Humor will not be tolerated!! -Portia

haha, great! I hope it's fun.

Answering heinously over-hours questions is so satisfying. :D

Portia wrote:Answering heinously over-hours questions is so satisfying.

If 100 hours over is heinous, you should see some of the others that have marinated in there.

Tally M. wrote:

Portia wrote:Answering heinously over-hours questions is so satisfying. :D

If 100 hours over is heinous, you should see some of the others that have marinated in there.

I've been in the trenches. I think my Honor Code history answer was like a month overdue. You stop counting in hours.

Although I maintain all engaged people should be put on automatic hiatus. #justsayin

Blythe Masters is one of the preppiest names I've ever seen.

https://theboard.byu.edu/questions/76923/ Boom! Accepted the offer. We are moving to Alaska!

Just completed some of the answers I'm most proud of in my writership. What an insane week. I'm writing this from my brand-new apartment. I pretty much didn't sleep this week. I forget sometimes why I even care about it -- it's all of you. :-) (Although I think I do need a hobby that isn't so close to my paying job, hahaha!)

yeah, it was fun to write again. It's a nice ego boost for me

Elder Oaks' talk. Holy cow. I definitely enjoyed the directness

Yeah, conference is great so far! I think the older you get the more enjoyable it is. Watching conference as a 10 year old was a punishment to me haha... They sang Lead Kindly Light first session, which is my favorite hymn so that was awesome.

And I don't even think it's possible to not like Elder Holland's talks. They're amazing.

Saw a Dukes of Hazzard schoolbus going down the road. I wonder what the owners use it for.

Portia wrote:Congrats, Smurf Blue, on your NZ trip! I'm currently trying to scrounge up the money for a trip to a writers' conference at [Ivy League School] with a side trip to NYC (first time ever!) thrown in. And don't let anyone tell you that a woman can't travel alone safely. I just went to Tahoe and had a lovely time. Use common sense and research the areas you'll be visiting. Seeing any LoTR film sites?

I've been a bit busy for the last little bit....

But thank you! I'm really excited. It's under a year away, if everything goes as planned. I'm hoping to make it to at least one filming site, although I haven't chosen any in particular. From lots of feedback I've been getting, doing both islands in the short time I'll have is tough, so I might be sticking primarily to South Island. I think the traveling alone as a women thing is mostly a fear because isolation can increase my anxiety, and anxiety is not the way to stay safe. My dad seemed interested in the idea of sending my younger brother with me, though, which would eliminate that issue.

Are you much of a city person? I'm not, so the saddest thing about my trip to NYC was not spending more time in Central Park. It's so pretty and such a relief from all the skyscrapers. Take an afternoon there, if you can. Good luck getting the funds together!

Tally M. wrote:Elder Oaks' talk. Holy cow. I definitely enjoyed the directness

Honestly I found his talk pretty confusing. If women have priesthood authority why can't they use it outside the temple (I guess because the temple president only gives women the authority to use it inside the temple?)? After I read this blog post I feel like I understand more of what he was talking about now (CW: temple stuff?): http://www.feministmormonhousewives.org ... t-version/

Whistler wrote:

Tally M. wrote:Elder Oaks' talk. Holy cow. I definitely enjoyed the directness

Honestly I found his talk pretty confusing. If women have priesthood authority why can't they use it outside the temple (I guess because the temple president only gives women the authority to use it inside the temple?)? After I read this blog post I feel like I understand more of what he was talking about now (CW: temple stuff?): http://www.feministmormonhousewives.org ... t-version/

Interesting article, Whistler! Since I haven't been, I can't comment too specifically. But it reminds me of one of Alonzo Gaskill's theories, that I'd like to introduce as a counterargument. The way he sees it, men play Adam, who in turn represents Christ (the bridegroom), and women play Eve, who in turn represents the Church/all of humanity (the bride). So, as he sees it, when women have fallen further or have to covenant with Adam instead of with God himself, the end point of the symbolism is not "women are fallen and thus can only access God through men," but rather "mankind is fallen and thus can only access God through Christ." So, Gaskill says, men shouldn't been feeling superior because they've got a more direct line in the temple, because they aren't representing themselves--they're being represented by women.

Of course, Gaskill isn't one of the brethren so it's not official doctrine, and like I said, I don't know any of this from personal experience. But that reading makes a whole lot more sense to me, and meshes better with the God and plan I already know. I don't think God is sexist or punishing women for Eve's mistake. Especially since our theology honors Eve for her wisdom! And if it WERE true that women were eternally less, then this would all have to predate Eve, anyway, right?

I'll admit, I wish we talked more about women's eternal roles. It's hard for me to know nothing about Heavenly Mother except that she exists and that I probably shouldn't try to talk to her directly. But so far, at least, I believe that the temple doesn't teach that women are inferior, it teaches that mankind (as represented by women) is inferior. And I can live with that.

I like Gaskill's theory, although if that's the case it would be nice if it were more clear that women represent the church as bride. I still have questions about the priesthood--like if women have priesthood authority, why can't they do anything with it? I think somewhere in my head I'm still hoping that God or Heavenly Mother will give the keys of the priestesshood out sometime (although since we don't have prophetesses how would one get those keys?). I think I see the temple ceremony a little differently now.

Do you guys remember that question about the 2048 game? Yeah I started playing it after that question posted and I've been trying to get it ever since. I finally got it last week and I feel so accomplished... Everyone at my school started playing it after I showed it to a bunch of people so I guess that was kind of cool. I've never started a trend before.

There's a more difficult game called Threes that actually came before 2048, but 2048 is more popular so I think it's arguably more "fun" as a time-waster.

Whistler wrote:There's a more difficult game called Threes that actually came before 2048, but 2048 is more popular so I think it's arguably more "fun" as a time-waster.

Additionally, you can't play Threes on the computer, so that's why I've stuck to 2048--I don't have a smartphone

yeah, and it's like $2. There was a lot of dialogue in the videogame world about clones and the ethics of them, and how hard the Threes team worked compared to how 2048 was inspired by another game inspired by Threes and written basically in a weekend. It's pretty interesting to watch.