dahlia

I got lenses that give me intermediate vision. I think they were regular lenses. I am very happy with them - was able to read the hymn numbers on the wall at church today!  I couldn't do that with my contacts. I was a little anxious as to what 'intermediate' would really mean, but I see well enough to drive, use the computer, get stuff at the store, etc. I need readers for very small print like a medicine bottle. I actually read a book on the commuter bus, which I haven't done in years. I will read from my Kindle, where I can adjust the font size, but a hardcover book, nope. I'm just thrilled. 
My vision at 25 was probably around 20/200. It was 20/400+ when I got the operation. So this is better than I've seen since I was a little kid. 

My mother never talked about houses or cars (I didn't drive, so that would be pointless), but she does talk about education and jobs. "So and so's daughter is a doctor at Georgetown. Why are you in Iowa?"  Or, "Can you believe that X left her attorney job to make candles?" (true story) and the ever popular, "Why hasn't Son-of-Dahlia finish his dissertation yet?"
When I mentioned that my DIL's brother was getting married, she wanted to know what kind of job the spouse had. Spouse is a hairdresser. You could hear the disdain in my mother's voice, as if I had said the spouse was a stripper. Or a Democrat. (OK, that would have been my disdain...) 
Everybody's got issues. I just tune 'em out.

My mother never talked about houses or cars (I didn't drive, so that would be pointless), but she does talk about education and jobs. "So and so's daughter is a doctor at Georgetown. Why are you in Iowa?"  Or, "Can you believe that X left her attorney job to make candles?" (true story) and the ever popular, "Why hasn't Son-of-Dahlia finish his dissertation yet?"
When I mentioned that my DIL's brother was getting married, she wanted to know what kind of job the spouse had. Spouse is a hairdresser. You could hear the disdain in my mother's voice, as if I had said the spouse was a stripper. Or a Democrat. (OK, that would have been my disdain...) 
Everybody's got issues. I just tune 'em out.

I got lenses that give me intermediate vision. I think they were regular lenses. I am very happy with them - was able to read the hymn numbers on the wall at church today!  I couldn't do that with my contacts. I was a little anxious as to what 'intermediate' would really mean, but I see well enough to drive, use the computer, get stuff at the store, etc. I need readers for very small print like a medicine bottle. I actually read a book on the commuter bus, which I haven't done in years. I will read from my Kindle, where I can adjust the font size, but a hardcover book, nope. I'm just thrilled. 
My vision at 25 was probably around 20/200. It was 20/400+ when I got the operation. So this is better than I've seen since I was a little kid. 

HAH!  This one was filmed in the parking lot of the New Life Church in North Colorado Springs!  (I had to watch it slo-mo in high definition for a while until I got proof - that weird shaped building at :50 they call "the Onion".)  
My wife and kids did homeschooling in that building for like seven years!  When my wife was sick, I'd take the kids, and it was like a hundred mommies and me.  Overwhelmingly good people.  They love-bombed the crap out of us Mormons in ways that would make a ward's Compassionate Service Leader envious.
The words are a bit foreign to us LDS, but this one absolutely applies to any disciple of Christ, Mormons included.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYVX-aQDPH8

It's that Bucket woman!

Wonderful news! You are fortunate to have caught the cataracts soon before they got too bad. I waited on surgery for both eyes until I couldn't see, and by then the doctors had to guess which lens shape/focal lengths to use, and I had to go with fixed lenses. Consequently, I still need to zoom in a bit on most web pages.
The surgery made me a big believer in the miracles of modern science, but even more so in the God-given miracle of the human eye, particularly in coordination with the brain.  I realized how much I took for granted over the years after going through the somewhat arduous processes of learning again how to correctly see.
Thanks, -Wade Englund-

Well, I found out what my problem was - cataracts!  I had one eye done the other week and the other eye will be tomorrow. I went from 20/400+ in that eye to 20/25!!!!!  I haven't had a score that low since I was a kid. A little kid.
What a difference the surgery has made - the screen's not blurry, I've been able to take off the high contrast tool from most sites I visit, and don't have to jack the font up to 25.   Wow!
And Mordorbund, here's some vegetarian pasta for you, since I know you like veg food so much - http://www.food.com/recipe/tuscan-vegetarian-pasta-392763  

Well, I found out what my problem was - cataracts!  I had one eye done the other week and the other eye will be tomorrow. I went from 20/400+ in that eye to 20/25!!!!!  I haven't had a score that low since I was a kid. A little kid.
What a difference the surgery has made - the screen's not blurry, I've been able to take off the high contrast tool from most sites I visit, and don't have to jack the font up to 25.   Wow!
And Mordorbund, here's some vegetarian pasta for you, since I know you like veg food so much - http://www.food.com/recipe/tuscan-vegetarian-pasta-392763  

Yeah; basically, if you just want to sit and attend, you're fine. 
It's only when people want to make spectacles out of themselves that it becomes an issue. 

Normally this is a non-issue because... well, let's be honest: there's already a lot of conference to attend.  With the exception of the general authorities, the men go to the priesthood session, the women to the women's.  
Though, a couple of years ago, there was group of women that wanted to attend the main live Priesthood session because they wanted to be ordained to the priesthood (this was blatantly declared to be their intention).  They made it a whole giant publicity stunt out of it, and of course they were turned away for it.   Now, that being said, if some mom wants to sit in the back of a local chapel because she's playing taxi for her son & it's too long to drive home, that's usually fine (or vise versa). 
 

I'm very glad that the Priesthood session is available for all to see on TV or online. I generally find them very useful for filling in my gaps in Mormon knowledge. But of course, I have a question or two -  Can women attend the session at the Conference Center? Can men attend the Women's Session? I assume that's rarely done, but I wonder if you could do it or if you'd be blocked from entering the hall?
 

No. It looks good, but as a diabetic, I don't eat much pasta anymore. Strangely, potatoes don't bother my blood sugar as much as refined carbs, so I might put all those veg on a potato, or just eat them on the side.

I think having Mary holding a fish on a cross embroidered on your yarmulke might stand out just a bit much in Sacrament meeting.

Well, I found out what my problem was - cataracts!  I had one eye done the other week and the other eye will be tomorrow. I went from 20/400+ in that eye to 20/25!!!!!  I haven't had a score that low since I was a kid. A little kid.
What a difference the surgery has made - the screen's not blurry, I've been able to take off the high contrast tool from most sites I visit, and don't have to jack the font up to 25.   Wow!
And Mordorbund, here's some vegetarian pasta for you, since I know you like veg food so much - http://www.food.com/recipe/tuscan-vegetarian-pasta-392763  

Well, I found out what my problem was - cataracts!  I had one eye done the other week and the other eye will be tomorrow. I went from 20/400+ in that eye to 20/25!!!!!  I haven't had a score that low since I was a kid. A little kid.
What a difference the surgery has made - the screen's not blurry, I've been able to take off the high contrast tool from most sites I visit, and don't have to jack the font up to 25.   Wow!
And Mordorbund, here's some vegetarian pasta for you, since I know you like veg food so much - http://www.food.com/recipe/tuscan-vegetarian-pasta-392763  

I'm not a Mormon. At best, I'm a struggling non-denominational Christian. I'm also a person who has done something many non-Mormons won't do.
I have always heard so many negative things about Mormons and the LDS. Horrible things that made want to stay clear of Mormons. All my life, childhood, adulthood, in and out church, from everyone including fellow Christian's. Horrible things said about Mormons.
One day, servings at my now old church, I had a fellow Christian make a negative remark about Mormons. One remark too many for me to accept. So I asked him, what proof do you have to back up your remark? He struggled, but failed to give any proof. His remarks was based on ignorance and social impressed impression/social acceptence. That was not okay. Facts from learning he failed to have.
So this got me thinking that day about what the truth was about Mormons and the howdo I find out. Well, it was days after that some missionaries came to my door. I saw opportunity and it just knocked on my front door. It was this moment where I knew a journey for me was starting.
I talked to the missionaries and invested time to learn about Mormons and the LDS. Without any judgement, I gave my desires to learn the truth. Want to know what I learned? ...
First, there are endless lies constantly being told about Mormons and the LDS Church. Out of ignorance and other motivated reasons, people tell lies about Mormons. Oh my goodness, the lies I always heard. Misinformed andmisundertood because it is easier to tell a lie than to take out the time to learn the truth.
Mormons are good hearted people has a strong sense of family. A sense of family that is stronger than any I've seen from any other faith. A sense of family that can not be compared or equal to any other faith. I was super amaze.
I've learned alot about Mormons and the LDS Church. I have more learning to do and I'm not a Mormon, but find myself defending the Mormon faith with an open mind against the lies and insults I hear constantly.
No, I'm not a Mormon but I will defend thier faith when I hear lies and insults others say. Why? Cause I have learned the truth about Mormons and the LDS Church and I will not accept anything but the truth.
Mormons are good people and always welcome in my life and home.
I have more to learn, but I am getting with missionaries. We'll see where my journey goes from hear.
Don't need to be a Mormon to like them.
 

Well, I found out what my problem was - cataracts!  I had one eye done the other week and the other eye will be tomorrow. I went from 20/400+ in that eye to 20/25!!!!!  I haven't had a score that low since I was a kid. A little kid.
What a difference the surgery has made - the screen's not blurry, I've been able to take off the high contrast tool from most sites I visit, and don't have to jack the font up to 25.   Wow!
And Mordorbund, here's some vegetarian pasta for you, since I know you like veg food so much - http://www.food.com/recipe/tuscan-vegetarian-pasta-392763  

Well, I found out what my problem was - cataracts!  I had one eye done the other week and the other eye will be tomorrow. I went from 20/400+ in that eye to 20/25!!!!!  I haven't had a score that low since I was a kid. A little kid.
What a difference the surgery has made - the screen's not blurry, I've been able to take off the high contrast tool from most sites I visit, and don't have to jack the font up to 25.   Wow!
And Mordorbund, here's some vegetarian pasta for you, since I know you like veg food so much - http://www.food.com/recipe/tuscan-vegetarian-pasta-392763  

Well, I found out what my problem was - cataracts!  I had one eye done the other week and the other eye will be tomorrow. I went from 20/400+ in that eye to 20/25!!!!!  I haven't had a score that low since I was a kid. A little kid.
What a difference the surgery has made - the screen's not blurry, I've been able to take off the high contrast tool from most sites I visit, and don't have to jack the font up to 25.   Wow!
And Mordorbund, here's some vegetarian pasta for you, since I know you like veg food so much - http://www.food.com/recipe/tuscan-vegetarian-pasta-392763  

Clarification here: there is nothing in the LDS faith against crosses/crucifixes/etc.  These are some cultural ways people choose to show their faith, and that's great.  There are also plenty of other symbols people use to show their faith (a Jesus fish and CTR ring come to mind off the top of my head) and those are great too.  Which symbols one chooses are the is product of culture and personal preference.  Choice of using a cross/crucifix fell out a favor in LDS culture following the severe persecution by mainstream Christian in the 1800's.  There are entire essays describing this cultural trend.  But anyways, that's culture.  If an LDS person wants to wear a cross that's not a problem.  
 
 
Anyway, on to addressing your actual question!  Symbols of any type don't have power themselves, but rather their power comes from the meaning people associate with them.  If your meaning and faith is true, I don't see any issues with other symbols (though there is the complication of what meaning other people associate with them).  I myself really like the Taoist yin-yang symbol paired with "opposition in all things" ideas.  Obviously the original Taoist meaning is a somewhat similar by also different. 
 

You devil, you. 

You devil, you. 

We had this hanging on our wall in the kitchen for years and years.  It's a ceremonial Masonic plate, inherited from my paternal grandmother.  

(Full disclosure - I mainly had it hanging to try to provoke a reaction from the missionaries or home teachers, or any other Mormon who showed up.)