I hate to admit it but I never could get myself to fully like President Nugent's predecessor as branch president in Belle Isle Branch. That is because the first time I came to the meetinghouse with my girlfriend Arkasha, the branch president said something about how I was there slumming. I don't think he meant it, but it still seemed an odd statement. Especially since most active members of the branch live in Grosse Pointe, a far more upscale area than south-east Sterling Heights.
Friday, February 24, 2017
BYU and Black History Month
The BYU Museum of Art has just started a display on African-American art. It is also having several celebrations of black history month. The Church History Museum is celebrating the life of Elizabeth Jane Manning James during black history month. A willingness to speak of and acknowledge African-American history at a higher level is being shown in the Church. I hope we can implement it as much as possible.
Media credulity
The media is far too credulous in dealing with "Mormon leaks". The most recent hype about "secret baptisms" is by far the worst. To begin with, the authenticity of the claims are hard to verify. Next, the article lacks any attempt to discuss the matter of the doctrine involved. Lastly, it ignores the issue that some or many of these people may be direct ancestors of current members of the Church who may have been the ones to submit the names for work.
Next, the headline of "secretly" baptized is just plain false. The Church does not try to make baptism in the temple more of less secret, and to use that word needlessly invokes an air of cover up that was not intended.
Next, the headline of "secretly" baptized is just plain false. The Church does not try to make baptism in the temple more of less secret, and to use that word needlessly invokes an air of cover up that was not intended.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
In defense of why husband and wife should not both give talks on the same Sunday
I have decided to take my position that husband and wife should not both give talks on the same Sunday and express it more verbally. I guess in theory at times this might be OK. However as it is done is some wards, it just becomes a way to avoid doing more work and sticks people in a rut. It also makes it harder to fit single people into the speaking schedule.
In theory if one rare occasions a husband and wife are both asked to speak on the same Sunday it is not too bad. Unfortunately too often when this is done it is done by default all the time. In the case of families with little children this is actually probably counter productive. Even in other families, the best talks are built with advice from your spouse. I guess I can see cooperative building, but I think too often what happens is one person is wanted to talk, and the other is just tagged on because that is what is felt like.
It also creates a near universal pattern of 1 male and 1 female speaker. Some subjects will call for 2 male or 2 female. Sometimes only the husband or wife needs to learn the subject. And sometimes you might want the wife to go last, but the husband might take offence to that.
I have seen wards do both ways, and have to say I just like the way of unrelated people speaking a lot better.
Don't get me started on inapropriate missionary farwell Sundays.
In theory if one rare occasions a husband and wife are both asked to speak on the same Sunday it is not too bad. Unfortunately too often when this is done it is done by default all the time. In the case of families with little children this is actually probably counter productive. Even in other families, the best talks are built with advice from your spouse. I guess I can see cooperative building, but I think too often what happens is one person is wanted to talk, and the other is just tagged on because that is what is felt like.
It also creates a near universal pattern of 1 male and 1 female speaker. Some subjects will call for 2 male or 2 female. Sometimes only the husband or wife needs to learn the subject. And sometimes you might want the wife to go last, but the husband might take offence to that.
I have seen wards do both ways, and have to say I just like the way of unrelated people speaking a lot better.
Don't get me started on inapropriate missionary farwell Sundays.
Friday, February 3, 2017
History of the LDS Church in 3 sentences
The 1000th stake was organized in Nauvoo, Illinois by Ezra Taft Benson. The 2000th stake was organized in Mexico City by Howard W. Hunter. The 3000th stake was organized in Freetown, Sierra Leone by Jeffrey R. Holland.
Why I am not a successful blogger
I was just reading an except from an article about Mommy bloggers. The article mentioned that a disproportionate number are Mormons, and that this is in part linked to the Church encouraging the keeping of journals.
At one time I was a daily journal keeper, especially when I was 16 or so.
Of late I barely can keep an even semi-regular journal.
It is not just that I am not sure the following would interest people:
I got up late. I was late to the meeting at the Northwest Activities Center at Curtis and Myers in Detroit. It didn't help I had to turn around and go home to take my medicine because I forgot when I first got up.
In the morning meeting I learned that I could make $0.20 more an hour if I filed my transcripts with the district. I had Little Ceasars for lunch. In the afternoon I had to leave early, and just barely made it to my job at Kroger at time.
I tried to fill the lunch meet wall, but the process was disheartening. Kroger's philosophy is have very little back stock, while Meijer believed in lots of back stock. The problem is that at my store not enough of the workers use the telzon, and so our back stock just builds up. On the other hand I threw out about 10 items that had a sell by date of January 25th. That was pretty bad.
My schedule for the week of Valentine's Day is messed up.
I called Kay (my girlfriend) right when I got off. She didn't answer then but did respond to my text about my paycheck.
After I got home I scounged up some peach yogurt for dinner. I saw David and Fara Jensen at Kroger as I was leaving. I see Church members I have known a lot longer at Kroger than I saw at Meijer.
At one time I was a daily journal keeper, especially when I was 16 or so.
Of late I barely can keep an even semi-regular journal.
It is not just that I am not sure the following would interest people:
I got up late. I was late to the meeting at the Northwest Activities Center at Curtis and Myers in Detroit. It didn't help I had to turn around and go home to take my medicine because I forgot when I first got up.
In the morning meeting I learned that I could make $0.20 more an hour if I filed my transcripts with the district. I had Little Ceasars for lunch. In the afternoon I had to leave early, and just barely made it to my job at Kroger at time.
I tried to fill the lunch meet wall, but the process was disheartening. Kroger's philosophy is have very little back stock, while Meijer believed in lots of back stock. The problem is that at my store not enough of the workers use the telzon, and so our back stock just builds up. On the other hand I threw out about 10 items that had a sell by date of January 25th. That was pretty bad.
My schedule for the week of Valentine's Day is messed up.
I called Kay (my girlfriend) right when I got off. She didn't answer then but did respond to my text about my paycheck.
After I got home I scounged up some peach yogurt for dinner. I saw David and Fara Jensen at Kroger as I was leaving. I see Church members I have known a lot longer at Kroger than I saw at Meijer.
Sunday, September 18, 2016
In reading some comments on decisions by leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in translating, there is said to be a push in "some areas" by area leadership to have all members learn English.
It is not fully spelled out why or where this is in comments I have read. My guess this is in countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.
The issues there are much more complex than they are in most of the United States. It also has shown up at times in Australian and New Zealand, but especially in New Zealand it appears there has been a decision to allow language specific units. The issues there have not directly affected langauge translation decisions though.
The whole issue is to some presented in a way that ignores the main issue at hand. That is, why do people want members to all learn English.
I think the underlying reason is not primarily a desire to encourage their employability. People can be fully employable while still learning the gospel in other languages.
I think the reason for this goal is a desire to have the body of the Church as unified as much as possible.
I have to admit I have come to believe at times unity is best achieved by first bringing the partial unity of the faith in disunified ways and then building people towards unity. I think at times we rush unity in ways that cause some to fall by the wayside. However I think we need to recognize that many decisions are built around a desire to have the faith be more unified.
Building from centers of strength can at times be a slow process, but it prepares the Church to be strong.
It is not fully spelled out why or where this is in comments I have read. My guess this is in countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.
The issues there are much more complex than they are in most of the United States. It also has shown up at times in Australian and New Zealand, but especially in New Zealand it appears there has been a decision to allow language specific units. The issues there have not directly affected langauge translation decisions though.
The whole issue is to some presented in a way that ignores the main issue at hand. That is, why do people want members to all learn English.
I think the underlying reason is not primarily a desire to encourage their employability. People can be fully employable while still learning the gospel in other languages.
I think the reason for this goal is a desire to have the body of the Church as unified as much as possible.
I have to admit I have come to believe at times unity is best achieved by first bringing the partial unity of the faith in disunified ways and then building people towards unity. I think at times we rush unity in ways that cause some to fall by the wayside. However I think we need to recognize that many decisions are built around a desire to have the faith be more unified.
Building from centers of strength can at times be a slow process, but it prepares the Church to be strong.
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