Archive for the 'service' Category

A Tribute to Charity


My father had a stroke on Wednesday. The artery in his neck is 95% blocked, and he will have surgery to try to correct that problem next Wednesday. Since my New Year’s Resolution posts on my personal blog this month are focused on charity envying not, I want to repost something that I wrote a little over two years ago when one of my nieces died unexpectedly.

Much of what I know of charity envying not (and charity in totality) was learned by watching my father – particularly as he laid down his own life for the woman he loves. He never once begrudged what he might have had, but rather did what it took to serve his family and others in his own, individual, consciously chosen path. I hope someday I will be as good a man as he is.

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The Disillusionment Phase


Today’s guest post is by Kate from Myriad Mormon Musings.  Here is a brief introduction, in her own words, followed by her post:

“My name is Kate. I was raised Catholic, but converted to the Mormon church in 1999 in a hippy branch at Cornell University. Since leaving that branch, I have struggled to find my voice within the LDS world. Where does a politically liberal, PhD-holding, working mom fit in? I created the Myriad Mormon Musings blog in an attempt to find my niche as I struggle with LDS culture versus doctrine.”
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My first time at Young Womens Camp


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This week I volunteered to help as the “priesthood” on staff for a couple days at Young Women Camp.  Perhaps this is all old hat to a lot of you, but it was my first experience.  I was very impressed.  It was both fun and tiring.  I never knew girls could be so crazy! Continue reading…

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What Makes People Good?


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An article in NewsweekAdventures in Good and Evil” made a few interesting points about why some people are good and some are evil. Continue reading…
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Our Soldiers Need FAR MORE Than Tribute


This post is from S.Faux:

On this upcoming Memorial Day it will be easy to post flags outside our homes and then just enjoy the BBQ. But there are very helpful things we can do, ranging from just a little effort to a lot.

The web page on “Citizen Support” by the Community Relations section of the U.S. Department of Defense lists a variety of strong suggestions, such as donations or volunteer work at homes for disabled vets, gift certificates, care packages, and many other possibilities.

One easy step to take would be to log onto the web pages of “Beyond Tribute”a not-for-profit organization with the mission of helping businesses turn a percentage of their Memorial Day profits toward wounded veteran’s and their families. In a recent article entitled Tribute is Not Enough”, former General Wesley Clark endorsed the organization.

I urge readers to click the red “sign the pledge” on the “Beyond Tribute ” page in order to urge businesses to begin participation.

For more tribute to our soldiers, I suggest visiting Mormon Insights.

HAVE A HAPPY AND MEMORABLE MEMORIAL DAY!!

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Interfaith International British DJ


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OK Paul technically isn’t exactly an international DJ, not unless you consider that you can listen to his interviews on line.

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Scripture Study: The Joy of My Countenance


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 There is a strange parable in D&C 88 about workers digging in a field and their boss giving them the joy of his countenance for an hour during their shift.  Read on to weigh in what you think this means. Continue reading…

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Quals or quants?


Today’s post is by The Chorister.  I’m an education professor. In academic research, we talk about quantitative research and qualitative research. In order to avoid boring you to death, I offer a simplistic definition of each to explain the difference. Quantitative research is about statistics; it’s about cold hard facts (of course, there’s no such thing, but that’s a discussion for another day). Quantitative researchers use test scores, statistics and surveys to explore research questions. Qualitative research is about words, stories, narratives, meaning, and context. Qualitative researchers use case studies, observations, and interviews to explore research questions.

I often wonder whether sometimes we at church focus too much on quantitative things. Continue reading…

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Help Wanted: Predicting the Next Apostle


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This Thursday or Friday, someone at the Church Office building will get a phone call and make the long walk to President Monson’s office.  By the time he leaves, he will have traded in his current position for a lifetime calling as an apostle.  We’ll find out Saturday who he is, but why “stand idly, looking on” when we can spend four days speculating? Continue reading…

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What Advice Would You Give Our Bishops? (“Missionary Work”)


I am on the Stake Missionary Committee, and Wednesday night we had a fascinating set of meetings.  I couldn’t help but think as the meetings unfolded that everyone here would have been shocked at the conversation flow and the end result of our final committee meeting.  I don’t want to go into lots of detail, but I do want to recap two highlights and ask everyone here the same question my Stake President asked us:

What advice would you have me give our Bishops?  Continue reading…

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Why aren’t Mormons Green?


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The Problem with Authority


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Mormons are sometimes criticized for their unquestioning obedience to authority.  Statements like “When the prophet has spoken, the thinking is done,” and the Primary song “Follow the prophet” come to mind as well as the belief that even if leaders are mistaken, we should follow them.  Do Mormons have an unhealthy respect for authority? Continue reading…

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Can you be a Unitarian and a Mormon at the Same Time?


We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons. Joseph Smith

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Unity, Diversity and Conformity


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How do we create and maintain unity at church while valuing diversity and avoiding conformity?  Do we have to embrace the diversity of those who value conformity?  Do we have to unify with those whose diversity gives us the heebie jeebies? Continue reading…

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5 Cool Things I Wish the LDS Church Were Doing


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This post is another installment in my “5 Cool Things” series. Today I’m giving a list, again in no particular order, of some things I would love to see happen in the LDS Church (which I attend actively). I’m not presenting this list as a set of demands or to declare what is wrong with the church. Its just a handful of things I think would be pretty cool.

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