Besides the anxiety and awkwardness these camps always had for me, there's a few moments that stick out in my memory. One I'll share is being in a cabin with all of the girls in camp while the Bigs had a little discussion with us, the topic being modesty. One Big told us young girls that although dressing cute is fun for our crushes, we need to also remember that we're dressing for all the males who have eyes, such as ministers.

I still can't decide for which reason it was that she decided to frame the modesty talk that way. Was it because of the typical "we need to help the boys and men to not stray their eyes" reason or because as we get older, we realize and discover creepy men staring at little girls?

Most of me wants to believe it was the latter, her being progressive in the small way she could to help us ward off as much attention possible from predators at camp, especially considering how hush-hush the LLC is with pedophiles. But I'll never know.

I'm interested in hearing other experiences, so please share!

Personally it's been the way people within the church can have so much judgment, disdain, and often disgust with certain groups of people.

An obvious group is the LGBTQ+ community. I have heard church folk say really offensive things about them, usually using a bad apple to justify their contempt for the entirety of the community.

I have noticed racism is prevalent, usually quietly with friends and smaller crowds. I'm curious if a large part of it is due to the majority of members being on the right politically. This could be an observation I've made mostly within the churches and members I've been around, so please also share your experiences or lack thereof!

Just a disclaimer: I'm not saying every member of the LLC is like this. I know some more open-minded people still in and know there are kind members who don't have these beliefs.

This seems to go against Jesus and his teachings. I've been taught this in church and Sunday School that you can stop yourself from making derogatory comments or poor decisions by asking "What would Jesus do?" So why is it that members are so convinced that their way is the only way to heaven when they themselves can't see that their lack of compassion towards groups that differ from them isn't Christ-like?

Please share any and all thoughts! This forum has been very informative about other people's experiences and helpful to my journey post-LLC, so I'm grateful to all of you that participate!

Why do ministers from the LLC only go to places in Africa and Sweden and not, say, China or other eastern countries to find people to convert? Are people in Africa more likely to convert due to their culture than most?

Checkout Christian Apologist Wesley Huff recent debate with atheist Billy Carson on UTUBE. Also Wesley Huff on the Joe Rogan Podcast.

I am a previous LLC member. In the LLC, marriage to someone out of the LLC is not allowed unless the person from outside the LLC "Repents" into the LLC. Also LLC members would never marry a person from another Laestadian organization unless again they "repent" into the LLC. I have always thought this to be odd. I can almost certainly guarantee that there are people from one Laestadian organization that believe more closely to someone in a different Laestadian organization than to someone in their own.

Also with divisions in churches, there are times where the size of a Laestadian organization is quite small. To think that people are to marry inside their church is actually quite dangerous for the gene pool. At some point all members are all related some way or another, and you are left to either marry a distant relative, or get someone who will "repent" into your church.

Looks like the English translation will be released Feb 4. Curious if she's any relation to Lars Levi and whether Laestadianism is mentioned. Also looking forward to reading more about the Sami culture.

Looks like it's a sequel to her earlier book, Stolen. Says the author is from Kiruna.

It appears some, in Laestadian based churches, have made the "blessing of the forgiveness of sIn" by another member, the object of their faith, rather than salvation by grace through faith alone, directly in Christ Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, per John 3:16 and Eph 2:8-9.

I recall my Laestadian father telling me, I had to be blessed with forgiveness of sin by him, or one of his church members, in order to go to heaven, with no mention of faith in Christ Jesus. I was raised and confirmed in a FELCA church. My father moved to the Laestadian Church during the 70's Schism.

I remember hearing that God might close His doors on me forever and I'll never get the chance to repent. I've been reminded that I need to think about what hell truly is like and that I might burn for eternity.

Unspoken things are also obvious. My relationships with family and friends have changed and I notice they're not exactly comfortable when I talk about faith or my belief in God/Jesus. I know to them it's the wrong type of belief but it's disheartening to realize I can't really mention those anymore without it getting awkward.

In SRK and i believe LLC it has always been taught that Ananias forgave Paul's sins in Damascus when he healed his blindness. However, the Bible never says that, in fact it says something very different that goes also against what the laestadians believe about baptism. So my question is to especially those who still profess to be LLC/SRK/OALC/Whoever who believes like them, how do you reconcile that understanding with this clear passage of the Bible:

Acts 22:12-16 NIV [12] “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. [13] He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. [14] “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. [15] You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. [16] And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

Wikipedia's article on Laestadianism says: "The leaders of the two largest Laestadian sub-groups, the Conservative Laestadians and Firstborn Laestadians, have for decades excluded each other and all other Laestadian sub-groups from the kingdom of Heaven even though the denominations' core doctrines are nearly indistinguishable."

Here is a compilation of people who have been charged with Blasphemy.

Jesus Christ: Claims of divine authority, performed miracles, declared himself the son of God. Punishment: crucifixion

Galileo (1600): "Vehemently suspect of heresy" for proposing the modern understanding of heliocentrism over the biblical understanding of the solar system known as geocentrism. Punishment: life house arrest

Giordano Bruno (1600): Proposed the universe is infinite, contained many worlds, and that the distant stars are suns. This contradicted religious teachings. Charged with Blasphemy and hubris, Punishment: burned at the stake

Charles Darwin (1859): Wrote the theory of natural selection and evolution, contradicting biblical creationism. Wasn't "punished" but faced widespread criticism by the religious.

Joan of Arc (1431): Claimed to hear divine voices to lead France into battle. Accused of heresy and blasphemy, burned at the stake, later she was sainted. Possibly suffered auditory hallucinations or was epileptic.

Hypatia of Alexander (415): Philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, was accused of spreading pagan ideas and undermining Christian authority. Was murdered by a mob incited by Christian leaders.

Salem Witch Trials (1692): Some women and men were accused of witchcraft and causing harm via supernatural means. Many executed, mostly by burning at the stake. Widely regarded to be attributed to mass hysteria, misunderstandings of social dynamics, mental health, and natural events.

The Marquis De Sade (1814): Charged with hubris, blasphemy, obscenity for graphic rejection of religious norms advocating for absolute freedom. Spent much of his life in confinement.

William Tyndale (1536): Translated the Bible into english, executed for defying the Church's control over Scripture.

Martin Luther (1546): 99 theses field a revolt against Catholic authority. Charged with hubris, Blasphemy, heresy, was excommunicated, writings condemned, led to the protestant reformation.

Margery Kemp (1438): Christian mystic, claimed to have visions of Christ, episodes of uncontrollable crying and ecstatic religious experiences. Accused of heresy and blasphemy. Due to the onset of these experiences after childbirth, it is possibly attributed to postpartum psychosis, bipolar disorder.

Emmanuel Swedenborg (1772): Claimed to converse with angels and have visions of Heaven and Hell. Labeled a heretic by religious authorities. Possible temporal lobe epilepsy, schizoaffective disorder

Napoleon Bonaparte (1822): Crowned himself as Emperor of France, rejecting papal authority, was seen as an act of egoic hubris, his reign ended in exile.

John of Patmos (90?): Wrote the book of Revelation, could have been seen as blasphemous, though there are no records of this charge. Many church leaders have disavowed this book and have pushed for it to be removed from the Biblical Canon. Possible temporal lobe epilepsy, migraines with aura, psychosis

There are many more examples, here are but a few.

gotquestons.org has a excellent answer to the first question.

Why do some Laestadien members amongst the various sects believe that the Holy Spirit only works in their group?

I can't think of any worse gas lighting tactic then telling people that if they believe in Jesus, and trust what God says in his word to be true, that if they have trusted Christ as their Savior, then in actuality they are being deceived by the devil. I have even heard of some being called devil worshippers.

It just doesn't seem like anything a true Christian would believe or perpetuate unto another Believer. If you are actually a Believer, do you think God would convict you of this wrong teaching and in some cases; spiritual abuse?

If you love Jesus, and follow his commands (love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself)...

And if you believe:

Romans 10 ^(9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.^(10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

All of Romans 10 is so good. What many LL's, Apostolics, and branches of will say about that chapter is that it is proof that you can't believe without hearing the gospel from only them! Where does it say that in the Bible?! And who gives anyone the right to claim sole proprietorship of living faith?

Add to that, that many of them will say "well we can't know what is in someone's heart". Yet if you confess to them that Jesus is your Lord and Savior according to Romans Ch.10 (and all of scripture!) They very well may tell you and explain your not being apart of "them" is according to 1 John 2:19 But they never belonged to us. If they had been a part of us, they would have stayed with us. Because they left, it is known they did not belong to us.

I can't think of a more cultish way to take that verse out of context then that. Again, it simply reiterates the belief they have, that they alone are the Kingdom of God.

Regardless if this superstition comes through the Sami heritage (better to be "safe" than "sorry") it is UnBiblical and wrong. It's also heartbreaking for people who have to deal with all of this weirdness and unwarranted fear from their closest loved ones; their dearly beloved families.

Aka sin against the Holy Spirit, Mark 3:28-29.

I am from a large family. And was at one point apart of the LLC, but I am just curious as to why laestadians feel that having 10-15 or as many kids as possible is required? As far as I know the only thing the bible says about having children is Genesis chapter 1 verse 28 it says be fruitful and multiply. Or Psalms 127 verse 5 says blessed are those whose quiver is full of them talking about children. Does it say anywhere to have as many kids as possible?

How Laestadian Churches Strip Emotions and Create Addictive Personalities in their Converts.

The LLC uses manipulative techniques and mind control to heighten suggestibility and subservience. They isolate recruits from former friends and family in order to promote total dependence on the group. The aim is to advance the goals of the group’s leaders, which is to have total control over members.

The LLC leaders assault and overwhelm their converts senses by using various techniques to induce a dissociated state, an altered state of consciousness, a trance state, in which mind and body are disconnected from each other. These repetitive techniques assault the senses and break down a person’s ability to think. The LLC uses mind control to fill the dissociated mind with their beliefs and magical thinking. A moment comes when the mind shuts down and seems to snap from this assault to the nervous system. Snapping may happen suddenly and abruptly, or it may be a slower, more gradual process of subtle changes, resulting in personality change.

Meditation on the confusing LLC practices can produce anxiety, panic, confusion, depression, agitation, ongoing dissociation, hallucinations, tics, sweating, trembling, shivering, worsened interpersonal relations, psychotic breakdowns and suicidal tendencies in some people. Meditation of the LLC repetitive teachings is particularly dangerous for those with a history of schizophrenia.

The LLC preys upon the tendency of many to rely on magical thinking, which reinforces the tendency to endow the leaders with omnipotent and magical powers, much like the child’s early mental representations of the parent who at that time, did control his universe. The member can readily come to believe that the leader can read his mind or hear conversations at a distance. Slowly, greater and greater irrational power is attributed to the leader. Because the cult leader tends to be a person with a sense of self-esteem so damaged that he requires the adoration, obedience, and subjugation of others to gain a sense of self-esteem and power, he cannot get enough of this. This is very much the same dynamic as is found in cases of domestic violence, when one spouse, usually the husband, tries to assert total control over the other, seemingly a cult of one.

 When members get psychologically sick in the LLC, this is when the LLC will eject them because they feel no responsibility for getting them the help they need. It should not be a surprise to hear that many cults are openly against psychotherapy.

People who experience stressful and traumatic events are more likely to become addicted.

The holidays can be a complicated time of year for so many of us.

Thank you for sharing your experience and ideas in this forum. I have learned something from each of you, even when we walk different paths. It's enlightening to hear you speak freely. Your voice matters.

Wishing you a good holiday season, wherever you are!

There is a minister from Elk River that visited Kenya and was shown by the ministers over there the faults of his teaching. He understood but when he came home continues preaching that the kingdom of God mentioned in the bible is exclusively the SRK?SFC/LLC congregation and those few believers around the world that have been approved by the SRK/SFC/LLC board of directors. Any thoughts on why somebody would do this?

Could some laestadian tell me how you are Lutherans if you do not agree with the forgiveness of sins in sacraments with Luther, because if you do not, you don't either preach the word correctly nor do that with the sacraments.

This topic is very interesting to me, I have been reflecting on this for a while now. Reading Plato's book "Republic" and then Eckhart Tolle's book "A New Earth" gave me insight on the original context of what sin really was and is, and it is also biblical. I will try and share some of my discoveries with you and I hope you all study this further on your own. 

Am I grander than the multiverse? That question is meant for you to reflect upon yourself. The modern context of sin would make it appear so. In the ancient context, sin had a much broader and greater meaning. In ancient times, to sin was to miss the mark. This had broader implications, not just for the individual, but society as a whole. Is God going to exact punishment upon you for wearing makeup? This question elevates the individual above the greater context of sin and its implications to society.

Let's examine some of the ways humankind misses the mark and how it invites God's judgement. I will first start with some examples from ancient times and attempt to tie it in with pericopes from the Bible. 

Among many examples of sin in the Bible, let's examine a few. Proverbs 11:6 Those who hoard grain will cause curses that harm not only themselves, but society as a whole. Is this example solipsistic? No, it has major ramifications. Hoarding grain causes our fellow citizens to suffer hard times while we alone live "well" short term. In the long term, the citizens may starve, become ill, or die and famine affects all due to a lack of productivity. This is God's judgement.

The fall of Sodom (Gen 18:16-19:29) is often misunderstood. How did Sodom "miss the mark" and receive "judgement"? Ezekiel 16:49 provides further context revealing that the citizens were arrogant, overindulgent, and neglecting the poor.

The book of Jonah reveals how the prophet, Jonah, is sent to Ninevah to warn of impending judgement from God for their systemic evil. They repent and God shows mercy. Also, note Jonah 4:11, God cares for all animals and creation, we must be caretakers for everything for it is all alive.

I will now attempt to tie in the biblical message of missing the mark to a modern context using the Bible.

Consider the greater message of caretaking for one another and our environment. Take a look at some of these verses: Gen 2:15, God puts Adam in the garden of Eden to be caretakers of the animals the environment, not to exploit it for profit like modern society. Rev 11:18 warns of God's judgement to those who destroy the Earth. Unfettered capitalism is destroying our planet as we strip mine entire mountains, extract carbons from the planet and pollute our waters and air, and we destroy entire ecosystems like the rainforests. The church is distracting you by calling you a sinner for painting your nails, meanwhile the real sin is within the very air you are breathing. 

Our economic systems are based on exploiting the poor and vulnerable. Globalization has caused the exploitation of foreign citizens to be possible. Sweat shops and child labor make most of the products we consume today possible. Amos 5:11,12 reveal how trampling on the poor and forcing them to give us grain while living in luxury will surely invite the wrath of God. James 5:1-6 warns of the wealthy exploiting the poor and how their riches will testify against them.

To call a person sinful for trivial things like wearing makeup, painting nails, watching movies, listening to music and so on, is the real sin; for it truly is missing the mark. As a result, we are experiencing "God's judgement" in the form of global warming, extinction of species, famine, war and the like. Our leaders epitomize greed and their followers nearly worship them with fervor as they are "successful businessmen" who have exploited their fellow human, trampled upon their heads and clawed their way to to top for personal gain. The wrath of God is nigh. Judgement day is upon us, it is in progress.

With computers and cell phones, a TV is no longer required to watch media entertainment and news. TV's were banned by some in the past.

pluggedin @ Focusonthefamily.org is a website, that provides free Christian critique on books, games, and movies for the family.

Wishing all, a Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year. Don't forget the reason for the season. Seek first, Christ Jesus for the grace gift, and a personal relationship is the reward.

Did the Finnish State Church cooperate with the Finlandia U founder, the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (FELCA, SUOMI SYNOD). The FELCA merged with the Lutheran Church of America in 1962.

Did the State Church of Finland have anything to do with the 73 Schism?

Finlandia U was founded to train ministers, to accommodate the influx of Finnish and Swedish workers coming to America, to work in the mines of Michigan and Minnesota. The theological seminary closed in 2000, and the U closed in 2023. U Motto was, "The Lord Is My Light". Hancock, Michigan was considered, the U.S. Finnish cultural capitol.

It struck me today that maybe the exclusive nature of some of the Laestadian branches reflects the culture and language of Finland. Finnish is unrelated to any other modern language except Estonian and it would have developed in isolation from other cultures. Thoughts?

Seattle area here. I've been hearing about these conferences that have been taking place with people from all the splits. Any christians with leastadian roots in Washington/Oregon/Idaho interested in getting together for a weekend to study Gods Word, compare teachings from our groups, learn about our leastadian roots and so on?

"𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐑𝐊/𝐒𝐅𝐂/𝐋𝐋𝐂 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 "𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥", 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞"

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝?
The holy spirit acting through the board of directors who at the present time are exclusively in the SRK/SFC/LLC congregation.

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬?
The holy spirit acting through the board of directors who at the present time are exclusively in the SRK/SFC/LLC congregation.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝?
A unified flock who are managed by the holy spirit acting through the board of directors who at the present time are exclusively in the SRK/SFC/LLC congregation.

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬?
The holy spirit acting through the board of directors who at the present time are exclusively in the SRK/SFC/LLC congregation.

𝐀𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝?
Kingdom of God = The SRK/SFC/LLC Congregation and those affiliated Congregations that have been approved by the holy spirit acting through the board of directors who at the present time are exclusively in the SRK/SFC/LLC congregation.

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝” 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬
Members of the SRK/SFC/LLC Congregation and those affiliated Congregations that have been approved by the holy spirit acting through the board of directors and believe in the error free message which the holy spirit has revealed to the board of directors who at the present time are exclusively in the SRK/SFC/LLC congregation.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 “𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡”
Putting our trust in and the bible and the message that has been delivered by the holy spirit to the board of directors who at the present time are exclusively in the SRK/SFC/LLC congregation.

“The time is fulfilled and the SRK/SFC/LLC Congregation/kingdom of God managed by the SRK/SFC/LLC board of directors is at hand repent ye, and believe the living gospel.”
- Mark 1:15

𝐒𝐑𝐊/𝐒𝐅𝐂/𝐋𝐋𝐂 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 = 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 = 𝐆𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 = 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐬 = 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 = 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲 = 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 who eat bread crumbs from the masters table, 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡. 𝐀 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 "𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥"

”The humility of (God’s) children is the acceptance of all things from the hand of God, who in the fellowship of His kingdom/(SRK/SFC/LLC mother congregation) cares for His own. The humility of a child of God is total acceptance of the voice of His Spirit, which speaks through the mouths of the previously believing (and the current board of directors). ‘He that heareth thee (The SRK/SFC/LLC Mother Congregation), heareth me.’ The true humility of a (God’s) child is realized obedience to the voice of the (SRK/SFC/LLC mother) congregation, the kingdom, and ‘Mother’ of us all. ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God among men, and He will dwell with them, and they (The SRK/SFC/LLC Congregation and other affiliated believers scattered around the world) shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their God’ Rev. 21:3. This is why Paul calls the kingdom (The SRK/SFC/LLC Congregation and other believers scattered around the world), the congregation, ‘the ground and pillar of truth.’ The Spirit of God, which dwells in the kingdom (The SRK/SFC/LLC Congregation and other believers scattered around the world), the communion of saints, the holy congregation, is an unerring, infallible Teacher; for Jesus says: ‘It (The SRK/SFC/LLC Mother Congregation through its board appointed leaders who are indwelt by the holy spirit) shall lead you unto all truth.”
P. Nevala, “The Humility of the Deceivers,” The Voice of Zion, Jan. 1975, p. 7.

"𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐑𝐊/𝐒𝐅𝐂/𝐋𝐋𝐂 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 "𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥", 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞"

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093704419929

If you could ask one question about the history of Laestadianism and it's people (and get it answered factually!) ... what would it be?

I wish I had more answers then questions.... but I will post my question below. I think this will be fun/interesting if others join in.

The YouTube channel Ready to Harvest attempts to produce concise unbiased videos describing the differences between religions and Christian denominations. A new video describing the primary beliefs of the Laestadian Lutheran Church has been released.

Does the video provide an accurate representation of the LLC?

In light of some of my recent comments (which are very controversial to users of this sub) I submit the GOP Jesus

I have had many conversations with many Christian users on this board and I have usually argued that God is love, sometimes I have argued the Christian God is spiteful and (my favorite word for this sub) depraved.

It is a fascinating concept, the attributes you all say are "Satanic" are also attributed to Jesus or God. I have waxed poetic many times, trying to convey the most loving messages that Jesus himself would fawn over and agree with, yet many of you clutch your pearls of judgement, exclusivity, and fear doctrine.

Is your faith really making you a better loving person? How do you feel right now reading this message? Are you going to respond as Jesus compels you to, from a loving place? Convince me that universal unconditional love isn't the way. Be aware of your words, you might just be dancing with the devil. I would say only one person on this sub has walked the talk and tried their best to be Christlike in the way they have engaged with me, kudos to them. The rest of you know who you are, you know that feeling inside, you can do better.

Now gimme some of that Christian love...