tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39012972024-03-14T11:30:13.507-07:00Mo' Boy Blog, Mormon Church Doctrine and LDS Church Pop Culture BlogI'm just a good little Mormon boy who likes to shoot off at the mouth. Scripture, LDS church doctrine, LDS culture, LDS pop culture, Book of Mormon Stories, it's all here. I also like to make music, and that'll crop up in my blog, too.mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.comBlogger423125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-55408013846262852262022-05-15T13:02:00.000-07:002022-05-15T13:02:07.923-07:00Good Options, Good Life<br /><div><br /></div><div>Is having an abortion wrong or right? Good or bad? Is it a sin, or a right? Is it murder or a choice?</div><div><br /></div><div>So, it’s really difficult to tackle a question like that. Most of the people who are arguing this issue want to paint the picture in stark contrasts of black and white. It’s a lot easier to fire up your supporters that way. It’s a lot easier to inspire voters and to push agendas that way. The reality, however, is a lot more nuanced. Not only are there shades of gray, there are a lot of other colors involved. </div><div><br /></div><div>First of all, an abortion is a difficult response to a difficult situation. It’s not something anyone I’ve ever seen, heard, or read aspires to or looks forward to. I would be hard-pressed for even most supporters of abortion rights to find a situation where it would be a definite “good thing”, rather it might be considered to be a “less bad” or even the “least bad” option available. </div><div><br /></div><div>In our current political climate, I see a lot of people, however, wanting to label other people as “good” or “bad” based entirely on their stand on this issue. Rather than to take a look at each other’s positions, thoughts, and even feelings in the matter, it’s easier just to call the other team evil. </div><div><br /></div><div>For example, the left says that it’s all about the right to choose. That a woman has a right to make decisions about their bodies that will impact their lives for many years to come. They point out how little autonomy most western women have had, historically, and how difficult it has been for them to have any decision making power in their lives. They point out just how critical the element of freedom and choice is in the fabric of American life, and how long it has taken for women to have access to the same freedom and choice as others. </div><div><br /></div><div>Adding to the confusion is the multitude of women who are in this difficult situation through chance, or through the choices of others. Should we remove choices from those that had few choices to begin with? Troublesome and physically dangerous pregnancies, the heartbreak of rape, coersion, abandonment, or many other circumstances can severely muddy the paint on the picture.</div><div><br /></div><div>Those on the political right want to protect the life of the unborn child. Life is precious and ending a life, even a potential one, is equal to murder. Our nation’s founding documents specifically mention the importance of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Clearly that’s a good thing as well, right?</div><div><br /></div><div>So, we’re at an interesting point, here. There are two “good” values (choice and life) vying for supremacy over the battlefield of something that’s ultimately “not good”.</div><div><br /></div><div>It’s very easy for us all to call the other side evil. It’s easy for the left to call the right “oppressors” and “tyrants”. It’s easy for the right to call the left “murderers”. Our current political climate facilitates making lots of noise and rage without actually fixing the problems.</div><div><br /></div><div>To me, the bottom line is that until our society comes to grips with the “difficult situations” that make this “difficult response” even considered as a solution, nothing will change. Until we make a society where everyone’s choices are respected, everyone’s opportunities are maximized, and unwanted pregnancies are rare, abortions will happen. Until it’s the worst option, instead of the “least bad” option, it will still be an option, regardless of its legality or constitutionality.</div><div style="font-style: italic;"><br /></div><i>Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including </i><a href="http://MarkHansenMusic.com" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a><i> and his </i><a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
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Mark's Other Blog Posts: </i><a href="address" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">name post</a><i>, </i><a href="address" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">name post</a><i>,
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-7491035370283579072022-05-09T08:49:00.002-07:002022-05-09T08:49:13.786-07:00Game Design, Laws, and Abortion<span id="docs-internal-guid-bf2d6e41-7fff-f8e5-0a36-c8a4df42d789"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I make games. It’s one of my hobbies, and one of my personal joys. As I’ve been learning the process of creating games, I’ve been studying and learning a lot, and much of what I have learned applies to life. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was pleased to discover, for example, just how similar the world of game design is to the world of politics, and legislation in particular. To be sure, there are many differences, here is how they are very alike: They’re both about making rules.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, let’s look at a situation in game design. Let’s say that there’s a problem in the game. Let’s say that there’s a quirk of the board or a strategic option that gives a player a huge advantage, to the point that they win the game every time. Or maybe there’s another situation that makes the game bog down and nobody progresses. Either way, the game is broken. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A beginner game designer looks at that and says that it’s no problem, we’ll just make a rule that says you can’t do that strategy. Easy fix. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The problem is that many times that one new rule you made reveals another problem, so you now have to make another rule to fix the one just created. Maybe this one is an exception to that initial rule. But then this new rule triggers new problems. And now, to fix the next problems, you have to make yet more rules and I bet you can guess where this leads.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A more experienced, more professional game designer would look at the initial problem and think about it. They would analyze the situations that would motivate the player to choose the problematic strategy in the first place. They would ask why it’s so appealing. Why would anyone want to choose it in the first place?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, you adjust the board, or you adjust the existing rules to make that a less effective in-game strategy. If that choice no longer helps the player, or if other choices are more effective in the long run of the game, then the problem strategy is minimized, or simply goes away.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would hope that it’s very clear how this applies to the legislature. All too often, our response to the idea of a problem in our society is simply to make that problem illegal. I’m discovering that a better approach would be to ask ourselves, “Why is this a problem? And why are people choosing to do it?” and then to write legislation that would fix THOSE problems.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s look at the problem of Abortion as a big example of this. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the record, I am personally and morally opposed to the concept of abortion of a pregnancy. I think that, ideally, a child should be wanted, loved, and anticipated with excitement in a loving and nurturing family. I also know that this doesn’t always happen.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Politically, it’s very easy for those who are opposed to abortion to just say, “Well, let’s just make it illegal!” </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But let’s apply what I’ve learned in game design. Let’s ask some of the tough questions. What makes someone want to have an abortion? Why does a woman want to end a pregnancy? </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The hard part of this question is that there are thousands of different answers from thousands of different circumstances. From what I hear in the debate, it’s not an easy choice for a woman to make. It can be personally traumatizing, socially stigmatizing, and financially overwhelming, among many other things. And yet, in spite of all of those horrors, it is still seen as being LESS traumatic, LESS stigmatizing, and LESS financially devastating than the prospect of bearing a child for 9 months and then raising them for 18+ years.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, if I, as an advocate of the life of the child (not necessarily in the “pro-life” political camp, though) want to see fewer abortions, it seems to me that the legislation to push for, to vote for, would be the ideas that make having the baby LESS stigmatizing, LESS devastating, and LESS traumatic. If we make laws and circumstances that support a mother in crisis, then we would have fewer abortions. If ending the life of a child becomes the least effective option, it will be chosen far less.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do we do that? Well, that’s not easy, but here are a few ideas:</span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make adoption easier. There are many childless couples and households that would dearly love to have a child. My wife and I were in this situation for many years. We looked into the option of adoption and the costs and challenges were almost insurmountable. If you make it easier and more fair, there will be a lessened need for abortions.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Provide more support for struggling moms. If a woman sees bearing and raising a child as an overwhelming road that she has to tread alone for years to come, then abortion is a more appealing option. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Better education. If our teens learn more about what is involved in parenting and raising a child, they will approach that phase in their life with greater respect and confidence. This is more than just sex education and contraception. This is all about understanding family and interpersonal commitments. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Holding men accountable for the babies they help conceive is important and right and just. It’s also a double-edged sword in some ways. If a man is facing a lifetime of personal and financial commitment that he’s not ready for, he might well push for an abortion. This is a part of the complication of the issue that I don’t have a great answer for. Still, if the fathers have options, like adoption, and education, this situation will also be lessened.</span></p></li></ol><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I, personally, think that many of these options are good for society as a whole, not just people who find themselves caught in the situation of being expectant and uncertain parents-to-be.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is a very complicated issue. There are no easy answers. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I want to share some of my other musings here in my blog sometime soon. I’d love to hear your (respectful) comments below!</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span><i><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://ATaleOfHeroes.com">ATaleOfHeroes.com</a>, <a href="http://MarkHansenMusic.com" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
<br /><br /></i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com2Eagle Mountain, UT, USA40.314116899999988 -112.00688212.003883063821142 -147.16313200000002 68.624350736178826 -76.850632tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-21662787757740494502019-04-24T09:43:00.000-07:002019-04-24T09:43:06.891-07:00Easter EggsYesterday, I read this blog post by a blogger (<a href="https://twitter.com/Ta_RynRyn" target="_blank">@Ta_RynRyn</a>) in, I believe, South Africa (though that’s really immaterial to the topic), and she <a href="https://memoriesofthunder.wordpress.com/2019/04/24/challenge-accepted/" target="_blank">commented on Easter Eggs</a>.<br />
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When you’re on an easter egg hunt, you walk along the lawn, and you glance at the bushes and you see a splash of color. You lean down and pick it up. Maybe it’s a colored egg, a real one, that’s been hard-boiled. Yum! A little salt and pepper and you’ve got breakfast. Maybe it’s a plastic one. You crack it open, and there you see a piece of candy or a dollar. Woo Hoo!<br />
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In life, there are easter eggs, too. You’re going along your “normal” life, working, caring for kids, or whatever you do, and something a little bit different happens. Maybe you planned it, maybe you didn’t. But it’s nice, and when you open it up, there’s something sweet.<br />
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I’m not talking about the landmark events that change the course of your life. These are wonderful, and powerful. For me, these are things like my wedding day, the birth of each of my children, serving a mission for my church, buying a new house, etc...<br />
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These are smaller things that enrich your life, that remind me that I have a life, and it’s a wonderful life.<br />
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I made a list, and this is not in any order, and if I were to make the list on a different day, it would probably have other items, and maybe more of them.<br />
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<b>Jodi and I traveling to Yellowstone</b><br />
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Early in our marriage, Jodi and I planned a trip, by ourselves, to Yellowstone. It was one of the first of many that we’ve taken together, and one of the few without family or friends along. It was also one of those “I’ve grown up, now” moments for me.<br />
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<b>Travelling to Mazatlan</b><br />
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We would often travel with her family to various locations, and one that we did several times was to go to Mazatlan, Mexico. These were always great times, and I got to use my mission spanish. These times really helped Jodi and I bond with wonderful memories, like when I got up early, ran to the beach to buy really fresh shrimp, and cooked it for her for breakfast.<br />
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<b>Going to the Smithsonian</b><br />
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When I was a kid, growing up in Indiana, my dad had these 2-week consulting jobs with the Navy in Washington, DC. The whole family would go, and while he was doing physics stuff, mom, Ruth, and I would wander the halls of the Smithsonian. On our way there, and on our way back, we would also visit Civil War and other historical sites. It fueled my lifelong love of learning.<br />
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<b>Performing with ROC</b><br />
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After high school, and after my mission, but before I moved out on my own, I spent a bit of time singing for a band named “ROC”. They were an actual working cover band, and I learned a lot from them.<br />
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<b>Meeting Chance Thomas</b><br />
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Also early in my marriage and my adult life, I met another musician by the name of Chance Thomas. He introduced me to many people and opportunities in the Salt Lake are music scene. He went on to establish a great name for himself in the world of video game scoring. We don’t see each other as often as I’d like, these days, but I count him as one of my best friends.<br />
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<b>Meeting John Newman</b><br />
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Another best friend that I don’t get to see too often is John Newman. We share so many connections, music writing, gaming, game design, thoughts and philosophies, etc... He inspired me to write my food blog, http://marksblackpot.com<br />
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<b>Getting the publishing contract & holding my first book</b><br />
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Writing that food blog gave me the opportunity to become a published author! After writing about my journey learning to cook in my Dutch ovens, I was approached by a publisher, and we did seven cookbooks together! What a great time that was.<br />
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<b>Gaming with my sons</b><br />
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As my sons have grown up, I’ve shared with them my love of gaming. This has led to the creation of our tabletop role-playing game, TheHerosTale.com. I’ve literally watched them grow from anxious and confused teenagers to capable adults, along with many of their friends, from across a table scattered with papers, miniatures, and dice!<br />
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<b>Attending the temple with Jodi</b><br />
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This one isn’t so much a single event as just a process that we do. It’s always wonderful to set next to her in the celestial room and pray.<br />
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<b>Something that will happen next year</b><br />
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Yeah, so, who knows what’s next, right? Along the way, I’ll keep looking for those bright bits of color underneath the bushes.<br />
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<i><br /><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
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Mark's Other Blog Posts: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>,
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-90526169235647499472018-02-24T08:22:00.001-08:002018-02-24T08:24:06.410-08:00Thoughts on Guns and School Shootings.There’s been yet another mass shooting in a school, and so everyone is filling my ears with their opinions and their memes. I have a lot of thoughts bouncing around my head. Here are some.<br />
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First, whenever someone starts their argument with the phrase, “The problem is...”, my respect for their opinion automatically drops. No one problem is THE problem. There is not one (pardon the pun) “silver bullet” solution. All proposed solutions are incomplete and flawed. We need to look a lot of the roots of the problems and fix them, and then realize that even those solutions will not “fix” everything.<br />
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If we do a lot of things, they will make school shootings less likely, but they will probably still happen. The nice thing about a lot of these solutions is that they will make our nation, as a whole, a nicer place to live.<br />
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OK, here are my ideas.<br />
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1 - Making guns illegal will not help. I know that’s tough for a leftie to say, but I believe it. When Jodi and I were first married, we took in teenage foster kids. Most were great kids, but most also had criminal records. I knew that at any given moment, I could have given some money to pretty much any one of those kids and within an hour or two they could have come back to me with a gun.<br />
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Having said that, I do think it’s valuable to register guns and to license gun owners, just like we do with cars. Will that prevent gun crimes? Maybe not, but it might help prosecute them.<br />
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I also think that making certain kinds of weapons illegal is reasonable.<br />
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2 - A lot of focus has been pointed at mental health as an issue. Many have rightly pointed out that there are a lot of people with mental health issues that are not violent. I think, at times, that I’m probably chronically depressed, possibly bipolar, and I’ve never shot anyone.<br />
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However, I think that every school shooter has some significant mental health issues. To stand in a crowded school hallway, full of your classmates and to start killing them is NOT HEALTHY. That’s NOT NORMAL.<br />
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Getting good mental health care in this country is very difficult. Often, insurances won’t cover it, or will barely cover one or two sessions with a counselor. There is no framework (or at least a very weak framework) for identifying those that are struggling and getting them help. This is true of potential shooters, but also potential suicides, and just plain sufferers. Having a token “school psychiatrist” who has to float between 4-5 schools in a district is not enough to identify and serve those that need it.<br />
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Many people identified and spoke out about the most recent school shooter long before he took the gun to the school. Why was nothing done? Who was supposed to do it? The school? The police? His family?<br />
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And politically, many of the same people who say, “It’s not a gun problem, it’s a mental health issue” are the same people who vote for those that defund mental health services.<br />
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So, our schools, and our society, needs a more full and robust support system for mental health, that’s affordable and available.<br />
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3 - And while we’re talking about wellness, there’s something very important that we’re missing out on in schools: Social Studies. I mean REAL social studies. Instead of creating fake “zero tolerance for bullying” policies, there should be curriculum that’s taught from kindergarten through high school about how to get along. And EVERYONE should be in on it, not just the peer tutors. The parents should engage in it. We should be teaching everyone how to be nice to each other, and work together. Everyone should learn how to see things from someone else’s point of view.<br />
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Maybe as part of high school graduation, there should be a time period of service. You should be required to step outside of your own little world and work for the support of someone else for a time. That would mean that I wouldn’t get to just keep going to church and count that as my service. I would have to seek a new opportunity.<br />
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And learning about how society and our government actually works would be good, too.<br />
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4 - You can’t blame violent shooting on any one movie or video game. However, we do have a popular culture that glorifies violence and makes it exciting. Fighting and violence is conflict, and conflict makes for good stories.<br />
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Here’s what’s really bad about it, though: It shows that violence has no consequence. If the hero of a movie kills a couple of security guards while he sneaks into the bad guy’s factory, that’s all that’s shown. The nameless, faceless guards fall down, and the hero steps over them and moves on in the story. The guards are never talked about again. But in real life, those guards have families that now have lost their father, wives that have lost their husbands, parents who have lost sons. In real life, they will mourn, have funerals, and struggle to move on. But that’s a different story, so the movie doesn’t show that. They’re just dead and are now immaterial, disposable.<br />
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Often in games and movies, violence is shown as the only possible solution to a problem. Faced with an opponent who blocks your agenda? Punch him, or shoot him. Negotiate? Why?<br />
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I don’t think legislation will change this, and I’m not sure that it should. But, we should all be aware of it, and think twice about it. I am also fully aware of my own hypocrisy in saying this. We can all do better.<br />
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5 - A lot of these proposed solutions will cost money. Personally, I think it will be money well spent. Establishing a robust mental health system, for example, will require a lot of counselors, social workers, and support personnel. Having armed guards in the schools will require hiring a lot of armed guards. Teaching social skills will require hiring specialist teachers.<br />
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So, let’s think about that, though. In addition to considering it an “investment in our own survival”, you’re also creating a lot of valuable jobs. All these people you’re hiring will now be employed, and be paying taxes, and buying groceries and cars and taking vacations and spending money on other things. Those business that provide the groceries, cars, vacations, and other things will now be doing more business, and paying more taxes. A vibrant, thriving economy is one where a lot of money is flowing.<br />
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Anyway. Those are all of my thoughts for now. Feel free to leave yours in the comments below<br />
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<i><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a> Also, check out his new fantasy fiction blog: <a href="http://theherostale.com/" target="_blank">The Hero's Tale: Family-Friendly Role-Playing Game</a></i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-41928245072805422062018-01-04T18:47:00.000-08:002018-01-04T18:49:29.705-08:00Policy Changes <p>While I don’t intend to resurrect a big argument over whether or not women should or ever will get the priesthood, there are many who would agree that women can provide and even deserve a greater leadership role in the church.
<p>Today, I heard a radio discussion about the life, times, and legacy of Thomas S Monson, and there was a lot of comment about this. A few of the commenters were saying that Pres Monson (or his administration) had ignored the wishes of the women of the church in his refusal to give them the priesthood.
<p>First of all, I don’t know how many women are (or are not) interested in full priesthood ordinations. I have heard many women comment that they would like to get more respect and leadership within the church, even if that doesn’t include the actual ordinations.
<p>While the church is very, very traditional, and change moves very slowly, I’ve noticed something that was put into place during Pres. Monson’s leadership which, I think, will be marked as the starting point toward this respect and position.
<p>When they announced the change in the age of missionary service, two things happened. One, a lot more young men signed up immediately. That’s not a surprise. Get going right out of high school, then go on to college afterward. There was another thing, however, that happened, and that was that many, many more young women signed up for missions.
<p>Missions are often training grounds wherein young Mormons learn the commitment and service necessary for church leadership. Many more young women will now be going through this. As they grow up and mature, they will do so within the existing structures to be able to step into greater leadership roles.
<p>Also, and this is going to be a critical part of that equation, the young men who serve with them will grow up seeing them more as equals in service (over time), and will likely (on the whole) grow into treating them more as equals.
<p>This will take time, of course. It won’t happen as fast as the activists want. I do see it as a natural part of the growth of the church, and this simple policy change could very well drive that growth.
<i><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-7824929431149199322017-12-10T18:52:00.000-08:002017-12-10T18:53:10.663-08:00How to Do Something Overwhelming<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes, in life, it’s very good to see the big picture. Steven Covey says, “Begin with the end in mind.” That’s very good advice. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of the time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes, the project you’re facing is so big, so daunting, so overwhelming huge that you simply can’t fathom it. If you’re standing at the foot of the mountain, staring up at the snow-capped points that are miles above you, it can be daunting. Rather than being inspired to lunge ahead, you end up thinking to yourself, “Y’know, a cuppa hot cocoa in my easy chair is lookin’ mighty good right about now...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, my primary cleaning task was the kitchen. After making some brownies for a neighbor’s mission farewell activity, and various other cooking bits, the kitchen was a mess. You can say, “Oh, I have a messy kitchen,” but, really? Take a look at this.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZIbvCHMv7_hOLdf2b6WI0327img7UISkItHtnoRfh4S78oISFy2eC5DfjToMT75usjLmXmNDaDP3Dt1d9elKsyehzcv0Aicjaz-7G-N56EvoIDDmEwQYm7Yu6yKMsJZBCMr3/s1600/IMG_20171210_144854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZIbvCHMv7_hOLdf2b6WI0327img7UISkItHtnoRfh4S78oISFy2eC5DfjToMT75usjLmXmNDaDP3Dt1d9elKsyehzcv0Aicjaz-7G-N56EvoIDDmEwQYm7Yu6yKMsJZBCMr3/s320/IMG_20171210_144854.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yeah. I win.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Or lose...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Or something...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I’m facing this sort of huge task, I can’t do it efficiently. I can’t think of all the things on the counter and pick out all of the ones that go to the pantry, and all of the ones that go to the front room, etc... That just maxes my meter.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But - </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I CAN pick one thing up, figure out where it goes, and take it there.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, I CAN do it again. I pick up another thing, figure out where it goes, and then take it there.</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yeah, it means I do a lot more walking and a lot more taking. It takes me longer. But it gets DONE.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And now it looks like this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ16_UaprO19WahTNvxZ7exUUh_YpGDao4XzlVK1igpzdKnRAS500WwyygiZQtNU-2PGKT4M3JOxUmT3te_OGG_2ZXBnTZQQ4x6J1HQSMRcz98-8pDtlAL0mnEk4RtZAU91c1m/s1600/IMG_20171210_152656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ16_UaprO19WahTNvxZ7exUUh_YpGDao4XzlVK1igpzdKnRAS500WwyygiZQtNU-2PGKT4M3JOxUmT3te_OGG_2ZXBnTZQQ4x6J1HQSMRcz98-8pDtlAL0mnEk4RtZAU91c1m/s320/IMG_20171210_152656.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-8497973677749636952017-01-11T09:03:00.003-08:002017-01-11T09:03:58.682-08:00The Word For the New YearA few years ago, I found myself tired of making New Year’s Resolutions. They were always the same, and I’d end up breaking them right away and feeling like a total failure.<br />
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Again.<br />
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Then I read a post in a blog somewhere that changed my perspective on the idea. Instead of a goal or an ideal to work on or a promise to avoid this or that thing that I happen to really enjoy, the idea is to pick a word that you want to focus on for the year.<br />
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That first year, I had been particularly depressed, so I chose to work on “Joy”. Then, throughout the year, I would remember the word, contemplate it, think about it, read and write about it, and hopefully find more of it in my life. So, at the end of the year, I could look back and see its impact.<br />
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Gone is the guilt of failure. If I have an unjoyful week, I’m fine with that. I just continue my focus and let it grow.<br />
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Other words I’ve used in other years have been “Gratitude”, “Creativity”, and “Spirit”.<br />
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So this year, I’m going to focus on the word “Prayer”. I’m feeling a real need to re-connect myself with Heavenly Father, and to feel more divine, myself. One way to do that is to simply take a quick moment to pray whenever the thought crosses my mind. To take that thought as an inspired reminder, and to think thoughts of gratitude to God, and to ask for blessings for those around me.<br />
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I know that we’re taught that there are certain times of the day when we’re “supposed to pray”. I’m OK with that, but I don’t always remember at those times. So, I’ll take advantage of the times I do remember.<br />
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In Alma 34, Amulek teaches that it’s good to pray whenever the desire or the need strikes you, and it’s good to pray over temporal as well as spiritual things:<br />
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17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;<br />
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18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.<br />
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19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.<br />
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20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.<br />
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21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.<br />
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22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.<br />
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23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.<br />
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24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.<br />
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25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.<br />
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26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.<br />
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27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.<br />
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So, that’s gonna be my focus this year.<br />
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<i><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="https://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
<br /></i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-76133135329800858342017-01-01T09:57:00.002-08:002017-01-01T09:57:37.558-08:00 The Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the InaugurationThere has been a lot said and argued about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performing at President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Many have been angry, others supportive. One sister decided to resign the choir over the issue. I’ve seen others that seem to be questioning their testimonies over it.<br />
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This election cycle has been by far the most divisive and surprising ever. I never thought it would happen, and many are still in denial. There was talk about reversing it in the Electoral College, which didn’t happen. There were talk of recounts, which didn’t change anything.<br />
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Now we’re faced with the inauguration. The Trump administration, having a hard time booking more current and popular acts, has asked the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes called “America’s Choir” to perform.<br />
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Here are my thoughts:<br />
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First, the choir has performed for many inaugurations of both parties in the past. This one is no different. Yes, I don’t like who’s being inaugurated. I voted against him. But it’s been decided, and so the Choir wants to go sing. The Choir’s primary purpose is outreach and missionary work. Someone posted that the choir would never sing for Putin or for Kim Jong Un. I think they would. I think they would jump at the chance to share a musical message in North Korea. The choir performs in many places and for many different peoples.<br />
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Second, the Church has not made it a requirement for the members to perform. One sister has chosen to resign the Choir rather than make the performance. I admire her for taking this stance. Were I a choir member, I would have to think and pray hard to decide to perform for an event that I, personally, find so disappointing. However, I also don’t fault those that will attend. How often do any of us get to attend a presidential inauguration as an invited guest?<br />
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Third, and the part that I find most frustrating, is the fact that Mormons said they were upset by Trump and were not going to vote for him, but, in the end, did anyway. So, with 60% of the Mormon vote, Trump won most of us over. So, the choir singing for him should be no surprise, right?<br />
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Look. I’m gonna invoke the <a href="http://moboy.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Mo’Boy Doctrine</a> here. If Trump ends up being as bad of a president as we think he will, there will be issues far deeper than whether or not the Choir sang. And if he turns out to be a good president, well, I’ll sing, too.<br />
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But I’m not holding my breath on that one.<br />
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<i><br /><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
<br /><br />
Mark's Other Blog Posts: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>,
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-78064965193103031722016-06-13T19:53:00.000-07:002016-06-13T20:13:54.866-07:00MartyrsToday, my family traveled to Carthage and visited the infamous jailhouse there. This is the site of the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and his brother Hyrum.<br />
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This is the jail cell where he was first placed in June of 1844. <br />
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<a href="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13435501_10209938245432407_16650358625890916_n.jpg?oh=10f4c8a0652358ad532743f0890894c2&oe=57FE7522" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13435501_10209938245432407_16650358625890916_n.jpg?oh=10f4c8a0652358ad532743f0890894c2&oe=57FE7522" width="176" /></a></div>
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This is the stairs to the upstairs room where the mob stormed to kill him.<br />
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This is the window where he fell after being shot from both the assailants in the room and the mob in the yard below.<br />
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A lot has been written about his life and death. Many opinions have been given. What is true and what is speculation is not always clear. I don’t intend to get deep into historical issues here. I believe him to be a true prophet, called of God, to restore Christ’s Gospel. I have read many things, both in his favor and to his condemnation. I still believe him to be a prophet.<br />
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A few years ago, I wrote a song about those that sacrifice their lives as a testament to the things they believe to be true. I include the song here:<br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="500" scrolling="no" src="https://www.reverbnation.com/widget_code/html_widget/artist_429910?widget_id=55&pwc[song_ids]=2665194&context_type=song&spoid=artist_429910" style="max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 0px;" width="100%"></iframe>
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Here are the lyrics (The first two verses refer to other martyrs, the third verse is about Joseph Smith)<br />
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Martyrs by Mark Hansen<br />
markhansenmusic.com<br />
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The fires rise high on a moonless night<br />
Marked by shouts and cries of fright<br />
The scriptures burning up in ash and smoke<br />
As they throw the scared believers in<br />
Two men think to stop the din<br />
But a still voice whispers, "No", to let them go<br />
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Chorus<br />
They've stood up to the last<br />
Their sorrows now have past<br />
Their souls are rising fast<br />
And I'll join with the choirs and sing<br />
And sing the martyrs home<br />
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It's just about 4:00 when the men ride in<br />
The time for the truce is at an end<br />
In the blacksmith's shop the settlers make their stand<br />
The riders surround and open fire<br />
And in the end, when they retire<br />
The blood of eighteen souls is on their hands<br />
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Chorus<br />
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In an Illinois Jail, four men wait<br />
For the end of the story brought by fate<br />
One man sings a hymn in the evening sun<br />
A shouting mob rushes up the stairs<br />
Bullets fly and bullets tear<br />
And a prophet and his brother's lives are done<br />
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Chorus<br />
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I’ve visited this site several times in my life. It has always been very special to me, as I thought about the things that happened there, and the things he revealed and taught. So, today, I thought I'd share here.<br />
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<i><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
<br /><br />
Mark's Other Blog Posts: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>,
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-27884905449812971032016-06-04T23:19:00.001-07:002016-06-04T23:19:32.231-07:00More Thoughts on ScripturesI just found some fascinating videos as I was wasting time on YouTube. They’re called Tom’s Language Files, and are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL96C35uN7xGLDEnHuhD7CTZES3KXFnwm0" target="_blank">found here</a>.<br />
<br />
In each short clip, Tom talks about a curious and intriguing facet of the study of linguistics. On the surface, that’s cool enough, but it’s really a lot about humans, society, and culture, all as expressed by their language.<br />
<br />
It made me think even more about our scriptures. A long time ago, <a href="http://moboy.blogspot.com/2013/02/more-thoughts-on-revelation.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://moboy.blogspot.com/2009/10/some-thoughts-on-revelation-and-word-of.html" target="_blank">here</a>, I wrote about where our scriptures come from and how that impacts how we should use them.<br />
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In particular, the video clips from Tom that got me thinking the most were the ones where he talks about the difficulties in translating one concept from one language to another. Like this one: <a href="https://youtu.be/2TtnD4jmCDQ">https://youtu.be/2TtnD4jmCDQ</a> At one point, he talks about the problems of electronic translation systems: <a href="https://youtu.be/GAgp7nXdkLU">https://youtu.be/GAgp7nXdkLU</a><br />
<br />
So, God, in His powerful purity, teaches concepts of Truth to human prophets, who have to figure out some way to write down the concepts in a complicated and messy human language. Sometimes many years later, some other human tries to translate that into another messy human language with a completely different cultural framework, and hopes that somehow it still makes sense. Many of the books of the Bible have gone through several generations of translations to be what we have now.<br />
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Now, I want to make it clear. I believe in our scriptures. I believe the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price all are words that came from a loving God, who wants us to use those words to learn how to take care of each other.<br />
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I also am learning that as I read my scriptures, it’s not a good idea to get too hung up on words and phrases, and rather than debating the meaning of this verse or that chapter, to focus on a bigger picture of the instructions God is sending to me, personally.<br />
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<i><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
<br /><br />
Mark's Other Blog Posts: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>,
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-43941066234449801022016-06-03T22:43:00.000-07:002016-06-03T22:46:01.932-07:00Role-Playing Games, Part IIIThis post is very difficult for me to write, because it’s impossible to set up the context enough for anyone but me and my son to fully grasp.<br />
<br />
Really, ya had ta be there.<br />
<br />
But I can’t NOT share it. Partly because I set it up so well with the earlier posts on Role-Playing Games (<a href="http://moboy.blogspot.com/2014/09/role-playing-games-part-i.html" target="_blank">part I here</a>, and <a href="http://moboy.blogspot.com/2014/09/role-playing-games-part-ii.html" target="_blank">part II here</a>), but also because it filled my soul with so much joy. So, I’m going to do my best, in spite of it all.<br />
<br />
First, I believe that it is my God-given responsibility to raise my family in righteousness. It is my job to help all of my children learn to understand that their life choices now will impact their lives later, and the lives of those around them. It’s my job to help them learn to make choices that will lead to happiness and joy, as opposed to selfishness and bitterness. Ultimately, within my beliefs, it’s my responsibility to teach them things that will lead them to Eternal Life and Exaltation. This is a very difficult task, and one where I have not always, or even not very often, felt success.<br />
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So, as you read in these posts, as my sons started to bug me to play Dungeons and Dragons and other role-playing games, and as we reworked the game to satisfy my issues, I looked at it at first as a simply opportunity to have some fun and do some family bonding. Some guys take their sons fishing and hunting. In our house, we roll d20s.<br />
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Very quickly, however, I realized that I had the opportunity, as the gamemaster, to shape the flow of the stories to be able to teach my kids eternal truths about the nature of good and evil, and how to realize which side you’re on. I saw how I could show that choices have consequences, both good and bad. Standing up for what they believe in, even in the fiction of a game, is important.<br />
<br />
This last adventure, over the course of the last few months, was particularly steeped in religious and spiritual imagery. They were grappling with issues of selfishness and darkness vs light and service.<br />
<br />
I could spend pages describing the story as the characters chased across the land, even through dimensional travel in search of powerful artifacts known as the “Dona Creatori” (The Gifts of the Creator). The party, in a final climactic battle, entrapped the demon that had come to corrupt and control the high priests of the major church of the land.<br />
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At that point, Brendon’s character was faced with a choice. He was in a position to take over. He could easily keep running the church and bask in all the wealth and power that would bring him. Or, he could step back and allow the uncorrupted lower priests to step up and lead the church into a new era of righteousness.<br />
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He ended up choosing the latter option, and we wrapped up the loose ends of the adventure and “closed the book”, so to speak.<br />
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Today, we were talking about that decision, and he was explaining to me how his character (who started out conflicted and even a bit of a bad guy) ended up choosing the right. He told me about his thoughts through the sessions that had led up to that conflict and as he had interacted with the ghostly Champions of the Creator that helped the party find the Dona. He told me that he had wanted his character to be worthy of the donum, as the Champion had said (again, to really “get” this, you would have either had to be there, or I would have to write the novel).<br />
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As he was telling me all of this, I thought to myself: THIS is why we play RPGs as a family. Such a powerful time for both of us to learn, by doing, by living vicariously through our character sheets and our dice. We learn, we grow, and we grow together.<br />
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My heart swelled up, and I almost cried as he was telling me. Two years after beginning to make The Hero’s Tale, we arrive at this point. THIS is why I game. THIS is me, being a father.<br />
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I guess sometimes, I do get to get it right.<br />
<br />
<i><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
<br /><br />
Mark's Other Blog Posts: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>,
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-50090058982044298192014-12-20T21:35:00.000-08:002014-12-20T21:38:12.177-08:00A Funny Thing Happened Tonight at Temple SquareSo, we went downtown to Temple Square tonight to look at lights and fountains. Nothing surprising there, we do that every year. This year, however, we were treated to a gem of an experience.<br />
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We had walked across the street to the City Creek Mall, to look at the fountain show (really dazzling, but so short as to not make it worth the wait), and we were lining up at the pedestrian crossing to go back into Temple Square.<br />
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At that corner was a man standing on a concrete platform holding a lit-up sign that said, “Joseph Lied”. He was shouting all kinds of anti-mormon rhetoric, mostly about how the God of the Bible wasn’t the same as Joseph Smith’s God, and bla, bla, bla.<br />
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I’ve heard it all before. I grew up with my Evangelical Christian friends trying to convince me that there were no more prophets or revelation, or that we were saved by grace, not by works, and any of a number of reasons why they were right and I was wrong. I had learned to tune them out.<br />
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Suddenly I noticed that the young family standing in front of me were singing, “Silent Night”, kind of as if in protest of the protester. I picked up on it, and started singing along. She turned around right away and smiled, confirming my suspicion. By the time we finished and started to loop it around again, a lady behind me had joined, and my father, standing next to me was singing along.<br />
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It wasn’t long before the entire crowd standing there waiting at the crosswalk was singing strong, “Silent Night, Holy Night,...”<br />
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And he and his partner went quiet.<br />
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Then, just as we were finishing the loop, someone a few behind me started singing “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful”, and he didn’t have a chance to start up again. We were all enjoying singing along and smiling at each other, and observing how the contention had faded, when the light dinged, and it was time to cross. We kept singing as we crossed, and didn’t stop until the song ended, and the preacher was lost in the back distance.<br />
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On the way home, my boys commented on how the spirit was there and I pointed out how gentleness can overcome shouting. It was a very powerful message to me.<br />
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<i><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-49991047439254065382014-09-21T09:24:00.002-07:002014-09-21T09:24:46.643-07:00Read the #$%^&%#ing Constitution!I just saw this picture as a meme on Facebook, and I wanted to comment, but I realized that my thoughts would be way, way too long for just a quick response. It would be bloggin’ time!<br />
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I have lots of thoughts about this. Let me start with this one: a long time ago, while I was in my office at work, one of my co-workers came in and started ranting about something political. This was not strange. Our whole department was quite opinionated, and we were often sucked into some pretty fun discussions of many different topics: politics, religion, even cooking.<br />
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This particular rant, while I don’t remember even the topic, was sealed in my head by my friend’s last words, “I just wish everyone would read the #$%^&%#ing Constitution!”<br />
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I was taken aback, because he didn’t usually swear like that. After that washed over me, however, I realized he was right. I also wished everyone would read the constitution. I, myself, have read it many times. I don’t have it memorized, but I’ve read it. I think more people should read it and study it.<br />
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I think that would be both a blessing and a problem. It would be a blessing because if everyone knew the original words and what it means, we would be a much better governed people. It would be a problem, because many of the options out there for us to study it, many of the books and classes that we can read or take have a particular political angle to promote.<br />
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And therein lies the real challenge. The Constitution is very much like scripture in this sense: The words are there, and the words are clear, but what they mean and how to interpret them is not so obvious. I hear it a lot: someone gets on a political rant and says that this or that thing is unconstitutional and should be stopped! This guy or that party is trampling the constitution to dust and we must save it!<br />
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And, as I listen to it, I realize that what’s really being said is that something conflicts with their particular interpretation of the words, not necessarily against the words itself.<br />
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So much effort is spent trying to prove what the founding fathers really meant when they wrote it. Much more effort is spent trying to render current situational laws into the framework that they set up over 225 years ago, and still keep it relevant.<br />
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So, yes, everyone should read it. And everyone should also realize that their own interpretation of it is not the final word. The document itself provides for a mechanism for interpretation, and even that isn’t infallible. At least, if we’ve all read it, we’ll be a bit better in arguing about it.<br />
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<i><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
<br /><br /></i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-49531735654418133372014-09-16T22:19:00.002-07:002014-09-16T22:20:54.282-07:00Role Playing Games, part IIOr<br />
<br />
How We Fix the Problems, I Hope<br />
<br />
<br />
So, many years ago my kids began to play games with me. They started with video games, and then began to include tabletop games, like Pokemon CCG, and Yu-Gi-Oh. That was about the same time that I was getting involved in Magic, the Gathering, too.<br />
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Soon after, they began asking if they could play Dungeons and Dragons. I was very nervous for all of the reasons that I spelled out in the last post. It really has the potential to teach impressionalble children the wrong concepts. On the other hand, it can also teach teamwork and goodness. It can enhance creative thinking and problem solving.<br />
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In that sense, role-playing games are very much like life. What you get out of it depends very much on what you put into it. I definitely didn't want them to be playing under a GM that didn't understand this, or the nature of consequences for acts and choices. But then, did I really want to be the GM for a system where I had so many fundamental problems?<br />
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Years went by, and every so often, my kids would remind me how much they wanted to try it out. Sometimes I'd flat out turn them down, other times I would put them off. I looked at the newer edition rule books, and found that, even though there had been some changes, most of my core issues with the game were still in place.<br />
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I had some stock responses, like how I didn't have time to make up an adventure, or how we didn't have enough money to buy the books, or any of a number of excuses.<br />
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Finally, this last year, I could see that they weren't going to give up, and I could see that, at age 16, I wasn't going to be able to deny my oldest for very much longer. I also had been more active in game design, having worked through some years on Seeker's Quest Scripture Card Game.<br />
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Finally, I decided that I would make an RPG system that would deal with my fears and issues, and allow us to have a great time bonding and playing. So, last July, I wrote out a few quick pages of rules and tables and got started.<br />
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The rules themselves have undergone significant revisions already, and the core keeps getting more and more balanced. The adventure we've been playing has continued to grow and develop. We've had times where we've had to stop and rework the characters to reset the game balance, and there have been times when we've suddenly thought of great new ideas of things to add. There is still much to do.<br />
<br />
But it has been a wonderful bonding experience with me and my children, and we'll continue to work on it.<br />
<br />
Here's how we've dealt with the four issues:<br />
<br />
The Focus on Fighting over Story and Character<br />
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First, from the very beginning, we began creating the characters by inventing their back story. Who is this? Where is he/she from? Why is he/she adventuring? What motivates him/her? What does he/she want to be when "grown up"? Then, rather than randomly rolling numbers for attributes, the players used a point system to develop the attributes and skills that fleshed out that backstory.<br />
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Secondly, I approached the entire adventuring process from the perspective of a story line. As the Game Master, I used the backstories of the newly formed characters to create the world and the opening situation. Then, as the characters began exploring this world, they encountered adversaries and others that made sense within that world. I constantly asked myself, "Why?" Why would these monsters be there? What is this Non-Player Character trying to accomplish?<br />
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Story became a very integral part of the game from the first session, and it grew from there.<br />
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The System for Magic, Spells, and Dieties<br />
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In order to fix the fundamental difficulties I had with magic, I had to abstract the system. We came up with five different kinds of "Powers" (I didn't even want to call it "magic"), and some basic abilities within each one. Each player that had powers had a certain number of "Will Points" that he/she could use in a day. The player would then be faced with a situation, and would think of an action within that type of power that might solve it. He/she would describe the action, and I, as the GM, would tell the player how many WP it would cost to do that. The points would be subtracted, and the dice rolled.<br />
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This made it so that the source of the power was vague, even inconsequential. There was no detailed incantations or "eyes of newt" to be thrown into bubbling cauldrons. The character simply willed it to happen, and if the die roll was successful, it happened.<br />
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The Alignment System<br />
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It was my son that suggested something that would end up fixing the idea of good or evil characters. He didn't even know it at the time. As we were creating the first character sheets, he said, "You should have a 'luck' attribute." I thought about that, and decided on "Karma Points". As the players did good and helpful things for each other and the NPC's in the world, they would gain KP. If they did horrible things, not only would the NPC's get upset and possibly attack or capture the characters, but they could be docked KP. The KP's could be used to artificially alter a critical die roll that failed.<br />
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As a result, the players began to conciously do things that would gain them Karma and avoid being bad guys.<br />
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The Overall Complexity and Inflexibility<br />
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Games have a tendency, over time to become more and more complex. That's the nature of game design. It's kind of an "opposite entropy". You encounter a problematic situation in the game design, and you fix it by adding some rules. That's OK, that makes it so you can get back to playing. But then, those new rules bring up other situations that beg for more rules, and more rules, etc...<br />
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I'm working to keep this game simple with guidelines for Game Mastering. This does mean that the GM has to really take charge, but it also frees him/her up for making the story happen instead of twiddling about looking up and administering the rules. He/she simply decides what's reasonable within a framework and goes with it.<br />
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It has been challenging to find the internal balances in those guidelines. There have been a couple of times when the system has essentially broken down, and we've had to rework the characters to keep them from being too powerful. In those circumstances, we've had to struggle with being responsible game designers while we like playing powerful characters!<br />
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In the process, however, we've really bonded as a family, and I haven't had the problems come up like I had feared. It really has been great fun.<br />
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<i><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
<br /><br />
Mark's Other Blog Posts: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>,
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-80493848357864333002014-09-16T11:49:00.001-07:002014-09-16T22:21:17.515-07:00Role Playing Games, Part I<i>Please forgive my self-indulgence. These next two blog entries are about as geeky and nerdy as can be. It's all about my history as both a gamer and as a member of the Church. It's also a setup for some things to come.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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</iframe>Way back in the day, when I was a teenager, a friend of mine introduced me to this cool new game he had just bought called "Dungeons and Dragons". We were thrilled, and both started playing regularly. As a game, it was a totally new paradigm. It was based in your imagination. You pretended to be characters in a party of mideaval fantasy adventurers, and you fought and wizarded your way through dungeons, killing monsters and collecting loot.<br />
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It was also the first game I'd ever played where you didn't "win", because you just survived and grew. You could "lose" if you died, but you never really "won". Some of my friends would look at it and say, "how do you win?" because that's usually what people want to know about playing a game. But in reality, in role-playing games, you win by having a great time making a cool story.<br />
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This was at a point very early on in the history of the game. As I grew up playing more and more, later editions of the game became more elaborate and thorough and brought with them more and more extensive rule books.<br />
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It was a large part of the reason why my high school and early college grades were so bad. I was more into gaming than I was studying. I was a total geek. The problem was that, unlike today, "geek" was not even close to "cool".<br />
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Not only did D&D get in the way of my schooling, but it clashed with my religion as well. As it became more popular, and more well-known, many people handled it badly (iincluding many of the players), and it often got a reputation as something evil, or satanic.<br />
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In spite of all this, I often look back at my gaming life and friends and say that it is what helped keep me off drugs. I was with a group where I was accepted, and my need for creativity, weirdness, and exploration was encouraged and valued. Who needs drugs?<br />
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Then I went on my mission, and served The Lord for a time. Not long after that, I moved myself out to Utah, and soon after that married life and adulthood (jobs, etc) filled my life with practical reality. There wasn't time to devote to finding a good adventure group and developing stories, dungeons, and adventures.<br />
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As I became more and more fully devoted to the Church and the gospel, looked back at my gaming life, and though I had many wonderful memories, there were certain things that nagged at me. These were things that also made me uncomfortable about D&D in particular, and even about role-playing in general.<br />
<br />
The Focus on Fighting over Story and Character<br />
<br />
All too often, our adventures degenerated into die-rolling slug fests, and the victors would be determined more by the dice than any really creative problem solving. The winner was the biggest, the baddest, and with the most plusses on his/her magic sword.<br />
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I had already been playing the game for many years before I had an adventure campaign that was truly based on storytelling. I wish I could say that I was the Game Master for that one, but I have to give props to Rick, who did a fabulous job of setting scenes and encouraging interaction and real character development, not just adding up experience points. That was, sadly, a rare experience.<br />
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It's true that this aspect of the game is more related to those playing it, but I also feel that the intracacies and detailed nature of the rules of D&D created a situation where storytelling was de-emphasized. The system also had greater rewards for fighting and conquest.<br />
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The System for Magic, Spells, and Dieties<br />
<br />
I had three problems with the way Magic was handled in D&D. One was that each type of spellcaster had a list of detailed and unique spells that he/she could choose from. They each did very specific things, and nothing else. It was very clear to everyone playing, from the GM to the newest beginner, what each spell did. This didn't allow for much creativity on the part of the player to create clever solutions to problems and situations.<br />
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Another problem I had was the details of the spells as set out in the rules. Each spell could have a verbal, somantic, and/or a physical component, many of which were written out and listed in the rules. This kinda gave me a strange feeling as a member of the Church because it began to look like a magic instruction book to me. In my mind, I could dismiss it as "just a game", but that level of detail bothered me.<br />
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A third problem dealt primarily with the Clerical spells. These were the healing and other abilities that were granted to the characters by dieties. This was the internal religion of the game. In order to "charge up" their spell lists, the cleric character had to spend so much time each day meditating or praying to his/her chosen mythological diety. These were derived from all kinds of sources, and in many cases were even evil. Clearly, as a member of the church, having any of the players around me praying to a demon in order to get their spells was a bit disconcerting, even if it was "just in the game".<br />
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The Alignment System<br />
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Which also leads me to the next issue that troubled me which was the Alignment system. This allowed players to decide if they were going to be, essentially, good guys or bad guys. I can still remember a long, extended campaign adventure that I GM'ed of all evil characters. Eventually, role playing turned to mistrust and infighting, and several real-life friendships (of many years) were almost destroyed in the proces. At that point, I swore to myself that I would never play an evil character, nor to GM for evil characters again.<br />
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Part of the problem with the playing of evil or even neutral characters is that the GM is not always prepared to nor interested in implementing consequences for evil behavior. Even though killing people brings the wrath of other people, that can often distract from an existing story line, bog it down, or simply require additional tracking and effort. It's often easier to just let it go. As a result, players can have a great time being dominant and powerful, spreading mayhem and taking whatever they want with very little negative results. With the wrong GM, the game can actually teach that it's exciting and fun to be evil.<br />
<br />
The Overall Complexity and Inflexibility<br />
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My final problem was the intricate detail of the rules. At first, it was fun reading through all of the spells and the monster listings (that was a completely bound book, in and of itself - the Monster Manual), in the end it was frustrating because the players could access it as well. If I threw a scene at them with a two Hobgoblins and twelve Orcs, they knew immediately the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. And, if I did something wrong, or made a judgement call, they were quick to point out that I had done it wrong, and that according to page 212 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, THIS was how it SHOULD have worked.<br />
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Ultimately, it was still a great game that I loved playing. But all of these things nagged at me over the years, and I finally decided that it was good that I stopped playing. Besides, I spent some time enjoying miniatures gaming, and then I discovered Magic: the Gathering, so I still was quite the gamer.<br />
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I was, however, not prepared for how to answer to the next challenge: My kids!<br />
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<i><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
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Mark's Other Blog Posts: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>,
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-3849573014225162432014-09-08T20:32:00.002-07:002014-09-08T20:34:19.299-07:00How to Have Safe SexOK, this is going to be a hard one to write, for several reasons. One is that I’m still sorting out a lot of my thoughts on the topic, particularly as it relates to many of my friends who don’t share my faith. Another reason is that I know I’m going to make some people mad, and there will be many both in and out of my faith that will disagree with me.<br />
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I’m OK with that.<br />
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I’m going to tell several stories and experiences which have shaped my life and opinions on sex and relationships. It’s kinda funny, because I don’t feel like I’m particularly qualified to be giving advice on this topic. I’ve never been all that great at relationships. I get really focused on my own baggage and sometimes forget that other people need me for things. So, I’m not sure why I get to write this, except for the fact that I’ve been married, now, for 27 years, to the same woman, and she hasn’t kicked me out, yet. I guess that means something, right?<br />
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I started thinking about the nature of sex and relationships more in the last few weeks because of this video clip (please watch it before reading on):<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MlNUIIyDA_w" width="560"></iframe>
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This guy nails a lot of the frustration men and women have been feeling in recent years as we struggle to deal with issues like sex, modesty, rape culture, respect, blame, and a whole lot of other things that circle around the way we live together.<br />
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As I watched it, I saw how important it is to respect one another, and to treat others, men and women, with that kindness.<br />
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I also thought of an editorial cartoon I saw many years ago, and I tried to google it, that I think spoke to the issue. There was a young kid, talking to a pharmacist, and the pharmacist says that he has something that, when used as intended, would guarantee him 100% safe sex. He was intrigued. What was this miracle drug?<br />
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A wedding ring.<br />
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I grew up and came of age in the late 70’s and early 80’s. In spite of all of the sexualization that was rampant even in those decades, I was a virgin when I married my wife. She was, too. Since that time, we’ve had our struggles, but we’ve remained faithful. She is the only woman I’ve ever been with, sexually. We’ve had to adapt to each other personally, physically, and emotionally, it’s true. That’s what marriage is. A few weeks ago, we celebrated our 27th anniversary. She makes me, and our family, complete.<br />
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And I thought about that video, with all it’s confusion and chaos and the need for “The Rules”, and I wondered (here’s the controversial part) how many of those nagging confusions would simply go away if people, men and women, would commit to each other, and make sex exclusive to that commitment.<br />
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Imagine if men were taught, and believed, that women were sacred and to be respected. That sex was something she gave him, and he gave her as a part of their promise to make a lasting life together. Imagine if women were taught that men were to be respected and not to be manipulated, teased, or used and discarded as toys. What if she were taught early in life that sex isn’t currency used to buy status or security, but a beautiful part of connected lives.<br />
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What if, as single men and women socialized with each other (especially as teens), then dated, they didn’t have to worry about the complications of a sexual relationship? What if there were no need to guess if your date was going to pressure you or not? What if men didn’t want to drop drugs into girl’s drinks? What if the immediate need to sleep with someone tonight was replaced with the deeper desire to wake up next to a partner for years to come, knowing that this partner had promised the same thing to you.<br />
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It seems so often that people want the convenience of casual sex and the meaning and mutual respect that comes from commitment. I'm not sure that you can have it both ways.<br />
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To me, when sex is reduced to a party game, it’s no wonder that we have so much confusion over “The Rules”.<br />
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<i><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-33967367732108854062014-06-03T14:58:00.000-07:002014-06-03T14:58:45.318-07:00In Which I Bake Bread for the SacramentHey, folks, I don't usually cross-post from my other blogs, but in this case, it's really appropriate. I had the opportunity to hand make some bread to be used in our ward's sacrament meeting. It's not really a big deal in the big picture, but it was a wonderful experience for me. I wrote it up over at Mark's Black Pot. Check it out, and if you want to, leave a comment over there: <a href="http://www.marksblackpot.com/2014/06/baking-bread-for-church.html">http://www.marksblackpot.com/2014/06/baking-bread-for-church.html</a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EIcAnIqKAOg/U43-V-DVkDI/AAAAAAAADAE/kptItUhufns/s1600/IMG_20140601_112921_651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EIcAnIqKAOg/U43-V-DVkDI/AAAAAAAADAE/kptItUhufns/s1600/IMG_20140601_112921_651.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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<i><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
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Mark's Other Blog Posts: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>,
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-74628446020616297712014-05-28T08:39:00.001-07:002014-05-28T08:39:17.912-07:00A Poetic Thing Happened on My Way to Work“Maya Angelou died today.” The cashier said.<br />
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I’d heard that already, actually. I had been listening to NPR on my way to work, and they’d been talking about it. I had stopped and pulled into a convenience store to get my Diet Dr Pepper for the morning.<br />
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“Yeah, I heard.” I agreed. <br />
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“That’s sad.”<br />
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“She left quite a legacy, though.”<br />
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It wasn’t until I’d left the store that the full impact of Maya’s life and work hit me. I had just bought a soda from a convenience store, and the cashier and I had conversed about a poet. Not about the weather, or complaining about a country song on the radio or politics, but about a poet.<br />
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Maya Angelou died today.<br />
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Or, maybe, I should say, “Maya Angelou lives today”<br />
<i><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
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<i><br /></i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-63304578884745033652014-03-26T08:36:00.000-07:002014-03-26T08:36:31.309-07:00Two Singers I admire: Bono and David ArchuletaIn the last week, I’ve had the chance to hear about two singers and to think about what I admire in both of them. It’s a similar list. One of them is young, some would argue, at the beginning of his career. The other has had a long and celebrated career. The two are David Archuleta and Bono.<br />
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As I start this blog post, I have to set up the disclaimer. I usually don’t like admiring other humans. Too often, we set people up as heroes, and then we’re upset when they let us down. On the other hand, I think we should celebrate goodness and righteousness whenever we see it. So, let me say that I don’t know either of these people personally. I have no idea what they’re really like. I don’t know what their struggles have been, other than what I’ve read. I don’t even like every song they’ve sung.<br />
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But they have both made some choices in their lives that I find admirable, and I want to point those out.<br />
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The first event I heard about was <a href="http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1284&sid=29200089" target="_blank">David Archuleta’s return from his mission</a>. I was impressed by this. Here, he’s got a growing recording and performing career, and he sets it aside to serve his fellow humans in relative obscurity in a far-away country. If his mission was anything like mine, or anything like anyone else’s, he probably had a lot of struggles, disappointments, joys, and personal triumphs. I don’t know how well he got along with his companions, or how well they got along with him, but I’m sure they all grew in the process.<br />
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Here’s what I most admire him for: he went, he served, and he came home honorably. There have been many others who have had the opportunity and have not done those three things. Others have felt that their fame would interfere with missionary work. I just admire that he made the choice to set it all aside.<br />
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The other thing was <a href="http://www.atu2.com/news/transcript-bono-husband-father-advocate-focus-on-the-family-interview.html" target="_blank">an interview Bono did with Jim Daly of Focus on the Family</a>. In the course of the interview, Bono, who is by all accounts now, a worldwide superstar, bore his personal witness of Jesus as the Son of God, and talked knowledgeably about the scriptures. In addition to being in the band, he’s worked tirelessly in support of AIDS-ravaged and poverty-stricken Africa. He’s worked with politicians on the right and the left all across the world looking for ways to facilitate funding and treatments.<br />
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Again, I don’t know him. I’ve never met him. I don’t know his flaws or his strengths.<br />
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I don’t know the hearts or minds of either of these two great voices. So, I will admire and try to emulate some of their great choices, and I will use those choices as examples to teach my family.<br />
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<i><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
<br /><br /></i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-74713220059536469402014-03-05T08:08:00.000-08:002014-03-05T08:08:09.243-08:00The Grass and The WillowA Fable For Our Times<br />
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So, the story goes that there was a big, tall, full willow tree atop a small rise, surrounded by a grassy meadow. It had been there for years. Many who traveled the roads by the meadow would stop and rest in its shade before moving on. They used the great tree as a landmark to know where to travel and how far they had come. It seemed like it had always been there and always would. It was fixed in place, immovable. The idea that it had once been a weak little sapling was long forgotten.<br />
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Below it the grass also grew tall, but not so much as the tree, obviously. As the breezes and winds blew the grass would sway and swing, bending to the slightest shift and motion in the air.<br />
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Not the tree, of course. Oh, the leaves might swish a little, but the tree was strong against even harsher winds. It stayed, sturdy and tall.<br />
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Until one night a storm arose like no other before it. The winds and the rains hammered the hilltop, whipping the grass and the tree in its frenzy. Wave after wave of harsh force smashed against them. The tree strained to hold together as branches snapped and tumbled. The tree held on with all its might, but finally, its shallow roots were unable to stand against the force of the wind, and with a loud crackling, it toppled over, smashing to the ground.<br />
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In the morning, the winds were again calm and the sun rose, drying the raindrops off the dying tree and the grassy meadow. The grasses rose up and again danced and swayed in the breeze. Their roots were deep and intertwined, and their blades flexible to move with the winds but still remain in place, still growing, still alive.<br />
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OK<br />
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So, I was reading yesterday <a href="http://www.fairmormon.org/perspectives/publications/jerald-and-sandra-tanners-distorted-view-of-mormonism-a-response-to-mormonism-shadow-or-reality" target="_blank">an old response to Jerald and Sandra Tanner’s many anti-Mormon and anti-Joseph Smith books</a>, and I started to see a trend. The more I read, the more I realized that the reason many good, faithful church members fall to anti-mormon propaganda is, in fact, our own fault, culturally. We cling so rigidly, dogmatically to details that we think are facts, when those “facts” are, in fact, not certain. Then, when those “facts” are challenged, our roots don’t go deep enough and so, aren’t strong enough to adapt and flow with those winds, and we fall. Maybe our roots aren’t intertwined enough with others, strengthening each other, and so, we fall.<br />
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For example: Detail Dogma might say that the Book of Abraham was the literal translation of the exact writing on the scrolls that Joseph Smith acquired. Some experts, cited by the Tanners, claim that the writings translate differently, and are not at all what Joseph wrote as the Book of Abraham. But do we REALLY know what happened? Do we REALLY know how it happened? Is it not possible that Joseph Smith saw the texts and had a visionary experience that brought about the revelation of the Book of Abraham? Is it possible that Joseph, with God’s eyes and inspiration, saw more in the drawings and text than others have? What is the difference between “translation” and “revelation”. There is so much that we don’t know. So, should we rigidly cling to the superficial dogma, or should we sink our roots deeper to the underlying belief that the Book of Abraham is sacred scripture, however it arrived?<br />
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Another example: For years and years, we were told that the native american tribes were descendants of the Lamanites. Some scientists did some studying and claimed that DNA testing disproved that theory, saying that the DNA of native americans was more asian. We took a look at our beliefs and we said, essentially, that maybe there were other groups here, too, and they mixed. Then, further DNA studies showed that it's not so cut and dried, scientifically, anyway.<br />
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We often want our histories and our stories to be clear, to be black and white, but life isn’t that way. It’s often messy and our heroes aren’t always so heroic. That doesn’t mean we stop believing in them, though. We just have to be flexible.<br />
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<i><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
<br /><br /></i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-61549072999636377192014-02-26T12:23:00.005-08:002014-02-26T12:23:58.093-08:00When Worlds CollideA big topic in the news of late is the<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/25/ariz-bill-allowing-owners-to-deny-services-based-on-religion-spark-strong/" target="_blank"> Arizona bill</a> (passed by the legislature, and currently awaiting signing or veto by the governor) which would effectively allow anyone to refuse service to anyone for religious reasons. There is a lot of legalese in <a href="http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/51leg/2r/bills/sb1062s.pdf" target="_blank">the text of the law</a>, but the basic upshot of it (and the source of the controversy) is that if there’s a same-sex wedding, and they want to hire someone to, say, bake the cake or take pictures, or perform the service, a person or company whose religous beliefs prohibit same-sex marriage would be allowed to turn down the opportunity. It essentially says that if your church doesn’t like it, you’re not required to go along with it at your business.<br />
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On one side of this argument is the observation that this essentially sanctions discrimination, and undoes decades of civil rights legislation. On the other side of the argument, people are upset that businesses and business people are getting sued for “standing for their beliefs”. They are frustrated that the government, and the laws it enforces, are requiring them to do things they believe are against their beliefs and principles.<br />
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It doesn’t even have to be against gays. If someone’s Church doesn’t accept the possibility of life on other planets, according to this law, they shouldn’t be required to let aliens in their store.<br />
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Add to that this <a href="http://www.charismanews.com/world/40685-millionaire-gay-couple-sues-to-force-church-wedding" target="_blank">suit being brought against a Church in the UK</a>, and the plot gets even a bit thicker. The gay couple is suing because the Church won’t marry them. Even though it’s happening “over there”, many in America are watching with interest because it could indicate a trend or precedent.<br />
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I’m a bit befuddled by it all. I don’t want to legalize discrimination and prejudice, either, but I also support someone’s right to believe what they want and to act on that belief.<br />
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This is a situation where we may actually see the colliding of words, the immovable object being hit by the irresistible force. These two viewpoints are completely at odds with each other. The gays want to get married, and there are many who don’t want to serve them. Should they be forced to serve? Or should the gays be forced to look elsewhere for services? What if the services aren’t available elsewhere, or if there are other factors in the situation?<br />
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This is why I think the LDS Church fought so strongly against same-sex marriage in California, Hawaii, and other states: the fear that, at some point, the Church would sued and forced to solemnize same-sex marriages in the temple. I think that without that spectre looming over their heads, the Brethren of the Church would have been much more accepting of the concept.<br />
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Honestly, I’m not sure what the answer is. But, it’s something that I’ll be watching very closely.<br />
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<br />
<i><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
<br /></i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-87904284578550171452014-02-18T16:07:00.000-08:002014-02-18T20:53:11.261-08:00On Dress Codes and Modesty<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;">OK, I’m so confused.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I recently got on the short end of the wrath of the internets on a discussion among church members of “Modesty”. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I thought this was always kind of clear, but apparently not. From the discussion, I guess girls are supposed to be allowed to “express themselves” and to not be “ashamed” of their bodies, but they’re still not supposed to dress sexy and show too much skin, unless, of course, they want to, and dress codes are the new machines of male oppression and men should be expected to control themselves, but they’re not allowed to respond to any visual stimuli regardless of how the girl parades it but the prophet still says you should wear clothing that covers the body areas covered by the garments, unless if your swimsuit is revealing then, that’s OK, because it’s all about comfort, not exposure, and... And...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> And I’m trying to sort through it, but I’m getting a bit lost, here.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I do get the bits about dress codes. I hate them, too. I think that dress codes and social dress expectations are more about control than they are about modesty or practicality. Why on earth anyone thinks that a white shirt and a tie are sensible is beyond me. I used to work in a call center. Everyone we interacted with was on the phone. But, arbitrarily, we were required to dress up one day a week. Why? So the management could exercise that bit of control.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I also get the self-expression bit. For many years, in my rocker days, I dressed very rebelliously. Sort of. By that I mean that I had the shredded jeans and grungy jacket and long hair, but all of my garment areas were covered. There was a kid in my old ward that would come to church as a punker, but still in a white shirt. The dichotomy always made me smile.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I also get that a lot of the scars from the ways we were taught about sexual purity in our sunday school and seminary classes are now turning up in therapy. When it comes to sex, we are definitely a peculiar people.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> So, I guess I’d like some help here. Are our youth, both boys and girls, still being taught to dress modestly? Is that still valued? Are they being taught why it’s important? Is it still important?</span></span><br />
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mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-75750798540489192162014-01-07T22:57:00.000-08:002014-01-07T22:57:33.763-08:00Misfit Mormons<br />
When I read<a href="http://lemmonythings.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/being-a-mormon-misfit-and-why-thats-t%20otally-ok/" target="_blank"> this blog entry</a>, I had a lot of emotions well up. I, too, feel like a misfit. I have my whole life. Sometimes, I enjoy it, other times, it frustrates me. As I read this, I knew I'd have to share my feelings.<br />
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First, I must insist that this feeling is cultural. I've not felt spiritually out of place. For the most part, I've always felt like I had a connection with my Heavenly Father, and when I've felt that the connection wasn't as strong, I've always known that it's been me that was disconnecting.<br />
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When I was younger, I grew my hair out long. At one point, it was down to the middle of my shoulder blades. I used to wear shredded jeans, bandanas and untied high-tops. I looked like I'd walked out of a guitar magazine. Yet, I always carried a current temple recommend. I wore my hair like a flag, challenging all to get to know the real me.<br />
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My taste in music has never been mainstream LDS. I recognize that Janice Kapp Perry and Michael McLean are great talents and wonderful people. I've met them both. But I have no tunes by either one on my cell phone tracklist. What is there? Lots of hard rock, much of it Christian. Lots of old school prog rock, too. Some classical.<br />
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Early on, I yearned for hard rock music with Mormon themes. Finding none, I made my own. I still carry much of that in my phone lists, too. Did you know there are LDS rappers?<br />
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All of these things are superficial, I know. But I really have felt very alone through much of my church experience. I still go. It's still true. Much of LDS church culture is built on the concepts of obedience and of following your leaders. And they wear white shirts, dark suits, and simple ties. That's how you're supposed to be spiritual, right?<br />
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In the end, I grew tired. I felt like I was fighting a losing battle, all the while nobody else around me knew that we were even at war. My hair is short, my shirts are mostly white. But my ties have guitars and looney toons on them, and I still love loud, obnoxious guitars.<br />
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<i><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent%20(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(%20document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
<br /></i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-37042520686006206472013-10-08T08:27:00.000-07:002013-10-08T08:29:24.994-07:00October 2013 General Conference, Controversy and Compassion<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">General Conference has always been a time of great controversy. It seems that everyone who has a beef with the church or wants to push their own agenda onto it kinda comes out of the woodwork to make their statement.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I’m not surprised, either. It makes sense. This is where the saints are gathered, with the authorities, and the media. You’ve got the Ordain Women movement, and the Gay and Lesbian movement and the Mormons Are All Going to Hell movement, and they all have a place in the great wide “Supermercado de Dios” (“God’s Supermarket” - a phrase I learned in Honduras).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This time, there were two talks that spoke directly to my own agendas, in very powerful and reaffirming ways. They calmed the controversies that had been brewing for a long time in my soul, and left me feeling quite weightless at the end. I wish I could find transcripts this soon after the event, but I haven’t been able to find them.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The first, and probably the biggest (for me) was Elder Uctdorf’s talk on Saturday morning. I was driving home from a book signing, and listening to it on the radio. I ended up in tears. Let me set it up for you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> For a long time, as I’ve interacted with many different people who have many different ideas about the church, I’ve encountered many with negative things to say about the church. Frankly, there’s a lot of material to draw from: Polygamy, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the Missouri wars, the Adam/God theory, the ERA, the Salamander letters, the political involvement by the church in many issues, including California’s Proposition 8, and even, on a small scale, the expansion of the Provo MTC.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In my own mind, I had come to be (pretty much) at peace with most of these issues by arriving at a personal understanding that the leaders of the church (historical and current) are humans, and that God allows his human representativess to make choices. Sometimes, those choices are good and wise, and other times, not so much. In other words, I truly believe that God leads this church, but that sometimes we humans get in the way, and He allows that as a part of our growth.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> One thing that has consistently bothered me about these things is the way the church has handled the dissent. Either they’ve ignored it, shouted it down, or simply excommunicated those that were dissenting.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The tone of the talk by President Uctdorf was finally one with openness, compassion, reconciliation, and forgiveness. And by “forgiveness”, I mean both extending it, and asking for it. A member of our highest governing body (the First Presidency) stood up in General Conference and admitted that we have, now and in the past, made mistakes. That was HUGE. It confirmed all that I had been feeling, yet wondering about, for so long. A massive weight was lifted from me. My spirit and mind are both still reeling from the lightness I’m feeling, even days later.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Then, if that wasn’t enough, in the afternoon session, Elder Holland talked about mental illness, particularly depression. He talked about how important it is to recognize it and to treat it, even with contemporary professional methods. He said we wouldn’t send someone with appendicitis home to “study and pray”, but we’d send them to the hospital for an operation. He called on everyone to treat those with mental health issues with compassion and support.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> While I don’t really know if I would be diagnosed with an actual clinical depression, I’ve been through long periods of “down” throughout my life. I’ve gotten therapy from time to time and dealt with a lot of my issues.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It was very nice to hear from that grand pulpit that I’m OK. That I can be healed, and that I can take steps to be healed. Another weight lifted.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, say what you wish about the controversies and the agendas, my two big problems felt, if not resolved, at least at peace.</span></span><br />
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<i><br /><a href="javascript:window.location = 'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent (location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent( document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://markhansenmusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901297.post-58781358292934953152013-02-07T07:13:00.001-08:002013-02-07T07:22:25.835-08:00More Thoughts on Revelation<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">As I re-read the <a href="http://www.ldsmag.com/article/1/12123" target="_blank">article I mentioned in my last post</a>, about Joseph Smith's first vision, a couple of paragraphs stuck with me. These were where he talked about how communication works with humans. </span></div>
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"In any communication there is an encoder that sends the signal and a decoder that receives it. Always there is noise between the sender and the receiver of the signal and it limits and hinders perfect transmission and reception. In terms of communication, noise is not only audible. Sound or physical noise can interrupt a signal, but other kinds of noise hinder communication too. Semantic noise happens when the encoder sends signals that the receiver lacks the power to decipher. Psychological noise happens when a receiver’s assumptions or prejudices or preconceived notions or emotions prevent an accurate interpretation of the signal.</div>
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"God may reveal flawless signals, but no mortal, including the youthful Joseph Smith, receives communication flawlessly. There is always noise. And in this case the process of communication will be doubly difficult since Joseph’s best efforts to re-communicate his experience to us are also compromised by communication noise.So rather than assume that I could know all about the vision by reading Joseph’s accounts, I expected only to understand some of what Joseph experienced and only as it came through his memory and the limits of communication.</div>
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These thoughts reminded of a <a href="http://moboy.blogspot.com/2009/10/some-thoughts-on-revelation-and-word-of.html" target="_blank">blog post I did here in Mo'Boy</a> a while back. Something sparked my mind and I got to thinking and writing about how revelation works with us. I think that all too often we take the simplest possible explanations, and realize that more often than not, the simplest is not the right one, nor even the most "realistic". Revelation and scripture is a good example of this. </div>
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Too often we just assume that our scriptures were handed to us, complete, and uneditable, like a great holy pdf attachment. I think even some of us believe that the priniting layout was divinely mandated. We forget that our scriptures are collections of human writings, documenting thousands and thousands of years of communication from God to humans.</div>
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When trying to understand the scriptures, it's valuable to consider them on all of these levels. First, of course, is what it means to me, the reader, at face value. What is it saying to me? Second, it's good to try and figure out who wrote it and when, and what they were going through and who they were writing it to. Finally, it's good to try and figure out what we think is the message God is trying to send to all of us.<br />
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This is true of ancient scripture, like the five books of Moses, or modern scripture, like the Joseph Smith story.</div>
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First, I try and get into my own mind and heart, then the mind and heart of the writer/revelator, and finally, to try and figure out the mind and heart of God. Then, I'm finally in a position to really understand a scripture.</div>
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<i><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.location%20=%20'http://www.socialmarker.com/?link='+encodeURIComponent%20(location.href)+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(%20document.title);"><img alt="share" border="0" src="http://www.socialmarker.com/bookmark.gif" /></a><noscript><a href="http://www.socialmarker.com">Social Bookmarking</a></noscript><br /><br />Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including <a href="http://MarkHansenMusic.com/" target="_blank">MarkHansenMusic.com</a> and his <a href="http://marksblackpot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dutch Oven blog.</a>
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Mark's Other Blog Posts: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/address" target="_blank">name post</a>,
</i>mrkhmusichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05724027246990759522noreply@blogger.com0