Sue Ann "selah",
Hey Karen, how did you know that Selah is part of my name?
it is fun that anyone is actually reading my stuff.
How very brave of you to persevere through quiet months of posting! You know, I admire that in you a lot!
The LDS do not understand, I don't think, the scriptural fervor, and necessity for excruciating accuracy, when trying to communicate a foreign idea. They assume you are warring and hatefull and fighting or something. It has just not been that safe yet to speak. The LDS can be so casual and simple in their "just going to church", that they are failing to "give answer for their faith", to become more accurate, and in find something universally conveyable about thier Faith. This has been a real challenge.
I really would like to believe that other LDS's besides you have "scriptural ferver." Have you not met ANYONE from your belief system who has this?!
Okay, from your reading, I am putting two and two together and get that you don't feel safe to talk to LDS about evangelical subjects because LDS "assume you are warring and hateful and fighting or something." I hope I understood you correctly! Anyway, I trust you will let me know if I'm wrong. Assuming I understood you, then why do you suppose they react that way? Have you asked them what they are thinking/feeling when you speak up?
Karen, I am trying to keep my statements to the topic of current LDS life, but I have to compare us a little bit. When I was in the SDA church (growing up) I began asking questions at around ten years old and oh my goodness, that was hard! "They" reacted the same way you say LDS do. Do you want to know what I think is their rationale for feeling "warring and hateful and fighting or something" uncomfortable? Do you want to know what I think we can do about that?
How do YOU perceive LDS to view themselves (and outsiders)? I see that YOU perceive LDS to be somewhat "casual and simple," but do you think THEY see THEMSELVES that way?
casual and simple in their "just going to church"
Karen, this phrase reminds me of your answer to my question about prayer. You said that praying with arms folded across the chest is a habit. "Just going to church" is a habit too.
What, do you suppose, would foster LDS habits? Keep in mind sister, I am very aware that SDA, Baptist, Catholic, Charismatics and every other denomination/religion under the sun has developed and maintains habits too. However, you seem to indicate that there are very few LDS, if any, (besides you) who break the habits. What are you searching for? Are you satisfied with LDS doctrine? You don't sound satisfied with the habits. It looks like you break the mold, so to speak, because you seem eager to search the scriptures and ask questions. So is the current LDS church NOT eager to search the scriptures and ask questions or would you say that they simply sit still and listen to church leadership and then do as they are told...I'm not assuming anything. I'm asking for your viewpoint.
to become more accurate, and in find something universally conveyable about thier Faith.
Can you say more about the quote above? What needs to become more accurate? Are you saying there is NOT something universally conveyable about LDS? Is this your POV about LDS? I would guess that the LDS church leadership would say there is, in fact, a universally conveyable message, although I personally don't know what it is. I mean I can guess but I don't really know.
I would like to learn to debate Homer or darinhouston for instance, and try and get just one foriegn point across, but have no skills to do so. It's pretty funny. This may be one of the major LDS/Evangelical communication barriers at present.
I think your communication skills are pretty savvy. It's not communication skills that are lacking; it's recognition of authority. I'm not going to speak for Homer or darinhouston, but I will speak for myself. If you were trying to get a foreign point across to me, we would both need to agree on a most FOUNDATIONAL PRECEPT. That is,
by what AUTHORITY do we receive truth?
If you could convince me that your source of information is True, then getting foreign points across becomes a matter of discovery. Fun! But who wants to discover stuff they believe is coming from a place they believe is false? See, you have to convince me (or your listener) that you have the source of truth. THEN, you can get your foreign points across!

So sometime, I would like for you to defend your source. What evidence can you provide?
If, "are LDS practices safe" is a worry, I'm always keeping my eyes open. I think they are both safe and fun, on the ward level.
So I understand you to say that LDS practices are safe and fun on the ward level. Well, are you saying there is a level where LDS practices are dangerous?
It is entirely a "lay" body, merely taking turns, with no professional clergy or church leadership outside of a policy or lesson manual, so keep that in mind.

Now this is really cool!

This information agrees with my Authority, the Bible. So....sister! We have unity on this! Wow! a place to start...
I have visited LDS churches (wards) so I have witnessed your style of meetings. I find no fault in your style, nor in your "lay" leadership. When one is motivated by something other than money (salary) I respect that very much. I go to a "home church." About 30 families from all over the area meet in different member's homes for potluck, Bible reading, prayer, singing, fellowship, baptism and communion. The brothers come with a scriptural reading and teaching point and other brothers and sisters come with songs, or offer verses/perspectives about the main scriptural reading/topic.
If a member says that Quetziquatal was Jesus Christ, for instance, or that the 10 lost tribes of Israel are out in outerspace just now, keep in mind I've heard worse by just visting a local Four Square Gospel Fellowship, like bar codes on our foreheads will be both the mark of the beast and the signal that end of the entire earth is near.
Someone was either immature, overzealous, unbalanced or worse! Oh and hey, I think I visited that same FSGF!

(just kidding...)
TNP topics have been very cool for LDS folks while driving...
Do you know other LDS folks who listen to TNP? others besides yourself?
I am willing to talk about just about anything you pick up on, but I am really interested in AUTHORITY. I think of it like the FOUNDATION. If one has the right foundation, they can successfully build on it. I have wanted to dig into this with my son but we have not done so. Tonight I called him on the phone and invited him into the forum. He got online and I think he read the thread. (I had to get off the phone

) So today I hope to add one to your number, Karen, another LDS who fervently seeks Truth and braves TNP!
Good night sister!
SueAnn* (you can call me Selah if you want to

)