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The church has to main thrusts and effort to long these lines. The first is the church welfare system, used to take care of our own. For helping others in the world, the church focuses mainly on disaster cleanup efforts. We also do other things like bring power and clean water to places, who are team up with other charitable organizations for various global efforts. If you do a word search on “the poor” in our scriptures, you see an awful lot of admonition for disciples to act as individuals in their communities. In my stake, we’ve partnered up with the Catholics who run a soup kitchen, and non-denominational folks who run a food bank. The stake will often ask for 15 to 20 volunteers a quarter to go work in these various places.

100% agree. The “churches should open their doors to the homeless” :: ahem :: “argument” is almost always used by people who don’t even give to charity, much less open their own doors to people in need. Classic NIMBY behavior

I once read a rather good article on how the skills to survive as homeless are often opposite those to live sheltered. Planning for the long-term is, sadly, often a bad idea and destruction to fulfill immediate needs is too often what happens

The language is the part of the point, as it mimics nicely our current president.

This election cycle was more about Trump, election deniers, and abortion. The voters basically told us what anti-Trumpers have been saying for years. Trump is way more of a detriment in the long term. It’s validating for the anti-trump Republicans like me. The republicans who distanced themselves from Trump (Kemp, Sununu in NH, Desantis) won. It also could be cataclysmic for your party unless the economy improves. Gender issues mean nothing if you can’t feed your family. Hillary Clinton in 2016 can tell you about that. Finally, it wasn’t all great for your side. Florida went solidly red, Texas stayed red. Wisconsin kept Johnson, Beto the rockstar got slapped in the face again. You also barely beat someone in Arizona for governor that you should have absolutely crushed. You guys also struggled in New York because of COVID restrictions and party arrogance.

Actually it is quite the opposite. MOST of them would do the above. I deal with the homeless population on an almost daily basis and this is how they act as a majority.

I would say the #1 reason is costs. The costs would be the cost to repair things. You have many different people that are homeless and many different types of people. Unfortunately, it is normally the worst of people that make it hard for everyone else. Homeless communities are notorious for tearing things up and destroying things. While I expect a great majority of the Homeless to be grateful should we ever house homeless in our chapels, a small contingent of them would probably steal anything not locked down, and break a LOT of the furniture, bathroom, utilities, and even walls. Those costs skyrocket incredibly fast without a LOT of supervision to ensure it doesn't happen. The Church does not have three or four people at each chapel 24 hours a day. I've seen buildings be destroyed in a week, be repaired, and then a week later destroyed again as soon as the homeless population came in again. Repeatedly having Chapels destroyed like that is not something I think the Church could actually afford, and they probably don't have the funds to pay for the manpower to secure it enough to not have it occur.

Well, point blank, most of the Republicans did nothing but show their ignorance. They complained about the economy and blamed Biden for it showing they have NO IDEA what is going on outside of the United States and how World global economics actually affect the US economy as well. It is also a reason the US dollar has been unusually strong over the past year in regards to the Euro and various other currencies. The US is actually weathering the inflation and other economic impacts MUCH BETTER than many others, and it shows. Rather than doing any actions to try to help, the Republicans have tried to hinder helping the American Public the entire way over the past few months. They THOUGHT that it would reflect badly on the Democrats...the problem...people are NOT SO ignorant as they believed. We can SEE the votes and SEE them hijacking and trying to stop things that would help...so why would we blame the Democrats normally? It doesn't mean all Republicans are in this boat. I am glad Kemp won in Georgia for example. It means that they need to look at others beyond their own party. They are catering to their base, but if you only cater to your base it doesn't win you Congress or the Presidency. BUT the TWO biggest whammies in this election which I think hurt Republicans... By being anti-mask and anti-vaccine more Republicans have died than Democrats. That probably effected the numbers. It is hypothesized that this is ONE MAJOR reason Georgia Democrats have made such major inroads over the past few years...because those narrow numbers suddenly are even more narrow now. I couldn't believe Georgia was purple...but a recent radio show I heard while driving actually went into this aspect and it made sense. The numbers who have passed from Covid and the numbers related to the elections and how close they've suddenly become in certain places in Georgia seem strikingly related. If more Republicans die than Democrats...than yes, the numbers are closer. And number two...and the BIGGEST reason the Republicans won, but won smaller than expected in my opinion... A great majority of the Republican base today are an older group of individuals. The Republican plan to kill or reduce Social Security and to kill or reduce Medicare came to light. Telling your base that you want to take away money and healthcare is NOT a good way to win their support. That seemed like one of the dumbest political moves I've ever seen. It's a miracle the Republicans didn't get murdered at the mid-terms with that strategy. Best way to NOT lose the next Presidential election if you are the Republican party... #1 - Find a way to help keep SS going...no matter what. You do NOT want to make your base REALLY just start not voting for you. If they don't want to vote against you, but also not for you so they don't show up...that's...well...that's a lot of what probably happened this go around. Instead...State that this plan of yours to kill Social security was stupid and you aren't going to do such things...because...when half your base is over 65...telling them that the funds they paid into SS for their entire life was futile...probably NOT a good idea. #2 - Instead of simply blaming the Democrats as your main platform...come up with a platform which actually is constructive and people can see that it could be helpful...or at least a good idea. For that matter, perhaps coming up with a platform...any platform stronger than...Democrats are bad...could probably do wonders.

In the same sense that Neville Chamberlain can take credit for having postponed hostilities with Germany.

@JohnsonJones First, I'm sorry for the situation you describe. Second, good job on being a safe avenue for her even though it's uncomfortable. Third, I applaud your granddaughter for not applying to BYU when she's not feelin it. Too many are there just to take advantage of the tuition. Fourth, you're not to blame or 'not strong enough'. A couple thoughts: - sometimes people innocently stumble upon negative things on social media - sometimes they search it out because they're annoyed about something and 'misery loves company' (the hope is they quit doing that sooner than later) - sometimes they've sinned and turn away instead of repenting (I know of a family who's oldest decided they're atheist but this was after they got pregnant) My point is is that there might be an underlying cause and the social media was just the outlet. It's always best to get to the root of the issue and deal with that if you can. Anyway, I just read* Sheri Dew's remarks at a devotional Nov. 2. Her audience is college kids and it may help your granddaughter. Hope some of this is helpful and that you and your granddaughter can find your way through this. *you can also listen to it here - Prophets Can See Around Corners (byuh.edu)

Nope. Only in instances of natural disasters are church buildings opened up as shelter to the community, and for good reason. Our church is busy every day of the week except Monday. On each of the other 6 days it has multiple functions taking place, many including children. Some may call me a bigot, but I would outright refuse to attend church in a building used to shelter the homeless. I will not worship, or allow my children to have their activities, in the same area as drugs, feces and filth, used needles and condoms, alcohol and all other nasty aspects of homeless culture. If persons criticize the church over this issue, then we can do a trial run with their house; that way, those persons get to be the crew that clean up after the homeless each morning. Their tune would change if they spent just one day actually in and around that community of people. The homeless love to push boundaries, and being housed in a place of worship would mean nothing to them in regards to changing their attitudes and behavior. These people need help, but as Ironhold said, many of them do not want it. Some truly are down on their luck, and need a true lift up, and I am more than willing to offer assistance, but others choose to be homeless. The legal ramifications would also be enormous if the church were to undertake something like that.

“He (God) has said, that the time is at hand for the Jews to be gathered to Jerusalem. —And we know it. He has said, that the Ten Tribes of Israel should also be revealed in the North country, together with their oracles and records, preparatory to their return, and to their union with Judah, no more to be separated. —And we know it. ~Proclamation of the Twelve, Messages of the First Presidency, Vol. 1, p. 263, April 6, 1845. Then we will find that there is a place for the First Presidency of this Church; for the Twelve Apostles called in this dispensation; for the twelve disciples that were called among the remnants of Joseph on this land in ancient times; for the twelve that were called among the ten tribes of Israel in the north country; ~Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 17, p. 186-188, October 11, 1874 “It is maintained by some that the lost tribes of Israel—those carried into captivity about 721 B. C.—are no longer a distinct people; that they exist only in a scattered condition, mixed with the nations among which they were taken by their captors, the conquering Assyrians. If this be true, and those tribes were not intact at the time Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the Keys of the Gathering, why did they make so pointed a reference to ‘the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north?’ And this, too, after a general allusion to ‘the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth.’ What need to particularize as to the Ten Tribes, if they were no longer a distinct people? And why do our Articles of Faith give those tribes a special mention? ~Orson F. Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, p. 159-160. “The Jews are called dispersed, because they are scattered among the nations; but the ten tribes are called outcasts, because they are cast out from the knowledge of the nations into a land by themselves.” ~Parley P. Pratt, A Voice of Warning, p. 35. Here it will be seen that the house of Israel will be in a very different condition from the Jews.The ten tribes will believe in Christ, so much so, that he will lead them, while on their return from the north country, and they will come and ‘sing in the height of Zion,’ and ‘they will not sorrow any more at all:’ whereas the Jews will have no such favours shown unto them on their return from the nations, but will have great distress and sorrow, and mourning, after they get back to Jerusalem. ~Orson Pratt, Millennial Star, Vol. 11, p. 323, November 1, 1849 The ten tribes cannot be among any of the known nations; for there is no one who is able to identify them; and there are no people who even profess or claim to be of such origin.” ~Orson Pratt, Millennial Star, Vol. 29, p. 200-201, March 30, 1867

Just an interesting find... https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Previously-unknown-document-by-Mormon-church-17564463.php A marriage certificate for Graham Coltrin and Fanny Davis in 1839 signed by Joseph Smith was found in the archives of the Western Illinois University.

The subject of the lost 10 tribes is speculative... So take my thoughts below in that line of speculative reasoning. The 10 tribes are not lost to God. They are lost to the world and to themselves. The Jews are not lost because they maintained their Tribal identity, without it they too would have been lost. We know that the Lord is going to gather together in a group, the lost 10 tribes. We know from Jacob 5 the Olive Tree allegory that the gathering is going to take a bit. You don't really have a group without a group identity, but you can't identify as the 10 tribes or you are no longer lost. So it seems reasonable that the 10 tribes are being gathered by the Lord, under a new name/identity. We know that the Lord is going to use Ephraim to do the gathering and that means an organization, and we kind of know what that organization is going to look like. So it shouldn't be that hard to find. It needs to be led by God, so prophets and apostles. We know what that looks like. It needs to be Missionary oriented, sending missionaries out to convert people to the Lord, and this new identity. We know what that looks like as well. The scriptures are full of the Lord hiding things in plain sight, so the Lord could be hiding their tribal identities in plain sight as well. They could have patriarchs declaring lineages... which means they aren't lost any more but if they do not understand it then they still kind of are. And in case pieces aren't quite clicking yet... Maybe their current Prophet has recently gone on record as saying something like "We are gathering Israel on both sides of the veil" Because to me that is what the gathering of the 10 tribes logically looks like. And I see no reason for there to be two such organizations gathering them. We have our records in the Doctrine and Covenants and other modern revelation, we have the record of the Nephites (Book of Mormon) and the Jews (Bible). While more might still come, we have enough to also say the prophecy is complete concerning the coming forth of records when the timing it right. Then we have prophecies of the movements and revealing of the 10 tribes who were lost. Those have not happened yet, but if my thoughts and speculative reasoning is correct then those are prophecies of our movements and unveiling by the Lord. This would mean that the lost 10 tribes that have been gathered are currently hiding in plain sight under their identities as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

They are not gathered under the polar cap, they are not on some inner earth, they are not off in space somewhere. They are scattered among the people of this earth.

The husband would sometimes do security shifts down at The Road Home and says it was a nightmare. Celebrated solutions like Palmer Court and The Magnolia are horror stories in and of themselves.

I’ve seen it done in times of emergency. But generally speaking . . . Contrary to what many folks will tell you, homelessness (at least in the US) is not merely an inevitable product of poverty. It is usually (not always, but usually) a product of poverty in conjunction with deeply antisocial behaviors (generally a result of untreated mental illness, drug use, or some combination of the two). I’ve worked with people who had stayed at The Road Home or other shelters in the Wasatch Front. The things they encountered at those shelters were horrifying. Drugs were rampant, physical violence and sexual assault were not uncommon, and filth was uncontrollable. On the whole, I’d rather take my kids to church at a maximum security prison than a homeless shelter—the security is better, prison inmates are held to a higher behavioral standard, and they face more rigorous displinary procedures.

This about sums it up nicely:

Here's a link to a self-referential post.

The “B.” in Benoit B. Mandelbrot stands for “Benoit B. Mandelbrot”.

Amateur. I’m chartering an expedition to the solar ice caps.