Today the Church issued a letter with some clarification on the changes made to the BYU Honor Code. As you know the changes that were made in conjunction with the release of the new Handbook have caused some confusion and some people to grossly misinterpret things. Sadly, there have even been death threats and completely nasty behavior from the “ally” camp heaped on students who feel compelled to defend the gospel. Not good people, not good at all.
What We Know that Ain’t So
This past Sunday I spent several enjoyable hours reviewing video from a 2015 trip to Edinburgh. Grandpa Stout, as we know him, was born in the fabled city.
We spent a day away from the tourist attractions to retrace the haunts of his youth before post-war economics forced the extended Stout family to leave Scotland’s verdant hills for Zion’s mountains.
Through a series of timely miracles, three generations of extended family arrived in Salt Lake, taking up residence in a basement apartment. Grandmother, Grandfather, Mother and Father, two teenaged sons, and Mother’s two spinster sisters. When a home on the other side of South High went on sale, Brother Stout went to a local bank, seeking a loan. But as a new immigrant, he lacked any collateral (“What is ‘collateral’?” he asked.)
A capstone miracle occurred as the Stouts were leaving the interview with the loan officer. The Bank Manager came in and noticed the Stouts. “Why, Brother and Sister Stout! I haven’t seen you in years!” The Manager had been a missionary in Edinburgh. After a bit of talk, the Bank Manager learned the reason for their visit.
“Why, I’d be happy to co-sign the loan for Mr. Stout,” the Bank Manager told the loan officer.
So the several members of the extended Stout family relocated from the basement apartment in a ward that had welcomed them with open arms to a lovely little home two blocks away, in a new ward and new stake. And here’s where the confusion began.
Continue readingPreparing for General Conference
General Conference is a month away. Six months ago, in his closing address of October General Conference, Pres. Nelson invited us to prepare for April Conference by studying the Restoration of the Gospel.
If you have yet to start your preparations (ahem, that’d be me), you still have time. My friend Montserrat Wadsworth has written a 30 day study guide over on her blog, A Gospel Centered Home. She has some great ideas to get you started.
Happy preparations!
Come Follow Me: 2 Nephi 31-33
My newest blog post on Come Follow Me: 2 Nephi 31-33
https://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2020/03/come-follow-me-2-nephi-31-33.html
My blog just hit 500,000 views! Thanks for reading!
BYU Honor Code Controversy: An Alumna’s Take
Last week the Church updated the General Handbook and released it to the membership at large. In conjunction with this BYU released some chances to its Honor Code which have caused a lot of confusion and have given BYU more press than it probably should have (seriously, we should all be talking about the Basketball game against Gonzaga instead of this).