Peter Moore

9/23/2013 11:28 PM

Korihor's philosophies are EVERYWHERE today. Common is an understatement. Why do we see them so much? Because satan has been here as long as man has and, unfortunately, will reside here for a while longer. Korihor and satan have the same idea. I believe that they both knew that they were wrong, but they continued to do the wrong thing because they convinced themselves that their habits were actually acceptable. I also believe that many people, including myself, tend to do that same thing. Oh what a dangerous thing it is to do. Rationalize that it's okay just once and then never again. Say that it's okay to experiment or go with it just because you think you're strong enough and it won't be a problem for you. I saw it time and time again on my mission and I continue to see it now each and every day. We cannot succumb to this awful temptation of rationalization because when we do, we start trying to convince others that we are right as well. Once we have ourselves fooled, we don't even realize that the lie continues on past where we could have ever imagined. Throughout each and every day of our lives, just because we are living here on the earth, we will go though this exact trial and temptation. We need to choose the right and overcome it every chance we get. If we don't, we have failed ourselves and possibly many others. That, my friends, is what Korihor loved. That, my friends, is one of satan's biggest weapons in these the latter days.

(Insert Name Here) 9/23/2013 9:24 PM What do believe Elder Oaks means when he discusses “the challenge to become?” What are you trying to become? How might this course help you to accomplish this?  “Many Bible and modern scriptures speak of a final judgment at which all persons will be rewarded according to their deeds or works or the desires of their hearts. But other scriptures enlarge upon this by referring to our being judged by the condition we have achieved.” Our final judgment is not just what we have done on earth, it is what we have become. It is our life as a whole. Has our heart been softened and turned towards the Lord? Have we done all that we can to become like Him? Is there anything else in our lives that is not in harmony of the Lord’s teachings? I believe this is what we are to become. We are to become like our Heavenly Father. Every person must go through a conversion process to become like Him. We must have a change of heart. We can learn a lot about a lot of things, but we must act upon what we learn in order to become more like our Heavenly Father and to return to live with Him. It’s like the song, “I am a Child of God.” Teach me all that I must do, to live with Him someday. It was change from “know” to “do.”  Knowing is not enough, we must show our love and act upon what we learned to become more like our Heavenly Father. ‘The Apostle Paul said that persons who have received the Spirit of God “have the mind of Christ.”’

Peter Moore 9/24/2013 5:57 PM You are so right! We were created to act and not to be acted upon, as we learn in the Book of Mormon. We need to learn the right things to do so that we can go and DO it! It doesn't help at all if you memorize the math book and then never take the test. You get an "F" if you don't preform the action and take the test. It is the same for us in life. We can study the scriptures, we can read talks, we can learn about God, but until we keep the commandments and show that we are going to give up our will for the will of the Father, nothing matters. Great thoughts about becoming and doing and not just being idle.

Here is another post that I commented on! (Insert Name Here) 9/23/2013 4:36 PM   I’ve found that Korihor’s philosophies are all over the world today. I’ve had countless conversations with people who try to convince me that my beliefs and views about God are skewed, and they always use these same methods that Korihor used to lead the people astray. I’ve always had a very hard time even defending my beliefs because they argue logically, and the only way I really knew how to argue was through faith and bearing my testimony. Now, I know that these methods aren’t bad necessarily, but a person who argues logically isn’t going to listen to a counterargument unless it employs methods that are intellectual. I have tried to refer to words of the prophets and apostles to help supplement my lack of knowledge, but then people accuse me of blindly following whatever these people say. I’m not a great arguer, so I find it difficult to catch people in logistical traps. The most common thing for me to do when someone challenges me on subjects like this is to simply tell them that I don’t know everything, but I do know that I have a testimony in my belief. I may not persuade people to my way of thinking, but I leave them in no doubt about what I believe. I found reading about Korihor from the perspective of modern day very enlightening. Understanding and using the counterarguments will really help me to at least plant a seed in the minds of those people who do not understand the truth about God.

Peter Moore 9/24/2013 10:18 AM   (Insert Name Here), I think everyone who reads your post will be able to relate to it. We all suffer trials and contention at times because we are a part of the true church restored on the earth! I find, through study of the scriptures, that things have always been harder for the followers of Christ, so why should we expect to be any different? It's a humbling thought and to me it serves as a bond for my fellow brothers and sisters in the church. I may not know them, but I do know that they have most likely gone through a lot of the same persecution that I have, and for that, I feel closer to them. I feel like I'm more open and likely to help them. Such is true of most anyone who has similar experiences with someone else. We should count our blessings though. We live in a time when, yes, persecution still exists, but we have so many members of the church (and many more to come). We are lucky and blessed to be able to say that we know, with all our heart, that we belong to the one true church of Christ and that weknow that He restored it on the earth once more.    I find that once you tell that to someone they tend to either stop arguing and just find a reason to leave the conversation, or become intrigued and want to know more.    Not being able to argue might be a gift rather than a curse! Good for you!

A post that I commented on in class.

(Insert Name Here) 9/22/2013 9:42 PM                 Each one of us is a child of God. We have great potential. I think the challenge for many of us is to remember this potential and to become what our father in heaven wants us to be. Sadly it can become too easy to get caught up in the views of the world and not rise to our potential. When I think about what I want to become, my biggest desire is to become a righteous mother and wife in Zion. I want to teach my children the principles of the gospel and to be there to support them and help them return back to their father in heaven. I want to be a faithful and virtuous wife to my eternal companion. I know that as I do these things I will be living a life that is pleasing to my father in heaven. I feel that this course will greatly help me accomplish this goal. As I learn more about the family through the family proclamation I will be able to move forward with confidence knowing I have the tools to rise to my potential and become the righteous mother and wife I know I can become and that my father in heaven wants me to be.

Peter Moore 9/24/2013 5:51 PM I won't give up  Ironically, I'm listening to "I won't give up" by Jason Mraz right now and it made me think about how our Heavenly Father feels about us. He won't ever give up on us and is always there as long as we are willing to play by His rules. It is through playing by His rules that we are truly happy anyway. I think about parents too. I was blessed with wonderful parents who I love and love me. It makes me want to be that type of father to my future children. It is thought provoking to think about how Heavenly Father felt before He created us. Do you think He was even a tiny bit nervous? I know that I'm extremely nervous to be a father. I want my future child to be the best and to always choose the right, but will he? Probably not. Heavenly Father was probably thinking the same thing. I agree with you 100% about our potential. We have our God, the Creator of the Universe and all thing that we enjoy, as the father of our spirits. We have the ability to bring children into this world and help them achieve their potential. I'm not a father yet, but when I am I know that I won't give up on my children. Ever. Just as our Heavenly Father never gives up on us.

Introduction

Hello all!

This semester I am studying The Family: A Proclamation to the World, so at least once a week I will be putting talks, as well as other goodies, on this blog that I enjoy.

**Every post that from class that I put on here will have (Insert Name Here) instead of the persons name, but don't worry, these are real people!**