My triumphant return

Hello blogland. Over the last few months, if you've checked my blog, (don't worry, i know you haven't) you've seen that same dang youtube video on the top. I've tried to change that. Look in my edit posts thing. There's several started blogs that I didn't ever follow through with. But I think I have something worthwhile. Elder Ballard told me to blog after all. After reading this address from Elder Ballard, I was confused. I wondered why he would choose such a topic for a commencement address. But then I had I had a funny experience to make me think otherwise.

As most of my friends from high school and all of my college friends (I go to school in Utah. Let's not forget that) know I am LDS. (see: Mormon, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, The) Especially in this time where we have an LDS presidential candidate (Mitt Romney. Pick up a newspaper sometime. It'll do you good) the topic of the LDS church is in the forefront of the media. There's a lot going on, a lot of half truths being reported and a lot of misconceptions being perpetuated. Here's my stab at resolving some questions. This isn't necessarily an attempt to convert you (but seriously you should join our church) but just to resolve some questions.

Recently I went home and had dinner with one of my really good friends since middle school. Over the years we've had many talks about many things. She knows my family very well. And so this past time talking with her, I was shocked at a question that she had for me when our topic of conversation turned to marriage (it happens even outside of provo): "So do a lot of your friends in Utah have more than one wife?" I was shocked because this wasn't someone that I met on the street. This was one of my closest friends of many years. And this is a pretty basic misconception that I didn't realize that people close to me would have.

Well just to set the record straight, here's what our prophet says about it:

"This Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. . . . If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church."
At various times, the Lord has commanded His people to practice plural marriage. For example, He gave this command to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Solomon (Doctrine and Covenants 132:1).
In this dispensation, the Lord commanded some of the early Saints to practice plural marriage. The Prophet Joseph Smith and those closest to him, including Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, were challenged by this command, but they obeyed it. In 1890, President Wilford Woodruff received a revelation that the leaders of the Church should cease teaching the practice of plural marriage.

K? So that's that.

I guess I'm back. Check in soon for my new years resolutions (which i've mostly set. I'm giving myself until Sunday when I get off vacation.) Toodles.