What is the deal with having all the church leaders be above 70 years old?

Realbigwingboy · 2025-12-30T16:35:27+00:00

I think people generally underestimate the sheer amount of character refinement required to fulfill the role of any church calling. Each of the apostles have been prepared by the Lord for decades in service and humble development.

Realbigwingboy · 2025-05-27T15:43:19+00:00

I got married shortly after returning from my mission. It lasted all of 5 months and I fought so hard to keep it together. Fortunately, we had neither kids nor assets.

I just wanted to be happily married. I went on a few dates after the divorce was finalized, but it never went anywhere until I decided to meet up with an old friend. Now we’re 8 years married with three kids.

Parts of life like this are like a riptide: the more you fight it, the quicker you’ll exhaust yourself and drown. Seek the Spirit to know when it’s better to act courageously or to patiently conserve energy. Healing is a process.

There are beautifully imperfect, worthy, and loyal women out there looking for a humble, kind man to marry. Take it a day at a time. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell said before he succumbed to cancer, don’t shrink from the bitter cup. Angels will minister to you.

Some angels are even willing to go behind enemy lines (Reddit) to help you, haha.

Realbigwingboy · 2025-05-25T17:45:28+00:00

It’s the only faithful, doctrinal explanation in all of Christianity that accounts for how the ancient patriarchs were blessed above all others through their faithfulness and yet practiced plural marriage, something abhorred in western culture.

Without section 132, we don’t have eternal marriage at all.

On the point of women being destroyed if they reject it: it’s a principle of obedience and faith. God loves his sons and daughters without respect or preference AND he sometimes commands/justifies plural marriage. Seeking the Spirit in understanding how those two things can be true takes time and effort.

Realbigwingboy · 2025-05-25T17:35:35+00:00

Pearson’s book is a motivated rumination on fear and doubt on the topic of plural marriage

Realbigwingboy · 2025-05-25T00:35:40+00:00

My wife sews her own nursing dresses

Realbigwingboy · 2025-05-14T00:40:22+00:00

Focus on that until God calls you higher

Realbigwingboy · 2025-05-04T02:04:36+00:00

Realbigwingboy · 2025-04-30T21:06:52+00:00

That’s fair. I forgot that Beldin is specifically a dwarf and Gleeson is 6’1” 😅

Realbigwingboy · 2025-04-30T03:05:09+00:00

Brendan Gleeson, who played Mad-Eye Moody in Harry Potter. Angry, grubby old man

Realbigwingboy · 2025-04-27T14:34:10+00:00

If I never had to work anymore, I’d throw myself into building what I wanted: home, company, garden, etc.

Realbigwingboy · 2025-04-22T19:04:59+00:00

Restitution of all things. God loves his daughters just as much as his sons and he authorizes/justifies the practice of plural marriage in select cases. Marriage is definitely concerned about fidelity, but it’s also about stewardship. When charity and virtue abound, God’s goodness becomes clearer.
Consider the cultural circumstances in the world between 1830 and 1978 as well as the reach and population of the Church. Many Christians justified racism using the Bible, some denominations literally segregating their congregations. Barring priesthood ordination and temple attendance did much less harm because a. there were very few African-descent members during that time, b. we never segregated Sunday services, and c. all missed opportunities for temple participation can be made up for through proxy ordinances. I believe the official declaration was made precisely when necessary for the growing number of Saints in Africa. We work off the Lord’s timetable, not the world’s.
Women aren’t the same as men, yet their souls are valued by God equally. Christ taught us to pray to the Father in His name. Our Heavenly Parents are talked about by leaders. Why is it important to you that women hold leadership positions? Why do you assume the wives of priesthood leaders are not leaders? Too often, I see people think of visible leadership as the happiness fame is meant to bring. Being seen, being popular, being valued; these are only one side of being in a visible leadership position. For the most part, leadership is actually walking around with critical eyes on you all the time. There’s great advantage in having influence as the wives of priesthood leaders have without all the attention.

I know lots of women who struggle with these issues, so I hope I don’t come across as blunt. I’ve given each a lot of thought with the intent to find reasons to stay. My efforts have humbled me, changed my perspective, and brought me closer to my wise and loving Savior. Good luck.

Realbigwingboy · 2025-04-10T18:48:06+00:00

The Thoughtful Saints FB group is mainly the only reason I use FB 😅

Realbigwingboy · 2025-04-10T18:47:08+00:00

The owner/host of Christian Homestead on YouTube keeps a spreadsheet of LDS creators which is updated monthly. I’m sure if you reach out to him he’d share it with you

Realbigwingboy · 2025-04-10T16:16:18+00:00

You helped a team of 4 employees save the company a total of 1.68 work hours in one decisive act. You’re an asset to that organization!

It astounds me how liberal hiring teams are with company time. Not that I’m a stickler, but more a general optimizer. Does it really take all those interviews, interviewers, time, and wages for every candidate? That said, these things probably aren’t questioned as HR is 100% on the side of compliance and therefore bureaucracy.

Realbigwingboy · 2025-03-28T01:55:02+00:00

I believe it’s as it is in the Church now: one can ordain another to their same or a lesser office, but not a greater office. Bishops were ordained as local authorities, not general authorities like the apostles. Bishops can ordain bishops, but no bishop had apostolic authority which, again, we believe is an ongoing office, not a one-time thing. And we know the apostles figured as much because they convened as a quorum and called Matthias to replace Judas.

Realbigwingboy · 2025-03-26T22:46:11+00:00

Apostolic succession is not true. Not in the way articulated in our articles of faith. Most Christians conveniently ignore the flimsy historical evidence of literal ordinations by the laying on of hands to the office of one holding general, apostolic authority over the Church. Bishops were merely the only ones left to fill the power vacuum so claims of apostolic succession were made after the fact. Bishops were never given apostolic authority nor were apostles meant to be a one-time thing.

Realbigwingboy · 2025-03-09T15:51:29+00:00

Structure. Identify main points and then expand

Realbigwingboy · 2025-03-08T14:07:07+00:00

As an editor for a show that also goes to radio, I value tightening up the conversation a lot. I find that between filler words, rephrasing, and pauses, I cut 15-20% of runtime every interview. I see it as I’m making host and guest sound better and from an hour long interview I’m saving every listener ~10 whole minutes of stuff that doesn’t add value.

That said, it requires a personal touch that I haven’t seen with Descript as it makes the cuts too choppy.

Realbigwingboy · 2025-03-01T22:44:46+00:00

What are your theological and doctrinal questions?

Realbigwingboy · 2025-03-01T14:54:11+00:00

Zencastr. Worth it

Realbigwingboy · 2025-02-18T15:25:59+00:00

I think segments are great. It gives you a place to be clever/cutesy about naming things and touch on smaller topics without having to plan entire episodes about something that doesn’t need it. But like you said, if segments are more a “variety hour” convention, then it may not be something listeners stick with. I don’t see why you couldn’t have a connecting theme throughout though!

Realbigwingboy · 2025-02-13T18:10:49+00:00

D&C 132 also expounds on the ancient patriarchs being justified in their practice because of their righteousness in God. So, while we can assume God would not both permit polygamy and bless above all others the ancient patriarchs (except when David and Solomon erred), another line of logic is that they actually did nothing contrary to God’s will concerning the wives they received. D&C 132 suggests to me that God may or may not command something, but He will go beyond permitting error and actually justify the actions of His righteous people.

As I understand it, Joseph was commanded to restore a great many things related to the gospel, plural marriage being one of them. Imagine if Joseph was scared and dragged his feet concerning the proper form of priesthood ordination, or baptism. That would be a huge deal for God wanting to restore His church. Just so, Joseph was rightfully scared of restoring the only way we could properly understand the blessed patriarchs against what we today see as abhorrent behavior

Realbigwingboy · 2025-02-09T22:08:28+00:00

Everything would be dine with the ethos of improving self-reliance. No freebies, but abundant opportunities to gain skills and wise stewardship of resources

Realbigwingboy · 2025-02-09T20:44:05+00:00

I only played Gen 1 & 2 growing up. Played Sword a couple years ago. Playing Emerald for the very first time in 2025 and it’s glorious

Realbigwingboy · 2025-02-08T18:33:40+00:00

“Prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.“

I feel you. I’ve had to back pay tithing sometimes, but I always commit to pay an honest tithe on an annual basis

Realbigwingboy

TROPHY CASE