Jedi_Nephite

When I was ten-years-old, I wrote Bill Watterson a letter. He actually wrote back a very short, but personal reply written on Calvin and Hobbes stationery. I also lost most of my Calvin and Hobbes books over the years, but my wife got me this for our one-year wedding anniversary: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-Bill-Watterson/dp/1449433251/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513868405&sr=8-1&keywords=calvin+and+hobbes+collection

Are her parents LDS?

I'm not sure if it holds up as the greatest of all time, but I think of these commercials as being very nostalgic:

There might be some discouragement, but that's not what we're talking about, and that's not what you said. What you said was that there would be a lower percentage of LDS in the military because joining the military is discouraged, which, of course, is not true. Joining the military is not discouraged. But, yes, joining the military before serving a mission could possibly be discouraged. It may depend on the personality of the ward, but I know a young man in my ward who recently joined the military instead of going on a mission. I don't know what kind of conversation he had with the Bishop, but, as far as I know, everyone in the ward wished him well. However, any parent that feels "humiliated" that their son has chosen not to serve a mission (and yes, there are parents like that) is wrong to feel that way, as they are more concerned about appearance than anything else.

I've been a member of the Church my entire life, and I have never heard anything, doctrine or otherwise, that suggests military service is discouraged. On the contrary, I have always been taught in Church to honor our veterans and those currently serving in the military. While we are a church of peace, we also recognize that there are times when war is necessary, hence, The Mormon Battalion.

Do you work at the Detroit Temple? I'm just curious because my mother is a Temple worker there. If you have been to the Detroit Temple, you may have met her.

I just hope no one tries to break in while my kids are home alone.

Those are false comparisons. Cakes are for celebrations. The examples you listed have nothing to do with that. Again, society needs to stop making this more complicated than it needs to be. We are talking about why someone would refuse to make a gay wedding cake. One should refuse because gay marriage is wrong, disgusting and mocks the sacredness of marriage. Now, I can extend an olive branch and be courteous to those whose personal decisions I disagree with and even find reprehensible. After all, no one is perfect and we are all corrupt to some degree. However, we are not talking about a Christian bakery refusing to make a cake for a Jewish wedding. We are talking about making a gay wedding cake for a gay wedding. Think about that for a moment. Doesn’t the whole concept sound insane? I can’t believe I’m even typing the term “gay wedding cake.” The world, and too many members of the church have become too passive on this issue. Quite frankly, gay people have become way too comfortable with their lifestyle choices. I don’t want gay people to feel comfortable ordering a gay wedding cake. They should feel uncomfortable about it. Their lifestyle is wrong, and unnatural. The problem is that over the years, the adversary has worked so hard at normalizing the idea of homosexuality that people now think of it as a mere personality trait; they think it is as natural as a person’s race, thus if they reject a person’s gay lifestyle, they are rejecting the person entirely. They tend to think that you cannot reject a person’s gay lifestyle while still being civil and Christ like. Of course, that is absurd, as Christ rejected people’s sins, was not passive about it, and still loved them. Homosexuality needs to be recognized for what it is, which is mental illness. That does not mean they are bad people. However, it does mean they need to seek help in the same manner as someone with a pornography addiction or someone suffering from depression needs help. Being passive about the issue in the guise of “reaching out” to those whose views differ from ours is only compounding the problem. We should not ridicule and persecute them, but we should not coddle them either. They should be encouraged to get the help they need. Let’s not forget, the Romans were also once passive about homosexuality, and it led to their eventual downfall.

I'm not sure why some seem to think this is a complicated issue. It's not. If someone is asking me to provide a service that contradicts my personal beliefs, I have every right, and, I daresay, obligation, to refuse that service. While the refusal would not be meant to offend anyone personally, the fact is that I should not provide a service that helps promote and celebrate a perverted lifestyle, as well as openly mocks the sacredness of marriage. I find it very strange how so many people, including some members of the church, will take a firm stand against issues that conflict with basic Christian values, yet, for some inexplicable reason are soft on the gay issue. What if someone was asked to bake a pro-abortion cake? or An anti-Semitic cake? or what if a few members of a fraternity asked you to make a cake for a friend of theirs that lost their virginity? Would that still be okay? Where is the line drawn? People are free to indulge in whatever self-destructive choices they wish; however, just leave me out of it.

It's strange how abolishing the family is their answer to "leveling the playing field" as opposed to just encouraging the strengthening of families.

Several years ago, before I had a phone with access to digital scriptures, I would always make a point to leave my phone in the car. However, on one particular Sunday, I forgot to do so. As a result, during Sacrament meeting, in the middle of the closing prayer, my phone suddenly started to ring, playing the theme music to Indiana Jones. To make things worse, my phone had somehow managed to wedge itself in my pocket in such a way that I couldn't reach it quickly to get it to stop ringing.

Also, movies have always been filtered, at least to a degree, when they were aired on television, but suddenly with VidAngel it's a problem?

That's how it is in my ward as well. I don't think we've had a Ward Activities Chairman/committee in years. My ward used to have a traditional Christmas party every year, but, for some reason, stopped having them and, instead, switched to having a ward Christmas breakfast. This year, we're having a ward Christmas linger-longer. I'm not sure why we stopped having the traditional ward Christmas party. Are more wards doing away with the traditional ward Christmas party?

"Search crews continued Saturday morning to be organized in an effort to search for the daughter of Piano Guys' Jon Schmidt. Local station KGW8 reported that drones and aircraft were sent out Saturday in addition to search and rescue crews. Jon Schmidt last heard from his 21-year-old daughter, Anna (known by family and friends as Annie) on Sunday, and on Thursday morning Jon Schmidt appeared on a Portland news station making a plea to viewers to help him find his daughter. According to the Portland Police Bureau’s Missing Persons Unit, Anna Schmidt “is described as a white female, 5 feet 4 inches tall, 125 pounds, brown hair and brown eyes.” Her car was found near Bonneville Dam in the Columbia River Gorge...." http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865665311/Piano-Guys7-Jon-Schmidt-issues-plea-to-help-find-missing-daughter.html

It's a lot of contact because it creates a situation where two people are only serving each other, rather than having the opportunity to get to know and serve others in the ward. Well, technically, they could get to know others in the ward and serve them, and when the opportunity arises they should, but home teaching is an excellent program that allows and encourages that. While that is great that you became close friends with a former home teacher, the reality is that some members are more introverted than others, thus are not always comfortable having a one-on-one visit twice a month with the same person.

Awkward, in that home teaching is about showing members in the ward Christlike charity/service without the expectation of anything in return.* Plus, that's a lot of contact with just one member. *Yes, I realize that it is okay to ask those we home teach for help when we need it. But my point is that when we are assigned to home teach members/families, we are doing so without expecting them to serve us in return. As such, the mindset is different.

My calling is First Counselor in the Elders Quorum in my ward. A few weeks ago, the EQP decided to update the home teaching lists, as a few families had moved out, and some new ones were moving in. One change he wanted to make was to assign the elder who was my home teaching companion as the home teacher to my family, which is fine. I have no problem with that. However, he also assigned me to home teach this same elder and his family. In other words, we would be home teaching each other. Additionally, when the home teaching assignments were completed and handed out today, I noticed that the husband of one of the families that I have been assigned to home teach, has also been assigned to home teach my family. So, that now makes two people who I will be home teaching, who will also be home teaching me. Aside from the fact that this seems to be a bit awkward, it also strikes me as being a little unusual. Then again, maybe it's not that unusual. However, I've been in the Elders Quorum Presidency for several years now, and I have only seen this once, and that was with the same person who was my previous home teaching companion who is now my home teacher, only he was home teaching someone else who home taught him. Regardless, it won't deter me from fulfilling my home teaching responsibilities, but is this more common than I am aware of?

Actually, yes, Tab is still a thing. I've seen it for sale at my local grocer.

I miss how the original 7UP used to taste, before they changed the formula. Originally, it had a dry, crisp taste that was unique from other carbonated beverages. Then, in the early-to-mid nineties they decided to make it a lemon lime flavor in order to compete with Sprite. At that point, I stopped drinking 7UP.

There is a bishop in my ward who does this. He and his wife have been doing this for a long time, and they are probably one of the more wealthy members of our ward.

For some reason, I find it amusing that VidAngel allows you to filter The Ten Commandments (1956 version).

For some reason, I find it amusing that VidAngel allows you to filter The Ten Commandments (1956 version).

My wife and I saw his "Mandatory Fun" concert last year. His songs are usually better than the ones he parodies.

Rick Allen is not the thunder god. There is only one God of Thunder, and that is Gene Simmons. For some reason, I kept reading this as "Richard Simmons."