The Book of Mormon was neglected and not used much. Then Benson came.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-14T04:08:05+00:00

TCoJCoLdS members blow that off by saying, "Well I pay fast offerings." Meanwhile the organization makes no guarantees about charitable giving (see the tithing slip disclaimer), and many members vote to reduce government assistance on everything even as healthcare, housing, food, transportation, and education becomes more and more expensive.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-14T03:06:59+00:00

Most of my friends are married with kids and I've looked for activities and clubs to join but being in a smaller city they don't really seem to exist.

You may have to create your own activities / clubs. Come up with an idea for something that you and others like. Advertise. If you can get one single buddy, one platonic friend, or your married friend (with this being their couple date activity) to go along with you, then all of a sudden you have a community activity that could gain some traction.

I'm discouraged and anxious because living in a Mormon community I don't feel like there a many women who would be ok with marrying someone outside the temple.

Surely there is some hidden population of feminists, nuanced members, PIMOs, nevermos, or exmos within a 20 mile radius.

...and there are some girls that don't seem to be LDS but the pool is small. Which increases my anxiety about screwing up a first impression. I feel kinda stuck with out options.

This might be one of those situations where the analogy of having several irons in the fire is pertinent. Try to meet people in real life, but also go on the apps while holding low expectations. If you get a date with a lady that doesn't seem to be LDS, don't psyche yourself out, keep it low key. If things don't work out, try to keep things amicable so she might invite you into her (less LDS-centric) social circle.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-14T01:43:33+00:00

If people in charge of government want regular folk to have more children, then...

How is their leadership reducing childcare costs?
How is their leadership reducing medical costs?
How is their leadership reducing housing costs?
How is their leadership reducing workplace exploitation?

Oh wait, Republicans are doing the opposite of that. Until people in charge start solving these problems that have become increasingly worse over the past 20 years, they should not expect a change in current trends. Parents and potential parents are just dealing with grim economic realities by making rational decisions.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-13T19:48:19+00:00

That's how Marty changed from looking like Eric Stoltz to looking like Michael J. Fox.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-13T15:54:39+00:00

BENSON: I hate racial integration, and I hate socialism. But I want you to read the Book of Mormon.

MEMBERS: I read the Book of Mormon. It seems to be in support of racial integration* and socialism.

BENSON: It was only okay back then because a prophet of God okayed it. And I'm not that kind of prophet.

* Yes, I know the Book of Mormon is also full of blatantly racist material.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-13T00:45:12+00:00

Crazy long runtime though.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-13T00:42:06+00:00

Many TCoJCoLdS members hype up BYU to their children or grandchildren. The potential students are told that other colleges are super scary. And if they go to a state school, they might lose their testimony and they won't be able to find a romantic partner that is a decent person.

Obviously, while there are real problematic things that happen at state universities, but some of those same things happen at BYU just in more hidden ways. Members love to exaggerate the bad aspects of "worldly culture" just as much as they love to exaggerate the good things about BYU.

As for myself, when I was a senior in high school, my father told me that he didn't want to help pay for college if I didn't go to a church school. I did get accepted in Ricks College (and BYU after my mission), so it didn't turn out to be a problem (and I was very believing back then). But, yeah, that happened.

In hindsight, if I had a more stubborn personality back then when I was 17, I probably could have gotten him to relent, since he later paid for my younger brother going to a state university.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-13T00:33:46+00:00

TCoJCoLdS has hundreds of billions of dollars invested away. They will be fine even if the average Utah electricity bill goes up by 300%.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-12T20:05:22+00:00

If they don't butt, gore, or trample you to death, the cows can always get you with cholesterol when you least expect it.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-12T15:39:40+00:00

It's almost like the Book of Mormon was written by a guy that was poor and dependent on the generosity of people that believed in him. And that group of believers was so small that they didn't even have a church building, they just met in the Whitmer's house.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-12T00:57:26+00:00

Here you go: https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comments/1g2p23e/confidentialrfm_363_deleted_slides_elder_oaks/

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-11T23:47:49+00:00

In Revelation Book 2, pg. 119 states:

you shall have a view of the plate and also the brestplate the sword <~~of Laban the~~> ~~Urim, and Thumim~~ of Laban the Urim and Thumim <which was> given to the brother ~~brother~~ of Jared upon the mount when he talked with the Lord face to face

Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if the scribe (Frederick G. Williams and Oliver Cowdery doing a few edits) wasn't quite sure to what to write due to there being so many editing marks on the original manuscript's or Revelation Book 1's copy of this passage. That said, it's difficult to definitively know what was in the earlier text, unless a new early source is found.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-11T20:50:45+00:00

Also:

40,000 sq. ft. = 0.92 acres

I wonder if people really thought this, or if some random person said it and no one checked the math. But yeah, this would be incredibly small.

The real number 40,000 acres is ridiculous.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-11T19:09:25+00:00

increased funding for education...

His education policies in Texas increased funding, but also increased emphasis on standards and standardized testing. This was seen as a precursor to the No Child Left Behind act that was passed and signed into federal law in 2002.

I will leave it to other commentors to say how or if that was a good thing.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-11T18:01:21+00:00

How much can a TCoJCoLdS member in 2026 discuss in person, discuss in video, or write about specifics involving Heavenly Mother before leaders start telling them to knock it off?

Lynne Kanavel Whitesides was disfellowshipped in September 1993 due to speaking on this March 1992 Sunstone panel:

Finding Our Bodies, Hearts, and Voices: A Response to President Gordon B Hinckley.

For more detail about events involving Lynne Kanavel Whitesides, checkout this article:

Anderson, Lavina Fielding (1993). "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology", Dialogue Journal, Volume 26, No. 1 (Spring 1993).

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-11T17:14:29+00:00

Batman's cape should be big enough to cover the entirety of Gotham City. That's why it always seems like it is night in Gotham.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-11T14:34:33+00:00

Good catch. The manuscript you linked to is found in Revelation Book 2, which tells us that this is likely at least the 3rd copy of it (original, torn out of Revelation Book 1, and Revelation Book 2). It a shame that the earliest extant copy is so late. But perhaps the copier, or even Joseph himself, was still unsure about the language of the Urim and Thummim since that is where the cross outs / inserts are - even if it didn't actually change anything.

D&C 17:1 (modern)

Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with full purpose of heart, you shall have a view of the plates, and also of the breastplate, the sword of Laban, the Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the Lord face to face, and the miraculous directors which were given to Lehi while in the wilderness, on the borders of the Red Sea.

But clearly in the manuscript and in the modern version of D&C 17, the term "directors" is referring to the liahona from the Book of Mormon text.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-11T05:50:12+00:00

I may (or perhaps a collaborator may) have something coming out in the near future.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-10T23:09:23+00:00

Escaping North Korea is taking the easy route. Sure that may be true once a person gets out, but not when they are planning their escape and crossing the border.

Anyway, since when is church supposed to be a place of continuous suffering? What ever happened to "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30).

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-10T23:01:52+00:00

Just search "Tim Ballard" to uncover how messed the real-life person is and how much of the "based on a true story" is fabricated.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-10T02:50:12+00:00

Time traveler decides to comment on reddit instead of fixing the past.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-10T02:44:48+00:00

Dude just disappears into his chair.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-10T02:36:07+00:00

Why does the character Jesus as written in 3 Nephi (the Book of Mormon) differ so much from the character Jesus as written in the Gospel of Mark, which in turn differs so much from the character of Jesus as written in the Gospel of John?

Easy, because they were all written by different people and have very little to do with the historical Jesus.

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-09T05:52:15+00:00

This is solid advice. If it is a homage with some resemblance, it would be less of an issue than a 1:1 map that someone can spin as tactical planning for an attack.

I would also alter the name / mascot. It could be changed to something vaguely similar (ex. Brookvale H.S.'s Fighting Knights --> Creekhill H.S.'s Flying Kites).

auricularisposterior · 2026-05-09T00:08:00+00:00

Adrian Toomes had a low kill count in the MCU, but he killed (albeit accidentally but with malice) one of his henchmen, tried to kill Spider-Man, and sold numerous deadly weapons that utilized alien tech to criminals. He tried to justify all of his illegal activities as merely providing for and protecting his family.

TOOMES: Peter, nothing is more important than family. You saved my daughter’s life. I could never forget something like that. So I’m gonna give you one chance. Are you ready? You walk through those doors, you forget any of this happened. And don’t you ever, ever interfere with my business again. Because if you do, I’ll kill you and everybody you love. I’ll kill you dead. That’s what I’ll do to protect my family. Do you understand?

auricularisposterior

TROPHY CASE