I will try not to offend!

[_Roger Morrison]

WOW! Brother Bednar, WELCOME TO THIS BOARD! Will You, with your credentials AND Authority, represent we-here to the higher echelon of our Lord's Church??? You might recall, I PMd you. Now, I would like to get serious! Will You please help us? Warmest regards, Faithfully, Roger

Hello, my dear brother. Yes, I remember your message.

How may I help you? (That's why I am here.)

Thank YOU soooo much for YOUR offer of assistance! I'm truely hummbled! i hope my question doesn't find itself in that 'lower Kingdom'??? It does not have to do with Church wealth, or stealth... But, it is of a very sensitive nature... Will YOU, can YOU, represent our Homosexual Bros & Sisses on the Q-of-15? As YOU know "...many are called, but few are chosen..." And, WE both know why, right?

Advocates of our Bros & Sisses who have suffered loooonnggg under the well-intended "love-them-BUT-leave-them" doctrine--it is doctrinal, isn't it?--have loooonnggg been awaiting our "Saviour"--so-to-speak--i hope that acknowledgement does not offend YOUR humility?

We/I ask no more of YOU, (at this time;-)... What say YE, Bro?? Please excuse my seeming familiarity...but i just feel soooo close to YOU David!

WARMER THAN EVER REGARDS, roger

[_moksha]

If you become Charity's friend, neither the gates of hell, nor Juliann will have any power over you.

Elder David A. Bednar

Dear Elder Bednar,

This seems like it would be a tremendous blessing. The people of my village, they murmur. They fear both the endless torment of hell and the wrath of Juliann. This Charity, does she possess strong magic? What would we need do to become her amigos? by the way, this internet box? It fell from the sky upon my village along with a coke bottle like you Yankees are always drinking. My Serafina sends her best, but I fear it will not be long now.

Juan Moksha Valdez
Blancacoca, Colombia

[_marg]

Well, these are certainly good questions. Well, we will have servants in heaven, so I guess they have to be doing something. That should answer your question about the toilets. Which of course necessarily answers the questions about eating.

Well that certainly does answer a lot of questions. If there are servants cleaning things like toilets, then people must eat in heaven, it means there must be farmers working, stores to sell food, salespeople, money, accountants, delivery people, manufacturing plants, plumbers, houses, all the things which go into making houses, ..what it sounds like David, is that heaven is exactly like earth except it goes on forever.

But how does it work with ages of people...do people go to heaven and stay the same age as when they died..for ever? And you mentioned babies, are babies born in heaven or do people have babies elseswhere and if so where? And then do those people grow up and end up back in heaven? Ihope you don't take offence at my questions. I'm sorry to be so ignorant of this wonderful "happiness" tale, some might call fairy tale but just how is it supposed to work in Mormon ways of thinking?

[_desert_vulture]

I didn't want the calling but the Bishopric felt inspired to call me. Imagine that? I asked them point blank if it was an inspired calling, and I was told "Yes". (Imagine my surprize!) Lunatics in charge of the assylum I tell you..

Or brilliant men, in tune with the spirit, who instinctively knew you had something to offer that no one did. Something that everyone needed. I see no contradiction in what you said. This is the Church of Jesus Christ, not the Church of the Mormon Prophets.

Good point harmony. If God can turn a money-digger, and a marryer of other men's wives, into the prophet of the restoration, then why not a heretic like me into the GD teacher. God uses weak, puny, carnal, sensual and devlish men, to carry out his dirtywork... errr, I mean his purposes. Isn't that right David?

Oh Bednar. While I have your attention, and since you are one of the apostles could you explain the concept of Blood Atonement to me, as Brother Brigham taught it. I really don't get the part where Christ's atonement isn't enough to atone for "some" sins, or the part where the sinner has to be cut with a knife. Does Blood Atonement still work if the sinner uses a gun, and commits suicide? Or is that an entirely new sin that has to be repented of? Does using a gun over a knife invalidate the holy Blood Atonement? Please elucidate the doctrine of Blood Atonement for me, my wife was wondering, and since you're an apostle and all, I figured you would know. I was telling her that my take on it, was that it was Brigham's justification for using murder to eliminate dissent, and to justify pillage and plunder. But that paints poor Brother Brigham as more of a rogue raider than a prophet, so I obviously don't understand the fine intracacies of the doctrine. Could you help out, with all of your erudite wisdom? Thanks Dave. You're a pal..

-DV

[_harmony]

I didn't want the calling but the Bishopric felt inspired to call me. Imagine that? I asked them point blank if it was an inspired calling, and I was told "Yes". (Imagine my surprize!) Lunatics in charge of the assylum I tell you..

Or brilliant men, in tune with the spirit, who instinctively knew you had something to offer that no one did. Something that everyone needed. I see no contradiction in what you said. This is the Church of Jesus Christ, not the Church of the Mormon Prophets.

Good point harmony. If God can turn a money-digger, and a marryer of other men's wives, into the prophet of the restoration, then why not a heretic like me into the GD teacher. God uses weak, puny, carnal, sensual and devlish men, to carry out his dirtywork... errr, I mean his purposes. Isn't that right David?

Oh Bednar. While I have your attention, and since you are one of the apostles could you explain the concept of Blood Atonement to me, as Brother Brigham taught it. I really don't get the part where Christ's atonement isn't enough to atone for "some" sins, or the part where the sinner has to be cut with a knife. Does Blood Atonement still work if the sinner uses a gun, and commits suicide? Or is that an entirely new sin that has to be repented of? Does using a gun over a knife invalidate the holy Blood Atonement? Please elucidate the doctrine of Blood Atonement for me, my wife was wondering, and since you're an apostle and all, I figured you would know. I was telling her that my take on it, was that it was Brigham's justification for using murder to eliminate dissent, and to justify pillage and plunder. But that paints poor Brother Brigham as more of a rogue raider than a prophet, so I obviously don't understand the fine intracacies of the doctrine. Could you help out, with all of your erudite wisdom? Thanks Dave. You're a pal..

-DV

Where is Elder Bednar when we need him? I have a question. I'd like him to explain the 2nd Annointing.

[_Roger Morrison]

Not to pull rank-or here folks, BUT i think i'm in line ahead of yous guys. Although, Harm posed THE question: "Where is Eldar B. when we need him?" Eh!?

[_David A. Bednar]

WOW! Brother Bednar, WELCOME TO THIS BOARD! Will You, with your credentials AND Authority, represent we-here to the higher echelon of our Lord's Church??? You might recall, I PMd you. Now, I would like to get serious! Will You please help us? Warmest regards, Faithfully, Roger

Hello, my dear brother. Yes, I remember your message.

How may I help you? (That's why I am here.)

Thank YOU soooo much for YOUR offer of assistance! I'm truely hummbled! I hope my question doesn't find itself in that 'lower Kingdom'??? It does not have to do with Church wealth, or stealth... But, it is of a very sensitive nature... Will YOU, can YOU, represent our Homosexual Bros & Sisses on the Q-of-15? As YOU know "...many are called, but few are chosen..." And, WE both know why, right?

Advocates of our Bros & Sisses who have suffered loooonnggg under the well-intended "love-them-BUT-leave-them" doctrine--it is doctrinal, isn't it?--have loooonnggg been awaiting our "Saviour"--so-to-speak--I hope that acknowledgement does not offend YOUR humility?

We/I ask no more of YOU, (at this time;-)... What say YE, Bro?? Please excuse my seeming familiarity...but I just feel soooo close to YOU David!

WARMER THAN EVER REGARDS, roger

My dear brother, Roger.

I sense this an issue close to your heart. I have fasted and prayed before attempting to share with you the Lord's message which He would like me to pass on to you.

Yes, it is true that homosexuality has been with us in every culture and period of history. It is deeply embedded in nature, it seems. The Greeks, Romans, the Hindi, the Chinese, etc.

However, this is something the homosexual members of the Church will have to bear, until the Lord decides to change things.

At this present time, homosexual conduct is a sin. But, the Church loves the homosexuals. There can be no doubt about that, at all. They are welcome in our churches and Family Home Evenings, etc. What is not o.k. is sex together. That is a big no-no.

We are very worried about the direction in which God's country, the United States of America, is slowly moving by accepting homosexuals as though their conduct is normal and to be approved of. It is not. The scriptures are clear (aren't they always?) on this subject and we can not change them, even if we wanted to.

However, because of the great, celestial moral relativity principle, we believe that further revelation can come through the Prophet concerning their situation. We wait for that day. But, I fear it is a long ways away. Surely, it won't be in our lifetimes before that revelation comes, if at all.

However, even today, a homosexual can enjoy the full blessings of the gospel. He just can't have sex. To each person on this earth is given different trials to bear. No sex is theirs. Other great people have lived on this earth who have practiced abstinence and we ask the homosexuals to do the same.

Think here of the Pope and all the great monks, priests (?), etc. If the great abominable (sp?) church believers can do it, then certainly our faithful homosexuals can as well. God will fix everything in the end and who are you or I to question God?

I'm sorry that I can not give you further comfort at this time. I would suggest that you ponder the scriptures and the writings of Robert George (the great Catholic ethicist) during this time of mourning for your brothers. The church doesn't have anyone that can reason through this kind of stuff since our dear brother Elder McConkie passed away (Oh, how I miss his scholarship), so you are going to have to rely on others (see George, et. al.). The natural law philosophers are saying what we would say, that is, if we had any philosophers to say it.

But, alas, we know that many will drop out of their harnesses over this matter, as many did in Nauvoo, over the principle of polygamy. We wait upon God for his message and until then, 'love the sinner, but despise the sin."

Your brother in the blinders and harness, yeah, even one of the 15 of the quorum of the 12.

Elder David A. Bednar

But, I would take a Prophet overa philosopher any day, wouldn't you?

[_David A. Bednar]

If you become Charity's friend, neither the gates of hell, nor Juliann will have any power over you.

Elder David A. Bednar

Dear Elder Bednar,

This seems like it would be a tremendous blessing. The people of my village, they murmur. They fear both the endless torment of hell and the wrath of Juliann. This Charity, does she possess strong magic? What would we need do to become her amigos? by the way, this internet box? It fell from the sky upon my village along with a coke bottle like you Yankees are always drinking. My Serafina sends her best, but I fear it will not be long now.

Juan Moksha Valdez
Blancacoca, Colombia

Dear Juan,

Ah! Blancacoca. Sounds like a great time, er..I mean, town to raise a family.

How is Serafina. Remember to stake her near your garden. Don't forget my wise counsel.

Charity does indeed possess strong magic. I would follow her counsel in all things. She is wise, far beyond her years. Just agree with all she says and support her when "the dude" tries to catch her up in her thinking. If you can post as many times as she has, you too, can have that same magic.

Well, you must have taken my advice (and well you should have) to pay your tithing with your gold fillings. And see, the Lord has blessed you with an internet box and a coke bottle, though i am assuming you have plenty of that where you are living anyway. But, yes, Americans do love their coke.

Keep in touch and let me know how Serafina is getting along. Maybe she would feel better trying some of that Coca-Cola. It might just give her the kick she needs to get back to work. And, my brothers in Jamaica are still wanting to inquire about work with your compadres there in Blancacoca. What type of work opportunities might my fine laid-back brethren in Jamaica
be able to find if they cruised over on the Stake Presidents cruiser? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Your brother in the Quorum of the 15, yeah, even Elder David A. Bednar

[_David A. Bednar]

Well, these are certainly good questions. Well, we will have servants in heaven, so I guess they have to be doing something. That should answer your question about the toilets. Which of course necessarily answers the questions about eating.

Well that certainly does answer a lot of questions. If there are servants cleaning things like toilets, then people must eat in heaven, it means there must be farmers working, stores to sell food, salespeople, money, accountants, delivery people, manufacturing plants, plumbers, houses, all the things which go into making houses, ..what it sounds like David, is that heaven is exactly like earth except it goes on forever.

But how does it work with ages of people...do people go to heaven and stay the same age as when they died..for ever? And you mentioned babies, are babies born in heaven or do people have babies elseswhere and if so where? And then do those people grow up and end up back in heaven? Ihope you don't take offence at my questions. I'm sorry to be so ignorant of this wonderful "happiness" tale, some might call fairy tale but just how is it supposed to work in Mormon ways of thinking?

Good day to you, my fine sister! I see you are still participating here on the boards. Didn't your husband come back home? You must miss him. I know my wife sure misses me when I am away from home, what with all my travels these days.

Yes, heaven is just like earth. You have deduced the grand principle. The only difference between the things we do here and the things we will do there, is that there, we will be doing them all in a celestial manner. Celestial toilet cleaning, celestial horseback riding, skiing, eating, etc. We will be celestially 24 years old, 75 years old, 2 years old, etc.

Can you grasp this principle?

It is beautiful, is it not? Celestial wrinkles, celestial acne, celestial cellulite, celestial muscles, and so on. I think you can see what I'm getting at. Celestial sex is just the half of it. There is so much more! Celestial fairy tales, celestial Disney movies, celestial church meetings. Well, I should stop before you want to just end it and go there today.

In future celestial love, your future celestial apostle in the harness, yeah, even the future celestial Elder David A. Bednar.

[_David A. Bednar]

I didn't want the calling but the Bishopric felt inspired to call me. Imagine that? I asked them point blank if it was an inspired calling, and I was told "Yes". (Imagine my surprize!) Lunatics in charge of the assylum I tell you..

Or brilliant men, in tune with the spirit, who instinctively knew you had something to offer that no one did. Something that everyone needed. I see no contradiction in what you said. This is the Church of Jesus Christ, not the Church of the Mormon Prophets.

Good point harmony. If God can turn a money-digger, and a marryer of other men's wives, into the prophet of the restoration, then why not a heretic like me into the GD teacher. God uses weak, puny, carnal, sensual and devlish men, to carry out his dirtywork... errr, I mean his purposes. Isn't that right David?

Oh Bednar. While I have your attention, and since you are one of the apostles could you explain the concept of Blood Atonement to me, as Brother Brigham taught it. I really don't get the part where Christ's atonement isn't enough to atone for "some" sins, or the part where the sinner has to be cut with a knife. Does Blood Atonement still work if the sinner uses a gun, and commits suicide? Or is that an entirely new sin that has to be repented of? Does using a gun over a knife invalidate the holy Blood Atonement? Please elucidate the doctrine of Blood Atonement for me, my wife was wondering, and since you're an apostle and all, I figured you would know. I was telling her that my take on it, was that it was Brigham's justification for using murder to eliminate dissent, and to justify pillage and plunder. But that paints poor Brother Brigham as more of a rogue raider than a prophet, so I obviously don't understand the fine intracacies of the doctrine. Could you help out, with all of your erudite wisdom? Thanks Dave. You're a pal..

-DV

Dear deseret_vulture. Where would we be in this world without pals? I feel honored to be considered one of yours. And you are quickly becoming one of mine, I feel. Isn't it marvelous?

I've spent some time reviewing some of the posters' ideas here on the board concerning the Blood Atonement doctrine. On the one hand, Gazelam is wrong! Dead wrong! Who is he to say that his spiritual witness Trump's that of Brother Brigham? That is heresy and a sure sign of apostacy. Gazelam will reap his reward (hint: he isn't going to where he thinks he is going).

Now, on the other hand, grampa75 has a clear and lucid grasp of all scripture (much like Elder Mcconkie before him) and I would follow his detailed and logical analysis concerning this doctrine to get a better understanding of this grand principle.

About the gun or the knife question. simple: a gun won't work. It's got to be a knife. A sumarai sword would be best of all. They cut through a body like a hot knife through butter. Nice, clean and efficient. The bowie knives of the 1800s were very messy. Often, the knife would break while doing the job. Ugly, very ugly, indeed.

Any inconsistencies in the doctrine with the idea of the Savior and his eternal and all-encompassing atonement can be understood by falling back on the grand, and celestial moral relativity principle. To make that principle clear in your mind, just think: "It's all good, just so long as I continue to pay my tithing, go to the temple and never drop out of the harness."

Simple, marvelous. Grampa75 knows what this is all about. It is good he is here on the board since I can not be here but rarely these days, what with all my travel to the Carribean as of late.

I hope that helps your dear wife and remember the door and the vault is always open. As always, faithfully in the celestial harness, your least of the 15 of the quorum of the twelve,

Elder, yeah, even Elder David A. Bednar.