Tom Stringham

@LDS_Dems I think you’re misunderstanding the value of public schooling. It puts 20-30 students in one place and thus frees dozens of parents up to do other things. A tutor would obviously be better but that’s not what public students have.

My wife and I are very educated and there is no universe where we could provide the same quality education of a public school. Could we buy text books and online curricula and hire tutors and join home school groups? Sure, but that is just doing public school the hard way.

We are on track to have a record-breaking El Niño this year too, which means a very dry and warm winter in Canada which means more fires in the spring. cbc.ca/news/science/e…

Fires have gotten worse over the decades and the last four years have been really bad, but from what I can tell forest management hasn’t gotten worse. Seems to be driven by more burning at night and longer fire seasons because of warmer temperatures: cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cj…

@TresClare Similarly, church leaders consistently teach against violence, but context tells us that they are not including things like boxing or football as violence, or alternatively that these are implicitly exceptions to the rule against violence.

@TresClare I agree that they haven’t spelled out exceptions but I also think they have been giving principles more than specifics (don’t be anon is one specific). In applying those principles I think it makes sense to look at scripture and older counsel where it can shed light on specifics.

Don’t pile on, avoid arguing with people who might be young or more vulnerable than you, don’t take cheap shots, don’t be cruel, know when to stop, take Ls gracefully. For men, avoid talking to women the more forceful way you might to men. Use your real identity.

@TresClare @extradeadjcb I try to apply a hermeneutic of continuity when possible. If recent teachings require interpretation, I will take an interpretation that does not contradict older counsel, or that contradicts it least.

Just to be clear, for those who (I hope) will read my piece, “try to be nicer” is not how I interpret modern prophetic counsel, nor is that my message! But I think of the church as “the old ship Zion”—it’s moving toward a final destination and the heading may change as conditions do. The destination is the same, but the point of modern revelation is to help us navigate the obstacles in front of us so that we arrive there safely. I wouldn’t say that modern direction is totally at odds with previous direction (and I don’t think church leaders would either). But the emphasis is different and I think that means the Lord sees something ahead of us that requires a different direction. I think this is a better analogy for understanding the changes we perceive in prophetic direction.

I get this. It felt like a pivot for me, too. But I’ve found that trying (not always successfully) to be a peacemaker has required from me more submissiveness, effort, trust, self-discipline, and even courage than confrontation ever did. It is making a better disciple of me. I’m still fighting for things, but the Lord is channeling those efforts toward different and better battles. I believe the words and guidance of modern prophets represent the Lord’s will for me today for many reasons, but one is that following their guidance, especially when it goes against my inclinations, has changed me and blessed my life.

I really don’t think the spirit of prophetic counsel would be for us to throw all the banter out, same as how it doesn’t require us to throw out football and boxing. Rather, we’ve got to develop good, sporting norms.

Even without anonymity it’s easy online to end up poking at somebody you wouldn’t poke at in real life. But argumentation, even when sharp and harsh, has its place. Most of what I know about stuff I learned when reading up so that I could hold my own in arguments.

Part of why I don’t like all the anonymity online is people end up arguing with someone who, unbeknownst to them, is like 15, or is unaccustomed to arguing and will take it to heart.

conclude that contact sports are always against our religion because they involve intentional use of force. The context of both contention and violence matters. Is it in good sport? Is the other person a peer (as opposed to someone weaker/more vulnerable)?

I agree with the article, but I would apply it differently (I think) than Meagan would. Sometimes argument, confrontation and even ridicule is sporting and not cruel. Along with contention, the gospel teaches against violence, but it would be a mistake to …

@5_Coogs @barbarasageek You realize that going to work at 5am is equivalent to going at 6am on DST? If you have control of your own schedule then you can go to work early and have as much sunlight as you want regardless of what the clock says

@barbarasageek LMAO change my work schedule?? The fuck? I am at work by 6 am because I want to and home by 4pm because I want to. If think it is a good idea for me that is all that matters.

I don’t care how much you hate DST becoming permanent. All that matters to me is having the extra hour of daylight after work. You whiners can suck it.

@mormonsNpapists @LukeFHan Because he’s God, anyway why do you guys baptize by pouring even when immersion is feasible?

@TomStringham @LukeFHan So why worship heavenly Father but not heavenly mother? Why worship either creature of matter?

I respect the consistency of the Catholic sexual ethic; however, it does not mean our sexual ethic isn't also consistent. Sex is only for marriage and marriage should include children. That doesn't mean every sexual act in marriage has to be "ordered" towards children.

@mormonsNpapists @LukeFHan Theology less clear there but my view is yes he would be incomplete in that sense if he were a bachelor. I also think Jesus is married.

@TomStringham @LukeFHan So heavenly Father is imperfect since he's only a male and without heavenly mother he's incomplete? A flawed God?

@jkimballcook I will say that seasonal DST is sort of neat because it really does trick people into waking up an hour earlier in the summer. (Because it isn’t workable to adjust nominal schedules seasonally so people just deal with it.)

1. Pick whatever time makes noon as close to actual solar noon as reasonably possible. 2. If that makes sunrise/sunset unreasonably early or late, just adjust start/end times for events instead of adjusting the clock.

@rclu @NickFreiling Yes, in the long run permanent DST is the same as permanent standard time (just aesthetically worse because noon is no longer close to solar noon).

@TomStringham @NickFreiling At which point you get the same disadvantages as moving everyone back to Standard. My least favorite option.

The best solution to seasonal daylight changes is… the one we already have. No, really. But if we can’t keep doing the reasonable thing, permanent DST would be much, much better than year-round standard. Monstrous. People need light in evening when they can enjoy the outdoors.

@rclu @NickFreiling I agree schedules will not float seasonally. Rather, on permanent DST, workdays will drift from starting at 8 to starting at 9 again, more people will work until 6, dinner will be more like 6:30-7. Again, you already see this in some areas.

@TomStringham @NickFreiling ...but most of us are heavily tied to institutional operating procedures! Those aren't just going to float seasonally to give people more light in their day. Americans don't roll that way. No, we need the clock switching to optimize light.

@mormonsNpapists @LukeFHan media.ldscdn.org/pdf/magazines/…

@mormonsNpapists @LukeFHan In our theology maleness and femaleness are fundamental and men and women are made for each other in marriage; incomplete without the other half.