THE LAME-inites....

So I was at work yesterday and per a previous conversation with my friend Ann (<3 she's cool) she asked a question regarding the garments we wear. She was really awesome about trying to be discreet about it cause she knew that people would have a hard time understanding exactly what or why, but the more "shady" she was being the more the people wanted to know what she was talking about. I really have no shame about my religion, I know that people won't always agree with it. But, just like I told Ann today on fb that tolerance is a part of free agency, the reason why I didn't get upset about the following story is because people have the choice to be as tolerant or as intolerant as possible, and who am I to judge about how they handle stuff. Anyways... I really didn't get too upset about this only because i know that they just didn't understand what I was saying, although I am sure that I didn't explain it very well either.

So after Ann asked her question, we got on the topics of temples and stuff. Penny started asking what was the difference between mormons and baptists. I told her that we still worship God, and we still view Jesus as the son of God and the savior of man, but that there was more to the story. I went through the story of Jesus coming to the americas and how he taught the people here. Of course as soon as I said the word Laminites instead of Native Americans, Penny took it as a racial slur against her heritage. I tried explaining that to her to and she was pretty well shut down by then. So I continued on with my story and how Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and how the Book of Mormon (BoM) was found. I think she was pretty well turned off to the idea of it though.

I wish there was some way that I could have better explained this, although it does make me feel better about the missionaries, and it really does shine light on what they do every day. They go out and knock doors every day and get shot down all the time, but the still go out and still knock doors and still try to share their message.  It really is inspiring to know that they are blessed and set apart from God to be able to go forth with this calling. I know that not everyone will agree with what I believe, I don't agree with what some people believe either, I just know that I am not fit to judge. I just feel that as long as people approach my views with an open mind and not try and change what I believe I am fine with them. It's when the people start to shun me or judge me or make assumptions about things that I have problems with it. Oh well.... I'm just one day closer to paradise!

Steph

In a time...

In a time where the word of God is "changing" for the political theologists. It is really relaxing and worry free that the book of mormon hasn't changed since it has been brought about.

On yahoo today, there is a story about how there are "discrepancies" in the bible and how the literal translation is not the intended translation. Now I know that there is a Joseph Smith translation of the bible, but it makes things clearer and doesn't completely destroy certain sections. I was a little hurt, well a lot hurt when I realized that there are so many people trying to change the bible to suit the needs of the people these days. We shouldn't be worried about how people perceive the bible today but more so what the truth is. Here is the article in it's entirety.

"The Gospel of Luke records that, as he was dying on the cross, Jesus showed his boundless mercy by praying for his killers this way: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

Not so fast, say contributors to the Conservative Bible Project.

The project, an online effort to create a Bible suitable for contemporary conservative sensibilities, claims Jesus' quote is a disputed addition abetted by liberal biblical scholars, even if it appears in some form in almost every translation of the Bible.

The project's authors argue that contemporary scholars have inserted liberal views and ahistorical passages into the Bible, turning Jesus into little more than a well-meaning social worker with a store of watered-down platitudes.

"Professors are the most liberal group of people in the world, and it's professors who are doing the popular modern translations of the Bible," said Andy Schlafly, founder of Conservapedia.com, the project's online home.

Experts who have devoted their careers to unraveling the ancient texts of the Scriptures, many in long-extinct languages, are predictably skeptical about a project by amateur translators.

"This is not making scripture understandable to people today, it's reworking scripture to support a particular political or social agenda," said Timothy Paul Jones, a professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., who calls himself a theological conservative.

Religious publishers already provide an alphabet soup of Bible translations for a range of theological outlooks, from the King James Version (KJV) to the Revised Standard Version (RSV) and beyond. The most widely used traditional translations were overseen by scholars who are considered the best minds in conservative Christianity.

"The phrase 'theological conservative' does not mean that someone is politically conservative," said Schlafly, who lives in Far Hills, N.J.

This liberal slanting, Schlafly argues, ranges from changing gendered language — Jesus calling his disciples to be "fishers of people" rather than "fishers of men" — to more subtle choices, like the 2001 English Standard Version of the Bible, which uses "comrade" and "laborer" more often than the conservative-friendly "volunteer."

Contributors to the project aren't arguing on ideological grounds alone. The discussion forum on the site is full of discourse on Greek grammar, along with arguments long familiar to Biblical scholars about the history of certain passages.

Take the famous passage from Luke: the Conservative Bible Project omits it not only because it's "a favorite of liberals," but because there's some dispute over its authenticity, based on the manuscripts it appears in.

Jones, the professor, said while some early Greek manuscripts omit Jesus' words, others include them.

"There are so many factors to consider when looking at that, but here it gets boiled down to 'liberals put it in,'" he said. "You've got people who are doing this who have probably never looked at an actual ancient manuscript."

In some ways, the Conservative Bible Project reflects an ancient debate over Scripture. The Bible as it's known today more or less took final shape in the 4th century after hundreds of years of debate over which books were canonical.

The debate flared up again during the Protestant Reformation, when Martin Luther fruitlessly yearned to cut the Book of James because of its fairly explicit contradiction of his belief that salvation could be attained by faith alone.

"People have always done this with the Bible," said Philip Jenkins, a professor of history and religious studies at Pennsylvania State University. "Virtually everyone in a mainstream Protestant or Roman Catholic church in the United States is reading a doctored version of the Bible."

Jenkins is referring to the Revised Common Lectionary, a selection of biblical texts read in worship services that amounts to about a third of the full text.

Schlafly's project is distinctive, though, because non-experts collaborate Wiki-style on the Internet to produce their version.

"The best of the public is better than a group of experts," said Schlafly, whose mother, Phyllis, is a longtime conservative activist known for her opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment.

Jones says the project is a misguided effort to read contemporary politics back into the text.

"Ironically, there's a long tradition of the liberal twisting of scripture," Jones said. "Scholars have rightly deemed those translations illegitimate, and this conservative Bible is every bit as illegitimate."

The Bible's roots in a dizzying variety of ancient manuscripts require a lifetime of dedication to master, said the Rev. Frank Matera, a professor at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and a former president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America.

"There's a little Italian proverb, 'Every translator is a traitor,'" Matera said. "Most Bible translations are usually done by a group of scholars, precisely so they can balance out each other. It's not something that everybody can do."

I just don't know what the world is coming to today...

Corinthians 11:11

Never the less, neither is man without woman, nor woman without man.

We are one in the same and we all represent one heavenly body. There is one universal soul that we should love and respect. Time should never be an issue when it comes to the gospel. Although so many people always seem to change their decisions and their moral to accommodate their schedule. They are good when it fits in their schedule. I am not one to preach, I am more so stating what I need to hear. It is not cool to keep yourself closed off to the gospel when it is convenient for you.

Man has his duties in a relationship, and woman has a duty also. There really isn't much that I ask for, I just want to have him there. That is the one time that I Like for him to be present. But I can't force him...

S

Temple classes...

So it has been brought up more and more by different people that I should look into temple preparedness classes. I have been thinking about them, and I know that they are kinda just a formality. I know that I am not in the situation where I can go into the temple, first off because I am not the "ideal age" but I figure what's so wrong with wanting to be prepared to go.

I can say that I haven't been living my life as temple ready and perfect (in the complete sense not the everything is awesome sense) as I could have. I have been slacking on the whole reading the BoM and praying thing. I have been getting a daily dose of scriptures... well technically I have. I have been reading my ensigns everyday and there is a spiritual message in them. Even if it is just one or two little stories in it I know that I am getting atleast a little bit of life lessons out of it. I just need to get into the better practice of reading and praying.

It kinda brings me back to last Thursday, we were talking about pride in Institute, which by the way has the best instructor ever, Bro Walker is amazing!! Anyways, we were talking about pride and I know that one of my biggest issues is probably having to deal with asking for help. Even when I am at my wits end and I feel like I am at a brick wall I just grin and bear it. I can't seem to ask for help even from the one person I am supposed to turn to no matter what. I know that God can help ease some of my stresses and pressures, but asking for help when my "problems" are so menial and mindless. I know that there are so many bigger things out there. Although it was put into perspective for me the other day, I don't remember who said it but one of my friends made a point that when our lives are going so right even the small things that would normally be bypassed seem ENORMOUS.

I know that this church is true, I just need to ask sometimes to have it reaffirmed. I can't wait for tomorrow and it's adventures!

Steph

It's always better when we're together....

So I can't even remember the last time I posted. I just know that I have been slacking off on the whole reading and praying thing. I just sometimes fall into bed and don't think about it until I am almost out. Although I know that the last time I prayed God answered it almost immediately. He knows that sometimes I need immediate answers to calm my soul.

I have been reading the ensign more and more these days, I hope that compensates for my lack of reading, although I know deep down that it doesn't.

I have been catching some flack at work for being LDS, it is kinda funny to hear people talk about "how they know" what the church is all about cause 1) they are older than me, so of course they know more. 2) They have friends that told them stuff, and their friends know everything cause they were mormon, or went to BYU. 3) They have looked stuff up. Well it is too funny to hear people say things like:

"What do you mean, you were in Robert's room. I didn't think mormons could even be alone in the same room as a boy. " On watching a movie.

"...don't ask Stephanie, she's a mormon, she doesn't know about that kind of stuff" On alcohol

"... I know all about it, you guys believe in multiple wives and crap." On relationships and dating.

"... It's just sexist, and you know it's only cause your bible was written by a man." On women holding only certain authorities.

I mean seriously if you guys don't want me to defend myself and explain the truth, then don't bring up the questions. I am seriously just getting tired of being classified as mormon and it making the people I work with keep me out a little. Now I really understand why some people don't let anyone know. There is so little understanding and tolerance in the world. Although I just have to stay faithful and honest and keep telling people the truth, whether they believe it or not. As for me, I am gonna keep being mormon, and I am gonna keep dealing with the crap at work, and I am gonna just keep being me. Cause well... i'm the bomb.

Steph