Kenngo1969

Here, for what it's worth, is what I said about Mr. Kehe's [possible] "hit piece" about Brandon Sanderson [perhaps that's not what it is, but that's what it felt like to me] on reddit:

'Cause you're both/all Sailors, Dude! (I'm afraid I'm neither talented nor intrepid enough ever to find myself sailing into the same harbor you have any time soon (perhaps I'll take it up in the next life?). However, you can sit with me at Church ... any time!)

I was open-minded once ... but then my brain fell out, so ... Seriously, though: In some ways, the older I get, the less I realize I actually know. I do have firm convictions, however, that are based on my personal experience. On the other hand, I don't work for the Acme Judgement Company. I do try to remember that I am not the lone fortunate soul among mortals who sees things, not as I am but as they are. I don't envy judges—whether they are of the In Israel variety or in a courtroom. Fortunately, I doubt, seriously, that I will ever have to carry either heavy mantel. Joseph Smith added an all-important caveat to the "judge not" scripture in Matthew 7: "Judge not unrighteously."

I'll note, in what, perhaps, is an illustration of the old adage, "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," that students studying at Brigham Young University's Jerusalem Center celebrate the Sabbath on the same day of the week as their Jewish hosts* do: on Saturday. And, while I don't know for sure, it wouldn't surprise me if, in areas of the world in which Islam predominates, members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints don't celebrate the Sabbath on Friday, just as their Muslim hosts do. I cannot, alas, locate this bit of correspondence now, but a few years ago, I carried on a short correspondence with an erstwhile poster here (whose screen name, unfortunately, I cannot recall) who had converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from a faith that worships on Saturday, and who expressed confusion at the thought that he felt the Holy Spirit confirmed to him that worshipping on Saturday is good, whereas, now, he felt the same thing about worshipping on Sunday. My response was, that perhaps the Lord, through His Holy Spirit, simply was endeavoring to assure this poster that, yes, He has a day, and/or that setting aside time specially to worship Him is a good thing. Perhaps, with regard to the Sabbath day and the need for adaptation that may arise due to varying individual circumstances, the Lord feels the same way about such adaptation as He does about the substances used for the Sacrament. With regard to the latter subject, He told Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants Section 27, Verse 2: Similarly, perhaps it "mattereth not" so much to the Lord when we worship as that we do it "with an eye single to [His] glory" and in remembrance of Him. Recall, too, that the Apostles meet every Thursday, I believe it is, in the Temple, and, in that meeting, they administer and partake of the Sacrament. __________________ *Surely, while Jews are not "hosting" Brigham Young University students in the sense of providing them shelter and other hospitality directly, it is only by leave of the Jewish government and the Jewish people that BYU students are able to study at the Center in the first place.

I do? (As usual, whatever the worth of your incisive, penetrating analysis, your mind-reading skills are deficient.) Hint: It's the hypocrisy, st***d. Yes, I admit, I have a problem with the Climate/Rising Seas Illuminati telling Joe Average to stop watering (or to tear out) his lawn, on the one hand, while telling us the world is doomed anyway, one way another (either by climate change, on the one hand, or by rising seas on the other) while they all jet off to the next "We're Going To Save The World [Wink, Wink!]" Conference. Who's "we"? Again, who's "we"? Does "we" include India? China? Many African nations?Who else? Again, I'm no expert (though, as usual, you are), but it would seem that without India and China on board, any effectual large-scale, long-term action on climate change and/or on rising sea levels would be difficult (to say the least). According to the source(s) the AP quote(s), even if, somehow global warming/climate change were reversed miraculously, still, rising sea levels are likely to do us in anyway. What do you make of that? Do you have any recommendations? What do you make of the source quoted in the article, who contends that even if, somehow, climate change/global warming were reversed, rising sea levels would do us in anyway? ("Excuse me/us. I/we don't want to be late for the next 'Save The World [Wink, wink!] Conference.'") It doesn't seem that you have read the source I linked to very carefully. That's exactly the conclusion of the source(s) quoted. But of course, that would destroy your fun of casting me as someone with whom you must disagree.

Hey! I could use a Coke IV! Where can I get one of those?!* *Do I have to go to the nearest ER? "2L Coke IV, stat! "

I don't want to derail the thread, nor to engage in, nor to countenance, doom and gloom, nor do I wish to be guilty of fomenting contention. I considered giving this its own thread and linking to this one. But, in connection with Governor Cox's "let's avoid doom and gloom" posture (which I appreciate), here's one of the big problems (if, indeed, it is not the biggest problem) that I have with climate alarmism. According to one source at the United Nations per the AP/Deseret News, two big problems (if they are not, indeed, the two biggest problems) facing the world today are: (1) climate change and (2) rising sea levels. Certainly, I'm no expert, (but I doubt that same status will prevent other non-experts from rising up to set me straight ), but according to that same UN source (if the AP/Deseret News quotes him accurately, and if I am reading him accurately), even if, miraculously, we suddenly reverse (1) above, still, we must contend with (2) above. And according to [at least one of] the alarmists, if (1) doesn't spell our doom, it is likely that (2) will anyway. If the UN "expert" is right, if his take gets enough circulation and exposure, and if enough people are persuaded by it, then it would seem that Governor Cox (and remember, I agree with him) is simply "spitting into the wind" (or, as my esteemed colleague, the gentlelady from [fill-in-the-blank here], BlueDreams, says, "farting into the wind" ) Here's the article from the AP/Deseret News: https://www.deseret.com/u-s-world/2023/2/15/23601033/united-nations-rising-sea-levels-death-sentence-countries-cities-climate-change?commentID=854833d8-6ff0-4f57-b7a6-ff73bbb6f1f5 And here's my comment:

Pun intended? Sorry. Couldn't resist!

Meh! Who cares? They're all bigots, still! (I'm sure there are some people out there who are monuments to the old saw that ends, "... and some of the people you just can't please none of the time!") I mean, come on! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its powers-that-be couldn't sell those water shares and give the money to the poor? $43-million-plus would feed a lot of hungry mouths!

Looks interesting. Thanks, Calm.

Well, yes, there are "steps," or degrees, as one progresses in Freemasonry, and there is no question that Joseph Smith's thought was influenced by Freemasonry. Whether any of Brother Joseph's thoughts on progression in the afterlife were influenced by his thoughts on Freemasonry, however, is, as far as I am aware, a rather more open question. Others' mileage may vary, and, while there are some things that we (even with our finite minds and perspectives) can know about the afterlife, there are many, many others that remain open questions, the answers to which I will be content to learn when I get there.

In submitting my last reply, I was a little pressed for time. I wanted to mention this, also, from Joseph Smith:

Condolences on your loss. I think that most of us can say that there are things (and, indeed, most of us can say there are many things) in which we need to improve. There are a few thoughts that give me comfort in light of that need for improvement. Since all of us mortals are fallen, no matter how "good" we are, really, we cannot merit anything of ourselves, as Alma tells us. See Alma 22:14. Lehi reinforces this idea: No one can make it back into the presence of God except through the "merits, and mercy, and grace" of Christ. 2 Nephi 2:8. It is only because Christ intercedes for us that we merit any blessing from God, really. See Doctrine and Covenants 45:3-5. King Benjamin's people understood that it is only through Christ's Atonement that we may be saved and exalted. See Mosiah 4:1-2. As King Benjamin told his people, Christ is the only means by which salvation comes. Mosiah 4:5-7.

Dang! I was hoping he works for the Central Intelligence Agency!

For the record, in case anybody missed it the first twenty or so times I reiterated it and similar points on the Board, if someone is an honest, decent, caring, moral individual who believes in doing unto others as one would have others do unto him or her, in loving one's neighbor, and in making life as good as one can make it for himself or herself, for one's loved ones, and for those around him or her before (from that person's perspective) "succumbing to the void," more power to him or her. If one adheres to [fill in the blank with religious tradition here] one should strive to be the best adherent one can be, to do all that person can to love, to serve, and to help others, and to become the kind of person that his or her Higher Power wants that person to become. As the Lord says in the Doctrine and Covenants, "Inasmuch as men [and women] do good [including men and women of whatever religious persuasion or even those of no particular religious persuasion whatsoever], they shall in nowise lose their reward." Doctrine and Covenants 58:28. I think the time is coming [in fact, in some ways, it may already have arrived] when the gravest threat to the devout, to their respective faith traditions, and to their volition to live openly according to their religion will not come from other believers. Rather, that threat will come from those who are antipathetic toward religion writ large.* It is that threat that believers of all stripes should unite to combat, albeit with as much meekness, love, and goodwill as possible. ____________________________ *And I think, in some ways, that the Guardian piece is an example, albeit not of a call for people to rise up and oppress the devout, but, nonetheless, of a less virulent and less extreme strain of attitude that motivates such oppression.