One Way to Read It

A seminary teacher told me that this scripture on using animals for food— "And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be a used , only in times of winter, or of cold, or b famine ." —had a misplaced comma, and should read: "And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used only in times of winter, or of cold, or of famine." This minor change kind of undermines the need for having that scripture. And also conflicts with the previous verse which dictates that meats are to be "used sparingly." Other teachers have said that this verse says this because that's how people ate meat in Joseph Smith's day, but that advances in refrigeration and processing have made this obsolete. These men are taking great authority unto themselves by voiding scripture. Not only people in Joseph Smith's day, but our own ancestors stretching back through the millennia have eaten this way. Which means we, too, are genetically adapted to eat this way. That w...

This short clip demonstrates why Michael Mukasey is On Notice: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Senate Confirmation Hearings - Bigger, Longer & Uncut Daily Show Full Episodes Funny Political Videos Important Things With Demetri Martin More Funny Videos 0:34-2:00 And this made me laugh so hard that I couldn't breathe. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Senate Confirmation Hearings Roast Daily Show Full Episodes Funny Political Videos Important Things With Demetri Martin More Funny Videos

This anti-abortion commercial was rejected from the Superbowl lineup, but is worth a view. I voted mostly Democrat this election, and am very happy that Obama is president. And even though I pray that he will make the right decisions, I feel it is necessary to oppose any of his decisions that I do not agree with. One such decision is his support for a new abortion law . Abortion simply should not be a part of politics. It has polarized our society into two groups, both which think the other is wrong. Our government was never meant to mandate personal choice on such a level. Each party may claim divine support for enforcing their idea of righteousness, but inasmuch as they mandate righteousness they rule with the devil's methods. My friend posted this article by a lawyer who refuses to be bullied into supporting our president . I think that she is mostly right. We should be willing to disagree and oppose the president if what he decides conflicts with our values. But we must...

Huntsman said : We hold dear the things that give us a sense of humanity - our land, our air and our water - and recognize the role they play in our peace of mind and spirit, as well as our economy. If we are going to take air quality seriously, which we must for the sake of the next generation, we must be bold; we must be visionary. Our aspirations should be nothing short of extraordinary. And there are two goals that we should immediately set our sights on. Utah Air Quality First, just as Wall Street is known for finance and Silicone Valley for technology, by 2012, I believe Utah can become the premier destination in America for renewable energy ! And don't tell me it can't be done! In just this past year alone, we have witnessed in Utah the opening of a solar farm, a hydroelectric plant, a wind farm and a geothermal plant . To support this energy development, innovation at our higher education campuses is running at an all-time high, like technologies that will ensure the ...

A great communicator and unifying figure. 7:32 long. Obama speaks from about 1:30 to 4:30. Reza Aslan speaks at about 6:00. He's amazing. Interesting that America was respected for being the only Western power without a colonial past. Reza: "He's setting himself up as a bridge between the West and the Middle East. . . .I'm sure that . . . . Bin Laden [is] scrambling to answer this comment. When the President of the U.S. says 'my family is Muslim,' how do you respond to that?"

Carl Sagan describes what it would be like to see a being from another dimension. 7 minutes, but interesting. Compare to: Joseph Smith's vision of an angel —A fourth dimensional being appears in the third dimension. Paul's vision of the third heaven —A third dimensional person is lifted into the fourth dimension. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence ."

Obama has a goal to be our most accessible president. To accomplish this: He had an open house on his inauguration that anyone could come to. He is making weekly addresses to the nation. Download the Recovery Plan Metrics Report His new website, whitehouse.gov, has a way to send a message to the White House . And easy access to his appointees and the executive orders he has made. In the spirit of openness and honesty, he signed his first executive order to make available presidential records that the previous administration had made secret . His other executive orders: His second executive order is to limit corruption between lobbyists and the executive branch. His third E.O. shut down Guantanamo Bay. (It will take 1 year) Notable sentence: " The individuals currently detained at Guantánamo have the constitutional privilege of the writ of habeas corpus ." ( I argued earlier that many of the rights guaranteed by the constitution are given by God. They belong to all pe...

My finance teacher is Libertarian, but he doesn't smoke pot. Neither does Ron Paul. I thought Libertarians were just pot heads who got into politics. And I find myself agreeing with them, that the war on drugs should end. I think I'm Libertarian. But I voted Democrat, because this is a two-party system. Libertarians are not really a party. But Republicans should adopt some of their ideals if they want to win my vote. My friend Emily said of my Obama. Hitler? post: "Interesting post. Though, Bush isn't the only one with a shady past as far as substances go; Obama's admitted "experimenting" with drugs when he was younger as well; and he still smokes, which-- if taken to an extreme (as you often do on this blog)-- kills not only your own body, but those around you too. Maybe you brought up Bush's very personal past problems because calling President Obama "Hitler" is just as personal, and probably more hurtful." True true. Bush and ...

My finance teacher said: "I voted third party, Libertarian. But regardless of who you voted for, I hope you pray for President Obama, because we should never want our country to fail." He's probably voted third party for too long to know the current state of the Republican party. Rush Limbaugh, who represents Republican ideals, wants Obama to fail . " I could say I hope he fails and I could do a brief explanation of why." His explanation was unintelligible . The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Fox News Fear Imbalance Barack Obama Interview John McCain Interview Sarah Palin Video Funny Election Video For those of you who have a spark of Christianity left, remember the words of Paul: 1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For a kings , and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and b peaceable c life in all godliness and d honesty . ...

My brother's grandparents-in-law think Obama is the next Hitler. The similarities? People like him and he's a good public speaker. Of course, by this definition Winston Churchill and Gordon B. Hinckley were Hitler too. Let's not go there - His speaking ability and popularity are especially stark and shocking in comparison to George W. Bush—Who was about as articulate as you'd expect a coke-sniffing former alcoholic from the South to be. "He seems like a good guy now, but his true motives will come out, you'll see." The old people croak. How is he like Hitler? Is he going to exterminate white people? Or Hindus? Hitler had already written his fiercely anti-Semitic Mein Kampf years before he came into power. According to what Obama has written, he will likely wage a war against fathers who don't have dreams , or people who don't have hope . To the gulags! - America has already had it's Hitler. Your ancestors . Those white folk who wipe...

Colbert's scathing rebuttal to Bush and Cheney's torture policies. The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c The Word - Sacrifice Colbert at Christmas Colbert Christmas DVD Green Screen Bill O'Reilly Interview

A thought I had, made on Illustrator.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News , World News , and News about the Economy My wife pointed out that our country is remarkable, in that Bush and Obama likely do not like each other, but that our country demands that the President turn over his power every four to eight years, and that our President obeys. Unlike President Mugabe of Zimbabwe who refuses to yield power, claiming "Zimbabwe is mine," more or less. Or Russia where the laws are vague enough for Putin to put a puppet in power, and then come to power again through a legal loophole. Quite remarkable.

Obama's experience as a community organizer, which was mocked during the RNC , will now continue with an opportunity for you to volunteer. Listen to what Obama has to say about it: Then do something about it .

A window opens for empathy between Israelis and Palestinians. Embedded video from CNN Video Interesting that the news doesn't focus on Palestinian suffering because it is "Hamas propaganda."

Reasonable and necessary measures to prevent unnecessary and self-destructive war. 1. Forbid all taking of profit from military industries. Put an end to the possibility that anyone could get rich from any military enterprise. If all are asked to sacrifice their lives, why should not a few be asked to sacrifice their profits? If high principle is thought a sufficient motive for many, why should the profit motive be considered indispensable for a few? How the Military-Industrial Complex Works How much we pay them 2. Recognize that the outbreak of war in any form is a failure of government and of statesmanship. Let those who make or allow any war be the first into battle. 3. Require all the able-bodied to serve. Old and young alike have fought before in wars of national defense, such as the American Revolution, and they should be expected to do so again; "able-bodied" should mean "able to walk and to work." So far as possible, exemptions should be granted t...

More photoshop and illustrator adventures. Let me know what you think .

As reported in the Helsingin Sanoma . A picture showing Finns what brown hair and warm weather look like. - How about U.S.? We only got a one bedroom, but I'll take in a refugee.

This obviously has an anti-Bush bias, but there are some things I learned from watching it. The 8 prisoners killed by U.S. torture, and the reminder of the danger of mountain-top mining, amongst others. Historians may smile upon him in the distant future, when robots have taken over. But for now, the media portrays him as one of the worst presidents ever.

Just found old school games I used to play. Oregon Trail, King's Quest, Ultima, Dig Dug, Prince of Persia. All free. So sweet.

I just submitted a tee design to threadless . My first one, and one of my first attempts to use photoshop which Kathy bought me for Christmas. Let me know what you think.

Click here for the list. Some summaries: Naomi Klein makes the case in The Nation that Israel should become the target of the kind of global movement that put an end to South Africa's apartheid, calling for boycotts. Bill Moyers in his PBS show, Bill Moyers Journal , "[B]rute force can turn self-defense into state terrorism. It's what the U.S. did in Vietnam with B-52s and napalm, and again in Iraq, with shock and awe. By killing indiscriminately -- the elderly, kids, entire families, by destroying schools and hospitals -- Israel did exactly what terrorists do and exactly what Hamas wanted. It spilled the blood that turns the wheel of retribution." [ Transcript here ] Former President Jimmy Carter wrote an op-ed sharing his view on the necessary path to peace through negotiations.

War on Drugs: The Collateral Damage Prohibition militarizes police, enriches our enemies, undermines our laws, and condemns our sick to suffering. By Radley Balko, January 14, 2009 [Editor's note: This is one of three pieces Culture11 is publishing on the War on Drugs. See David Freddoso's piece arguing against legalization here , and Anita Bartholomew on the prohibitive cost of prohibition here . And see David and Radley debate their respective pieces here .]

The Republican party in Utah is not the same as the Republican party in the rest of the United States, nor is it the same as the Republicanism of Reagan—because the Republican party in Utah has run unopposed for the past thirty years. Opposition, the natural checks and balances put in place by God when he created the earth, and by our founding fathers when they wrote the constitution, keeps us healthy, and keeps government from corruption. An example of this corruption is personified in Steve Clark, professional politician and Republican Congressman for the Utah House of Representatives District 63. Clark, holding the official seal of Provo City - This last November, Clark won a campaign against Democratic opponent Don Jarvis on the platform that he was a Republican. His incumbency helped him gain the victory. Both men are friends, in the same stake, and have served dutifully in the church and other important positions. Now, two months later, Clark is considering dropping out of his ...

An nice defense for the first amendment.

If a country invaded and killed my child, I would hate that country for the rest of my life. Forgiveness would be very difficult. This is something Americans learned on Sept. 11th. Unfortunately, we find it hard to apply that same understanding to our own affairs. We deem those who attack us as "evil doers." Yet when we attack, it is okay because we are the policemen of the world. Breaking news: a lot of cops are jerks. In this one, a cop shoots an unarmed, handcuffed man who is on the ground. Our taking of responsibility as overlords of the Earth has corrupted us with power. We do not only protect the helpless, but we protect our own interests , good or bad.

Maybe they'll rebel and do something great. Amazing.

Violence will never establish permanent peace unless you are willing to kill every last person. Here's a t-shirt that tells this message simply. From The Tee Party .

I supported my church's decision to fight against Prop. 8? Why? Because I believe that our church is led by a prophet. If the prophet's decisions are unpopular, they are even more likely to be from God. However, many others supported Prop. 8 because they were homophobic. It is easy to hate homosexuality if you do not struggle with it. We are prone to preach against the wicked motes in other peoples' eyes without seeing your own beams. "The devil flatters us that we are very righteous, when we are feeding on the faults of others." - Joseph Smith. So if you take up a crusade against sin, let it begin in your own heart. This is in response to my cousin, who wrote the following: "The only reason for global warming is all you queers and queer lovers. Get back in your damn closet. If we are so concerned about the planet lets take all the queers and make fertilizer out of them and put them under a tree. How's that for an idea for getting rid of your carbon...

This is why I'm afraid to tell people I play video games. They'll associate me with these guys. Did the marketer who came up with this commercial think people want to be nerds?

My cousin Brian wrote a beautiful piece on the Israeli-Gaza conflict . Also check out these pictures .

Stephen nails him on concentration camps. The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Better Know a District - Utah's 3rd - Jason Chaffetz Colbert at Christmas Colbert Christmas DVD Green Screen Bill O'Reilly Interview

From The Daily Show The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Crisis in the Senate - Deliberative Disorder Barack Obama Interview John McCain Interview Sarah Palin Video Funny Election Video Start at 8.28.