Peppermint Patty

https://youtu.be/-LyBBlOkuuA

I hope this movie will be better than Hugh Grant's Four Weddings and a Funeral

They say that you can't throw a stick in Israel without hitting bones or a culturally significant archaeological dig. Archaeology Today is reporting that right now there are over 35,000 different archaeological excavations going on in Israel.

I would like to think Jesus had a good sense of humor. I can imagine him writing. "Help me, I'm surrounding by idiots."

Maybe I'm being too hard on myself, but I have so many areas in my life that need a lot of improvement.

My father-in-law passed away last week. His health had been deteriorating for years, and he was able to spend his last few days in hospice care with family. Two days before he died, we had almost 30 family members gathered together to say our goodbyes. He was healthy enough at that time to share a little laughter, memories and tears. He told all of us how excited he was to be reunited soon on the other side with his wife, parents, siblings and his youngest son. Before anyone left, he wanted all of us to have a family prayer. It was the most touching experience and there wasn't a dry eye in the room, when he prayed, "for a time we will be separated, though we will be reunited." I've never felt the spirit so strong. I cherish those final days we were able to spend with him. It was a real blessing. It has also caused me to think about my own mortality and how much work I need to do to get my house in order. I don't think I'm prepared if I were to die soon.

Name THAT town? I love Wyoming, but there are literally dozens of small towns in that State that use tickets as a major source of income. Be careful if you decide to drive anywhere in Wyoming.

The Church of Pat Robertson or Joel Osteen?

<what are a few examples of humor in the Book of Mormon? "The Book of Mormon is a religious text, but it contains a few instances of humor and satire. Here are a few examples: The story of Captain Moroni and his title of liberty: In the book of Alma, Captain Moroni raises a banner, or "title of liberty," to rally the people of his city to fight against their oppressors. The title is described as a "most sacred cause for the freedom of our country," and it is written in big letters, "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children." The humor in this story lies in the use of such grand and elevated language to describe what is essentially a flagpole. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies burying their weapons: In the book of Alma, a group of people called the Anti-Nephi-Lehies choose to bury their weapons of war as a symbol of their commitment to live peacefully and follow the commandments of God. The humor in this story comes from the idea of people burying weapons they could have used to defend themselves, but instead trusting in the Lord for protection. The story of the sons of Mosiah and King Noah: In the book of Mosiah, the sons of Mosiah go on a mission to the land of the Lamanites, who are described as being "an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety." The humor in this story comes from the contrast between the serious and devout sons of Mosiah and the lazy and deceitful Lamanites. These are just a few examples of the instances of humor in the Book of Mormon. It is important to note that the book is primarily a religious text and that humor is used to convey spiritual messages and teachings."

I'm very confused by MS. I know of one very prominent (ex BYU and NFL football player) that has been donating for the last few years. This person and his family are very active in the Church. I've always though MS was very critical to our faith, but it seems like some members have the impression that it's worthy of donated to.

I don't think you will find a single person who lives in Utah that hasn't had zucchini or other vegetables left on their porch. I think it's great.

Just move to Utah. In the Spring and Summer you will have more zucchini on your porch than you can shake a stick at.

Or leaving zucchini on your porch every few weeks.

I was unaware of this. So several years earlier during the First Vision, Joseph recounts that he saw "two glorious personages who exactly resembled each other in features and likeness" but then several years later it was being taught that the Father is a actually a personage of spirit? What happened during those years from the First Vision to Lecture 5 that changed the Father from being a personage to a spirit?

Maybe you might feel better with the term “educator” instead?

Dan McClellan doesn’t strike me as the type that would change his beliefs or behavior for anyone. I just signed up for his upcoming online class. When I signed up it looks like I am the 13,147th person. Registration was $25 to $50 and that means Dan will be making a minimum of $328,000 for his class. This is his second class taught this year. It’s not h unreasonable to assume he is making around 1 million dollars per year from just his online classes. I guess my point is that Dan probably isn’t too concerned about his job. I’m proud of Dan for building such a large audience. His audience and influence for good will continue to grow. I don’t think the LDS Church has every seen an apologist have this much success and influence before. Welcome to the digital age.

It looks like the article came out last week on November 28, 2022.

David G. Stewart, Jr., of UNLV who operates the cumorah website published an article last week showing the Jehovah Witnesses and Adventist missionary programs are having more success in finding converts than the LDS. He gives some reasons and possible solutions. Has anyone read this article? Thoughts? “Trends point to continued underperformance of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints compared to its competitors. While a range of possibilities exist, the default path is for further decline of growth rates. The LDS Church is unlikely to regain its former growth trajectory. Prospects of becoming a major world faith have faded and are likely beyond reach.” http://jmssa.org/stewart/

Craig, that’s a very inspiring story. I agree with Calm and hope you will seriously consider sharing this to a wider audience. I know a couple of missionaries that didn’t see a lot of success in the mission field even though they were great missionaries. I think your story can serve as a reminder and encouragement to many LDS and returned missionaries that you never know what fruit your efforts might bear, even 50 years later.

Maybe this time will be different. Elder Bednar could just offer a quick apology for any oversight and pledge to do better. I hope there are no further deflections, excuses or shooting the messenger. I guess we will soon see.