Another Miyazaki Film you must see

I've always liked Miyazaki films such as "Spirited Away".  They're worth seeing for the artistry in the animation if for no other reason.  The latest Miyazaki offering is "Ponyo" which Jonathan and I saw this week in Salt Lake.  A simpler story than "Spirited Away" but a real treat to the eyes.

Hooray for the Brads of the World

For some reason, this song came to mind again when I was fishing at Lake Powell, so I Googled all the verses from the web.
The Mormon Sunday School Song
(Chorus - sing after each stanza)
Young folks, Old folks, everybody come,
Join the Mormon Sunday School and have a lot of fun.
Kindly check your razors and your chewing gum at the door,
And you'll hear some scripture stories that you've never heard before.

(Stanza 1)
The prophet Nephi was brafe and strong,
In the scriptures he could no no wrong,
The way Arnold Freiberg painted him,
He must have worked out in Deseret Gym.

(Stanza 2)
Enos was a hunter in the wood,
Who thought another trophy would look good,
He knelt down like his father said,
And brought a testimony home instead.

(Stanza 3)
Old King Benjamin built himself a tower,
To preach to the folks for many an hour.
They pitched their tents so they could see,
And it looked just like a Boy Scout Jamboree.

(Stanza 4)
Abinadi's last days were well spent,
Telling all the wicked to repent.
When his message to the king was through,
They invited him to a barbeque.

(Stanza 5)
They had a little trouble with Alma the younger,
For spiritual enlightenment he did humger.
An angel appeared in glorious rays,
He felt really dumb for a couple of days.

(Stanza 6)
Helaman the prophet led into fights,
Two thousand stripling Lamanites.
The enemy made lots of noise,
But they were beaten by those mama's boys.

(Stanza 7)
The Gadianton robbers get all the thanks,
For robbing all the Nephite banks.
They robbed every bank in the Nephite nation,
Because they had the secret combination.

(Stanza 8)
Captain Moroni led an army,
Defending lands and liberty,
When Nephite courage began to lag,
His clothes became the national flag.

(Stanza 9)
The Jaredites left the tower of Babel,
They had two leaders weo were strong and able.
Mahonri Moriancumr won great fame,
But I can't remember his brother's name.

(Stanza 10)
Buy a Book of Mormon without delay,
Just two bucks is all you'll pay.
I'll tell you what the book will do,
If it reformed Egyptian, it will reform you!

A Millenial Thought

In the last issue of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer before it went out of business this week.

RESPONSE to my blog
Dear Brother Griffin,

Thank you for your email. Please note I do not represent the Church or the missionary health committee in anyway. I do however have the personal experience of a son who was delayed a year before he was able to serve a mission due to weight. I am also not pretending to know or influence how the guidelines are administrated. I would hope that every young man and woman are dealt with individually and with inspirational direction.

As to your other concerns I can only say there is an inherent unfairness in biology. You can add to your list of populations at risk for weight issues, the Pacific Islanders. They like the Hispanics, and African Americans of the south are also struggling under this shift in weight. There seems to be some biological priming that occurs even perhaps before birth. There is evidence that the body build of people due to the eating patterns of their parents especially the pregnant mothers can affect future generations.

I also believe there is some responsibility of the food industry in their never ending need to create new food like products. When are [exposed to] 1100 to 1500 new edible products on the shelves every year which is only adding to the problem.

This is not a issue of just members of the Church as you well know. We have become an overweight nation. I am personally struggling to rid myself of extra tonnage. But the evidence is clear it is just not good for us. You are aware of the litany of health problems that develop in us who are overweight and obese. Those concerns do not go away.

As far as Church duties I again am in no position of authority over anyone. I just know when I see children and their parents overweight I ache for them. I also ache for myself because as a physician there seems to be little I can offer them. I ache for them because I know it will be harder to climb to the top of Mt. Zion with the extra load we physically carry in our weight.

Humbly yours, Joe Cramer

Missionary Weight Policy

There was an article in the "Mormon Times" by a doctor about new weight standards that had to be met to receive a missionary calling. I felt compelled to send him these comments:

Your article in the "Mormon Times", March 2, 2009 edition was informative and while I understand very well your concern for obesity in children and adults as well, I respectfully disagree with the position of the Missionary Committee on weight standards for missionary callings for the following reasons:

(1) The policy is discriminatory, particularly in this part of the country, toward Native Americans and Hispanics who generally tend towards above average weight. There is a Navajo family in our ward whose children will never serve missions because of this rule, and it will ultimately will weaken the position of their family and posterity in the Church among a people who we are struggling with to keep in activity. My Catholic associates in northern New Mexico who, if ever converted to the gospel, would not have the opportunity for them or their family members to serve on missions.

(2) Until you have had a son or daughter who has been turned down for a mission, you will not understand the impact that such an action has on them and their family. I have not experienced this myself, but I have in-laws who have. Usually it results in the inactivity of the person affected and it alters the entire family's attitude toward the Church. Didn't he sing in Primary all through his youth, "I Want to be a Missionary..." What a price to pay for an administrative, non-spiritual rule.

(3) Such a rule as this deprives missions of good faithful bretheren who are instrumental in bringing the gospel to others. In my experience, the percentage of overweight missionaries sent home for health reasons is quite small; obesity doesn't usually impact most people until later in their age. I think of the 240 pound young man in my ward who was sent to northern Mexico three years ago. Three months into his mission, the local food and plenty of exercise had shed 60 pounds from his weight. He brought the gospel to many people and served as a secretary to the mission president. Well, he's back now, and he's back to 240 pounds again.

(4) I sense that this as well as many of the 'raising of the bar' missionary rules are economic decisions rather than spiritual decisions. Health care and sending missionaries home costs the Church money. But they are bad economic decisions if the person subjected to the rule loses activity in the Church and the Church is deprived of tens of thousands of dollars in tithing over his lifetime. I know too many missionaries from my mission in Germany 40 years ago who wouldn't have made it over the bar, but served their mission and subsequently became leaders in the Church.

(5) Well, to be fair, does this apply to other callings? Will my 300 pound Stake President and his similarly obese First Counselor be released because of their weight? Do they serve as good examples for our youth? What a waste that would be if these men who I call "Saviors on Mount Zion' hadn't been able to act in their capacity to literally save my children. Think about that before you turn away young men with their entire life and future in the Church in front of them.