Over43

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Everything posted by Over43

  1. Seems to have become somewhat blase' in church circles nowdays. And although Latter-day Saints are still seen as "those people who don't drink or smoke" I [personally believe there is a lot more to it than drinking and smoking. Unfortunately, the last few times I've been in class and there has been discussion concerning the W of W it always seems to digress to the drinking and smoking issue. I know alcohol and tobacco are destructive, I've had family members pass on way to young because of these things. But... What does everyone else read in the words of Section 89 that inspires them? The dietary code is interesting, and fortunately for me, Twinkies are made out of grain. I think. O43
  2. I think I agree. Some may claim it's because of doctrinal issues, etc. But, for the majority it comes down to wanting to do one's own thing. O43
  3. Saints at War is an incredible documentary. the stories and testimonies from both sides were unbelievable. The soldier from Arizona who kept trying to shoot the running German soldier and kept missing. It turned out the German was a member of the church. It brought a sniffle. O43
  4. I have yet to learn the never lend out books axiom. They don't come back. About a decade ago I read a book by a fellow Sacramentan (at the time) who used the Great Lakes region/Upstate New York as his model for Nephite lands. He made a very strong case for this. Hugh Nibley stated in his lectures that the 5 Nations of the Iriquois were physiologically different than other "natives", larger, heavier boned etc. He believed they were the last of the Jaredite lineage. This is very interesting historical, archeological and anthropoligical ideas that I would like to see continued. O43
  5. "Cloverfield", ended up being a monster movie I absolutley loved. They combined Godzilla, Independence Day, Alien, and even a bit of 9/11 to it. Totally intense. I'll have to watch I am Legend again. I liked it, but did come away feeling bummed. O40
  6. I have felt the same way in the past, at times, Nicartos. So, I understand what you might be going through. Several things have helped me, 1) Hearing President Hinckley state once that "the Church" does not take a stance on evolution. For some reason that comforted me. I do believe in evolution, but it doesn't interefere with my belief. And often times it's fun to "freak" people out when they hear me say that. 2) Believe it or not another help was reading "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. I realised he was just as full of poop trying to convince people believing God was silly as the people's faith he was making fun of. And although many "intellectuals" loved it I don't think it is as wonderful as they "make it". Science to me is beautiful, along with One of the best church books I have read is Joseph Smith as Scientist. It is written by John A. Widstoe. Personally I don't see the need to have the "all or nothing approach" to the questions of science. And I think that as Saints we have a much more tolerant view of scientific opinion than most religious sects. I could be wrong, but that is an opinion I have. Good luck in your search. O43
  7. Wallace Stegner, in his book "Mormon Country" discusses the LDS settling of Las Vegas (Thousand Springs), Reno and many other parts of Nevada. A tell-tale sign of Mormon settling in Nevada (according to Stegner) are the rows of poplars found on ranches, etc. It was suggested by Brigham Young to plant the poplars as shade, wind breaks and firewood.
  8. Elder Talmage wrote "Jesus the Christ" in the early 20th Century. It is a classic. Another excellent book on Jesus is, and although not of the LDS faith, Benedict XVI's "Jesus of Nazareth". It isn't an easy read, but informative. I love Tolkein, and Lamour myself. The Last of the Breed and The Haunted Mesa are my two favorite Lamour novels. O43
  9. If I offended anyone by attaching environmentalism to anti-man behavior that is unfortunate, it certainly wasn't meant to be an all-inclusive connection, certainly there are conservationists/environmentalists who are extremely responsible and balanced in their approach to what need sot be done concerning a balance between the human/natural world relationship. Certainly we as "members" have a double responsibility, be caretakers of the Earth and also use the resources available to better our situation here. Keep up the conversation it's excellent. O43
  10. >>>The problem seen, they walked without the 'Light of Christ.' Blindly grooping in the dark when the Sun is shining. Who controls Elements of Nature?<<< I think you have hit the nail on the head. O43
  11. Is it just me noticing the anti-man (and woman) under current that is beginning (It's probably been there for quite some time, I'm just noticing it...) to appear in "pop" culture. Starting with global warming of course, and environmentalism (I love the environment, but I think humans come first), and beginning to branch out into other areas? When Thailand and the countries of the Indian Ocean were devastated by that tidal wave a few years back an environmentalist in Switzerland was reported as saying that "it served them right..." The various satellite channels (mostly the History Channel and Discovery Channel) have been running their weekly disaster scenarios (my 14 year old didn't sleep for a week after "Yellowstone Super Volcano", and Yahoo (I dislike Yahoo) can't seem to go more than a few days without posting some sensational story about an asteroid that "might" hit the earth (often 800 years from now) and destroy human kind. One recent show was "After Humans" (or something like that). Ayn Rand in her world view often talked about the coming anti-man philosophy, while our own leaders address it in other terms and in various behaviors that are promoted by a more lax societal view and all the problems that come with that. In Richard Dawkin's "The God Delusion" he puts forth many ideas taht I thought were less anti God/religion and just plane anti-human. (I like to call the book the "Dawkins Delusion".) One of the beauties of past cultural efforts (and no matter how depraved Mozart might have been) the classics seemed to always celebrate human achievement and a relationship with the Heavens. Not anymore. It just seems that people with influence are so despondent that they almost seem to wish for the volcano or asteroid to do their job. O43
  12. A dead bin Laden is like a live Sasquatch, let's see the body. You would think if he were dead the extremists would hold him up as a martyr. O43
  13. I wasn't referring to your original post on the "Real Book of Mormon" Charley. I am inarticulately refering to the "sub" culture that seems to come and go within the world of LDS culture. It is generally propogated by "academic" types who like to mull the "mysteries" of the Kingdom. There is a fellow in my ward who is a physics/chemistry professor. He takes the Book of Mormon for what it is, the Word. It is a beautiful thing. On the other hand I am acquinted with several of the area church intelligentsia who question this, question that, yada, yada, yada. The "What if syndrome...". As a missionary in the Mid-West we would often introduce the Book of Mormon as a "History" of the American Indian. We were wrong, but it was still common back them to do that. The Book of Mormon, as everyone here knows, is a book of doctrine which touches on historical events within a lost people. It is "Another Testiment of Jesus Christ". Whatever "history" or cultural insights we get are secondary. So back to the title I guess, where did "we" (being other theories in general) start thinking it's OK to question the simple statement that the book is a record of the people of Nephi written by the hand of Mormon? It's pretty straight forward. O43
  14. The recent discussion concerning "The Real Book of Mormon " has made me think when did "we" (as a cultural whole) begin to make this turn from the Book of Mormon being an account of the people of Nephi and Laman, as well as the Jaredites, to a "myth" or allegory? The title page tells us it is an account of the people of Nephi abridged by Mormon. Joseph Smith (as stated in other threads) saw in vision the Nephite culture. As well as, I imagine, the Lemanite culture, etc. I believe that. I do not believe it is mythology or legend. As much as the Bible is being shredded by current culture I think the Book of Mormon is a necessary tool in the continued belief in the resurrected Savior. As the Book says it is. I was at a fireside in Chicago 20+ years ago when Daniel Ludlow spoke on the Book of Mormon. I distinctly remember him saying that, "Evidences of the Book of Mormon exist and more will be found. However, our belief in the Book of Mormon lies in faith, and it won't matter how many evidences are uncovered, people will still not believe..." (paraphrase) Hugh Nibley taught that the Nephites were never a largely populous group. Culturally they were probably significant, but as far as populating the America's there were other groups that were far more populous than them. So there is more of their cutlural left overs available. Also, as we learn at the end of the Book of Mormon the Nephites disappeared due to genocide. Period. So those who would not go over to the Lamanites were killed, or like Moroni "vanished" into the wilds of the Americas. When the Nephites were conquored it isn't unfathomable that their towns, cities and culture were destroyed, and whoever remained under Lamanite control were absorbed into the Lamanite genetic pool (and whoever else was living in the areas at the time...) and disappeared. I don't think it is for us to worry about "this evidence" or "that theory", what I think we need to do is absorb the teachings (which can be a lot harder than we realize) of the Book of Mormon and synthesize them into our daily lives. Just a real long thought. O43
  15. Somewhere after Dr. No the director (Brocolli) decided that the campier the Bond movie, the better? "Casino Royale" which came out the year before last seems to have taken the movies back to the actual Bond character and the "seriousness" that Fleming was writing with. O43
  16. Saul Bellow, Ernest Hemingway, Ayn Rand, Carl Hiaasen, Ian Fleming, George Cornwell (The Sharpe novels), L. Ron Hubbard (science fiction), etc. And you? O40
  17. I recall Elder McConkie speaking to the group of missionaries I was with in the Fall of 1983 in the MTC. He was warm, funny, and very informative. If I remember correctly he was "different" than the person we would see in General Conference. O43
  18. When I was newly married there was a couple in our student ward, he was from Utah she was from Jamaica. People treated them differently because they were an inter-racial couple and she was quite dark. Very unfortunate. Just last week I had a 9th grade student ask me what nationality my name was. I said it was German-Jewish. He immediately popped off with "I hate Jews." I said I wasn't Jewish, but that the history of the name is German-Jewish. He reiterated that he "Hated Jews..." Considering where I live I doubt that this youngster would know what a "Jew" was if one came up and socked him in the teeth. O43
  19. I am one who is old enough to have grown up with the presence of Elder McConkie at all my youthful general conferences. He was blunt, he might have been one of the last of the "old fashioned" apostles as far as not being media conscious is concerned. He told it the way it was. He seems to have acquired a hero worship contigency that followed his every move and probably spent more time reading Mormon Doctrine that the standard works. Which isn't his fault. I had his son for a religion class at BYU 2 decades ago, and have to say that Brother McConkie was the best religion teacher I ever had. If the son was like the father, then the father was certainly a heck of a guy. O43
  20. So I might be frequenting here quite a bit. Just finished: 50 Ways to a Healthy Heart by Christiaan Barnard. Not a bad book on health. Also: Casino Royale by Ian Fleming. For those of you that are familiar with many of the hoaky Bond movies out there the books are the real thing. On the Church side of reading I'm reading the Book of Mormon and listening to CDs of Spencer W. Kimball. O43
  21. I'm new. I'm a California ex-patriate living in beautiful Idaho. Middle aged suddenly (boy it sneaks up on you...), have a wife and family (oldest at the real BYU [Provo].), like to cook good food (since I don't smoke or drink food is my earthly pleasure...) bought my first French cook book recently, good stuff. I am beginning to learn bridge, I hike and ski, and read. O43
  22. I have had doubts over the years about various things invlved with the Gospel, including the reality of the Book fo Mormon. Then one day I decided just to believe in it. To read it, and try to do my best to live it (as with the Bible, P of G P, and D&C...). I don't regret doing that, nor do I doubt that it has changed my life for the better. Was Moroni real? yea... O43
  23. I used to drive 60 miles, round trip, to work. Now I drive 7 and a half, and ride my bike when the weather is good. O43