bytebear

I'm a lifelong member, from Utah, where, for the most part, everyone's already decided on a religion, and so we didn't have many new members, but we did have move-ins, both Mormon and not.  And so I think the assimilation to a neighborhood exists. 

But from my mission (decades ago) here are my two convert stories:

In one ward, a family had joined the church, and of course, immediately the mother was called to be in the primary presidency (the childrens' program).  This is not uncommon when you need good people to fill positions, and she was more than capable.  Well, the tradition is in Primary, when someone has a birthday, we sing happy birthday.  But, due to copyright issues, the church has it's own birthday song, not the traditional birthday song.  So in church you sing:

Happy happy birthday children dear.
Happy days will come to you all year. 
If I had one wish, then it would be
a happy happy birthday to you from me.

https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/happy-happy-birthday?lang=eng&_r=1

Well, being a convert, she started everyone singing happy birthday, and she sang the traditional song, while everyone else in the room sang the Mormon version. 

Another story comes from a convert I met who joined the church when he was in his 60s.  When I first met him, he told a wonderful conversion story, but what struck me most, was that I had met him when he was in his 80s.  He had been a convert longer than I had been alive!
 

I'm a lifelong member, from Utah, where, for the most part, everyone's already decided on a religion, and so we didn't have many new members, but we did have move-ins, both Mormon and not.  And so I think the assimilation to a neighborhood exists. 

But from my mission (decades ago) here are my two convert stories:

In one ward, a family had joined the church, and of course, immediately the mother was called to be in the primary presidency (the childrens' program).  This is not uncommon when you need good people to fill positions, and she was more than capable.  Well, the tradition is in Primary, when someone has a birthday, we sing happy birthday.  But, due to copyright issues, the church has it's own birthday song, not the traditional birthday song.  So in church you sing:

Happy happy birthday children dear.
Happy days will come to you all year. 
If I had one wish, then it would be
a happy happy birthday to you from me.

https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/happy-happy-birthday?lang=eng&_r=1

Well, being a convert, she started everyone singing happy birthday, and she sang the traditional song, while everyone else in the room sang the Mormon version. 

Another story comes from a convert I met who joined the church when he was in his 60s.  When I first met him, he told a wonderful conversion story, but what struck me most, was that I had met him when he was in his 80s.  He had been a convert longer than I had been alive!
 

That's true if you are printing in pixilation, but most photo printers blur the colors, so you can't see pixels.  It may be blurry, but won't look pixilated.  Even in the zoomed in, you can't really see the pixels, but you can see some JPEG residue, but that's a different issue.  I assume if you are going for full quality, you are shooting in RAW.  But even still, JPEG is generally good if you keep the quality ratio high.

This is the research that needs to be shouted from the rooftops.  Well worth a read.

http://news.northeastern.edu/2018/02/schools-are-still-one-of-the-safest-places-for-children-researcher-says/
 

This is the research that needs to be shouted from the rooftops.  Well worth a read.

http://news.northeastern.edu/2018/02/schools-are-still-one-of-the-safest-places-for-children-researcher-says/
 

When I was on my mission, we'd take greenies to this neighborhood and see if they noticed anything.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7506594,-70.6656676,17z
 

The issue really isn't with the recipient, other than I feel government programs don't do enough to improve the future of people, and tend to lead to long term dependency.

But the bigger issue is that the funds for government programs are taken by force (via taxes), and not through charity.  Church funds come from willing members who want to help you, and that makes a difference both in their attitude toward the recipient, and to your future, knowing that something like fast offerings may be helping members of your own ward.  That's the true meaning of charity, and love for your fellow man. Taxation does not teach love, but actually fosters resentment.

Fact is, we are all afraid.  And that's the problem. 
Here's from a news article:
But you really want a scare, look at these stats:
 
These are just the kids that NCMEC assisted with.  But are we freaking out about child abductions?  No.  Why?  Because it's not beaten down on our heads every time one happens.  This is why I hate the news coverage of this.  It sensationalizes an extremely rare thing, to the point where you think you are more likely to lose a child from a school shooting than just being abducted randomly on the street.  And you start living in fear.   So much so, that you want to ban all guns, when the fact is, gun owners, unless they are criminals, in which case, they aren't allowed guns anyway, are responsible, and more than likely to save lives with their gun than without. 

One more thing to ponder:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defensive_gun_use
Weigh the lives lost to bad people with guns, vs the lives lost because good people didn't have guns.

Interesting... Is it an increase if it is just to replace what was lost? If someone dents my car, and I have the insurance pay to repair the damages, what has increased? I don't have extra money, and I don't have a nicer car. Seems to me the answer is no, but I also think it is a personal decision between you and the Lord.

Fact is, we are all afraid.  And that's the problem. 
Here's from a news article:
But you really want a scare, look at these stats:
 
These are just the kids that NCMEC assisted with.  But are we freaking out about child abductions?  No.  Why?  Because it's not beaten down on our heads every time one happens.  This is why I hate the news coverage of this.  It sensationalizes an extremely rare thing, to the point where you think you are more likely to lose a child from a school shooting than just being abducted randomly on the street.  And you start living in fear.   So much so, that you want to ban all guns, when the fact is, gun owners, unless they are criminals, in which case, they aren't allowed guns anyway, are responsible, and more than likely to save lives with their gun than without. 

One more thing to ponder:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defensive_gun_use
Weigh the lives lost to bad people with guns, vs the lives lost because good people didn't have guns.

Fact is, we are all afraid.  And that's the problem. 
Here's from a news article:
But you really want a scare, look at these stats:
 
These are just the kids that NCMEC assisted with.  But are we freaking out about child abductions?  No.  Why?  Because it's not beaten down on our heads every time one happens.  This is why I hate the news coverage of this.  It sensationalizes an extremely rare thing, to the point where you think you are more likely to lose a child from a school shooting than just being abducted randomly on the street.  And you start living in fear.   So much so, that you want to ban all guns, when the fact is, gun owners, unless they are criminals, in which case, they aren't allowed guns anyway, are responsible, and more than likely to save lives with their gun than without. 

One more thing to ponder:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defensive_gun_use
Weigh the lives lost to bad people with guns, vs the lives lost because good people didn't have guns.

Fact is, we are all afraid.  And that's the problem. 
Here's from a news article:
But you really want a scare, look at these stats:
 
These are just the kids that NCMEC assisted with.  But are we freaking out about child abductions?  No.  Why?  Because it's not beaten down on our heads every time one happens.  This is why I hate the news coverage of this.  It sensationalizes an extremely rare thing, to the point where you think you are more likely to lose a child from a school shooting than just being abducted randomly on the street.  And you start living in fear.   So much so, that you want to ban all guns, when the fact is, gun owners, unless they are criminals, in which case, they aren't allowed guns anyway, are responsible, and more than likely to save lives with their gun than without. 

One more thing to ponder:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defensive_gun_use
Weigh the lives lost to bad people with guns, vs the lives lost because good people didn't have guns.

Many years ago (actually centuries) Paul Revere made a historic ride.  He was the one that started the ride to warn his fellow colonists that the British were coming, but it was others that continued his ride through the night. 
The REASON the British were coming were not because they were in love with the Colonists, but because they had heard that the colonist were storing military grade weapons, including brass canon.  Their goal was to confiscate these military grade weapons.  Colonists might be permitted to have a weapon to hunt, but when it came to weapons that could be utilized for military means, the British felt this was too far.  That British march to take these weapons turned out in failure as they met resistance by the duly alerted Colonists who had created their own independent group outside the allowed military groups and militia that the British permitted.  These individuals, illegally acting under British colonial law, drove the British back eventually that night, shooting from behind trees, fences, and other items as the British in the Brilliant Red Coats made ripe targets for the colonial citizens. 
Loyalists condemned these individuals who wanted to have these military grade weapons.  What purpose did these colonists have except to use it for warfare?  Why did they even want to have these weapons, afterall, were they not protected by the British empire and it's soldiers.  Did they not already have their own colonial militias...why then would they form this independent group of minute men composed of farmers and other untrained individuals to keep and bear military arms?  What did this mean now that these independent colonials had openly fought against British Forces?
This effect reverberated through the colonies and was seen as some of the first shots fired for independence.  This war, eventually known as the Revolutionary War of American Independence, kept this event in mind (along with others) when many from the Northern Colonies pushed for an item in the Constitution allowing citizens the ability to do as they did that fateful night without the threat of suffering or worrying about the government trying to seize these arms like the British did.  It was controversial then, just like it was now, and it did NOT make it into the US constitution.  However, one of the first items passed as the new amendments known as the Bill of Rights was what has now become the Right to Bear arms.

It might be interesting to note that the term "ward" is in reference to governmental electoral subdivisions, and parish an administrative division, also governmental (similar to counties).   Louisiana has parishes, not counties.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_(electoral_subdivision)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parish_(administrative_division)
So both Mormons and Catholics use governmental terms for geographic regions.  The term "stake" comes from Isaiah 54:2
 


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stake_(Latter_Day_Saints)

I think you need at least one good friend.  Someone you are excited to see when you go.  Or at least a familiar face.   Hopefully you have several.  But it's hard to go when you know you're going to be sitting alone, or awkwardly looking for a place to park yourself.

It is interesting when you start looking at statistics.  I found an article on the "30 most dangerous cities in America".  Waco, Texas was #30, with 17 murders.  Wow, 17!   I live in a city often cited as one of the safest cities in America, until a few years back when a guy killed his girlfriend.  So, a single murder got us bumped from a safe place to a not-safe place.  And then I wonder, how often does a blip of 17 murders happen.  Can we go from the #1 safest city in the nation to the #30 most dangerous cities, just because we have a bad year? 

Similarly, I have seen the stats on there being 18 school shootings this year.  Well, no, there have been two targeted shootings at schools, including the one yesterday.  I hate the sentimentalization of this.   That 18 number includes suicides, for example, but I know of several suicides in my local community.  One of my coworkers was hiking and came across a guy who shot himself at the top of a bluff.  But, there was no media coverage whatsoever.  Gun deaths are only covered to be sensationalized.  And I believe this leads to more gun related violence.  This kid was troubled, and wanted to act out, so he did what kids know how to do, shoot up the school.   But if the trend was to pipe bomb libraries, he would have planned for that.  Back in the 1970s, we even coined the term "going postal" because postal workers were prone to shooting up the post office.  It's all trends, and sadly, the media makes the trend trendier. 
 
I simply don't believe guns are the problem.  I think it's a combination of lack of mental health support, from family, friends, and professionals, and the trend of shooting up schools.  But the thing is, everyone screams about getting rid of guns, when they really should be ramping up security at schools.  I personally, think a well trained and armed faculty will end school shootings almost immediately.   The notion that "gun free zones" is anything other than an invitation to attack is naive, and foolish.  I get that people are afraid of guns, but I think we need to be trained and familiarize ourselves with them if we want to stop crazy people from acting out on their craziness.

It is interesting when you start looking at statistics.  I found an article on the "30 most dangerous cities in America".  Waco, Texas was #30, with 17 murders.  Wow, 17!   I live in a city often cited as one of the safest cities in America, until a few years back when a guy killed his girlfriend.  So, a single murder got us bumped from a safe place to a not-safe place.  And then I wonder, how often does a blip of 17 murders happen.  Can we go from the #1 safest city in the nation to the #30 most dangerous cities, just because we have a bad year? 

Similarly, I have seen the stats on there being 18 school shootings this year.  Well, no, there have been two targeted shootings at schools, including the one yesterday.  I hate the sentimentalization of this.   That 18 number includes suicides, for example, but I know of several suicides in my local community.  One of my coworkers was hiking and came across a guy who shot himself at the top of a bluff.  But, there was no media coverage whatsoever.  Gun deaths are only covered to be sensationalized.  And I believe this leads to more gun related violence.  This kid was troubled, and wanted to act out, so he did what kids know how to do, shoot up the school.   But if the trend was to pipe bomb libraries, he would have planned for that.  Back in the 1970s, we even coined the term "going postal" because postal workers were prone to shooting up the post office.  It's all trends, and sadly, the media makes the trend trendier. 
 
I simply don't believe guns are the problem.  I think it's a combination of lack of mental health support, from family, friends, and professionals, and the trend of shooting up schools.  But the thing is, everyone screams about getting rid of guns, when they really should be ramping up security at schools.  I personally, think a well trained and armed faculty will end school shootings almost immediately.   The notion that "gun free zones" is anything other than an invitation to attack is naive, and foolish.  I get that people are afraid of guns, but I think we need to be trained and familiarize ourselves with them if we want to stop crazy people from acting out on their craziness.

I think you need at least one good friend.  Someone you are excited to see when you go.  Or at least a familiar face.   Hopefully you have several.  But it's hard to go when you know you're going to be sitting alone, or awkwardly looking for a place to park yourself.

I think you need at least one good friend.  Someone you are excited to see when you go.  Or at least a familiar face.   Hopefully you have several.  But it's hard to go when you know you're going to be sitting alone, or awkwardly looking for a place to park yourself.

Sad that someone is hated so much that you praise evil to spite him.  

In our house when the kids have too much of video games, we break out the Legos (Duplo actually) and they'll spend hours building things. 

I think as you study church history, you'll end up being more like, "No, that's not how it happened.  Here are the details..." or "Oh, yeah, John Bennett was using the new concept of plural marriage to talk women into sleeping with him, so Joseph Smith had to deal with that while at the same time trying to help people understand what the Lord was asking of him.  And it didn't help with Bennett turned against the church, and made up all sorts of stories about what was going on." 

As you learn the details of why, you'll become an expert.  And you'll be the one telling new investigators what's up when they come with questions.

I like the discussion. It's worth having.  I don't like the idea that God's church would never do X because I am particularly offended by X.   God doesn't run his Kingdom on the opinions of the day. 

I think as you study church history, you'll end up being more like, "No, that's not how it happened.  Here are the details..." or "Oh, yeah, John Bennett was using the new concept of plural marriage to talk women into sleeping with him, so Joseph Smith had to deal with that while at the same time trying to help people understand what the Lord was asking of him.  And it didn't help with Bennett turned against the church, and made up all sorts of stories about what was going on." 

As you learn the details of why, you'll become an expert.  And you'll be the one telling new investigators what's up when they come with questions.

I think as you study church history, you'll end up being more like, "No, that's not how it happened.  Here are the details..." or "Oh, yeah, John Bennett was using the new concept of plural marriage to talk women into sleeping with him, so Joseph Smith had to deal with that while at the same time trying to help people understand what the Lord was asking of him.  And it didn't help with Bennett turned against the church, and made up all sorts of stories about what was going on." 

As you learn the details of why, you'll become an expert.  And you'll be the one telling new investigators what's up when they come with questions.