As a follow-up to Ardis’ post:

3. I was a general in the war in heaven
3a. No, actually, I wasn’t.

Classic, Ardis… the last three are probably on the all-time list…

This is really an interesting question, Devyn, and I can’t improve on your list, except in gest. From the perspective of the end of the year that we’re still living in, I think Prop 8 and its backlash are probably at the top because they still sting. Whether they will still be at the top in, say, ten years, depends, I suppose, on whether the issue dies down or netastasizes. Somebody looking back at 2008 from the perspective of 2018 will certainly include the transition from Pres. Hinckley to Pres. Monson because it’s one of those landmarks that history demands be acknowledged.

Other stories that may seem relatively minor now but which might turn out to be more important than we realize are the withdrawal of Anglo missionaries from a country or two in South America, and the withdrawal of North American? all foreign? missionaries from parts of the former Soviet Union. If this is a transitory thing, it’s a blip in our history that will soon be forgotten. If these are the first of many such withdrawals, we’ll look back to 2008 as the start of a new way of doing missionary work.

Devyn–

Did you miss the addition of Virtue to the YW Theme? I guarantee I will not be able to chant it without hesitation for about 5 more years.

#1 Ardis – interesting and funny but what is the impetus for #5 though??

#2. JimD – the part that amazed me is why would there even be generals in a war in heaven???

#3. Sam – amusing or ironic?

#5. queuno – interpret how you wish – on a local level our ward was completely uneventful…

*slaps head*

Yes, I’d forgot about the FLDS story.

That case was one reason one of my sisters-in-law is barely speaking to me anymore. I’m not sure which of my stances this year was the last straw for her: (a) My not supporting Romney, (b) my basic suggestion that even though the ACLU was “mostly” evil, it serves a crucial purpose not filled by any other organization, and thus it has value, or (c) the State of Texas was wrong in how it handled the FLDS.

I’ll bet Ardis was a general in the war in heaven, probably leading the most decorated unit of that conflict.

1) Philadelphia Temple Announced
2) Speculation Regarding Location of Philadelphia Temple
3) President Monson as Prophet
4) Location of Philadelphia Temple Revealed
5) Angel Moroni Placed Atop London Temple

I suppose if one knew the day, or even the year when the President of the Church was going to pass away, his actual passing wouldn’t be particularly newsworthly. Unfortunately, few possess such foreknowledge.

Devyn,

You can imagine how excited I am about it. I grew up in Philly and joined the Church there. I now live in Florida. I still find it amazing they picked a downtown location about four blocks north of City Hall (427 N. Broad Street). It will be interesting to see how it is designed. Only Manhattan and Hong Kong have dense urban locations. The Philly Temple will have high visibility in that location.

John – however, I think that one persons boredom is another’s news. You could spin even the recent election as merely electing a liberal Democrat as the republicans screwed up. I think taking this approach diminshes the excitement of the news story. So while a 98 year old man dying is not necessarily newsworthy, it is when it is someone whom we revere as a prophet. So like most things, I guess it is in the eyes of the beholder.

I know I was bragging all over the planet about Elder Ballard’s talk and that I knew exactly who he was talking about. And it felt good to point out the talk to people who thought I’d gone off the deep end (as they’d always expected) for blogging.

Yeah, whatever happened to that guy anyway? I hear that no matter how many buttons he popped with pride, he still makes his rounds of gas stations and restaurants with a car full of treasure. Sort of like Santa and his sleigh, come to think of it.