To Anonymous, You said that people shouldn't nitpick, but your entry came accross like nitpicking. None of us is perfect but perhaps you should follow your own advise.

To BeeBee, You are correct about Apostles never being made emeritus. It is up to the Lord to decide who becomes the prophet. If he had not wanted President Monson then Monson would have passed before President Hinckley. I think he will do a wonderful job and I look forward to his leadership. May the Lord bless him and keep him.

I am glad pres. Monson is now the pres. of the Church, I always love to listen to Him, I always take councils from my leaders and it did help me always i am praying for heavenly father to bless him with all the wisdom he may need to help move the world. God bless Him

President Monson is the cream of the crop. He has all our love and support as being the new prophet of the LDS church. President Monson is Gods CHOSEN PROPHET. God is the ONLY one who has the right to make this kind of decision and none other. We have a deep profound and love for President Monson and his two wonderful counselors. I pray God will bless these three brilliant men as they take on the mightiest task as leaders of this church.

I do not think President Packer would put the church back years in PR. He knows more Spanish than most of the Apostles. At the dedication of the San Diego Temple he gave one of the dedicatory prayers in Spanish.
Elder Packer is now one of only three men in the quorum of the 12 or first presidency who was in the quorum of the 12 when the Revelation on the priesthood was recieved by President Kimball and endorsed by the quorum.
If you read President Packer's story about the child in Otavalo you will see he has genuine love for all of God's children. Also don't forget he baptized the first Japanese member to be baptized after World War II.
President Packer knows that the church must be kept doctrinally pure and those who teach false doctrines must be rooted out, but he loves all of God's children as much if not more than the other general authorities.

She did frame her question. It is just that some folks resented the question. President Monson does not live in a Vacum he is one of the most real people I know of. I have loved his storys over the last 20 years. When I disagree with something the Church says or does I either repent or keep it to my self. Sometimes i keep it to myself and later repent or change my view. What the Church objects to is not the Person it is what the person does. It is the Action. If a person attracted to the same sex remains celibate then it is the same as a Hetrosexual remaining so. Jesus loved the sinner hated the act of the sin. That is what the "go and send no more thing is about." There are Web sites both pro and con on this issue. The Church takes this stand and I agree. However I also know that the situation still exists and where I live we have Mahu, and Hermathrodites. The first just is, and the 2nd both just is and the further East you go the less corrected the condition is. We love our fellow man.

Why are mormons so afraid about their beliefs being known, is it because more people will not believe that mormons are Christians at all?

we are not afraid of our beliefs being known. Just look at lds.org you will find all kinds of talks about our beliefs when it comes to what we believe about god. you can hear conference talks from the apostles on everything we proscribe to believe. its no deep dark secret. feel free to browse around at lds.org.

You know, there is so much emotion involved in losing a loved one; yet, the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley has left the majority of LDS church members happy that he is has been reunited with his wonderful wife. The passing of the prophet left more than 13 million saints in question; however, President Thomas S. Monson has stepped in and taken control of this great institution. While we mourn the passing of President Hinckley, we can't help but think, "This feels right."