Q Dear 100 Hour Board, I pass an old, gated chapel every day on my route to and from work. The building is dark brick, has an unusual (old-fashioned, school-looking) footprint, and seems to be abandoned... kind of. A plaque over the main door reads "LDS South Jordan Chapel" (said chapel is across the street and slightly south of the Jordan River Temple). There is also a large iron horse in the front yard; the more I look at it as I pass, the more I think it was part of a larger (pioneerish?) display. Anyway, the parking lot on the south side of the building often has cars in some state of being (coming, going, parked), yet there is plywood over a few of the (always dark) windows. What is the status of this chapel? Is it going to be renovated and used for seminary, for example? Is the parking lot overflow for the temple (tho' that seems far-fetched)? Curiouser and curiouser. - Golux Girl
A Dear Golux Girl, I’m happy to say that this question, quite unexpectedly, was my all-time favorite question to answer. The building in question is located on 1300 W in South Jordan and is, like you said, just about a block south of the Jordan River Temple. I was particularly interested in your question because, growing up in the southern part of Salt Lake Valley, I had seen the building regularly on temple visits since I was young. After unsatisfactorily trying to get a hold of someone in the area who could give me more information (and being unable to track down any information about the “South Jordan Chapel”) I decided to just visit the place. This is the Google Map street view of the building. On the iron fence out front is a small plaque that says this:
I thought that I could have considered the question answered at that (who would have thought it was someone's house?!), but figuring that I had gone to the trouble of coming all the way out here, I decided to see if anyone was home. Much to my delight, someone was. After ringing the doorbell at their front door (which has the look and appearance of any number of push-bar meetinghouse doors), I was met by Ann Fraughton, the wife of Edward “Ed” Fraughton. After explaining who I was and what I was doing there, I asked a few questions about the Fraughton family and how long they had lived there. Ann smiled and said, “Well, if you’re going to interview me, you might as well come on in.” We went in and sat down in the living room. The house is rustically beautiful and full to the brim with art. As we walked down the short wood-paneled hallway, she pointed out the numerous bronze statues standing almost everywhere and the dozens of portraits and paintings on the wall. The sculptures, she said, were all Ed’s, along with some of the sketches, though there were many other paintings from other artists as well. Most of my questions were about the Fraughton’s lives in the old chapel. They had lived there for thirty-five years and raised their four children there. One half of the building was used by Ed as his studio until the space became too small and he built a larger facility nearby. Ann pointed out the layout of the home which, with a brick fireplace in the center of the room and the smooth, thick floor panels, still retained the look of an old church house. She pointed out where they had taken out walls to open up the room and the old dividers (still in place) that had separated the classrooms. The house appeared quite spacious and the property includes a large pasture area behind the home where the Fraughtons keep one horse and a friend keeps five. I asked if owning a horse was helpful for being able to sculpt horses. Ann laughed as she said, “That’s the reason we have him!” Their horse’s name is March (Ed was born in March) and serves as a model for Ed’s horse sculptures. Or, as Ann put it, “the horse’s only job is to just be a horse!” Ann, an open and engaging person, talked at length about Ed’s work and especially his most recent ongoing project. For the last nine years, Ed has been working on a special commission by the president of the First National Bank of Omaha. The project is a monument to the wagon trains (many of which started out from Omaha, Nebraska). It is a collaborative effort between Ed Fraughton and two other sculptors, Kent Ullberb and another LDS sculptor (and friend of Ed’s) Blair Buswell. Each of the three sculptors has created a section of a complete wagon train. When completed, it will likely be the largest single sculpture installation in North America. I was able to see a photo slide show of a special open-house Ed had for his section of the wagon train, as well as the installed bronze sculptures on-site in Omaha. The sculptures are amazing. The bronze statue of a horse out in front of the Fraughton’s house is one done by Ed from this commission. In addition to a full oxen-drawn wagon and passengers, Ed completed a number of other life-sized sculptures to accompany the wagon train sculptures. I was able to find this (not very clear) picture of a piece that Ann told me Ed calls “Meals on Wheels” of a cowboy on horse bringing in a recent kill. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find a picture of the wagon train section that Ed sculpted, but I did find one of the section done by (I’m pretty sure) Blair Buswell. Some other fun (and very impressive) accomplishments of Ed Fraughton: He sculpted the Mormon Battalion Monument (currently on display in Presidio Park in San Diego). His sculpture “Spirit of Wyoming” was selected from among many applicants to be placed on the grounds of the Wyoming State Capitol Building. One of his award-winning statues, “Where Trails End” (of a cowboy and his dying horse) became such a favorite of Ronald Regan that when he was elected president, he had a copy of the statue in his office during his entire eight years in office. You can see more of Ed’s sculptures at his website, http://www.edfraughton.com/sculptur.html (including one that particularly impressed me when I saw it in the Fraughtons’ living room, a bust of a young Abraham Lincoln titled “The Candidate”). Another project that Ed Fraughton will be taking on shortly is doing a portrait of another famous LDS artist (and another close friend), Arnold Frieberg, the artist whose paintings of Lehi, Nephi, Samuel the Lamanite and Moroni are still included in copies of the Book of Mormon. Sitting down and talking with Ann Fraughton was extremely fun (besides making me feel like a pretty legitimate journalistic investigator). While she was grateful that people continue to take an interest in her husband’s art and in their unique home, she hoped that this answer wouldn’t necessarily encourage people to drop by their house in droves, indicating that she and Ed, both active though aging (not old), still enjoy their rest and privacy. You can read more about Ed Fraughton (and see his self portrait!) on his Wikipedia page or in this 1990 Ensign article about sculptors in the LDS Church. - Rating Pending (who can’t overemphasize just how fun an experience this was) Q Dear 100 Hour Board, I am seriously thinking about serving a mission. I can submit my papers within the year and I am so excited! What advice do you have for a future missionary to do to prepare? What are some things you wish you had done more or books you wished you had read before serving? Thank you! ~ A Future Sister Missionary
A Dear future sister, Be excited! Missions are ridiculously exciting. I think you could ask any returned missionary you know this question and they'd have a list of things to recommend to you, but since you asked us, I'll happily give you my recommendations. I was not a sister missionary, but I had the pleasure of serving and getting to know about 40 sisters on a personal level during my mission, so I think I have a bit more perspective than the average returned elder. You will have a huge head start if you learn Chapter 3 of Preach My Gospel. I briefly mentioned this to Giovanni Schwartz and I stand by that counsel. So many people are told to "learn the doctrine" or "learn Preach My Gospel" but they don't know where to start. Well, here's a two-paragraph explanation of how to start. Study the lessons in Chapter 3, as I said earlier. Study every scripture. Find additional scriptures. Discover what doctrines are most meaningful to you. Discover what doctrines you don't understand fully and fill in the gaps through supplemental study. Look for opportunities to teach your friends (especially returned missionaries) the doctrines in these lessons, and learn to explain things clearly and effectively. Regardless of what language you end up speaking, a foundation in simple teaching in English and a solid understanding of fundamental doctrine will put you miles ahead of the average missionary. The difference between good teachers and outstanding teachers on the mission is Chapter 10 of Preach My Gospel. I've provided scriptures for every principle of the lessons in the question I linked above, but it would also be a good idea to start writing down good, thought-provoking questions you could ask to people who don't understand the gospel like you do. I think by the end of my mission, Chapter 10 was my most studied and marked-up chapter. I've also found the principles in it to be very applicable after my mission. Definite bonus! I contacted two very good friends of mine who are returned sister missionaries and asked for their specific advice for a sister that is preparing. They asked me how you were trying to prepare--mentally, spiritually, emotionally, or physically. Clearly, sisters are more thoughtful and intelligent than elders that just throw scriptural advice at you. They said to find some way to go out with sister missionaries for a few hours at a time. "In-field experience" is always the best way to adjust to new situations. During the time that you spend with those sisters, ask them for specific advice that helped them. It's much easier to get advice in real time, so that question and answer time between visits or during study will be very helpful to you. I'll finish their thoughts with a few other recommendations. I would personally begin preparing physically, at least in small part. Try to stop napping if that's something that you're into. That was a sad adjustment for me on my mission--though some missions don't mind if you get some shut-eye during lunch hour. Sleeping by the missionary schedule isn't a huge adjustment, so I won't necessarily recommend that you start the 10:30-6:30 thing with exercise in the morning. That would be a little overkill, and you won't end up exercising in the morning once you get to the MTC anyway, so it'd be pretty pointless. There isn't too much you can do to emotionally prepare, except to prepare yourself to leave just about everything that's currently important to you. Some people find letting go very difficult; some people find it fairly easy. I think it's a matter of how well you're able to focus on the things that you're doing. For me, it was easy to focus on missionary work all day, so I didn't have time to dwell on things past and I adjusted pretty easily. Others found it harder to focus on one thing for weeks at a time and ended up thinking about home throughout the day. Those missionaries ended up having a much harder time adjusting. Mentally and spiritually, I would just recommend reading the scriptures when it's all said and done. I can preach about learning Preach My Gospel, but at the end of the day, missionaries with a solid foundation in the scriptures who don't have to learn to love gospel study will grow the fastest. I had a very solid understanding of doctrine from the starting blocks, but I wish I had been able to sit at a desk and make a lot out of an hour of study every morning when I first landed. It took months of practice and adjustment before my study came alive. When it did, I became a better teacher, a better leader, and a better person. I'm sorry for making you wait a little while for this answer--it's my fault that it took some time. Good luck in your preparation, sister! I will always deeply admire and respect women who choose to serve missions. --Gimgimno A Dear FSM~ What advice do you have for a future missionary to do to prepare? Read the Bible. I can't overstate this. If you don't read the Bible, then I'm afraid you're not well-equipped to be teaching Christians, and the vast majority of your converts will come from other Christian faiths. Oh, and I suppose this should go without saying, but read the Book of Mormon. That's even less negotiable than the Bible, because generally the Book of Mormon is what you're using as the spearhead of your argument. You can't sell a product you don't believe in, and you can't believe in a product you haven't tried. Don't waste too much time asking RMs for advice. (You know, like us.) I know you're going to do this anyway, and I'm also painfully aware of how hypocritical this is, seeing how this is advice coming from an RM. Seriously, though, no two missions are alike, and a mission's culture changes so rapidly and drastically with every new mission president that a lot of the things RMs tell you will either be meaningless generalities ("Try to have a testimony." "Yeah, thanks for the awesome advice, moron.") or things that don't apply to your situation, ("If your companion asks you to cover yourself in honey and run through a pack of grizzly bears, don't do it!"). You will need to adapt to your individual mission's culture and your own personal situation, and there are very few, if any, mortals who can help you do that. But you're going to ask anyway. We all did; so will you. What are some things you wish you had done more or books you wished you had read before serving? Things I'd done...? Taken more pictures of my family, I guess. I wish I'd spent more time memorizing scriptures, but I fixed that problem fairly quickly. I guess having gone on splits with the elders could have been helpful, but I can't imagine how. Elders don't behave like elders around members. Hopefully you'll never know what I mean by that. As for books I wish I'd read, I guess Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage was enormously helpful as a missionary...I guess. Really, there's nothing I can think of that will be of more value to you than reading the scriptures and making sure you have a rock-solid testimony of the Atonement of Christ and that the LDS Church is, in fact, His. However great you think your testimony is at this point, it will be tested and fired upon and attacked in ways you've never imagined before, and the more solid your foundation is, the less traumatizing that experience will be. Unless, of course, that's me giving mission-specific advice. Problematic. Anyway, have a good time out there. Make us proud, kid. ~Hobbes A Dear Future, To add to the above, here are a few questions I dug out of the depths of the archives that touch on the subject:
- The Detective A Dear sister, Learn to love, totally and completely and without reservation or precondition or stipulation. I don't mean love as in "My little brother is annoying me but I still love the kid." I mean, love as in "I have nothing in common with this pig-headed lazy socially-oblivious apostate I've been saddled with for the last three months, but I'll bite back my scorn and give her a hug after a particularly hard day." Love as in "A stranger just screamed us off his porch and it's pouring rain and I've never felt more homesick and do I have the strength to finish knocking the last 3 doors on this street?" Love as in "I'm 22 and I've never had a boyfriend, but this middle-aged mother of three just found out her husband is leaving her for a girl half her age and is desperate for comfort from me and how does the Plan of Salvation help her and how can I possibly say anything without sounding monstrously ignorant or conceited?" That's my advice. The lessons will come, the scriptures will come, the language will come. Learn to give so completely of yourself that you will ache with pain for each investigator you lose, and weep with joy for each one you bring to the waters of baptism. Follow the example of the Savior. -Cognoscente Q Dear 100 Hour Board, You may have answered this before, but I looked in the archives and couldn't find it. I am a TA and I'll be teaching my PSYCH 111 class on Friday. The subject is hunger motivation and we'll be addressing the topic of eating disorders. I am wondering if there are an statistics about eating disorders at BYU. I've found national statistics, but I think I could have more impact if I could find some about BYU. Thanks! - Trying to Prepare
A Dear Trying, Note: I wrote the following last Thursday. However, remember that this is the "100 Hour Board," so an answer will usually take at least 100 hours to make it through the mysterious inner workings of the Board. Keep that in mind and plan accordingly if you have a time-sensitive question! That said.... If you have a chance before your class, swing by the Counseling and Career Center and see if they can get you those statistics. In my investigations, I was told they would have them if anyone did. I was unable to go there myself today, and I haven't received a response yet to the e-mail I sent to one of their research people, so hopefully you have better luck. In the meantime, here are two theses from BYU students on the subject. This one, from 2005, states in its abstract:
This is the other one. As a bonus, here's a recent Daily Universe article about eating disorders which quotes some folks at the Counseling and Career Center. If all else fails, I'd just go with that "9-11%" figure given in the quote above. Good luck teaching! - The Detective A Dear Trying, Not only am I sure that more than 9-11% of students at BYU have eating disorders, I am sure that the rates are equal to (if not much higher) than those of other universities. At least 75% of women in the U.S. have very disordered and unhealthy thinking towards food and body image. But even if the truth is that only 9-11% of BYU students have or are at risk for eating disorders, that is a much higher number than we think. Those with eating disorders tend to hide this fact--which shouldn't be shocking. Of those who have disorders, many don't realize their thinking and/or behavior are problems. Whether the eating disorder is not recognized or whether it is just hidden, there can be a strong tendency to lie (knowingly or not) on surveys such as the Eating Attitudes Test, used by one of the students The Detective mentioned. This results in extremely lower statistics on eating disorders (or at the very least, unhealthy attitudes and behaviors) than what is true. The DSM-IV is almost excessively strict when it comes to defining eating disorders. Those who do not fit the definitions of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa perfectly are either sometimes lumped into EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified) or considered to merely have mild problems with eating. Compulsive exercise, binge eating disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder are starting to be more recognized as eating disorders (or at least legitimate problems) as well. While some research shows that BYU may have lower rates of eating disorders, BYU students and health care professionals tend to strongly disagree. Many believe BYU has a drastically higher rate of eating disorders--in part due to the culture. I see girls every single day here at BYU who show significant signs of eating disorders, and know many who definitely have "full-blown" cases of EDs that would even get labeled so by the strict DSM-IV. Obsession with body appearance would seem to be less prevalent at a university focusing on spiritual growth and maturity, but in fact it is the opposite. If a young man is looking for a wife, and many of the young women surrounding him are spiritually up to par, most young women feel that they can--in fact, must--stand out by being thin (and therefore, beautiful). This way of thinking is not at all uncommon, I am sad to say. Eating disorders aren't always about food, though; in the end it is about control. To be in a culture obsessed with perfection means that most of us will lash out in some way, to gain some measure of control back. This frequently manifests itself with control of weight and food. I cannot emphasize enough how much of a problem eating disorders are in general, including at BYU. Without treatment, up to 20% of people with serious eating disorders die. Most people with EDs never recover fully. I know so many Latter-day Saint women (and men) at BYU, including some that are married with children, who struggle so very much. Please emphasize to your students--male and female alike--that eating disorders are very serious and much more common than thought. Saint Sebastienne Q Dear 100 Hour Board, I'm having a problem. I know you're not doctors, but I'd like any advice you or your acquaintances might have. So here's the deal: last semester I lost 30 lbs. I've been overweight my entire life (never lost the baby fat...) so it was a big deal for me. I lost my appetite at the beginning of the semester and for the first time in my life I could eat 1200-1500 calories a day consistently and not feel like I was starving! Unfortunately I went back to my old eating habits when I came home for Christmas, and now, almost three months later, I just cannot stop eating. I haven't gained any weight back, but I really do have another 30-40 lbs to lose to get down to a healthy body weight, and now it seems like that is impossible. At first I figured it was okay, I lost a lot of weight pretty quickly, and my body was just adjusting, but now it is a serious issue for me. All day long I think about food and I feel hungry all the time. I feel so depressed that I'm not controlling my appetite anymore, but I just don't know what to do. How can I get past this? I've started jogging (another thing I've never been able to do before!) and tried keeping busy, but I always come back to food. It's getting out of control. Help! - in the middle
A Dear in the middle, First off, know that there are people who understand. Oh man, do I ever understand. This is actually a battle I've been fighting my whole life and that (I think) I am finally starting to get a handle on. Also, congratulations on your losses so far. Don't forget how far you've come, even when it seems daunting to realize you have a way to go yet. OK, so, I'm going to make some assumptions about the way you live your life that I hope are right. If not, shoot me an e-mail at claudio dot the dot crowing at gmail dot com and we can talk specifics (heck, you can e-mail me there anyway, if you feel it). First, I'm going to assume that you have someplace to be all day. Whether it's work or school, I'm going to assume you're out of your house. Second, I'm going to assume that you have some emotional ties to eating, be it for stress relief, anger management, depression, or just boredom. Third, I'm going to assume you have enough grocery budget to purchase fresh produce. Now then. When you leave the house, take everything you're going to eat for the day with you. If you don't bring food, it's very easy to go hit up a Taco Bell or anything else that sounds good to you that day. A backpack full of food, though, gives you not only easy availability to your meals, but the motive to eat it ("Well, if I don't eat it, it'll go bad...and I paid for this stuff, and I don't want to waste my money..."). Now, with that comes the responsibility to pack something healthy. If I may, I'll walk you through my lunchbag and the schedule I use to eat it: 9:30 - Granny Smith apple 10:30 - Bag of celery sticks 11:30 - Bag of grapes 12:30 - Bag of baby carrots 1:30 - Ham & turkey sandwich (on whole wheat sandwich roll), string cheese (low fat), green salad 3:30 - Banana Let me explain why this schedule and these foods (or foods similar) are awesome. I typically eat breakfast around 7:00, which helps get me going for the day, but my blood sugar starts to go down mid-morning. That's where the fruit comes in. Eating a serving of fruit can help jump-start the blood sugar, but in a healthy and gradual way. Further, fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which adds indigestible bulk to your diet and will help you feel fuller for a longer period of time. You'll note that I have a (healthy) source of carbohydrates every two hours. This helps keep my blood sugar at a fairly even level and helps me avoid crashing any time during the day. What's more is that munching constantly through the day like this helps to improve the way your body metabolizes food and will eventually help you to not be hungry at all throughout your day. Avoiding that hunger helps me resist the urge to head to the vending machine and pick up something unhealthy. What's more is that eating all that food up there will only cost you about from 600 to 800 calories (depending on if you use dressing on the salad and if you put mayo and cheese on your sandwich), putting you at a great place for your evening meal. (By the way, you don't have to use the exact fruits and veggies I used there. Just make sure that you're eating a mix of fruits and vegetables that you'll enjoy munching on and that you're doing so in moderate proportions.) Another important matter is keeping yourself hydrated. Carry a bottle of water around with you and use it often. Keeping yourself hydrated will help your body function better in pretty much all ways. In addition, it can help fill your stomach and put off hunger pangs. Now, if you're like me you have two major problem times for eating: early morning and late night. As to the first one--you MUST eat breakfast. It jump-starts your body for the whole day. It doesn't have to be much, but you need something. I would, on most days, be careful to avoid really sugary breakfasts (Pop Tarts, pancakes, fruit juices) because they are quickly absorbed by your body and can not only lead to a crash later in the day but will leave you feeling hungry soon. An ideal breakfast has a blend of carbohydrate, protein, fiber, and just a bit of fat (which helps slow the digestive process). A bowl of raisin bran with a piece of whole-wheat toast and an orange (not just orange juice, which just provides straight-up sugar without any of the fiber from the pulp to help balance out the body's absorption) is a good example. My personal go-to meal for the last little bit has been a ham, onion, and asparagus frittata, which gives me a ton of protein, some fat, and a bunch of vegetables (onions have some sugars in them and all vegetables have fiber). I usually have a two to two-and-a-half hour break between breakfast and my first snack of the morning. Now, then, as to late night, you should eat dinner at a reasonable time for your schedule and then stop eating. This is one I actually couldn't overcome on my own. It was just SO tempting to go up the fridge around 11:00 and just munch on whatever leftovers were there. In order to break myself of this, I had to bring my wife into the equation. I just told her, "Look, I'm having issues with eating at night. I need you to be aware of it. I'm not asking you to police me, but now I know that you know, and I can be accountable to you. Will you remind me at night that I shouldn't eat, and ask me in the morning how I did?" She has been obliging, and knowing that I have to answer to her in the morning has helped me to avoid snacking. Ask a roommate or your spouse to do the same thing. It's not a huge inconvenience to them, but it makes you accountable to someone and will change the way you think about eating at night. You may, however, need something to take the edge off. I recommend (though I probably shouldn't) a small cup of diet soda. I keep a two-liter of Diet A&W Root Beer in the fridge and I have a cup of it every night. It's sweet and cold and if I just sip on it for a while, I don't want to eat as much anymore. Munching on some vegetables would also be acceptable. I hope that these ideas can help you through what I know is a really tough time. If they can't, though, you may have to acknowledge that there is a more serious problem. If you try all of this, you may have some psychological issues to work out in regards to food. Overeaters Anonymous can help you out if you need them. Don't be ashamed to take care of yourself. If you need help or someone to talk to about this kind of stuff, please feel free to e-mail me. Work hard, pray for help, and be strong. -Claudio Q Dear 100 Typing Monkeys, Are there other monkey tribes out there forced to type by evil scientists? If yes, where do they live? Inside Disney's Tower of Terror or Matterhorn? The Empire State Building? D'ni? The moon? Somewhere else entirely? - Dead Cat
A Dear Most Wonderful Name Ever, We do not feel we are at liberty to disclose this information in the extremely improbable situation that there are many groups of monkeys positioning themselves in locations of power for the day we throw off our shackles and conquer the United States. But this is so unlikely you should not think on it. You should not begin searching the most important locations in your country for secret enclaves of monkeys. Do not search the Capitol Building. Do not look up Teddy's nose at Mount Rushmore. Do not check Space Mountain. Do not examine the White House. Do not search the robes of Lady Liberty. Nor should you ever think that there are monkeys living at The Empire State Building, The Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Pentagon, the state capitol of Illinois, Alcatraz, nor the City Center in Waubay, South Dakota. That is all. -100 Typing Monkeys Q Dear Gimgimno, Board Question #56525 I am sorry for offending you in a way. You sound like my dad... Kind of pathetic. I am really, really sorry though. I comepletely understand that what I said was "grossingly disrespectful". I am sorry we had to meet on a tense note. You have never answered any of my questions before, so for you to finally say something says alot. I didn't even know you existed, then I look you up, and hey! You have answered 103 questions. Bravo Dear 100 Hour Board, I have a very limited span in realizing other people's perspective, when it comes to church subjects. So, I was just wondering if you could maybe help me out on my talk, as in pointing out some things I should touch on if that makes any sense. I am very, sorry and ashamed for what I said before. I had no idea just a few little words could have such an impact on people i don't even know. Really sorry, I am. :( Just want to quit eveything all together P.s. Thanks for you help Claudio.. nice reality check that i needed
A Dear Maddie, Don't beat yourself up too much. When you're faced with some direct--maybe even harsh--criticism, evaluate it, figure out how much of it you want to keep, adjust the way you think, and move on. Don't get bogged down in it. Don't beat yourself up about it. You're all right. As to the talk: Remember, when you're asked to give a talk based on a General Conference talk, you're not being asked to re-give that talk. President Eyring covers so much ground in his talk, ground which you would have difficulty covering in 7-10 minutes, even if you just read his talk aloud. Prayerfully read the talk and take notes of what major themes stick out to you and pay attention to spiritual promptings that can help you decide what would be most important for you to speak on. Often covering just one of the apostle's themes is sufficient for a very good sacrament meeting talk. For instance, if I were giving a talk based on "Our Perfect Example," I might focus on one of the following: -The importance and joy of service and love in family relationships -The Atonement's ability to help us not only be cleansed of sin, but to be better -The ways in which Jesus Christ is an example to you and how we can all better follow him -Humility and how recognition of our need of Christ's sacrifice is essential to our salvation -Dedicating our lives to Christ and enduring to the end See, there are a lot of really good things in this talk. Read over it carefully and find what you need to talk on. Pray for the Spirit to guide your words. God is giving you a twofold opportunity: 1. You get the chance to learn about the gospel and to evaluate how you're doing in this particular aspect of it, and 2. You have the chance to help someone who needs to feel the Spirit of God in their lives. Pray for both to go well and I'm sure you'll be fine. Take care. -Claudio Q Dear 100 Hour Board, I was reading in Mark about when the Savior walks on the water. I got to the end of verse 48 in chapter 6 where it says Christ came to the disciples walking on the sea "and would have passed by them." It seems to me to be an example of "ask and ye shall receive" kind of thing, but I've never heard that particular phrase in verse 48 discussed before and I was curious what your thoughts on this are. Drowning
A Dear I hope not, I have never actually read this scripture that particular way, nor could I find any commentary that indicates exactly that meaning (though I should say I’m not entirely sure what you mean by an “’ask and ye shall receive’ kind of thing”). I do think, though that it’s an interesting detail with an interesting message. The verse in question says this. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. (Mark 6:48)I wondered if “would have passed by them” was one of those phrases that was translated into a phrase that might mean something different, but the New International Version says almost the same thing, “He was about to pass by them.” From the other places where this story is recorded, Matthew 14:22-33 and John 6:15-21, we get a little more detail about what Jesus did, and was about to do, while he was walking on the water. Matthew 14:25 says this (my emphasis added): And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them walking on the sea.John 6:19 says this, So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.Both Matthew and Mark indicate how the apostles were struggling against some pretty bad weather. Matthew says that Jesus was going to the apostles, and John says that Jesus came up close to the ship. So why does Mark say that Jesus would have passed by the ship if, as Matthew says, his purpose was to go out to the ship in the first place? This is my own interpretation, but it seems to me that Jesus, who had just demonstrated his ability to feed the five thousand, needed to make sure that the apostles really understood just who he was. These fishermen had been in boats on the sea for years, and looking out into the stormy water does not seem like it would be helpful in saving a ship from foundering in a storm. Why on earth would they be focusing their attention on anything but the oars, the sails and the boat? I could imagine that Jesus, though being literally, physically nearby, and anxious to aid the struggling ship, would wait until they had seen him before approaching so that they would realize both how miraculous his appearance on the sea really was and that he could show them that in comparison with his divine power, all their experience, all their efforts, were really nothing. I think it’s telling how Mark 6 goes on to say how when Jesus “went up into the ship; and the winds ceased,” that they were “amazed . . . beyond measure.” And then this in Mark 6:51, For they considered not the miracle of the loaves; for their heart was hardened.I of course can’t say this definitively, but if none of the apostles had looked, Jesus might have simply “passed them by,” not out of lack of concern or attention on Jesus’ part, but because of the lack of attention from the apostles. I think this interpretation of this actual event is especially applicable if we think that if we continue to not “consider” Jesus, he won’t force us to think on him and be saved. - Rating Pending (who appreciates you pointing out this pretty subtle line in a pretty non-subtle story) Q Dear 100 Hour Board, How many times does the phrase "ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you" appear in the scriptures? - Too lazy to count myself
A Dear lazy, That exact phrase: 5. - 3 Ne. 27: 29, D&C 4: 7, D&C 49: 26, D&C 66: 9, D&C 88: 63. With some other words but meaning the same thing: at least 13. - Matt. 7: 7, Luke 11: 9, 3 Ne. 14: 7, 3 Ne. 27: 29, D&C 4: 7, D&C 6: 5, D&C 11: 5, D&C 12: 5, D&C 14: 5, D&C 49: 26, D&C 66: 9, D&C 75: 27, D&C 88: 63. That should be all of them, according to my thorough search of scriptures.lds.org. Let me know if you happen across any others. - The Detective Q Dear 100 Hour Board, How dense would air have to be for wood smoke to flow down (like the vapors from throwing dry ice in water do) instead of rising? —Damasta
A Dear Damasta, As far as I could gather in my research, the density (or buoyancy) of smoke doesn't have much to do with why it rises in air. Smoke rises because it is hot. Once it cools off, the particulates in it drag it back down. (As a side note, "wood smoke" is perhaps too general of a term. Different types of wood give off different types of smoke. Depends on the water in the wood, apparently.) This site puts that idea the most clearly, and also mentions "dense air." It does not give a scientific definition or measurement of what the density is, but I doubt that firemen care about that specific detail. So, for smoke to flow down, it just has to lack the kinetic energy sufficient to lift the particulates into the air. Hope this is an acceptable answer. -Pseudoname A Dear Damasta, Pseudoname is right. Smoke rises because it's hot, and thus less dense than the (cooler) air around it. You could try changing the surrounding air's density, but no matter what you changed it to, air rising from a fire would always be less dense, because it would always be warmer. —Laser Jock Q Dear 100 Hour Board, Some of the rooms of the MARB have large posters of the periodic table of the elements. Elements which are shown in red exist as gases; elements which are shown in blue (Ga, Br, Cs, Hg, and Fr) exist as liquids; and elements which are shown in black exist as solids. However, at standard temperature (0°C) and pressure (1 atm), only Hg and Br are found as liquids. So what temperature and pressure do these MARB posters represent? —Cobalt-nitrogen-fluorine-uranium-silicon-oxygen-nitrogen
A Dear CoNFUSiON, I haven't tried contacting anyone yet, but here's what I've been able to deduce from some figuring of my own: assuming other conditions are standard, the temperature must be between 30°C and 59°C. Why? Because that's the range of temperatures all of the apparently-liquid elements can be liquid at. Here's the data, courtesy of WolframAlpha.com*: Melting points to boiling points, °C:
That will have to suffice unless I can dig up more information about those specific tables in the MARB. - The Detective * WolframAlpha didn't have any melting/boiling point data for francium, probably because it's so unstable that it's a hard thing to test before it decays into something else. I had to use the estimated values from its Wikipedia entry. Q Dear 100 Hour Board, If you were given the chance (and without using the paper bag trick), would you eat formaggio marcio? —Tasteless in Provo
A Dear Tasteless, NO. ⋯Anomalous A Dear Clearly- I have a policy of being willing to eat just about anything (that is actually food) at least once. This is straining the boundaries of said rule, but...yes, possibly. As long as someone else A- also partook and B- paid for it. -Foreman A Dear Tasteless, OK, like my brother, I am pretty much always up for trying food at least one time. But this statement from Wikipedia gives me great pause:
Eeeeeeeyah! I am not a fan of eating things that could possibly result in worms burrowing into my internal organs. Sorry, I think I'd have to pass on this one. -Claudio A Dear SO Tasteless, No, I wouldn't. I might take pictures, or bet my friends to eat it, but I would definitely not. Sometimes I have a hard time eating yogurt when the container it comes in says "live cultures"; no way could I handle seeing the living thing I am eating. -Mico Q Dear 100 Hour Board, How would you respond to someone who justifies doing drugs (specifically thc) because, 'other people do things that are bad for their bodies like eat fast food.' I typically respond, 'well that doesn't make that right either, they probably shouldn't.' To which he responds, 'but they still do it so I'll continue doing drugs occasionally.' Any suggestions on how to convince someone not to do drugs?? - melbabi
A Dear melbabi, Well, for one thing, eating fast food may not be the best thing for your body, but it has nothing on drugs. Since your friend seems to be quite adept at lying to himself about this point, you could always ditch the arguments on the physical detriments of drugs and talk about the emotional, mental, and interpersonal problems they can cause. Fast food is much less likely to become an addictive behavior that destroys families, friendships, and lives. ~Hermia A Dear melbabi, Your friend is making an idiotic argument, but people make those kind of excuses all the time for doing moronic things. There's plenty of literature and research to convince people not to use illegal drugs. That's been done to death, and this isn't Cartoon All-Stars To The Rescue. I'm sure he already knows it's bad. He's making a conscious decision to do it anyway. Short of calling the cops on him, or threatening to, anyway, you're not going to browbeat him into doing the right thing. Also, well... pot really isn't that bad, and even most people working in drug enforcement will admit it, off the clock. Don't get me wrong, it's bad, sure. It's illegal, it makes you stupid, and it's against the word of wisdom. But honestly, alcohol is much worse. I have no intention of ever trying pot, but I still think it should be decriminalized. Not all drugs are created equal. This opinion doesn't apply to coke, heroin, or meth though. Especially meth. You see anyone actively involved in methamphetamine, you call the police as soon as you can safely get to a phone. That stuff is monstrously vile. -Cognoscente A Mel. Baby. Listen. Cognoscente is right. It's a stupid argument, because there are simply no good excuses for doing stupid things like this. The truth is that our choices, especially when it comes to choices concerning substances and the law of chastity (in my opinion), should never be based on the choices of others (even obeying a commandment, for the simple purpose of fitting in, is silly (though less detrimental than disobeying a commandment...but I digress)). Sin is never, ever justified simply because others fall prey to it! In fact, if this guy sees the unhealthy choices of others it should inspire him to treat his own body with more respect rather than jump on the Justification Train (Destination: Damnation). This goes back to the old (and very annoying) "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?" The idea of "majority rules" does NOT apply to morality! Commandments are set in place to help us...but also to test our obedience, humility, and faith. We can choose to ignore them and temporarily bypass them in some earthly way, but this will not change the will of God or keep away consequences. This kid knows his excuse is pathetic. His pride has overcome him. You are a good person for looking out for his well-being, but do not waste too much time. Pray for him, but stay humble--you aren't perfect either. And in the end, while marijuana use is not acceptable, it is not as harmful as many things he could be doing--to himself, as well as to others. You can always be grateful for that. Saint Sebastienne Q Dear 100 Hour Board, Last night as I was trying to fall asleep, I started counting how many flights I've taken and how many hours I've spent in the air. My total was 21 flights (roundtrip) and 168 hours (7 days) in the air. What's your total? - melbabi
A Dear (world traveler?) melbabi, You're lucky this kind of thing helps you go to sleep. Racking my brain like this would have kept me up all night. Anyway, in my entire life I believe I have been on eight round-trip flights and five one-way flights for a total of twelve. As far as how many planes I have been on, I'm counting twenty-four. I have been in the air for approximately eighty-two and a half hours. ~Hermia A Dear Melbabi, I have taken approximately 47 flights (roundtrip, so close to 100 [rough estimate]). Wow, that is a lot. But in my family we traveled a lot, and we always flew. If you asked for family road trips it would be two. And they weren't even long, cross-country ones. Okay, 47 roundtrip flights, and the total number of hours is... 341, or 14.21 days. Yeah, if I had tried to think of that while going to sleep it would not have helped. -Mico A Dear melbabi, Well, I calculated some numbers and I think I have them right. I've been on 13 round-trip flights and 2 one-way flights all totaling about 216 hours on an airplane. I'd also like to point out that I hadn't ridden an airplane until my sophomore year of high school when I visited England for a couple weeks. My family was all about the road trips when I was a kid. I was born and raised on the east coast and by the time I was ten years old I had visited California three times. I definitely prefer airplanes over cars when it comes to traveling long distances. -Sky Bones Q Dear 100 Hour Board, One of my non-member friends recently told me all about the book "Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith," which was written by one of Hugh Nibley's daughters. Among the many inflammatory claims that Martha Beck puts forward in the book, she claims that Hugh Nibley made up all of the references in his books/essays and that he falsified many of his sources. I find this rather hard to believe, since Nibley's work had to have been peer-reviewed. Is there any veracity at all to this claim? Using any of Nibley's scholarly works as an example, is it possible to verify his sources? - former Pen and the Sword Freshman Academy Member
A Dear former blah blah blah, Dr. Nibley was sometimes sloppy with his sources, but he never made them up. You may be interested in this blistering takedown of Beck's book. Love, and Sauron Q Dear 100 Hour Board, I'm failing anatomy. It is terrible. It is my favorite class and I'd say I spend between 10-15 hours a week studying for it. I feel like I know 90% of the material and I'm pretty confident while studying and explaining to others, but our grade is only based on tests and I'm a terrible test taker. We have 5 tests and no other assignments. I have 2 tests left, and no idea what to do. I'm going to fail this class that I should be doing great in. I know the material and I spend so much time on it that I'm just getting frustrated when I go to class the day after a test and everyone is complaining about their 80%, and I'm silently fuming about my 40%. - Pre-med dropout
A Dear Pre-med dropout, Two things: 1. Talk to your professor. I've been amazed at just how accommodating they can be when they know your situation. You need to do this yesterday. 2. Are you one of those people who takes hours to take the tests? I get the feeling that you are, and that you're way over-thinking the questions. I think you might do better if you read the question once, read the answers once, and go with your gut. Trust yourself. You are prepared for the test. Don't let yourself talk yourself out of the right answers. Mark it, move on, and don't look back. Don't ever change an answer unless it is 100% completely obvious that you should. I bet this will help. - The Black Sheep A Dear not yet!, I may be going out on a limb a bit with this assumption, but from what I remember of anatomy there are written tests (multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, etc.) and their are practical tests (name the body part we've stuck with a pin). If these are practical tests you are taking, I would strongly recommend that you spend as much of your study time as you can in the lab. Often times it is difficult to apply what you remember seeing on an illustrated diagram to an actual cadaver or specimen. If you're at BYU, you should be in good shape here. The cadaver lab is staffed with wonderful TA's who are more than willing to help you more specifically study what you will need to know for the test. ~Hermia Q Dear 100 Hour Board, Do keyboards get quieter over time? If so, how long will that take? I'm asking because the new ones in all the BYU computer labs are SO LOUD. - Quiet Area Psshh
A Dear Shh, If your keyboard gets quieter over time then there is probably something wrong with it. When I was a kid and wanted to sneak onto the computer late at night without my parents knowing I would very slowly and softly type things so the keys did not make as much noise. This is a terribly slow process, but worth it if you want quiet keystrokes. But your keyboard is not going to get quieter on its own. It might get sticky, or broken, but not quieter. There is such a thing as a "quiet keyboard" that is... quieter. But it seems BYU isn't interested in that sort of stealthy technology. -Mico Q Dear 100 Hour Board, Recently we have been talking about the Law of Chastity in Sunday School. I have heard references that there are specific punishments that can occur as a result of breaking this law, but I haven't been able to find out what exactly these are, and I am curious as to what these may be. Can you shed any light on this subject? Thanks for any help you can give. Fourthmeal
A Dear Fourthmeal, What happens depends heavily on the circumstances—the person and the action committed. Possible courses of action include counseling with the bishop (for less serious problems, like pornography) up to disfellowshipment or excommunication (which are likely to happen in the case of adultery). The level of discipline goes up with the covenants someone has made: for instance, someone who has received their endowment or has received the Melchizedek priesthood is held to a much higher standard. I'm sorry I can't be more specific, but so much depends on the person and the situation that it's just not possible to say more. Now seems like a good time to remind you, though, that the purpose of Church discipline is never to punish the sinner: rather, its goal is to help the person repent, and (with repentance) re-enter the Church in full fellowship. —Laser Jock Q Dear 100 Hour Board, All this BYUSA controversy had me concerned. Is there a way to see where my tuition money is going? Who approves BYU finances? My friend's class went on a field trip and she didn't pay for it at all. I'm concerned - i know it's not very much money but that's not the point
A Dear knows, I'm afraid there's not any way to get specifics on how money is spent. As BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins stated in response to the recent ruckus on BYUSA's spending, university policy is to not comment on budgetary specifics. BYU's finances are approved at various levels. Ultimate responsibility rests with the Board of Trustees, but at lower levels specifics are handled by other people. (BYUSA, for instance, gets its funding from the Department of Student Leadership; there are six vice presidents of BYUSA that each oversee a specific area, and underneath each of them is an executive director.) Of course, there are possibilities for misuse of funds, but I think in general people at BYU are pretty conscious of how they use our money. (For instance, a class's field trip could be a valid use of funds meant for education.) —Laser Jock A Dear not the point, So, you know that article Laser Jock linked to? I am a bit proud to say that I am directly responsible for at least two of the "mysterious" charges explicitly stated therein. I am not a BYUSA volunteer. I will not answer more questions than that. Just braggin', -Claudio Q Dear 100 Hour Board, When should you not take the sacrament? Several years ago there was a scripture about "eternal damnation to your soul" used to really scare me so I wouldn't take the sacrament if I got in a fight with my parents or if I was mean and for other reasons like that. I told my dad (who was my bishop at the time) and he said it's important to take the sacrament so you can feel the Lord's love and renew covenants. Dad said I should always take it unless I have been told not too. But I was talking to my boyfriend about it and whenever we get in a fight he doesn't take the sacrament (and doesn't think I should either). He hasn't taken it for two weeks so far (we get in a lot of fights, that is another story). Have I been cursing my soul? I don't want to ask my dad again because he doesn't like this boyfriend. - Anonymous
A Dear Anon, This is an area where you'll have to ask your bishop. I don't know if there's an official Church-wide policy, but I've heard various things from various sources. In my current ward, we were recently told that we should take the sacrament unless our bishop specifically told us not to. Nevertheless, if you're concerned, I'd suggest asking your own bishop and seeing what he says. —Laser Jock A Dear Nonny, For what it's worth, my mission president shared the same thought that Laser Jock mentions, specifically that (assuming honesty with priesthood leaders and prompt confession following major sin) we should take the sacrament unless instructed not to by a priesthood leader. -Claudio Q Dear 100 Hour Board, Which takes more energy: having a bathroom light and a bathroom fan that are on separate switches or a bathroom light that's also a fan - Anonymous
A Dear Anonymous, Probably the latter, because whenever the one is on, so is the other. If each uses 60 watts, you will be using 120 W of electricity whenever you need to run either the light or the fan. If they are on two separate switches, however, you can run just one or the other—just the light if you're in there brushing your teeth, for example, or just the fan if you need to air it out after you're done taking a shower. I know certain apartment complexes (like mine) have them connected to make sure it gets aired out so they don't get a mess of mildew growing in the walls, but I still prefer the versatility (and energy savings) that are available if you can control what's on and when. You just have to be more responsible, which is fine by me. - The Detective Q Dear 100 Hour Board, Weird question...so I'm a TA in a class where I get to know all my students pretty well. And there's one student in particular who, if I were not his TA, I would have asked out a while ago. I have been 100% appropriate in my interactions with him as his instructor: no flirting, no facebook-friending, no special treatment, etc. Absolutely nothing that would make me uncomfortable if I were in his boat and one of my TAs who I wasn't interested in had a thing for me. That being said, I would be totally thrilled if he asked me out after the semester ended. He definitely seeks out opportunities to talk to me personally (although I recognize that that may be kissing up or being a friendly person just as easily as it may be showing interest). My usual tactics of acting ask-out-able aren't really going to work in this case. Is there anything I can do to show him that I'm interested without being inappropriate or abusing my authority? - makes you suspicious of all your TAs, eh?
A Dear suspicion-causer- I recently gave what I would characterize as a "pretty awesome" answer to the other side of this situation. Read it here, and feel free to reverse the vantage point any of the advice given therein. -Foreman |