- Stephen C.’s wife on Rowdy Children, Judgment, and the Foyer: “In addition, people without rowdy kids should go sit at the front. It’s the worst when arriving late with wild kids to have to sit up front at the only open pews where everyone can watch you fail at parenting.” Nov 25, 11:47
- on Rowdy Children, Judgment, and the Foyer: “At our stake conferences they typically have overflow rooms, so we’ll have one parent with the littles in one of those while another sits with the older kids in the cultural hall, since I don’t want the older kids to miss it just because of the younger kids. One year we kind of hung out in the back beyond the last row of chairs–that kind of worked. They had the same arrangement in my stake growing up, and I still remember when dad told us that we had to sit in the actual two-hour meeting, which for an eight-or-whatever-year old was practically POW solitary confinement.” Nov 25, 11:12
- on Rowdy Children, Judgment, and the Foyer: “Kids are kids. If there are not rowdy kids in your sac mtg you are in demographic decline. How is your stake conf experience? I do not judge parents of rowdy kids for not showing up. 2 hours is to long for a pack of under 10 year olds.” Nov 25, 09:59
- on Monogamy is the Rule, Part 1: Revelation Adapted to the Circumstances: “I’m going to make an argument that the traditional reading of Jacob 2 is wrong. This isn’t an argument that Joseph didn’t practice plural marriage or that principle that is thought to be expressed in Jacob 2:25-30 isn’t valid it’s simply an argument that when read in context the passage is saying something else. I suggest that that verse 30 is saying that either the Lord will be in charge of raising this righteous seed (see verse 25) or they can follow man’s ways by using polygamy and concubines to do it. If they choose the latter way than the land will become cursed. This means that by using the conjuncitve adverb “otherwise,” the verse is indicating an intended outcome for an order given, or else there will be an undesirable outcome as the result. Every reference in chapter 2 condemns polygamy both anciently and in the current context of the Nephities. Let me acknowledge that this reading isn’t the most obvious way that it can be read but I think its important to at least understand that there is another way to read this. Once that is done then the real strength of this argument is that it makes the most sense in light of the full context of the entire chapter.” Nov 22, 16:34
- on Are Most Members Really Unmarried? Part II With Newer Data: “Nvm–I see you mentioned the source in the original post. Sorry for the reflexive pedantry!” Nov 22, 13:59
- on Are Most Members Really Unmarried? Part II With Newer Data: “Maybe worth mentioning that the “soundbite” was from Elder Gong: “Also, the majority of adult Church members are now unmarried, widowed, or divorced. This is a significant change. It includes more than half our Relief Society sisters and more than half our adult priesthood brothers. This demographic pattern has been the case in the worldwide Church since 1992 and in the Church in the United States and Canada since 2019.” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/16gong?lang=eng#p19” Nov 22, 13:56
- on Public service announcements: election edition: “Roger, I’m a long way from Utah County and I know a lot of this comes down to your own ward, but to me this feels like the best time to be politically left-of-center in the Church in my lifetime. Political neutrality doesn’t get lip service, it gets conference talks. And yet the First Presidency keeps sending messages that pretty clearly suggest members reconsider voting for Trump. (Does anyone think they were worried members might vote for a Democrat out of habit despite Trump’s “demonstrated integrity, compassion, and service to others”?) The Proclamation on the Family isn’t going away, but the Church worked with a lesbian senator to pass a bill that codified both same-sex marriage and religious freedom protections around it. President Nelson may not believe in evolution, but he isn’t insisting others shouldn’t. And when the scientific consensus said that church members shouldn’t hold meetings, should wear masks, and should get vaccinated, he said not to hold meetings, wear masks, and get vaccinated. The bifurcation I see is between the MAGA movement and the Church. Not that the Church is becoming progressive–not remotely. But right-wing members are now in the same position as left-wing members: they have to navigate the contradictions between their politics and their faith. We need to be engaged in politics, but letting God prevail in our lives now clearly precludes being a fully loyal member of either party or any other political movement.” Nov 22, 08:17
- on The Cinematic Sexualization and Romanticization of Missionaries: “I think the book is blue now.” Nov 21, 06:21
- on Public service announcements: election edition: “Roger, “heavily Republican county votes Republican” is not an interesting observation. You really need to come up with some evidence for what you’re claiming. Early exit polls are not reliable, especially for small subgroups. It’s the same problem with the stories claiming that two thirds of Native voters went for Trump based on an early exit poll. The members are not bifurcating, because the number of progressives remains small, just as the number of progressives in the overall population is small. Trump has not changed the Church. Please, read the news and see what has happened in other churches. The Church does not need to join in on it. What an odd thing to say. You know where there is bifurcation? Online. As everyone in politics has come to realize, online is not real life.” Nov 20, 17:26
- on The war hymns bring me solace and comfort: “I think your final paragraph hits on the themes that make the “war-like” hymns so valuable–to me at least. We moderns live in (comparatively) very comfortable circumstances–and we wouldn’t be were it not for the blood, sweat, and tears of our forebears.” Nov 20, 16:10