Vort

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  1. Haha
    Vort got a reaction from MrShorty in Basic Math   
    It's a complex calculation.
  2. Haha
    Vort got a reaction from mordorbund in Basic Math   
    The answer is 5! Not 5!!
  3. Like
    Vort reacted to zil2 in Basic Math   
    Strangely enough, as a Latter-day Saint, this diagram makes perfect sense.
  4. Haha
    Vort got a reaction from MrShorty in Basic Math   
    It's all in your imagination.
  5. Like
    Vort reacted to Jamie123 in Basic Math   
    I had high hopes for this video, but it doesn't really get to the nub of the problem: it only nitpicks (quite validly) at one of the intermediate steps, but proves the answer us numnuts arrived at by dumb luck happens to be correct.
    The major issue for me is that if i^i is 0.20787958 and also 0.000388203 (and a whole bunch of other numbers) then by the foundational axiom that if A=B and B=C then A=C we must conclude that 0.20787958=0.000388203, which is as wrong as saying that 1=-1, which was Presh Talwalkar's objection to our "numnut" approach.
    Now that always reminds me of...

    ...though no one pretends that the Trinity is anything but a mystery.
    The only solution I can think of is that "equality" in the statement x=i^i does not identify an equivalency, but a kind of "predicate" which applies not only to x but to other numbers as well. We use this sort of language in "big O" notation anyway for example:

    does not imply that f(x)=g(x). It is merely a statement about how fast the functions grow. (I've always thought big O notation was very sloppy, and I hardly ever use it.)
    We could define the answer as an infinite set

     
  6. Haha
    Vort got a reaction from MrShorty in Basic Math   
    It comes around every 2nπ. Period. (I realize it's "full stop" for you Brits, but that would ruin the pun.)
  7. Haha
    Vort got a reaction from mordorbund in Basic Math   
    It's all in your imagination.
  8. Like
    Vort got a reaction from Jamie123 in Basic Math   
  9. Haha
    Vort reacted to zil2 in Basic Math   
    This is clearly a sin.  Jesus commanded that our i be single.
  10. Haha
    Vort got a reaction from Traveler in Basic Math   
    It's all in your imagination.
  11. Like
    Vort got a reaction from zil2 in Basic Math   
    But the question is, How are they taught to do their products? Apparently they are not taught correctly.
  12. Like
    Vort reacted to Carborendum in Problems in the church?   
    I think everyone knows there are problems here or there.  And none of us has a great view to determine how widespread it may or may not be.  But the reason that people want to point to a certain problem as being "systemic" is the foxhole scenario. 
    I'll repeat an oft told tale about WWII.  If someone has a source for the validity of this tale, I'd like to know.  But regardless of the truth/fiction of the story, it is a valuable parable, if not a truly inspiring story.
    There was a small group of allied soldiers in a foxhole.  They knew that most of their battalion had been lost to enemy fire.  They had very little ammunition left.  They were sore and tired.  Their communications were down.  Then they heard a loud speaker announce in a thick German accent:
    "We have you surrounded.  Come out with your weapons down and your hands up!"
    This group conferred for a bit and decided that they wouldn't give up.  They'd go down fighting.  As they jumped out of the foxhole, they were astounded to find an entire army of soldiers coming out of hundreds of foxholes as far as the eye could see.
    Satan wants us to believe we're all alone.  But we're not.  And even if we were alone, we choose what we do.  We choose who we are.  We do not simply change who we are because of the actions of others.  That would be like blaming others for "making me mad."  We are responsible for controlling our feelings.  This is a trait that I'm afraid too few ever learn.  TBH, I still have a problem with it -- even with little offenses from others.  So, I'm not good at it myself.
    It may not be fair.  It may not be just.  And it may even seem justified to believe otherwise, but no matter what others do, at the end of the day, we choose how we react.
    We know who we are.  Even if we are thrown into the fire pits of Ammonihah, we live for the Lord and our Eternal destiny.
    There was never anyone on Earth that was more alone than a simple carpenter who was left alone in an olive grove after He prayed for strength from His Father.  And He did what He knew was right regardless.
  13. Like
    Vort reacted to askandanswer in Problems in the church?   
    In another thread it was suggested that there might be some problems in the church. Maybe there are, maybe there aren't, I don't know. But what I do know is that if there are problems in the church they're not my problems, they're God's problems, because its His church, and its for Him to solve them, not me. I just need to keep doing what I've always been doing, but do it more and better because I still see the occasional hint of an imperfection in myself (an almost imperceptible hint ). I feel no need to get engaged or involved in whatever problems there might be. They're not my problems. 
  14. Like
    Vort reacted to mikbone in Problems in the church?   
    My first Bishop swindled like 20K from my parents.
    First Stake President left the Church
    First Mission President was innactive.  I saw him on my first day in Osorno Chile.  Then @ a zone meeting 4 months later.  In his talk he basically berated us for 30 min about how bad our numbers were and then asked us each to give a testimony about what we can do to do better.  Everyone before me, mostly the Chileans, gave excuses and discussed plans to double their efforts.  I gave a forceful talk in broken Spanish about how our leadership was horrible or non-existent essentially.  The conference was cut a bit short after my words.  I was then banished to the remotest sector in the mission Porvinir! on the Island Tierra del Fuego.  Which I dearly loved.  My second mission president was much better.
    When I read the scriptures I know and feel that they are inspired.  I get the same from listening to many talks during General Conference.  My Patriarchial Blessing reads like the Patriarch watched a movie of my entire life.  I just have do to lots of work in the Temple after my retirement. 
    I love Joseph Smith dearly.  And I am well aware of the Kirtland Safety Society incident wherein he recommended that the membership buy into the bank and assured them that the bank would do well.  It failed - many members left the church over it.  I tried to buy one of the notes recently from e-bay but I couldn't because they are worth way more then their weight in gold today...
    President Nelson's recommendation about vaccines reminded me of the Kirtland Safety Society.  I bet He gave the recommendation because many LDS were using the Church as a reason for requesting religious exemption.  
    Living by the recommendations of the LDS Church (Jesus Christ) has brought me too many blessings to count.
    My testimony is not fragile.  Its like Gorilla Glass or Sapphire.
    My response to guys like Aaron Sherinian,

  15. Like
    Vort got a reaction from MrShorty in Adult Child has become heavily and visibly ex-Mormon   
    Keep yourself strong, brother (or sister). Keep up your habits of personal devotion, such as prayer, fasting, and scripture study. You are and always will be an example to your children. Don't despair. In Christ, all tears shall be wiped away and replaced with joy and happiness. This I truly believe, and I cling to this promise. Your children are not yet lost, and much remains to be written in their personal stories. Surround yourselves with faithful and loving Saints. Lean on them.
  16. Like
    Vort got a reaction from Traveler in I'm a Christian.   
    I believe (or at least I want to believe) that many begin with good, honest intentions of following God. When they find that their position gives them power and the ability to satiate carnal appetites, they veer off the way, step by step, until they are intentionally deceiving and manipulating people for sex, money, luxury, and fame.
    This is priestcraft, among the greatest of perversions, and is not completely unknown in LDS circles. I do believe it's uncommon for Latter-day Saints to stray to that extent, but I have been acquainted with several who appeared to take entirely too much pleasure—dare I say pride?—in their own fame (or notoriety).
  17. Like
    Vort reacted to askandanswer in LDS Church's New Managing Director for Church Communication   
    The Stake President's actions here are entirely consistent with one of my all-time favourite talks, given by President Benson at BYU in 1980 when he was President of the Quorum of the Twelve.
    https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/ezra-taft-benson/fourteen-fundamentals-following-prophet/
    Here is part of that talk:
    Second:The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
    President Wilford Woodruff tells of an interesting incident that occurred in the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith:
    I will refer to a certain meeting I attended in the town of Kirtland in my early days. At that meeting some remarks were made that have been made here today, with regard to the living oracles and with regard to the written word of God. The same principle was presented, although not as extensively as it has been here, when a leading man in the Church got up and talked upon the subject, and said: “You have got the word of God before you here in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants; you have the written word of God, and you who give revelations should give revelations according to those books, as what is written in those books is the word of God. We should confine ourselves to them.”
    When he concluded, Brother Joseph turned to Brother Brigham Young and said, “Brother Brigham, I want you to take the stand and tell us your views with regard to the living oracles and the written word of God.” Brother Brigham took the stand, and he took the Bible, and laid it down; and he took the Book of Mormon, and laid it down; and he took the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and laid it down before him, and he said: “There is the written word of God to us, concerning the work of God from the beginning of the world, almost, to our day. And now,” said he, “when compared with the living oracles those books are nothing to me; those books do not convey the word of God direct to us now, as do the words of a Prophet or a man bearing the Holy Priesthood in our day and generation. I would rather have the living oracles than all the writing in the books.” That was the course he pursued. When he was through, Brother Joseph said to the congregation: “Brother Brigham has told you the word of the Lord, and he has told you the truth.” [In Conference Report, October 1897, pp. 18–19]
    It always surprises me that people are more willing to give heed to the words of prophets from thousands of years ago in totally foreign cultures, than they are to the words of prophets living here and now. 
  18. Like
    Vort reacted to NeuroTypical in Grocery store prices.   
    BTW, the word "Organic" was basically popularized as a marketing ploy to make middle class white women think they're saving the planet and themselves by buying more expensive food. 

  19. Like
    Vort reacted to mikbone in The Hobby Thread   
    Raising children
    I used to do alot of mountain biking, kite flying and boomerangs, but I’m now 55+ and slowing down a bit.  Also I take too much hospital call
    Video games on and off Mostly Blizzard stuff.
    Coin collection.
    I also frequent a single social media site loosely associated with my chruch.  I only do it on my iphone, in my spare time, so I try to keep the posts short.
    Football and olympic sports on TV.  Ran track and field in HS & undergrad.
    Bit of a foodie as well.  
     
  20. Like
    Vort reacted to keeperofthegate in Adult Child has become heavily and visibly ex-Mormon   
    Thank you all for your counsel and advice. It was so very helpful and means more to me than you could possibly know. I definitely appreciate all the comments on keeping my own faith strong and be a good example. Yes, so important that I remember to do that. Your comments really helped. Again, thank you to you all!!
  21. Like
    Vort reacted to Carborendum in Adult Child has become heavily and visibly ex-Mormon   
    @keeperofthegate,
    I hope you didn't take my earlier post as a criticism of your parenting.  Sometimes you can do everything right, and still someone exercises their agency in a manner that would be completely counter to what you taught them.
    My in-laws have had two interesting sons go off the deep end.
    ****************************
    One BIL was fairly rebellious.  No matter how faith-centered their home was (and believe me when I say that this family is about as faith centered as you can get) this son simply did not believe any of it.  He went along with his parents as long as he lived in the house.  But as soon as he turned 18 he couldn't leave fast enough.
    Then there was one day where he and his ex-LDS girlfriend decided that if they were to get married they needed to have a common faith.  They had both been raised LDS.  And they somehow agreed that having religion in a family was important.  But neither had accepted any LDS beliefs.  So, they went church hopping and decided to figure out how members of various faiths tested whether they were the right one.  They asked at each church. And they got some answers (which I've never asked about).  But they realized that none of it worked.  They just didn't buy the logic that any of the Churches used.  None of them had evidence that was all that convincing.  None of them even seemed to follow the Bible that they claimed to cherish.  
    Mind you these are not my thoughts.  This was how he described it as he lived through it.
    Eventually, they decided, "What about our parents' church?"  Yes, they had long ago believed that it was not their church anymore.  It was just their parents' church.  They were already well versed in LDS scriptures and had read the Book of Mormon, giving it a fair shot.  But they just didn't believe it.  So, now was the time that they'd pray about it.  They met at a park and decided that they would both go to opposite ends of the park to make sure they would not influence each other in this decision.
    They both felt a strong witness and began to return to each other at the middle of the park.  By the time they met in the middle (literally) they both knew they knew and that the other one knew as well.  They went home to tell their families that they had a mighty change of heart and knew it was all true.
    ***********************************
    The other son had always gone along with things and even bore his testimony.  But it didn't seem that he actually wanted to change himself for the Lord's sake.  I have no idea if he ever had a testimony.  But he said he did at times.
    Eventually, he lost his faith.  None of us really knew why since he wasn't one to share much.  But when he fell, he fell hard.  None of us knows exactly what happened or why.  But my guess is that there were several trials that his family went through over the course of several years.  And it was just too much for both the husband and wife.
    They are so negative that if they even hear a very generic quote (not at all LDS specific) from a General Authority, they immediately get belligerent.
    As long as we don't talk religion (AT ALL) they're perfectly pleasant. 
    ******************************
    Just as Lehi had Laman and Lemuel, there are plenty of parents who did everything right, but they still lost some of their children.
  22. Thanks
    Vort got a reaction from keeperofthegate in Adult Child has become heavily and visibly ex-Mormon   
    Keep yourself strong, brother (or sister). Keep up your habits of personal devotion, such as prayer, fasting, and scripture study. You are and always will be an example to your children. Don't despair. In Christ, all tears shall be wiped away and replaced with joy and happiness. This I truly believe, and I cling to this promise. Your children are not yet lost, and much remains to be written in their personal stories. Surround yourselves with faithful and loving Saints. Lean on them.
  23. Like
    Vort got a reaction from mikbone in LDS Church's New Managing Director for Church Communication   
    I have close relatives, people whom I love more than anyone else in the world, who have left or are near to leaving the Church because of their perception that the Church does not stand strong and firm for the truth, but instead caters to those who love wickedness. At least two of them have pointed out that Catholicism, at least, has stood by the principles it proclaims even as society has shifted. Catholicism teaches that homosexual activity is a perversion of truth and is an evil action, and has not made any apparent concessions to homosexual groups to try to win their favor, other than repeat that people should be treated well. Catholicism teaches that using contraception is of a sinful nature, contrary to God's desires and a way of rebelling against God. Since about the time I was born, societal mores regarding childbirth have changed almost 180 degrees, yet the Catholics still stick to their guns. (The faithful ones, at least.)
    Some members would like to see the Restored Kingdom of God, the organization that was willing to let its men be imprisoned and their wives left to fend for the families rather than renounce the holy (as they considered it) practice of polygamy, show some of that same firmness when those in the great and spacious building point their fingers and mock. I confess that the thought has crossed my mind, as well.
    Clearly, we should not. We have been encouraged and even commanded not to fear. But you asked why people are concerned. And whether or not concern is merited, the reasons for concern seem obvious to me.
  24. Like
    Vort got a reaction from Carborendum in LDS Church's New Managing Director for Church Communication   
    I have close relatives, people whom I love more than anyone else in the world, who have left or are near to leaving the Church because of their perception that the Church does not stand strong and firm for the truth, but instead caters to those who love wickedness. At least two of them have pointed out that Catholicism, at least, has stood by the principles it proclaims even as society has shifted. Catholicism teaches that homosexual activity is a perversion of truth and is an evil action, and has not made any apparent concessions to homosexual groups to try to win their favor, other than repeat that people should be treated well. Catholicism teaches that using contraception is of a sinful nature, contrary to God's desires and a way of rebelling against God. Since about the time I was born, societal mores regarding childbirth have changed almost 180 degrees, yet the Catholics still stick to their guns. (The faithful ones, at least.)
    Some members would like to see the Restored Kingdom of God, the organization that was willing to let its men be imprisoned and their wives left to fend for the families rather than renounce the holy (as they considered it) practice of polygamy, show some of that same firmness when those in the great and spacious building point their fingers and mock. I confess that the thought has crossed my mind, as well.
    Clearly, we should not. We have been encouraged and even commanded not to fear. But you asked why people are concerned. And whether or not concern is merited, the reasons for concern seem obvious to me.
  25. Like
    Vort got a reaction from Just_A_Guy in LDS Church's New Managing Director for Church Communication   
    I doubt this will be a concern. My hope is that Brother Sherinian will grow from this job and perhaps reconsider some (many) of his endorsements. In any case, I have faith that Christ heads his Church and Kingdom, and that the leaders he has put in place will keep their hand on the tiller and will not lead us to ruin.