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I think that the teachings of the scriptures and the prophets have provided more than enough information which would help with the global warming problem if we would only heed them: keeping our surroundings clean, avoiding needless consumerism/materialism, getting back to nature (gotta love Elder Perry for his references to Emerson and Thoreau), and so on. Years ago the church implemented the combined meeting schedule to reduce travel time (and corresponding fuel emissions were also reduced). President Kimball pointed out more than once that keeping a garden would help us better appreciate the earth. What more do we need? If we feel the need to do more, then we are encouraged --even mandated--to do so on an individual level. Few of us would want to feel like the church is micromanaging our lives, which I'm sure some of us would suspect with each such program the church would implement. Incidentally, way back in 1972, the New Era published an article by Hugh Nibley called "Man's Dominion", which remains one of the best pieces I have read on the topic. In 1978, it was republished in a collection of Nibley's essays with the following introduction added:

Then there's Adam's ex Lilith, who's responsible for SIDS and "teenage dreams"...

"At-Home Entertainment and Family Bonding Booms" It's just too bad that it had to come to this--and a tragedy that this aspect is even newsworthy at all.

Newsweek recently ran a cover story called "We're All Socialists Now", and several people who were currently living in Europe (or who had lived there) wrote in and basically said, "Don't make me laugh; the US is nowhere near being truly socialist." As they saw it, the Obama administration is mainly taking some of the "edge" off of a capitalism which they saw as extreme in the first place. Of course, they interpreted that capitalism through the lens of European Socialism in the first place, so whatever...

I taught the EQ lesson today-the topic was Pres. Monson's October conference talk on Finding Joy in the Journey. I pointed out that most of what I worry about is of relatively little eternal consequence and is instead ego-wounding stuff. (And considering that Ego is really another term for "Natural Man," the more it is damaged, the better, so that it can finally die off.) Most of my worries consist of job/financial concerns/social comparisons, etc. What I call "Lifejunk". Once I get past those petty concerns, what remains reminds me of how blessed I really am. Christ has His arms safely around me in the gospel covenant; as long as I uphold my end, nothing can go seriously wrong.

Yeah, that program brought up a lot of things that I'd never considered when reading the BOM--such as the suggestion that the Lehites stopped at ports along the way in Asia and the South Pacific to replenish supplies and water and what-not; it's fascinating to think who they might have encountered along the way, and what kind of influence they might have had on them. (After all, Lehi was quite the missionary.)

Last night BYU TV had a fascinating program called "Journey of Faith: The New World which discussed some of these things. Not sure when it's on again, but it's worth watching.

If you want some more information, I strongly recomment An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, by John L. Sorenson. He spends quite a bit of time talking about how in Mesoamerica cultures would conquer and build upon (literally) weaker societies. As I remember, he specifically mentions the Olmecs; I believe he also ties it in with how the people of Zarahemla built upon what was left of the Jaredite civilization. It's been a while since I read it so I don't remember precisely, but it's definitely worth reading--and fascinating in its own right.

I've battled depression pretty intensely for the last 25 years. I believe that it stems largely from growing up in a family where affection and emotion were never really expressed, constant social rejection throughout childhood and adolescence, and a dash of physical and sexual abuse when younger. However, it's not so important where it came from. The question I've learned to ask myself is, "What am I going to do about it NOW?" The David Burns book is quite helpful, though a bit difficult to digest. I wouldn't recommend reading it when in a funk, because it does require quite a bit of self-analysis. It's best to implement the exercises when your spirits are up and you're thinking more clearly--then when you really need it, the process will be more or less automatic. One book that I've found very helpful is "Eternal Values and Personal Growth" by Allen E. Bergin, who is sort of the granddaddy of gospel-oriented therapy. The book roughly follows a sequence of ideas: We have a divine, eternal nature as literal offspring of GodAt birth and afterwards, we inherit genetic predispositions and environmentally-influenced traits (the "mortal overlay"). This is NOT our true identity.We are influenced either for good or ill by family, society, etc.Our mortal experience can either enhance or impair our God-given agency. This happens both through our own choices and the choices of others that affect us. One of the great challenges of life is to learn to develop our agency and to use it in righteousness.We grow spiritually as we develop integrity, use our power righteously, and learn to relate to others in a healthy way.Intimacy, expressed properly, allows us to progress. Improper use of intimacy and isolation hold us back.The chief aim of life is to progress. Stagnation keeps us from realizing our potential.I highly recommend this book. It draws on scripture, the teachings of Church leaders, and the best thinking in psychology. I find it tremendously healing, and most important, it teaches Truth about who we really are. (You can read a sample of it here.) I also recommend a talk given at BYU a few years ago by Carrie Wrigley (an associate of Bergin's). It's called "Christ-Centered Healing from Depression and Low Self-Worth", and it is wonderful. She acknowledges that medication can be helpful, but that there are better ways (which she discusses briefly). An outline of her talk can be accessed here. God bless. I've been there (and still am, in fact) and can attest to the hell that depression can be. Fortunately, we now know a lot more about the brain and how it works, and anybody suffering from depression can at least do something to better manage it. It might not go away, but there are always things we can do.

As might be expected, the rabid anti-Mormon sociopaths are having a field day commenting on the SL Tribune site, howling for blood (and calling for all manner of vile acts to be perpetrated against our leaders). If these are the sort of people who supported SSM, then it's best for humanity that Prop 8 passed so that they can reveal themselves through their borderline subhuman behavior. It only proves Daniel Peterson's observation that Sodom and Cumorah are completely incompatible.

Go for it--the more people know about that article, the better. (She also serialized her terrific book He Did Deliver Me From Bondage on Meridian a while ago. I believe that it was a prototype of sorts for the Addiction Recovery Manual produced by the Church.

"There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God 'thy will be done', and those to whom God says, 'thy will be done' ". --The Great Divorce

Before you go to school for a degree in Psychology, you may want to listen to some of the college courses you can get online. If you have iTunes, go to iTunes U and download some of the University-sponsored psychology courses--Intro to Psychology, Social Psychology, Cognitive Psych, Psych of Emotion, etc. A lot of them are entire course lecture series sponsored by UC Berkeley, Stanford, and so on--quality schools that might give you a taste for what the courses involve. (Even if you don't have an iPod, you can install iTunes on your computer, download the lectures, and either listen to them on your computer or burn them to CD).

This program is wonderful. I started attending about a year and a half ago for help with addictive behaviors and have recently started going back on a regular basis. Even though the behaviors are no longer an issue, the spiritual and emotional difficulties that led to the behaviors are. That's what's so great about the program: it teaches that addiction is really a manifestation of deeper spiritual maladies and addresses those. (And those who might think that addiction is only a problem for winos, junkies, and perverts may want to read this.)

While I admire Pres. Obama for his intellect and undeniable charisma, and believe that he has the capacity to be a tremendous leader for our nation, there is something about the way he rose to the office so quickly and easily that is a bit unsettling--as if it was scripted by Central Casting. (I know, that's how it is with other presidents, but still....) I'm not reading anything particularly sinister into it, however. I believe that he is in the White House because the Lord wants him there, and because in some way it fits His purposes for our nation at the present time (whatever they may be). Like everybody else, my prayers are with him to be inspired and protected, both for his sake and the sake of our nation.

Hi Anotherbrick-- I don't know that I can help much with the marriage/mission thing--like some of the others who have commented here, I haven't experienced much discrimination myself, though I don't doubt that it exists--perhaps in some areas more than others. (I served a mission but ended up marrying a girl who wouldn't have cared whether I did or not.) A greater concern than the mission thing is the comment that your faith in the Church is decreasing. I think I can help you a bit more with this. You see, I am also Asperger and have struggled greatly with the feeling of being out of place at church. It reached a crisis point a few months ago when I began feeling like I was a "black eye" on the church, that I had nothing to contribute, and that the pain of feeling out of place was greater than any benefit the Church had to give. The one thing that kept me in the Church was the Book of Mormon. I held on to that, and before long came to realize that I had been equating the social aspects of the Church with the gospel. Paradoxically, as I placed a greater priority on the gospel than on the social church, I saw that I did have much to contribute, and that there is a place in the Church for everybody. I still struggle with fitting in, but it may be that people like you and me are meant to stand out instead. Please don't let this drive you from the Church. It's painful, I know, but stay close to the gospel and serve the best you can. Cling to the doctrine of the Atonement, and know that Christ knows how you feel--intimately so. If you have a tendency to isolate yourself, try to reach out more. I've had to learn that I teach people how to treat me, and that while it's difficult, little things like smiling and saying "hello" to people can go a long way. I still have trouble looking people in the eye, but I am working on that, and they respond to my efforts. I suspect that in the long run, things like that will attract young women more than the mission experience itself. Finally, maybe you are trying too hard to find a girl. I've learned that when I relax a bit and stop worrying so much about how I come across to others, they are naturally drawn to me. (After all, by assuming that people are judging me, I am really judging them.) I realize that this has gone on a while. If you want to send me a personal message, I'll be happy to respond to you off the thread. Keep up hope! The Lord loves us--all of us--and will bless us if we ask Him in faith.

The beautiful thing about our church is that it embraces all truth, whatever the source. (Brigham Young said that if there is any truth in heaven, earth, or even hell, it belongs to us.) I have looked into some of the principles of Buddhism, and find much to admire--in fact, if I weren't LDS, I might very well become a Buddhist. The principle of not becoming attached to things of the world reminds me of the admonition to beware of covetousness, "for what is property unto me? saith the Lord" (D&C 117:4). The Buddhist emphasis on living in the present moment taught me that the Holy Ghost always speaks to us in the Now, rather than in the past or the future--and that if we are preoccupied with the past or the future, we will miss those promptings. And the practice of meditation has helped me calm my mind before praying so that I am in a more receptive state. Was Jesus a Buddhist? Well, the mortal Jesus was very much a Jew. The immortal Christ, however, transcends labels and denominations. He is the Father of all truth, and inasmuch as Buddhism (or any other tradition) is aligned with true principles, then he is that tradition--or rather, that tradition is of Him. The gospel, as we have been reminded with increasing frequency and intensity over the last several General Conferences, is marvelously inclusive.

I went through the same thing for nearly ten years. I was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and put on Depakote, Effexor, and Lithium. My energy went away, I had the personality of a slug, and couldn't feel anything. Then about a year and a half ago I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (which I had suspected all along, though I couldn't get anybody to believe me), was taken off all but the minimum dosage, and began to feel things again. The challenge, of course, is to properly manage my emotions, which I'm still learning how to do. I'm much more obervant now, I help out around the house a lot more, and I pay more attention to the kids. My mind is also a lot sharper since coming off of the meds. Becoming more aware of my "blind spots" is a painful process, but it's allowing me to improve. The difficulty now is to be more patient with myself. There are cases where medication is warranted, but those are extreme cases where the patient simply cannot function without them. I never would have said this a couple of years ago when I was completely dependent upon my meds, but I believe that the best policy is to be upon the minimum dosage necessary to function. A really good talk addressing the topic is Christ-Centered Healing from Depression and Low Self-Worth by Dr. Carrie Wrigley, an LDS therapist.

Amazon still has it on a pre-order basis for $32.97 until tomorrow!!!!!

When our precious daughter was born 12 1/2 years ago, she had a really difficult time--respiratory problems, "lazy eye", needing tubes in her ears, difficulty sitting up/standing/walking (needing a specially made high chair, a body suit, orthotic shoes, etc.) For the first three or four years of her life, she was very much an infant. This beautiful daughter of Daddy in Heaven taught my wife and I the meaning of Christ's pure love: to love and serve somebody who can never repay the favor. Sweet Jaclyn (since diagnosed as autistic) is walking all over the place and is the happiest girl imaginable. She has a sweetness about her that I can only envy--and she is truly an heir of the celestial kingdom. Hers is an inner beauty that radiates to the outside, blessing all around her. Even when she is an adult, she will always be our little girl and will need our care. But we also know that she was God's long before she was ours--and that she will always have a place safe in His loving arms.

Last week I finished a couple of great books written for those who like spirituality with their fiction: How Harry Cast His Spell--John Granger (Discussion of the Christian symbolism in the Harry Potter books--and there is a TON) C.S. Lewis's Case for Christ--Art Lindsley I recommend both highly.

My wife and I have a 14-year-old daughter with ADHD, a son with Asperger's, and a daughter with low-functioning autism. In addition, I have been diagnosed with Asperger's, and my wife has PTSD/OCD resulting from childhood abuse. Needless to say, working through all of these issues is a constant challenge. (We have more issues than Newsweek!) There's a good book that helps distinguish between the various diagnoses--It's called Kids in the Syndrome Mix. (While there are differences between them, I suspect that they are really various points on the neurological continuum.)

The other night I was listening to a fascinating talk on the literary complexities of the Book of Mormon. The speaker compared 1 Ne. 2:16 ("being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature") with 1 Ne. 4:31 ("being a man large in stature") and concluded that it was in fact the Laban incident that served as the "rite of passage" catapulting Nephi into manhood. It's interesting to see how Nephi went from one level on to another, whereas Laman and Lemuel kept going through the same cycle of perceived victimization and violence (and, as far as we can see, never got past the sulkiy adolescent stage).

Love 'em! (Almost as much as Pres. Monson...) My favorites (in no particular order): Hairspray Sweeney Todd Sunset Boulevard Ragtime Bombay Dreams Evita Godspell (The first one I ever saw--saw it on Broadway in 1976 when my aunt was in it, and also performed in a high school production) Dreamgirls Miss Saigon I got to see Young Frankenstein last year in Seattle before it went to Broadway. We saw it the second night of previews, so we were among the first people ever to see it. True story--when I was living near London back in 1985, a friend who was in the French Club offered me a free ticket to see a brand new show which they were going to see. I turned it down, as I had no interest in seeing a "foreign" musical. I'm still kicking myself for turning down a chance to see Les Miserables with the original cast. (And now you know--the REST of the story.)

It really all comes down to faith. In the October 1988 General Conference, Elder Russell M. Nelson had this to say: We might also ask: Will we have faith to obey the WoW even if science seems to indicate that NOT living it might in some respects be better for us? Will we change our position as scientific indicators change? Where do we draw the line?