funkymonkey

HAHA!

Most of the people I have met that had little experience with Mormons thought I should have been living in a compound in Texas. They had no idea that Mormons today don't really practice polygamy. And if your only exposure to "Mormonism" is what you see on TV... living in a compound in the desert, inbreeding, limited contact with the modern world, etc. The FLDS call themselves "Mormons", they too believe Joseph Smith was a prophet of God ...If I were them, I'd think Mormons were pretty freaky too.

Wow! There is a pill for everything nowadays.

haha!

I dunno...But now I want to see it! What company is it?? My hubby's group was being paid by a wine company to do the study. The results aren't really helping the wine company out. The lab gets boxes and boxes of free wine, the scientists only have to use a few cups from each batch to do what they need...they get to drink the rest. It's everyone's favorite project.

This is totally my own opinion, and I'm sure this is going to spark a debate of some sort.... I personally don't believe the statement "God won't give us anything we can't handle". I think that God doesn't give us commandments we can't handle.

So long as we're speculating theories that are way out there... Jesus Christ descends from the clouds when he visits the Nephites...there isn't an account of a "chariot" landing and Christ steps out. I think Christ and God both have the power to defy gravity and just fly wherever they want. They don't need spaceships because they're well... of the Godhead. I also think that God probably has the power to do that teleporting thing like they do in Star Trek ... but without a machine. But if he does have a machine, I'd want to be Scottie... Beam me up! :)

Thanks Over43. Just wanted to add that my husband's research group (chemists) are conducting a study regarding the "beneficial" ingredients in wine. They have found that the benefits are not from the wine, but rather they're from the grape...So you would get the same benefits from drinking that amount of grape juice everyday.

To me that sounds like mosquitos...they kill millions of people every year with malaria and there's not really a way to stop them! Or maybe it's killer bees.

Part of the article says, "The coaches' letter to Myles Brand, which included signers from Florida State University, University of Memphis, Georgetown University, The Ohio State University, Tulane University, The Citadel, Stanford University, the United States Air Force Academy, the University of Virginia, and the University of Washington, expressed concern about the prominence of alcohol advertising in televised college sports " ...not just a Utah thing.

There were 60 college presidents that signed the petition...I think that shows that this is beyond religion. People aren't against responsible drinking but being "drunk" is becoming more and more socially unacceptable. We made a lot of friends and we have a lot of family that drink...I have no problem with it at all, so long as they're responsible and over 21. We were at Colorado State University for the past 5 years...just finished this May! There were riots the first two years we were there. School officials concluded that they were caused by intoxicated freshmen. A few miles away in Boulder, they were having similar issues and there were also kids dying of alcohol poisoning. I know that a person can think "eh, that's part of the college experience. To each his own." But it really damaged the reputation of both schools. New student enrollment dropped the next year, they were constantly in the news because of the "alcohol problems" with the students. We had originally enrolled because the school had a good program, but all the wierd stuff going on those first two years really made me question what a degree from that school was really going to say on a resume. From my point of view, I figure these schools want to move away from alcohol "endorsements" to show that they are serious about maintaining a good reputation for their school. The officials at my school really took it seriously...Both CSU and CU Boulder stopped serving alcohol at football games (not sure if they lifted this yet or not), they implemented dry campus rules, dry fraternities; for a couple years they even issued a curfew for all undergrads. It didn't fix all the issues at these schools but, it allowed the bad press to cool off, and it helped repair the image of these schools. The context that we are talking about is the college environment. Kids are usually 18 years old when they enroll, which means that they have three years of college in their "underage" years. I doubt that the alcoholic sponsorships are designed appeal to college students (or anyone) only over 21. I know that this isn't the issue at all schools but once a school goes through something like this, they most definitely take a turn in their approach on the "issue".

This is such a cool thread. Lots of stuff here that I had no idea about. Sorry if this is listed above but I must have missed it. So, there is kindof a "mini-judgement" because the evil go to prison and the righteous go to paradise. What exactly makes someone "righteous" vs. "evil"? We are all sinners correct? So I am wondering what makes a person a "righteous" sinner vs. an "evil" sinner? For example, someone that dies that is addicted to drugs...does that one vice make them "evil"?

"I know God, fire in your heart to your doom will follow my words." Woah. Christ leads with love and teaches through the Holy Ghost...Not by threats made by someone that does not have the necessary priesthood authority. (e.i., the first presidency) I like your post HiJolly. Personal revelation is personal revelation. God wants us to find truth for ourselves, not for everyone else. The knowledge we have been given is a teeny tiny piece of the puzzle of the history of the world and the true plan of God. I do not believe that it is the purpose of this life to find anything and everything about this world. After the Lord comes again, I think more and more pieces of this puzzle will be put into place...and I look forward to that day. Working so hard to find ideas and theories through man's writings, can be a big distraction from what we are truly here to do in this life... The scriptures have one very clear message regarding the purpose of this life: repent and come unto Christ. I am focusing my life on these two things...this other stuff, even though it can be interesting, doesn't really matter for my salvation.

hi Bethie. thanks for posting this! Just my personal view... Alcohol commercials like a lot of the other stuff produced by the multimedia industry... "wolf in sheep's clothing" ? I think it's great that colleges are trying to take a stand and recognizing the dangerous influences of alcohol. More and more colleges are converting to "dry" campuses too. But like Vort said...the money the companies extend to these athletic programs is pretty sweet...would be very difficult to turn down.

I've never heard of the Ross River virus...but it sounds very similar to West Nile! Sounds similar to Dengue fever in S. America too. Listener, I'm sorry to hear that you got Ross River. However it's good to hear that you were able to finally recover. 1 year in, I feel like I'll be sick forever. Lola! Something like that happened to me a couple of years ago that I totally forgot about until I read your experience. :) We used to live in a run down apartment; different drunk guys would show up at all hours of the night looking for the girl that lived there before us (we were told she was a prostitute). Cops were a regular sight in this neigborhood. Anyway, I got home from work really really late and went straight to bed. Within 5 minutes of falling asleep, this picture of our front door with my keys still in the lock popped into my mind. Sure enough, I had left my keys in my front door lock. I think sometimes these promptings are tests, probably to "groom" us so we will listen for the bigger stuff.

sorry, Ben. Didn't see your post in time.

"More than 80% of all prostitutes are victims of sexual abuse in their childhood and youth." Source Just wanted to put this statistic up. The lives of the people that end up at this place, are much more complex.

Vort's missing a sensitivity chip. People in biblical times also drank, and had plural wives, and had long hair. Does this mean that it's ok for all of us to go out drinking and getting multiple spouses and grow our hair out? We are in 2008...our language had changed. It's time to move forward in our thinking. The acceptance of this word in today's society drives judgement, diviciveness, and contention. We are supposed to be a people of love, compassion, and character. I'm uncomfortable with the idea of "justifying" the use of this word.

haha! From what I remember, the whole point of that episode was that because Flanders was so overboard with his confessions, Lovejoy just stopped caring.

This reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Flanders is calling his pastor 5 times a day confessing everything as it comes. I think the adversary has a little to do with this... just like he tells Adam and Eve to hide in their nakedness, he wants us to hide in our sins...because then how can we be forgiven?

Hi! A different thread sparked this thought so I figured might as well start a new thread on it. Has anyone had personal experience with promptings meant to protect you? Or give you insight to future events? Here is mine... One Sunday we had a lesson on listening to the spirit. So I prayed to ask the Lord to help me understand the difference between "promptings" and my own little voice in my head (my conscience). Well, I learned... A little over a year ago I was at a BBQ in Colorado. It was a little in a rural area in a nice back yard, a perfect evening and the sun had just gone down. Anyway, we're all eating, laughing, and having good conversation. And I started getting a prompting, "Brianne, put on some bug spray." I figured I was just being paranoid so I decided to ignore it. Then my husband asks the owners of the house to get some bug spray, and he used it and so did everyone else...and he asked me "Bri do you want some?" And I said "Nah, that West Nile is just a joke anyway." And we all started joking about the West Nile histeria in the media. So then the prompting came again "Brianne, put on the bug spray." And I thought, "Eh I'm just paranoid." Then it came again and again and again. And I know at this time you're all thinkin that I'm a friggin idiot (no dispute there)...But then I finally thought, "Eh, I guess if I get West Nile, then I'll know that was the spirit and not my own conscience." But then the promptings turned into pretty much screaming inside my head "BRIANNE! BRIANNE! Put on the bug spray!" I still ignored it and continued on with my friends conversations. So guess what happened?... I got West Nile. Not just the mild kind either, I got the kind that makes you temporarily blind, lose motor skills, memories, cognitive thought...the kind that sticks with you for years. Yeah, I'm still sick to this day... and kickin myself in the pants every day too.

"That said, Im happy that you like my posts which surprises me really as I thought most people here hate me for my negativity!" We like you, Mike! :)

Haha!

I agree, Breeb.

I am pretty dense so I have to learn to do good by first doing bad...and pay the consequences. So this is how I learned about honesty... When I was in 6th grade we were going to have this really hard surprise test on grammar. (if you haven't noticed, that's not my best subject). A couple of us noticed the test answers just laying there in the open on the teacher's desk. My friend walked away, but I quickly got a pen and wrote all 50 (yes FIFTY) answers on my tiny hand. So as the test is going I'm trying to not make it obvious that I have the entire key to the test on my hand, but the test was so long and I got lazy and figured "eh, whatever" and just put my hand where I could see it on top of my desk and started jotting down the answers. Next thing I know, the teacher says "let me see your hand"...so I showed her the other hand... she says "let me see your other hand." Then she pryed open my hand to reveal all the answers just crammed on there...***BUSTED*** I just winced in embarrassment. The test was so hard everyone that else in the class got Cs and Ds but because I tried to cheat... She gave them all A's...I of course got a big fat zero.