Transcript PowerPoint Presentation - On Moral Issues of the Day A

30 October 2005
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On Moral Issues
of the Day
-A Fifth Sunday Lesson
Mustard Seed
http://china.tyfo.com
D. Calvin Andrus
Sterling Park Ward
30 October 2005
Four Principles
• Before I get to the subject of
Moral Issues, I want to discuss
four principles.
• I hope that we can use these four
principles to help us see how we
resolve Moral Issues in our own
lives.
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First Principle
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Deductive Logic (Aristotle)
All bishops sleep in church
Bro. Andrus is a bishop
-------------[Fill in deduction]
General


Specific
Deduction: Bro. Andrus
sleeps in church
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Aristotle from http://en.wikipedia.org/
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Inductive Logic (Francis Bacon)
Bishop Andrus sleeps in church
Bishop Hale slept in church
Bishop Andros slept in church
Bishop Roueche slept in church
-------------[Fill in the induction]
Specific


General
Induction: All bishops sleep
in church
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Bacon from http://en.wikipedia.org/
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Logics of the World
• Deductive and Inductive logic are two
examples of several logics we use to “make
sense” of the world around us.
– The world around us is a Telestial World and the
logics we use to understand this world are Telestial
logics.
• These logics do not necessarily apply to the
Celestial Worlds (Isaiah 55:8-9)
– Therefore, it is likely that many of the Celestial
principles we learn do not “make sense” by the
reasoning of the Telestial logics
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Prerequisite for Obedience
• Is understanding a prerequisite
for obedience?
• Does a Celestial principle have to
“make sense” in order for us to live
it?
No.
• So what is the prerequisite for
obedience?
FAITH.
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Principle #1 - Faith
Faith--not understanding-is the prerequisite for
obedience
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Faith
• The fourth Article of Faith says
that Faith is the first principle of
the Gospel
• In hymn #19, we declare our
thankfulness for a prophet to
guide us in these latter days
– Today we will receive some of that
guidance
– I hope we can still be grateful by the
end of class
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Celestial Logic
• Celestial principles are understood
(“make sense”) through the Spirit, not
by Telestial reasoning
• Spiritual understanding comes after the
trial of our faith, not before (Ether
12:6)
• In order to get a testimony (spiritual
understanding) of a principle, we first
must live it (John 7:17)
FaithObedienceSpiritTestimony
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Eternal Progression
• Most of us have testimonies of many principles, and take
other principles on faith
• This is one definition of eternal progression -- starting
from what we know and acquiring more spiritual
knowledge (testimony of more principles) through
personal revelation by the exercise of faith
FaithObedienceSpiritTestimony
FaithObedienceSpiritTestimony
FaithObedienceSpiritTestimony
FaithObedienceSpiritTestimony
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Second Principle
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This One’s for You
• We share one
another’s burdens
• We rejoice in
others’ successes
• We help each other
live the gospel
• But, individual
righteousness is won
person by person
• Each one of us must
have a personal change
of heart
• We each repent of our
own sins
• The group moral codes have no efficacy until
they are adopted and implemented by individual
members of the group
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Principle #2 - Personal
The moral issues we will
talk about are personal to
you -- you must decide
what you will do
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Third Principle
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Live and Let Live
• You know people who do not live by
the moral codes I will present
• These moral codes are NOT a
yardstick by which we judge other
people or their behavior
• Nor is their behavior the yardstick
we use to measure our behavior
Judge
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Principle #3 - Judgment
We will not stand in
judgment of others’
adherence to these
moral codes
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Fourth Principle
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Let the Spirit be your Guide
• I will be explaining WHAT the moral
guidelines are,
– not WHY we have them, and
– not HOW to implement them in your own
life
• How quickly and how strictly we
implement them is a conversation we
each must have with Heavenly Father
• When we act in accordance with His
will, our confidence will wax strong as
we approach His judgment bar
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Principle #4 - Spirit
We will be sure the Holy Ghost
confirms that our behavior
with regard to moral issues
aligns with Heavenly
Father’s will
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OK, on to the Moral Issues
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Building Usage
• No recordings in the Chapel (image,
audio, video)
• Conservative flower arrangements are
the only decorations permitted in the
Chapel
• Lighted candles are prohibited in
church buildings or during
(non-building) worship services F
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Clothing
• While we allow non-members and less
active members to wear just about
anything to sacrament meeting, active
members should wear “best dress” to
Sunday meetings, including
– Dress shoes
– Ties
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•
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(cf. Elder Holland’s talk to the Young Women in Oct 2005 Conference)
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Bodily Disfigurements
• Tattoos are discouraged
• Piercings are discouraged
• Cosmetic surgery is questionable,
especially when vanity is the motivation
• We should be guided by the Spirit in
donating or receiving bodily organs or
tissues for medical purposes
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Temple
• Temple clothes may be made at home
ONLY under the direction of the Relief
Society President
• Do not make your own garments
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Death and Dying
• When the time has come to pass on to our next
assignment, we should not extend life
unreasonably
• Suicide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia,
however, are violations of the commandments
• Autopsies which comply with legal requirements
are fine
• Cremation, like all bodily disfigurements, is
discouraged
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• Stillborn children are not blessed
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nor do they have temple work done
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Birth Control
• Decisions concerning the timing
and number of children a couple
will have is between them and the
Lord
– Surgical sterilization, however, is strongly
discouraged
• Abortion as birth control
is a serious sin
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Genetic Material
• Genetic material, like sexual relations,
should be kept within the bonds of
marriage
• We discourage
– Allowing a non-spouse to use your genetic material
– Using non-spouse genetic material in your procreation
efforts
– Engaging in surrogate pregnancies,
either as a provider, a receiver,
or a financial sponsor
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Bearing Children
• A member who sires or bears a
child out of wedlock is subject to
church discipline
• Children are better off being
sealed to their parents than not
being sealed
– Therefore children born out of wedlock
should be given up for adoption to LDS
social services, who will find a temple
worthy couple to whom the child
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will be sealed
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Homosexuality
• Same sex attraction is not a sin
• Same sex sexual behavior is a sin
• The Church opposes same sex marriages
• The same chastity rules apply to single
people, whether they have homosexual
or heterosexual preferences
• Entertaining sexual fantasies
(homosexual or
heterosexual) are a sin
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The Occult
• Do not affiliate with occult groups,
practices, or games
• Do not participate in hypnosis for
demonstration or entertainment
purposes
• Therapeutic hypnosis should be
undertaken only with the
confirmation of the Spirit
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Miscellaneous
• The church name and logo-type may only
be used for official church purposes
– Ditto for lists of church members
• Abuse and cruelty are sins
• Shun gambling in all forms
• Shun pornography in all forms
• Be wary of “self-awareness” groups
• Be wary of “Mormon” symposia
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Remember
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Mustard Seed
http://china.tyfo.com