Comments about ‘Defending the Faith: All could learn something from ancestors’

Not only should we remember them, but in so doing our hearts are drawn towards them and we feel to want to associate with them again. This increased devotion, or love, makes us willing to do the work in Temples to see that they are afforded the opportunity of accepting the work. Being tied to ones ancestors gives one a sense of place in the universe, of belonging to a family and of sharing that most divine of all attributes---love.

In agreement with searching out and learning as much as possible about our ancestors. There is a constant flow of new information available. If one could not find info about an ancestor a few years ago, chances are that they can locate it now. However, sadness, hard feelings, bitterness, and no further contact, can easily occur when people want to do their Mormon rites for non-Mormons, who in this life were not interested in the LDS Church.. Those family members who were close to them, many times become extremely upset with the thought of LDS people "taking over" and doing something that is offensive in their minds.
Can't help but wonder how LDS would feel if some other religious sect that they "had not respected or wanted to have anything to do with" were to "take their ancestors somewhere they had not wanted to go".

You mean Memorial Day wasn't invented as an excuse to have store sales and to give families a 3 day weekend to get away and go boating?

Richard Bach once wrote, "What a caterpillar sees as the end of the world, the Creator sees as a butterfly." (That was paraphrased, but I believe it is very close to the original quote.)

The difference, of course, is perspective.

A broad perspective can frame life's difficulties in a way that helps us see our problems as detour signs and not stop signs. That alone makes having a broad perspective a handy habit for those who want to live happily despite challenges.

If we can look at our lives with a perspective broad enough to include how our ancestors lived, overcame adversity and found happiness, odds are we will live more appreciative of what we have, and less inclined to overreact and get discouraged (or angry) when things don't go well.

Thanks for the thought-provoking article.

Speaking of perspective, I'd be interested in reading your take on the Gospel of Barnabas, which Iran’s Basij Press is now claiming will cause the worldwide collapse of Christianity.

Thank Bro. Peterson

An appropriate article for this week of Memorial Day.
Those gone ahead remind us to remember them in all ways possible.
The Temple is such a place of love and happiness as we do the Lord's work.
We do, however, need to check if the temple work for our departed is already done.
The more research I do, the more I find that temple work has been done over and
over again. What a waste of the patrons and temple time. Bllions of souls are
waiting for us to do their work, we surely can take time to check to see if the
work is already completed. Just because we are new to Temple work or new in the
church does not mean some other descendant may not have completed the work earlier.

RE: We lived before we came into this world, and we will continue living beyond it. We cannot ultimately be *destroyed?
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can*Destroy both soul and body in hell (Mt 10:28).

RE: andrejules, Baptism for the dead.
Mosiah 2:39,”And now I say unto you, that mercy hath no claim on that man; therefore his’ Final doom’ is to endure a never ending torment.

“man may commit certain grievous sins-according to his light and knowledge –that will place him beyond the reach of the atoning blood of Christ. If then he would be saved he must make sacrifice of his own life to atone-…for the blood of Christ alone under certain circumstances will not avail. (Mormon Doctrine p.93)

re: Sharrona

If you are going to quote the Book of Mormon, then quote it in context. Mosiah 2:35 - 38, explains what verse 39 is talking about. Someone who has been taught the gospel and fully enbraced it and then rejected it and died an enemy to God.

Thank you for writing this. My parents are buried at Arlington. My dad piloted 37 B-25 missions out of North Africa in 1942-3. During the "fly 'til you die" era, he ended up as one of only three from his flight-school class of 106 to survive the war. Shot down in May 1943, he spent two years as a POW, escaping in March 1945. He was 5'9" and weighed 98 pounds when he reached Allied lines. Then he flew U2 missions over the Soviet Union and Cuba in the 1950's and '60's and served in Vietnam in 1968-9. He earned the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. In 1989 he was invited back to Berlin to help negotiate the withdrawal of Russian forces. It grieves me when people speak as if the only heroes of the restored gospel are the pioneers, and it riles me when people imply that only Mormons will know the highest degrees of glory. My parents never accepted the Church, largely because they felt that Mormons were unpatriotic. I don't know where this idea came from, but I work to dispel it.

wjutjck
You are talking to sharrona, a former member who has left the Church but can't leave the Church alone. They spew hate and misinformation all of the time just as many of the critics in here do. What Sharrona fails to understand is that they are of whom this part of scripture may actually be talking about.

There are others that come in here that miss this as well.

The last verses in the Old testament foretell that Elijah will return to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers and vice versa and Jews still set an extra place at their Passover meals for Elijah. LDS believe he has already come, in the 1800s and it is all about doing this work for the dead, to give them a choice to accept or reject it.
It NEVER "takes anyone where they don't want to go"!
Any Jews or others who have taken the time to understand this are not upset as they either think it is nothing or that it IS respectful of the dead. It is a gift of love and service. Similar to the LDS volunteers indexing the 1940 US census.

Re: Wjutjck, Read Alma34: 33-35 in context. No chance for salvation after dead..
(2 Nephi 28:21) And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them; I am no devil, for there is none and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains from whence ‘there is No deliverance.’
(D&C 132:41)…”if a man receiveth a wife in the new and everlasting covenant and she be with another man, and I have not appointed unto her by holy anointing, she hath committed adultery she will be ‘destroyed.”

Re; Gramajane, Jews still set an extra place at their Passover meals for Elijah. LDS believe he has already come, in the 1800s.
( Malachi 4:5) See, I will send you the prophet Elijah…. John the Baptist ministered in the spirit and power of Elijah.(Luke 1:17,Mt 11:13-14). Christians believe Elijah/John purpose was to announce the Messiah. Elias is Elijah poor KJV transliteration.

RE: Bill In Nebraska, They spew hate and misinformation? I’m quoting lDS and Biblical sources.

Enjoyed article. I enjoy family history but love to read and find out about their lives. I'm danish on dads side and a hodgepodge on moms side. I'm So grateful for my ancestors and there determination to ride it out in the Nebraska prairies.