Rob and I have been having a discussion about intent. I used to believe that Intent- the internal motivation that gives our actions meaning, is the most important thing. Read more »

This year we had all female speakers in sacrament and a female duet musical number. We did have a male youth speaker who was assigned to speak about the Priesthood and a Father’s role in the Priesthood. The young man started out reading the company line about how a Father presides in the home, gives blessings, etc. etc. Then the brave boy said that is all nice, except if you are in a family like his where his dad left the church years ago and doesn’t have the Priesthood anymore. He talked for a few more minutes and sat down.
Then we had a woman speak about….the Priesthood. Then came the musical number which is always a welcome break. Then we had the last two women speak about….the Priesthood.
The good thing is all three women ended their talks by giving a shout out to all the women wishing them a happy Mother’s Day.
Rob and I agreed the theme of the meeting made no sense, but we always appreciate subversives who do the right thing.
And, it still came nowhere near as cringe-worthy as the Mother’s Day Sunday meeting years ago where we listened to a High Priest complain about his wife who used to be really nice and sweet, but since menopause has been a nightmare to live with.
Since I try to keep my standards for life as low as possible when others are involved, I’ll take today.

I am privy to an interesting situation at church. We have a ward member who is not mentally balanced. She takes medication and is living in a supervised setting. It doesn’t always work so well. And even when it does work well and she socializes nicely, her main delusion is still there. Read more »

I always disliked those examples to girls (did they do that for boys?) where the leader would chew gum and hand it to the girls, making the point that if they have sex, nobody will want them. There were others. Mashed up cake. I thought they were silly and ineffective.

I talk to teenage girls sometimes now–the girls who came to help me clean for a yard sale, for instance. I just told them right out “If you’re going to have sex, use condoms AND the pill.” And, “the odds of you getting dumped rise exponentially when you give in and sleep with him.” And, “being a mom at 16 is a cheap thrill. Don’t do it.” Read more »

When I was a young visiting teacher and hardly any mom worked in our neighborhood, we just picked a day and went. Without calling first. It seems a bit crazy now, but it worked.

I don’t remember when calling and setting appointments to visit became the status quo. I don’t remember when visiting became a more formal affair, even just between friends. My friends didn’t call to ask if it was convenient, they just showed up.

Boy, I haven’t done that in years. But I did the other day. And it went pretty darn well. Read more »

So. Just to warn you, I am going to go all personal here today. If you don’t want to see my dirty laundry of the moment, avert your eyes and move along. Read more »

http://makeyourgarments.com/faqs/

Help me understand this website.
Apparently Make Your Garments dot com is a site that screen prints garments on any underwear for members who can’t wear traditional garments. Yet on the page I referenced, it clearly states this site is not affiliated with Beehive Clothing in any way and says that if you are attending the temple it is best to wear regular garments.
Does this mean Make Your Garments is a scam/joke/weird thing? I am intrigued by the idea that some people just don’t fit into traditional garments (enough women on the internet complain about it you would think everyone is suffering from bunched up, power weggies all day long) and that this an option for them. But really? What is this?

EmJen’s latest at BCC, the recent prominence of Ordain Women, and my having just watched an adaptation of Tess of the d’Urbervilles have all reminded me of an article in the New Era that I read last summer at my parents’ house, entitled “Your Aaronic Priesthood Duties,” by Paul VanDenBerghe. It’s boilerplate church magazine stuff, nothing remarkable whatsoever. It tackles the subject by office — deacon, teacher, priest — you know the drill.

However, on page seven, there is an unexpected addition: “Young Women and the Priesthood.” My first reaction was mild surprise that it had actually occurred to someone at the New Era to at least include a shout-out to the young women (however unsatisfactory) in such an inherently male-centric article. Naturally, its content is exactly what you would expect: even though women can’t hold the priesthood, its blessings are available to all, blah, blah, blah, you get the holy ghost and gifts of the spirit, etc.

Then the part that made my blood pressure rise:
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I was recently talking on the phone to a friend about my troubles. She is a great friend because she sympathizes perfectly for me. At one point in the conversation she remarked, “Geez, Heather. I just don’t know why you keep being hit with problems. Read more »

Years ago we lived in a ward with Deaf members. They required sign language interpreters during church meetings. Read more »

For the first time ever, I just took the plunge and “friended” a bunch of people from my church ward on Facebook. Now that the deed is done, it occurred to me that maybe that wasn’t the best thing to do. Until now I have always enjoyed a clear distinction between church and social networks.
Now it seems harder to keep them separate due to practically everyone being connected on the ‘web somehow. Please make me feel better and tell me it isn’t a big deal people I only see and smile at on Sunday now can “like” pictures of my goofy decorating attempts at my house. Or not. I can always Unfriend the lot of them if you tell me scary stories of horrible repercussions I hadn’t considered.
Thumb Up or Thumbs Down on mingling with church members on social media sites?

Today was Fast and Testimony meeting in our ward. An enthusiastic 8 year old boy bore his testimony about how today was the first time that he is fasting like a grown up since he just got baptised and he decided it was time. Read more »

Watching Meet The Press. If they cut social security and Medicare from us “affluent” seniors and more of the younger generation are on welfare than working (not referring to my hard -working young friends) there will not be enough taxes to support a nation of mooches. Read more »

I’ve been ticked off and disillusioned because of my experiences re Mormonism in my ward these last few years. The situation with my friend’s son who was convicted of sexual crimes did a number on all of us, but I think it affected me the most (it’s always all about me, in my mind…..well, it is my mind, so there you go. It might be about you in your mind). Because of my childhood and family situation, this neighborhood and the ward have been my surrogate family. Finding out we aren’t a perfect little family was a blow to my psyche from which I haven’t fully recovered.

However, yesterday, a neighbor who is the Switzerland in our ward told me she was pretty sure we’re getting a temple in Cedar City. And instantly, I was on board. I felt invigorated and excited and definitely want to be part of that effort. Read more »

I have been thinking lately about the kinds of books I have read. In the past few years I have read a bunch of books written about short-term experiences. Read more »

It is that time of year again. I am starting to get phone call from friends telling me that their children are engaged and in true Mormon fashion, the weddings are scheduled for this summer. Read more »

Rob and I have been having an ongoing, fleeting conversation for months about stake presidents (and maybe bishops, but I don’t want to formally include them in this post because I think they get beat up so regularly I want to give them a pass on this. Unless you have a great insight about bishops in which case, I will happily include them.) Read more »

My daughter works at McDonald’s as a manager to help her husband through school. She works from 4 am – noon, rising at 3 am. Her husband gets up with their baby and goes to work at Olive Garden as a waiter at 11 am. His sister watches the baby for that hour; it’s a good setup for the little guy because with their differing days off, he only has to be tended a few hours a week. Her husband gets home at 5 pm, then goes to night school till 10 or 11. It’s hard on them, but worth it. Read more »

” Church is cancelled due to the snow today for 3/24/13. Bishop has asked us to remember that it is still the Sabbath day. That cancelling church is not a day off from religious observance. All members should read and study the scriptures, conference talks, and other church literature.
Members should also consider spending time doing family history work and/or indexing. Even just creating an account at Familysearch.org and looking at their family tree could be a meaningful activity.”

This was on my Facebook feed this morning. I’m not even this is ward and I’m annoyed. Why do we feel the need say this? That bishop needs to take a nap and eat a cookie.

I recently moved back to the Salt Lake area after several years on the east coast. Every day, my bus passes in front of the Beehive House, and it occurred to me that, despite the fact that I grew up in Utah, I could not remember ever having visited it. You know how it is, you never visit the sites you live closest to.

So I went. Well, here’s what I learned there:
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