- Mortimer on “Modar” is a Thing: “I asked ChatGPT to create some art for my blog. I asked it to create a painting in the style of realism of an LDS man, no symbols. No white shirt. I prompted it with several descriptions of LDS countenances and asked AI to also extract its knowledge of LDS faces, descriptions from text of LDS countenances, as well from photos of the Tabernacle choir, general authorities, famous saints, etc. to create a compilation. I told it to try and capture the countenance and unique LDS spirit in the eyes. I did specify a middle aged male for the purposes of this project. It drew a white male with hazel greenish eyes and dark blonde/brownish hair and a receding hairline who wasn’t fat, but not thin, with somewhat of a full face-maybe a little overweight but not much. (Have you ever noticed how we’re never depicted as tall/thin people? People look at us as the chubby nerdy Elder or the overweight, but jovial ward clerk or bishop with a pot belly. Never the lanky President Eyring.) He had an innocent gaze with somewhat of a wide-eyed, perplexed/hopeful look. I noticed that the eyebrows were raised near the furrow and lower on the outsides, like a “worried” emoji”. When I kept telling AI “more” the eyebrows became more “worried” and the eyes larger- more doe-eyed and innocent/concerned looking. There wasn’t a smile, nor was there a frown. Serious. Hopeful/concerned. My painting looked like every young dad you’d ever meet in Elder’s Quorum. I suppose we have a lot to be innocent about (no R rated movies or wild drunken parties). We are often naive about a lot of things. We’re also hopeful in our interactions with people. And we’re also worried. We’re supposed to mourn with others, to be sober and serious, be concerned with welfare and charitable issues etc. It was an interesting experiment. I’d link the url, but it would put my comment in moderation.” Apr 24, 14:22
- on “Modar” is a Thing: “A decade ago, before self-scanning took over, if I went to Safeway after 9 PM on a Saturday night, I would often find myself in line for the cashier with someone else from my ward. Once three of us in a row. Another time the DC North mission president picking up a few things on his way back to the mission home. Dividing the count on the ward list by census tract totals I once came up with 1.1% latter-day saint. If I wanted to find random latter-day saints, I might try looking around a grocery store on a Saturday night.” Apr 23, 17:33
- on “Modar” is a Thing: “Last time I checked, missionaries have never worn white sleeveless shirts. Did you perhaps mean white short-sleeved shirts?” Apr 23, 16:30
- on “Modar” is a Thing: “MODAR was described this way in 1860-1870s in a report filed by the US Senate: “The yellow, sunken, cadaverous visage; the greenish-colored eyes; the thick protuberant lips; the low forehead; the light, yellowish hair; and the lank angular person, constitute an appearance so characteristic of the new race, the production of polygamy, as to distinguish them at a glance.” https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/conference_home/august-2015/rethinking-the-mormon-racial-story I find this funny as he’s just trying to say white pioneer stock LDS folks look like a Danish, Scandinavian, English mix. We still kind of look like this unless we go EX and then it’s the same look but with tattoos and more internet posting for men or a nose ring and more shoulder bearing for women.” Apr 23, 15:25
- on “Modar” is a Thing: “Stephen C, since there aren’t Cafe Rio locations in the metro areas outside the Intermountain West, Costa Vida is the closest we can get :)” Apr 23, 14:07
- on “Modar” is a Thing: “Maybe I have to turn in my temple recommend, but I never got the Costa Vida thing; now Swig I can get behind.” Apr 23, 12:03
- on “Modar” is a Thing: “You can totally pick out LDS families on Cruise ships. Also at Costa Vida outside of Utah This might fade away though as less and less women are now wearing garments Modar is real at least for now.” Apr 23, 10:49
- on “Modar” is a Thing: “My wife and I engage in “Mospotting” in our local Costa Vida here in Texas. Because suburban Texas has become a destination for many Utah LDS folk for the great cost of living and booming job market, we expect many of them will find a home-away-from-home in this recognizable Utah Fresh-Mex chain. We think we’re pretty good at spotting them. We just got a Swig in the area, so we will probably try it there on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening some time.” Apr 23, 06:52
- on “Modar” is a Thing: “I feel like clothing also factors in, especially for women, especially in warmer weather. There is a specific look that results from needing to cover garments. Maybe that will lessen somewhat with new sleeveless garments but not completely. As far as health, I am also skeptical but there may be something to it. Seventh Day Adventists are healthier than we are but I don’t notice a “look”. I have been in so many social situations where I think my choice of beverage gives me away.” Apr 23, 06:47
- on Beyond the Lippelt Letter: The Strategic Reality of the First Brazilian Missionaries: “My sense is that there’s a lot of that “behind the scene” work going on all the time–and most of us don’t know the half of it. The spreading of the kingdom is really a product of a continuous outpouring of small miracles–a large portion of which, I’m sure, is an answer to the faith of local converts.” Apr 22, 16:50
