I never saw the first God's Army, but a sequel? Is he going to be one of the old missionary's this time?
Oh and i used to be Mormon, but heads up! All religion is bogus!
tell you what, watch gods army. and try to understand that all religion is not bogus. it is all in your heart. read the bible and the book of mormon and possibly a few general conference talks and you can get back your testimony.
god bless
thanks
Sometimes I'm afraid religion is bogus, but I try not to be swayed by that fear; I/we need a transcendental philosophy to get through the day. Otherwise there's no accountability, no justice, nothing but the shared fate of oblivion which renders our lives meaningless. I don't want to live with that mindset, and I make a much better neighbor to the rest of you if I believe in a divine ideal. I'll certainly attend whatever movie Dutcher creates, because he reinforces our better natures, and there's not enough of that these days. His work is positive without being sappy, which is no small trick. BTW, I'm not Mormon.
shareAll religion is bogus?
You don't believe that. You just want to so you don't have to feel bad about breaking the commandments. Enjoy the telestial kingdom and the whole suffering for your own sins deal that comes with it.
There are so Many LDS members out there that have no idea what it is like to loose your testimony. They think people want to loose it on purpose so they can go out and break the Commandments so they don't feel bad. The truth is people do loose their testimonies but not on purpose. Take me for instance. Im a return missionary, 23 years old and for some odd reason one day my testimony vanished. Like It was never there. I have no idea why. Im worthy, I studdy, Pray, everything. It's been a year and a half since this has happened. Guess what Im doing now. Im still trying my hardest to find it. Im working with my Branch President on this and he has no remedy but tells me to keep as brave as I have been over this past time.
Don't you dare let anyone tell you that you lost your testimony on purpose for pleasure. They will never know how incredibly difficult life is without it until they have experienced it themselves.
I wont give up but it did happen. Why? I hope its just a step in strength I must take.
hey jeff
i am a 39 year old member of the church who was baptized when i was 11. i lost my testimony just about the time i was supposed to go on my mission. and missed out on it, because i was not worthy.
i stopped going to church, my mother died at a young age,i was 17, and i pretty much gave up on god and the church. i always seemed to know that the church was right but i couldn't testify to it being TRUE. true is a big word and requires alot of faith.
it was not until i was married, my wife and i were both inactive members of the church when we met and we thought well......we would go back when we had kids.
well we did....but not until my daughters were in their teens and asked me if i would baptize them like one of their friends dad had baptized his daughter. i have always regretted waiting so long. heavenly father didn't walk away from me i walked away from him.
at that point i had to make a decision on what i actually believed.
i worked hard at it, and studied, and became worthy again. but my actual testimony didn't come back until i was standing in the water ready to baptize my 2 girls. the feeling that came over me was.....uplifting to say the least. when i did their confirmations, i remember starting each of them, you know saying the things to actually make it legal. and then waited for the spirit to take over. i still to this day do not know what i said. but everyone there was in tears including my teenage daughters, my wife, and the assembled friends and priesthood that were there.
it was the most humbling thing i had ever experienced in my life. being sealed to my wife was a very close second.
so, i guess what i am saying is do not give up, keep the faith, and eventually heavenly father will be there for you also, more than likely when you need him most. remember then line from the end of god's army.
pops: "i guess it's good that you can always count on your father"
elder allen: "wait i just said....."
pops: "no, i said you real father"
god bless
your friend in christ
greg
I read jeffrey-root's comment a couple of days ago and it really touched me. This year has been extremely hard for me and I'm so exhausted that my testimony just kind of drowned. I've been a member for the past three years (almost), so it's hard for me to come to this position. I had this great conversion, then my testimony just kind of faded. But jeffrey-root, the fact that you haven't given up and still have hope touches me and strengthens me on my own journey. You're very brave!
Thanks for the comments from the both of you. You guys are great. I'm hanging on like you, Jeff. I have very high hopes that, like GMC, I'll have that great conversion come back. Though I don't know you, I have this same hope for you.
Hey Jeffrey root, i can give u advice, im 18 and want to go on a mission. my testimony was but a grain of salt. and i have ben trying to build it like crazy. if you want to do that, somthing that helps me.. go to church dances, activities, surround urself with that atmosphere, cuz when you do. you notice that there is somthing different/special about these people, and there is a reason behind that. think of the amaazing expereicnes on ur mission. if uve made a mistake, dont feel bad, strive for forgivness. trust me, i have made some STUPID mistakes.. but im repenting as we speak. if you have any questions feel free to e-mail, id love to help.
take care
Hey Jeffrey root, i can give u advice, im 18 and want to go on a mission. my testimony was but a grain of salt. and i have ben trying to build it like crazy. if you want to do that, somthing that helps me.. go to church dances, activities, surround urself with that atmosphere, cuz when you do. you notice that there is somthing different/special about these people, and there is a reason behind that. think of the amaazing expereicnes on ur mission. if uve made a mistake, dont feel bad, strive for forgivness. trust me, i have made some STUPID mistakes.. but im repenting as we speak. if you have any questions feel free to e-mail, id love to help.
take care
Well that certainly is strange. I believe you, but if I had merely been told such a thing was possible, I wouldn't have believed that.
I have known of people who got offended by a member of the Church who was rude to them, and it snowballed into them losing their testimony and becoming enemies of the Church and of God. I had assumed that was the only forumla.
I personally cannot imagine losing my testimony when I think of the Savior. He built this planet and owns it and everything on it. He has lovingly cared for and watched over His siblings ever since the days of Adam and Eve. He lived a perfect life, never even once giving in to temptation to do the slightest iniquity. And yet He suffered every insult, offense, and abuse that can be imagined when He instead deserved every honor, every respect, and every bit of love and adoration that the human race could muster. He suffered physical and spiritual torment that no human being ever has or ever will experience, at least not in mortality. He died, willingly, like a lamb, when He had other things He wanted to do, places He wanted to go, and people He wanted to see. He gave all and received the most severe abuse in return, and He did it for us. He did it so we could be free. He did it because otherwise we would have no chance whatsoever of returning to live with Heavenly Father. I have a hard time coughing up a couple of dollars for a homeless person and He was beaten and scourged, insulted and crucified for the entire human race, including those who even now mock Him, take His name in vain, and deride Him. Yes, even them.
I think maybe I felt the onset of what you're talking about, losing your testimony. My experience came about because Satan wanted to define who I am. He wanted me to accept his definition of who I am based on the things he succeeded in getting me to do. One day, I decided to let the Savior define me, in terms of what He was willing to suffer for my sake. My outlook changed quite a bit, as I'm sure you can imagine. I can still hear Satan trying to break my spirit, but I know to listen instead to the Holy Spirit, and accept every kind thing He says, meekly, but with confidence.
Know this: You are a child, a literal child, of Heavenly Parents. They can forgive when you wouldn't think it possible. They can love with a depth you cannot fathom. They personify every benevolent virtue that exists, and to a degree that is beyond the comprehension of you or me. If you think They don't love you, you're mistaken. If you think hope is gone, or could ever be gone, you're mistaken. Consider how much They must love Jesus, and yet, for your sake, they allowed Him to suffer the greatest atrocities and blasphemies that have ever occurred or ever will.
Every time the Sun rises, it is an opportunity to please Them, and I can assure you that it's not that hard to do. Every time you say something nice to someone, every time you hold the door open for a stranger, every time you let somebody merge in front of you in traffic, every time you help somebody with some sort of task or another, you are doing a great deed in the sight of God.
You are loved, even if you can't see it. You can always feel it, if you can hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. If you can't hear it, just look for something positive to do, and then listen. It won't be long.
The Lord tests us all and sometimes it feels like too much. I admire your strength and willingness to continue. I believe there are those out there who leave their religion because they feel great guilt about something and do not have a great testimony of the atonement. I do not know your situation but I believe their are others who do wake up one day and realize their testimony was not as strong as they thought it was. That is a difficult realization. I have been both places but have never chosen to leave the church. I held steadfast and worked really hard. It can feel overwhelming and scary. The Lord loves you. You are in the midst of a refining fire. I hope you will be better for it.
God bless.
I just read your words, guardmom32. Beautiful...
Thanks for sharing (with all of us)!
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."--Albert Einstein
"Enjoy the telestial kingdom and the whole suffering for your own sins deal that comes with it."
Stupid comments like that are what give us Mormons such a judgemental rap. If you think that's how it works, you don't even know your own religion. Just worry about yourself and shut up. And by the way, I AM Mormon, and very disappointed by your comments.
"A Beautiful Mind" is "Fight Club" for p#$$ies.
Nope...if you're speaking of Dutcher. He is not playing any starring roles in this movie that I know of; at the most, he'll be an extra.
Well, that's all.
I just watched the film, and I didn't notice Dutcher in it at all. It would be rather odd, don't you think, if Elder Dalton appeared in the mission again? Especially after President Beecroft made that really nice eulogy and all.
shareI just watched it too--and by the way, it was excellent story-telling and well done cinematically and emotionally and spiritually moving--and I didn't see him in front of the camera at all, either. In a weird way, that was odd to not see him playing any parts in front of the camera, but I bet that was refreshing for him to do what he does best, which is build great, interesting, surprising and complex story lines and characters. Ignaccio (Lozano) made an interesting comment in an article about Dutcher's ability as a director to know his characters so well that at any given moment, Ignaccio could ask Richard why Lozano said a certain line, and Dutcher could always answer it. That's quite a compliment from an actor to the director, dont-cha-think?
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."--Albert Einstein