Its a Jungle Out There (or wild monkeys in the halls at church)

By: Craig - January 25, 2007

Years ago, my wife confided to me that Sundays are definitely not a day of rest. To be perfectly fair, I conceded the point. I was serving in a Bishopric and “got” to escape the struggle of getting small children ready for church, loading them into the car, and then sitting with said children alone while your spouse quietly and serenely smiled down upon your antics from the stand. We talked about this and agreed that my responsibility to my children didn’t end because I was on the stand. Many are the sacrament meetings that I have a small squirrly in the chair next to me in an attempt at discipline or reward for good behavior (my son would have gladly submitted to a public thrashing rather than sit in front of people, my daughter was just the opposite). The ward members didn’t seem to mind. (more…)

Kalaupapa

By: J. Stapley - January 23, 2007

Beneath the highest sea cliffs in the world lay the remnants of Kalaupapa. A handful remain of the thousands that once had no choice to leave. Shortly after the 1866 establishment of the settlement on the shores of Moloka’i, the first Mormons came. Lepers. (more…)

Pre-school and Stressed out Kids

By: Steve H - January 22, 2007

I’ve been worried for a while about my daughter. Many of her friends are in pre-school, and I often wonder, is she missing out on some of the great things pre-school has to teach her? I’ve recently realized that this attitude is merely falling into a trap that is currently afflicting society. We are beginning to think that pre-school represents indispensable preparation for our children. Poppycock!

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Britney as Cultural Harbinger

By: Steve H - January 12, 2007

Britney Spears was recently voted the most annoying person of 2006 by Star Magazine. Most of this was a combination of her bad parenting and wild partying. I’m not the one you would normally find defending such a person, but perhaps there is something to be said for her, and it should give a broader warning. (more…)

Some history of Mormon underwear

By: J. Stapley - January 05, 2007

With the political prominence of several Mormons, some media outlets have focused critically on Mormon beliefs and practices. Included among these reports have been some write-ups on the underwear worn by many faithful Latter-day saints, which we call “garments,” “temple garments,” or more formally the “garment of the holy priesthood.” Perhaps out of ignorance or malice, these sacred vestments have been treated by the media in a manner that is offensive to most Mormons. Notably, images of individuals posing in the clothing have been distributed. Though such incidents have occurred since the 19th century, such explicit treatment of the sacred is, not surprisingly, disturbing to faithful Latter-day Saints. (more…)