Mike

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  1. Like
    Mike got a reaction from Overwatch in Few Will Find Celestial Glory   
    @clbent04 Hmmm, I still don't comprehend the utility in assigning a population percentage, and thus I'm unable to take the Lord's statement as having to do with numbers. I think the mark (in contrasting a strait gate and a narrow way with a wide gate and a broad way) is for me to take advantage of the gift of repentance and renew my covenant when I take the Sacrament. And I feel impelled toward believing that it may be looking beyond the mark to do otherwise. 
  2. Like
    Mike got a reaction from Backroads in What Are Rights Anyway?   
    With regard to private property I respect others’ perception of a right to own; and I enjoy legal protection of the property my fellow citizens perceive me to “own”.  But I don't see private property as a so-called natural right--it seems more legal in every sense.  Personally in terms of my belief in God the concept of stewardship appeals more to me than the concept of ownership.
  3. Okay
    Mike got a reaction from zil in What Are Rights Anyway?   
    No, I don't think that my argument indicates what you say it indicates.  I think I just see some things differently than you do--and I've only been talking about one specific thing, not all those other concepts you seem to insist as being inextricably tied to the concept described in terms of a natural right. Throughout I've been talking only about property ownership as a natural right. The very first statement in this thread illustrates: "In the discussion of government and laws, it appears that our friends across borders and seas do not look at rights the same way as the American Founding Fathers would."  That's true. Not everybody in the world looks at rights the same way--for that matter, I doubt even all the Founders looked at rights in precisely the same way. This doesn't mean I doubt the divine origin of everything else you care to name--although i might doubt some of them. I'm pretty sure both of us and others "all over the Church" can be faithful and manage our life aspects while disagreeing with one particular political notion--which is what I think property ownership is in the context of the OP. 
  4. Like
    Mike got a reaction from SilentOne in Remembering Infancy   
    If memories of my experiences as a baby were sweet ones, then the prospect certainly sounds appealing--for example the memory of the first time I saw my parents faces. (I'm not sure I would enjoy the ability to remember experiences that made me cry, unless remembering such experiences were of themselves to have a constructive impact on my eternal progression. It seems to me that they are of no value to me in this mortal sphere since an experience unremembered strikes me as being the same as not having the experience in the first place). And if, as a baby,  I possessed any memories of the pre-mortal existence I wonder how to describe them beyond dream-like images.  
     
  5. Like
    Mike got a reaction from askandanswer in gun control, Iran and North Korea   
    The objectives are similar, i.e. to make the world safer. But the situations are not sufficiently similar for comparison to support an identical argument. For example it is possible (though unlikely) to eliminate North Korean or Iranian access to nuclear weapons. It is impossible (speaking practically) to eliminate all Americans' access to firearms. It is desirable to eliminate North Korean and Iranian access to nuclear weapons. It isn't desirable to eliminate all Americans' access to firearms.
  6. Like
    Mike got a reaction from zil in What Are Rights Anyway?   
    Hence my remark that "I think I do" perceive what you mean. 
  7. Like
    Mike reacted to zil in What Are Rights Anyway?   
    At the end of the day, none of us "owns" anything permanently - eventually, we all die and someone else takes ownership, and eventually, everyone dies and God takes back what is his.  Ownership is a rule defining who has temporary (mortal), exclusive stewardship over one of God's things.  In order for this to work (from a functional perspective), the governing body has to recognize and enforce this exclusive stewardship.  The current governing body is secular and doesn't understand that all things are God's and we just have stewardship, so they call it "property" or "ownership" instead, but functionally, it's the same thing.
  8. Like
    Mike got a reaction from Grunt in What Are Rights Anyway?   
    Maybe not. So I'll bow out hoping not to annoy. Thanks for chatting with me.
     
  9. Like
    Mike reacted to zil in What Are Rights Anyway?   
    I have a natural right to live - but not for "living's" sake.  I'm expected to magnify the life God gave me.  That what we are given is given for more than the sake of having it does not negate the logic of it being a natural right.  (Instead of thinking "nature" when you see "natural", perhaps think "inherent", "God-given", or "inalienable".)
    I think you should go study the United Order (or I should).  That we should not be selfish or obsessive about possessions does not negate the need for and value of ownership (aka stewardship).  My understanding is that a person was given some subset of the total property which the Church had, and given exclusive stewardship over it - no one else could just show up and claim it.  The Church might ask for it back (maybe), but that's not the same as just any old body coming and taking it as if he had as much right to it as you - or as if neither of you had any right to it at all.
    Consider a calling.  God calls you to serve, for example, as the Elder's Quorum President.  You will be expected to accomplish certain things and held accountable for what you did in this calling.  Now imagine Joe Bloe shows up and claims he's the EQP and starts holding meetings with your counselors and making ministering assignments and trying to conduct Sunday meetings, telling you to sit down because he's doing this now.  It wouldn't work.  The only way you can exercise your stewardship is if there are bounds and limits which say the calling is yours - you own it - and no one else gets to do that calling so long as it is yours.
    All of this relates, IMO, to the fact that God's house is a house of order.  In order to accomplish good things, there must be order, bounds, rules - and ownership is a bound and a rule which enables order to function.
    Also, this:
  10. Like
    Mike reacted to Grunt in What Are Rights Anyway?   
    I get that.  I was explaining how property rights are natural rights.
  11. Like
    Mike got a reaction from zil in Learning How to Read   
    When I was 19 I took my old paper-back copies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and had them bound. The pages are now brown. When I re-read (them as opposed to holding a newer edition) I feel as if I'm holding a treasure.
     
  12. Like
    Mike got a reaction from zil in Learning How to Read   
    I agree completely. And I happen to relish the scent (and the feel) of book-paper pages, especially the older ones. 
  13. Like
    Mike reacted to zil in Learning How to Read   
    Reject the pressure!  Just say slow, er no.  Though I will say that when I read a lot (like, constantly, every spare minute, which I haven't had / done enough of in recent years, long story), my speed naturally increased.
    If I recall correctly, you recently asked why Jayki, I think, needed to study.  I had the same thoughts.  In school, my friends all studied, I didn't generally see the need (maybe a few reminders of things that are naturally hard to remember, but not concepts).  I believe the two reasons for that were notetaking and slow reading.
    For fiction and scripture, at least, I read at the same pace as if I were reading aloud with emphasis and feeling appropriate to the passage I'm reading.  That's pretty slow.  If I try to speed up, the "voice" in my head gets out of sync with what my brain is understanding and they trip all over each other - that has literally happened, and I have to tell my brain to just slow down and follow along with the voice part of me.
    (Relevant note: I always read fiction in paper, not electronic.)  The benefit of this is that for the bits I remember (or am reminded of), I can not only remember what I read, but I have a vague notion of about how far into the book it was, and almost always remember whether it was on the left- or right-hand page, where-abouts on the page, and the general shape of the paragraphing.  I don't remember these things exactly, but well enough to pretty quickly find the passage of interest in my copy of the book so I can re-read it (something I do on occasion just cuz I really enjoyed that part of the story - which generally leads to me skimming and then re-reading the good parts through the rest of the book).
    IMO, this is something to savor, not something to rush through.  Of course, if you really want to become Dr. Spencer Reid, well, have at it, but I can't help you.
  14. Like
    Mike got a reaction from e-eye in Mortgage Companies   
    My very first home loan was negatively amortized.  That's what made it attractive to get in to, but I could see that the longer I kept that loan the worse off I could potentially become. In Central California at the time my equity rose sufficiently that I made a good profit which enabled me to "buy up" in the Utah market when the nationwide economic crisis effects at the time began to arrive on the West Coast. I was fortunate to find a buyer within a week of putting my house on the market.  A friend in the same Ward and just a couple blocks from me lost his job, found a higher paying one in Logan, UT but couldn't sell his house for another three years--so I got out just ahead of the wave. 
  15. Like
    Mike got a reaction from Sunday21 in Mortgage Companies   
    The "heck" is that many of the decision makers in the financial industry believe its in their short term interests to make as many loans as possible with less regard for the long-term quality of those loans. They hold reserves to offset a certain percentage of anticipated charge-offs and the cost of collections. Moreover, many other loans won't remain on their books for long--there is income to be had by boarding the loans and re-selling them. 
  16. Like
    Mike reacted to zil in Spouse Swapping   
    And have you figured out yet whether she likes piña coladas and getting caught in the rain?
  17. Haha
    Mike got a reaction from zil in Spouse Swapping   
    Hahaha, she loves piña coladas, but won't walk with me in the rain. What can I say? One learns to sacrifice (which someone told me means giving up something I want for something I want more. ...we both like the feel of the ocean.) 😊
  18. Like
    Mike reacted to Jane_Doe in Mortgage Companies   
    I'm of the philosophy that both spouses should be open and on the same page when it comes to finances.  Now that doesn't mean both spouses have to take equal interest in them or be equally involved in managing them-- it's perfectly okay to have one spouse that's the money manager.  Just as long as you're both on the same page as far as goals and general spending, and any questions can be asked & addressed.   
  19. Like
    Mike got a reaction from Sunday21 in It has to be asked....   
    I think (it) is unfair.  Consider that rejecting a message because of the color of the messenger(s)' skin (or gender or age) is a mistake. Your OP doesn't sound like you would want do that out-of-hand even if the messenger is different from you in any of the ways you mentioned. 
  20. Like
    Mike reacted to Sunday21 in Secret Society   
    There is something referred to as ‘messed up’ theory of organizations. The real term is obscene so I am not using the precise term. ‘Never ascribe malice to any pattern of behaviour that can be explained by fatigue, incompetence or disorganization.’ Most things that go wrong occur because there is no process in place to prevent mistakes. Next time you are home or visiting teaching a retired person, ask them about things that went wrong during their career and why. Most organizations do not have appropriate checks and balances. And the members of the organization are exploiting the resources for their own ends. Does this description match your organization?
  21. Thanks
    Mike got a reaction from Traveler in I can’t oppose to I won’t   
    Sounds like a reasonable impression--at least insofar as I apply it to myself. It seems reasonable that our Heavenly Father doesn't expect the impossible, and I think Elder Holland addressed aspects of this concept in October 2017 Conference. 
  22. Like
    Mike reacted to JohnsonJones in Scripture Question... What's Your Opinion?   
    I think historians and the LDS church and others have a good idea of why it started.  However, this is one subject that becomes far too controversial with many to really discuss in an intelligent matter normally.
    Because this is so, at times the best thing (but not always) to do is to refer an individual to the church essays on the subject and leave it be.
    I'll simply post this...
    Race and the Priesthood
    It will not satisfy everyone...but here it is.
  23. Like
    Mike got a reaction from NeuroTypical in Some Theories for Discussion   
    I don't post this in order to suppress discussion, but merely to express my skepticism about the likelihood of finding a suitable explanation without an official pronouncement. Still I suppose that disabusing ourselves of erroneous explanations is useful.  
  24. Like
    Mike got a reaction from seashmore in Some Theories for Discussion   
    I don't post this in order to suppress discussion, but merely to express my skepticism about the likelihood of finding a suitable explanation without an official pronouncement. Still I suppose that disabusing ourselves of erroneous explanations is useful.  
  25. Like
    Mike got a reaction from LoudLizard in Disappointing developments   
    I want to know more from people with views that promoting abstinence creates a culture of shame.