Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.

Posts for October 17, 2009

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

Has anyone ever been proposed to over the pulpit during sacrament meeting?

- Nimbus2000

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ADear Nimbus,

Like.......ever? In the history of the world, I would say there have likely been a good number of people to whom this has happened.

Personally? Nope. If you're considering it...don't.

-Commander Keen

ADear Nimbus2000,

I don't know of anyone personally, but I do know of someone who announced his upcoming baptism during a talk at church. For his wife it was like a proposal, since it meant that in a year's time they would be sealed in the temple, right?

-Mico

ADear Nimbus2000,

That seems incredibly...what's a good word?...oh yeah. Awkward.

Marzipan

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QDear EVERY WRITER of the 100 Hour Board,

What is (1)the one movie, (2)the one book, and (3)the one song you believe everyone needs to see/read/hear?
Notes:
-Not necessarily your favorites, mind you.
-You are welcome to include more than just one for each category, but by no means is this to be an exhaustive list. It is understood that many amazing movies/books/songs will be left out.
-You may wish to explain reasons behind your answers (such as, "it's just plain awesome" or "it will change your life" or suchlike) but do not have to. You're also welcome to provide completely irrelevant comments.

Bea

(1) Sliding Doors and Garden State
-Both movies VERY significantly changed the way I view life and such, even though I think I basically hated every character in the latter
-Neither is my favorite movie.
-Garden State is rated R. My insincerest apologies to those who are deeply offended by this.
(2) The Road by Cormac McCarthy
-While I don't believe I have a favorite book, this would probably be it.
-It changed the way I view basically everything...but also challenged my assumptions about how literature 'should' be.
(3) These Days by Nico and Today by Smashing Pumpkins
-I just think both are beautiful.

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ADear Bea,

1- Life is Beautiful directed by Roberto Benigni.
2- Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder.
3- "Untitled #4" by Sigur Rós.

As you stated, these aren't necessarily my favorites, but they are each things that I think everyone should watch/read/hear because they are amazing and they will make you think.

And since you forgot number four, I'll just add it for you: (4) What video game does everyone need to play?

4- Final Fantasy 7

-Sky Bones (who happens to be from the actual Garden State and loves that movie of the same name)

ADear Bea,

I don't know what will change the lives of others, but I can say what have been some key items in how I perceive the world. So here goes.

1) Movie: The Matrix. I know, predictable. Solaris changed how I think about what movies should be like--maybe their pacing should be more contemplative.
2) Book: Probably Madame Bovary, especially for women. I think when I read it as a love-disillusioned junior in high school I somewhat identified with it. Godel, Escher, Bach introduced me to strange loops, meta-textual analysis, and, in a way, deconstructionism.
3) Song: Albinoni's "Adagio for Strings." It wasn't even written by Albinoni, but no one really cares. It's like a representation of all my high school angst. For my college life, I'd have to say Radiohead's "There there" has been very influential: "Just 'cause you see it, doesn't mean it's there."
4) Portal!

-Whistler

ADear Bea,

1) Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. I know, I know, this isn't really a movie, strictly speaking. But I love, love, LOVE that it can be silly, random, thought-provoking, deep, fascinating, and have absolutely wonderful music. All at the SAME TIME.
2) The Poisonwood Bible. I read it at the end of high school and found it very intriguing. The story is told in the first person from each of the main characters; since I love character-driven stories, I enjoyed getting a glimpse into each character's mind, especially since each was so different and interesting. Very compelling read.
3) "What Happens Tomorrow" by Duran Duran; I love the message of the song. We don't have to be afraid of the future. Everything will turn out right.
4) If anyone didn't play Pokemon back in the day, they are NOT a normal human being.

I am a normal human being.

Marzipan

ADear Bea

I'll offer a smattering, in no particular order:

1) Unbreakable, The General, Metropolis, The Prestige, M, The Dark Knight, Twelve Angry Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, It's a Wonderful Life (yeah, the room gets a little dusty at the end of that one, and it sometimes irritates my eyes), Finding Neverland, Big Fish, Star Wars: A New Hope, Stranger than Fiction, King Kong (the original), The Fellowship of the Ring, Much Ado About Nothing
2) The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Hamlet, The Secret Life of Houdini, Watchmen, Kingdom Come, Pride of Baghdad, The Eyre Affair, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Graveyard Book
3) "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Simon and Garfunkel), "Pachelbel's Canon" (whatever orchestra played your copy of it), "Viva La Vida" (Coldplay), "Let It Be" (The Beatles), "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" (MoTab), the soundtrack to Joss Whedon's musicals (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and the musical episode from Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
4) Tetris, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, MarioKart 64

-Humble Master

ADear Bea,

1) I very strongly second Life is Beautiful (La Vita è Bella). It is incredibly powerful. Watch it in Italian. If you don't speak Italian, still watch it in Italian. Don't go anywhere near the dubbed version. After a few minutes, you'll forget that you are reading subtitles and be able to focus on the movie. It is beautiful.
2) 1984 by George Orwell. It provides a moving and hard-hitting commentary on the direction in which society will head if we allow it to continue as it has for the past couple of centuries. It changed the way I see the world in a very lasting way.
3) "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay. I can't explain exactly why, but that song has really found a place in my heart.
4) Wii Sports... is really the only video game I ever play (and by "ever" I mean once a year or so). I have been scarred for life by having constantly been stuck up against a wall whenever I used to play Mario Kart. Blech.

Honorable mentions:

1) The Ultimate Gift, directed by Michael O. Sajbel, is also very thought-provoking and definitely worth watching.
2) The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. It's so simple, yet still incredibly deep. I got it as a graduation gift from a teacher, and will always treasure it.
3) "Salvation is Created," composed by Pavel Tchesnokov, comes very highly recommended by my roommate, The Engaged One.

I hope that you will enjoy some of these,

⋯Anomalous

ADear Bea,

The Top 5 Films Every Person Needs to See

5. The Postman
4. Meet Dave
3. Ishtar
2. Gigli
1. Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus

Top 5 Books Every Person Needs to Read

5. The Unabomber Manifesto
4. Tess of the D'Urbervilles
3. Mein Kampf
2. The Scarlet Letter
1. I'll Love You Forever

Top 5 Songs Every Person Needs to Hear

5. "We Built This City" (Starship)
4. "Hangin' Tough" (New Kids on the Block)
3. "My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion)
2. "I'm a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" (Britney Spears)
1. "Who Let the Dogs Out?" (Baha Men)

Top 5 Video Games Every Person Needs to Play

5. Shaq Fu (SuperNintendo)
4. Superman 64 (Nintendo 64)
3. Zero Wing (Arcade game)
2. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (Atari)
1. Barbie Horse Adventure: Wild Horse Rescue (XBox and PlayStation 2)

-Loki

ADear Bea,

Seriously? One book? I mean, one movie is easy enough, even one "most influential" song isn't too difficult. But I have been keeping a record of all the books I read since I was sixteen (2006, not really that long ago), and trying to choose one that was most significant is super difficult. Anyway, here it goes...

1. Movie: Everything Is Illuminated first and foremost. The cinematography is stunning and the music is beautiful. Although honestly I think its plot could stand on its own without anything else.

2. Novel: East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Since I have read this book twice in two years, I will say it is among the most influential in my life. It is an incredible reinterpretation of the story of Cain and Abel, among other Bible stories, that made me rethink many things in life, and perceive some situations differently. Of course, I was one of those nerds who loved every book we read in high school (except Billy Budd, but even that had a poem at the end, which was its only redeeming point).

3. Song: (a) "Broken Bones" by Aqualung is such a unique song. Every time I listen to it I get something new out of the song, or hear the words in a way I had not imagined previously. This is all without mentioning how perfectly the music comes together. (b) I am giving two options, because I forgot about classical music. This isn't a single song, but I think everyone should listen to Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. It is truly astounding. Read about the circumstances surrounding the writing of the symphony before you listen to it, it makes all the difference.

4. Game: As for games... I am kind of a poser-gamer, because I talk big but play small. The only game I can think of that everyone should play is Donkey Kong Adventures. I have it on my sweet purple Gameboy. I may have just chosen it for nostalgia reasons. This game is why I love bananas.

-Mico

ADear Bea,

1 - Ikiru. Makes you think quite a bit. It made me feel like I've been dead for a few years of my life.
2 - Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Just because it's a great kids' book. Also, the entire Ender's Game series because I enjoy the moral and philosophical issues discussed within them, especially the second, third, and fourth.
3 - "Yatta" by Happatai, because it's completely absurd.
4 - I most definitely second Final Fantasy 7. I'm not really big into video games anymore, but that one...amazing.

Most of these are not my favorites by any means.

-Commander Keen

ADear Bea,

Film: hmmm...The Wave (1981). Not because I think it's the best movie ever made, but at the least it's one of the most influential that I've seen.

Literature: Brave New World. With all due respect to Mr. Orwell and Anomalous (1984 is a double-plus good book), Brave New World is more akin to the world I see. I think we're more afflicted with a plague of pleasure and ease than with fear and totalitarianism. However, I wouldn't go as far as to say that everyone needs to read it. It's powerful because it's unsettling (and at times disturbing); some people tolerate that better than others.

Music: "Jupiter: Bringer of Jollity"- preferably behind some kind of instrument where you feel the music as much as hear it...so awesome.

-Ineffable

ADear Fellow Lover of "The Road,"

1. Stranger Than Fiction. It's clever, poignant, creative, and features Emma Thompson. And it's fun to analyze.

2. The Count of Monte Cristo. Its message is completely different than the most recent movie.

3. Dvorak's Symphony No. 9.

4. Super Smash Brothers. This is best played with a roomful of loud, noisy cohorts of varying skill levels.

~Hermia

ADear Bea,

1) The Color of Paradise, To Kill a Mockingbird, Amazing Grace

2) 1984 (Orwell), A Shining Season: The True Story of John Baker (Buchanan), Wasted or Madness (Hornbacher)

3) "Adagio for Strings" (Barber), "October" (Whitacre), "A Day in the Life" or "Here Comes the Sun" (the Beatles), "Photograph" (Jamie Cullum), "For What it's Worth" (Buffalo Springfield)

- The Black Sheep

ADear Bea,

Dang I got into this game a little late.

1- Saving Private Ryan. Not only is it my favorite movie ever, but I think it has the most poignant scene in all of filmdom. The two words that Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) says at the end, "Earn this," are the greatest two words ever spoken on film, in my opinion. Many people have seen it, it made a ton of money, but I think that the messages it teaches are completely lost on an ungrateful generation obsessed with the blood and cussing. I am not a crying man, but this movie makes me cry every time I see it; by the end I am a blubbering wreck.

2- Catcher in the Rye. Everyone should read it and QUIT FRIGGIN' IDENTIFYING WITH HOLDEN CAULFIELD!!! He is a moron and we should learn what NOT to do by his example! Those who love Holden are just as painfully self-unaware as he is. Angsty hipsters, I am looking at you.

3- "Pike County Breakdown" played by Flatt and Scruggs. I dig banjo music.

Dr. Smeed

ADear Bea~

1) Hero starring Jet Li. That's what all other movies are trying to be.
2) Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage. It's thoughtful and spiritually enriching at the same time, and it shows people how they can and should think about matters of faith. In a close second is Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Bushman, which exhaustively speaks on the subject of Joseph Smith. A good pick for the same reasons as above, although this applies specifically to Mormons.
3) Uhhh... The Red Army Chorus, the national anthem of the Soviet Union? Everyone should listen to Les Misérables start to finish, as I am doing as I write this.
4) Final Fantasy 6 with Final Fantasy 10 as a close second. Once you've played seven (which is a great game) you're ready to graduate onto the games with deeper stories and better characters.

~Hobbes

ADear Bea,

1) The Gleaners and I, Island of Flowers, Night and Fog, The Atomic Cafe, Sicko, Waltz With Bashir (this is a truly wonderful, meaningful, compassionate, and difficult film. But there is one part that nice young Mormon eyes absolutely should not watch. If anyone reading this is going to view this film - and we fervently encourage you to - email us and we can give you a heads-up on what to avoid). These have all been documentaries so far, but we would also like to nominate The Wrestler and A Man for All Seasons.

2) The Book of Mormon wins. Scriptures aside, Flannery O'Connor's short story collection Everything That Rises Must Converge, Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince, and C.S. Lewis' Perelandra are top picks.

3) The Flaming Lips' "Do You Realize," The Arcade Fire's "Wake Up," Woody Guthrie's "Jesus Christ," Neutral Milk Hotel's "Oh Comely," The Who's "Won't Be Fooled Again," The Velvet Underground's "Heroin," and Cat Stevens' "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out"

We dig Super Mario Galaxy,
Waldorf and Sauron

ADear W&S,

That list of music was TOTALLY AMAZING, and I wish I had written it first. Bea, every one of those is essential.

Dear Bea,

1. Vertigo. An amazing Hitchcock film that still blows my mind.

2. The Once and Future King. Reading this book taught me more about what it means to be honorable and good than any non-scripture I've ever read. It's about humanity's ability to be amazingly righteous and horribly evil, and how the seeds for both are in all of us.

3. "Hey Jude" and "A Day in the Life" by the Beatles, "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, "Race for the Prize (Remix)" by the Flaming Lips, "Nessun Dorma" as performed by Pavarotti, "This Year" and "The Mess Inside" by the Mountain Goats

4. Tetris. No question. Best video game ever.

-Claudio

ADear Bea,

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. This is one of those movies that has ingrained itself into U.S. culture, and there are some things you simply won't appreciate unless you've seen this movie. You know the "Imperial March" song from Star Wars that they play at football games? The one where everyone moves their arms up and down like they're marching (in imitation of the cymbal players)? Yeah, that song isn't even in the original Star Wars movie. That was introduced in Empire Strikes Back. Or have you ever heard someone say "No, [name], I am your father"? Also comes from Empire. This movie should be part of every American's cultural upbringing. Oh, and don't forget the excellent soundtrack.

Of course, I'd actually recommend starting with Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (which was the original Star Wars movie), but if I'm only given one choice, this is it.

The Book of Mormon. Sorry to be unoriginal, but it's the first one that comes to mind. After that, The Infinite Atonement, by Ted Callister.

"Fix You," by Coldplay. Great comfort for when you "lose something you can't replace."

Chrono Trigger for its excellent storyline, the entire Myst series for immersive awesomeness, and Earthbound for sheer goofiness.

-Yellow

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

If I had a living trilobite, who do you think would be most interested and how much do you think I could get for it?

- collector of old things

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ADear collector,

Seeing as trilobites have been extinct for around 250 million years, a hypothetical living one could fetch you a lot of money. The fossils themselves range anywhere from around 5-500 dollars. How much would a living one cost, then? Surprisingly enough, there isn't a market for living trilobites, and there aren't any accurate estimates as to how much one would cost. Millions? Billions? Since you'd be the one in possession, I suppose you'd be calling the shots, now wouldn't you!

As for who'd be interested, I'm pretty sure that the entire scientific community would be fascinated with your find (and perhaps a little skeptical at first). Other collectors such as yourself may be interested; particularly eccentric billionaires with tons of free time and nothing to do with their money. Tabloid magazines, I'm sure, would also be quite delighted with the discovery as well.

Marzipan

ADear collector,

All sorts of people would be interested, but I suspect you'd get the most offers from the biology departments of prestigious universities and likely some government biology research organizations. (I've not been able to find examples of the latter, but I'm sure they exist.)

-Yellow

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

Where can I find a free mp3 copy of the journal of discourses?

- Deeply Indoctrinated

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ADear DI,

You can't. Do you know how incredibly long the Jo'D is? It is 26 volumes, so the first question is who in the world is going to narrate it? The Book of Mormon is 56 hours and 1.33 GB on my hard drive; can you imagine 26 of those? To find a voice actor with the patience would be difficult and immensely expensive. You would have better luck getting Proust to narrate A la Recherche du Temps Perdu; it would be shorter.

My second question is who is going to sell it? The Journal of Discourses has been out of print for some time; occasionally Signature Books will do a reprint but it costs $700 on Amazon.com. It is printed so infrequently because it is not popular reading; it is pretty dull in most places. Remember, kiddies, The Journal of Discourses is just General Conferences addresses for about 20 years. I doubt an audio version is going to be any more popular than the printed version. It would take you over a month, listening to it around the clock, to listen to them all. Would you want to sit and listen to General Conference for two months, 24 hours a day? I love Conference and I can barely stand ten hours every six months.

My third question, maybe moot in the day of the internet, is who is going to give it away for free? The worst condition printed version fetches $500 on the internets. Why would someone give away 26 GB of the Jo'D when it would take so dang long to get done? I'm sure it would be ripped and leaked eventually, but it would take a long time for someone to get the initiative.

Now, I have read out of The Journal of Discourses (I'm not going to pretend like I have read the whole thing, just here and there out of different volumes as I have found them in ward libraries) and like I said, it really isn't that interesting. There is not a lot of doctrine that we don't already know, not many stirring stories that we haven't already heard. To narrate them would be arduous at best, to listen to them would be pretty excruciating. To want them for free is just greedy and short-sighted.

I guess, though, if you want you can prove me wrong and start recording them yourself you can get free mp3s of them. Let me know.

Dr. Smeed

ADear Deeply Indoctrinated,

You can try this tactic.

Love,
Waldorf and Sauron

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QDear 100 Hour Board,
Where can I find an LDS perspective on gnosticism? I want to make sure that I get something that is factual, and I don't really want to trust anything that I find on wikipedia. Has there ever been a talk given at BYU about it? I would prefer that it be in mp3 form, if such a thing even exists. Thanks!

- Just watched the da Vinci Code for the first time!

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ADear Hooked-on-Da Vinci,

As a rule if you ever have an out of the ordinary doctrinal question you can probably find an answer at fairlds.org, an LDS apologetics group. On this page called Restoring the Ancient Church, you should search for the heading "Gnostic Christianity." Another part of that same article talks about it even more in depth. Oh, and I just searched for "gnosticism" on their website and came up with like ~~a bajillion~~ twenty results.

LDS.org, generally what I would consider the best place to go for really official doctrine (surprised?), has a couple of articles which discuss gnosticism a little bit. So far there have not been any BYU devotionals about gnosticism, although there probably have been talks given at forums. There have definitely been professors who have written about LDS beliefs and gnosticism. Keep an eye out for ancient studies or religious forums going on at BYU; you never know when such a talk or lecture will be given.

-Mico

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ADear globe trotter,

As mentioned in Board Question #14562 (and obliquely in Board Question #5155), bearings in the globe are shot and it makes a ruckus when it's turned on. If you're curious about the details, you can ask Richard Jensen, the life sciences and geology librarian. (His office and contact information are listed here.)

—Laser Jock

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QDear Board,

I recently changed my major to International Relations, and now have to take ECON 110. While I find it interesting, it doesn't come to me as naturally as I am used to with other subjects. My question is for writers who have taken multiple economics courses: are micro- and macroeconomics classes typically easier to get through than ECON 110? I have heard that this is so, because upper-division economics courses are more focused instead of moving very quickly over quite a bit of subject matter. Opinions?

⋯Anomalous

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ADear Anomalous,

Erm...I'm going to go with no on this one.

First off, I completely understand what you mean about economics not coming naturally to you. I had a professor who began the semester by telling us that he has met several intelligent, well-rounded students with high GPAs who simply cannot wrap their minds around economics. I feel like I'm one of those, and it sounds like you are too. Some subjects, I think, just take a special way of looking at the world to really understand deep down. For the rest of us...it's just memorizing and hoping for the best.

Now, Econ 110 is a tough class, and I'll be the first to admit that. But I've taken two other macroeconomics courses since then, and they have made me pine for the simplicity of 110. Macroeconomics handles less subject matter at a much less madcap pace, sure, but the subject matter it handles is deep and complicated. It's all interwoven together, and you have to be able to see how the intricacies of several markets work together to form the world economy. I've put a lot more work into my higher level econ classes for much less of a grade.

Again, that's just my personal experience. I hope you find the opposite to be true and that your new major works out well for you.

-Claudio

ADear Anomalous,

I think Claudio is right on with economics being one of those subjects that just isn't for everyone. No, I've never taken Econ 110, but one time I tried to test the waters when I considered switching my major to International Relations, and I knew it just wouldn't work out. I just couldn't get my mind to accept the material.

Now, if you were to ask my older sister about this, she would go on for hours about how much she just loves macroeconomics, though she attended WVU, not BYU. She loves economics and anything that goes with it. She's told me on several accounts that she considered her economics homework to be a lot of fun. Ever since I can remember she has had a very mathematical mind and can somehow, in a way that I will never understand, just take apart the world and see it in numbers and proportions, or whatever else she does. It's all way over my head.

I'm not trying to burst your bubble, I promise, because I do know that my older sister wasn't the biggest fan of her lower-level economics classes, but adored her higher-level ones (again, she didn't attend BYU though). Maybe this is what will happen for you. I think you should stick with it and maybe see if you can get a tutor to help get you through Econ 110 and make sure you thoroughly understand everything. Then, give some of the more advanced classes a try and see how it works out. Good luck!

-Sky Bones

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

Do you think the Lord still tests the faith of members like he did when he asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? Not so much in the sense of asking people to sacrifice their children, but more in the sense that you'd receive some personal revelation to do something as a test of your faith...and then he later tells you that you don't actually need to follow through. I sure hope so.

-Obedient, but terribly sad

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ADear Obedient,

The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so no one can really deny the possibility of it happening. At the same time, I doubt anyone in the Board's readership is on a spiritual level with Abraham*, so we might expect our tests to be a little different from his.

I've found that the revelations that have helped me the most to date largely have been the relatively "standard" ones. Constant big or little confirmations that the Church is true; confirmations, more or less dramatic, that I've been forgiven; and impulses that I've acted on with excellent results (and often only later, if at all, realized were spiritual) have hugely influenced my life. Commander Keen and Rating Pending's excellent answers about recognizing the Spirit have helped me understand how I think the Spirit works for me; check them out.

In my current state of spirituality, I'm a little wary of dramatic personal revelation. I think I need to focus on recognizing small revelations and I know from experience this is usually how God works with me. Not saying that I won't accept big revelations if they come or ask for them if I truly need them, but I don't typically demand or expect them at this point. Similarly, my faith is tested by whether or not I pray, read scriptures, attend the temple regularly, magnify my calling, do many good things of my own free will, etc., and I think God is currently learning enough about my level of faith from these tests that an Abrahamic level of testing is not necessary or likely to occur.

So. Based on what I know about my own past spiritual experiences and tests of faith, I would not expect an Abrahamic-style test of faith followed by an order to the contrary. I'd normally expect to need to reason out for myself what was right (not just get it as revelation), pray for confirmation, and then stick to my decision without expecting it to be countermanded.

If I sound like I'm similar to you and you figure what I say makes sense and checks out scripturally, maybe it'll help you figure this out, but I obviously know almost nothing about your situation so I can't know if my experience applies. It's entirely possible you're much more spiritual than I am.

Just about the only thing I can say to you that is more or less guaranteed to be helpful is that your bishop is there for you, eh? If this is as dramatic a decision as it sounds like, talking with him might be in order.

~Ƥ. Ɗ. Kirĸe

*Sorry guys. If any of you have whole covenants named after you, your own section in the Topical Guide, etc. let me know and I shall post a correction.

ADear Obedient,

From John Taylor:

Quote:

I heard the Prophet Joseph say, in speaking to the Twelve on one occasion: "You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men of God, and (said he) God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God." Some people have wondered why so many of the Twelve fell away. God tries people according to the position they occupy.

D&C 98:14:

Quote:

Therefore, be not afraid of your enemies, for I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be found worthy.

D&C 101:4-5:

Quote:

Therefore, they must needs be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son.

For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified.

Brigham Young:

Quote:

The people of the Most High God must be tried. It is written that they will be tried in all things, even as Abraham was tried.

Love,
Waldorf and Sauron

ADear Obedient,

I believe that before we can attain exaltation, we must be willing to lay all other things aside. We may not be asked to do so, but we must be willing to do so.

I believe that sometimes, the Lord asks us to do things not so much because he needs them done as because we need to do them. Let me give a partially relevant example. When I finished my undergraduate degree, I received an extremely attractive job offer from Amazon. At the time I received the offer, I had actually been planning on attending graduate school, but the Amazon offer made me really consider my options. I prayed which I should do a lot, and in the end felt I should turn down the Amazon offer and go to graduate school. I proceeded with my plans for graduate school, but over the summer took an internship at a local software company. At the end of the summer, they also gave me a full-time offer. After praying about the second offer, I felt good about taking it instead of going to graduate school.

What happened? Was my previous direction to go to graduate school not correct after all? Was I just being tested? Was it more important that I not go to Amazon than that I actually go to graduate school? I don't know all the answers. I do know, though, that I was initially instructed to do one thing and then later told to do another.

Does the Lord still test us? Yes. Are we expected to stretch and grow beyond who we currently are? Yes. Are we sometimes commanded to do something and then later told not to? Yes. (See Zion's Camp, for example.) But note that the Lord didn't excuse Abraham from the sacrifice—he was still provided a ram with which to complete the sacrifice. The Lord doesn't give us commandments for no reason, but if we obey them with full intent, he will sometimes bless us with an easier path.

I wish you happiness and peace in your current difficulties.

-Yellow

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

If you were designing an infinite improbability drive sticking to real physics as much as possible, what would it look like?

- Traveling at normality

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ADear Traveling,

You might have a misunderstanding about the relationship of the Infinite Improbability Drive with real physics, in that you seem to think there is one. Quantum physics just flat out cannot be manipulated anything like that in reality, so Douglas Adams' depiction is already as "real physics" as the concept goes.

Ummm...secretary, please add one to the "dreams killed" column. That is all.

~Ƥ. Ɗ. Kirĸe

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

Been reading the archives, but noted today (October 12) seemed to have a high number of posts (35). Though I'm sure this isn't the most posts on a day for the board. For curiosity and reading sake, anyone know what day had the most posts?

-LDS Camera Guy

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ADear LDSCG,

The most ever posts in one day so far was 120, on 20 September 2004. In an interesting coincidence, however, we also had exactly 100 posts on 12 February 2007. (All counts include both questions and comments.) (See Board Question #33311.)

—Laser Jock

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

I want to hold a soccer tournament in a parking garage on campus. Who do i talk to get permission?

We are with a non profit so we actually have a reason to. :)

Josh

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ADear Josh,

I contacted campus scheduling, and this was the reply I received:

Quote:

Dear [Anomalous],

The parking garages on campus are not available to be scheduled for events of any kind. To schedule a field for a soccer tournament they would contact Campus Scheduling at 422-3134 but they must be an approved, on-campus group. Let me know if you have any other questions.
___________________

Janae Pickard, Manager
Campus Scheduling Office
801-422-3134, WSC 3371

I don't know which group you are associated with, but if you are at all connected with BYU, you might want to check out the Campus Scheduling website. You may be able to find information you need before you call Scheduling. If you are fundraising, you might also want to check out the BYU fund-raising guidelines.

Good luck, and I hope you are able to hold your tournament!

⋯Anomalous

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

Why do streets around campus like Liberty, Bulldog, and State Street just randomly change to regular numbered streets? (500 West, Colombia Ln, and 2nd West) Wouldn't it just be easier to keep the street the same name from beginning to end?

- Nuvi

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ADear Nuvi,

Bulldog Ave. is actually named after the Provo High Bulldogs. It's only called Bulldog within a few blocks of the high school; this is a fairly common practice (at least in Utah).

Along the Wasatch Front, State Street is actually the more common name for US-89. Thus, when US-89 leaves a particular road, the old name is returned. However, when US-89 only follows a road for a few blocks, the local name may be more commonly used; this is the case with 500 West. State Street crosses city boundaries and thus is independent of the local numbering systems.

I'm not sure what "Liberty" road you're talking about, but Freedom Blvd. runs into 200 West, so I'll assume you meant that. I'm not sure exactly why Freedom Blvd. has claimed the particular swath of road that it has, but it's likely named after the Provo Freedom Festival, one of "America's biggest and best patriotic celebrations" (according to freedomfestival.org). I suspect that the festival was originally held in that area.

In general, when roads in Utah have a descriptive name in addition to a numeric name it's to honor or recognize something in that area. Occasionally it's to maintain consistency along a major artery that crosses city boundaries. And sometimes it's just because someone wanted it that way.

-Yellow

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

If putting a piece of bread in a box or bag of cookies keeps them moist or moistens dry cookies, wouldn't technically putting fresh bread in a bag with dried out bread have the same effect?

- The Baker

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ADear The Baker,

Not exactly. Cookies absorb moisture from bread because of their high sugar content. A lot of households (including my mom's) use a piece of bread to keep brown sugar from getting hard. These cases both operate on the same principle: sugar, particularly brown sugar, is hygroscopic, which means it preferentially absorbs water over substances that don't bind water molecules as tightly. Bread is mostly built of water and flour, and the starch-water bond is not as strong as the sugar-water bond.

Besides bread, a substance that can give up its water molecules to sugar is air. This is why dry or crunchy cookies (like graham crackers) can get soft and mushy if they're not tightly sealed, as opposed to soft, moist cookies, which have a higher moisture content than air, and will therefore become stale if left open.

So if you were to put a piece of fresh bread into a sealed container of old bread, it's possible that they would reach an equivalent level of moisture. But since some of the bread is already old and stale, it would take more moisture to restore all of the bread to a state of sufficient, edible moisture. In fact, it's probably likely that the fresh bread wouldn't restore the stale bread as much as it would keep it from becoming more stale faster. I would imagine that the fresh bread wouldn't be making all of the bread equally moist - it would help it become all equally stale.

An easy experiment to test this would be to buy a loaf of bread, and remove one slice. Keep both the single slice and the whole loaf wrapped up in bread bags. See which of the two systems becomes stale faster. A second experiment would be to put a piece of stale bread in with a loaf of fresh bread, and another piece of stale bread in with a single piece of fresh bread. I will put good money (being defined as "not my money") that the loaf of bread provides a slower rate of becoming stale and a higher level of total moisture.

- Rating Pending (who will give you a cookie if you slip the word "hygroscopic" into your everyday speech and a second cookie if you do these experiments)

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

If I am a current BYU student, but want to take BYU Independent study course, do i get it at a discount?

- Wants to take a prereq so that he can start the next class winter semester

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ADear Wanting,

Working at BYU IS was totally worth it just for this question!

No. Nothing. You do not get any sort of discount by virtue of being a BYU student. The monetary advantage when taking a BYU IS course is that you are not paying the extra tuition costs that BYU charges. Yet when compared with all the other people taking BYU IS courses, you will pay the same.

You should still take the class, just don't expect any sort of discount.

-Mico

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

I'm getting married in May, but because my fiance is in the army, I'm going to be moving to Texas. I have one semester left and I'd like to finish it at BYU, but I'm having trouble deciding between fall and winter semester. One of the biggest factors for me is the contract. Are there complexes that do fall only contracts, or is it just fall/winter? I also wanted to know how difficult it is to get into a Hist 490 class in the Winter semester. Is everyone taking it at that time, is it impossible to get? And also, would it be feasible to do in my junior year? I know this is overloaded with questions, but I'm just deciding how to defer and which semester to go during. If you could help me with this it would be greatly appreciated!

-Chi

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ADear Chi,

I wasn't sure if you wanted women's housing or married housing so I checked both. I've heard of Fall only contracts for single undergraduate housing, but in an urban legend kind of way. I couldn't find any in the apartments I checked. However, if you know from the beginning that you only want Fall you shouldn't be in too much trouble to sell it. Many apartment complexes (University Villa for example) will put your name on a list for reselling. If you're at the top of the list, your chances are pretty good that you won't even have to worry about the hassle of advertising. Obviously, Winter-only is a slice of cake to get.

There are several married apartments around Provo that sell by month instead of by semester. You'll have a better shot of finding these arrangements if you stay away from apartment complexes south of campus. In my own search for married housing, most basement apartments are by month (with a three-month notice before moving), and there are a few complexes who also sell by month on the north side.

As far as the senior capstone class is considered you should register for it as soon as you can, but I wouldn't call it impossible. Each section has its own emphasis and some of them aren't very appealing. If you're open to a topic that's not as mainstream or even just taking an 8 o'clock class, you'll definitely be fine. In the worst situation, there are always a couple of students that bail after the first day of class- it's the words "at least 15 pages" that gets them.

Feasible for a junior? It's a lot of reading, lots of shlumping over books in Special Collections, but if you're a history major (I'm assuming) you're used to this whole drill. It's very similar to how Hist 200 is, but without the historiography classes. It really depends on what other credits you need to take, but even if you have killer classes- it's possible.

Also, Texas has some pretty decent community colleges that are acceptable credits for BYU. I took Hist 220 and Hist 221 through the Lonestar Community College System, and the credits transferred seamlessly. This could lessen your course load for your last semester quite a bit- just make sure you'll have taken at least 24 history credits at BYU in Provo before you apply for your diploma.

Congratulations on your marriage, and good luck with school- who knows, maybe I'll see you in Hist 490.

-Ineffable

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

One of my favorite words in Indonesian is "cakrawala" (cha-kra-wa-lah), meaning "firmament". It's fun to say and easy to remember. Do any other languages have a similar word? Where did "Cakrawala" come from? Bahasa Indonesia is a relatively new language, and so I assume they borrowed it from another language.

With sincere thanks, Bodat Kau.

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ADear monkey dude,

I wrote to an old buddy of mine named Jules who sojourned out to Indonesia, and this is what he had to say:

Quote:

I'm no longer an expert, but I think your asker already knows the answer. For starters, they signed it "bodat kau" which is a Bataknese insult for calling someone a certain type of monkey. We used it a lot in the mission to playfully irritate our fellow companions from Medan whose tribal language is Bataknese. Medan is the main city in northern Sumatra (very close to the 2004 tsunami). Heavily christian, and quite rude--think of it as the "New York" of Indonesia.

As for "cakrawala," I talked with an Indo friend of mine. She said it's Indonesian, but she's from an island way far away with its own tribal language. I spent 75% of my mission speaking Javanese so... it's been my experience that the word originates from Javanese, a main tribal language of Indonesia found in mostly central and eastern Jawa and is most properly spoken in a small Javanese town called Solo (my last area). Javanese makes up more than 50% of the Indonesian vocab. It's got A LOT of common words. I say it's Javanese because of its structure. CA-KRA-WA-LA would fit perfectly in the Javanese alphabet which is Sanskrit. I know how to write that too.

Also, Javanese has 3 main levels of politeness. Kromo ingil (the highest) is usually used for religious words and I believe that "cakrawala" is in this level and is used in the religious sense much like we use "the light in the firmament appeared" and so on. I think I have also heard this word in shadow puppet plays called "wayang," VERY popular in central Java, mainly Solo.

The main religion of Java (before Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam) was Kejawen. I believe that this word came from that religion to describe "heaven." Not 100% on that one tho.

I guess the answer we can come up with is that it's Javanese in origin, and is derived from Kejawin traditions. So, there you go.

-Cognoscente

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ADear CareBear3,

I'm sorry to say that there are no Preference dances on the BYUSA or BYU calendars for Fall Semester. There is also no mention of Preference on the Winter calendar either. However, there are nebulously labeled "Formal Dances" on the 26th and 27th of February 2010. Keep a weather eye out; I'm sure BYUSA will find a way of keeping us posted...perhaps with hot dogs seasoned with censorship.

-Ineffable

ADear CareBear3,

You may also be interested to know that there are three BYUSA-sponsored dances coming up on the 23rd, including a formal, semi-formal, and casual setting. You can find more information here. You could always just ask a guy and make it your own Preference.

Ineffable,

I live for those censorship-seasoned [FREE] hot dogs! Once Foreman and I discussed how an entire BYUSA presidential platform could be based on the distribution of free hot dogs.

-Miss Scarlett, who can usually be found in those long hot-dog lines

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CDear 100 Hour Board,

I know you've already taken a comment on Board Question #53939 but I just wanted to add something that has helped me when I feel like everything else gets more of my husband's time than our family does - Elder Holland's October 2002 conference talk "Called to Serve" (http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,49-1-315-12,00.html)

- I think we've all sat alone while dinner got cold at least once in our marriages

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CDear Waldorf and Sauron,

Regarding Board Question #53963, I would first like to apologize for any offense I caused you. It was not my intent, and I was in fact quite taken aback by the harshness of your response.

I am a bit confused, however, as I felt that the shirt would appeal most to people who were themselves native Utahns but did not fit the stereotype. The way I interpreted the message of the shirt, in any case, was something along the lines of, "Yes, I'm a Utah Mormon, but I'm not one of those Utah Mormons. I don't fit the stereotype." I fail to see how that could be anything but a good thing.

I assume that you, in turn, assumed that I was not a native Utahn, and as such I was aiming ridicule at all y'all up there. You were in fact correct in your premise (I live in Texas, though I was born in Oregon), but not your conclusion. I know several native Utahns, and a few of them are my dearest friends; I'm well aware that the stereotype is not correct.

I concede that the message of this shirt does imply the existence of stereotypical "Utah Mormons", but I doubt you'll contend with me that they exist in one form or another. I met a few when I was up there. Scarred me for life, it did. =P

Again, I apologize for any offense, but I assure you that none was meant.

- Anonymous

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ADear Friend,

Oh the joys of internet communication.

Sauron's response was meant to be about as harsh as your shirt is meant to be.

All in the name of good teasing,
Waldorf (n' Sauron)