A question for Harmony

[_Dr. Shades]

Dear Harmony:

You earlier asked the question, "How did they get where they are?" regarding why and how the various apostles received their callings.

Not only that, but you've been known to be critical of the way the brethren do certain things.

Do you own, and/or have you read the book The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power?

If not, you really, really, really, REALLY, REALLY need to get that book! It's a comprehensive handbook of everything the hierarchy does, how they do it, and why they do it. There's an entire appendix listing the ways the general authorities are related to the other general authorities and/or each other's wives. You might be particularly interested in the comprehensive chapter on the ERA debacle and how and in what ways the hierarchy was involved.

So, have I piqued your interest?

[_harmony]

Dear Harmony:

You earlier asked the question, "How did they get where they are?" regarding why and how the various apostles received their callings.

Not only that, but you've been known to be critical of the way the brethren do certain things.

Do you own, and/or have you read the book The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power?

If not, you really, really, really, REALLY, REALLY need to get that book! It's a comprehensive handbook of everything the hierarchy does, how they do it, and why they do it. There's an entire appendix listing the ways the general authorities are related to the other general authorities and/or each other's wives. You might be particularly interested in the comprehensive chapter on the ERA debacle and how and in what ways the hierarchy was involved.

So, have I piqued your interest?

I don't have the book. I have never read anything Quinn wrote (which is why I generally stay out of discussions that are about Quinn's scholarship). It's not that I wouldn't, but I prefer to not have to explain to my family why I'm reading something so out of character. I was pushing it, to give Rough Stone Rolling to all my children last Christmas. Even so, only one of them read it. *sigh*

I have Maxine Hanks' book Women and Authority bookmarked on my computer. I'll check out your link.

[_Dr. Shades]

Why explain anything to your family? If one of them drops by, just hide the book.

[_Imwashingmypirate]

Ohhh. Secrecy causes trouble. Why should your family be bothered? Reading is cool. I read loads about anything and everything. The last book I read was one of those car book thingies. The ones that tell you about your car and how to know what is wrong with it. I got as far as jump starting. I learned also how to change a tyre. Oh and about the different types of leaks that can come out of your car. This can be said to be out of charactor for me. Just say you are interested in knowing about it. Like I was interested in how to repair a car. I wasn't really but I thought it would be useful.

Honesty is the best policy and a book is a book.

Pirate.

[_JAK]

Ohhh. Secrecy causes trouble. Why should your family be bothered? Reading is cool. I read loads about anything and everything. The last book I read was one of those car book thingies. The ones that tell you about your car and how to know what is wrong with it. I got as far as jump starting. I learned also how to change a tyre. Oh and about the different types of leaks that can come out of your car. This can be said to be out of charactor for me. Just say you are interested in knowing about it. Like I was interested in how to repair a car. I wasn't really but I thought it would be useful.

Honesty is the best policy and a book is a book.

Pirate.

Pirate,

Your statement on face value is entirely incorrect. Not all “books” are equal to all other “books.”

If that’s your position, pornography books are equal to any given book in the Bible.

I’m confident you don’t mean what your words imply.

The range of qualitative and quantitative content of books is vast.

Some books are serious, scholarly, and worth reading more than once. Other books are not worth reading a first time. And given the number of books available today, no one can read but a fraction of them.

Therefore, one ought to select for reading the highest quality, most reliable books one can find. (Of course there are those such as my wife who prefer reading fiction (mysteries). I have no objection to that. Escape is often good. I just happen to like Road and Track over Country Living.

Perhaps you might have stated a position recognizing that books are not all of equal value.

JAK

[_The Nehor]

Ohhh. Secrecy causes trouble. Why should your family be bothered? Reading is cool. I read loads about anything and everything. The last book I read was one of those car book thingies. The ones that tell you about your car and how to know what is wrong with it. I got as far as jump starting. I learned also how to change a tyre. Oh and about the different types of leaks that can come out of your car. This can be said to be out of charactor for me. Just say you are interested in knowing about it. Like I was interested in how to repair a car. I wasn't really but I thought it would be useful.

Honesty is the best policy and a book is a book.

Pirate.

Pirate,

Your statement on face value is entirely incorrect. Not all “books” are equal to all other “books.”

If that’s your position, pornography books are equal to any given book in the Bible.

I’m confident you don’t mean what your words imply.

The range of qualitative and quantitative content of books is vast.

Some books are serious, scholarly, and worth reading more than once. Other books are not worth reading a first time. And given the number of books available today, no one can read but a fraction of them.

Therefore, one ought to select for reading the highest quality, most reliable books one can find. (Of course there are those such as my wife who prefer reading fiction (mysteries). I have no objection to that. Escape is often good. I just happen to like Road and Track over Country Living.

Perhaps you might have stated a position recognizing that books are not all of equal value.

JAK

Are you suggesting that I should stop my daily reading of my Busytown ABC book in exchange for something else?

[_Imwashingmypirate]

Ohhh. Secrecy causes trouble. Why should your family be bothered? Reading is cool. I read loads about anything and everything. The last book I read was one of those car book thingies. The ones that tell you about your car and how to know what is wrong with it. I got as far as jump starting. I learned also how to change a tyre. Oh and about the different types of leaks that can come out of your car. This can be said to be out of charactor for me. Just say you are interested in knowing about it. Like I was interested in how to repair a car. I wasn't really but I thought it would be useful.

Honesty is the best policy and a book is a book.

Pirate.

Pirate,

Your statement on face value is entirely incorrect. Not all “books” are equal to all other “books.”

If that’s your position, pornography books are equal to any given book in the Bible.

I’m confident you don’t mean what your words imply.

The range of qualitative and quantitative content of books is vast.

Some books are serious, scholarly, and worth reading more than once. Other books are not worth reading a first time. And given the number of books available today, no one can read but a fraction of them.

Therefore, one ought to select for reading the highest quality, most reliable books one can find. (Of course there are those such as my wife who prefer reading fiction (mysteries). I have no objection to that. Escape is often good. I just happen to like Road and Track over Country Living.

Perhaps you might have stated a position recognizing that books are not all of equal value.

JAK

Ok I get your point. I guess the books I have read are good to me. But I do not see how family members would be offended at the book suggested. But then again I do not know these people. I know that in my family, one can read whatever they like to read. There is no problem. I guess we are subjected to goodish books. Although once, I did get a right dirty romance novel. It was sick. I made my mum read. She was shocked. I never knew it was a bad book until I got to the first expicit scene. The should put warnings on books like that. I haven't read a nove in a while. Oh, wait, I did during Christmas. That was actually quite good. A customer gave it to me, he said it was his own book. The storyline was good, but I had to go forward and backwards as the pages weren't in order. I think he has the view that women are violent female dogs as both books he gave me were of women seriously damaging men. Or maybe it is a strange desire of his to be beaten up by a pretty, young woman.

[_Imwashingmypirate]

Are you suggesting that I should stop my daily reading of my Busytown ABC book in exchange for something else?

Isn't that a children's book? I think if the book is good to you and you enjoy reading it, you should continue. I imagine one can only read a child's book so many times.

But you are joking, right?

[_Blixa]

Nice quilted molly Mormon looking book covers, harmony? Its just a thought.