Upward Thought

What is the significance of the Lord’s resurrection? A principle component is the evidence it provides that he exists and the certification it provides of what the scriptures record about him. His resurrection proved that his claims of knowing the way to life were true, and that those who live what he taught will receive the same. While these statements are hopefully unsurprising and uncontroversial with professed Christians, they are an example of an all-too-common problem with modern Christianity: the tendency to hold beliefs that contradict each other without seeming to notice or care. I’ll explain what I mean in this case. The common definition of faith is something like “when you believe without evidence.” If evidence is not necessary, why would Christ go through all the trouble he did to die and rise again? Yes, there were other things he came to do. But why didn’t you take issue with my claim that a principle component of the resurrection was the evidence for the gospel he preac...

Lately, I've been dabbling on Twitter/x (@upward_thought), searching for those searching for greater light and truth. It's been a while since I've had overtly religious conversations with people outside of the LDS sphere. Boy, am I disappointed. I'd say that more than 75% of people claiming to be Christian know and care less about how Jesus actually is than your average atheist. Instead, they are like pull-string talking dolls with the same 3-4 brainless slogans, depending on their sect. These are not sincere people; these are not people who think and feel according to the light they have. Meanwhile, it's not hard to find someone who, in spite of claiming that they don't believe in God or aren't sure if he exists, actually live life at least quasi-intentionally. The way must be cleared, and it will be, as greater challenges are continuously poured out to reveal the limits of what people mistake for sufficient foundations. Lord, may the dead branches be remov...

I found this parable to have great worth to me.

There are all sorts of self-imposed constraints on what each person is able to receive from heaven.[1] It is much easier to receive a gospel truth from another living person than from heaven directly (though, in all cases, it must still come through God's voice to you--your conscience--or you won't/shouldn't believe it).[2] A living person can act as a living seer stone [3] up to the degree to which they have the spirit of God and are free from constraints, but what you receive directly from heaven will be limited to your understanding, sacrifice, faith, trust in God, and so on.[4] If you find someone with greater understanding, sacrifice, faith, trust in God, and so on,[5] you have found a "window of heaven" larger than your own.[6] The spirit will not fight against you to force you to receive revelation beyond your worthiness, but another person can, up to the limits of their love for you.[7] [1] 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear the...

This doctor is one of shockingly few who studies the brain effects of menopause. According to her, the female hormonal decline begins on average at age 39 and lasts about ten years before menopause completes. Symptoms include significant behavioral and cognitive changes. Here's the interview , bookmarked at where it gets interesting. As more men learn these things, there will be many more single women over 30 looking at a lifetime alone.

There are oh-so-many vital ideas that oh-so-many people do not get.

In general, I will say that the problem of grossly undervaluing the greatest of gifts is endemic among all people, and errors in appraisal of value (how much is possible and where it is found) may well be the single greatest obstacle to eternal life for those alive today, if not throughout all time. Specifically to this instance: 30 For behold, [angels] are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness. 31 And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfil and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him. 32 And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have ...

Today I learned: "SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors) are a common class of antidepressants used to treat depression, anxiety and other mental health problems. Popular SSRIs include Fluoxetine (Prozac), Escitalopram (Lexapro), and Sertraline (Zoloft). Something well established about these drugs is that they have sexual side-effects. In fact, between 40 and 65% of people who take an SSRI are thought to experience some form of sexual dysfunction. What few people know, though, is these side effects can persist even after coming off of the drugs—a condition called Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD). This is more than just low libido. It can be a total loss of libido, genital numbness, erectile dysfunction, an inability to orgasm and complete lack of sexual attraction. Emotional blunting is also common, with sufferers describing a numbing of positive emotions, no romantic feelings, and difficulty connecting with others. PSSD can occur immediately—after just a few pills—a...

 @upward_thought

Over the years, I've seen multiple examples of a behavior that is highly detrimental to the one practicing it. Just recently, it's been used at least twice against me, and in hopes of helping bring into the light what these people obviously do not realize is really going on, and in hopes of preserving future friendships, I'm writing this post. The behavior is making a video where you are arguing against what someone teaches or does indirectly without having first had a conversation with them directly. Interestingly, it's always the case that when someone does this, they seem to be arguing that what the person said or did was wrong. What they are actually attempting to do is soothe the guilt they feel about who and how they themselves are as a result of what was taught or done by the other. The reaction is not about what it seems, and doesn't address the underlying problem. It's an attempt to make a symptom of the problem go away, but it doesn't address the d...

I received this email: A quick question for you.  I believe you have said the Greek word for witness also means to bear testimony, to be a martyr, and to demonstrate.  I have been spending a bit of time looking through the Greek on Biblehub and it is clear that testimony and martyr derive from the same word.  However, I am not seeing any clear basis for your assertion that it also means to demonstrate.   One definition for the Greek word is to give evidence and you could presumably give evidence by way of demonstration.  However, this doesn't seem to necessarily follow from the idea of giving evidence.  I think the conventional interpretation would be that when you give evidence by witnessing of something, you give a report of (i.e., a testimony of) the thing as opposed to demonstrating the thing.   Granted, if you are testifying (or witnessing) to something about God, your testimony is going to be a lot more powerful if you actually live wha...