JonnieZ

Bacon is the gateway meat. - Anthony Bourdain

Thank you all for posting. Jonnie is short for Jonathan. My parents, siblings, and a few friends call me Jonnie. Generally it is just Jon. Well, take care.

That is not very good, I tried to edit my literary mess in my previous post and posted my own post. I think the Ambien is kicking in.

Two things: 1) I do think it is a very good book about a very good man, but it seemed, through the whole book, Prince (not the artist), had an axe to grind and 2) Bro. Arrington was either very naive, or so tunnel visioned by his goals he just did not comprehend the advice given to him. I do not believe in Elder Packer's view that "Somethings that are true are not very useful..." yet Bro. Arrington seemed to not catch the message of what "type" of history the brethren wanted written, and (as Prince [not the...you know] suggests) he shot holes in his own canoe. I do not necessarily think he was being passive aggressive but he was playing Risk without enough pieces. He was not a good communicator. More communication might have meant less agony for him in the long run. Next up: Great Basin Kingdom. On a side note: Adventures of a Church Historian is on my Amazon wish list. Unfortunately the currentbgoing price is $60. I might find a loaner in the city librarym

I love Rough Stone Rolling. It made me appreciate Joseph Smith even more. We get to see Joseph the Prophet, husband, egalitarian, father, leader, host (Nauvoo), forgiver - to a fault, and heroic figure. We read about flaws, which give all of us insight that though he was a prophet, he was human. I was sitting in class one day reading it while my students were working. A coworker saw it and came unglued. "You can't read that! If the bishop finds out he'll be mad!" It was an adult. Knowing he would tattle I happened upon the bishop, by accident in the grocery store. "Hi bishop, I am reading Rough Stone Rolling." He replied, " OK, I know you of all people can handle it." That took care of that.

I, on occassion, read this series to my class. I have enjoyed them.

Good evening, I am Jon ( Hi Jon), I will start with, I am a flawed human being. But hey, who is not? I like to eat beef, swim, lift weights ( Soloflex actually), read, watch a ball game, use my space binoculars at midnight, play with my German Sheperd, listen to The Who, Boston and Beethoven. I am actually coming out of a two year funk which turned me, almost, into a shut in. I had a grandfather until I was almost 50. He died, I do not think I had ever experienced grief before, but I have now. I was his boy, he was my pal. I have a BA in History from real BYU. As Carl Sagan wrote: The world needs fewer business majors and more history majors. (The Demon Haunted World) I have a wonderful wife, and all girls. They are fantastic. Oh, and a Shetland sized GSD. You all have a great day!

I get, and enjoy baseball. I have learned to appreciate soccer, and dig the World Cup. But, I can be just as happy watching a game of chess on Chess TV or sitting in a music hall listening to a symphony. One of the happiest moments of my life was my twins telling me in 9th grade they hated softball and wanted to play the cello and viola. I almost cried tears of joy. Truthfully, I think American football will fade away. Fewer parents will not want to risk their child's long-term and short term health. Who knows, maybe Nerf basketball will make a comeback?

I just finished Leonard Arrington by Prince. ( Not the artist...) If you like history, and historiography like I do, you will like this book. Another good biography about a good man.

Just-A-Guy, I do not disagree with anything you typed. I think, when I saw the book, and it was CLP who wrote it, I was surprised she was still alive. In my hermit like world I had lost touch with what I personally call the LDS pop culture.

Having perused the comments, may I add that Sister Snow, as well as many other sisters were horrically abused by the mobs in Missouri. Richard Bushman gives a pretty good account of events in Rough Stone Rolling. He uses primary sources and describes the ferocity of anti Mormon behavior at that time. It is interesting that historians (and rightly so) write about the abuse of the natives and Mexicans that were battered, abused, and annihilated during Manifest Destiny, yet for over a hundred years have failed to address (unrightly so, even as a nation) the attrocities that the early church experienced during the Missouri and Illinois years.

This is certainly a sad, and potentially, overwhelming, topic. Marriages change. As we age we sling shot from the fiery passions of youth, to getting old. Telomeres aside, there is nothing that stops it. Time ruins everything. Many of us have experienced it. Even the ugly body. (I used to be tan and thin with a great set of biceps.) May I suggest that you and your husband see a counselor. I read when Truman Madsen and his wife hit middle age they went to counseling. Not because there was anything hugely wrong, but just for an adjustment. (This may have been suggested, I just have not read all of the posts.) The issue is not aging, but aging well. Find common ground and work with that. Instead of sleeping in seperate rooms, sleep in the same room with smaller seperate beds. See a physician about the head aches. My wife gets them, I understand. Just understand you are seen. Crud I can not function in the morning until, after gingerly getting out of bed, I have a hydrocodone and a Lyrica. Good luck to the both of you.

President Monson's 2008 quote reminds me of what Benedict XVI wrote in his book Jesus of Nazareth. My limited memory remebers him stating that empires and countries come and go. Alexander the Great is no longer with us, or othe rulers in history. He did write however that we always have the poor (downtrodden). His question then was, what do we do with the poor? As a bit of an anarchist, I do not believe the bureaucrats in the world have an answer. Regardless of their political and economic points of view. I do believe, however, the answer is found in the Book of Mosiah. Plato's ultimate political ruler was the philosopher king. In Mosiah we have King Benjamin, who I think Plato would have shed tears over.

I saw Carol Lynn Pearson has published a new book concerning the negative affects of polygamy and the stigma it is for the Church, now and in the future. I have not read the book and doubt I will. Which means I need to confess that I did not know Ms. Pearson was still with us. I still remember Sister Pearson's eloquent writings, and discussions, about dealing with her former husband, who was gay and had contracted HIV. I would suggest it was Sister Pearson who started a change of heart in regards to gay (and lesbians) of members of the church. I am not suggesting she tried to make being gay OK (as far as the Church is concerned), but added to our consciousness that we treat such people like human beings. I believe, as a church, she thinks we should divorce from polygamy. My thought on that is...I do know a few years back I had to email a full-time seminary teacher and tell him to layoff telling my daughter (daughters actually) she was going to be a polygamous wife. I also told him he was lucky she ( or my other daughters) had not rearranged his nose. I view polygamy different now. When I was 23 I thought if polygamy started again I could have multiple hot wives who were doctors and attorneys and chefs. Thirty years later I love my one wife who puts up with me, regardless of who I am, and could not imagine adding another person to that equation.

I love taking sun baths in the summer. And, I love bacon as well.

Well, to play for the Yankees you have to be well groomed with no facial hair.

Though health and fitness does not get a lot of attention, I thought I would talk about swimming. I started about four months ago. What a "revelation"! Growing up in the Sacramento area and we swam all summer. However, I have started lap swimming. I used to suck wind bending over to tie my shoes. Not anymore. Good stuff.

I finished Truman G. Madsen a few weeks back. A good biography about a good man. A regret I have from BYU years is that I did not take classes from him or Brother Nibley.

The Lincoln Hypothesis. An interesting read. Before that I read Abraham Lincoln and Joseph Smith. They go hand in hand.