Explain yourself. Where do you actually stand?

[notjamesbond003.5]

You only have one vote: choose wisely.

Feel free to explain yourself if need be.

Thank you,

njb

[Epistemology]

If I had to choose I would choose the last one, although it's not all encompassing of my belief system if I were to be technical about it

Truth is truth, regardless of the source

[MichelleTumes]

If I had to choose I would choose the last one, although it's not all encompassing of my belief system if I were to be technical about it

Truth is truth, regardless of the source

^^Ditto this.
I don't know if I can handle checking back in on this poll. I am already so disturbed that even one person marked the first choice. I hope it stays only one. :-s

[notjamesbond003.5]

Wait you're a Duster Girl, right?

njb

[marc]

The last one describes me best. I am not afraid of truth or to have my paradigm challenged. As Joseph Smith said once, truth cuts its own way. Growth is pain. Life is pain. I do not ever want to be flattered or praised or told how awesome I am or all is well. It repels me. I am a sinner. I am fallible. Until I receive the testimony of Jesus, I will continue to challenge my own paradigm and seek knowledge. I will only accept Christ telling me, "well done, thou good and faithful servant."

[Obrien]

After I voted, the screen appeared that said, with finality, "your vote has been cast". The die has been cast ... I am slowly shedding the shackles of the institution and realizing truth can come from anywhere.

Great poll NJB. You're redeemed from your pot-stirring yesterday.

[MichelleTumes]

Wait you're a Duster Girl, right?

njb

Oh ya. I bow down at his feet. I get his speeches and try to decipher them using the Bible code. What are you trying to tell me Snuffer????


I chose the last one But I do love Duster!

[notjamesbond003.5]

Whoa.

2 Duster/BrockBotherites.

njb

[notjamesbond003.5]

Lol.

Njb

[Elias Returns]

;) I'm pretty confident all here know where I stand....

[DarthVernacular]

While I chose the last option, and I sincerely believe we are to seek out truth where it is to be found, I follow the Brethren, I follow the Spirit, I feast from the scriptures. I'm not convinced truth is to be found with Denver Snuffer--for my part the Spirit directs me to leave what he has to say for others, and so I do; others will see it differently, and that's just fine with me. I was (am) a fan and a friend of John Pontius. I liked the way he described Lehi's iron rod: three parts braided into one rod, namely, the scriptures, the words of the living prophet and apostles, and the Spirit's personal direction to each of us. I enjoyed Visions of Glory and took it for what it was, Spencer's experience was meant for him, and we can glean value from it, but it is not scripture. I find truth where the Spirit leads me and I depend upon the Spirit to witness to me of truth. The only source I can depend upon for confirmation of what is truth is the Spirit.

[Rose Garden]

You forgot this option:

Mormonism is truth; and every man who embraces it feels himself at liberty to embrace every truth: consequently the shackles of superstition, bigotry, ignorance, and priestcraft, fall at once from his neck; and his eyes are opened to see the truth, and the truth greatly prevails . . .

The first and fundamental principle of our holy religion is, that we believe that we have a right too embrace all, and every item of truth, without limitation or without being circumscribed or prohibited by the creeds or superstitious notions of men, or by the dominations of one another, when that truth is clearly demonstrated to our minds.

—presbyterians any truth. Embrace that. Baptist. Methodist &c. get all the good in the world. Come out a pure Mormon.

Mormonism, so-called, embraces every principle pertaining to life and salvation, for time and eternity. No matter who has it. If the infidel has got truth it belongs to ‘Mormonism.’ The truth and the sound doctrine possessed by the sectarian world, and they have a great deal, all belong to this Church. As for their morality, many of them are, morally, just as good as we are. All that is good, lovely, and praiseworthy belongs to this Church and Kingdom. ‘Mormonism’ includes all truth. There is no truth but what belongs to the Gospel. It is life, eternal life; it is bliss; it is the fullness of all things in the gods and the eternities of the gods.

We claim the right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship who, where, or what they may.

“Wherein do you differ from other in your religious views?” In reality & essence we do not differ so far in our religious views but that we could all drink into one principle of love One the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism is to receive truth let it come from where it may.

[Gideon]

To explain myself, I need to set the stage.

Shortly after quitting drinking, smoking, and the local street gang (I was 17 at the time), I was sitting on a couch at about 1:00 AM, just thinking. Then a thought came into my mind that I should be a priest. My only exposure to a priest was in the Catholic church, which I hated. I also hated God at this time, and expressed that feeling publicly.

Oddly, I didn't think about the Catholic church or Catholic priests at that moment. But I was filled with a feeling I never experienced before. Instinctively, I found a Bible and started reading in Genesis. I didn't understand it. At that moment I remembered what my mother told me about the Book of Mormon, she said it was full of wars - trying to interest the street gang part of me.

There just happened to be one on the coffee table in front of me. I picked it up and started reading, and my life changed forever. By the time I got to 1 Nephi 11:33 I had received the mighty change of heart. When I read what the people were going to do with Christ I said, "No!, they can't!" This probably took less than two days of reading (I finished it in 1.5 weeks). All I did was read. There were no prayers, no discussions with others, no reading other books.

So, what does this have to do with the current thread? I was converted to Christ through the Book of Mormon. That is where my loyalty is. Since that time, I have been greatly blessed in my study of the scriptures. They are what I use to judge the teachings of others. I also seek the guidance of the Spirit everyday.

The Lord has blessed me with many wonderful experiences and promises. One of the most powerful experiences I have had came when Elder Ballard visited my stake back in the 80's. The Spirit was so strong that, even though I was sitting I almost fell over. I have had other spiritual experiences by following the counsel of the Brethren, so I know that they are inspired, at least when they are acting in the office of their calling.

On the other hand, I have two books, one by a 70 and the other by an apostle. They disagree, sharply, on a scripture in the Book of Mormon. When I realized that the 70 was correct, I was shaken. Not my testimony, but my comfort zone just dissolved around me, in an instant.

I didn't know how to deal with this, until one day a thought popped into my mind. It was a quote from Joseph Smith, the one about a prophet not being a prophet unless acting as a prophet. My mind expanded.

One of my favorite books is Light in the Wilderness, by M. Catherine Thomas. Sister Thomas gathers truth from all walks of life it seems, and I like that. The book had a tremendous impact on me. I also read The Second Comforter by Denver Snuffer, which I really liked. It brought sacred subjects from the back of my mind to the front, and helped me to progress further. I have read other books by brother Snuffer which I disagree with, some vehemently, but that doesn't mean I reject his first book.

I love the gospel, I love the scriptures, and I love my Heavenly Family. I chose the last option.

[DPeterson]

Last option for me.

[notjamesbond003.5]

A wayward Dusterite ?

Njb

[Rose Garden]

I thought Dusterites were wayward.

[DPeterson]

A wayward Dusterite ?

Njb

Explain yoself?

[notjamesbond003.5]

Make me
;)

[DarthVernacular]

Not familiar with the term Dusterite. :-\

[notjamesbond003.5]

Not familiar with the term Dusterite. :-\

Denver Snuffer was mistakenly referred to as This Duster Fellow by a general
authority
Now that's his nickname.
Lol
This ahem Duster fellow.

[notjamesbond003.5]

I was wondering that myself.

Well now u know.
This fellow named Denver causing a dust up ie Duster
Njb

[DPeterson]

Make me
;)

Please!!! With a cherry on top! :YMPRAY:

[notjamesbond003.5]

I kind of figured but I didn't want to be the one to ask.

Thank heavens for intuition.
Plus I call Dustin Peterson duster to be chummy ..

Njb

[notjamesbond003.5]

I kind of figured but I didn't want to be the one to ask.

Thank heavens for intuition.
Plus I call Dustin Peterson duster to be chummy ..

Njb

:-?? Huh?

Poster DPeterson =Dustin (in real life) I also refer to him as "Duster" (cos hes a huge Denver Snuffer fan)-as a joke.

Sigh

Women and men really are from different planets.

njb

[DPeterson]

Poster DPeterson =Dustin (in real life) I also refer to him as "Duster" (cos hes a huge Denver Snuffer fan)-as a joke.

Sigh

njb

True, I've just completed an alter that is situated right in the middle of my living room. I've been stalking him for the last 3 years and any time he leaves something behind, hair, uneaten food...whatever...I gather it up, and that is the substance from which my alter (which is a sculpture of him) sprang.