Under the Skin

In the Hill Cumorah Pageant, after Lehi tells all his family about his vision, Sam and Nephi are on stage together.  Nephi then says to Sam, "I wish to know more about the things which our father saw."  Then we get a whole explanation of the meaning of the fruit, and all about Christ.  But, there's something that I noticed that's kind of important to me.  After Nephi makes this declaration, Sam kind of pats Nephi on the shoulder and gets this look on his face that kind of says, "Well, good luck with that.  I'm cool with what we got."  And really, what's wrong with that? I've long had a soft spot in my heart for the "brothers."  Is there something wrong with not being a prophet, and simply being someone who is content to follow God and live righteously? Throughout the scriptures, many prophets have these brothers. These brothers are the people who are not the prophet, but they still follow the prophet, still live righteously and still ...

Last night was closing night of The Hill Cumorah Pageant.  As a member of the Palmyra New York Stake, this is a big deal.  Let's just say that I can basically quote most of the Pageant.  From "dun-dun-duh-dut-da" to "Soon, He will be here.  Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun-Duh-duh-duh-Da-duh-duh-Da."  I spent last Friday there.  I wasn't planning on it, but then I remembered there was a YSA dance after that I should probably go to.  And then, I went on Saturday.  Wasn't planning on it, but Sarah REALLY wanted to go.  And then, I went on Tuesday, because I was greeting before-hand, and then Sarah and Marina were watching it, so I watched again.  And I didn't go on Wednesday or Thursday.  No one went on Wednesday, and I was babysitting on Thursday.  But, I went again on Friday, because I was greeting again.  Saturday, I worked security during the afternoon, and then greeted in the evening, and watched it again.  Friday and Saturday th...

In today's world, you will often hear people say, "The time of miracles is over," or that God WAS a God of miracles when the Biblical peoples had need of them. The natural extension of that saying is that we don't have need of miracles.  I propose that nothing could be further from the truth.  Why then have the seas not parted?  Why then haven't the dead been raised on a daily basis? The comfort being that this is not the first time these things were said.  I was reading the Bible the other day and came across Judges 6.  The people of Israel have become the captives of the Midianites, and the prophet-to-be at the time, Gideon, calls to God, "Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?  and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but not the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."  (Judges 6:13) It's nice to know that this ...

Today,  I had my fill of adorable children-thinking.  At work today, during lunch today, the four-year-old told me, "We have to eat cheese or we'll get stupid.  It's what our brains are made of!" Then, later in the day when the four-year-old was really crazy, he ran into me full force between the legs.  Exasperated that this was the millionth time today I had told him to calm down, I told him, "You need to calm down!"  Hearing the exasperation in my voice, he assumed he had probably hurt me (apparently, he'd forgotten that it was just today's theme song "Calm down!") and said, "I'm sorry!  I hit you in the wee-wee."  The seven-year-old then tells him, "She doesn't have a wee-wee!  Girls don't have them.  They cut them off when they're born so that they can have babies!" (Don't you know that?!)   I must say, I could hardly hold in the laughter.  I was telling my mom that later, and she said, "Ye...

The other day, I was reading the headline stories and read a story about some egregious, criminal action.  Some sick and twisted couple was babysitting a small child (about year old, if I remember correctly), and for unknown, twisted reasons, injected the child with massive amounts of heroin.  This child died from the overdose, and the medical examiner described the situation as the child having so much heroin in it, it was like doing an autopsy on those people who smuggle drugs in their body.  Obviously, these two people are in prison, awaiting trial (and most likely, life sentences).  Obviously, these parents are devastated.  However, I was reading the comments that people write on the bottom of the article.  I don't know why I read the comments on these things, as they only work to anger me, but I did.  Many people wrote things to the effect of, "Why are these parents not being tried for leaving the child with these people?" At first, I was very...

Growing up, I wasn't much into Pokemon or the accoutrements thereof.  So, when Digimon came out and all those accoutrements, I wasn't into those either.  Ditto for all the other things.  And I'm not really into manga or anime either, which are, let's face it, the slightly more adult version of Pokemon and such.  There's nothing wrong with them, I just don't like them.  I don't see the appeal in them, to be honest.    However, I am now a nanny to two boys.  And they are into them.  The first day that I was on the job, I played Beyblades.  Beyblades is a manga series in which the main characters, Beybladers, have these little tops that fight.  So, it's quite easy to make real-life metal tops that fight.  True, they're not as cool as the ones in the show, but they do fight.  I think the tops are extremely fun.  Furthermore, unlike Pokemon, I can actually watch the cartoons without consta...

In today's world, we have two new ideas, which are somewhat contradictory.  Firstly, we have come to say that we shouldn't care what other people expect--that you just need to be true to yourself.  On this element, it's a fallacy.  We can't go around being loyal and true to no one but ourselves.  That's not how the term "society" functions.  Secondly, we have come to a place in the culture where, even though you're true to no one but yourself, what other people say seems to matter. If someone commits suicide after being bullied, it is the bully's fault.  I'm not saying it's completed the bully-ee's fault.  I answer a suicide hotline, and I realize that these people that call are not completely in control of their thoughts, emotions and actions.  However, I am saying that it isn't the bully's fault.  As I said, I answer suicide hotlines.  I have never once had someone call up the line and say that they are contemplating suicide b...