Fulness of Times

Last week I read this article,  Boy Scouts mortgage vast New Mexico ranch as collateral , https://www.ksl.com/article/46679190/boy-scouts-mortgage-vast-new-mexico-ranch-as-collateral Yes, the famed Philmont Scout Ranch has been put up as collateral to meet rising insurance costs related to sex-abuse litigation. And earlier in November the Boy Scouts announced membership fee increases beginning next year, January 1. The youth fee is increased from $33 to $60 and the adult fee has a very modest increase from $33 to $36. The reason for the increased membership fees is insurance costs. Interesting that the fee increase comes when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially cuts ties with the BSA. In this article, which talks about the fee increase, https://www.ksl.com/article/46665226/boy-scouts-to-boost-annual-youth-fees-by-more-than-80 it also states "The BSA says it's exploring 'all available options' to maintain its programs and has not ruled o...

Several week ago, on the way to work I heard a report on the radio about a judge back east (I don't remember which state) who ruled that the part on county's marriage application asking for race information was "unconstitutional." The county tried to get that part of the application to be optional, but the judge said it needed to be completely removed from the application. I don't remember who the couple were that brought up the lawsuit, but it doesn't really matter. I've heard similar reports, where some required piece of information, usually gender-related, gets ruled "unconstitutional" but some judge (usually a liberal judge) and the city, county, or state agency, organization, or other entity has to stop gathering that information. I will agree that there have been instances where certain information has been used unconstitutionally, where a person or another group uses it inappropriately, often in some discriminatory manner. But as I l...

In a routine screening/checkup there are some doctors, from the article its pediatricians during well-child checkups, who may ask questions about guns in the home. https://www.ksl.com/article/46664188/study-pediatricians-less-likely-to-ask-questions-about-gun-safety-after-mass-shootings Some questions I have. Do doctors really need to ask these questions? Is it there place to educate patients on gun safety? What happens with the answers? Does the doctor record the answer in the patient's record? My concern comes with a doctor recording any gun-related answer in the patient's health record. Most of these health records are in a digital format, often fully accessible across the doctor's healthcare network if the doctor is associated with a medical care facility or group. What parts of the health record are shared with insurance companies who process healthcare claims? Health records are supposed to become portable, that is easily transferable among healthcare pr...

"Behold, it came to pass that the son of Nephihah was appointed to fill the judgment-seat, in the stead of his father; yea, he was appointed chief judge and governor over the people, with an oath and sacred ordinance to judge righteously, and to keep the peace and the freedom of the people, and to grant unto them their sacred privileges to worship the Lord their God, yea, to support and maintain the cause of God all his days, and to bring the wicked to justice according to their crime." (Alma 50: 39 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/50.39?lang=eng#p38 ) Wouldn't it be awesome if our governors and judges, who are appointed (voted in) by the people, would take office "with an oath and sacred ordinance to judge righteously, and to keep the peace and the freedom of the people, and to grant unto them their sacred privileges to worship the Lord their God, yea, to support and maintain the cause of God all [of their] days [in office], and to bring the wicked to j...

On a lighter note... I told my wife a few weeks ago that I think I know where the myths of gnomes came from. Some parent decided to tell a story about little people. When a child asked what the little people were called, the parent looked at the two-year old, who doesn't want to do anything and says "No" a lot, and replied, they're called "No-omes" When asked how to spell it, the parent decided that a "gn" spelling would be better. So, when our two-year old is responding with "No!" when we ask him things, even if it's something he usually likes, I've been referring to him as our little gnome.

Yesterday on KSL I read an article titled "Latter-day Saint leader says US is at a 'crossroad,' pleads for prayers for the country" https://www.ksl.com/article/46659678/latter-day-saint-leader-says-us-is-at-a-crossroad-pleads-for-prayers-for-the-country The article links to the Church News site https://www.thechurchnews.com/archives/2019-10-21/pray-for-the-united-states-its-leaders-and-its-family-president-ballard-pleads-164797 Here's a bit for the Church's page, from President Ballard “As an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I have a solemn duty to face the Lord and deliver His message. His words often include words of encouragement and expressions of love. They also include words of warning.” The article continues with "America and the nations of the earth, as in times past, 'are at another crossroad,'" with the last being quoted from President Ballard. In some past posts I've mentioned how there were times in the Nephite c...

There is a very interesting dream/prophesy in 2 Esdras chapters 11 and 12 (links are at the end). I first came across it several years ago while reading an online book called The Lost 10 Tribes by Michael Rush. The chapter in Rush's book referencing the chapters in 2 Esdras is found at: http://thelost10tribes.com/?page_id=33 Since that time I've re-read the chapters in Esdras several times, and often thought about the feathers mentioned in the dream. The interesting thing about dreams, visions, and prophesies is, unless there is a specific, clear interpretation and explanation given, they are subject to a variety of interpretations and understandings. And it's usually not until the actual event, or afterwards, that they are more fully understood. Even those who have the dreams and visions have to be careful about giving their own interpretation. Esdras' dream is about an eagle with 3 heads and 20 feathers (which are also seemingly interchanged with and...