I was watching the news last night and there was a story about the uproar caused by a blog entry made by a pizza delivery person.  It seems that Curtis Bramble didn’t behave himself very well and is a crappy tipper to boot and now people are hearing about it.  I’ve been inspired to do a write up on my own encounter with Utah’s State Senate Majority Leader.

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As long as we’re on the topic of Utah and Obama…

A Utah couple created this Obama sock puppet to sell on their website. According to KSL they claim to have plans to make puppets of other figures such as McCain and the leader of Iran. I’m trying to imagine what would make a McCain puppet look like McCain? Perhaps a lopsided neck? Would that be funny or appropriate? But so far they’ve only made the Obama one. They see nothing wrong with this. How about you?

Update:
According to the Salt Lake Tribune the creators of the sock puppet are not LDS. Cold comfort, I suppose.

The Salt Lake Tribune has a story on the launch of Zrii.  It is endorsed by Deepak Chopra and made of a fruit grown at the base of the Himalayas.  If the history of this market is any guide it will taste like liquid crap, which it will make up for by being ten times as expensive as orange juice and just as beneficial.  If you hurry, maybe you can get in on the ground floor of this amazing opportunity and be on the fast track to a big house on the hill, a Hummer, and a home theater room that will make your kids the envy of their cousins.  Make some use of the persuasive skills you honed as a missionary and sign everyone you know up to be below you in the pyramid today!

Too bad that the launch doesn’t coincide with the release of a remake of a classic LDS film…

I keep hearing that charity is a spiritual gift. Searching of LDS.org for “charity is a gift” or “gift of charity” will reveal many references. Yet as I read the lists of spiritual gifts in the Scriptures (I Cor, Moroni 10, D&C 46) I don’t see charity listed. What am I missing? Is charity a gift? If so why aren’t the scriptures more explicit in calling it a gift? If it is a gift does that change our understanding of how we can or cannot develop charity?

Margaret Young mentioned at BCC that CES (Church Educational System) is no longer CES. A quick look at the organization’s website seems to confirm that it is now Seminaries and Institutes of Religion. As long as they’re messing with the name of the organization may I suggest a few other changes as well?
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I’ve been reflecting recently on the need that groups of people have to demonize those they perceive as enemies. We as LDS are not immune from this tendency.

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Mormon Mentality is happy to have DCcLemon as a guest blogger.  DCcLemon is a long time lurker, first time poster.  She’s looking forward to leaving lurkerhood and joining the conversation.  Perhaps her example will encourage other lurkers to comment on occasion.

A bit of background information would perhaps be useful.  She’s a married mother of three, works part-time, and her current priority is getting her youngest to sleep through the night.

A few weeks ago Proud Daughter of Eve asked for suggestions for leading a discussion of lesson #6 of the Joseph Smith manual.

I was given the opportunity to teach the same lesson last Sunday. I took the advice that I gave PDoE and asked first off about the depiction of the Aaronic Priesthood restoration that appears with this lesson in the manual.

Now I don’t know about you but this isn’t the picture that I was shown in Primary. Read more »

I was reading I Corinthians 14 the other day and DKL’s recent posts on the KJV Bible came to mind. In particular I was reminded of PHolland’s thoughts. My understanding of PHolland’s argument is that understanding the Bible is of secondary importance because we can feel the Spirit while reading it and we have other scriptures to fill in the gaps. I think this argument has some merit, but I wonder what Paul would think…

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I’ll post this early so that those commenting from the Wasatch Front can weigh in on what they think of the new crop of Mormon DVDs about to hit Deseret Book.  My money is on The Singles 2nd Ward as best example of Mormon cinema.

Here you go readers, feel free to add your thoughts about General Conference while it happens.

This is an open thread for discussion of the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference.

As a public service we’re providing this space for people to discuss General Conference as it happens.  Act quickly and you can predict who the next apostle will be before they announce it.

I have no idea if iPhones, Blackberries, etc are kosher during this session.  Teach them correct principles and….

Reading Jeff Bennion’s post on Jospeh Smith and the Apocalyptic I noticed he mentioned building a year’s supply. This caused me to remember a conversation I recently had.

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A bill making its way through the Utah legislature has recently come to my attention and I would like to enlist the aid of the readers of this blog in attempting to defeat it. Before discussing it, I’d like to discuss a hypothetical bill.

Imagine that the legislature of Utah passed a law that outlawed all malpractice lawsuits. This law would protect doctors from lawsuits in all cases. A doctor could be completely negligent (perhaps even drunk) and maim or kill one of your loved ones and you would have no recourse.

What would happen? Read more »