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I heard something in Church this past week that I found very poignant. I have no doubt that some of you have heard it, but it was the first time for me. We were speaking on the subject of living your religion for the right reasons and at all times. The instructor asked us to consider a question: If you were arrested for being a Mormon, would there be enough evidence to convict you? I am not sure that there is anything here to discuss. I wanted to share that, because I thought it was a great and unique way of asking ourselves if we are living our faith in such a way that those around us know who we are and what we believe. Of course, the Savior's sentiments in this regard were perfectly said in Matthew: Any thoughts you'd care to share would be appreciated.

If only I had is 'fro! I see that tongue of yours has yet to dry up.

Howdy tb22! I am LDS and also live in this small little hamlet we call Las Vegas. Welcome to this site...it's a great one for sure!

Sorry! I never know what words folks know or do not know. (If you'll provide me a list, I will gladly stick to those words. )

I am afraid that this is destined to get even worse! Where I live (in Clark County), we have been told by the school board that they are phasing out teaching cursive. My son, by the time he reaches the 3rd grade, may not even learn it. I think this is horrible. I realize that there are more important things (literacy being one of them), but it is a sad day when this stuff goes by the wayside. Take the US Constitution, for example. This may seem to be of little import to some, but to me it is deeply meaningful. There are countless versions in print form (on the internet as well as in books) whereby a child can read the words in the Constitution. What if this generation no longer learns to read and write cursive? They will not be able to read the Constitution in its original form. I think that this is terrible.

Thank you, STS, I think this is so very important. The newest MTV debacle called Skins is a great example of the moral decay so prevelant in today's society, and especially among youth. It's terrifying to me. I have not watched this program, and I only have read a bit about it, but the controversy surrounding it is enough to make me shudder. It's really very sad. Unfortunately, I do not think that this is something that is going to go away or get better. We have a snapshot of societal moral ambiguity every time we turn on the television (or even drive through our cities). It is only by encouraging and teaching our children to turn their hearts and minds to God can we ever hope to assuage this acherontic trend. That is my opinion at any rate.

Thank you, anatess. It sounds really nice. I especially like the part of everything being done by hand. I believe that this is truly becoming a lost art. Gone are the days of long correspondences written on paper with ink. I miss this about the world today. When I was younger (a lot younger ), I had a pen pal who lived in another state. She was introduced to me by a mutual friend. We wrote every month or so, and this lasted for many years before we lost touch. I used to love the days when I was due to receive a letter. I looked forward to them with relish! It went beyond putting pen to paper. We used to try to outdue each other by seeing who could be the most creative with various mediums. I want this for my daughter (and eventually for my son).

If it's good enough for President Monson to endorse (and recently, I might add), then it's good enough for me.

Thank you!

Thank you very much! :)

Thank you, Pam. I hope you've been well.

I have a question for all of you (which I will get to in a moment) if I may ask. I admit that I can be somewhat naïve in matters of this world. I am also entirely too trusting and old-fashioned in many respects. This has recently proven to be the case with regard to pan pals. I have a 9-year-old daughter. I have, for some time, felt that it would be a worthwhile endeavor for her to have a pen pal from another country. I want this to be something that lasts for her whole life, if possible, and results in a great and enduring friendship. Here is the problem that I've encountered while researching the possibilities: How do I find a legitimate person (preferably female) around the same age as my daughter with whom she can begin correspondence? Seems simple enough. I searched online, only to come across page after page of horror stories of folks who have encountered people who are something other than they claim to be. In other words, they have found adults claiming to be children in order to be in contact with children. Sick, I know. My question for you is this: Do any of you have any experience with finding a pen pal for your own children (or for yourself when you were that age)? What has worked for you, and what has not? Do you know any reputable places in which to look? (Sorry, that was more than one question. ) All of this stems from something that I read in the 75th anniversary issue of Western Horseman. It is found in the Letters From Readers section of the magazine. This particular letter was entitled "LIFE-LONG FRIENDS." I want to share it with you, because I think it is deeply moving, and you will better see my desire for her to have a pen pal. It was submitted by Mrs. Margie Jones. I have included it with permission. I love this! I know that we are in the age of e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter. I know that the very idea of pen pals seems to be a relic of the nostalgic past, but I would love for my daughter to have the oportunity, no matter how slight, to create a life-long friendship such as the one mentioned above. I look forward to your suggestions! (P.S. It's good to be back among you! God bless, my friends.)

This isn't exactly an introduction, since I've been a member of this site for some time, but I've been away battling personal and family demons. I love all of you! I hope that I can spend more time here. For those of you that I knew before that are still here (Beef, Pam, Gwen, others...Sorry if I've forgotten anyone!), I'm glad to be back! To those of you that I've never met, I look forward to making your acquaintance.

Your comment about yoga made me think of tai chi. On my mission I saw people practicing this every day. I suppose it would be good as a stretching and balance exercise, but probably not so much for cardio.

That is good advice. I do not believe that I am unhealthy (at least overtly so), but that is something worth checking into. (I must be tired...I was sitting here thinking of other exercises I may enjoy, and I thought for a minute that I love horseback riding...LOL ...Maybe if the horse rode me...)

I actually do like walking. I guess I would do that for my exercise except that I do not have enough time in the day to walk enough to make it beneficial. I think I would walk everywhere if I could. Spinach I do like. It is my second favorite vegetable.

I enjoy shooting firearms, but that doesn't burn too many calories. I wish I knew a sport that I would really enjoy. I like to watch baseball, but I do not know if I would like to play.

I just can't do it. I cannot find the (courage? desire? strength?) willpower to exercise. I have heard that it just takes time. I have heard that eventually the pain goes away and the fun begins. Where are those endorphins? Where is that spot deep within myself that would enjoy what has heretofore been a completely unsatisfying (read devestatingly horrible) experience? Any thoughts from the world of lds.net? Has anyone out there done battle with this and found a sure-fire way to become addicted to healthy exerciseness? I am at a loss.

beef my dear, glocks are definately for women as well. they come in so many varieties of caliber and size...you could get a compact or even a subcompact and i KNOW it would fit your hand like a glove. and the bonus is...even the subcompact variety (even in the .45 caliber) have been shown to be every bit as accurate as the larger models. for the money, you will not find a better handgun.

ohhhh...that's creepy (not because of what you said, but because that sounds like something i would do). glock does make a fine line of guns. they are always talked about (which gets on the nerves of some people), but they have their reputation for a reason...they deserve it. as far as mechanical simplicity, certainly revolvers fit that bill, but so does a glock. that is one of the reasons i love them. i can field strip mine in about 8 seconds...no joke. they are sooo easy to maintain and clean. stories and hearsay and legends abound about cleaning glocks, but i have personally spoken to a metro officer who has shot around 20,000 rounds out of his glock (his personal one, not duty gun) without ever having cleaned it at all. he said it has yet to misfire even a single time. don't get me wrong, i love revolvers too. i am definately an old fashioned, should-have-been-born-in-the-mid-19th-century kind of guy. i LOVE old guns, so glocks are kind of a weird thing for me. but after spending just one afternoon with mine, i fell in love. (the TOA/GLOCK wedding is scheduled for next month...y'all are invited )

touche, touche. i am not a statistician, and i did not do my homework, but my point was that outlawing things (anything) such as handguns does not preclude their use by lawless citizens. just look at how prohibition (of alcohol) played out in the us. good point, and i agree. i have studied handguns, rifles, and their mechanics since i was 11 (i am now 34), and i feel that i have a reasonable handle on how to use them. anyone new to this is well advised to learn well before ever acquiring one.

the taurus judge is a mighty respectable gun. i personally do not trust my own safety (and do not carry concealed) a revolver, but i take a lot of pleasure in shooting them. besides...as they say...if you can't get the job done with 6 or 8 bullets, then you can never get the job done. i was just saying the other day to my wife that there are few greater smells than that of burnt gun powder. i am a glock man myself, although i recognize the greatness of other manufacturers. i would like to own a sig...but alas i am not gifted with great quantities of money. i still trust my life to my glock.

stick with the good 'ol colt single action .45...if it could win the west, it can give you plenty of hours of pleasure my friend.

LOL...ah pahrump...you gotta love pahrump. they are having police issues at the moment as it is...

suzie, i love and respect you dearly, but are you simply assuming that the OP is wanting a gun to hunt for sport? perhaps i missed it, but i did not see that he indicated this. there is also a great quote by joseph smith that warns agains killing creatures for amusement, but there is also hunting for sustenance. when i hunt, it is for food. no, i do not NEED to hunt for food. we have grocery stores in las vegas the same as anywhere else (although there are slot machines in our grocery stores, unlike other places lol), but i use the meat that i have taken through hunting to feed my family. it is not wasted, and we are always greatful for it. i do not know the OP's intentions, but i would like to give him the benefit of the doubt. please don't take this the wrong way, i always have enjoyed your comments and i see and respect your opinion, but i just wanted to point out that there could be other motives than hunting for sport.