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Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/23/21 in all areas

  1. I agree with what you say and I would like to add to it... One of the things we can not change is how others respond to the trials. People can and do respond differently to what appears to be the same trials. Differences in responses don't have to mean that one response is better then the other, but rather people finding the response that works for them. And if the trial is prolonged the response might even change over time. Let me illustrate this point. I have a hearing loss, and I have had it as long as I can remember, my first response to this trial was crafted by my mom, and my doctor. They chose environmental control, I was a kid... my environment was home, church, and school. My mom reached out to my teachers, and leaders and had arrangements made. They didn't do hearing aids because they were worried that I would get picked on and bullied for being 'different.' Now we can debate the pros and cons of their choices and second guess them all we want.. but our opinions (including mine) on it do not matter, is done and they did what they thought was best for me. Then I went on a mission and I could no longer actively mange my environment so I got hearing aids and have had them ever since. Thus my response has changed... kinda. I have a love/hate relationship with my hearing aids... I love what they offer me, but I hate the cost, maintenance, repairs, feedback, and etc. And they are still not as good as normal hearing... So when given the option I still prefer to manage my hearing loss environmentally. Now back to the topic of implants. Deaf people have had to face this trial for all of humanities mortal existence... They didn't just curl up and die because implants were not a thing. They struggled, they adapted and they figured out how to have meaningful productive lives all with out the option for implant. Those stories are on par with our pioneer stories, or at least they should be if we didn't have a huge hearing bias. But the only people remembering these struggles are the ones drawing strength from them. But there is no match for Pioneer Day for the Deaf.. there is no semiannual youth 'trek' to remember the trials of the Deaf or Hearing Impaired, because this group has always been small. Then you have arrogant hearing people making no effort to understand.. saying just get the implant and the problems just go away... And that is a lie. Implants can be a huge benefit for some people, but it is not normal hearing, its not healing... Its another crutch, its a fancier set of hearing aids, with fancier costs. And Hearing people are try sell this, to people who have already figured out how to adapt to their trials and live productive lives. (Like trying to sell ice to Eskimos) So not surprisingly they do not see upside as all that huge, and means the downsides (like needing surgery) hit that much harder.
    3 points
  2. Oh, I completely agree. I just worry when this mentality leads us to passively accept, or even actively and deliberately perpetuate, situations that God had been expecting us—and indeed, gave us the means—to change. At the risk of invoking the good Dr. Godwin here: We hear Holocaust survivors talk about the things they learned about human nature in the camps. That doesn’t mean Eisenhower was wrong for liberating the camps, or that Hitler was inspired for creating them in the first place. I guess it goes back to AA’s serenity prayer—serenity to accept what we can’t change, courage to change what we can, and wisdom to know the difference.
    3 points
  3. I find more and more that my opinions on things are lacking and often times just plain wrong. So often times I come here and to other forums where people have more experience than I do and I put up my views to be challenged in an attempt to fill in the gaps in understanding I have, or to correct a view entirely. Thats what I did here. I wanted to see if anyone could over a counter argument that would change my view or if the arguments I was familiar with were the only arguments available.
    3 points
  4. Is Fether trying to convince others that he’s right? Or just trying to work out a space in which he can continue to hold to his opinion after it has been challenged? I know that often my posts to this forum fall more into the second category. Cambry Kaylor is the wife of YouTube personality Zack Nelson (of “Jerry Rig Everything”). She’s a paraplegic as a result of an equine gymnastics accident from when she was a teenager. She has a very beautiful video on the Church’s YouTube channel, in which she basically says she is so reconciled to her situation that she wouldn’t change the day she had her accident even if it were possible. It’s a lovely thought, and she seems a very well-adjusted young lady. But I continue to pray that my kids never have to cope with a broken spine; and I don’t think I’m a degenerate or improperly dismissive of Sister Kaylor’s experience for doing so. I do think, however, that this notion of focusing on the positive aspects of a physical/cognitive (for lack of a better word) “abnormality”, while refusing to acknowledge the existence or significance of the negative aspects, has laid a lot of the groundwork for the “God-made-me-who-I-an-and-I-never-need-to-become-anything-else” mentality that justifies much of the LGBTQ movement. None of us know for sure what aspects of our personalities or abilities are and aren’t supposed to be eternal; so I think the best thing to do is to focus on Christ and not get too attached to any aspect of our so-called “identities”. (Oh, and I’m red-green color blind and have two nephews on the spectrum. I’d *love* to be healed; there is zero upside to my condition. One of my nephews is a whiz at Legos and has an amazing deadpan sense of humor, and the other is something of a savant on the piano; but neither of them will ever be financially self-sufficient or capable of having a family, and one of them is so bad with physical boundaries that he can’t be left alone with his younger female cousins. I love my nephews—but yes, as to their particular manifestations of autism they are absolutely “disabled”. I look forward to their being healed in a way that preserves the unique divine qualities each of them possess while also adding upon them the capabilities that, at this moment, they are undeniably lacking.)
    3 points
  5. I dunno about the DTG medallions, but I have been known to use the other three medals (I earned all of them as a kid) as part of a Halloween costume a few years back when my wife and I were “Zombie Anna and Elsa’s Parents”. But the less said about that year, the better . . .
    2 points
  6. How many conference talks have there been about trials leading to growth? It seems there are three or four every session that at least mention it. While broken backs are incredibly terrible, if that is what it takes for me or my kids to become the type of people we need to be to, who am I to pray against it? I'm struggling to express my thoughts on this. JAG, I don't mean to sound critical. Just what I've been learning the last few years, is to include a lot more "Thy will be done" in my prayers.
    2 points
  7. laronius

    Praying to Jesus

    First of all to say it was Jesus' plan is to imply that God had no plan to exalt his children at the time He created them. Which obviously is not a true doctrine. Did Jesus become a "partner" in that plan when he assumed the role of Savior? Yes, but as he stated he only ever did that which his Father directed him to do. I hesitate though to attempt to draw too fine a line between the roles of the Father and the Son because they are so intermingled in their unity and purpose that in many instances Jesus has assumed the role of the Father, divine investiture, in his dealings with man. For this purpose it is best to rely upon what Jesus has said when teaching us how to pray. Over and over again he has taught specifically to pray to the Father in his name. Always. 3 Nephi 18:19 Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name; Not routinely, always. I find this doctrine to be pretty clear and without need to justify. Any other scriptures should only be interpreted in light of this clearly set forth doctrine. To interpret them to mean that prayers can be directed to Jesus rather than the Father not only ignores this very clear teaching but also runs counter to the words of modern prophets. That is dangerous ground to make one's stand.
    2 points
  8. mikbone

    Doctrine Fallout

    In our extended family chat group, I expressed my curmudgeon position on the most recent Official Church Announcement. Boy, did it open a can of worms! Some of the family are Utah residents who participated in the LDS Church early in their lives, including missionary service, Church-supported Colleges, Temple Marriage etc. Anyway, one family quietly left the church and no longer choose to partake of any church activities (although they will show up to farewells, wedding receptions, etc). From what I gather, they believe in Christ but no longer have faith in the leadership of the Church due to various reasons - word of wisdom, not believing in modern-day revelation (polygamy, priesthood racism, The Family: A proclamation to the world, etc.). And I get the sense that they feel persecuted by neighbors and family members because they left the church. Anyway, my brother's response was pretty harsh. "Ok, so what I'm hearing is you guys no longer believe in prophets (as I no longer do). I've said to my wife many times over the last 10 years that the leadership really never says anything that is relevant to today or ever come out and say anything that could hurt someone's feelings or go against political thoughts. ... So one of the very few times it happens, you guys say it is optional. ... You either follow or don't. I chose not to follow because I no longer believe in prophets." I won't go over the rest of the conversation but my position was the following which I hope he respected. I am a lowly human less than the dust of the earth. If I had to rate my exactness with following the prophet (and thus God) it ain't all that good. I asked my wife to help me with some of the following percentages just to have transparency. Principle - Percentage of compliance Thou shall not commit murder - 100% Ten Commandments as listed in Exodus - 96% Ten Commandments as explained by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount - 18% Home Teaching - 10-15% Word of Wisdom - 95% ( 100% on EtOH, tobacco, coffee, tea. But I'm on a Keto diet thus I'm out of compliance with the eat meat sparingly, and I'm overweight). Temple Attendance - About once a year. COVID Announcement - 100% (I'm scheduled to get the vaccine, and wear the mask because I have been bullied into doing so by my employer. And I know that social distancing is always a possibility), 5% (if following the spirit of the urging). How much do I consider myself a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? 100% Do I believe that the Prophet and Apostles are guided by the Lord our Savior? 100% Do I realize that the General Authorities are men and thus less than the dust of the Earth - just like me and everybody else? 100% I wish that my brother could return to the fold. And that he would feel welcome.
    1 point
  9. As of last week, my ward building is now home to a third ward for the first time in it's existence. It's forced a bit of cleaning. We've chucked endless old manuals, shredded oodles of records, discarded tons of old photos of old ward activities featuring faces nobody recognizes. I hauled out an old typewriter into the hall, and gave it to the first youth whose eyes grew big at the realization of what I was holding - after extracting the solemn promise never to bring the thing back into the building. I don't know what to do with a large box of this stuff: I can't interest anyone in these. The Duty To God stuff was ended in 2019. The top middle is an "On My Honor" award - no more LDS scouting. The Faith In God program seems to have been replaced by the Personal Development Children's Guidebooks, and the medallions aren't handed out any more. What should I do with these? The Duty To God medallions are quite nice - in a wooden box and everything. I've sat in my clerk's office, looking at these things for 6+ years, they must leave the building permanently. Halp?
    1 point
  10. Create a time capsule and burry the stuff with other stuff to be opened in 100 years. Make and keep record of exactly where exactly the time capsule was burried. The Traveler
    1 point
  11. Fether

    Doctrine Fallout

    Your brother is either creating a straw man out of desperation, or deeply misunderstood the gospel and that is why he left.
    1 point
  12. That's the answer! I didn't just wanna stick 'em on Ebay, because that was a bit too close to 'the sale of stolen goods' for my liking. But I can stick all this on eBay, see what sells, and then write a check to the missionary program! I'll run that past the bishop - I'm sure he'll be happy. Because, dang:
    1 point
  13. Ugh, clerks' offices do tend to collect clutter that no one knows what to do with. Good work getting it tidied up! You could give the wooden boxes to the YW/YM/primary presidents to use for the new necklaces and rings. List the rest on eBay and put the $0.25 raised in a local missionary's account
    1 point
  14. Yeah, other than the "make you less likely to catch COVID, and if you do, make you ~288 times less likely to have a serious negative impact" thing, it's pretty much a total failure. Why the booster? Apparently because our antibodies against the thing don't last longer. It's a shame. (Full disclosure - one of these statements is sarcasm, the other one is being serious. Gold star if folks can tell which is which.)
    1 point
  15. Some news on the 20th of August 2021 was that three hundred Christians were evacuated on an airplane out of Afghanistan by the Nazarene Fund charity. They also had other airplanes inbound to take more people.
    1 point
  16. I would point out that our government said the Taliban took over more quickly than they thought. Meaning the US knew the Taliban would take over. They knew the Afghan army was not equipped enough to fight the Taliban. We left them to their demise. And when it fell, the response was “that was quicker than we thought”. https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/16/politics/biden-afghanistan-speech/index.html And as for the army itself, I think it was more complicated than a strong nation helping a small nation become strong and they refusing to. From what so understand, Afghanistan isn't really a United nation, but rather groups of warlords that rule different areas. There is no sense of nationality. It’s full of corruption, lack of proper schooling, a corrupt view on morality, and many other issues. I don’t know why this all happened the way it did, but we can’t treat Afghanistan like little America.
    1 point
  17. The homeless are huge consumers of health care. I have done many surgical cases for homeless patients. We call it "working for Jesus." Most of the homeless in our country are homeless by choice, and the vast majority have mental illness (schizophrenia is prevalent) and substance abuse. The homeless are also horrible at follow-up, which makes them a challenge for medical research.
    1 point
  18. If it’s what a hearing impaired person wants to be called, I have this amazing ability to call them that. Or John. Or Becky. Whatever they want. It takes two seconds to say “So how do you want to be addressed?” You know how we ask to be called “Latter Day Saints” instead of “Mormons”? Well, if we expect to have that request honored, we need to do the same back.
    1 point
  19. I’m asking insights because there seems to be this strong feeling against healing a deaf newborn and I have not been convinced of it. All the examples and analogies given have been great, but always fall short right where it matters. Frankly speaking, this ideology in the Deaf community… it looks like a bunch of crabs in a bucket.
    1 point
  20. Side note: this is what is believe the resurrection looks like for different abnormalities- deaf: will hear blind: will see left/right handed people: ambidextrous autistic: mind will be enlightened and expanded and any abnormalities will be removed Non-autistic: mind will be enlightened and expanded and any abnormalities will be removed Homosexual: made heterosexual color blind: see correctly
    1 point
  21. I think Jane_Doe is at the heart of the matter. Giving hearing to a deaf person is more than adding a sense - it is a core alteration to their very existence. It changes who they are. I sit here with my totally accurate screen name and think "yeah, but being able to hear is better", but I have to understand that many in the deaf community don't see it that way. Similarly, I think of someone close to me with PTSD, major depression, and an entire childhood full of horrible trauma which she was forced to survive and grow from. When she thinks about a hypothetical where she could have avoided all those traumas, she wouldn't say yes. Removing her past traumas would have resulted in her growing into a totally different adult. She would have never have developed the wisdom she has, or the toughness she has. She never would have been as useful to others going through similar traumas. There are lives she could not have saved, testimonies she could not have saved. There would be 5 minute hallway conversations, where some troubled soul went away with lightened burdens and a whole new positive outlook on the world, that would never have happened. She likes who she is, and would not trade it for the world. The prospect of being innocently ignorant to the evils of the world, is horrifying to her - she dislikes clueless people. At the same time, I've encountered a dozen videos of adults and children, trying on glasses that let them see colors for the first time, or actually see for the first time. I've seen videos of kids and adults get their hearing turned on for the first time in their lives, and hearing their mom's or husband's voice for the first time. The absolute wonder and joy in those videos is something I may not ever experience in this life. At the end of the day, if someone wants an implant, I'm not going to stand in their way. And if someone refuses one, I'm not going to judge. Seems like a choice people have to make for themselves.
    1 point
  22. I am hearing impaired... been so for as long as I can remember.. I am not a part of Deaf culture but I am some what adjacent. While questions where asked about Deaf culture and its response to Implants... But it is just a subset of how people embrace Culture Identities and embrace them as personal identities. Case in point there is a LDS culture, many have embraced this as a personal identity (aka 'I am LDS'). So what happens when a persons sense of self is attacked? Generally the same kind of response to a physical attack. Heightened emotional state, lashing out (Verbally/physically), and trying to destroy/remove/defeat the attacker. We occasional see this here when an Antis comes calling. Some (not all) respond just like this. This is not an LDS thing but a Identity thing. We saw this when we tried baptize for the dead some Jews. We saw it as harmless to beneficial but they saw it as an attack on their fundamental identity. In their minds we were making them not Jews any more so they protested it strongly. Now people have made the comparison to amputees. But that does not match well enough because amputees generally do not identify as amputees. They generally identify as abled people with problem/medical condition/disability. So they naturally see fixes as a good thing. The deaf community has lots of people in it, not all have embraced deaf culture as their personal identity. Those are the ones generally accepting of help and assistance with hearing loss. (They see themselves as hearing but with problem)But you also have those that were born and raised in that culture. That is what they know, that is the way things are, that is who they are. That is their identity. (They see themselves as whole and complete just the way they are. [And you might disagree with that... but you do not get a vote on it]) As a general rule you do not convince someone to make major changes in their sense of self, and the way they live by basically calling them stupid, or short sighted (Aka an attack even if you do not see it that way yourself)
    1 point
  23. But I can’t help but feel the Deaf would still feel hurt if we did have a way to completely eradicate deafness. Would you disagree? These benefits you mention are not unattainable for the hearing. Additionally, the benefits they miss out on are astounding. Music, basic communication skills with the rest of the world, an added level of safety and awareness, and I’m sure much much more. Frankly, I don’t see any value in being deaf. I simply do not understand why anyone who has experienced hearing would chose to be deaf. To which the natural response is “it’s because your hearing that you don’t understand”. To which I bite back, “it’s because they are ignorant that they are against healing the deaf”. they are gripping tight to this community that is built on a weakness that they, seemingly, would refuse a fix or overcome. Even to the point of wanting to deny newborns of the ability to hear at least a little, let alone completely. I would have to see statistics to believe that any majority of deaf born children regret the cochlear implants at any point in their life. And if they do, I imagine it has more to do with being associated with the Deaf community and being around the anti-cochlear implant idea.
    1 point
  24. Any worthwhile culture cannot be harmed by the gift of heightened senses. If being able to hear really and truly destroys Deaf culture, then Deaf culture is not worthwhile. (Which I don't believe, but obviously many who embrace Deaf culture do.) If my opinion on this matter offends you, then I am honestly sorry you are so benighted in your heart and soul as to be offended. I hope you overcome your offense. But I am not sorry in the least for having and expressing the above opinion.
    1 point
  25. You actually read the doc. Gold Star! I link lots of stuff in my posts and try to keep them short and sweet in order to avoid the following. 1) I don't wear seat belts. I might have worn them if it wasn't for legislation. But I have seen so many vegetables in ICUs that have survived MVAs that I am willing to take my chances. My truck has airbags, although that has nothing to do with why I bought the truck. I have seen some nasty injuries from airbags as well... Of note, I pole-valuted thru high school and college. It was a dangerous activity. It paid for my college tuition. And when my twin brother sustained a nasty open tibia/fibula fracture from a 15' fall. He required a washout and plating from a wonderful and brilliant Zimbabwe national surgeon practicing in Texas. The experience was bad for my twin but initiated me into my current profession. He went on to vault in college as well btw. 2) I read the whole article concerning the research on wearing masks in surgery. Yes! you are correct there is almost no research on why we should wear masks in surgery. It is taken as common knowledge, thus there are no real studies on why or even if we should wear masks in surgery. The study is what we call a systematic review of Level-III studies. And it was serious. Do you need to wear a mask when doing a colonoscopy? Nope unless you are a sloppy surgery and need to protect yourself from flying debris. Do I need to wear a mask when doing a knee scope or carpal tunnel syndrome? Probably not. Do I wear a mask when doing joint replacements? No, I wear what we call a surgical space suit. In many countries they do surgery without masks - their infection rates are similar to ours. I am under the belief that surgeon and sterile technique are probably more important. I have had multiple times when I have been splashed in the face or have had a glove tear and I have been exposed to patient blood (including HIV+ patients). It happens. About a decade ago, the Orthopaedic Academy tested 6,000 surgeons who showed up to the yearly conference for HIV. Findings - only 2 of the surgeons tested positive both of whom had alternative lifestyles. 3) The link you referenced is due to bouffant scrub hats being cited as safer than Surgical skull caps. Which is ridiculous. I hate bouffants. I have a colleague who demands that all his surgical scrubs wear foot booties and then wrap the top with tape to prevent pubic hair from entering into his patient's wounds. Not joking. 4) Yes food handlers are a concern. We can thank Upton Sinclar's The Jungle for some standards. My wife cooks without any protective gear never had any of her hair in my food. My grandma sends Chex mix in the mail every Christmas as a gift - last few years we just throw it directly in the trash as the amount of hair is amazing. I have taken care of patients with active infections of hepatitis and AIDS that are butchers at the local butcher store. You don't really want to know the medical history of your food handlers. And I am always courteous to waitresses as I have seen what happens when patrons are rude and request that their food be taken back and prepared correctly. 5) When I do wear a mask in surgery, I have to tape the top of the mask portion to prevent condensation build-up on my glasses. If you don't wear the mask correctly (with a true seal), aerosolized material will just vent out the sides, top, and bottom. How far does the aerosolized material go? I don't know. But it is aerosolized and can float around depending upon ventilation, drafts, wind currents, etc. 6) This thread is not about obedience to the First Presidency Message on COVID-19. It is about requiring a COVID-19 Vaccine. Have I had the vaccine? No. Will I get it? Probably. If I don't get the vaccine, I have been notified that I will lose my livelihood. I have until November 1st to have the initial shot and a booster. Why is the CDC requiring a booster only 8 months after receiving the initial vaccine? Likely because the vaccines are garbage. Ten years from now when we have all the data, and the retrospective studies have been done, we will know how we mucked up this pandemic.
    1 point
  26. Yup but their conclusion is flawed. Because the COVID virus is still smaller than the N95 pores. And everyone is using cloth & paper masks instead of N95 masks. And no one knows how to use masks properly. Or if they do know, they don’t do it. I was professionally fitted for an N95 mask. The attempt took 15 minutes. The technician never could get an acceptable seal trying over and over again and signed me off with a passing seal anyway. Which she said she almost has to do with everyone. And I have been using masks for 20 years as a surgeon. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2018-130/pdfs/2018-130.pdf The above is the CDC document about N95 mask seal check test and the importance of having the test done and using the mask correctly. I wonder why no medical experts are recommending that people get trained on how to use masks… I’ll admit that masks probably lessen the exposure. But they don’t offer the protection that most people believe that they do…
    1 point
  27. I find it curious that we are treating COVID-19 like it is one of the ten plagues. This will pass. There are horrible atrocities occurring in the world on an ongoing basis that don’t even get any play time on prime time news. “there it is”
    1 point
  28. dprh

    Stopping Gun Violence

    (I love that you call him Jaws )
    0 points
  29. Also, from what I understand, flu shots are only effective for about 6 months. That's why they like to give them out in the fall, so they last through the winter, into spring. I wouldn't be surprised if an annual COVID shot becomes normal.
    0 points
  30. By C. Douglas Golden August 14, 2021 You know technology has reached a scary new level when car companies can up sell you on things you don’t want without a) a salesman or dealer being present, or b) your consent. But Tesla buyers, beware: If you lend someone your car and they press the wrong paddle, you could end up being charged $14,186.25 for some very expensive options. According to CarScoops, Dominic Preuss — a Twitter blue-check whose primary fame comes from his work as a “product geek” from Google — let his father-in-law borrow his Tesla Model 3. The trouble likely began, Preuss said, when his father-in-law pressed a shift paddle twice while driving. If you’re familiar with Tesla, you know that the electric automaker is famous for its autopilot function, which steers the car for you and keeps it on cruise control. It’s an extra, however — although one you can activate remotely. The cars also have what’s known as “Full Self-Driving Capability.” As CarScoops notes, it’s really nothing of the sort, but it gets somewhat closer to what it says it does than the autopilot mode does. It allows the car to navigate on autopilot, automatically change lanes, auto-park, summon the car and exercise control at traffic lights and stop signs. These are pricey options, something Preuss reportedly found out the hard way. “For Your Information. If you double click the shift panel twice and accidentally engage the auto-pilot in Model 3, @Tesla will automatically charge you $14,100 if you didn’t previously purchase auto-pilot,” Preuss tweeted on July 27th. Read more at: https://www.westernjournal.com/man-clicks-strange-paddle-father-laws-tesla-14100-mistake-report/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=aa-breaking&utm_campaign=can&utm_content=firefly&ats_es=e103a55ea0944a821e68b1ae798fb68f
    0 points
  31. Vort

    Stopping Gun Violence

    "Guns don't kill people. I do." -Jaws in some dumb Adam Sandler flick
    0 points