College Football Picks Week 9 Results

1. Clint -12 tiebreaker 62
2. Lisa -17 tiebreaker 67
3. Tammy -18 tiebreaker 53
4. Rex -19 tiebreaker 74

actual tiebreaker 62 

College Football Picks Week 8 Results

1. Tammy -18 tiebreaker 59
2. Clint -20 tiebreaker 58
3. Rex -21 tiebreaker 54
4. Lisa -22 tiebreaker 57

actual tiebreaker 42

Sunday School Lesson – Jeremiah

Yesterday we taught our Sunday School lesson on the book of Jeremiah.  I'm not going to post all my notes but here are a few highlights.  The prophets Jeremiah and Lehi were contemporaries preaching repentance to the people in Jerusalem in the early 600s BC.  

Lehi was commanded to leave Jerusalem with his family and sail across to the Americas (around 600 BC).  Their story is contained in The Book of Mormon.  Jeremiah was to remain in Jerusalem and continued preaching repentance to the people.  Jeremiah is the only prophet who was in Jerusalem before, during, and after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587 BC.

Some of the doctrines that Jeremiah taught that we talked about in our lesson yesterday include: pre-mortal existence (Jeremiah 1:5), foreordination, Jesus being living waters, trust in the Lord, the gathering of Israel (missionary work, bringing people to Christ), Sabbath day, potters clay (being clay in the Lord's hands), fire in the bones (desires to serve God).

Our handout was a succulent plant with quotes from Jeremiah.

double-sided handout:

College Football Picks Week 7 Results

1. Clint -17 tiebreaker 63
2. Rex -19 tiebreaker 70
3. Tammy -19 tiebreaker 61
4. Lisa -24 tiebreaker 47

actual tiebreaker 85

College Football Picks Week 6 Results

1. Clint -16 tiebreaker 58
2. Tammy -18 tiebreaker 57
3. Lisa -19 tiebreaker 59
4. Rex -19 tiebreaker 57

actual tiebreaker 74

Childhood Dogs Prevent Schizophrenia

I just read an interesting article about a research study done regarding growing up with a dog being a protection against developing schizophrenia.

From the article:

"In this study, the researchers used health data from 396 adults diagnosed with schizophrenia and 381 adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder. They also included 594 adults with no mental health disorders to serve as the control group. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 65, were in good health and had no history of drug use. All were asked to detail their personal history with childhood pets. 

"When the researchers analyzed the data, they were surprised to find a statistically significant connection between the presence of a family dog in early childhood and a decrease in the risk of developing schizophrenia later in life. They did not find the same link in study participants with bipolar disorder or among those whose childhood pet was a cat."

I found the results very interesting.  I also find them very believable.  I remember my childhood dog, Tiger, being a great therapist.  Whenever I was sad, I would always go talk to Tiger.  I always felt better after pouring my heart out to Tiger.  

I do believe that having a childhood dog is a great asset and positive influence on people's mental health.  It seems logical that growing up with a dog would help in developing mental stability in adults.  I believe that having a dog at any time during your life is good for your health.  After all, dogs are man's best friend.

I had to chuckle that having a cat as a pet did not help in preventing development of neither schizophrenia nor bipolar disorder in this study.  I've never been a fan of cats as pets.  There's just something weird about cat people.

It is interesting though, in this study, that the statistics were only significant in preventing schizophrenia and not bipolar disorder.  Perhaps more research needs to be done to also include various other mental disorders.  We know that dogs help people heal physically.  That's why there are various programs where people take dogs to hospitals.  So it's not a stretch to think that dogs can help heal people mentally as well.

So, get your kids a dog.  It's good for their mental health.

That's my two cents. 

58%!

A few days ago I read a shocking statistic in the Deseret News.  Not much shocks me anymore but this certainly did.

At first, I read that 72% of Utahns believe that same-sex marriage should be the law of the land.  I thought that number was pretty high for a state with a majority of members of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints.  But I know the percentage of members has dwindled in Utah.  So I thought I would look at the demographics of Utah after I read the article.  To try to get an idea of how many members of the church feel that same-sex marriage should be legal.  But I didn't have to.  The statistic was in the article.  This was the shocking number to me.

Before we get to that number though, I'm going to post part of the article for you.  This was an article in the Deseret News on September 29, 2022, "Do Utahns support same-sex marriage?":

 "The new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics survey found 72% of residents agree that marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages. The poll shows 23% disagree, while 5% don’t know.

“For a state that less than 20 years ago passed laws and a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage, there has been a seismic shift in opinion,” said Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah.

"When same-sex marriage became recognized in Utah in 2014 — a year ahead of the Supreme Court decision — it had support from less than half of Utahns. A January 2014 Deseret News/KSL poll amid the legal battle and contentious public debate over the issue found a majority of Utahns (57%) opposed same-sex marriage." 

Going from 20 years ago passing a law to prohibit same-sex marriage to 20 years later nearly 3/4 of people supporting same-sex marriage is drastic.  And even just eight years ago the majority of Utahns – 57% – still opposed same-sex marriage.  It really is a seismic shift in a very short amount of time.

So I was curious as to what the national statistics are.  Surprisingly, they are almost identical.

"The Deseret News/Hinckley poll shows Utahns are aligned with the nation as a whole on the issue. A Gallup poll in May found 71% of Americans say they support legal same-sex marriage, a new high."shows in general terms that Utahns believe same-sex marriages should be recognized by the law the same as marriages between a man and a woman."

Not surprisingly, Democrats are far more likely to support same-sex marriage that Republicans. 

"A high percentage of poll respondents who identified themselves as Democrats are of that mind (94%), though a majority of Republicans (61%) also agree."

Even though the Republican number is much lower than the Democrats, it is still much too high. Though, interestingly, it is still lower (61%) than the number of Utahns (72%) as a whole.   

"Among those who identified themselves as “very conservative,” 42% say all marriages should be treated the same, while the number jumps to 69% among “somewhat conservative” voters. More than 95% of “very liberal” and “somewhat liberal” Utahns say the law should recognize same-sex marriages with the same rights as traditional marriages."

The aforementioned statistics seem more reasonable.  42% of "very conservative" respondents supporting same-sex marriage while over 95% of liberal Utahns supporting legalized same-sex marriages.  Although, even 42% seems too high for me for those claiming to be very conservative. 

But here's the kicker – and the statistic that shocked me the most.

"A majority of Utahns who identified as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the survey favor legal same-sex marriage.

"The poll found 58% of those who consider themselves “very active” in the church agree that marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by the law as valid, with same rights as traditional marriages. The number rose to 76% among “somewhat” and “not active” Latter-day Saints."

A whopping 58% of "very active" members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints support legalized same-sex marriages!  That's the overwhelming majority and nearly 2/3 of very active members supporting something the Church and the Lord vehemently oppose!  That number should be 0%!

It is stunning.  And, the number goes from 58% to 76% when you include all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  That's higher than the national average of 71%!  Unfathomable.

The Church is very clear in its opposition to same-sex marriage.  Same-sex marriages are not performed in the Church.  Not in temples, not even in churches.  Church clergy does not officiate in same-sex marriages.  "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" clearly states that marriage is between a man and a woman.

"We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

"… We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife."  – The Family: A Proclamation to the World, 1995

So why are 58% of very active – supposedly faithful – Latter-day Saints so wrong?

How can you be a very active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, understand the doctrine, yet still support same-sex marriage?  It makes no sense.

I suppose it is because they are brainwashed and confused by worldly teachings and philosophies.  But this is precisely why we are admonished to be in the world but not of the world.

John 17:11, 14-15

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Despite this admonition from our Savior, many Latter-day Saints – including very active members of the Church – are very worldly.  In fact, the prophet Isaiah prophesied of the worldliness of members of the Church in the last days.

Isaiah 3:16

"Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:"

Isaiah is not the easiest prophet to understand but he's basically prophesying that, in the last days, the daughters of Zion – members of the Church – will be worldly and vain. 

We are certainly living in the last days and Isaiah's prophecy has come true.

I fear that way too many Latter-day Saints are far more concerned with what the world and society thinks of them than they are with staying on the covenant path and with what the Lord thinks.

That's my two cents.

College Football Picks Week 5 Results

1. Clint -16 tiebreaker 62
2. Rex -18 tiebreaker 0
3. Tammy -23 tiebreaker 63
4. Lisa -24 tiebreaker 72 

actual tiebreaker 64