Sunday21

And lots of special holidays! And cool customs! All attractive men must be hugged every August the 1st! Spinach and kale are forbidden. Daily chocolate is mandatory. Manhatten is your sacred home. 

When I was a convert, I was invited to a fireside. I wore shorts and brought mashmellows.

Have not read all of thread...long day in hospital w sick relative. I had this issue and there was a list of reasons why only coffee would do. I got my doctor to write me a short note that I took to my bishop. Problem solved. No questions asked.
My doctor, a Muslim, was most entertained but managed to keep a straight face. My meds come w a long list of side effects. Coffee is the least of my worries.

All true!
i am interested, in part, because I find the issue of poverty to be: important to human welfare, complex and frequently counterintuitive. Many people find issues with these 3 features to be interesting.
My reaction to this area of endeavor, reducing poverty, is ‘Oh, How Interesting! ‘What does the data say? What about this data: suggests that this data may or may not apply?

Rocking?  I’d say it was igneous.  
(Or ingenious.  I’ve heard it both ways.)
(Sorry, feeling dad-jokey at the moment.)

I got to prescreen it.
The new handbook doesn't actually have any new content. What it has instead is section headings lifted directly from Handbook 1, and the body contains the same text: "Refer to your bishop."

One of the unforgivable curses banned by the Ministry of Magic!

But people and snakes cannot reproduce!

Have not read all of thread...long day in hospital w sick relative. I had this issue and there was a list of reasons why only coffee would do. I got my doctor to write me a short note that I took to my bishop. Problem solved. No questions asked.
My doctor, a Muslim, was most entertained but managed to keep a straight face. My meds come w a long list of side effects. Coffee is the least of my worries.

Have not read all of thread...long day in hospital w sick relative. I had this issue and there was a list of reasons why only coffee would do. I got my doctor to write me a short note that I took to my bishop. Problem solved. No questions asked.
My doctor, a Muslim, was most entertained but managed to keep a straight face. My meds come w a long list of side effects. Coffee is the least of my worries.

Live picture from the MirkCam:

A shill? Nah, I wouldn't say that. What's really happened is that the Republican party has made it way too easy for CNN to generate headlines, and they weren't able to resist turning towards sensationalism every time republicans did something controversial.
 
I really loathe bipartisanism. It's constantly pressuring you to be either one side or the other with no in-between. Why can't anyone else see that the devil is obviously behind all this?

Some years ago, I wrote a short synopsis of the Book of Mormon for @Sunday21. To my surprise and satisfaction, several people found it useful. I have since thought it might be a useful jumping-off point for others such as my youngest, who will soon be 14 and might appreciate a 10,000-foot view of things. So I copied it out, put it in a Google doc, and edited it some. It is nothing like official, of course, and contains some of my own interpretations, doubtless along with some errors. But for whatever it's worth to anyone, here's a link.
The Book of Mormon made understandable (overview)

I used the children’s books too! Very useful to me. I gave them to investigators and they liked them too! 

@Bluebonnet Hi there! Good for you! I am an lds member, former atheist. I did as you are doing, I started by obeying the commandments. I promised God that I would obey the commandments if He would speak to me. Worked for me! 
I know that you have been on this journey for awhile and probably have encountered the info below but just in case! 
Like you, I also read the Book of Mormon to understand the basis of the lds religion. I got an ebook from Amazon called the 24 hour Book of Mormon (BOM)  that I read while I was reading the Book of Mormon. The 24 hour version helped me to follow the plot. The Book of Mormon has flashbacks like the Tv series Lost so this book is helpful! I suggest skipping BOM chapters that mention ‘Isaiah’ in the heading. There is a great book by Ridges called Making Isaiah Easier but I would hold off for the moment. If you like you could purchase a timeline for the BOM from amazon. 
The website AskGramps is a great resource for cultural lds questions.
Personally, I would attend church. There is a Sunday School class taught in the 2nd hour that is really great. I found the lds people to be one of the great selling points of the church. Meeting people online can be helpful but...sometimes the online personality is the part of themselves that they normally hide - for good reason! Looking at you, @mirkwood! 
If you, like me, are somewhat Left of center politically, don’t worry. There are many lds who share your views. Most lds people are not American. The church leadership is pro helping refugees and has set up an extensive program run on volunteer labor and funds. 
I can send links to freely available manuals and videos for the BOM. Let me know how it goes with the BOM! If you like you can chat with missionaries online who will be happy to answer questions about the BOM and lds life in general. https://www.mormon.org/this-is-church

https://affirmation.org/gay-mens-chorus-washington-performs-dc-temple-visitors-center?fbclid=IwAR2PR3t-wSf4BunyG4XKg28zG0l7b3Ibmsux927sOFSRVy2bIUAkFZAkQhE
 

I am currently binge-watching these Secret Santa videos. There are many people out there struggling and yet keeping strong. This story (and her message at the end) touched my heart.
 
 

@Mirkwood   I already told you on facebook but it is not nice making fun of my family.

I think you meant MOO!!! MOOO!   

Almost as bad as "Who owns all the cows in the desert?"
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"The milk shaikh."

The book! The book! 

capacitor

Undecided.  I've been lurking more over the past few weeks.  What I can't figure out is why the Comet thread has yet to mention any of the other reindeer - I mean, if he hits the Earth that hard, I'm thinking it's gonna affect the other reindeer and the sleigh.  And this would indicate Santa doesn't keep them on Earth (not enough room), but that would also explain how they manage to haul so many presents around so quickly...  Sure, the moon is interesting and all, but not nearly so important...

I imagine church leaders spend considerable time reaching decisions because consensus is important. Consequently I would not place too much weight on the correlation between the timing of world events and the decisions of the brethren. 

Scents can remind you of...things...pleasant or unpleasant. These memories can help you cope with insomnia. I took neuroanatomy, not by choice, the area to do with scent weaves itself around the brain. 
Does some scent have a pleasant memory for you? Pumpkin spice? Peppermint? Lavender? Easy to find out. Go to a bulk barn or winners and sniff the bottles. Put a bit of that scent on your pillow, ban work/news/worry from the bedroom and the scent can help soothe you.