Top facts about the name Mitchell Jorgensen

Did you know that Mitchell Jorgensen is...

1. Modestly envoweled
2. Llehctim Nesnegroj backwards
3. Itchellmay Orgensenjay in Pig Latin
4. 01001101 01101001 01110100 01100011 01101000 01100101 01101100 01101100 00100000 01001010 01101111 01110010 01100111 01100101 01101110 01110011 01100101 01101110 in binary code?

See more at www.IsThisYour.Name

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Monday Musings: The sacredness of the Sacrament

I feel bad that this blog has become mostly a place for me to take notes on how I felt on Sunday.  I originally wanted to be more personal with this blog....hmmmm well.  I will work on it.

I did want to make sure I got my weekly post in though.

Yesterday, I was asked to usher in the LDS Ward I attend.  My family and I attend a Spanish Speaking Ward (or congregation) in our area.  My wife was tired and one of the kids was sick so I ended up going on my own.  I got there early to fulfill my ushering duties.  It was really good and the responsibility I had to say hello, help folks find seats and to shut the doors while the sacrament was passed just really came together for a great day and experience.  I have been commenting a bunch on Goodreads about the existence of God and it has turned into a God vs. Science debate.  Yesterday reconfirmed to me something I had said on Goodreads.  Both Science and Religion make me a more fulfilled person.

Monday Musings: Leavening

So my Monday Musings today are all about micro-organisms. Bugs in our bread. Well they are supposed to be there and they aren't really bugs. They are a fungus, yeast to be exact. Yeasts that can be used for bread are a single celled organism that functions a lot like a single human cell. Yeasts are actually an amazing organism. They are what makes bread possible. At least raised breads.

When making bread there are several ways, but the one I want to mention is the one dear old mom taught me. I was taught that you create your start with flour, milk, shortening or lard and you mix up a sponge. This sponge forms the base of your bread. My mother always taught me that to have really successful bread you also have to start your yeast correctly. A little bit of sugar and your yeast in a glass of warm water. (Proportions here are essential were talking about the symbolism) When things are right the yeast will begin to grow and release carbon dioxide as a byproduct of metabolism. (Yes, the Carbon Dioxide is yeast waste and this would be the place for a joke but this is my serious blog posting for the week)

The carbon dioxide produced by the yeast does no good to anyone if the yeast stays alone. If the yeast stays in the cup there is no benefit. None. but if I put the yeast into my bread sponge I can improve the bread. The bread dough can be used without the yeast. It is still useful. I can fry the dough, or make flat breads or use other leavenings to get it to raise, but the yeast is useless until it is put in the dough. It has to be put in the dough or it really doesn't do anything. It can continue to live on it's own, but when it is combined with the dough the life in the yeast produces a product that is so much better.

In Galations 5:9 Paul teaches us:

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

This is so significant to all of us. When we have faith in God we can be the active and activating ingredient in the world around us. We can grow on our own, but our full purpose is brought about by being mixed into the world. If we isolate ourselves we don't benefit the whole.

It is also significant that yeast needs sugar. Leavening needs nourishment. Believers must nourish their own souls. They must take in nourishment so they can activate the whole lump to use Paul's words. Let's all be like yeast!

Posted from the Bus!

Monday Musings: Commenting on GoodReads

I joined a debate group on www.goodreads.com. There are some interesting and lively debates there and one in particular sparked my verbosity. I have included my discussion posting below:

Wow this has been a lively debate! I got the email digest version of it and couldn't wait to weigh in. Many people are kind of spouting out diatribe at each other, this is a debate, back up you opinions with reasons and evidence.

Having said that, here is my diatribe *checking definition of diatribe on www.m-w.com *mm maybe that isn't quite the word, oh well, here goes anyway.

I find it interesting as a believing scientist or maybe it is as a reasoning believer that both Science and Religion have a lot in common. I know this is specificially Evolution and creation, but it's worth pointing out. Science depends on accepting certain widely held ideas as true, all other work, research and ideas essentially build on those. Authority is bestowed on some because their ideas are more widely accepted and supported and those who propose contrary ideas are often ostracized, shunned and excluded. People who don't accept the ideas of the Scientific Community are considered small minded. There are rules that one must follow to be part of the Scientific Community, and if you don't your work and life are discredited. Now go back through that and subsitute Church for Science. Essentially every system begins as a rebellion against the dominant system and then develops it's own set of rules and becomes a system itself.

I like most of all a scripture in the LDS Canon(there's a ten dollar word for ya)
Doctrine and Covenants 10:2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

LDS doctrine tells you that something will both feel right and be reasonable or you can be assured it isn't true.

Juxtapose that with this quote:



“When I'm working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.”

Richard Buckminster Fuller

I don't know if there is a way to harmonize science and religion, evolution and creationism. I do know my life woiuld be less complete and less full without both

I honestly believe that there is a harmony to come between science and religion. A time when our moral nature, our ethics and our reason will work together to create the truly beautiful world described by Christ. There doesn't have to be enmity between the two.

Monday Musings: Marriage

I have been away from the blog for a while. I really like blogging but like so many things life interferes with living. My sweetheart took a trip to the Dominican Republic last week and just got back. It made me realize again what a wonderful system God has designed for us. I did fine without my wife home but it was sure a relief when she got back. We really do need to leave our father and mother and cleave unto our wife and none else.