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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over fifty thousand full-time missionaries worldwide, as of June 2007.[1][2] Commonly referred to as Mormon missionaries, most LDS Church missionaries are single young men and women in their late teens and early twenties and are assigned to a mission of the church which is usually far from the missionary's home. Missionaries do not receive a salary for the work they undertake, and most are financially supported by themselves or their families. Throughout the history of the church, over one million missionaries have been sent on missions.[3]
Preparation to serve
Basic qualifications
LDS Church President Spencer W. Kimball said "Every young man should fill a mission".[4] Young men between the ages of 19 and 25 who meet standards of worthiness are strongly encouraged to consider a two-year, full-time proselytizing mission. This expectation is based in part on the New Testament passage "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations..." (Matt. 28: 19-20). In 2007, approximately 30% of all 19-year-old LDS men became Mormon missionaries; from LDS families that are active in the church, approximately 80-90% of 19-year-old men serve a mission.[5]
Women who would like to serve a mission must meet the same standards of worthiness and be at least 21 years old; women generally serve shorter 18-month missions. Married retired couples are encouraged to serve missions as well, but their length of service may vary from 3 to 36 months depending on their circumstances and means.
Standards of worthiness
All missionaries must meet certain minimum standards of worthiness. Among the standards that a prospective missionary must demonstrate adherence to include regular attendance at church meetings, regular personal prayer, regular study of the Standard Works, adherence to the law of chastity, spiritual diligence and testimony of God, adherence to the Word of Wisdom, and payment of tithing.
Other exclusionary factors
In addition to spiritual preparedness, church bishops are instructed to ensure that prospective missionaries are physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of full-time missionary work. In the same speech where he called for "every young man" to fill a mission, Kimball added, "we realize that while all men definitely should, all men are not prepared to teach the gospel abroad."[4] Apart from general issues of worthiness and ability, there are a number of specific situations that will disqualify a person from becoming a full-time missionary for the LDS Church. Those excluded include those who would have to leave dependent children in the care of someone else; young couples who are still in child-bearing age; those who are in debt and have not made arrangements to meet these obligations; those who are on legal probation or parole; couples with serious unresolved marital problems; those who are HIV positive; and those who have been convicted of sexual abuse.[6] Additionally, members who have submitted to, performed, encouraged, paid for, or arranged for an abortion are usually excluded from missionary service, as are members who have fathered or mothered a child out of wedlock; men under 26 and women under 40 who have been divorced; and anyone who has participated in "homosexual activity" after age 15.[6]
Until 1978 the LDS Church did not call men of black African descent to go on missions, due to the ban on blacks holding the priesthood. This ban was lifted during Kimball's presidency.[7]
Mission call
After application to the church and the requisite approval, prospective missionaries receive a "call to serve"—an official notification of their location assignment—through the mail from the President of the Church. The mission call will also inform the prospective missionary what language he will be expected to use during his mission. Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are responsible for assigning missionaries to a particular mission.
Temple attendance
Before beginning their mission, prospective male missionaries are usually ordained to the office of an Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood (if they do not hold this office already). All missionaries are "set apart" by the laying on of hands to preach the gospel; this is usually performed by the missionary's stake president. Prospective missionaries also usually attend the temple for the first time to receive their Endowment if they have not already done so.
Newly-called missionaries attend a short training period at one of 17 church Missionary Training Centers (MTCs) worldwide.[8] The largest MTC is located in Provo, Utah[9] adjacent to Brigham Young University. Missionaries who will not be learning a language in order to serve their missions spend three weeks at an MTC where they practice using proselytizing materials, learn expected conduct, and study the scriptures. Missionaries bound for foreign-language missions spend eight to thirteen weeks at an MTC, depending on the language to be learned. During this period, they are encouraged not to speak in their native tongue but rather to immerse themselves in the new language.
Missionaries are expected to pay their own expenses while on the mission, often with assistance from family and friends. In the past, each missionary paid his or her actual living expenses, but this approach created a disproportionate burden on missionaries who were assigned to more expensive areas of the world. In 1990, a new program was introduced to equalize the financial responsibility for each missionary and his or her family. Now, all young missionaries pay a flat monthly rate which is then redistributed according to regional costs of living. The cost of a mission as of January 2006 is USD$400 per month, which helps to cover food, lodging, transportation, and other mission related expenses. Missionaries are asked to bring extra personal money for any personal items they would like to purchase. Once the money is received by the Church it is then redistributed to the missionaries in amounts proportionate to the cost of living within the assigned mission area. As families now contribute to a general fund for missionary expenses, the sum is deductible under many nations' tax policies regarding charitable gifts.
Young people in the church are encouraged to save money throughout their childhood and teenage years to pay for as much of their mission as they can, although many receive assistance from parents, family, or friends. Missionaries who cannot save the required funds may obtain assistance from their home congregation or from a general missionary fund operated by the church and contributed to by Latter-day Saints around the world. Married couple missionaries are expected to pay their own costs.[10] In many areas, church members often invite locally-assigned missionaries over for meals to help reduce the overall expenditures of the missionary program.
Dress and grooming
Full-time LDS missionaries are required to adhere to a dress code: for men, conservative, dark trousers and suit coats, white dress shirts, and ties are generally required. For women, modest and professional dresses or blouses and skirts must be worn. In some areas these standards are altered slightly. For example, in hot, humid climates, suit coats are not required and dress shirts may be short-sleeved. Casual clothes may be worn when appropriate, when missionaries are providing manual labor or during preparation day, when the missionaries are involved in recreation, cleaning, shopping (at the discretion of the mission president), and laundry.
All full-time missionaries wear a name tag that gives their surname with the appropriate title ("Elder" or "Sister" in English-speaking areas). The name tag also bears the church's name, unless the mission president considers this inadvisable due to circumstances in the area (e.g., adverse political conditions).
Missions and mission leadership
Every part of the world is assigned to be within a mission of the church, whether or not LDS missionaries are active in the area. An adult male mission president presides over the missionaries in the mission.
Most missions are divided into several zones, a zone being a geographic area specified by the mission president (though these are often the same area as the LDS ecclesiastical unit known as a Stake). A zone encompasses several more organizational units called districts. Each zone and district is presided over by leaders drawn from male missionaries serving in that area. Zone and district leaders are responsible for gathering weekly statistics and assisting missionaries in their areas of responsibility. A district typically encompasses four to eight missionaries, and may or may not comprise more than one proselytizing area. An area is typically a portion of the LDS ecclesiastical unit known as a Ward (or congregation), one Ward, or multiple Wards.
In addition to the leaders mentioned above, the mission president has two or more assistants. Assistants to the President (APs) are typically missionaries who have previously served as district and/or zone leaders. They assist the president in administering policies and helping missionaries throughout the mission.
A missionary companionship, consisting of two or, occasionally, three missionaries, is the smallest organizational unit of a mission. Every missionary is assigned by the mission president to be another missionary's companion. Missionary companionships are generally maintained for months at a time and most missionaries will have served with multiple companions by the end of their mission. Only in rare instances will missionary companions have met prior to the start of their missions. A missionary's companion is always a missionary of the same gender, with the exception of married couples, who serve as each others' missionary companion for the entirety of their mission.
Missionary companions are instructed to never be apart during the day or night (with the exception of time allowed for bathing and use of the toilet). Companions share the same living quarters and the same bedroom (but not the same bed, except in the case of married missionary couples). When companions have conflicting personalities or interests, they are encouraged to try to resolve them themselves. If they are unable to do so, mission leaders may be used to help resolve the differences. Sometimes the only resolution is reassigning the missionaries to new companions; however, this is often seen as less than ideal as missionaries are encouraged to learn how to work with and love their companions rather than live in an environment of contention waiting to be reassigned.
Personal relationships
Contact with family and friends
Missionaries are encouraged to write a letter to their parents weekly. Because almost all of their time is otherwise occupied, other communication is limited. However, a missionary may use preparation day to correspond with any person that is resident outside of the boundaries of the mission. Missionaries do not go on vacation and are generally permitted to telephone their parents only on Christmas Day and on Mother's Day (some mission presidents also allow missionaries to telephone their parents on Father's Day). Missionaries are provided with a free church e-mail account to correspond with their parents and other relatives, but a missionary may access their account on preparation day only by using a computer in a public location, such as at a public library or an internet café.
In the event of an emergency, family members of a missionary may contact him or her via the mission president's office.
Romantic relationships
Single missionaries are prohibited from dating or courting while serving missions. The requirement of companionships staying together at all times is intended, among other reasons, to discourage these activities. While missionaries may interact with members of the opposite sex, they may never be alone with them or engage in any kind of intimate physical or emotional activity (e.g., kissing, hugging, holding hands, flirting). Missionary companionships are also asked not to visit with single members of the opposite sex apart from an initial first visit. If further visits are required, those contacts are usually handed over to a companionship of the same gender as the contact or to married couple missionaries. Alternatively, a missionary companionship may be chaperoned by an adult of their own gender.
Marital status
In the early days of the LDS Church, men were called to serve missions regardless of marital status. Today, however, married young men are not expected to serve missions, unless called to oversee a mission as a mission president. A call to be a mission president is typically extended to the married couple, and in turn, the entire family of the chosen mission president. Older retired couples also may serve as missionaries, but do not take their families with them.
Number of missionaries and number of converts
As of December 31, 2007, there were 52,686 LDS missionaries serving in 348 church missions throughout the world. Their work, often in cooperation with local members, resulted in 279,218 convert baptisms in 2007.[11] Author David Stewart points out that the number of convert baptisms per missionary per year has fallen from a high of 8.03 in 1989 to just 4.67 in 2005.[12] He argues that the number of converts would increase if Mormon missionaries made greater efforts in meeting new people; he points out that the average companionship spends only four or five hours per week attempting to meet new people.[12]
Types of missionaries
The most visible and most common type of missionaries are typically those who proselytize door-to-door and ride bicycles for transportation, but not all missionaries engage in these activities. Some seniors and young adults, who may have health problems or some type of physical or mental disabilities, are unable to serve proselytizing missions. They may be called as "service missionaries" to do genealogical research or act as tour guides or hosts at Temple Square or Family History libraries and other church sites. In many areas, even proselytizing missionaries spend most of their day responding to incoming phone calls and queries, delivering requested media from the church's television and radio commercials. Missionaries may use public transportation, walk, bicycle, or in some areas drive automobiles owned by the church.
The LDS Church also has a strong welfare and humanitarian missionary program. These humanitarian missionaries typically serve in impoverished areas of the world and do not actively proselytize; humanitarian missionaries will not wear any identifying tags if local law forbids it. This allows them to operate in countries where activities by religious organizations are typically restricted or forbidden, such as in predominantly Muslim countries or in Southeast Asia. Regular proselytizing missionaries are asked to engage in welfare activities and community service, limited to four hours a week on days other than weekends or preparation day.[13]
In 2007, 80% of all Mormon missionaries were young, unmarried men, 13% young single women, and 7% retired couples.[14]
Senior missionaries
All retired couples and elderly single women of the Church who are able, both physically and financially, are encouraged to go on full-time missions. For those with health or financial limitations, many other opportunities for service in their home congregations or communities are available.
Senior missionaries, also called Elders and Sisters like their younger counterparts, pay their own expenses, though they may receive some assistance from family. They have more choice in the placement and purpose of their mission, particularly if they have unique skills such as medical expertise or knowledge of foreign languages. Many serve humanitarian missions in which they are sent to specific regions and help with agriculture, food procurement, medical missions, or clean water initiatives. These are run through the Humanitarian Services arm of the LDS Philanthropies first begun in 1955. The LDS Church has recently begun immunization projects and a wheelchair initiative with much of the volunteer work being performed by senior missionaries. Some senior missionary couples serve as leaders in areas of the world where there are few experienced church leaders. Part of their responsibility includes training local members to be effective leaders.
Senior missionaries represent a small percentage of the total full-time missionary force of the Mormon Church. As of 2004, there were approximately 5,000 senior couple missionaries in the Church out of more than 56,000 total missionaries. However, senior missionaries form a large part of the Church's part-time missionary force.
In the last two decades, the LDS Church has stepped up its call for senior couple missionaries. Leaders have encouraged this both as a responsibility to help our fellow men and as a cure to the loneliness that often affects the elderly. In 2002, LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley said,
"Caring for the elderly has become one of the great social problems of our time. Of course they reach an age when they cannot do very much. I can testify of that. But there are years between retirement and that age when they can play around doing things that really lead nowhere or they can give their great talents, the fruits of many years of marvelous experience, to lift and help people. They become concerned with others less fortunate and work to meet their needs. And they say, 'What a great time we are having!' I know of one couple now on their eighth such mission."[15]
Building missionaries
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Building missionaries were originally called by the president of the Tongan Mission in the early 1950s.[16] Among their major successes was building Liahona High School.
From 1955 on, Wendell B. Mendenhall institutionalized building missionaries on a larger scale with skilled tradesmen called as supervisors of the missionaries. Most of the supervisors were Americans, while most of the workers were young men indigenous to the areas of the South Pacific and Latin America where the work was carried out. However, at times the situation was more complex. One example is Jose Alvarez, who was a native of Argentina, but had lived in the United States for three years when he was called to go with his family to Chile, where he served as a building missionary supervisor.[17] Often, trainee or assistant building supervisors would work under the leadership of an experienced supervisor in preparation for an assignment as a fully-fledged supervisor of some project or group of missionaries.
Most building missionaries had had little or no building experience prior to their call. This, however, rarely prevented them from gaining experience and learning in every aspect of the building work involved within the project. The only exceptions were with regard to laws that required that in certain aspects, such as with electricity and plumbing, for instance, the work had to be carried out by registered tradesmen.
Although there were many specific rules that proselyting missionaries were expected to live that building missionaries were not, and some building missionaries were called as young as 17 years of age, many expectations - such as the expectation for a commitment of 2 years' service, for instance - and requirements for worthiness, as well, were the same, and prospective building missionaries were interviewed with regard to such matters prior to their call. Formal letters from the First Presidency re such respects were also eventually sent out to building supervisors for missionary reference and compliance. The prime differences re the conditions for building missionary service were that such missionaries were to reside for short time periods at the homes of different members from the congregation of the building upon which they were working. During the early 1970s, in Australia, such host families deemed it an honour and were offered just $5 per week to assist. As the missionary's role was one of service, a building missionary was offered $3 per week for basal living expenses. Thus most missionaries needed to use personal savings to cover any of the rest needed, or to receive from their parents or friends any extra needed. Fundamentally, however, the host family looked after the missionary and it was his part to blend in with and help the family during off-work hours.
Building missionaries were also assumed as part of the wards and stakes in which they resided, and were expected to be examples of support for local leaders, programmes and Church involvement. They were to live all the standards that were set out by Church leaders for young members of the Church, and as service missionaries, were not expected to be involved in 'free-lancing' after hours, or going to parties or non-Church dances and activities. As their call was one of a full-time missionary, they were not generally called to other positions in the Church while on their missions, although they could quite readily accept interim assignments from time to time. There was also ready opportunity, depending on precise circumstances, for building and proselyting missionaries to work together on one another's programmes, which very often occurred. The responsibility for, or prime authority over, any proselyting missionary was vested in the mission president of the mission to which he/she was called. However, with regards to the building missionary, such was vested in the stake president of the stake within which the missionary resided at the time in question. When it came to the actual work of the site itself, the set-apart authority was the building supervisor, who worked under the instructions of regional or General building authorities of the Church.
Although building missionaries were expected not to date, nor engage with intimacy or familiarity, they were, nevertheless, encouraged to "build meaningful relationships" with members of the opposite sex, but were expected to do so only in group settings and within the propriety of their calling.
Many such Church missionaries, unlike proselyting missionaries - who generally remained within the one mission - were moved around a country or over a large area to wherever their work was required or the next project commenced. This could also mean that they worked under multiple supervisors and multiple stake or district presidents over the period of their mission call.
The building missionary program was phased out in the 1970s.[18]
Over most of the course of the building missionary program, opportunities were also made available for the general membership of the Church to also provide service to or be directly involved in the actual building work itself on the chapels and Church structures being erected, by putting in personal "service hours", which were also recorded. Many of the local women also involved themselves in assistance by providing food and drinks during breaks. Others assisted in various other at-hand labors at the site.
Coming of age
For young Latter-day Saints, completing a mission is often seen as a rite of passage. The phrase "the best two years of my life" is a common cliché among returned missionaries when describing their experience.[19][20] Although Gordon B. Hinckley has suggested that a mission is not to be a rite of passage,[21] this cultural aspect remains. With the usual starting age of 19–21, a mission provides a clear event or marker for the traditional age of adulthood, but is not necessary for continuance in church membership or in spiritual growth.
Returned missionaries
A returned missionary (often abbreviated "RM") is a term used by members of the LDS Church to refer to men and women who have previously served as Mormon missionaries. Once they return home, RMs are generally encouraged to begin dating seriously and to seek marriage.[22][23][24]
In Mormon culture, stereotypes and jokes abound regarding newly returned missionaries, most dealing with their difficulties in handling the reverse culture shock or learning to speak their native language again if they served in a foreign-speaking mission. Other stereotypes revolve around the fact that as missionaries, they lived highly structured, disciplined lives and avoided contact with members of the opposite sex, so many RMs have difficulty readjusting to social life and dating.[25] Other stereotypes include the supposed rush of many RMs to get married as soon as possible. Many families whose daughters are old enough to marry encourage them to date RMs since they are judged to be the most eligible.
Returned missionaries are frequently called to assist in the local missionary effort and are encouraged to stay active within the LDS Church through callings and service.[26] RMs who served in the same mission frequently stay in touch and gather for mission reunions held in Salt Lake City to coincide with the semiannual LDS General Conference.
Notable people who have served LDS missions include Aaron Eckhart (Switzerland/France), Shawn Bradley (Australia), Orson Scott Card (Brazil), Stephen Covey (England), Jon Heder (Japan), and Mitt Romney (France).
Mormon missionaries in popular culture
In popular culture, missionaries have been depicted in several works of print and film. John H. Groberg's (1993) missionary account In the Eye of the Storm (Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft; ISBN 0884949001) was adapted into the movie The Other Side of Heaven. In 2008, former missionary Chad Hardy was subjected to church discipline after releasing a pin-up calendar titled "Men on a Mission," which consisted of pictures of scantily-clad returned missionaries.[27][28][29]
Films about or featuring LDS Church missionaries include the following:
- The Best Two Years: A comedy film about a group of missionaries in the Holland region of the Netherlands who are struggling with their missionary work.
- Get the Fire: A PBS documentary of the struggles of missionaries in foreign countries.
- God's Army: A fictional film about a young missionary's adjustment to mission life in Los Angeles.
- Latter Days: A fictional movie in which a secretly homosexual Mormon missionary falls in love with a man in Los Angeles.
- Millions: A movie about a British boy who stumbles across millions of stolen pounds and is inspired by several Mormon missionaries to do good with it.[30]
- Orgazmo: A 1997 fictional comedy about a missionary starring in a porno movie.
- The Other Side of Heaven: A Disney film based on the true mission experiences of John H. Groberg in Tonga.
- The R.M.: A comedy about a returned missionary's adjustment to life post-mission.
- Saturday's Warrior: A film in which two missionaries convert an artist searching for truth.
- States of Grace: Portrays themes of repentance and change in a mission story set in a gang-ridden section of Los Angeles.
- Yes Man: A comedy film about a man who decides to change his life by saying 'Yes' to everything. At one point in the film two Mormon missionaries appear at his door and the main character says yes to their invitation to learn more about the Mormon faith.
In August 2006, three male missionaries from Idaho, Nevada and California participated in the vandalism of a Roman Catholic shrine in San Luis, Colorado. This included pretending to sacrifice each other and holding the head of one of the statues. The LDS Church apologized for the desecration shortly after the incident.[31] The incident recalled a 1972 occurrence in which a pair of missionaries in Thailand took pictures of themselves sitting on an ancient Buddha statue. Although the missionaries may not have recognized the statue for what it was, they were caught and sentenced to a year in prison, and their images were published in the newspapers. The King of Thailand pardoned them on his birthday, and they were released after six months. Missionaries of the church are counseled to respect other religions and cultures in order to avoid such conflicts.[32]
Missionaries have also been the victims of violence at times, though rarely. From 1999 to 2006, only three LDS missionaries were murdered worldwide, while 22 died in accidents of some sort. Missionaries of other Christian faiths have a much higher murder-to-accident ratio, with 155 out of 164 missionaries dying due to murder rather than accident.[33] One of the three LDS missionaries killed during that time was Elder Morgan Young, who died after he and his companion were shot while proselytizing in a residential area of Virginia. His companion survived.[34] A few cases of kidnapping have also occurred, a recent one being in 1998, when two male missionaries were abducted while working in the Samara region of Russia. The kidnappers demanded USD$300,000 dollars for their return. The missionaries were released unharmed a few days later without payment of the ransom.[35] In 2008, three men from Port Shepstone, South Africa were convicted of raping and robbing two Mormon women missionaries in June 2006.[36]
In 1977, the case of a Mormon missionary who said he was abducted and raped by a woman was covered extensively by newspapers in Britain.[37]
- ↑ "Missionary Program". Newsroom. LDS Church. http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=37bc12fccd78f010VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&vgnextchannel=3e0511154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ↑ Walch, Tad (2007-06-26). "1 million missionaries for LDS Church — so far". Deseret Morning News. http://deseretnews.com/article/0,1249,680194052,00.html. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ↑ "One Million Missionaries, Thirteen Million Members". Newsroom. LDS Church. 2007-06-25. http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=80fc110c00c53110VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&vgnextchannel=9ae411154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kimball, Spencer W. (1974-10-03). "When the World Will Be Converted". Ensign. http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&sourceId=b3973219c786b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ↑ Stack, Peggy Fletcher (2007-06-30). "Mission metamorphosis". The Salt Lake Tribune.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1: Stake Presidencies and Bishoprics. Salt Lake City: LDS Church. 2006. pp. 92–4.
- ↑ "Priesthood Ordination before 1978". Glossary. LDS Church. http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=bbd508f54922d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&sourceId=36f2ce9566a43110VgnVCM100000176f620a____. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
- ↑ "Groundbreaking Held for New Philippines MTC". News From the Church. LDS Church. 2007-09-21. http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.cb5725b59dcb4a2b2c5e2ba6942826a0/?vgnextoid=7cecc8fe9c88d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&sourceId=9e0ef388fa925110VgnVCM100000176f620a____. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ↑ "About the MTC". Missionary Training Center home page. Brigham Young University. http://www.mtc.byu.edu/themtc.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ↑ "FAQ: Mission and Service Opportunities for Senior Adults and Recommended Young Adults" (PDF). LDS Church. http://www.lds.org/csm/faq.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
- ↑ "Statistical Report, 2007," Liahona, May 2008, p. 25.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 David G. Stewart, Jr. (2007). The Law Of The Harvest: Practical Principles of Effective Missionary Work. (David Stewart). ISBN 0979512107.
- ↑ Florence, Jr., Giles H. (September 1991). "Called to Serve". Ensign (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints): 13. http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=c435b850e318b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
- ↑ Peggy Fletcher Stack, "Mission metamorphosis", Salt Lake Tribune, June 30, 2007.
- ↑ Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley, 2:520.
- ↑ R. Lanier Britsch, "The Church in the South Pacific," Ensign, Feb 1976, 19
- ↑ Church News, May 12, 2007.
- ↑ Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History, p. 151.
- ↑ Lowell M. Durham Jr., "Return of the Missionary," New Era, Jun. 1973, p. 54.
- ↑ Janet Brigham, "When 'The Best Two Years' Are Over," Ensign, Dec. 1978, p. 29.
- ↑ "New Mission Presidents Counseled to Love Their Missionaries and the People," Ensign, Sep. 1990, pp. 74–75.
- ↑ Spencer W. Kimball, "The Marriage Decision," Ensign, Feb. 1975, p. 2.
- ↑ Ezra Taft Benson, "To the Single Adult Brethren of the Church," Ensign, May 1988, p. 51.
- ↑ Earl C. Tingey, "Three Messages to Young Adults," Liahona, Apr. 2007, pp. 26–31.
- ↑ Mormon Missionary Work
- ↑ Mormon Missionaries
- ↑ Lilly Fowler, "Calendar Shows Another Side of Mormons", Washington Post, 2007-10-06, p. B09.
- ↑ Ali Velazquez, "12 Former LDS Missionaries Posing for Controversial Calendar", BYU NewsNet, 2007-09-24.
- ↑ Steve Friess, "Mormon Beefcake: Did a frisky calendar get an LDS member excommunicated?", Newsweek, 2008-07-18.
- ↑ Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Millions movie review
- ↑ Vandalism case against Mormons dropped: Catholic bishop urges Christian forgiveness for desecration of shrine from WorldNetDaily
- ↑ Proselytizing History Repeats with Recent Missionary Gaffe from BYU NewsNet
- ↑ Missionary work can be deadly from Deseret News
- ↑ Mormon Missionary Shot Dead in Virginia from Fox News
- ↑ Kidnapped Mormons freed from the BBC
- ↑ "Missionaries' rapists convicted", Pretoria News, 2008-01-24.
- ↑ Delano, Anthony (1978). Joyce McKinney and the Manacled Mormon. Mirror Books. ISBN 978-0859391405.
- Harper, Steven C. (1998). "Missionaries in the American Religious Marketplace: Mormon Proselyting in the 1830s". Journal of Mormon History 24 (2): 1–29. http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?/jmh,13001.
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: LDS missionaries
- LDS Mission Network - A comprehensive index of LDS missionary alumni web sites
- Mormon Missionary Diaries : Brigham Young University's online collection of missionary diaries, spanning 1830s to 1960s
- Articles on Mormon missionaries from Mormon Times
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text:
Professor warns transgenderism is non-compatible with a Catholic worldview
By Deborah Gyapong
Photo caption: Douglas Farrow, professor of Christian Thought at McGill University. (Deborah Gyapong)
Gender theory and transgenderism needs to be opposed with Christian revelation, speakers told a Catholic Organization for Life and Family seminar March 30-31.
"This kind of thinking is not compatible with a Catholic worldview or a Christian worldview," warned Douglas Farrow, professor of Christian Thought at McGill University.
He said the Christian view is "being attacked head-on by this ideology. If this ideology prevails, the Judeo-Christian view is done with in the public square," Farrow told more than 100 clergy and lay pastoral leaders gathered from across Canada.
Gender ideology views people the same way they view themselves and is now considered a basic human right, said Farrow. With subjective notions considered a right and everyone obligated to agree, the notion of a public sphere is obliterated.
"If there is no public verification for it, the only way to have a public sphere anymore is 'you must agree with what I say, and the government will enforce it.' This changes things dramatically."
Farrow said protesters from Queer McGill disrupted a version of his talk earlier this year at McGill's Newman Centre.
"They, I hope, will come to understand I am not their enemy," Farrow said. "The ideology I am describing is their enemy and it will eventually swallow them whole if they allow it."
Farrow said the ideology behind sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) is not "of and for the powerless." It's "an instrument of and for the very powerful."
He pointed to Beijing's 1995 United Nations 4th World Conference on Women, which highlighted the need for gender equality. A movement that originally promoted equality of women became a "gender/queer program" intent on "bending gender boundaries" and "eliminating sexual difference."
"Within a decade, liberal feminism has been overtaken by a far more radical gender feminism, building on Marxist ideology," Farrow said.
He cited the 2006 Yogyakarta Principles on sexual orientation and gender identity, which have widespread support among a range of international bodies. Its principles can already be seen in various sex education programs in Canada and such countries as France.
"It is the education of the young that must serve these goals," he said. "The young are a soft entry point for SOGI and gender mainstreaming theory. Try substituting religion for SOGI and see how far you get. There would be howls of outrage."
Teachers, authorities, parents and students are all being forced to accept the new ideology, which stems from a worldview that "sex is chiefly for pleasure, self-expression, self-creation and self-recreation," he said.
"It's all about cultivating that notion in the heads of young children," and parents who refuse to comply will risk having their children taken from them, he said.
Farrow described SOGI as a new version of the Gnostic heresy that regarded the body with deep suspicion and distrust. The response must be repentance, catechesis, "private education without compromise," and civil disobedience when necessary.
The social crisis society is witnessing "is not an ethical crisis, it is an anthropological crisis," said Father Robert Gauthier, PSS, director of St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton. "The fundamental truths about men and women must be revealed and taught."
Christian anthropology – the truth we profess about humans being made in the image of God – is being set aside by pressure groups, he said.
The Catholic understanding of human dignity – the unity of body and soul, and the complementarity of two sexes created by God – is being treated as an injustice, Father Gauthier said. The new ideology sees gender as a product of historical and cultural conditioning.
Human freedom, which is now interpreted as freedom of license, has replaced human nature as a supreme principle. But human nature cannot be manipulated simply because people want to do so, Father Gauthier said.
True freedom, and the full truth about man and woman, is found through Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, for all men whether they know it or not, he said.
Even the natural law against killing innocent people is being set aside, said Father Gauthier.
And while children experiencing gender dysphoria must be treated with compassion, the Church cannot support hormonal or surgical interventions that would cause irreversible harm by removing organs that are not sick, he added.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I don't own Digimon, unfortunately.
"Baby, when I'm yellin' at you,
It's not your fault It's not your fault, yeah and
Baby cuz I'm crazy for you,
It's not your fault It's not your fault, yeah
Maybe I'm a little confused,
It's not your fault It's not your fault, yeah and
Baby, it a wonderful news.
It's not your fault It's not your fault, yeah
Oh, it's not that you should care.
I just wanted you to know."- AWOLNATION, Not Your Fault
Kari, why has it been so long since we've seen each other? I'm so excited for tomorrow!
Agreed. And you know why. I was really upset, TK. You really hurt me with that back and forth thing. We needed the time apart from talking and since we started again, you've lived on one side of the country and I the other. We should just be happy we finally get to see each other.
I know, I know. I just feel like its been a lifetime instead of only a few years.
I know. I'll see you in the morning though, ok? *night
I'm holding you to that, you know. ;) Have sweet dreams.
I silenced my phone and rolled over, hoping to get some shut eye before I saw my best male friend. After a disagreement about whether or not we were going to have a future together (and he was going to leave his girlfriend), we had parted ways. He got married and moved to the other side of the country, I got a boyfriend and then we began talking again, a little over a year later. My boyfriend, Kato, had had a child a year ago after a lot of trying and a little help and had gotten engaged not long ago. Takeru had been a great help in getting me through the ups and downs of conception and had been just as happy as I was when I had conceived. It had now been been four years since we had had the argument and we were finally able to see each other. Takeru had gotten a deal on his book and had a signing near where Kato and I lived. Unfortunately, Kato had already promised to bring our son, Noa, to see his parents out of town. We didn't get along, so I had stayed behind to keep the peace.
It was going to be weird seeing him again. It had been so long that I wondered if I wondered if I would recognize him. We hadn't seen each other for almost two years before our falling out due to the distance of our colleges. We had been nineteen back then. We were twenty-five now and a lot had changed in my appearance as I had taken on a more adult edge. I cuddled closer into my pillow. There would be time to wonder these things in the morning.
My stomach was in a knot. It had been so long since I had seen Takeru that I wasn't sure what to expect. Even though we had been talking again for years, it didn't mean that I wasn't nervous about seeing him, especially with what was going to happen on our last almost-visit. That was ancient history now though, wasn't it? Takeru and I talked about everything, and I mean everything. It wasn't long after we started talking again before sex, threesomes and all sorts of other minks and the like had come up. That's just how we always had been. We could tell each other anything. It made Cato jealous sometimes, but it just came from knowing each other for so long.
I glanced around, looking for my blonde friend. It was five after and he had arrived yet. I continued to look until I saw a mop of blonde running in my general direction. My body warmed at the sight. He was right, it had been too long.
Takeru and I had spent all day together. Once we left the coffee shop, we wandered around town, going to the park and stopping at one of my favorite places for dinner. We had come back to my place and had watched a movie, but the movie had ended and now we were sitting around and having a drink while talking. It was getting late, but neither of us cared. Takeru's signing wasn't until two and I had no plans.
"You know," Takeru said, suddenly switching gears from our light hearted talk about the movie and getting serious. "I still always have wondered what would have happened if we had managed to stay together."
My heart ground to a stop. I still couldn't stop myself from answering, "Me either."
"We could be married with a kid by now."
"Yeah," I said, a touch of sorrow seeping in to my voice. "We could." Sometimes I did regret breaking up with Takeru. I had been sixteen and stupid. We had tried to get back together a few times, but it had just never worked out. Everything had turned out decently though. I had Kato and Noa and he had Ai.
"If we could just have one day..." I paused at his words. I had heard that line before. If we could just have one day where we were free to ne together, it would be amazing to see what we could do.
"We can't do this again, Takeru. Last time we didn't speak for a year."
"What?" Takeru looked genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected such a response. I had always played the game. This was new.
"I love you. I've always loved you. I will always love you. I'm not going to let you hurt me again like this though. I have a son that counts on me now."
Takeru leaned forward, placing his hand on my face. "Isn't this what we always do, Kari? What we're supposed to do? I don't know how else to deal with us. This what we're meant to do. It's our destiny."
Takeru leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. The kiss was soft and sweet and it felt like home. It just felt right. Nothing else could be said of it. I wanted more. Still, I broke it off and backed-up.
"You need to leave. Now."
Takeru nodded, his eyes filled with grief. "Yeah, sure."
He stood up and let himself out the front. As he walked away, I felt how, wet tears burn down my face.
I was so confused.


text:
Thanks for visiting our site. We just wanted to explain the service we provide.
Previously comicmad was funded by pay per click display advertisements. We feel that advertisements get in the way of content and we don't like subjecting our users to them. The previous owners told us that more often than not, they received many private messages from users complaining about the advertisements getting in the way of content via pop-ups etc. This is the reason that we opted to remove ads once we took ownership of comicmad.com. Buy doing this we have cut our only source of funding the service.
The reason we ask for the small fee of £1.99 a month is to fund the service and help us keep it running – as everything costs money to run, including the time it takes to update the database with comics.
We have kept our monthly fee as small as possible, as our main priority is to provide you with great comic content which is available instantly on all of your electronic devices – should you choose to subscribe to our comic reading service.
For those of you that love reading comics and are truly passionate about them, this service is for YOU…..this is YOUR Service. If there's comics we don't have, we will get them! With 1000's of comics to choose from there's something for everyone.
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4419 W Lakeview, Grant MI, 49327
Sold Price:
4 beds , 3 Full baths
1,960 sqft
Status: Closed
Last Updated: 8/21/2017 8:55 AM
Description for 4419 W Lakeview Grant, MI 49327
WATERFRONT ON ALL SPORTS LAKE...swim, tube, water ski, pontoon, float or fish. The choice is yours. But hurry to see this well designed home on Newaygo County's 58 acre Sand Lake with private 74' of premium sandy beach frontage and dock. Extremely great view from downstairs family room or upstairs rec room with Four large bedrooms and Three all good sized bathrooms. Quality moisture resistant padding under carpet entire lower level. Main floor laundry room. Most of the square footage was built in mid 1980s including fireplace and all of upper level. Downstairs den/office area could easily be turned into a Fifth bedroom! You will love the 3 season room and large private deck overlooking the lake. Beautifully landscaped with a fenced in area for your pets or kids.
Sold Price:
Sold Date:08/31/2015
Ashland Twp
3 Full
1,960 (approx)
Listing Information
Ashland Twp
Softener Own
Natural Gas
School Information
Room Information
Family Room
Island, Eat-In Kitchen, Butler Pantry
Interior Features
Dishwasher, Dryer, Microwave, Range, Refrigerator, Washer
Window Air Conditioning, Ceiling Fan(s)
Gas Heat, Hot Water
Basement, Full
Bay Window(s), Insulated, Skylights
1, Wood-burning
Home Warranty Plan
Exterior / Lot Features
Detached Garage, 2 Car Garage
Lake, Dock, Extra Storage, Cul-De-Sac, Paved Road, Public Roads, Terraced, Acreage
Driving Directions
M37 to Bailey Rd, W 5 miles to Squires, N 3 miles to end (t's at 118th), go straight across and stay straight bottom of deadend road (do not make curve to west). OR Warner S of bridgeton bridge road turns into 118th, N off 118th on Lakeview to end.
Financial Considerations
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Grant Real Estate
Grant is located in Michigan. Grant, Michigan 49327 has a population of 882.
The median household income in Grant, Michigan 49327 is $28,824. The median household income for the surrounding county is $42,640 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Grant 49327 is 36.4 years.
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text:
On Saturday at the Acura Stage, frequent overhead camera shots of the Acura stage flashed a picture on the wide video screens that many people on the ground knew to be true: There were far too many people there.
Crowds not only occupied the entire green space for Elton John's set at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell, they then stretched onto the dirt track all the way to the back fence. Fest-goers complained that not only could they not see, but also they could not move, which concert safety experts say is often a symptom of a festival that oversells its permitted capacity.
"This can only occur when the promoter oversells an event and public safety officials fail to, or are incapable of, stopping the over crowding influx of people," says Paul Wertheimer, founder of Crowd Management Strategies, a Los Angeles-based international crowd safety consulting service who says that festival seating represents "the most deadly and injurious crowd configuration in live entertainment."
Bryan Smith of Atlanta says the experience at the John set ruined his ability to enjoy the music, despite showing up for John's set hours earlier.
"Everything was choked, there were no arteries to move," he said. He suggested that producers sell tickets assigned for particular days opposed to tickets that can be used for any of the seven days.
Portable chairs and blankets fest-goers use to mark their space represent a common problem in creating density. While producers have created a separate area for those with chairs, it is common for people to ignore the rules and set up camp in the wider standing area, or the track, which is commonly used for traffic flow between stages.
"They get in the way of people who want to enjoy themselves. It's selfishness," says Stanley Dubroca of New Orleans.
In a statement to the Advocate Sunday, festival producers said they did institute a standing-room-only policy on the track for Acura Stage performances this year, but "as with any new policy, it sometimes takes a couple of years to achieve full compliance."
Producers said they plan "to maintain this policy moving forward" and they are "completely confident the new standing-room-only area will become the norm, as it is best for the overall Festival experience."
That will take enforcement, of which to date, there has been very little by festival volunteers or staff, says John Hyman of New Orleans who has attended 40 Jazz Fests. At the Gentilly Stage last weekend, when crowds were growing thick before Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, he says he asked volunteers to ask people to fold up their chairs in the standing area and was told it was the job of local police. When he found police officers and asked them the same thing, they replied: "Not our job."
"There's no one who wants to take responsibility for enforcing it," he says. "If they book somebody like Elton John, they know it's going to happen but they won't do anything about it."
Wertheimer says not controlling the rules regarding individual space in a festival environment is "irresponsible." "The Jazz Festival organizers have created a situation of mayhem that pits ticket holder against ticket holder and practically guarantees chaos and possible worse if it isn't contained." He warns that dense crowding in general admission environments can cause deaths or serious injuries by crushing and prevent emergency responders to locate and reach people who may be suffering from dangerous ailments like heat exhaustion or more.
Last year producers estimated that total attendance at the 2014 festival reached 435,000, a two percent increase from the 2013 total of 425,000 people. The highest peak since Hurricane Katrina is 450,000 people in 2012.
A common fan complaint is one voiced by Bruno Jubelin of Gentilly: "Cap the ticket sales." "They know how impractical and impossible it is for us to get on the ground, so they need to cap it," he says.


text:
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I've clearly stated that I'm not interested in anyone over a certain age and yet much older men keep contacting me. I block everyone of them and in just 1 week I've blocked 320 men! So 320 men who are older than what I said I'm looking for contacted me in just one week.
I've talked to female friends who also do online dating and they say they experience the same thing!
Why do you/these men not get it?
Most Helpful Guy
Sometimes older guys figure... if at first you don't succeed, try, try again! lol
I am surprised that most dating sites don't have a filter for the age range? You should be able to set the filter and it will weed-out the age range you don't want? The guy would get a message saying that they are outside the age range specified by the person's profile. Seems like a pretty simple fix to me!
They really should get the hint, that you are not interested... you may have to be so bold as to say... if you older than this "#" don't talk to me, just be a little more direct, so they get the point...
Hope it works out for ya, cheers!11|00|0
Yes I agree there should be a filter. I really wish they would add that.
I can see where you're coming from though... not sure what the 40 yr old guys are thinking, most probably have daughters or sons around your age, kind of makes me sick to me stomach!
Thanks for the MHG... hope things are looking better on the dating site for you!
Most Helpful Girl
Because they don't care about what you want, they're shallow and desperate to get with someone younger.11|00|0
That's the same reason why I don't post my pics anywhere, because I start getting messages from creepy dudes over 40 yo. Disgusting as fuck.


text:
someone who will go with you anywhere as long as they don't have to pay. a very cheap person who will rob your pockets dry. some people refer to them as jews.
What a long haired strang..
by trixie hollow August 01, 2010
The Urban Dictionary Mug
One side has the word, one side has the definition. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Lotsa space for your liquids.Buy the mug


text:
Consider if you will
An ordinary day . . .
An ordinary farm . . .
An ordinary crop . . .
Or is it?
About Scott SantoroSee more books from this Author
Therefore, it's a big surprise when Farmer Ray checks on his latest crop: Instead of cabbage heads, there are heads of green CATS!| Read Full Review of Farm-Fresh Cats
An aggregated and normalized score based on 9 user ratings from iDreamBooks & iTunes


text:
Alabama could have best defense in the nation
Even though Alabama might undergo some growing pains on offense (see our explanation on that here), it figures to again be in the SEC title mix because it could have the best defense in all of college football.
The Crimson Tide certainly aren't the only team with a legitimate claim to that title. Headed by the superb pairing of Joey Bosa and Joshua Perry, Ohio State has a strong case to make, but the sheer number of quality players returning gives the edge to the Crimson Tide.
Interior defenders A'Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed and linebacker Reggie Ragland set the tone, with 88.4, 88 and 81.3 grades against the run, respectively. That trio accounted for 85 run stops between them in 2014. The departure of inside linebacker Trey DePriest is a blow, but backups Reuben Foster and Dillon Lee impressed in spot duty.
On the edge, Jonathan Allen returns after having led Alabama with 41 total pressures last season, giving him a team-leading 84.1 pass-rush grade. Ryan Anderson and D.J. Pettway had 55 pressures between them, giving the team a strong starting trio. However, there is room for other players to make an impact in the edge rotation, and don't be surprised if either Tim Williams or former star recruit Da'Shawn Hand see more snaps.
Cornerback has been an issue in Tuscaloosa since Dee Milliner left for the NFL, but the Tide have recruited the position well. Cyrus Jones should man one corner spot, having allowed just 48.9 percent of passes into his coverage to be completed last season, and while both starting safeties have left, Alabama will still have experience on the backend in the form of Eddie Jackson and Geno Smith. Both were primarily corners in 2014, but Smith played across the secondary, with 29.3 percent of his snaps coming while lined up at free safety.
It's not a perfect group right now, but in terms of depth of talent returning, and strength of talent waiting in the wings, this looks like a vintage Alabama defense.


text:
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Auto enthusiasts appreciate the a reliable name built into each Mercedes-Benz, and know that only the best repair 350SDL parts will suffice when your car or truck needs fixing. The vehicle in your driveway symbolizes the best in class compared to all the other cars, trucks, and SUVs in today's marketplace. When your Mercedes-Benz 350SDL was born, it was destined for a person with discerning taste who values European styling in their automobile. Your Mercedes-Benz dealership isn't the only place to locate genuine or original equipment quality parts to repair your 350SDL.
A properly functioning hydraulic brake system gives you and your passengers a sense of safety when you want to slow down. That means your Mercedes-Benz 350SDL brake lines or hoses cannot have any leaks or punctures in them. Hydraulic brake lines connect the brake master cylinder to the calipers and/or wheel cylinders on your car or truck. Every time you apply the brakes on your Mercedes-Benz 350SDL, the brake fluid goes from the master cylinder to each wheel and works its magic to slow down your car. If there's a leak in a brake hose, then your ability to stop will be greatly reduced.
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text:
Sara is a witch and student at Magic School. She possesses the power of telekinesis, allowing her to move objects with her mind.
At some point in her life, Sara was enrolled at Magic School under Headmaster Gideon. In 2003, Sara was helping out in the library, which was run by Miss Donovan, and used her telekinesis to put books back on the shelves. She was told off by Gideon one day when she was carelessly throwing them onto the bookshelves at random. It is unknown what happened to Sara after Magic School was overrun by demons in 2005.
Powers and AbilitiesEdit
- Basic Powers
- Spell Casting: The ability to cast spells and perform rituals.
- Potion Making: The ability to brew potions.
- Scrying: The ability to locate a person or object with the use of a scrying crystal and a map.
- Mediumship: The ability to see and commune with spirits of the dead.
- Active Powers
- Telekinesis: The ability to move objects and beings with the mind alone. Sara used this power to carelessly throw books onto the bookshelves in the library.
Sara appeared in a total of 1 episode over the course of the series.
- Season 6
- The Courtship of Wyatt's Father


text:
Recommendations for 50,000 user Web site
This Article Covers
Domino Resources - Part 5
What would you recommend for a Domino Web site that will be used by 50,000 users? The site will be straight http, no Notes mail, although smpt is turned on for custom emails sent by the application. Would you put all users on one powerful server or split them between different servers? What harware specs would you recommend? Any strategy or thoughts are appreciated.
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This is a tough thing to spec out. You really need to determine your concurrent load, what the apps will do, what processing will have to happen on the fly, etc. I cannot offer you a solid number based on this information. You can look to www.notesbench.org for some guidance. I would probably split the load to a few clustered (ICM) servers if this is really mission critical. It really depends on what you need.
Dig Deeper on Domino Resources - Part 5
Related Q&A from Michael Lazar
JavaScript error encountered when opening Lotus Notes email
Learn why you may be encountering a JavaScript error messages when opening HTML-formatted email messages in Lotus Notes.continue reading
Track incoming and outgoing Lotus Notes email messages
Learn how to easily keep track of the numbers of incoming and outgoing Lotus Notes email messages to and from your Domino server each day.continue reading
Repair Lotus Domino server 'Cannot write or create file' error
Discover what steps you can take if your Lotus Domino server runs out of disk space and you have issues sending and receiving Lotus Notes email ...continue reading
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Photo retrieved from www.bbcactive.com/BBCActiveIdeasandResources/iPadsintheClassroom.aspx
Mobile Learning Apps
Journal Jar
An app for both Android and Apple devices that generates random topics for journal entries when the device is shaken. A teacher could use this app to generate topics for student journals. The students could also use this app if they were struggling with coming up with an idea to write about. (http://exclusivetutors.com/apps/journaljar/)
Sock Puppets
An Apple App that allows users to create videos of puppets lip-synching to the users' voice. Students could use this app to present a story they've written or a project they've done. (https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/sock-puppets/id394...)
A program that combines video clips, photos, and music of the users' choice together to create a video. Students could use this to present the information they gathered about a topic in documentary form. (https://videolicious.com/)
Talking Tom and Ben News
This is an Android app in which Tom (an animated dog) and Ben (an animated cat) read aloud the "news", which is created by users, in a humorous way. Again, students could use this when presenting information to the class. For example, after reading a novel, students could present events that occurred in the story as if it were news using this app. (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.outfit7.talkingnewsfree&hl=en)
Toontastic is an app that allows users to create stories using premade animation or creating characters of their own. This app could be used to tell the story of a famous historical figure or event in Social Studies. (http://www.launchpadtoys.com/toontastic/#)


text:
Heps Track Homepage
Results/Video Highlights
Day One Recap
PHILADELPHIA Senior Max Westman, sophomore Darryll Oliver, and the 400-meter relay team each claimed Heptagonal titles for the University of Pennsylvania men's track and field team Sunday at Franklin Field.The Quakersfinished third as a team at the 2009 Outdoor Heptagonal Championships.
With Cornell and Princeton gaining a big lead early in the meet, it was a race for third place and the Quakers won. Cornell finished with 165 points and Princeton with 138. The Quakers tallied 76 points, coming from behind in the final hours to top Brown (64), Dartmouth (57) and Harvard (54). Yale was seventhwith 49 points, and Columbia eighth with 48.
"We had some good leadership that showed through," said head coach Charlie Powell. "We had some guys that gave us great performances and even some that scored a few points here and there. If you only knew and understood how so many people had personal bests that overcame illnesses and injuries to really give us a good, solid meet today. It was phenomenal. It was a great effort. People from Penn can be proud of them."
The first of Penn's three Heptagonal championships came from the 400-meter relay team. The foursome of sophomore Alan Hill and seniors Kevin Benjamin, Joey Brown and Kevin Baidoo blew past the competition, finishing with the eighth-best time in Penn history at 40.83. The regional qualifying mark was also the fastest time run by a Quakers relay team since 2002.
"We've practiced for this for a long time," said Brown, who ran the second leg. "Kevin Baidoo has been a great addition to the anchor, he really made the race for us. It was amazing; this is the best time run at Penn in seven years so it is a great way to go out. I'll always remember it."
Though it may have been the last race for Brown and the 400-meter relay team at Franklin Field, the four will team up again at the Regionals in two weeks with a shot to go to the NCAA Championships.
Also reaching the NCAA Regional Championships this weekend were 800-meter runners Brian Fulton and Darryll Oliver. Each did so on day one, but Oliver bested his time on Championship Sunday in what may have been the race of the meet.
Battling Jeff Moriarty from Columbia, Oliver finished in 1:48.61, topping his career mark set less than 24 hours earlier. Oliver and Moriarty ran one-two throughout the race with the Penn sophomore running a 53.40 split. Coming around the final turn, Moriarty made his move to pass and the two ran side-by-side down the home stretch. But it was Oliver who had the most kick, winning by two steps to become the fourth-fastest Quaker ever in one of the most storied events in Penn's history. It was also the seventh-fastest time ever recorded at the Outdoor Heptagonal Championships and currently ranks him ninth in the nation this season. The win marked the seventh-consecutive year in which a Quaker won the Heptagonal championship in the event.
Senior Max Westman led the decathlon by 212 points entering Sunday and maintained his advantage to claim the 2009 Heptagonal title. In all, Westman won five of the 10 events, including the first three events on Sunday, to finish with 7,128 points - the third highest total in Heptagonal history. The total provisionally qualified him for the NCAA's and was 282 ahead of his nearest competitor. The Lower Merion product started the final day with 829 points in winning the 110-meter hurdles at 15.17. He then won the discus at 41.83 meters (137 feet, 3 inches) for 702 points, and tied for first in the pole vault with a height of 4.45 meters (14-07 1/4 ft.) that earned him 746 more points. Westman placed second in the afternoon javelin and when he was the second to cross the 1,500-meter finish line in 4:42.52, the decathlete was a Heptagonal champion.
Penn sat in fifth-place, just one point ahead of sixth-place Yale, but starting with junior Willie Harris, the Quakers made a push in the final four hours of competition. Harris added points in the 110-meter hurdles, and junior Jeremy Sinclair and sophomore Taylor Neason did so in the 400-meter hurdles. Harris placed fifth with a time of 15.09 - identical to his season-best effort in the preliminaries. Sinclair was third at 53.39 and Neason was fifth at 53.61 to combine for eight points in their event. Neason's time was a career-best and earned him a trip to the IC4A Championships.
Brown and Benjamin rebounded from the 400-meter relay to place second and fourth in their respective sprints. Brown earned eight points in the 100 meters with a finish of 10.90, and Benjamin earned four more points with his finish of 21.77. Benjamin became the first Quaker this season to crack 22 seconds and qualified for the IC4A Championships in the event.
In the field events Sunday, junior John Carelli was fourth in the triple jump. Carelli leaped 14.97 meters (49-01.50 ft.) on his final jump of the preliminaries which placed him in second heading into the event finals. Despite two more jumps near the 49-foot mark, Carelli's third jump of the day stood as his best.
The Red and Blue fittingly capped the day with a season-best performance in the 1,600-meter relay. Junior Ben McKean, Benjamin, freshman Brian Rosenthal, and senior Sam Shepherd finished in 3:14.46 to place fourth.
Penn will have nearly two dozen qualifiers that are eligible for the IC4A Championships next weekend. The postseason meet will take place May 15-17 in Princeton, N.J. NCAA Regionals will take place two weeks later from May 29-30 in Greensboro, N.C.


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It likely won't be an issue for a half-decade with the Detroit Lions, and by then much might have changed in the NFL and how tight ends and bigger wide receivers are viewed.
But there has to be a lot of interest in what is going on down south in New Orleans right now, where the Saints are in a grievance hearing with tight end Jimmy Graham, who is trying to be labeled a wide receiver for franchise tag purposes instead of a tight end.
Up until May, this would not have been an issue in Detroit. By the time Brandon Pettigrew's next contract is up, he will be old enough that the team won't use the franchise tag on him. Joseph Fauria has not shown enough at this point to warrant the tag.
But in May the Lions drafted Eric Ebron, a fast, rangy, tight end who made the majority of his plays in college lined up essentially as a wide receiver. And the Lions are implementing an offense similar to what New Orleans runs -- one where Graham has been utilized all over the field in varying ways -- so how the ruling comes down could be of massive interest for Detroit's distant future.
If the Saints win the grievance, the Lions will have precedent if Ebron pans out and the team needs to eventually use the franchise tag designation to keep him -- six years from now. If Graham wins, though, it would make Ebron one of the players who would almost assuredly be in the same category in the future.
While Ebron has maintained he does not want to be the next Jimmy Graham or anything like that -- he has consistently said he's Eric Ebron, not Jimmy Graham -- his role in the Detroit offense is going to be somewhat similar to how the Saints used Graham.
Though Ebron has the tight end designation, the way he plays is almost like a tall wide receiver both in his route running and where he will line up on the field. While he will have the same positional designation as Pettigrew, they won't be used in the same way at all.
This is part of the evolution of the tight end from a player used primarily close to the offensive line or as an in-line player to someone utilized everywhere on the field, in-line, in the slot and on the outside. This is likely part of Graham's argument now.
And it will likely be part of the conversation if Ebron ever reaches the point of a grievance. Yes, it is a distant future where much can change between now and then since only two coaches in the Super Bowl era have lasted with Detroit to a sixth season -- Wayne Fontes and Monte Clark -- but the team is hoping Ebron's skills transcend whatever happens with the franchise.
Of course, the team drafted him to help them win.
So decisions like this are worth paying attention to -- and even Ebron himself acknowledged Wednesday that he is watching what is happening with Graham in New Orleans.
"Really Interested To See What Happens To Jimmy Graham," Ebron tweeted Wednesday morning.
He likely isn't the only one within the Lions organization with a major interest in the outcome.


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Could this 'trouble" be related to his vision or could dementia be setting in?
My father, who has macular degeneration, just told me he had "trouble" driving around a familiar area. Could this 'trouble" be related to his vision or could dementia be setting in? He has a restricted license at this time for daytime driving only. He is approaching 81 years of age.
Expert Answers
Difficulty driving around a familiar area could be caused by vision loss or by dementia. In order to distinguish between the two it is important to know what type of difficulty your father is having. If he is losing his way in familiar areas or forgetting how to get home, that may suggest dementia. If on the other hand he can't tell whether there's a car parked in a shady area or which light in the traffic signal is on, that could suggest loss of vision or loss of contrast sensitivity, both of which can be caused by macular degeneration.
The first step would be to have his vision assessed by an ophthalmologist. If his visual acuity is not sufficient to drive legally in your state, then transportation alternatives should be explored, for example a community senior transportation system, a cab, or a little electric scooter that goes at walking speed on the sidewalk. The last thing you want your father to do is be isolated at home.
If his vision is sufficient to drive in your state, then I would suggest trying a yellow or plum tint in glasses that fit over his prescription glasses and wrap around the sides to reduce glare, which are available through NOIR medical or 800-521-0746. You can also help him identify the circumstances that cause him trouble and avoid them, for example maybe he shouldn't drive on dim, rainy days, at dusk, or at night. If he is still uncomfortable, whether he's legal to drive or not, I would recommend he discontinue driving. In that event, again, it is very important for you to explore transportation alternatives.
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My daughter got to go home today, but I am still sick and cannot get into the doctor until Friday. I have been thinking of going to the ER tomorrow or the doc in the box. I have gone through one inhaler and two rounds of antibiotics now.
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My daughter got to go home today, but I am still sick and cannot get into the doctor until Friday. I have been thinking of going to the ER tomorrow or the doc in the box. I have gone through one inhaler and two rounds of antibiotics now.
Well, I went to the doc in the box today and I have a pretty good case of pneumonia. Third round of antibiotics, second inhaler, and steroids now. He said that if I didn't go until Friday when my doctor could see me I would have been bad enough to be hospitalized. I looked back through my VA charts and have had pneumonia 5 times in 2 years.
The pneumonia is still kicking my butt. I am worried about jumping on the scale this week. No exercise, taking a steroid and eating not the best may lead to a pretty bad reading. This is my 4th week of being sick with this crap. I don't want to go to the VA because they will admit me with my lung history. I have 2 weeks left this semester so I may hold out until then if it doesn't get better.
Hopped on the scale today at 245 pounds, am really excited because for a couple weeks I had been stuck around the 250 mark, struggling because I had ended up tearing up my right ankle area, abusing it too much in shoes walking/jogging. Had to stay out of shoes for a while to let it heal, but got an exercise bike and really started hitting at it good.
Approaching a year of this journey, started June 9th last year I believe...though I didn't really take it seriously until August.
"It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."
----------------- Reggie Miller
I can't wait until this pneumonia is gone and I can start exercising again. Been sick a solid month now. I don't want to go to the VA because they will put me in the hospital and I have 2 weeks left this semester. It sucks doing something as minimal as bringing the empty trash can back to the house and being completely out of breath.
Had a scare Tuesday at the doctor's office. I weighed 362.4. I went in because I am still having breathing problems and it felt like the pneumonia has not left. I am getting pretty frustrated that this stuff is not going away. I have been sick since March 23rd. It is all I can do to carry a grocery bag in and I am out of breath. My doctor believed that I am retaining fluid from my CHF. He gave me an increase in my diuretic and added a second very powerful diuretic that I can only take 2-3 times a week then wait a week before I can take it again. The doctor calls me yesterday morning and says there is a new spot on my lung that is different from my scarring that is already there. I had to do more blood work to make sure it was not a blood clot. The doctor called last night around 9pm to let me know it wasn't a blood clot but he really didn't know what it is. He said it may be infection so he gave me my fourth round of antibiotics. If it does not get better by the time the antibiotics run out he will schedule a CT scan and refer me to a lung specialist. Good new is that after taking the powerful diuretic I just weighed 351.6 a little bit ago. Hopefully this antibiotic round helps, but I have my doubts. He made a point to tell me he didn't think it was the "C word" because he knows my dad died at 52 from it and I have already had 2 lesions removed from my face in the past few years.
Checking in at 238 today...still going pretty good, even though I had some not so good days.
"It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."
----------------- Reggie Miller
Well, officially rule out infection. Having a CT scan on my lungs next Tuesday then to the pulmonologist the 6th. I am so sick of this, been sick over two months now. I am worried. I have been exposed to a large amount of asbestos and burn pits.
Yow, my best thoughts and wishes to you Jeff, hope there is good news soon.
I haven't been able to stay on the diet for any length of time, but I've not been going crazy either, hanging around 254 pounds. I've started cycling again after a couple months off, and boy I can tell the difference in the weight lost since I put down the bike. I am just zipping around and not getting tired.
That is what is weird to me - I was cycling hardcore for awhile but it was after I stopped that my weight loss picked up. Something to do with cortisol I think - there's a certain point you reach when exercising that you really need to get an insulin response, haven't figured out exactly when
At the 1 year mark now, and in at 230 pounds.
"It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."
----------------- Reggie Miller
Well guys it looks as if much weight loss for me will not be any time soon. No one can seem to figure out why I can't breathe. CT scan on chest was inconclusive due to my lap band junk interfering with the picture. Did a lung functions test Wednesday and it tore me up. Since then I have been coughing hard constantly, coughed up some brown crap, walk 100 feet and out of breath, and daily run a low grade fever. Called my doc Friday and he put me on my 5th round of antibiotics and steroids again. Hopefully will see the pulmonologist Monday again and I guess the next step is a bronchoscopy. That scares me with all I have been exposed to from the military, even though I am not a smoker. Congrats Cactus Jax on your success.
Worked my butt off over the hot, hot weekend at Good Time Good People festival in Owen County. It paid off though as everybody loved my light display and the guy that runs Hyperion Festival asked if I wanted to be an artist there. Me, an artist! Who would have thought?
The other thing is despite chugging massive amounts of water all weekend I dropped 11 pounds over the three days and checked in at 247 last night, and 246 this morning. Obviously a great deal of this was water and it will be interesting over the next few days to see whether it comes back.
Man you are kicking butt Dab. I see my pulmonologist Wednesday on a emergency appointment. Hopefully they figure it out because I can't walk to my back door and back to the living room without being out of breath.
Seems to have stabilized around 250 for now, which I will take. Not only did I drop 11 pounds over the weekend but I picked up a nasty cold too, lungs are full of gunk and I'm finding it difficult to breathe myself. I'm getting winded just going up the stairs at work. I think (hope) the worst may be over though. Going to jump into a hot steamy shower right now.
Hang in there Jeff, we're pulling for you!
Congratulations Dab and hopefully this sickness you have will not be like mine. Been a hell of a day. I went to the VA today to be seen by my nurse practicioner. I had the unfortunate experience of watching one of my fellow Veterans code in the waiting area. It has had a profound effect upon me tonight and my daughter caught me crying. As she wiped away my tears she kept saying everything will be ok. The man was not much older than me and the help he received was abysmal. Watching this man die brought me back to all of the death and destruction I have seen. I will not go into specifics because I don't feel like crying again. After that I saw my NP and her nurse lied boldface to her and called me a liar. They branded me an addict in my file and cut off all of my pain medications. At least they did more blood work, more antibiotics, more steroids at a much higher dose, and referred me for a second opinion because she felt like the pulmonologist I spoke with yesterday was an idiot. He blamed my breathing issues on my weight and weight alone, even though March 22nd I was fine and walked the entire Epcot in Florida and the 23rd of March I couldn't breathe. I did drop 8 pounds from last week, was 361.5 now down to 352.5.
Oh man that sucks. It burns me the way veterans always seem to get the short end of the stick. I can't claim to have served, but both my grandfather and father served with honor. Keep your spirits up Jeff! I know that's easier said than done, but know everybody is rooting for you.
For me, this cold lingers on but I was told when my spleen was removed that was one of the big issues I would face, recovering from illness. The term 'walking pneumonia' has crossed my mind, as I have been hacking up stuff from my lungs for the last week, a never-ending flow of mucus, but I am starting to breathe better, wheeze is going away. Apparently there's some weight in there as I checked in at 243 the other today, 244 today.
Hopefully tomorrow's CT scan will show some reason for this stuff. I am down 2 more pounds to 350.5. I don't see the VA pulmonologist until July 18th for the second opinion. At least I have seen her before and know what to expect. The trip from Anderson to Ft. Wayne sucks though.
Good luck Jeff!
I don't want to look at a good thing in a bad light, but I'm starting to get a little concerned. 239 yesterday morning and today. Surely there's got to be a water weight rebound at some point, yes? It took me forever to get under to finally get under 261. I weighed 264 pounds as little as two weeks ago, although that was probably at the peak of water retainage, but that's 25 pounds in two weeks. Hopefully it's all from hard work and not from a recurrence of my previous illness.
Well, the CT scan showed no major abnormality. The bloodwork did show infection with a high WBC count. I wonder if during my trip to Florida in March when this all started if I picked up some oddball antibiotic resistant infection. Six rounds of antibiotics with no results. I already have scarring in my lungs from my time in the military but this is crazy. Down to 348.2 this morning. Getting ready to go through some turmoil as well as my grandmother is passing away. Hopefully that does not turn into weight gained.
Good news on the CT scan. That's an odd coincidence, I can trace all my health woes (splenic lymphoma, CLL) back to a trip I took down south (Chattanooga) 4 years ago where I picked up some weird infection. It was shortly after that I developed the symptoms which led to me losing my spleen. I'm sure my diet and lifestyle had set me up to be vulnerable though.
Sorry to hear about your grandmother. My best thoughts to you and your family.
As for me, I'm either in the zone or really sick again, although I don't see that as a possibility given how good I feel. I've dropped 7 pounds since my last post and am down to 232. I'm in your rearview mirror Cactus Jax! I've been super good on my diet, and these festivals and concerts really give you a workout (danced my butt off at the Phish show the other night) but really I think it's the Creatine. I started back up on the Creatine after a month or so off
I saw the lap band doctor today and weighed 346.2 with shoes so I am going back down. I did do some research and found out that there is an epidemic in Florida right now with an antibiotic resistant bug.
Well I finally saw the lung doctor at the VA and was disappointed to say the least. Still not listening to me and just ordered lab work, chest x-ray, and gave me an allergy med and prilosec. Told me to come back in six months. I do have one last straw up my sleeve, my sister who runs a hospice program and is a nurse, has a friend who is a pulmonologist and I am going to get a referral to him and she is going with me to the appointment. Until then I can still walk 100 feet at a time and take breaks. I did have to go on a psychiatric break from my house and spent a week with my mom, a retired nurse, at the lakes and ended up gaining 5 pounds from her cooking and her bringing home ice cream from the lake store that she manages for me. Trying a new thing for pain management since they took my pain medicine away, it is hemp seeds. I have noticed a minimal improvement at times by eating one ounce a day.
Since my last doctor visit the 18th of July where I was 351.8 I have not done much to work toward losing weight. I have been under a lot of stress and have missed a few meals. To my surprise this morning I weighed myself and my scale showed 334.2 pounds. My next time in a hospital will be on 8/8 so I will weigh in again there and see how it goes. Lungs are still not doing well, getting ready to see third pulmonologist soon.
Sorry haven't checked in for a bit, now at 216 pounds...
Shooting real hard for under 200 by the end of the year, hope I can do it.
Last edited by Cactus Jax; 08-05-2016 at 01:35 AM.
"It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."
----------------- Reggie Miller
Congratulations Cactus Jax. My hope is to be sub 300 by 2017. I hope you make that goal.