Fiannan

Not entirely. Look at secular western countries like Syria and Turkey -- a decade ago women tended to wear the same clothing that one sees on fashion magazine covers in the west. Now wearing the hajib and modest clothing is taking over -- especially amongst the educated young women. Immams in the Islamic world have successfully presented their religion and its principples as a counterthrust against the hedonistic west. Hey, I am no Muslim but if I had to choose between western materialism and secularism and Islam I'd be a fundamentalist! Maybe we could learn from Islam. The principles of our religion, and the teachings of the founding prophet Joseph Smith are in direct contradiction to mainstream western hedonism. If anything Joseph Smith (in purely political terms) is one of the most radical figures in American history. If everyone in the USA lived what he taught the entire social structure would be overturned. Yes, it's revolutionary even though most members are about as revolutionary and exciting as a boiled egg. Want growth? Members need to capture the vision that is the Church.

Okay, there's this guy running for political office but I won't mention his name. He does look like Steve Urkel though. The reason I bring him up is that his rhetorical skills are fantastic. I have to say he energizes his people and they are willing to make huge sacrifices for his cause. In fact, one can call it a "cult of personality" but truth is he is able to make every volunteer feel important and part of a whole. Is it time for our people to try to copy the positive aspects of this? All successful organizations have one characteristic in common -- they make each person feel like they are important. I think in recent years our delivery skills to the members and investigators have fallen flat. We need energy in our meetings -- excitment, vitality. Tackle real issues, show why we have a unique message and watch things take off!!!!

Again, this video is extremely valuable for anyone interested in how much our population is the victim of psychological manipulation: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2637635365191428174

There are problems we all face that have nothing to do with our character or behavior. There are people infected with HIV by rapists, there are children who die of lung cancer -- they certainly didn't get it by smoking, and there are people who are sterile for no apparent reason except that that is how they were born. My answer to this is that one could consider adoption or (if your spouse is okay with it) donor egg or sperm. True, the sterile person is unable to reproduce but their mate can -- and the couple can raise the children together with nobody else being the wiser.

Well, I won't be pregnant (y chromosome thing):) I just checked again and my hotel is at 3700 meters (12,000 ft. ). I'll drink lots of water I think. Taking it easy though??? Not sure.

I am planning on staying at a hotel in the spring which is at 3000 meters (around 10 thousand ft. elevation). Anyone ever do this? Are there really all that many effects from high altitude? Just curious about personal experiences since one of the hikes I may go on will take me to 5000 meters. I asked a doctor who just gave the basic health stuff but I wanted to hear from some others who have actually spent a bit of time at such elevations.

Now this is funny: And I like Bush -- but hey, it is funny.

I don't think the average LDS person is scared of taking their kids to another church for visits. I'll admit the only ones I taken any of my kids to for visits are Russian Orthodox and a Buddhist temple in Ping Youh but don't think that is the issue I originally brought up. My issue is that people might take note of just how deep social control exists in western society and that much of what we consider balanced or open is in fact propaganda. Psychological techniques at social control run deep in America and Europe and people need to be aware in order to take the right PATH. My personal view is that if everyone is aware of the efforts to manipulate us (buesiness for money, government for power) then when their church leaders urge us to live a certain way (which is based on the desire for us to be happy and come closer to Christ) they will be far less likely to accuse those with a spiritual goal as being controlling or trying to brainwash. Check the series out at video google and type in "The Century of the Self".

You are sort of right. If a polygamist joins the Church he has to "separate" from all wives but the first but still has to provide for the others. So no sex I suppose but not real divorce. Kinda complicated I suppose.

Anyone is free, I suppose, to practice socialism. They can get like-minded people together and buy a plot of land and set up their own socialist community -- there are still hippie communes in places like Oregon and northern California where poeople did just that and many of the polygamist groups live like this as well. As long as the government doesn't try to impose socialism on everyone then...

Depends on how you interpret the reasons behind the proclaimation in the first place. Also, even Jesus said that divorce was allowed in the Mosaic Law due to the hardness of the hearts of man.

Are you absolutely sure about that? Men practiced polygamy decades after the official proclaimation put polygamy on hold -- most, not all, who were already married or engaged to be married to more than one wife could keep the practice alive since divorce would be unacceptable. I know there are Protestant churches now that if a man with more than one wife converts to their church they can keep the wives they already have -- wouldn't we have the same policy if, let's say, a man from Africa or the Middle East with several wives converted to the Church? I have rad that at one time the LDS Church had a foothold in countries like Lebanon and Turkey but the organizations there eventually collapsed. Perhaps then this Turkish LDS man was a son or grandson who was maintaining the fiath and since Christians in the Middle East can, and do, on occasion take more than one wife maybe...

There is a huge difference between supporting the concept of free enterprise and individual choice and becomming a desciple of consumerism and materialism.

If Britianstan allows all people to EQUALLY participate in polygamy then that's okay. but the article says that polygamy can exist only if people are married in nations that allow it. In other words, that means only people married in MUSLIM countries -- that that is wrong, wrong, wrong. I suppose one could just travel to a Muslim nation and take a few women with you to marry but I am not sure how that works. My son's barber siad he has a friend in Turkey who is LDS and has two wives so I suppose some of the Christians who have multiple wives in the Middle East could benefit but to make this totally fair then everyone should be able to participate. In another respect though I know that polygamy will come back in the future so maybe this is the spark that will bring it to legal recognition throughout the western world. Then the Church will have to re-instate it.

Multiple wives will mean multiple benefits - Telegraph Comments?

America and Canada needs someone to replace the old ones dying off (since the old folk didn't raise enough children to keep up with economic growth or even mere replacement) so it seems Mexicans are as good as any others. What I think would be cool is if Russia could get its birthrate so high that they could be to western Europe what Mexicans are to us today. The Russians could simply replace all the old geezers of places like Germany.

I have to agree, Americans are basing their lives on the gratification of the self so couples work their tails off to afford money to buy the things the peephole into paradise advertises to them. Reminds me of the story of the monkey trap -- put a bright object in a box and the monkey will reach in and not let go even though to grasp it means they can't get their fist out. Also, if they have a cynical view of the world then maybe they should take their lillie-white you know whats out of American suburbia and spend some time where people don't have everything -- and see that these peoples place values on families and children despite being poor (and are happier in the process). Americans need to become more like Mexicans psychologically.

Herd mentality -- the leaders in business and in government know exactly how the psychology of the herd operates.

Vouchers work really well for Sweden.

Zombie survival quiz: Quiz - Would You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? - Quizilla Quizzes

While I have some mixed feelings on this I have to give JBS one thing -- the school system of the USA tries to at best be neutral on God and at worse is antagonistic towards Him. Isn't there a scripture in the BofM that says that if an entity doesn't testify of the devine nature of Christ then it is of the Devil? In a strange sort of way then the school systems of the Muslim world are in accordance to the word of God (they at least testify of Jesus as a major prophet, born of a virgin and returning someday to slay the anti-Christ) while the USA's new system is of Satan, in a strict analysis of what the BofM says. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Wow, sounds like something my wife would do to me!:D:D

Not sure but I think Russians are a bit more traditional than their northern European counterparts. I read an analysis of Russian and western values and thought that the author's observation was interesting -- Europeans commit sin and have absolutely no guilt and even celebrate in their heathen ways while if Russians sin they at least recognize they have done wrong and have guilt -- and in this way Russians and Americans have more in common than Americans and western Europeans.

Oh no, maybe that's why SLC gets eaten by zombies in Resident Evil 3. By the way, can you do baptism for the dead if a dead relative is still roaming the streets and eating people's brains? And would a zombie have to repent for doing this? Al Gore where are you when we really need you????Are you flying in your private jet to vacation in the tropics or going for a Sunday drive in your SUV? Oh, and not to sound like I am being critical of the eco-religion but when the Vikings arrived in Greenland a thousand years ago didn't they find a nice, fertile and warm place to settle? Then it got cold and wiped out their colonies within two centuries? Could it be we have natural weather cycles that aren't affected by man all that much?

Beware!!! Did anyone see Resident Evil 3? Zombies ate Salt Lake City while zombie infected birds ate Las Vegas!!!!!