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From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Thoughts, not from the manual.
Date: 13 Jan 2000 16:44:12 -0700

THE CAKE

Cindy glanced nervously at the clock on the kitchen wall. Five minutes
before midnight.

"They should be home any time now," she thought as she put the finishing
touches on the chocolate cake she was frosting.

It was the first time in her 12 years she had tried to make a cake from
scratch, and to be honest, it wasn't exactly an aesthetic triumph.

The cake was . . . well, lumpy. And the frosting was bitter, as if she had
run out of sugar or something...which, of course, she had. And then there
was the way the kitchen looked.  Imagine a huge blender filled with all
the fixings for chocolate cake- including the requisite bowls, pans and
utensils.  Now imagine that the blender is turned on. High speed. With the
lid off.  Do you get the idea?

But Cindy wasn't thinking about the mess. She had created something, a
veritable phoenix of flour and sugar rising out of the kitchen clutter.
She was anxious for her parents to return home from their date so she
could present her anniversary gift to them.

She turned off the kitchen lights and waited excitedly in the darkness.

When at last she saw the flash of the car headlights, she positioned
herself in the kitchen doorway.  By the time she heard the key sliding
into the front door, she was THIS CLOSE to exploding.

Her parents tried to slip in quietly, but Cindy would have none of that.

She flipped on the lights dramatically and trumpeted: "Ta-daaa!" She
gestured grandly toward the kitchen table, where a slightly off-balance
two-layer chocolate cake awaited their inspection.

But her mother's eyes never made it all the way to the table.

"Just look at this mess!" she moaned. "How many times have I talked to you
about cleaning up after yourself?" "But Mom, I was only..." "I should make
you clean this up right now, but I'm too tired to stay up with you to make
sure you get it done right," her mother said.  "So you'll do it first
thing in the morning."

"Honey," Cindy's father interjected gently, "take a look at the table." "I
know-it's a mess," his wife said coldly.  "The whole kitchen is a
disaster.

I can't stand to look at it." She stormed up the stairs and into her room,
slamming the door shut behind her.  For a few moments Cindy and her father
stood silently, neither one knowing what to say. At last she looked up at
him, her eyes moist and red.

"She never saw the cake," she said.  Unfortunately, Cindy's mother isn't
the only parent who suffers from Situational Timbercular Glaucoma- the
occasional inability to see the forest for the trees.

From time to time we all allow ourselves to be blinded to issues of
long-term significance by Stuff That Seems Awfully Important Right Now-but
isn't.  Muddy shoes, lost lunch money and messy kitchens are troublesome,
and they deserve their place among life's frustrations.  But what's a
little mud-even on new carpet-compared to a child's self-esteem?

Is a lost dollar more valuable than a youngster's emerging dignity?  And
while kitchen sanitation is important, is it worth the sacrifice of tender
feelings and relationships?

I'm not saying that our children don't need to learn responsibility, or to
occasionally suffer the painful consequences of their own bad choices.

Those lessons are vital, and need to be carefully taught.

But as parents, we must never forget that we're not just teaching lessons
-- we're teaching children. That means there are times when we really need
to see the mess in the kitchen.

And times when we only need to see the cake.

~Joseph Walker~



THINGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME

My Mother taught me LOGIC...

"If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store
with me."

My Mother taught me MEDICINE...

"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way."

My Mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD...

"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job!"

My Mother taught me ESP...

"Put your sweater on; don't you think that I know when you're cold?"

My Mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE...

"What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you...

Don't talk back to me!"

My Mother taught me HUMOR...

"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT...

"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.

My mother taught me about GENETICS...

"You are just like your father!"

My mother taught me about my ROOTS...

"Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE...

"When you get to be my age, you will understand."

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION...

"Just wait until your father gets home."

My mother taught me about RECEIVING...

You are going to get it when we get home.

And my all time favorite thing-JUSTICE "one day you will have kids, and I
hope they turn out just like YOU..then you'll see what it's like."





Perry     <[e-mail]>    http://pobox.com/~plporter

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From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> In the news.
Date: 15 Jan 2000 14:15:30 -0700


LDS Representative Tells Vermont Legislature to Amend Constitution
(Opponents testify before Legislature)
Boston Globe (AP) 13Jan00 N1
By Ross Sneyd: Associated Press

MONTPELIER, VERMONT -- In the wake of last month's Vermont Supreme Court
decision that gay and lesbian couples are entitled to the same benefits
enjoyed by married couples, the Vermont legislature held hearings what
legislation should be enacted to implement the decision. Opponents of
same-sex marriage, including the LDS Church, testified before the
Vermont House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, arguing that the
legislature should either ignore the decision or try to enact a
constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage.

The LDS Church was represented by Burlington lawyer Thomas McCormick,
who helped write a brief to the Vermont Supreme Court for its recent
decision, now called the Baker decision. McCormick told the Judiciary
committee that he thinks the best way to respond was to seek an
amendment to the state constitution that defines marriage as between one
man and one woman.

McCormick told the committee that he thinks permitting same-sex
marriages will lead to other forms of marriage. "What is going to mean
if you redefine marriage today that says, yes, the very attractive
couples in the Baker case can be married? What are you going to say
tomorrow when three or more people want to get married? If you say yes
to same-sex couples, what do you say to two sisters or two brothers who
want to be married?"

http://www.burstnet.com/ads/ad6305a-map.cgi

From Mormon-News: Mormon News and Events


http://www.boston.com/dailynews/013/region/Opponents_testify_before_Legis:.
shtml

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/013/region/Opponents_testify_before_Legis:.
shtml


----------------


[commentary:  The old excuse of why we do not live section 132 today is
that it is against the law of the land.  Yet the church, instead of
struggling to try to get the laws changed so that we can live our
religions to it's fullest like our ancestors did, the church works to see
that the law does NOT allow marriage of anything but ONE man and ONE
women!!!

How can this match with our history?]

See:

http://www.xmission.com/~plporter/lds/chron.htm

----------




Perry     <[e-mail]>    http://pobox.com/~plporter

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From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Dark Side
Date: 29 Jan 2000 11:26:10 -0700

[Commentary, I got this in my in box, and cleaned it up to put out again.
It appears with the hype to be not a very scholarly work, but meant to be
sensational for the purpose to make money.  Thought some of you would be
interested in being informed incase it came up in a conversation]


National Release-Dark Side of Utah Polygamy

Agreka Books News Release January 29, 2000 Announcing New Book Available
For Purchase Feb 8, 2000.

http://utahbooks.com/Dark_Side_Utah_Polygamy_2000.htm

MURDER OF A PROPHET: The Dark Side of Utah Polygamy by John R. Llewellyn

A Fact-Based Novel --Distributed Nationwide

Read the first chapter

http://agreka.com/Dark_Side_Utah_Polygamy.htm

AOL USERS
http://utahbooks.com/Dark_Side_Utah_Polygamy_2000.htm"

A riveting story of intrigue, murder, and sex. Lusting for worldwide
power, the fanatical leader of a Utah polygamist cult launches a plan to
become "the prophet" of all the polygamist cults and then to take over the
entire Mormon Church. Detectives fear a doomsday Waco-type standoff with
women and children. Investigator John Llewellyn, polygamy expert, creates
a fascinating tale of fiction based on real-life events.

As the drama unfolds, personal background stories of individuals portray
to the reader Easy manipulation of deeply faithful people taught
unquestioning obedience.

Depictions of negative social and genetic effects of a polygamous
lifestyle.

Vibrant, playful little girls often devolving into lifeless, emotionless
women.

Occasional men, sexually intimidated by mature women, and having absolute
control over their children, fall into pedophilic behavior as they "train
young girls" to become wives who can "please their husband." While
claiming polygamy is simply a mandate by God to raise up a righteous
progeny, and that men are being "holy" as they fulfill this directive, two
polygamist leaders lustfully pursue a beautiful new woman convert, each
wanting her as wife.

Rod Williams Former U.S. Secret Service and Border Patrol Agent Murder of
a Prophet is a true-to-life scenario. Llewellyn s investigative background
well qualifies him to write this book. As a former U.S.

Federal Agent, I found his book spellbinding, accurate, and entertaining.

Janet Bennion, Ph.D.  Anthropologist and Author of Women of Principle:
Female Networking in Contemporary Mormon Polygyny. Oxford University
Press. Both sides of polygamy must be addressed. As an anthropologist, I
have often presented the positive sides to plural marriage. Llewellyn,
using actual incidents from polygamy s history, creatively presents many
of the negative sides.

His fiction novel reflects the vastly diverse experiences inherent in
contemporary Mormon fundamentalism.

Carolyn Campbell Author of Together Again: True Stories of Birth Parents
and Adopted Children Reunited.

The characterizations shine with insight, authenticity and humor.

The plot is engaging and intriguing.

David R. Bishop Captain (Retired) Salt Lake County Sheriff s Office Mr.
Llewellyn s investigative background makes him uniquely qualified to catch
the real flavor of the dark side of Mormon polygamist cults. An excellent
read for anyone wishing to explore this world.

WHY POLYGAMY IS NOW NATIONAL NEWS

A recent criminal case in Utah is receiving worldwide attention.

A father beat his 16-year-old daughter unconscious when she tried to leave
her uncle/husband, of whom she was the 15th wife. Left horribly bruised
and alone in an abandoned barn miles from home, she staggered seven miles
late at night to a pay phone and called 911. The father and uncle were
found guilty of child abuse, but the state did not file polygamy charges a
touchy issue in Utah.

Polygamy is a subject that stirs curiosity. Even in Utah, many people do
not know much about the underground life of polygamists. The recent
two-hour "Investigative Report" by A&E is revealing and, after reading
this book, one can easily follow that program and recognize the various
groups.

Polygamy has become a public relations nightmare for Utah, especially with
the Olympics coming.

A new task force is being put together to "deal with it." Yet, it is a
sticky issue, not only from a constitutional point of view (where same-sex
marriages are being quoted as a similar issue to polygamy), but from a
practical one. What does one do with all the children if a man is removed
and sent to jail.

What does one do with all the women who are untrained for the outside
world. Political pressure is being brought to bear on the governor to
prosecute polygamists, yet he is a descendant of polygamists, as are many
Mormons.

The author is an insider expert on the subject, is a great storyteller,
and is known and trusted by most of the polygamist leaders. He also claims
there are many thousands of non-Mormon polygamists in the U.S.

Yes, it is a fascinating and riveting fact-based novel.

But more than that, it illuminates the issue of Polygamy in a new way. The
reader gets an inside view of the day-to-day life of what it all means and
how it is lived by each group and their very real men, women, and
children.

The hot button today is the abuse that goes on within that community. It
is a topic that will not die down because the Media has seized upon it for
"news" and as the Olympics for Salt Lake City draws closer, this will only
intensify.

About The Author

Investigator John R. Llewellyn was a deputy sheriff for twenty-three years
the Salt Lake County Sheriff s Office. Considered an expert, he spent a
number of years in prolonged investigation of polygamy cults. He was often
placed on loan to do special investigations for the County Attorney,
District Attorney, and Attorney General. Today he is the lead investigator
in several lawsuits against polygamist cults by former members who were
spiritually manipulated into assigning all their possessions to the cult
they joined.

Utah Books offers secure credit card online orders or you may call 1 800
360-5284 to order.

This book can be ordered through any book store with the ISBN number:
188810693X.

Agreka Books 1-800-360-5284
http://www.agreka.com/New_NonFiction_Fiction.htm

Family Books Division.

http://utahbooks.com/Free_Guide_Writing_Family_Book.htm

[eof]





Perry     <[e-mail]>    http://pobox.com/~plporter

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From: "Perry L. Porter" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ---> Lesson 44
Date: 30 Jan 2000 22:24:53 -0700

[Commentary.  The faith promoting rumor rears it's head from time to time,
and if you have heard this one, you may want to consider the commentary I
wrote about it before passing it along.

On one of the many internet email lists I am on a fellow wrote:]

------------

BTW, A couple of years ago I attended an archaeological seminar here in
Orem at UVSC.  One of the speakers was David Deal.  During a break I had
a chance to speak to him.  He said that the large round stone heads down
in central America with Negroid features all have names written on the
top of them (in Ogam).  He told me they were the names of all the
Jaredite Kings.  What was interesting to me about this is that He is not
an active LDS and was smoking a Winston cigarette at the time he told me
this.  Regards, J...

-------------

[Another fellow wrote back]

-------------

If this is true (and, BTW, I am not doubting you), why is it not widely
known in and out of the church?  It seems like verified information of
this sort would spread like wildfire.

D...


--------------

[To which I wrote]

--------------


OK since you asked us to think about this logically, I'll give it a stab.

How are names translated?

Well it is by seeing well established patters, between languages, and
often people from different countries intermixing and communicating.

Translating words is one thing, for you have a unique and identifiable
object, such as an onion!

But a name is not unique to ONE person, so JOHN does not describe one
unique thing!

Take a language I know, Italian, DAVE is DAVIDE  and JOHN is GIOVANI, and
MARK is MARCO  (MARKO),  you just take a name and Italianize it.  But you
do it phonetically.

You have the long name Joseph and the short name Joe, and the Italian
equivalent, Giuseppe, and the short form Pino.

Wow that is not at all the same!  Look how common and similar the two
names are and how different the short names are.  Knowing very well the
language, you know that to say little you add a "ino" on the end, so
Giuseppino, become Pino.  But you have to know the language very well to
know when that is a valid pattern and when it is coincidence or
meaningless.

Now you can have a drawing of an Onion and have the word POLICE below it
and you know an Italian book it is talking about Onions not cops.

So can you draw a picture of a person and put a caption below it saying
JOSEPH, and every time you see that word it is that person and no one
else?

This was solved with the illiterate of Europe, by panting the Apostles and
Prophets always with their accompanying symbol, Like Peter will always be
carrying KEYS!

You can describe the acts of Christ and use the word UNGA ever time you
talk of one of the acts of Christ and one can build a case that UNGA means
Christ!

Now how do you translate person's name on a statue, when all you know
about them is their name mentioned in ONE book in all the world!  Is there
enough known about Jaredite Kings in the book of Mormon so that you could
draw pictures of them and they may look different from one artist to the
next, but you always know which Jaredite King is which, become one is
always carrying a loaf of bread!

Now compound IF we are not translating one written name from one language
to another but we are translating is hieroglyphic.  So you are translating
a picture that represents words or a person, and that had to be detailed
enough to match the individual descriptions of the Jaredite Kings on a one
to one basis!

To tell you the truth I don't know how well differentiated the Jaredite
Kings are, but I don't remember any Arnold Frieburg painting, indicating
their unique personalities.

Instead they were suppose to be written in OGAM.  Where the description of
this unusual alphabetic system of inscribed notches for vowels and lines
for consonants used to write Old Irish, chiefly on the edges of memorial
stones, from the fifth to the early seventh century?  (American Heritage
dictionary)

Ogam may have originated in Libya, from where the first Gnostic
missionaries are thought to have come. It was adopted and further
developed by the first (Gnostic) monks in Ireland around 350 A.D.
http://www.islandnet.com/~edonon/whatogam.html

I have not followed mesoamerican archeology, but I would think that such a
find would make big news, even if it had nothing to do with Mormonism.

How did it get there, what form of OGAM was it?  Did it fit
chronologically with when OGAM was thought to have begun?  When would the
Jaredite learn the OGAM alphabet, did they mention that they knew it AND
reformed EGYPTIAN?  Was it invented before they came to America?  Was the
OGAM on the stones a self evolved OGAM different than when they first
brought it across from America, and if so how did they know how to
translate it?

What proof did they have that it was not inscribes after Columbus and
European settlers?

The Gnostic missionaries used the script to spread the Gospel by marking
their Biblical phrases on neolithic standing stones to convert the people
to Christianity.
http://www.islandnet.com/~edonon/translat.html

How do we know that is was just not a Spaniard version of the Gnostic
missionaries, trying to convert the natives?

More questions than answers.  But like most faith promoting rumors, it
spreads like wild fire, while logic and reason are tossed aside.

Would FARMS really bother with the dead sea scrolls, when they have the
first physical proof of Book of Mormon?

For a history of searching for physical proof of the BoM, you might want
to check out an article I have temporarily located at:

http://www.xmission.com/~plporter/lds/inprogress/bomnot.htm

[eof]

--------------------

[More Commentary, I never read very much FARMS stuff, but seems that they
should devote at least a little bit of their time squashing faith
promoting rumors that are false, lest people's testimony is damaged, when
the find out the real truth]




Perry     <[e-mail]>    http://pobox.com/~plporter

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