bytor2112

I have about $300,000,000 in assets under management in my practice. The only formula I know of after being in the business ( financial planner, stock broker, or whatever we call ourselves nowadays) for the past 26 years is very simple......time plus compounded interest and the ability to not freak out over short term market volatility will make you a successful investor. That really is it in a nutshell. U.S. equities have averaged nearly 10% since 1925. So, $1000.00 invested in 1925 would be worth nearly $5,000,000 today. Just think of all the crazy world and economic events that have happened since then..... Yeah that is 90 years, but even in the shorter stretches...say the last 25 years...still around 10%. The big losers were those who thought they were being safe and bought bonds (same time period 90 years, $1000 grew to about $350,000) or worse the dreaded CD buyers that swallow the FDIC safety tripe. Just remember, volatility is temporary....just like turbulence when flying. The magic really is time and not freaking out. ( and not owning foolishness). And of course why do we invest? Because taxes and inflation destroy purchasing power and that is all money is really....is purchasing power.

If we turn to the scriptures for answers......it would seem that there was no death before the fall and no procreation. The theory of evolution would seem to be at odds with scripture I would think, since it doesn't sound plausible that various forms of life would seek to evolve if their was not procreation or death. What would be the need to evolve if their was not death? As Lehi said, "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. 23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. These scriptures would apply to all things....plant, animal, etc.

I don't think this is correct....at least pertaining to frogs. All things were created spiritually before they were created physically and all things are subject to the fall...frogs too and all things fell so they could be resurrected...frogs, plants, etc. (Personally I think dinosaurs and pre-adamites as well)

Sarah...I would suggest that you do whatever you like and let the Lord be your judge, he is after all going to be anyways. Many of us will have much more to worry about than whether we chose to not wear garments on a particularly hot and humid day or..... Once upon a time, I actually mowed the yard...(gulp) shirtless. Oh...and ran shirtless and went to the gym in a tank top. Before the flaming begins, I do wear my G's 99.9% of the time and of course we all should, but,in the end that really is between you and the Lord.

Just for clarification---- you believe/believed in God, but struggled with belief in Jesus Christ and the resurrection? How or why would you serve a mission for a religion with which you struggle to believe the central theme which is Jesus Christ? Just curious..... Reading your post it would seem that you struggle to believe much of anything you taught and claimed to believe, so, why worry about excommunication? And without a doubt, you could be excommunicated.

I was recently released as the EQP after 5 years and today was called to serve on the High Council. So, I am looking for comments about the High Council. What is it's function and what do members of the High Council do? I have a very general understanding, so, any information is greatly appreciated.

The staff that Moses cast at Pharaohs feet was just a piece of wood...

I know plenty of members that do not attend all three hours or anything beyond sacrament meting and hold a temple recommend and I know plenty that attend all three hours , hold a recommend and never attend the Temple and I know plenty that....

Planned Parenthood shouldn't be necessary anymore....after all there is now health care for all!!!!!

I think our membership is weak. It seems doctrine is rarely taught and much of what I see leaves a lot of grey area for the church membership as a whole. That said, I don't question the brethren because I am sure there is a reason that they are addressing these type of issues in this manner. Milk before meat and love before repentance would seem the direction the brethren are directing us.

Dr. Mengele's work lives on....but let's talk about that evil dentist and Cecil instead

What did the antelope say to the gazelle after they heard about ole Cecil's demise? Karma...

I am not a hunter and candidly feel much more sympathy for the cute little deer than the big cat. Cecil likely brutally killed anything that was weaker and smaller that came in his path and ripped it to shreds and ate it. Cecil met someone smarter and more powerful than Cecil. Such is the code that animal lived by.... It may have been illegal to kill Cecil, but as I understand it it is not illegal to hunt big game in Zimbabwe and it is not illegal to kill lions. What really is stunning, is what issues people want to get all disturbed by versus the ones that are truly horrific that they mostly ignore or somehow justify. The fact that people want to see this dentist extradited to Zimbabwe and have his life destroyed and perhaps his families for killing a lion is pretty twisted.

Cool because it is a doctrine that one day will make the earth a heaven and man a god.

To off set my near excessive consumption of diet soda, I mix it with a bit of non diet soda. So, that way some nosy and more righteous member can't judge me for drinking too much diet soda.

Cuz I don't give a rip about Cecil the Lion. Horrible human I am..

Too bad the church and other major supporters didn't abandon the BSA sooner....maybe they would have gotten the message. 2.5% of the population claims to be homosexual....I wonder how small a number of homosexuals want to be involved in scouts? Homosexuals IMO are the most selfish, self centered people and sadly, the silent majority has allowed it all to happen, from ss marriage to this to......

Whenever I set it up and select "finished" ....nothing happens after the window closes.

No...I have tried that and nothing. Guess, I am missing sumpin...

I see the poll manager....but, don't see how to add a poll to start a new topic.

My son used the edger today and the pole saw and declaed it the best of all the tools I have ever purchased!

LGBT freedom will be pitted against religion that still refers to their lifestyle as sin.....except of course Islam. Christianity will be seen as acceptable once it conforms to the image of the world and the liberal agenda.

Thought this quote from Elder Maxwell is spot on: “Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. (See 1 Kgs. 18:21.) President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had ‘never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life’ (in Conference Report, Apr. 1941, p. 123). This is a hard doctrine, but it is a particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ! We are now entering a time of incredible ironies. Let us cite but one of these ironies which is yet in its subtle stages: We will see a maximum, if indirect, effort made to establish irreligion as the state religion. It is actually a new form of paganism which uses the carefully preserved and cultivated freedoms of western civilization to shrink freedom, even as it rejects the value essence of our rich Judeo-Christian heritage.” “Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. M. J. Sobran also said, ‘A religious conviction is now a second-class conviction, expected to step deferentially to the back of the secular bus, and not to get uppity about it’ (Human Life Review, Summer 1978, pp. 58–59). This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions. Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.” “Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, ‘summer is nigh’ (Matt. 24:32). Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat!” Elder Neal A. Maxwell

After my heart attack I promised....no more doing my own yard, pool, etc. Well, now that I feel so good again, I am back doing everything :-) Thought I would post some thoughts on a new toy I acquired today. First of all, I did buy a riding mower after my kids went off to BYU, missions etc and that has been nice. It is a Snapper...(think Forest Gump) and it has a mulching blade which is really nice. I think I started a trend as two neighbors bought the same Snapper after me. I also have a Honda push mower and a really old Murray that I have had for 25 years. I have a straight shaft Echo weed eater that I have owned for several years and it it is awesome, never, ever had a problem with it. I also have a really old Craftsman that hangs in the pool house and would probably start if I worked on it a bit. I have a Toro electric blower and a Stihl gas blower as well as a Stihl chainsaw....oh and an Echo gas hedge trimmer. Today I bought a Stihl Kombi system...which is basically a power head and a shaft that you can attach various tools. I bought the edger and the pole saw (basically a chain saw on a stick) and I am thus far very pleased. Stihl makes excellent equiptment and I must say the edger is amazing and has literally turned a 30 minute job into a 5 minute job. I was using an electric edger and as you can imagine, it is a process hauling around extension cords etc. The whole purchase today was about $600.00...but oh so worth it! My son would say, Dad, you could have hired someone for the entire summer for what you paid for that tool . I live in the South and have a big yard with lots of azaleas and things that need lots of attention and of course it rains nearly every day and the grass grows like mad...so, yeah, I am happy with my purchase. What do u use?

A tad off subject...sort of... Episcopalians vote to allow gay marriage in churches (in SLC of all places) "Among the changes to church laws on marriage, gender-specific language will be dropped. "Husband" and "wife" will be replaced with "the couple.""