New Ward Update

Well, the new ward is made up of parts of three old wards. Most if not all of the presidencies are in place. It's a ward with a good mix of people--some older people, some middle-age people, some younger people. Education, wealth, etc. is all over the place too.

The bishopric is all over the age of 40 (and probably over the age of 50). I'm not terribly surprised about that. What did surprise (and, to tell the truth, disappoint) me was the makeup of the Relief Society Presidency and the members of the Ward Council . With the exception of the Elder's Quorum President, they're all over 40 (and probably all over 50) too. That includes the Young Women's President and the Primary President. The Relief Society President even told the sisters that she probably wouldn't remember their names if they're under 40. I wish there was a little more age diversity in the leadership--I'm a bit worried the ward leadership will fail to recognize the needs of the many younger people in the ward.

To the credit of the Elder's Quorum President, one of his counselors is a grey-haired over-50s guy. So there, at least, there is some age diversity.

Other than that, though, the ward seems pretty good. I'm definitely happy that the songs aren't all sung at 70% of the minimum recommended speed (a welcome change after the last Shelley ward). We'll see how things are going forward.

New TV

Not a great year for great new TV. There are some decent shows out there (Prime Suspect, Person of Interest), but it doesn't compare too well to past seasons. However, one new show is good--Grimm. Imagine Buffy (or maybe Angel--no high school cheerleaders here) combined with a good cop show. Now imagine that it somehow doesn't cater to the Twilight crowd. At all. If you're looking for romance with your werewolves, you won't find it with Grimm. The protagonist lives with his long-term girlfriend (who we don't see much of), works as a homicide detective, and--well, the supernatural elements are important, but I don't want to introduce any spoilers.

As far as violence, sex, darkness, etc. goes, I'd put it on the same level as X-Files. Some violence, a little dark, some good scares. And all four episodes (so far) are available on Hulu (although the pilot may not be there for much longer). Highly recommended.

Old Bishopric

Saw this article and it reminded me of my coolest bishopric ever.

I first attended this singles ward in the summer of 2002. I was there for just six or seven weeks in 2002, and my records were never officially there. The bishop (this guy) was good friends with my uncle, and definitely goes down as one of my favorite bishops. The younger counselor, David Holland (although we called him Duff) was a graduate student and hung out with us like he was just another student. The other counselor I won't bother naming, but let's just say he played some mean football back in the day. He's also the most famous person who's ever introduced himself to me (and in fact the most famous person I've ever met).

When I returned the summer of 2003, and stayed for 8 months, Mr. Football had just been released, but Duff and Bishop Stevens were still there. I got to spend some quality time around both of them, and they both made a big impression on me.

In any case, it's good to see old friends doing well for themselves.

Comparing Anti-Mormon Sentiments from Political Candidates

Let's take a look at how those running for the highest position in this country view Mormonism.

Obviously, Romney and Huntsman, both Mormons, defend the faith. Romney's attacked for it, and Huntsman calls the attacker a moron.

How did the rest of the GOP respond? Rick Perry refused to say whether Romney was a Christian or not. Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann also dodged the question. Those three have not said a single word of criticism to those who say a Mormon should not be president, despite ample opportunity (and direct questions from interviewers) on the topic. Their responses have been dodgy and weak.

Now, today, another candidate spoke up. Technically, he's not running for president--he's running for vice president.

"Vice President Biden denounced questions about Romney's religion, saying it is wrong and unfair to suggest the former Massachusetts governor shouldn't be president because he is a Mormon," states the article. Biden stated, "I think it is outrageous. I think it is outrageous." He also used the terms "embarrassing" and "preposterous."

I'm glad one of the candidates is standing up for us.