HEthePrimate

Though I am in favor of emergency preparedness as a general principle, I hesitate to offer specific predictions as to when or where an emergency will happen. Over the past few years I've heard so many the-sky-is-falling-down/imminent-financial-collapse predictions that didn't come true that I hope you'll forgive me for remaining skeptical. Financial collapse is possible, of course, but I think that panic tends to contribute to financial collapse more than just about anything else, so I have little patience for fear mongering. Think of how much more stable the economy would be if people didn't panic every time they heard bad news. So yeah, keep up your home storage and all, but as the British government posters at the beginning of World War II said, "Keep Calm and Carry On."

Coolness! :)

I wonder if anybody would even notice. Or if they did, if they'd dare say something.

Well, it's not jarring and troubling only to secular-minded people, but also to people like me who believe in a God who is good, and recognize that sometimes people think God is telling them to do horrible things, but in reality He's not. It's possible that the 9/11 terrorists sincerely believed they were doing God's will, but that doesn't excuse their wicked actions any more than alleged genocidal actions by the ancient Israelites were excusable.It's important that we not abdicate personal reponsibility by saying we're "just following orders," and also that we come to know the true character of God so we don't go doing all kinds of crazy things in his name.

I'm just glad cobbettj has such an aversion to murder. You'd be surprised how many LDS people I've heard say they would kill an innocent person if God commanded them to!

Have you read the scriptures lately? They are FAR from consistent!

I suspect you're wrong, and a teacher who told students that Christians are evil and heterosexuality absurd would be suspended, and there would be news articles about how horrible the teacher is.

I wonder if a student can fail to progress to the next grade if the teacher gives her an "unable to evaluate" mark. If so, "unable to evaluate" could be the functional equivalent of an "F" or a "0" (zero). But it just seems simpler to give a zero

I have heard more than one LDS person criticize the Catholic Church for not translating the Bible into vernacular languages earlier. They accuse the Catholic clergy of centuries past of controlling what the people believe, and teaching them unscriptural doctrines, by keeping the people from reading the scriptures themselves, and offering only their "official" ecclesiastical interpretation of the scriptures. They talk about how important it is for people to be able to read the scriptures in their own language. To me, that implies allowing people to interpret the scriptures for themselves, and removing a barrier or layer of mediation between the ordinary person and God. It seems to me that the reason for translating the scriptures into the vernacular is so everybody can read them and see for themselves what they say, and have a more personal relationship with the scriptures and with God, rather than relying entirely on the mediation of a priestly caste.

Ach, those elitist liberal teachers, expecting kids to actually learn something!

Faith is often thought of as belief in something without evidence, or even contrary to reason. However, faith also means trust in a person or entity, and I find that definition more useful. According to the scriptures you don't have to take the existence of God, or the truthfulness of the Gospel on blind faith. They say you can ask God in prayer to manifest himself to you, and to let you know if the gospel is true. In other words, you're not just taking somebody else's word for it--you can experience it for yourself. Faith has to do with the type of relationship God wants to have with us. He wants us to love and trust him, trust that he has our best interest at heart and is faithful to us when he asks us to do difficult things. And he wants to know that he can trust us, so we need to be faithful to him, as well. It's not about believing whatever we're told by authority figures. It's about building relationships of trust. Children come to trust their parents because their parents take good care of them, feeding them, clothing them, making them do their homework. Kids might not like it all the time, like cleaning their rooms or taking a bath, but with time they come to realize that their parents tell them to do those things because it's best for them. This builds kids' faith and trust in their parents. God wants to have that kind of intimate relationship with us, and to realize that kind of mutual trust. Faith and reason are not opposed to each other at all. If anything, faith is based on reason. If a child is abused by her parents, it is reasonable that she would not have faith in them. But if she has good parents, her faith in them will be well-founded. I believe God is trustworthy. But faith is something that doesn't just come automatically, it's built of over time. So we need to give God a chance, work with him, and learn firsthand that he is faithful to us, and we should be faithful to him. </testimony meeting> LOL

While I agree that something does not have to directly hurt others to be a sin, I am interested in knowing why you think some things are sins, but others are not. In other words, what makes a sin a sin? To flip it to the positive, is something right because God commands it, or does God command it because it's right? My opinion is that the second proposition is true, that God commands us to do things because they are right. The other option seems too arbitrary. In any case, that still leaves unanswered the question of what makes something right (or wrong) so that God would make commandments about it?

We have a chili/chocolate cookoff and pinewood derby in March, the Memorial Day breakfast, a Halloween party, and a Christmas party on an annual basis. Things are kind of topsy-turvy since the elimination of the Activities Committee, but we're still doing those four activities. :)

G-Money, I'm sorry about your difficult family situation. I know what it's like to be a child of divorce. Getting a patriarchal blessing won't solve all your problems, and I don't know that it will give specific guidance for your current situation, but it can contain good general guidance for life and your future and buoy you up when you're feeling down. As has already been said, talk to your bishop, and he'll let you know what to do. When the time comes to get your patriarchal blessing, you may want to fast and pray in advance for your Stake Patriarch to be inspired, and for you to be receptive. Who knows, if you're lucky, maybe you'll be from the Tribe of Issachar! (Just kidding! )

How dare they try to "better educate students and their parents about race relations and social injustice," keep children safe, "send a message to stop the bullying and bring about a happy spirit," and foster "a sense of bonding within the community and within the school?" What a pernicious message it is "for them to understand that life is precious!" Oy, what is this world coming to? Okay, I admit it sounds a bit silly to an outside observer like me to name it Trayvon Martin Day and hand out Skittles. But it is well-intentioned, and they're right that the kids in the school have heard about the incident, and will be better able to relate to it than to something from way back in the 1960s.

That is very true, and it seems to be the idea behind the "I Am A Mormon" campaign. Problem is, you do run into Mormons who insist that their opinion is the very definition of orthodoxy, and get all unpleasant with those who disagree. Ah well, what can you do, other than what you say, set a good example?

Just wondering, does your ward have an activity on Memorial Day? Every year my ward has a Memorial Day breakfast in a public park. Usually a couple of Elders go there eeaarrllyy in the morning to reserve a shelter/picnic area. When the time comes, the rest of the ward shows up, cooks the food, and chows down. Afterwards they typically have sports, like a softball game, soccer, or frisbee. Or more than one of those. It's lots of fun to hang out with ward members in a social way, and eat some real breakfast food, as opposed to the usual cold cereal! :) To all veterans, and those currently serving, thank you for your service! I have friends currently serving in the military. I know they are the best, and it's good to know there are high-quality people like them doing those tough jobs. Holiday activities like the ward breakfast are fun, but it's important to remember those who help make the world a safer and freer place.

They could get counseling. But I think they should just learn to accept themselves for who they are, not feel guilty for their SSA, and realize that everybody has trials they have to deal with. Their trial may be hard, having to go through life without being allowed to have the same kind of intimate relationship with another person that heterosexual couples can have, but it can be dealt with. I have two "maiden aunts" who never married, and they have (as far as I know!) been able to live the law of chastity. It's probably hard for them, and lonely, but they're living normal, happy lives. I myself am a widower, and though it can get lonely without my wife, life continues for me, too. It's not easy, so I have empathy for homosexual folks, but "fixing" them is not the answer, any more than "fixing" my widowed heterosexuality is possible.So if you want to be of help to your homosexual LDS friends, just be their friend and help them feel less lonely. Show you understand, and that you accept them the way they are, as homosexuals, but more important as human beings. If they need counseling, and given the rejection many LGBT people have experienced, counseling may be useful, encourage them to get it. Good luck!

I took an archery class at BYU one year. Wish I could have spent more time at it, as it was fun and made me feel all Robin Hoodie.

They've been advertizing a new cherry smoothie or something at McDonald's that I've been dying to try. Mango sounds good, too! :)

I prefer doing exorcisms of the dead. Much more dramatic! The only time I've found myself in the font since being endowed was to be the person doing the baptisms (as opposed to the baptisee). But I'm sure arrangements could be made for an endowed member to be baptized for the dead. They usually have youth do it because it's pretty much all they can do in the temple, but for special occasions, I see no reason why an adult couldn't. In fact, it might be kinda nice!

Cute!

You know, that sounds pretty fun! I'll have to see about getting a bow. And arrows.A question: Are there regulations in most localities about archery in public places, like a city park? My yard isn't large enough to allow me to do it at home.

Dangit, you spoiled it! The joke was in the contrast between the title, and what the post was actually about, something completely innocent. (Unless you're on a diet! )

Denali mint moose tracks ice cream.