- Curtis Pew on That time when President Oaks told you voting Democrat was okay: “Let’s make a deal. I won’t twist the words of Pres. Oaks or any other apostle or prophet to say you have to vote for Republicans if you will try to refrain from twisting them to say I have to vote for Democrats. When I stand before the judgement seat, I don’t expect my voting record will be near the top of the list of sins I’m held accountable for. I rather suspect it won’t be brought up at all. At one time I thought it was expected that we could all vote for whoever we thought would be best for the country without having our righteousness called into question, but that day seems to have passed. I’d rather return to a time when we could disagree on politics while still fellowshipping with each other.” Oct 15, 14:18
- on That time when President Oaks told you voting Democrat was okay: “Since the prophet is talking about voting and politics, I think we should pay attention. Thor, I’m glad you’ve seen the light. We have been counseled against party-line voting, though. I’m sure there’s an independent or two in there somewhere you can vote for. Jack, the thing about voting is, we all have to live with the consequences of your decisions (and everyone else’s too). Be sure to read President Oaks’ talks – he has quite a bit to say about maintaining our commitments and values even while working towards compromise with people who don’t. I don’t love every Democratic candidate out there, and there are even one or two I find alarming. It’s possible that someday I’ll have to vote for a competent normie Republican – an endangered species at the moment, unfortunately – over a Democrat who’s truly gone over the edge. But that’s not the case this year, not in any of the elections I can vote in.” Oct 15, 14:04
- on That time when President Oaks told you voting Democrat was okay: “As a RINO I sometimes feel like a man without a country. Jonathan, I don’t think what President Oaks said means that we should be willing to vote for that which we cannot stomach. But I do think it means that we should be tolerant and willing to compromise in ways that we can stomach–though it may be a bit distasteful–in order to move things forward. As I’ve gotten older I’ve tried to vote in ways that reflect the goals and purposes of the Kingdom–as I understand them. Maybe I made a mistake in not voting for either major candidate last time–but I made the best decision I could based upon my own lights and, I hope, a little inspiration. Afterall, I’m the one who has to live with me. As an aside, another great thing about President Oaks’ talk was that we can rest assured that not everything the church does these days is to make nice with white nationalists.” Oct 15, 13:17
- on That time when President Oaks told you voting Democrat was okay: ““By Proving Contrarieties, truth is made manifest” says Joseph Smith: so consider the Opposite of our ideals: Power or influence can be maintained by coercion, impatience, brutality, pride, and feigned love. By transactional interactions, and by using rhetoric effectively and saying whatever flatters enough people of the right sort to gain and keep a following, and by projecting our own guilt onto other people, we can paint them as embodying all corruption, and serve our own agenda and ambition at all times. Reproving constantly and without concern for facts, when moved upon by pride and vanity and ambition, and then afterwards showing an increase of love towards the flag and your allies, that we may be united against whomever we decide is an enemy, whomever we designate as scapegoat, to blame for all our problems and distract attention from our shortcomings, That people may know better than to criticize or cross you for fear of what will happen to them Let thy bowels be full of charity to your allies via government contracts, cabinet positions and lifetime judgeships and pardons, plot revenge upon your enemies and critics, and let ambition and pride garnish thy thoughts unceasingly, and then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of adoring crowds and sycophants. And the opposite of the hymn to charity: The opposite of Christ does not suffer long, and is unkind, envieth whoever has what it wants, vaunteth itself constantly, and is notably puffed up, Behaves unseemly, always seeking its own gain, is easily provoked, and thinks evil of anyone who opposes their ambitions and desires, or is just different Rejoices in getting away with whatever it wants to do, and bitterly opposes any attempts to call it to account, Will not put up with anything, believes only what it wants to hear, hopes only for personal gain and power, so that it will never have to endure anything difficult or unpleasant. Given that “pure knowledge greatly enlarges the soul, without hypocrisy and without guile,” it follows that impure knowledge leads to contracted souls, hypocrisy, and guide. Given that, “by this shall ye know my disciples, that they love one another,” what should we think of a person who proclaims both “only I can save you” and “I can’t like anyone who doesn’t like me. It’s just that simple.” Thanks for pointing out what President Oaks has said in full display of his prophetic calling. Worth remembering.” Oct 15, 12:59
- on That time when President Oaks told you voting Democrat was okay: “Thank you for this wake up call. I was wasting my time studying the issues closely, examining candidates’ positions and evaluating the pros and cons of each (seriously, for the sane voter, no political party nor candidate can fully represent her views and eternal shame on those who think otherwise). But now that random guy on the internet has called me out, I am going to do straight D-party voting! And it will save me moral angst, knowing that I am on the right side of every issue now.” Oct 15, 10:25
- on That time when President Oaks told you voting Democrat was okay: “Excellent post ?” Oct 15, 08:15
- on That time when President Oaks told you voting Democrat was okay: “Thank you for posting this. I was a republican for 30 years but I believe it is very important to elect democrats in this election in order to weaken the amount of power the Republican Party holds in the US, including in Utah because Trump and many others including Senator Lee are working to destroy our democracy. No other issue comes close in importance.” Oct 15, 07:09
- on Thoughts on Our Polygamy Problems: “Fair to ask the questions, Cougar. I agree that we don’t have firm doctrine on next-life reproduction, but we do like the idea of marriage bonds lasting into the next life, and I’d like the think that for many that’s a bigger issue than just sex. Plato, in the Symposium, talks about the true lovers who “throw their arms about each other, weaving themselves together, wanting to grow together … they don’t want to be separated from one another, not even for a moment…. No one would think it is the intimacy of sex–that mere sex is the reason each lover takes so great and deep joy in being with the other. It’s obvious that the soul of each lover longs for something else; his soul cannot say what it is.” And what they long for is for the God “to weld” them “together and join you into something that is naturally whole, so that the two of you are made into one.” So they they would be one not two in the afterlife. I quote that here https://juvenileinstructor.org/plato-on-deification-and-eternal-marriage/ Perhaps such individual bonds aren’t so important as long as all the righteous are together in the Celestial Kingdom, but such bonds seem important to us here on earth.” Oct 14, 19:06
- on Latter-day Saint on Joe Rogan: “Israel, I forgot to thank you for posting your example. I’ll see if I can find the episode or episode of Dan’s Youtube channel where he talks about how the Bible doesn’t have a single, permanent biblical design for marriage and report back.” Oct 14, 13:13
