Martain

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About Martain

  • Birthday 10/25/1985

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  • Website URL
    https://www.facebook.com/daniel.motola.5

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Salt Lake City, UT
  • Religion
    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Martain's Achievements

  1. It's very sad but I'm not surprised that the movement above misunderstands the Law of Adoption as even Brigham Young didn't understand it either. In the Joseph Smith History (1:39) we have Moroni quoting the text of Malachi to Joseph but changing the words slightly to say, “And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.” (JS-H: 1:39) The law wasn't that you were sealed to some to a man in a father son relationship but that you, like Abraham, have planted within you and then seek out and obtain the promises made to 'The Fathers'. It wasn't a linkup to your own dead who after all are in need of you, rather it was a linkup to those Father's who were worthy and who are already saved. It is welding a direct link between you and them bypassing all of those generations between you to where you are adopted directly into the Family of God. I feel very inadequate to explain it to others having only come to an understanding of it myself but I know of someone who explains it very well and with great simplicity by use of the scriptures.
  2. Dear Revan, I want to help you. I wish I knew better what words to offer you or what answers to extend that would make the difference. What I do know is that I have been where you are and know of what you speak. Yet even if I were to tell you my answers, would you accept them that they would aid you? What I can offer you is empathy and a sincere prayer on your behalf. Sincerely Martain
  3. Agreed. To mind is the false saying, "The end justifies the means". If we were to accept this as true, then we should have voted for Satan who indicated that the ends (eternal life) justified the means (destroy agency). The mind staggers and the heart breaks as to what trauma has been perpetrated upon you or someone you love as to so polarize you to this view and I truly hope you do not really mean this. Where in your view do you then leave room for the Atonement coupled with repentance? In the ends to protect the children, where will you draw the line at what means are justified?
  4. Thanks for the responses =). Actually, K9 is the filter I've been using for quite a while =) and I too recommend it. The problem I was having is that I wasn't able to get wild card white listing to work through K9. It's not robust enough. The problem with the family Open DNS settings is that they wouldn't be sufficient to what I'm seeking. You're also right that it likewise wouldn't work because Open DNS is a network and not device driven and I need this to be locked down where ever I go. The reason for a third party is because once the settings are in place, I want to turn over the key to a third party for safe keeping. The goal is to put all possible forms of temptation out of reach not only regarding anything regarding the law of Chastity but also anything regarding recreation/entertainment as well. The good news is that I finally found something that looks like it will do what I've been seeking. Kaspersky seems to have the white listing tool I seek as part of their internet protection tool and I'll know within the 30 day trial period whether or not it will make the cut.
  5. The difficulty I think lies in our ignorance. While the Lord knows who has and who hasn't sincerely repented and been changed by the Atonement, we do not. I do agree with Vort that the scarlet M is no more Christian than the scarlet A is. As Christians, in a situation where the banned person is given the real reason for the ban, couldn't an alternative be created for those whose labeling is unfair or who have truly changed? If you can't see the details as to why they're on it, can't you indicate that they would need to provide it? Could you not have an appeals process where in essence you take it before the Lord and ask whether or not they have repented such that it is safe for your business to not ban them? I dunno... but surely if you're desire is pure to do what is right by the Lord, couldn't you receive personal revelation regarding how to be both merciful and just in such situations?
  6. Hello! Anyone know of a good whitelist internet tool? I've been using a web filter tool for years now but I've come to the conclusion that it's not enough. I feel it's time to lock down the fort so to speak and found that white listing is the way to go. Rather than try to categorize and filter the whole internet, I'll simply choose in advance the few websites I need and approve of and only these few will be allowed entry. The problem I've found is finding a good one that uses wildcard filtering. Password protection is needed to and the solution needs to be device rather than network based. I want to be able to take my computer anywhere and know that regardless of what connection I'm linked to, as long as I'm on THIS laptop, I'm safe. Anyone have any suggestions? P.S. In my searching, for those who are interested, OpenDNS appears to be exactly what I'm looking for but on a network basis rather than device. If you're wanting to lock down your home to where only specific websites are accessible, this appears to be a really good solution!
  7. I know how you feel for I have felt the same way. Up against the wall of sin and addiction I did all within my power to repent and when I was still bound by sin and when no feeling of forgiveness came I felt very discouraged and reasoned as you reasoned that if all I can do is still not enough, then what is the point of trying. "I've repented but don't know if the Lord forgives me. If he doesn't forgive me then what's the point of resisting sin further? If the Lord doesn't forgive me then what is the point of repenting?" You wonder if the Lord has forgiven you for your sins when you repent of them. Certainly if you repent He will forgive you so the question becomes; How do you know that you've repented properly and sufficiently before the Lord? Imagine you take your car into the dealership to be fixed. The dealer looks over the car and gives you a list of everything wrong with it. You look it over and choose a couple of items most pressing to resolve and pass over the rest either because you lack the funds to repair or the time to wait while repairs are completed. My first encounter with serious repentance was like the example above. I had a few key things I wanted to repent of, be freed from, and be forgiven of. When that didn't happen the way I wanted I gave up and it was years before I reached the point of trying again. Eventually I reached the point to where I said, “Heavenly Father, I don’t want to sin anymore. I’ve confessed and forsaken them. I’m so sorry. Please, forgive me.” “Father, I’m finally willing to go all the way. I understand now that it’s all or nothing. Whatever I have to forsake, whatever I have to do, whatever I have to change, however much it may hurt, however long it make take, I don’t care. I’ll do it. Please! Save me!” It was then and only then that I felt the power of the atonement flood my life. It was then that the chains of addiction were broken and I received a new heart. It was only when I offered my whole soul as an offering that my offering was sufficient. The master mechanic knows the danger of a partial fix when what all of us need is a complete overhawl. Large or small in our eyes, all issues unaddressed will result in a fatality. Therefore he waits until we are truly willing to come to him. In the real world the price is money of which many of us lack. In repentance the price is our whole heart, our whole soul as an offering. I do not know what you were repenting of. I do not know how sincere your repentance was but I do know that when we repent the Lord forgives us. There is a way back for you just as there was for me. I've been where you've been and traveled (travelling) the road you seek to take to return. A few years back I prayerfully wrote out my conversion story in the hopes that it would one day be of use to others. I invite and ask you to read the full account in hopes that the Lord will use what I've written to help you understand what he would have you do to be forgiven. My prayer is with you, Sincerely, Martain
  8. For personal reasons and via personal study I would very much like to see GMO labeling. For the same reasons I advocate 100% truth in advertising and truthful labeling of all ingredients in a product, I likewise advocate GMO labeling. I prefer being given the Agency to choose for myself, and alow others the same privaledge, whether I eat such foods or not.
  9. I'm not yet certain I'm comfortable with the idea of playing it via skype (classified as video/electronic gaming? Uknown) but may do so due to no other option presenting itself. If I start this way, I may end up ceasing if I learn it does fall into the above category. Optimally, I'm looking for individuals locally.
  10. Lol! Well at the moment I settled on a class that's a cross between a rogue and a alchemist which will fit the roll of a skill monkey (high diplomacy skills) where I will choose to put no points in the bluff skill and use intimidate only in valid scenarios (think Moroni commanding Zarahemna to depart with a oath of peace or be brought down to the dust). It would need a GM willing to play to the style desired. The first recourse would be attempting peaceful resolutions but there would invariably be scenarios where the NPC/Monster simply refuses and that's part of the game. The goal isn't to resolve every encounter peacefully but to have made the attempt and to learn via the Spirit what one would do then. When you offer mercy, does your near death foe accept or are they so hardhearted and bloodthirsty that they would rather die so long as they have even a chance of taking you with them? Do they flee and do you follow to smite them like Gidgidonihah versus the Gaddianton robbers? Do they throw down their weapons and plead for mercy? If so what do you do if they break their promise? I'll admit I'm having a hard time with the spells and sorcery and magic part of the game but have determined for now that there are simply items/abilities I won't use and which also was consideration in why I chose a non magic casting character to start with. Part of the play will be to learn such a system well enough that eventually I might be able to replace it with a version based upon true gifts from the Lord based on faith. I honestly don't know completely how it would work only that I truly feel it could if approached by players with similar intent. Such a group could for example start an adventure path with kingdom building central to play where the players act in central roles in the community government and have to defend against enemies that come and attack their people/lands or other threats that crop up in the land.
  11. BackStory: I used to be a very addicted video gamer until the gospel took root in my heart and I wanted freedom. After much pondering and prayer I was finally given some very direct personal revelation regarding the matter and as of such I do not play video/electronic games and was freed/ransomed from my addiction by the power of the atonement. This being said, the Lord has not taken from my heart the root desire or enjoyment of such games which has frustrated me because I can't find any game out there that fills this desire righteously. I invariably end up purchasing a board game that looks decent only to become opposed to it with in a short period of time due to various game mechanics which run contrary to what I know is true. I want to roleplay righteouss not wickedness/worldliness. The more I look the more it seems clear that there are not games out there such as I seek where the game is based upon true principals. There are no Terrestrial/Celestial RPG games out there because creation of such would require someone with a firm understanding of Terrestrial/Celestial laws to create it in the first place. I wonder if the reason the Lord has left such in my heart is because perhaps one day I'll simply have to create the game I seek. Until then I've been searching and currently settled on Pathfinders as a possible Role Playing Game that might be turned to fill and fit the desire I seek. Yet although I've done extensive reading/preparation for play, I've only played once because the group I originally started with had players whose mentality was an abhorrant 'kill everything!' and who after I indicated I wouldn't be playing with the group any more and pointed out their actions to the GM (game master) had the moral alignments of their characters adjusted to neutral evil and chaotic evil to reflect their in game actions. I believe that done right, this game can be used to put myself in a position where the Lord can teach me truth's and where the game can act as a launching stone propelling me forward in truth and righteousness. Now I simply have to find a group of like minded people, coordinate a time, and find someone willing to GM according to such desires.
  12. So I'm wondering, are there any individuals here in Salt Lake City that would be interested in an attempt to play Pathfinder or Pathfinder Society organized play with the intent to role play righteousness? Sort of an "in the game but not of the game" mentality where placed in fictional scenarios we don't run into in real life we can choose to do the right thing even if doing so means the death of our character or imprisonment etc? Where rather slaying enemies for loot/reward we instead try to reason with them and "raise the banner of peace" first? Where we implement the laws in the Book of Morman regarding righteous warfare? Example: Evil dragon (as in pillage/slaughter villages of people) swooped down on us with the intent to kill us. My question was whether attempt to speak and resolve peacefully in hopes of guiding towards redemption or simply smite and was taught by the Spirit which was the right. I want to put myself into more scenarios like this where the ethics of the situation are not something I clearly understand (due to scenario being foreign) so that the Spirit can teach me the way to go. Where I can choose to do the right thing regardless of the in game consequences for doing so. This way, should the equivalent of such experiences ever arise in reality, I've already likened the scriptures to myself in this manner and I'll already know what to do rather than trying to do so when actually faced with such choices (sort of how we make decision ahead of time to only marry in the temple rather than leaving decision to the very end). So basically I'm looking for some others who would be interested in this type of playing style where the goal isn't to obtain loot and level up but to play with integrity to what we know is right and wrong. Anyone interested?
  13. I agree, this is the thought that came to my mind when I started reading what you've written although the book I'm familiar with is "The Five Love Languages" I feel for you and pray that the Lord will grant you the light and knowledge you are seeking. Depending on things, while I may be off on this, how are his testostrone levels?
  14. Yeah! That was awesome Quin! =) I really enjoyed reading what you wrote. Your literary voice style was great!