Sunday in Outer Blogness: Missionaries and Modern Miracles Edition!

If you say a prayer (sort of) to find an important lost object and it works, is that evidence of divine intervention?

On a related note, the exmo reddit is crowing about how they predicted the big revelation from conference. And now the LDS blogosphere is all abuzz with analysis of the change in missionary policy! (Not everyone likes missionary work.)

Of course, everybody knows that the best part of General Conference is the cinnamon rolls. DMI Dave slammed “Cafeteria Conference-goers” who are listening for the message that is relevant to them in Conference, but I think he missed the point. Listening for your special message in General Conference isn’t so much about rejecting the other stuff as it is about convincing yourself that there really is a nugget of substance hidden somewhere in that conference that justifies the hours you spend sitting there listening to it…

Other things that could have been predicted or guessed: health-promoting foods, the results of Obama’s administration, and Dad’s Primal Scream’s orientation. Oh, and the first non-English best-seller by a Mormon is a book on becoming an millionaire — who could have predicted that?

In other miracles, all that fasting for Romney worked!! The consensus is that he won the debate (using some Mormon techniques) (and despite the popularity of Romney’s nemesis Big Bird). Religion and politics continue to mix. Of course neither candidate is good enough for non-centrists.

This was a great week for the journey. Some are getting tired of answering for their Mormon identity. Others tire of having their doubts belittled. Then the shelf of doubts comes crashing down (another infamous conference talk was the last straw). Another starts identifying as atheist. And another is moving on from blogging. (Fortunately new bloggers are arriving all the time!)

I hope your International Blasphemy Day went well, and you exercised your right to blaspheme without too much trouble. Or maybe you even engaged in substantive theological discussion.

The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.

That’s probably my favorite Star Wars quote, and I’ve always thought it applies well to a lot of the CoJCoL-dS’s strategy. Ziff wrote a good article outlining the many ways…

Postmormongirl reviewed the Mormon Diaries, and So Says Me got to see the Book of Mormon Musical!!

Then there were a number of slices of life (Mormon or not): Froggie found pelicans in Utah, Monica and Serge are celebrating an important anniversary, Dad’s Primal Scream has to sadly leave the Gay Mecca, and Just Zena attended a Court of Honor. Elder Chantdown told an interesting story in which (I think) he forgives President Kimball and buys his Cadillac, and Paul Senzee told a disturbing story about a terrible prophetic dream. Aerin and Kiley picked up some insights at work. So did Chandelle, actually, she learned that

If there is not a single green thing to be found in the vicinity except the cool oasis of your painstakingly maintained garden, cattle will not be stopped by a measly 2000 volts.

In conclusion… well, I’m glad I didn’t spend my weekend listening to General Conference. Happy reading!