy scouts for boys and a different program for girls and a different one yet for teens?

 

Yup. Unless you live somewhere really remote, that's what it's going to look like. Boy Scouts (I don't know what they do outside the US?), Activity Girls, Mutual.

How about adults, is there usually programming for adults too mid week orjust kids or depends on the ward?

Adults are busy running all the programs for the kids! :tongue_smilie: The women (Relief Society) have meetings once a month or less often, and not on the same night as the kids' stuff. Adult or whole-family activities are usually scheduled less often and more according to what fits the calendar. We are having a family Halloween party on the Saturday before Halloween, for example, but the next ward might do it differently.

 

I have to be honest and say I am not thrilled with the news the boy scouts have produced in the last couple of months.

I don't follow the news (I only have girls) so I don't know about it. TBH I've never been a huge BSA fan and would love to see the boys get a program more like what the girls have got, but Scouting is deeply ingrained into American Mormon culture and it will be a while before that changes.

[Veritaserum]

Do all LDS wards in the U.S. do mid week services? Do they all do boy scouts for boys and a different program for girls and a different one yet for teens? How about adults, is there usually programming for adults too mid week orjust kids or depends on the ward?

 

I have to be honest and say I am not thrilled with the news the boy scouts have produced in the last couple of months.

 

The others covered mid-week activities. I hope that by the time my son is scouting age, the church will have parted ways with BSA. In other countries the boys do a program similar to what our girls do here. I'd love, love, love to see that change.

[LittleIzumi]

The others covered mid-week activities. I hope that by the time my son is scouting age, the church will have parted ways with BSA. In other countries the boys do a program similar to what our girls do here. I'd love, love, love to see that change.

 

That would be awesome!

[Xuzi]

That would be awesome!

 

Ya, my ward is having a heck of a time finding anyone willing and able to serve as Scout leaders, and we're not unique in our Stake (cluster of Wards within a specific region). Even ignoring all the controversy surrounding Scouts right now, I think the Church would do well to do it's own thing. Preferably something a little less labor-intensive than Scouting. :tongue_smilie:

[welovetoread]

The conference was very thought provoking even for non-LDS members.

 

I have to admit as I"m reading the Book, I hear my Protestant ways warning about false prophets and already forcasting my descent into hell :tongue_smilie:

[Xuzi]

The conference was very thought provoking even for non-LDS members.

 

I have to admit as I"m reading the Book, I hear my Protestant ways warning about false prophets and already forcasting my descent into hell :tongue_smilie:

 

Well, the warnings against false prophets were at times given when there were indisputably (to Christians) TRUE prophets walking the earth (OT times). The existence of false prophets doesn't mean there aren't true ones. Trust in the Holy Spirit to Witness to you which is which. :)

[LittleIzumi]

Well, the warnings against false prophets were at times given when there were indisputably (to Christians) TRUE prophets walking the earth (OT times). The existence of false prophets doesn't mean there aren't true ones. Trust in the Holy Spirit to Witness to you which is which. :)

 

:iagree: Plus by their fruits ye shall know them and all which is good cometh from God and all that. :D (Yes, I am too tired to find the references. Sorry. I just ate dinner and I'm pregnant? :lol:) We as LDS are also warned against false prophets and priestcrafts.

[dangermom]

The others covered mid-week activities. I hope that by the time my son is scouting age, the church will have parted ways with BSA. In other countries the boys do a program similar to what our girls do here. I'd love, love, love to see that change.

 

:iagree: I think the boys would be better served by something that is more tailored to what they need, like the YW program is for girls. But lots of people do like Scouting. I come from a family of geeky misfits anyway, so I guess it's not really a surprise that my 3 brothers mostly didn't like it (one earned his Eagle, and was then denied it by the more fanatical, I mean enthusiastic leaders because he didn't like to wear uniforms and whatnot) and then I married a guy who never made it past Tenderfoot. :lol:

[garddwr]

:iagree: Plus by their fruits ye shall know them and all which is good cometh from God and all that. :D (Yes, I am too tired to find the references. Sorry. I just ate dinner and I'm pregnant? :lol:) We as LDS are also warned against false prophets and priestcrafts.

 

Matthew 7:15-20

 

King James Version (KJV)

 

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look for the fruits:)

[Lisbeth]

I hope they keep BS. YW is good, but I wish they did more involved things like Boy Scouts do.

[LittleIzumi]

I hope they keep BS. YW is good, but I wish they did more involved things like Boy Scouts do.

 

The YW program is changing a bit now, though, isn't it? New manuals and such?

[Lisbeth]

The YW program is changing a bit now, though, isn't it? New manuals and such?

 

I need to read the changes more closely. ... Would love to see the details.

[Xuzi]

The YW program is changing a bit now, though, isn't it? New manuals and such?

 

I don't think the new manuals are expecting leaders to take their girls out camping in below-0 temps though. :D

[LittleIzumi]

I don't think the new manuals are expecting leaders to take their girls out camping in below-0 temps though. :D

 

Oh darn. :lol:

[welovetoread]

Do all of you lovely ladies use secular curricula for school? I have tried and tried to love the christian curriculum out there. But I don't. I have seen a few LDS homeschool links in the past, but I noticed non of you use it.

 

Oh and I thought you would all :lol: if i told you that my coffee maker broke. yes, thats right, NO COFFEE tomorrow. The world is ending....

[Amira]

Do all of you lovely ladies use secular curricula for school? I have tried and tried to love the christian curriculum out there. But I don't. I have seen a few LDS homeschool links in the past, but I noticed non of you use it.

 

Oh and I thought you would all :lol: if i told you that my coffee maker broke. yes, thats right, NO COFFEE tomorrow. The world is ending....

 

We use only secular curricula. For many reasons. I think there are a few LDS curricula out there, but not many and I don't think they're all that popular.

 

Way to go cold turkey on the coffee. ;)

[Xuzi]

I use secular. I haven't liked any of the LDS curricula that I've looked at (and they're hard to find). I prefer to use secular and then add in religious instruction as needed/appropriate. I think it also helps that LDS teachings are that we should look for Truth wherever we may find it, even within science, and so we don't see secular knowledge as being seperate from spiritual knowledge, but as simply another source of truth (small t, because, as with anything that originates with man, it's likely flawed in some way, but it may help us understand Truth with a big T). God created the Heavens and the Earth, and so learning about this world can help us learn about Him. There doesn't need to be a scripture attached to the worksheet to make it "religious". You don't see much antagonism between LDS-thought and secular knowledge that exists in some Christian circles.

[dangermom]

I use secular. I haven't liked any of the LDS curricula that I've looked at (and they're hard to find). I prefer to use secular and then add in religious instruction as needed/appropriate.

 

This is me as well. WTM is what hooked me on homeschooling in the first place, and I mostly stick with classical resources.

 

Good luck tomorrow! ;)

[meggie]

Do all of you lovely ladies use secular curricula for school? I have tried and tried to love the christian curriculum out there. But I don't. I have seen a few LDS homeschool links in the past, but I noticed non of you use it.

 

Oh and I thought you would all :lol: if i told you that my coffee maker broke. yes, thats right, NO COFFEE tomorrow. The world is ending....

 

For the main subjects, we only use secular. We tried A Reason For Spelling and while he loved all the activities, it drove me crazy so we switched to AAS. We do use a book called Gospel Principles that's published by the church that we use for in depth gospel study of our beliefs. That's in addition to the scripture reading, scripture memory, and Friend magazines we use for gospel study.

 

I would like to add that even an LDS curriculum could have things that members disagree with. For example, some LDS member are young earth creationists. I am an old earth creationist, so I wouldn't want to use a curriculum that was YEC.

Edited October 11, 2012 by meggie

[Lab1]

Do all of you lovely ladies use secular curricula for school? I have tried and tried to love the christian curriculum out there. But I don't. I have seen a few LDS homeschool links in the past, but I noticed non of you use it.

 

Oh and I thought you would all :lol: if i told you that my coffee maker broke. yes, thats right, NO COFFEE tomorrow. The world is ending....

 

Okay, I totally laughed!

 

Great discussion ladies! I can't wait to get my hard copy of conference in my hands. My little ones are too distracting!

 

I used secular or Amish/Mennonite curriculum until last yr. I use Heart of Dakota as its Christian while not going into doctrine. Last yr it wasn't an issue. This yr I've only come across one doctrinal issue. We looked up our second Article of Faith and compared our beliefs with other Christian views. My girls were shocked that others believe little children are sinful by being decendents of Adam. These topics being brought up is exactly why I'm using a Christian curriculum. I want my kids to understand others beliefs and gain a testimony of ours. Our neighbours are not LDS and our kids play together. I don't know what religion if any they are. I want my children to have a more rounded religious view then the local culture has. I got that sort of education by my step mother who took me to all sorts of different denominations as an older kid and teen. She was trying to convert me to anything but LDS, but it was a great experience that made me stronger in my faith. So I use a non denominational curriculum now to make my children well rounded. Plus we have excellent historical and doctrinal discussions! It helps that I can pick things out and elaborate on the fly. HoD does use an anti-LDS book in its newest manual. I'm quite upset! It's written in such a sweetly deceptive way that it is almost complimentry as it tells absolute lies about our beliefs. I'm sure the person has never met a member of our church! I've emailed the publisher with no response! I need to write a formal letter of complaint. It's very irresponsible to publish flat out lies about any religion! Of course lies taught from my grandmothers preacher (I always thought it was odd that preachers do this!) is what got my grandparents interested in the LDS church when they met a member as young parents. The "new guy at work" seemed so nice and normal. They went to church with him and converted soon after. A few yrs later my grandfather was called as Bishop in that struggling area in CA. It's a.common tale of children taught lies and converting when they find out the truth. Still upsets me as I don't like people being lied to in the name of Christianity. Feels like the Crusades in a more intellectual/less graphic way. I was all excited for the book until I started reading it too! I can't trust what they say about other religions I know less about when the only thing they got right about mine was correct spelling! Sorry, this is a topic I feel passionately about! As a religion, we seek the truth in all things. It's very important and it upsets me to have children taught lies about any subject or religion.

[Veritaserum]

We use secular with the exception of CLE math.

 

Okay, I totally laughed!

 

Great discussion ladies! I can't wait to get my hard copy of conference in my hands. My little ones are too distracting!

 

I used secular or Amish/Mennonite curriculum until last yr. I use Heart of Dakota as its Christian while not going into doctrine. Last yr it wasn't an issue. This yr I've only come across one doctrinal issue. We looked up our second Article of Faith and compared our beliefs with other Christian views. My girls were shocked that others believe little children are sinful by being decendents of Adam. These topics being brought up is exactly why I'm using a Christian curriculum. I want my kids to understand others beliefs and gain a testimony of ours. Our neighbours are not LDS and our kids play together. I don't know what religion if any they are. I want my children to have a more rounded religious view then the local culture has. I got that sort of education by my step mother who took me to all sorts of different denominations as an older kid and teen. She was trying to convert me to anything but LDS, but it was a great experience that made me stronger in my faith. So I use a non denominational curriculum now to make my children well rounded. Plus we have excellent historical and doctrinal discussions! It helps that I can pick things out and elaborate on the fly. HoD does use an anti-LDS book in its newest manual. I'm quite upset! It's written in such a sweetly deceptive way that it is almost complimentry as it tells absolute lies about our beliefs. I'm sure the person has never met a member of our church! I've emailed the publisher with no response! I need to write a formal letter of complaint. It's very irresponsible to publish flat out lies about any religion! Of course lies taught from my grandmothers preacher (I always thought it was odd that preachers do this!) is what got my grandparents interested in the LDS church when they met a member as young parents. The "new guy at work" seemed so nice and normal. They went to church with him and converted soon after. A few yrs later my grandfather was called as Bishop in that struggling area in CA. It's a.common tale of children taught lies and converting when they find out the truth. Still upsets me as I don't like people being lied to in the name of Christianity. Feels like the Crusades in a more intellectual/less graphic way. I was all excited for the book until I started reading it too! I can't trust what they say about other religions I know less about when the only thing they got right about mine was correct spelling! Sorry, this is a topic I feel passionately about! As a religion, we seek the truth in all things. It's very important and it upsets me to have children taught lies about any subject or religion.

 

What's the name of the anti book?

[blondeviolin]

Do all of you lovely ladies use secular curricula for school? I have tried and tried to love the christian curriculum out there. But I don't. I have seen a few LDS homeschool links in the past, but I noticed non of you use it.

 

Oh and I thought you would all :lol: if i told you that my coffee maker broke. yes, thats right, NO COFFEE tomorrow. The world is ending....

 

We do for a lot of different reasons. Family scripture study is encouraged church-wide, no matter how your children are schooled. For us, it happens right before bed time. I did go as far as planning on studying the Old Testament while we're studying ancients, but that's it...

[Heidi]

Do all of you lovely ladies use secular curricula for school? I have tried and tried to love the christian curriculum out there. But I don't. I have seen a few LDS homeschool links in the past, but I noticed non of you use it.

 

Oh and I thought you would all :lol: if i told you that my coffee maker broke. yes, thats right, NO COFFEE tomorrow. The world is ending....

 

I use R&S English. I also use Discover the Scriptures, but as an extra/busywork, not as our main religious curriculum.

 

Here is how we fill in religion. We read the Book of Mormon together everyday as a family & have a family prayer. My kids are young, so we don't read to understand the stories right out of the scriptures. It is more to create a habit and to get used to the language.

 

Later in the day we read from the Scripture Stories or read from the Friend magazine. Then once a week we have a lesson from the Nursery manual or the Gospel Principles manual.

 

The church has excellent and abundant curriculum. You can buy it here or you can use it online for free.

[Lab1]

We use secular with the exception of CLE math.

 

 

 

What's the name of the anti book?

 

Who am I? And What am I doing here? By John Hay.

 

You can view the offending and disturbing while almost entertaining pages on Amazon. I almost wanted to make my girls blue, knee length skirts in a twisted sense of humor after reading it. My DH thought they might be traumatized by our laughing though!

 

I wanted to hug the poor imaginary girl in the book. She is sooooo messed up. The whole family lives in fear of being excommunicated at any moment. You'll laugh at the family living in a huge house while the father works a blue collar job in UT! In SLC too! Maybe its a family owned property being passed down for generations? I'm still wondering why a church official is staying with them vs. a church owned hotel. I did like how the oldest son is saving for a mission as his parents can't afford to send him. All the doctrine is really messed up! I've read my fair share of anti literature, but this is unique in how complementary it seems.

[Forget-Me-Not]

Do all of you lovely ladies use secular curricula for school? I have tried and tried to love the christian curriculum out there. But I don't. I have seen a few LDS homeschool links in the past, but I noticed non of you use it.

 

Oh and I thought you would all :lol: if i told you that my coffee maker broke. yes, thats right, NO COFFEE tomorrow. The world is ending....

 

:lol: It's a sign!

 

Yes, we mainly use secular curricula here. I use a lot of SWBs stuff, and she mentions religious things here and there, but I haven't come across anything that's in conflict with our beliefs (except that the story of Abraham in SOTW 1 is a little :confused::confused::confused: when compared with the Biblical version).

 

The big exception here is that we use the Memoria Press latin programs. We're using Latina Christiana I at the moment. So far, I haven't come across anything that really conflicts, except that the Table Blessing addresses Christ instead of Heavenly Father (we pray to the Father in the name of Christ).