LDS Freedom Forum

I'm new here so I will introduce myself.
I am a humble follower of Christ, and I am seeking his face.
I like mild barley (and also other grain) drinks.
I make my own wine (as the scriptures direct) and mead (it's really good).
I administer the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper in my home (the Lord’s Supper is the Passover - there was no priest but the father of each family for the first Passover).
I have re-baptized my first wife and will likely re-baptize my second wife as well (it depends on her desire).
I like to be as self-sufficient as possible - I am a do it yourself kind of person - I rely on others as little as possible (that includes both temporal and spiritual matters - ok, maybe it's all just spiritual D&C 29:35).
I am starting my own business.
I like to help others in need.
I need so much - I am an utter failure, and everything I have has been given to me by God.
I realize that God will treat us how we treat others (Condemn not that ye be not condemned, forgive to be forgiven, etc.)
I accept the Lectures on Faith as scripture, as they used to be, and I don't find the fifth lecture confusing at all.
I have received the Mind of God (LoF 5).
I have received revelations and seen miracles (and I want more).
I know tithing should be paid on surplus - that is what the scriptures say.
I question teachings that contradict the scriptures.
I realize the scriptures do not contain everything, but I realize that they contain everything that I need (everything I need to bring me to the Lord that is).
I think one of the great secrets of the endowment is that the piece of missing knowledge needed to return to the presence of the Lord cannot be given to you by any messenger (whoever you think they may be). It must be received from the Lord, and only from the Lord - he employs no servant there.
I am comfortable with seeming contradictions and my own lack of understanding - I can patiently wait for further light without losing the light I have.
I love the church and the members of the church (I am trying to love all mankind in fact). My bishop is not perfect but he is a good man (at least as good as the rest of us).
I think my bishop has no business knowing what goes on in my bedroom.
I think the servants of the Lord have fallen asleep (as per the scriptures: D&C 86:1-3; 101:43-60), put the money to the exchangers, and forgotten what they were supposed to be about.
I read and write in the Deseret Alphabet.
I believe we are the gentiles (some of them anyway) spoken of in the Book of Mormon.
I am a scientist.
I know the Manifesto did not put an end to plural marriage (nor was it intended to), and that its purpose is widely misunderstood.
I love my family more every day, and I thank God for them. They are a tremendous blessing to me.
There is so much more I could say, but I’m sure it’s not nearly as interesting to everyone else as it is to me, so that will do for now.

Welcome to the forum! Some of the things in your list are really interesting - Deseret Alphabet? Holy cow, I don't know anyone else who knows and understands that language. It would be very cool to learn it. Thank you for sharing all of these things; I look forward to your posts!

Wow I've only ever known one person who learned the deserts alphabet.

Jules wrote:Welcome to the forum! Some of the things in your list are really interesting - Deseret Alphabet? Holy cow, I don't know anyone else who knows and understands that language. It would be very cool to learn it. Thank you for sharing all of these things; I look forward to your posts!

Well Jules you already know the language of the Deseret Alphabet, it's called English. The Deseret Alphabet is what is known as a syllabary, a glyph represent each sound of a language, in this case English. Cherokee is an example of another language written in a syllabary. One can see the influence of Cherokee in the glyphs of Deseret as the Cherokee syllabary was developed in the 1820's.

Deseret has a standard unicode encoding meaning we can write it on mose modern computer systems.

sen6b wrote:Re-baptize?

Is that a question about the practice or the spelling? I suppose I should have written it 'rebaptize'. Rebaptism is a former practice of the church. It was done before entering the united order, before going thru the temple for your own endowments or sealings, to show your rededication (a renewal of covenants so to speak), or for your health (yes, people were baptized as a method to remove sicknesses - they still had other methods such as prayer, fasting, laying on of hands [by mother or father or elders of the church], and anointing with oil) http://ogdenkraut.com/REBAPTISM.htm

Peace.

gkearney wrote: The Deseret Alphabet is what is known as a syllabary, a glyph represent each sound of a language,

Yes, there is a letter (glyph) for each sound (so there is about 40 letters - since we have to have different letters for long and short vowels, and digraphs such as sh, th, ch, etc.), but it is not a syllabary. Syllabaries are written systems where each glyph represents an entire syllable (English cannot be written this way). Rather Deseret is, as its name implies, an alphabet where each glyph represents a phoneme (a basic significant sound).

Peace.

sen6b wrote:I was referring to the act itself, and am aware that it used to be practiced back in the day. I'm just curious for the reason for doing it now.

Oh, I see. The reasons now are the same as the reasons back in the day

Peace.

LOL! I like this forum.

Jalden wrote:LOL! I like this forum.

I like you.

I once had a desire to learn the Deseret Alphabet, but fell out of love with Brother Brigham before that came to fruition, then lost the desire.

Welcome!

Thanks Steve, I like you too. [is that you or your son in your avatar - it's great, reminds me of my own children ]

The trick is, in my opinion, not to throw the baby out with the bath water. We are promised, and I believe it is a serious promise, that we will be taught the philosophies of men, mingled with scripture. It is unavoidable, and it comes from every direction. Even when we are trying to get information directly from God, it has to be filtered thru our own understanding, put into our own language, and placed within the context of our own culture and experiences. It becomes untrue the moment we receive it, and less true with each telling of it.

I love Brigham, is is a fascinating (and key) character in the drama of the restoration. I do not agree with everything he did or said. I agree with him less now than I used to (so I can see what you mean when you say you fell out of love with him). And at the same time I have found some of his sermons so full of light that I was completely overcome with the spirit for hours.

In fact, I will tell you about an experience I had when I first began to hunger for more than milk. I was at the institute building (in a city outside of Utah) perusing the books in the library. They had on the shelf three complete sets of the Journal of Discourses. I remember my dad having a set of those on the shelf when i was a kid, but I had ignored them (not enough pictures, small text, other priorities). I picked up volume one and began reading. To be honest I do not remember which sermon I started on, but I read several. I was utterly fascinated by what I read!! The depth and breadth of information conveyed in those sermons was breathtaking (especially considering they were extemporaneous!). It made for a very stark contrast with the standard talks I had read in the Ensign. Very stark indeed. I felt that the words were full of truth and light and life, and as I read the words of these long-dead men I heard a voice whisper to me, "These are the words of the living prophets." It was powerful, and brought a new meaning to my understanding of the term, "living prophets".

Now, as I said, and please don't mistake my point here, I do not agree with everything Brigham, Orson, Wilford, Joseph, Gordon, Thomas, or Denver has to say (we are promised a mixture, and I expect nothing less). But I could tell, as clear as day, that there was a different light between the old and the new, and the new light was dimmer.

I follow the living words of the living prophets (whether or not they are dead). Jesus spoke long ago (the recorded word), but those words are still the words of eternal life (John 6:68).

Peace.

Jalden wrote:Thanks Steve, I like you too. [is that you or your son in your avatar - it's great, reminds me of my own children ]

The trick is, in my opinion, not to throw the baby out with the bath water. We are promised, and I believe it is a serious promise, that we will be taught the philosophies of men, mingled with scripture. It is unavoidable, and it comes from every direction. Even when we are trying to get information directly from God, it has to be filtered thru our own understanding, put into our own language, and placed within the context of our own culture and experiences. It becomes untrue the moment we receive it, and less true with each telling of it.

I love Brigham, is is a fascinating (and key) character in the drama of the restoration. I do not agree with everything he did or said. I agree with him less now than I used to (so I can see what you mean when you say you fell out of love with him). And at the same time I have found some of his sermons so full of light that I was completely overcome with the spirit for hours.

In fact, I will tell you about an experience I had when I first began to hunger for more than milk. I was at the institute building (in a city outside of Utah) perusing the books in the library. They had on the shelf three complete sets of the Journal of Discourses. I remember my dad having a set of those on the shelf when i was a kid, but I had ignored them (not enough pictures, small text, other priorities). I picked up volume one and began reading. To be honest I do not remember which sermon I started on, but I read several. I was utterly fascinated by what I read!! The depth and breadth of information conveyed in those sermons was breathtaking (especially considering they were extemporaneous!). It made for a very stark contrast with the standard talks I had read in the Ensign. Very stark indeed. I felt that the words were full of truth and light and life, and as I read the words of these long-dead men I heard a voice whisper to me, "These are the words of the living prophets." It was powerful, and brought a new meaning to my understanding of the term, "living prophets".

Now, as I said, and please don't mistake my point here, I do not agree with everything Brigham, Orson, Wilford, Joseph, Gordon, Thomas, or Denver has to say (we are promised a mixture, and I expect nothing less). But I could tell, as clear as day, that there was a different light between the old and the new, and the new light was dimmer.

I follow the living words of the living prophets (whether or not they are dead). Jesus spoke long ago (the recorded word), but those words are still the words of eternal life (John 6:68).

Peace.

That's my boy in my avatar on the first day of first grade a few weeks ago. I look a little older, but I think this pic captures my maturity level quite well.

I understand your sentiment regarding fallible humans who still reveal truth. I read probably 1/2 of the set of Journal of Discourses in my early 20s, and everything that was contained in them concerning plural marriage. I really enjoyed reading BY, but what I formerly attributed to confidence and revelation I now call arrogance and making $#!% up.

Steve Clark wrote: what I formerly attributed to confidence and revelation I now call arrogance and making poo poo up.

Steve, I like your way with words.

Peace.