I moved into a new ward about six weeks ago, and the first week the bishop came by and asked me to take a new temporary calling: teaching gospel doctrine to the older teenagers for a few weeks because the usual teacher was going out of town. He called me back today to ask if I needed to be relieved of duty, and I told him I felt a lot like Lt. John Dunbar in “Dances With Wolves” — abandoned at the “soldier fort,” never to see civilization again.

And the natives are not nearly as friendly as the Sioux. Read more…

General

The Millennial Star is pleased to present the following guest post from Stephanie Abney. Stephanie (Peterson) Abney is a member of the LDS church and resides in Mesa, AZ, Mesa Mountain View Stake, with her husband of 38 years, Jim. They have a remarkable and growing family (5 kids - 4 living - assorted in-laws and at last count, 14 grandchildren). Stephanie is currently a writer and a substitute school teacher. She writes regularly for the Arizona Beehive newspaper and is the General Vice-President of American Night Writers Association (a network for LDS women writers).

I’ve gone back to school in order to complete a degree in Education and to become certified so I can start teaching full-time and not just substitute teach. I just finished a summer school class called, “Introduction to Education.” I really loved this class, not just because the information is so useful but because I think I managed to sign up for a class taught by a “master” teacher, Mr. Ted Telepak, at M.C.C., Mesa, AZ. Just observing him I gained great insights about the kind of teacher I want to be.

Read more…

Guest Post, In real life

Though my reading matter currently focuses on my dissertation, occasionally I read something not at all related, just to keep myself sane and my mind from becoming too specialized (although it’s interesting how often this “extracurricular” reading works its way into my dissertation).

Though I am not much of a sports guy, I do exercise regularly (specifically, I do CrossFit) - so, when I saw this book, I thought it looked interesting enough to read. Steroid Nation: Juiced Home Run Totals, Anti-aging Miracles, and a Hercules in Every High School: The Secret History of America’s True Drug Addiction by Shaun Assael is an interesting, well written book that deals with the use and abuse of steroids and other drugs in America. Full of lots of interesting anecdotes, salacious scandals, and depressing stories, overall I enjoyed it.

Except for the part about Mormons. Because, according to this author, Mormonism is partly to blame for steroid abuse in America.

Read more…

Any, General, In real life, Sports