PBS Mormon Documentary

Well, I watched it. I found the history fairly well done. Obviously polygamy needs to be discussed. Obviously the Mountain Meadows Massacre should be discussed, it is a truly tragic event.

I will never understand why the best source of information would be an excommunicated member. One woman tells in detail how she was excommunicated for teaching doctrines that contradict church teachings...yet she is quoted explaining church doctrine and the most sacred experiences available to church members. A man explains that his excommunication ended his marriage...is he really sure that it wasn't the homosexual affair he had? Would his wife had been fine with that, if he hadn't been excommunicated?

I was most mystified by the dancing comment...Mormons value dancing above education. Where in the world was that from?

I would have loved to see the docuentarian use our artwork, or at least more neutral artwork. A very dark picture of Jesus in reds and blacks, with music in a minor key....this is the background for Joseph Smith's first vision? The wording of the vision was fairly accurate, so why the slant on the art?

My favorite part of the whole documentary was an Evangelical minister. He obviously does not believe what I believe, yet he was very respectful. Wonderful!

Perhaps it could have been called Perspectives on Mormonism...it did show different perspectives.

ode to a school teacher...

My husband and I love our Alma Mater. We both graduated from Brigham Young University. It is unique in so many ways...however (isn't "however" just fun to write! You know a lovely rant is coming), we recently received a dvd from my husband's college. He graduated from the David O. McKay School of Education. The dvd was a parenting dvd. I do not appreciate the public education system telling me how to parent. I wrote them a lovely letter. Here it is...

I am disappointed in the new parenting program "You Can Do This". The McKay School of Education continues to worry about political correctness-God is obviously missing from the "You Can Do This" dvd. If BYU can not involve God in teaching and parenting, who can?

The content of the dvd could be discussed further, but I am most concerned at its existence at all--coming from the school of education. It is not the role of public school educators to teach parents how to do their job. The Mckay School of Education must not perpetuate the worldly notion that teachers should fix parents. It is a slippery slope towards a socialist view that the government knows how to parent better than the parent does.

There is plenty to fix in the realm of education. Existing classes on multicultural education and family issues are nice, but they don't address the critical issue that our school system is based on homework. Mom may not speak English or be home to help with homework. Absolutely those family dynamics affect the classroom. The educational system can be changed. BYU's McKay School is the school to lead out in that change.

Surely that should keep the McKay School of Education busy enough.

BYU already has a wonderful school of family life that enobles parenthood and recognizes inspired principles.

waxing nostalgic

I am trying to avoid a long rant about society and "these kids today"...so I'll try to be gentle. A chat room I like had a discussion about what age it is appropriate to start waxing one's eyebrows...wait don't look away this is a reasonable chatroom with normal people that are very nice!! It's just that a few of these ladies were saying in all seriousness that 10 is not too young to start waxing your eyebrows if it is affecting your self esteem! UMMMM...are you kidding me? Have you seen a grandma's eyebrows lately? My self esteem is related to my eyebrows? A ten year old should be playing with Barbies not trying to look like one...now maybe that is part of the problem...


this is the long rant part



See how nice I am not to subject you to it all?

Gee back in the good ole days self esteem was based on lasting things like good hard work, service and knowing God loves you.

eyebrows...geeesh