By Kathy Soper

One scripture passage that always haunts me is Mormon 8:37-39, especially these lines from verse 37:

For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

I teach a small Family Relations class in Sunday School. Last week, during our Money Management lesson, it was pointed out how readily we think of ourselves as poor (in temporal goods), when in reality we’re all filthy, stinking rich.

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(This is our third welcome announcement in as many weeks, so if you’d like to simply offer comments concerning how impressed you are with Millennial Star’s current expansion tear, feel free to do that as well. But now onto important things…)

Naomi Frandsen has agreed to join us as a guest blogger for an unspecified, but certainly too short, number of weeks. Naomi comes highly recommended, having already completed the prestigious Millennial Star Membership Internship Program at our farm site.

Naomi grew up in Southern California, and currently lives in Washington, D.C., where she is gearing up for writing a thesis on the Victorian periodical press for her Master’s program. Naomi is one of 11 kids, who are currently spread out between California, Utah, Missouri, Florida, Washington, D.C., France, and Hungary. She plays the harp, she rides her bike to school, and she recently was passed over on an English teaching job in favor of Orson Scott Card. This makes her a bit of a disappointment. Still, we’re pleased to have her, and we look forward to seeing what she has to share with us, as long as her posts aren’t too Victorian or too periodic.

You of the bloggernacle in New York, who wants a nice dress? REALLY nice? My cousin Colette has been featured in a newspaper, and one of those 18-pound bridal “magazines” (Modern Bride, I think) did a feature on her and her dresses late last summer (but it’s not online). Her website is not yet up and running, but looks nice.

What I found interesting about the New York Metro blurb is how her LDS-ness is played up (though misattributed. Once again, the “Jesus Christ” aspect has dropped out, leaving the “Church of Latter-day Saints”.) Granted, perhaps LDS clothing designers tend to be in Utah making 1920’s swimsuits instead of designing $4000 wedding dresses for NY fashion shows. In any case, New Yorkers take note. High-end, award-winning AND LDS-mother pleasing fashion has arrived.

(by Ben S.)

A common conversation yesterday in Priesthood meeting: What are the roles of the Elders’ Quorum? And a common conclusion: the Elders function as the right hand of the Bishop, watching over the physical and temporal needs of the members of the ward. We, the Elders’ Quorum, need to be more vigilant in caring for the ward, do a better job of helping people when they have work that needs doing, and show more willingness to generally assist in increasing the welfare of the members.

These are noble thoughts, and ubiquitous. Also, they are wrong.

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Alma 42:25: What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit.

Alma 34:15 And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.

What is the difference between mercy robbing justice and mercy overpowering justice?

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