Eh, more like we believe the waterfall spoke to us and offered a chance to avoid it, because someone labored for years building a bridge and eventually died finishing it, but was later resurrected. And with that, the metaphor officially fails haha
I was going with the meaning in which the waterfall represented guaranteed physical death and preparation because of inspiration determined whether you would go to hell or not. The problem is that everyone thinks differently. PLUS: Communication through text alone is hard! I'm fabulous at talking, but text is difficult for me. Such is life.
Now I have to know what you are! You can't mention your religion and then not disclose it!
That's not true! *evil grin*
Two guesses: the Great Pumpkin or Chuck Norris.
I may be a minnow, but I ain't no plankton.
...not the silly names (meaning "of the sky", "of earth", and "of far away") or strict definitions of what they contain.
Oh, dang. I was thinking that it was graded by relative light levels. "Telestial" not being a word doesn't help either.
{post ending in}And there is rarely time for last-minute repentance.
The Bible was written a very long time ago, so of course the people who wrote it would know about current geography. Just because some archeologists have dug up twenty-something layers of Megiddo does not mean that your religion is correct. According to my religion, we couldn't debate like this if my religion was false. We can all take convenient little pieces of doctrine to try to convince others that we are right.
Maybe we say, "I'm on a boat!" If I'm on a boat at all, it's on the ocean. You can yell about the dangers of sailing too close to the edge of the world all you like. I'm not listening, as I've got GPS. ("Turn left at the next wave."
)
Does what characterize my life?
So, my religion has become my idol. I'm like you, except that I don't rely on metaphors to comprehend what I believe. To make a strong metaphor, you have to choose each word carefully and mean every meaning of it.
You're annoying me, and annoyance very easily leads to anger. For me, it first leads to one-line ripostes. I said that I wasn't here to convert anyone or be converted by anyone. Respect comes before caring. Therefore if you do not respect me, you do not care for me. And don't fence a lefty unless you have practice. Anyway, I guess I was too subtle last post. Here I go more plainly: Do not try to convert me. Please. You're dong me a disservice to think that I haven't considered my options carefully. To dispute this is to insult me.
Since Ms. origami-san (or is it -sama?) hasn't read the book in question and relies on an Amazon review for her opinions, I think that's all I really need to know. We all know how important it is to choose an Amazon review that agrees with our biases as a sign of good scholarship.
Ms Ms origami, huh? Or is it Ms Lady origami? Yes it is important to choose sources that agree with your views. How about this: I will promise to read this book and ponder it well if you promise to read the Book of Mormon with an open mind and pray earnestly about it. I bet that most people here would agree to that arrangement, on our individual honors. Please cut the crap about Mormonism, especially if all you're going to talk about is past leaders' mistakes. If you'd like to argue doctrinal issues, go right ahead.
Yes, Brigham Young did some things that we would question now. He was merely human, and keeping the Mormon religion together in the wake of Joseph Smith's death was hard enough. In fact, I'd say that most of the wrong decisions he made were because he was trying to preserve what he believed in. An admirable reason to do what he did, even if it included killing people. Isn't this what the standard tale of the young farmer turned hero is all about? Who's to say that the young boy was killing bandits, and not just well protected travelers? Brigham Young may have been misinformed as to the intentions of those passing through Mountain Meadows. He may or may not have ordered the party killed. Let's keep that issue between Brigham Young and his God.
Every major religion, outside of mainland Asia, is a derivative of ancient Judaism, since even the Muslims count the Torah and the New Testament as part of their religious texts.
IFYPFY.