Connie

First Lines, English Lit. See the above link for the answers to the first 20. 21. I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton 22. Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 23. In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 24. The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call "out there". In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 25. Late in the afternoon of a chilly day in February, two gentlemen were sitting alone over their wine, in a well-furnished dining parlor, in the town of P----, in Kentucky. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe 26. A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hill-side bank and runs deep and green. Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck 27. Halfway down a bystreet of one of our New England towns stands a rusty wooden house, with seven acutely peaked gables, facing towards various points of the compass, and a huge, clustered chimney in the midst. The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne 28. This is America -- a town of a few thousand, in a region of wheat and corn and dairies and little groves. 29. The town is, in our tale, called "Gopher Prairie, Minnesota." But its Main Street is the continuation of Main Streets everywhere. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis 30. It was a feature peculiar to the colonial wars of North America, that the toils and dangers of the wilderness were to be encountered before the adverse hosts could meet. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper 34. When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Yeah, this should really be limited next time. My fingers hurt. Though, admittedly, i had to look some of these up. I guess that either makes me a party pooper or really bummed that i can't go to my family's Christmas party today. But, hey, why limit myself, it's probably both and then some.

Oh well. I thought it was interesting information. I love words. And i enjoy discussing semantics. I mean, Latter-Day Saints and other Christians can say the same word and mean different things. It's important in people understanding each other to discuss what is meant by any given word or phrase. But now i'm just rambling.

Thank you, all, for reminding me why i don't come here very often anymore.

Perhaps you should have PM'd this to me? I have not been on the site for quite a while as i have been busy with other things and so have no offences to consider (i do "walk away" quite often for your information). I have simply been studying irony lately as there was some confusion in my own mind about what it is and the difference between sarcasm. I thought perhaps there was some confusion with others as well and thought i would share what i have learned. If that offends you, you can simply "walk away." Or feel free to PM me if you so desire.

I found this on Wikipedia's definition of Irony. A fair amount of confusion has surrounded the issue regarding the relationship between verbal irony and sarcasm, and psychology researchers have addressed the issue directly (e.g, Lee & Katz, 1998). For example, ridicule is an important aspect of sarcasm, but not verbal irony in general. By this account, sarcasm is a particular kind of personal criticism leveled against a person or group of persons that incorporates verbal irony. For example, a person reports to her friend that rather than going to a medical doctor to treat her ovarian cancer, she has decided to see a spiritual healer instead. In response her friend says sarcastically, "Great idea! I hear they do fine work!" The friend could have also replied with any number of ironic expressions that should not be labeled as sarcasm exactly, but still have many shared elements with sarcasm. Research shows that most instances of verbal irony are considered to be sarcastic, suggesting that the term sarcasm is more widely used than its technical definition suggests it should be (Bryant & Fox Tree, 2002; Gibbs, 2000). Some psycholinguistic theorists suggest that sarcasm ("Great idea!", "I hear they do fine work."), hyperbole ("That's the best idea I have heard in years!"), understatement ("Sure, what the hell, it's only cancer..."), rhetorical questions ("What, does your spirit have cancer?"), double entendre ("I'll bet if you do that, you'll be communing with spirits in no time...") and jocularity ("Get them to fix your bad back while you're at it.") should all be considered forms of verbal irony (Gibbs, 2000). The differences between these tropes can be quite subtle, and relate to typical emotional reactions of listeners, and the rhetorical goals of the speakers. Regardless of the various ways theorists categorize figurative language types, people in conversation are attempting to decode speaker intentions and discourse goals, and are not generally identifying, by name, the kinds of tropes used. I wonder if those who defend sarcasm so vehemently are really referring to irony? Christ used irony. He did not use sarcasm. One example: I am a quiet person. I don't talk a lot. People will often say to me something to the effect of, "Gee, Connie, you really need to let everyone else get a word in edgewise." Most would probably consider this a sarcastic statement. And while it can be given a certain tone of voice and jeering snear, most often they simply mean it ironically.

My hubby and i have been looking for this story for a while. Finally it came up in a lesson in Relief Society. This is from Chapter 16 from the Teachings of Joseph Smith manual that is used in Relief Society and Priesthood. Wilford Woodruff, the fourth President of the Church, reported: “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 … with regard to the living oracles and with regard to the written word of God. … 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; 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.’ ” And here is another good quote i found on the subject. “Beware of those who would pit the dead prophets against the living prophets, for the living prophets always take precedence. ” –Ezra Taft Benson

"To be a righteous woman is a glorious thing in any age. To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman's strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times. She has been placed here to help to enrich, to protect, and to guard the home--which is society's basic and most noble institution. Other institutions in society may falter and even fail, but the righteous woman can help to save the home, which may be the last and only sanctuary some mortals know in the midst of storm and strife." Spencer W. Kimball This quote infuses my soul with a spirit of encouragement and hope during these "hard times." I post it here with the wish to do the same for all of you good and righteous women. :)

Welcome to the site. Hope you enjoy it here. :)

Howdy! Welcome to the site. Hope you can find something you enjoy. :)

Welcome! :)

Thanks! They sound great. I think you're right about having the actual book. They're only $7 each so i might have to order them. :)

LDS.org - Scripture Stories Has anyone ever used these? If so, how do you like them? They look interesting.

Welcome! It does take some getting used to. Hope you enjoy the site. :)

You beat me to it Ben! Here's what i was going to say: Wouldn't the last revelation voted on by the church be Official Declaration 2 on September 30, 1978 at the end of the Doctrine & Covenants? That was the one giving the priesthood to all worthy males. Here's a good scripture: Doctrine & Covenants 68:4 "And whatsoever they [the Elders of the church] shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation." I think most LDS consider the words during General Conference to be "scripture."

Welcome and hello. :) Missions are exciting!

True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference Judging Others Sometimes people feel that it is wrong to judge others in any way. While it is true that you should not condemn others or judge them unrighteously, you will need to make judgments of ideas, situations, and people throughout your life. The Lord has given many commandments that you cannot keep without making judgments. For example, He has said: "Beware of false prophets.... Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:15-16) and "Go ye out from among the wicked" (D&C 38:42). You need to make judgments of people in many of your important decisions, such as choosing friends, voting for government leaders, and choosing an eternal companion. Judgment is an important use of your agency and requires great care, especially when you make judgments about other people. All your judgments must be guided by righteous standards. Remember that only God, who knows each individual's heart, can make final judgments of individuals (see Revelation 20:12; 3 Nephi 27:14; D&C 137:9). The Lord gave a warning to guide us in our judgments of others: "With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother: Let me pull the mote out of thine eye--and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother's eye" (3 Nephi 14:2-5). In this scripture passage the Lord teaches that a fault we see in another is often like a tiny speck in that person's eye, compared to our own faults, which are like an enormous beam in our eyes. Sometimes we focus on others' faults when we should instead be working to improve ourselves. Your righteous judgments about others can provide needed guidance for them and, in some cases, protection for you and your family. Approach any such judgment with care and compassion. As much as you can, judge people's situations rather than judging the people themselves. Whenever possible, refrain from making judgments until you have an adequate knowledge of the facts. Always be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, who can guide your decisions. Remember Alma's counsel to his son Corianton: "See that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually" (Alma 41:14). Additional references: 1 Samuel 16:7; Moroni 7:14-19; D&C 11:12

The Grossest Form of Church Criticism | TempleStudy.com - LDS Temple Study Blog - Sustaining and Defending the LDS (Mormon) Temple From the article: Our beloved Prophet and President Ezra Taft Benson once strongly warned: Sometimes we hear someone refer to a division in the Church. In reality, the Church is not divided. It simply means that there are some who, for the time being at least, are members of the Church but not in harmony with it. These people have a temporary membership and influence in the Church; but unless they repent, they will be missing when the final membership records are recorded.

If we understand the word "give" a little differently, that's nothing to apologize for. I actually agree with you, i simply think it's also important to emphasize that choice was involved. As it continues to be involved. We can choose to act on our weaknesses or turn to Lord and be strengthened.

Okay. So maybe it was given in the same way our mortal experience was given? And since we did choose to come to this mortal experience, we also in a sense chose our weaknesses?

I don't think he "gave" us our weaknesses. They came as a result of our mortal condition, and we chose them by choosing to come to earth. Otherwise you are right on. :)

Wow! The sealer who sealed my husband and i said, "Right now you have fallen in love with the flesh, but our looks are not who we are. Our size or shape doesn't matter. If you knew who Connie really was you would fall down at her feet with your tears, and she would do the same for you." This is at least how my mother remembers it and wrote down after the fact. What a great blessing for you to actually be able to see that!

so... uh... would donating your "excess" to Deseret Industries be living the law of consecration??

Welcome! I know what you mean by chat being in another language. It takes some getting used to. I prefer standard English myself. :)

Hello, welcome! :)

Well, as far as physical attractiveness goes, i think facial hair is hot! My hubby has a fabulous short-cropped full beard. He is also a really great kisser! He is a wonderful father, and his kids absolutely adore him. So does his wife! I tell him everything. He is my best friend. I rarely hear him complain. He is so much smarter than i am, and he has a great sense of humor and keeps me laughing, especially through the hard times. He is so positive. Here are two great Ensign articles by James E. Faust for women and men to consider: LDS.org - Ensign Article - The Father Who Cares LDS.org - Ensign Article - Fathers, Mothers, Marriage