#elder james church

[elposting]

i love them sm

[darrys-laundry]

Hey hope you’re having a lovely day! Just wondering if you deleted your Ao3 account or if I just can’t find your works? I was thinking of reading Christmas McPriceley fics and remembered how much I loved yours but couldn’t seem to find them

hey! i archive locked all of my fics per this advice, because AI, i guess, is stealing from authors. so, i think to access my fics all you have to do is have an Ao3 account, but i’m gonna link them all here for your convenience! (hopefully this works!)

have yourself a merry little christmas (6.1k) — mostly churchtarts, some mcpriceley; basically chris and james watch the mckinley-price kids for the holidays as kevin and connor welcome their fifth child!

do they know it’s christmas time at all? (3.2k) — mcpriceley; kevin works through some things, and district nine hosts a secret santa

elf on the shelf (1.5k) — mcpriceley; quarantine fic where kevin and connor (almost!) forget to set out the elf before their kids wake up

mistletoe kisses (1.8k) — mcpriceley/churchtarts (kind of); chris takes on a dare to kiss kevin under the mistletoe

those are all of my christmas fics! i have a few things sitting in my google docs that i’m hoping to finish up when i find the time. i’m actually working on a lot of stranger things stuff rn, but my hope is to (eventually) finish what did you think when you made me this way? and i have two other little mcpriceley fics im throwing around :)

happy reading! thanks for checking in!! i miss the fandom, but i’m here if anyone wants to chat!

[godurpretty]

Rewrite of 'Me, You and The Coffee Shop.'

Connor's eyes fluttered and he nodded, lips curling. A simple disguise to mask the indescribable feeling rupturing his heart. "Right. I'm sorry, my bad."

"You don't have to be sorry, Con. Nothings gonna change between us, okay? I promise."

One sin is the decider as a soul sits in purgatory. Shall it darken heaven's walls or diminish hell's flames? It travels every walk of life and causes but a lifetime of grief and days of repression. It's name? Denial.

WARNINGS: This story will contain many potentially triggering topics, so please be wary of that when you are reading. For any further queries, my DMs are open <3

This is a MCPRICELEY fanfiction. Cover art belongs to me.

A few months ago, I began rewriting a fanfiction very dear to my heart that I shared in 2021 when I first published it. I am now ready to share what I've been working on with the rest of the world 🩷

This is a Mcpriceley fanfiction, set in an alternate universe where characters are the same yet their situations are far from it.

Connor Mckinley is working a minimum wage job in a place very dear to his heart. Surrounding him are childhood friends and a work family stronger than his own, and all is well when they are by his side. When evening calls however, he returns home to a cluttered flat in a rundown apartment block; his bills are mounting up at his doorstep, and the love whom he cares for refuses to pay a dime.

Despite his lack of effort, Connor loved Steve Blade. As much as a human being could love. But nobody warned him of the pain love would bring.

Kevin Price however brought him bliss, and replenished a childhood nostalgia and safety he longed to feel for years prior. This longing made him question what was so special about 'love'. Who would weep for anguish and heartache, when heaven was laying right at their doorstep?

[elposting]

a couple of months ago someone decided to become mormon because of the musical and then posted this on discord at their baptism

(i blurred the guy’s face out for privacy but he’s basically making a 😮 face)

unreal moment

Okay but the way Andrew Rannells sings “I am a mormon” in I Believe?!

Kinda makes me want to become a mormon tbh

[fancyfeathers]

Day Two: Fate

Yandere!Albert James Moriarty x Reader

Yantober Masterlist (Prompt credit to @ozzgin)

You really had never believed in fate before, people speaking of true love as if it was meant to be and everyone will experience such a thing, but no, to you fate was a cruel friend, a reminder of what never could be.

Your parents were married to one another, not out of love, but an arrangement made by their own parents when they were merely children, fate did not give them love.

Your elder sister was married off in an arranged marriage as well and not even months after her wedding her husband received a new business opportunity that made them move across the sea to the Americas and it would be likely that you would never see her again, then there is the fact that before she left she told you of her husband’s infidelity and now she no longer has the comfort of her family to turn to, she is destined to a life of constant pain, fate made her nothing more to sell off in a business deal, without a care of her happiness.

Then your elder brother, he was married off as well, his marriage was as beautiful as if could be for neither the husband or wife having a say in it. You truly did like his wife but like all things in your family’s life it was made to end in misery, she died of a grave illness only mere months after giving birth to their first and only child. Your parents had been pushing your brother to remarry only two months after her passing, acting as if your brother never loved her and ignoring his current state of mourning while trying to raise his daughter alone. Fate would constantly be tormenting him with a lost love.

Then there was you, like your siblings your marriage was decided before you could even walk, betrothed to the eldest son of the Moriarty family, Albert James Moriarty. You believed yourself more fortunate than your siblings and parents, Albert was a kind man, from the moment you met him as children he treated you like a lady, he was somewhat of a prince charming personality to you. Even when his family’s estate burned to the ground, killing his family, only leaving him and two of his brothers, and he and his brothers were taken into the Rockwell Estate, he always wrote to you, mostly everyday, long letters describing every single day and how much he thought of you despite not seeing you for years on end.

Then the fateful day came of not only your reunion but your wedding. Your parents paid for it but it was no grand affair, it was just a simple ceremony in the church, his brothers were there with him and your parents with you, your sister did not attend due to her distance across the vast ocean and your brother was far to grief stricken and busy as he tended to his daughter. There was no form of reception or celebration after and your parents did not even bother to say goodbye as you all left the church, but the way your new husband and his brothers treated you made you feel as if that void of family love had been filled, William and Louis treated you as if you were their sister and in a way you now were, and then Albert was ever the gentleman, treating you as if you were the most important thing in the world…

It all only added salt to the wound when your view of him shattered like glass.

For once you had thought fate had smiled upon your family, making you think you were actually in love, what a fool you were. It was when the brothers purchased an estate up in the small city of Durham. You thought it a charming place,but you could not ignore the strange feeling in the room when the invitation came for dinner from the Baron Dublin while you and Albert were in town, helping William and Louis with their move. The dinner was tense but you merely chalked it up to differences in governing the region of the country where your family’s fall upon.

Well you believed that until you saw the Baron fall dead to the ground.

You were horrified at the events that unfolded before you but when you looked over at your husband he was merely sipping his wine as if nothing had happened. You never felt sicker than in that moment. You must have blacked out for a moment from the shock because the next thing you remember was the carriage ride back to your estate with Albert’s hand firmly interlocked with your own as if he was worried you were going to run away, which you suppose would be a valid fear if you were not consumed by shock in that moment.

From that day on your life changed forever, you hardly left the manor in London and when you did you were not allowed to be alone, probably because they knew there would be a chance of you running off and letting something slip. You were often home alone during the day while Albert did his work as a both an Earl in the House of Lords and some other work for the British Military that were not privy to, but home alone is an overstatement, practically every door would be locked besides your shared bedroom and the drawing room, you felt like a prisoner in your own home. Honestly some days you thought of escaping, running off to your brother but you could not do that, he was already dealing with so much in the death of his wife, and then your parents were out of the question as they wanted nothing to do with you anymore, you might as well be dead to them. Then other times you hoped Albert would never return home, die or get caught, but if that were to happen you might as well be dead as well because you would remain trapped behind lock and key but with no hand to feed you. Then everyday Albert would come home and act as if nothing was amiss, treating you with the same charming personality he did when you were merely children. It made you wonder if he was like this then, perhaps he was the one who lit the fire to murder his own family.

Honestly you should have never trusted fate to be kind to you, it had only dealt you a decent hand of cards to give another a hand that was superior to your own, drawing out the game to see you suffer. Truly fate was a cruel friend, a constant reminder of what never could be.

[nerdygaymormon]

Meeting with the Renlunds 2024

On my trip to Utah for the 2024 Gather Conference, I had an opportunity to meet with Elder & Sister Renlund.

Gather Conference and Gatherings

I shared with them that I was in town for the Gather conference, which is for LGBTQ people, regardless of whether still in or out of the church, who are spiritual as the conference focuses on Christ. This year, in addition to having a big conference, Lift+Love began something called "Gatherings" where people host a group in their home, and to help them there is a guide with scriptures, stories & questions, and it follows the Come, Follow Me schedule. Later, I emailed the Renlunds the September guide and a link to the website showing Gathering locations.

Stake Executive Secretary

It came up that my calling is still stake executive secretary. Sister Renlund commented, "You've served in that capacity for a long time." Yes I have, 9 years. Elder Renlund shared this a calling that he covets because there's something appealing about being at the nerve center but not in charge of making the hard decisions. It's good to be the helper, to make a difference by organizing things and creating order out of chaos. By making things predictable, it takes some of the load from the stake presidency.

Elder Renlund told me that the executive secretary to the First Presidency is Elder Brook Hales, and he's able to get things done without interposing himself, he is respectful of the First Presidency's desires. I commented that is how I approach my calling, I am not the president nor the counselors, I'm there as the secretary, but my stake president is clear that anyone in the room can receive inspiration and should share it. If time has gone by and I haven't said anything, the stake president will call on me and ask what I think. Elder Renlund then said, "Revelation is scattered."

Elder Renlund commented that when the stake president is anxious to hear from everyone in the room, that usually indicates he is a good one. The person who presides has to set that tone to encourage others to share. Those who don't preside should share their thoughts but not argue and make it difficult on the one who presides and make him feel he needs to negotiate or compromise. Then Elder Renlund added that if I’m doing a good job, "I think he's pretty wise to keep you on all this time."

Everybody is Equivalent when it comes to Revelation

The music text team for the new hymnal had asked if there is a notable author, like Janice Kapp Perry, whose song is going to be included, should those lyrics be treated the same as the rest of the hymns? Elder Renlund directed them to treat all identically.

Years ago President Nelson wrote a hymn titled "Our Prayer to Thee," and the choir has sung it at General Conference. With living authors, they won't make changes without their approval. The music text team proposed 12 minor changes to the lyrics along with explanations, and brought them to Elder Renlund.

President Nelson could have said, "Dale, you shouldn't even be asking. I was inspired to do it this way, I can't believe you're even suggesting this." Instead, President Nelson reviewed the changes and proclaimed that these made it better, and accepted 11 of the proposed alternatives. A leader should be humble enough and confident enough to accept correction. Elder Renlund used this example to illustrate his point that everybody is equivalent when it comes to getting revelation, but there's one person who is different, which is the person who presides.

The New Hymnal

Elder Renlund mentioned Elder James E. Faust's lyrics for "This is the Christ" which says, "How many drops of blood were spilled for me?" It's not doctrinal that each individual has a few drops of Christ's blood directly shed for them. Elder Renlund, the cardiologist, says that if there's drops for everybody, that would exceed the amount of blood in the human body. Sister Renlund then commented that it's poetic, it's a metaphor to ponder what did I contribute to His grief.

Next Elder Renlund spoke about the hymn "Love at Home" and how there's some lines that could be uncomfortable to sing if a person doesn't have the kind of home described in the song. Just as with the drops of blood, Elder Renlund shared another example of concrete thinking with the line "Roses bloom beneath our feet," and said if they're underneath your feet, you smash them. The lyrics have been changed to "Roses bloom around our feet." Elder Renlund actually didn't want this song included in the hymnal because it was used in minstrel shows of the 1800's to say that life for slaves on America’s plantations was full of joy and love. Elder Renlund felt that alone should disqualify the song from being included in the new hymnal, however the committee overruled him. I agree with Elder Renlund, I’ll never think of that song the same way and will probably decline to ever sing it again.

Translating each one of the 450 or so songs into every language version of the hymnal is a large undertaking and some were concerned about the cost. While saying it's important that every member have access to the same songs, it’s a matter of equity, he added that the cost of translation is "probably no more than installing 5 scoreboards at the BYU campus." 😂 The impact of the new hymnal on the church will be universal if it's done in each of the languages.

Music Invites the Spirit

Elder Renlund stated that for him there's very few things which invite the Spirit more than music, it has the ability to set the right tone. I responded that I think music has a key to our hearts that words alone don't. At weddings or funerals, someone may or may not cry at other times, but if they are going to cry they will do so when the music plays.

Sister Renlund shared that they are traveling to Houston, TX and will meet with the missionaries. They invited questions be submitted ahead of time, and one they received is "How do we invite the Spirit into our lessons more?" In addition to prayer, scriptures, and an expression of gratitude, she will suggest music is a great way to invite the Spirit. Whether it's singing or using the phone to play music, it's a way to quickly set the tone for a spiritual message.

Elder Renlund shared that years ago he was in Edmonton, Canada and visited the home of a family. Two sister missionaries sang "Where is Heaven" by Janice Kapp Perry, and the non-member dad felt the room flood with the spirit. Any concerns, any doubts, just disappeared. The music opened his heart.

I commented that at last year’s conference I met Janice Kapp Perry and she had written a song for the conference which I find moving. Elder Renlund said, if you bump into her, tell her that her music has an impact.

All Are Alike Unto God

The song for last year's conference is titled, "All Are Alike Unto God.” Janice wrote the music and Megan Decker, a lesbian member of the church, wrote most of the lyrics, which are generic enough that they could apply to anyone, but for people in that room it touches on themes we often wrestle with, such as "Am I enough? Am I loved? Am I wanted?" As we sang this song at the conference, I felt the Spirit so much.

Elder Renlund queried, "In the song, does she reach a conclusion, is there an answer to those questions?" "Yes it does." "That's right, the answer is 'yes.'"

He then said, "The one thing I absolutely know is that anything that's unfair in life will be made right by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I don't know how, but it will."

In the follow-up email I sent with information on the Gatherings, I let them know the song “All Are Alike Unto God” was released on streaming platforms, and included a link to Spotify.

Cambodia

They were in Cambodia earlier this year and made a visit to the killing fields where about 1 million people were executed by order of Pol Pot. There were stacks of skulls along with notes of what kind of farming implement killed them because the regime was trying to save bullets. It's a demonstration of absolute evil, yet Elder Renlund felt absolute peace as he felt the message that "We don't need to worry about these people, I've [Christ] got them." The atonement is infinite. We may have questions we don't have answers to, we have situations which aren't fair and which are difficult, but people who do the best they can are going to reap great rewards.

The Book of Queer Mormon Joy

At the end of our visit I gifted them a copy of The Book of Queer Mormon Joy. Being in this space of being LGBTQ and a Latter-day Saint is difficult, but there is joy, too. These aren't simple stories of joy, they're complex and the joy has to be worked for. A lot of the stories are of people choosing to change their situation, changing what they think is possible for their life, or what they want for their life.

There was a song from the 1960's, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" based on Ecclesiastes 3, which says there's a time for joy and a time for sadness. We think of it as separate times, but often we experience joy while we deal with hard things, we don't have the luxury of waiting for the hard times to pass.

I bookmarked the story I wrote of my friend Kris who is trans masc. I also bookmarked my good friend @loveerran’s story of her first time going to an LDS family ward and attending Relief Society presenting as her feminine trans self and how meaningful that was for her. I mentioned she had given me a ride and was waiting for me downstairs.

They promised to read both stories.

Then, they handed me a book they had written and asked if my friend Erran would accept a gift, they'd like her to have it as a thank you for bravely sharing her story💗 and for giving me a ride😆.

[whencyclopedia]

The Gospels

The New Testament contains four gospels attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The four gospels are not biographies of Jesus, nor are they history as we define it. What each gospel attempted to do was write a theological explanation for the events in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. By narrating his life, his ministry, and his death, The Gospels argued that these events should be interpreted in relation to the history of Israel.

The word 'gospel' derives from the Anglo-Saxon for 'good news', and the writers are deemed 'evangelists' from the Greek euangelistes (bringer of good news). In this context, the 'good news' is the message of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth that the kingdom of God foretold by the prophets of Israel was imminent.

The gospels were produced from c. 70 CE to perhaps 100 CE. Their portraits of Jesus, who he was, and why he was here, differ in relation to both later reflections and changes in the demographics of the earliest Christian communities over time. The four gospels vary in some of the details of Jesus. The two nativity stories of Matthew and Luke are thrown together under the Christmas tree, although they differ in many ways. (Matthew has the star and the Magi; Luke has the stable and the shepherds.) However, when the gospels agree on details, this does not indicate four different sources. Mark, being first, was used and edited by the other three.

Authorship

The original texts of the gospels had existed for about a hundred years with no names. The Church Fathers in the 2nd century CE assigned the names; none of the writers signed their work. The gospels are not eyewitness accounts; none of the gospel writers ever directly claimed to be an eyewitness. One exception is Luke, who says he interviewed witnesses but gives no further details. In their attempt to provide backgrounds for the writers the Church Fathers tried to align them as close to the original circle of Jesus as possible. They were also aware of a fundamental problem; the first disciples of Jesus were fishermen from Galilee who could not read and write the level of Greek in these documents.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke wrote that Peter had a disciple named John Mark who accompanied Peter in his travels. By the 2nd century CE, the legend that Peter had died in Rome under Roman emperor Nero (r. 54-68 CE) emerged and so the Church Fathers claimed Peter dictated this gospel to Mark in Rome. In Mark and Luke, when Jesus called the tax-collector to follow him, that individual is named Levi. In Matthew’s gospel, he is named Matthew. The Church Fathers identified this writer by this clue, thus the name. It was believed that there had been an earlier form of Matthew's gospel in Hebrew. This gave it more credible historical roots and so they placed it first in the New Testament.

The Church Fathers knew that the third gospel and the Acts of the Apostles were written by the same individual, but there was no Luke in the list of disciples. However, the second half of Acts relates the missionary journeys of Paul. In one of Paul’s letters, he mentioned a traveling companion named Luke. For the Fathers, this was eyewitness testimony to the missions. The fourth gospel, John consistently refers to a character by the name of "the beloved disciple". The Church Fathers knew of someone named John the Elder in Ephesus who was supposedly an original disciple and so assigned this gospel to him and claimed that he was John, the brother of James (the sons of Zebedee).

Continue reading...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.

8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. — Matthew 16 | King James Version (KJV) The King James Version Bible is in the public domain Cross References: Job 34:11; Psalm 42:2; Psalm 49:8; Psalm 129:2; Proverbs 26:5; isaiah 22:22; Isaiah 57:3; Jeremiah 1:1; Matthew 1:16; Matthew 3:7; Matthew 4:10; Matthew 5:20; Matthew 6:30; Matthew 8:20; Matthew 10:38-39; Matthew 12:40; Matthew 14:17; Matthew 14:20; Matthew 21:25; Mark 8:15; Luke 9:18; Luke 12:54; Luke 12:56; John 1:42; John 12;25; Revelation 3:7

Some Standing Here Will Not Taste Death

Key Events in Matthew 16

1. The Pharisees require a sign. 5. Jesus warns his disciples of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 13. The people's opinion of Jesus, 16. and Peter's confession of him. 21. Jesus foretells his death; 23. reproves Peter for dissuading him from it; 24. and admonishes those who will follow him, to bear the cross.

[elposting]

Could you guys send some mcpricely fic recs my way?? I’ve been scouring ao3 and I cannot find anything (longer) I like

Longfics I’ve read already:

we don’t deserve love

cardboard mother

nosocomephobia

second star to the right

At this point im pretty much open to anything tag/trope wise lol

Pls you guys im desperate 🙏🙏

[darrys-laundry]

Kevin's face fell; the last thing he'd been expecting was seeing Poptarts and McKinley holding hands in their sleep.

Prompt Game: Send me an ask with the first sentence of a fanfic and I’ll write the next five.

Kevin’s face fell; the last thing he’d been expecting was seeing Poptarts and McKinley holding hands in their sleep.

If you’d asked Kevin before, he’d have said he was secure in he and Elder McKinley’s budding relationship. Now? Not so much.

“Elder Price?” James asks, when he catches Kevin retreating down the hall. Kevin doesn’t respond. Instead, he ducks his head and carries on—right through the front door of the mission hut.

I cheated maybe an itty bit, but there you go! It’s been a while since I’ve written for BoM.

[moesasaur]

ALL TBOM ELDERS + all canon information on them

I am making this to help out anyone who is writing fanfics or drawing fan art of The Book Of Mormon and wants to draw the elders accurately or keep them in character. I will involve all lines from each character + their fandom given first name and other small things that indicate their personality or traits. I will also state the animal they brought up in I Am Africa since I believe the animals do reflect their personalities in some way.

Elder Church

- Elder “James” Church

- Given the name James by the fandom

- OBC actor: Brian Sears

- Comes from Cheyenne, Wyoming

- When he was young his parents were in an abusive relationship, with his alcoholic father abusing him and his mother

- “Okay, okay, HOLD ON! I mean… We COULD… SAY that we had some baptisms” Is the elder that suggests lying about how many baptisms district 9 has achieved

- “We were SO worried about you” Is the first elder that tells Kevin they were SO worried about him when he fell asleep at the bus station

- In I Am Africa he sings “(with) The Noble Lion King”

- In I Am Africa he also sings “A tribal woman who doesn’t wear a bra”

Elder Michaels

- Elder “Michael” Michaels

- Given the name Mike by the fandom

- OBC actor: Clark Johnsen

- Comes from Provo

Elder Thomas

(I could not find a photo of him, please accept this photo of the actor as an offering)

- Elder “Chris” Thomas

- Also goes by Elder Poptarts

- Given the name Chris by the fandom

- OBC actor: Scott Barnhardt

- His sister died from cancer and he was unable to say goodbye since he was at the apple store in line for a new iphone. Her last words were “Where is my brother”

- “You, too?! I had the hell dream after I accidentally read a Playboy!” Had his first hell dream after accidentally reading a playboy

- “Well, somebody needs to tell that General Butt-F-ing Named that people should be free to do what they want!” Is the elder that gives Kevin the idea of speaking to the general.

- In I Am Africa he sings “(with) The meerkat”. A lot of the fandom compares him to being like a meerkat

Elder Davis

Same thing, take this photo of him (right) standing next to Andrew Rannells (left)

- Elder “Robert” David

- Given the name Robert by the fandom

- OBC actor: Jason Michael Snow

- Is the first elder to ask if Elder McKinley is okay when he is panicking about the mission president

- “Elder Cunningham we must always work in PAIRS. Remember?” Is the first elder to complain about Arnold and Kevin arguing before being shut down by Elder McKinley

- “Looks like you fell asleep at the bus station!” (to Kevin after SMHD)

Elder Schrader

- Elder “Brian” Schrader

- Given the name Brian by the fandom

- OBC actor: Benjamin Schrader

- Please note that he isn’t called Elder Schrader in every performance, he sometimes takes the last name of the actor that plays him since he is named after Benjamin Schrader, his OBC actor

- “Are you an IDIOT?! MORMONS don’t LIE!” could come across as him being outspoken + rude personality wise

- In I Am Africa he sings “With the rhino”

Elder Neeley

Same thing AGAIN. Have a photo him (left) standing next to Jason Michael Snow (right)

- Elder “Ted” Neeley

- Given the name Ted by the fandom

- OBC actor: Kevin Duda

- “I told a lie once when I was twelve, and I had a dream that I went to hell! It was REALLY SPOOKY.” Had his first hell dream after telling a lie when he was 12

- “Yeah, we have to go home!” “But the mission president said we’re all as far from the Latter-Day Saints as it gets!” Seems to be the elder that wants to go home most after being shunned by the mission president

Elder Zelder

I scoured the internet and found no photos of him at all this is all I got sorry guys

- Elder “Elder” Zelder

- Given this name by the fandom, frequently referred to as an alien. I assume this is due to him having fewer lines compared to the other elders. People joke that Elder Zelder is his full name

- OBC actor: Justin Botton

- In I Am Africa he sings “(we are) A monkey with a banana”

PAIRINGS

Here is a photo of the chalk board that lists the pairings of all the elders:

If you can’t read it,

Elder McKinley + Elder Thomas

Elder Zelder + Elder Michaels

Elder Neeley + Elder Schrader

Elder Church + Elder Davis

also it’s a good example of Elder Schrader’s name changing based on the actor portraying him!!

Thank you for reading my little infodump, I did this mostly for myself but I would be happy to know that other people found this helpful!!

[scotianostra]

John Rattray, the Scottish Jacobite Surgeon and golfer was born on September 22nd 1707, at Craighall Castle, Rattray, Perthshire.Another extraordinary man from our history, it has become a 20th century cliché that the best business contacts and opportunities for professional promotions may be made on the golf course. For one 18th century Edinburgh surgeon, however, it was his golfing connections which literally saved his life.In 1731 he joined the Royal Company of Archers, the Sovereign’s bodyguard in Scotland to this day. He was a proficient archer winning the Archer’s Silver Bowl on four occasions. On two further occasions in 1735 and 1744 he won the Silver Arrow, presented each year to the champion archer.John Rattray also proved to be a proficient golfer, and was the winner of the first recorded open golf championship in April 1744, the month before he and several others formed The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, who put down on paper the first 13 rules of golf, which are more or less still adhered to, to this day. A contemporary poem ‘The Goff’ by Rev. Thomas Mathison published in 1743, the first poem devoted to the sport of golf, it mentions both Rattray, and the man who would later save him from being executed, Duncan Forbes of CullodenNorth from Edina eight furlongs and more,Lies that fam’d field, on Fortha’s sounding shore.Here Caledonian Chiefs for health resort,Confirm their sinews by the manly sport.Macdonald and unmatch’d Dalrymple plyTheir pond'rous weapons, and the green defy;Rattray for skill, and Corse for strength renown’d,Stewart and Lesly beat the sandy ground,And Brown and Alston, Chiefs well known to fame,And numbers more the Muse forbears to name.Gigantic Biggar here full oft is seen,Like huge behemoth on an Indian green;His bulk enormous scarce can 'scape the eyes,Amaz’d spectators wonder how he plies.Yea, here great Forbes, patron of the just,The dread of villains and the good man’s trust,When spent with toils in serving human kind,His body recreates, and unbends his mind.John’s father was an Episcopalian priest who became the Bishop of Dunkeld, then of Brechin and was elected Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. On his death in 1743 his elder son James became clan chief and inherited the estate. As the second son John had no such inheritance and he trained as a surgeon in Edinburgh by apprenticeship to the surgeon John Semple between 1728 and 1735, when he began surgical practice in Edinburgh.Following the Battle of Prestonpans, Rattray treated the wounded on the battlefield and joined the Jacobite army travelling with them throughout the campaign.By the time of the Battle of Culloden in April 1746 he had become the personal physician to Bonnie Prince Charlie. Rattray was captured after the battle but was freed after a personal plea to the Duke of Cumberland from Rattray’s old golf playing partner, Duncan Forbes of Culloden, who was Scotland’s most senior judge and a supporter of the government.His intercession on Rattray’s behalf secured his release from prison and saved him from certain hanging, the fate of most Jacobite officers. He was re-arrested by the Hanoverians in Edinburgh and held under house arrest until the spring of 1747. Thereafter he returned to life in Edinburgh practicing as a surgeon and winning the Silver Club of the honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers in 1751. He continued to practice as a surgeon and died at his home in Leith Walk, Edinburgh, in July 1771.A relatively new statue and series of plaques honouring Rattray and the golfers now takes pride of place on Leith Links where the first golf tournament and meeting took place.

[walkswithmyfather]

Mark 6:45-46 (TPT). “After everyone had their meal, Jesus instructed his disciples to get back into the boat and go on ahead of him and sail to the other side to Bethsaida. So he dispersed the crowd, said good-bye to his disciples, then slipped away to pray on the mountain.”

Luke 5:16 (CEV). “But Jesus would often go to some place where he could be alone and pray.”

Matthew 6:6 (NIV). “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV). “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

James 5:13-16 (ESV). “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

[stephensmithuk]

The Valley of Fear: The Warning

Originally serialised in The Strand from September 1914 to May 1915 and in US from September to November 1914 in supplements for various Sunday newspapers, the fourth Sherlock Holmes novel was first published in book form by the George H. Doran Company (now part of the Doubleday subsidiary of Penguin Random House) in February 1915 in the United States when that serialisation was done. The UK edition by Smith, Elder & Co. came out in June 1915.

The US version is the one on Wikimedia Commons.

The Greek version of E or "Epsilon" looks like this:

British libel law requires the defendant to prove the contested statement is true on the balance of probabilities, the reverse of the American requirement where the plaintiff must prove the statement is false and the defendant knew that.

The first asteroid had only been identified in 1801; that being Ceres, now officially a dwarf planet in the same category as Pluto, Eris, Sedna and some others. Most asteroids cannot be seen with the naked eye.

The problems of informing someone of the cipher being used and the message being sent without risking compromise has long been a challenge for cryptography.

More on book ciphers here, with spoilers for various other works including BBC's Sherlock:

The Bible not only has a vast range of editions, but it also a vast range of translations available. The standard version used in Church of England churches would be the King James Version and even that has different editions.

Bradshaw's would have a wider range of vocabulary in the city/town guides, but probably not enough for most messages.

Whitaker’s Almanac was an annual reference book published by various publishers, most recently Rebellion Publishing, between 1867 and 2021, it has been on indefinite hiatus since then.

It contained a lot of esoteric material. The 1887 guide includes things like:

The rising and setting times of the five planets visible with the naked eye every seven days.

A calendar of appointed Bible readings in churches for every Sunday.

The date of Easter for every year from 1500 to 2000.

The monthly wages of seamen out of the port of London from 1848 to 1885

A guide to the War Fleets of the World.

Income tax from 1842 to 1887 - it was 8d per £ over £100 in 1887, but nothing under that amount.

Railway stock prices.

The fastest and longest non-stop trains; the 4.17 (I assume pm) from Grantham to King's Cross took 1 hour and 58 minutes to cover 105 1/4 miles, at an average speed of 53 1/2 mph. Today, Hull Trains will get you there in 1 hour and 3 minutes, an average speed of 100mph!

Good and bad harvests... with the marriage rate in the same table.

Mahratta is an old spelling of Maharashtra, the Indian state that is home to Mumbai.

Scotchman was a contemporary term for Scotsman; today using "Scotch" to describe people is considered offensive by many Scottish people. It's fine for certain objects, like the drink.

[nerdygaymormon]

Stake Conference 2024

This blog is a place where I share about my experiences as a queer member of the LDS Church. I'm not going to give a full recap about stake conference, which was wonderful, but about where it intersected with me being queer.

————————————————————

Elder James N. Robinson of the Seventy came to stake conference.

On Saturday, the stake presidency, stake relief society presidency and their spouses joined Elder Robinson for lunch. To help him get to know us, we went around the table and had everyone introduce themselves by giving their name, where they grew up, something interesting about ourselves, and our nickname.

The Stake president started, and the interesting thing he shared is his journey when his son came out as gay, and that has made him more empathetic which has made him a better stake president than he would otherwise be.

His wife shared that her work is helping LDS families with queer children and helping our church be a more welcoming space.

I was watching Elder Robinson for his reactions to these two speak of having a gay child and how it's been transformative for them. He didn't show any reaction or make any remarks specifically about those things.

When it was my turn, I shared that one of my nicknames is Chuck, short for chuckles because I laugh often. An interesting thing is a video I created for a stake youth conference went viral and was viewed over 2 million times. The stake president then spoke up to share that Bonneville Communications contacted me because they were impressed by the video and the reaction it was getting, and were interested in partnering for an upcoming project...until they learned I put together the video on my iPhone. 😂

—————————

After lunch, the spouses left and the rest of us had a meeting with Elder Robinson. During this meeting he mentioned that he hopes "Come Thou Fount" makes it in the new hymnbook. I said, "I happen to know that it IS included." A counselor in the stake presidency asked me to share how I know that, and I replied that Elder Renlund is head of the committee creating the new hymnbook and he told me.

Then a counselor in the stake relief society presidency said that she wishes "Amazing Grace" could be in our hymnbook, and I shared that it also will be included in the new hymnal.

—————————

After the meeting with the stake presidency and stake relief society presidency, we all went to the leadership session of stake conference, during which Elder Robinson asked for everyone from a certain ward to come up front. He invited them to think of their favorite hymn, and when he said "Go" to start singing it as loud as they can. Needless to say, they sang many different songs and it was chaotic.

He stopped them and asked that this time they sing "I am a Child of God." They sounded pretty good. As they were singing, I was noting how diverse a group they were.

—————————

After the leadership session, Elder Robinson and his wife had dinner with the stake presidency and their spouses. Elder Robinson asked me about the viral video I mentioned at lunch, so I texted him a link. He and his wife are laughing as they watch it on his phone, but turn it off after about 30 seconds. He says it looks very enjoyable and they'll finish watching it that night.

During dinner, one of his counselors commented that the closest he gets to general authorities is hearing David's stories. Elder Robinson turned to me and asked how is it I know Elder Renlund? I shared about sitting next to him and his wife for dinner, getting invited to visit them in Utah, and we have a growing friendship as they have continued to invite me to visit when I'm in Salt Lake City. During this story I mentioned that I’m gay as it was relevant.

The counselor who brought up me meeting with general authorities kept prompting me to share about this or that specific story with the Renlunds, usually something on the more humorous side.

—————————

After dinner as I was sitting in the next session of stake conference, I had this feeling that speaking so casually about the Renlunds gives the wrong impression and that I should explain to the Seventy about how this came to be. That night I sent the following text:

—————————

On Sunday morning, Sister Robinson said that at the hotel they laughed and laughed at my video, sent it to others who would then text back what were their favorite parts.

At the conclusion of stake conference, the stake presidency and stake relief society presidency met again with Elder & Sister Robinson. We were asked to go around the room and share one takeaway we felt during the conference of something we need to do, us personally

He got to me, and I said I need to give a little background information. For the past month there's been a firestorm raging in a small corner of the internet by some members who think the church is too kind to LGBTQ people. Their posts and videos and the comments they generate are extremely mean. Some of these folks brought me up, saying that I'm dangerous to the church and by having a calling it is confusing the members. (at this point, Elder Robinson's smile drops and he looks sad)

I continued on, that in the Leadership Session, Elder Robinson called up everyone from a ward and had them sing I am a Child of God.

These were people of different genders, different ages, different racial & ethnic backgrounds, different socio-economic status, different national origins, different places in their lives, and the gospel was able to unite them.

My takeaway is I am to continue to show people they are accepted and wanted, that by combining their voices with mine we are more powerful

Elder Robinson responded, "I want you to know we (pointing to him and his wife) have your back. And you have a room full of people (stake presidency & stake RS presidency) who have your back

Before the meeting ended, he asked to speak to the stake president privately, and they met in the adjoining office for about 10 minutes. Then they rejoined us and Elder Robinson started wrapping things up.

We ended by Elder Robinson asking the 1st counselor in the stake presidency to give the stake president a blessing. It was such a good idea, the stake president gives many blessings but rarely gets one.

After the meeting, the stake relief society president (who is a military chaplain) came over and said, "My mama bear reared up and I was about to crawl out of my chair and say 'who do I need to go after?'"

The stake clerk's wife is retired from the Army and heard what I shared, she said to give her the website and she will make their lives miserable. Of course I didn't give her any details, but I appreciated the fierce show of love from both of them.

—————————

I next saw the stake presidency on Wednesday at our regular presidency meeting. We reviewed stake conference and my stake presidency decided when they meet with the bishops one-on-one to offer to give them a blessing. I think that’s a great idea as they also give many blessings but rarely receive one.

After our meeting as we’re headed to our cars, the stake president said, “Hey David, when Elder Robinson pulled me aside for those few minutes, he said several things, including that he appreciates that I have you in this calling because you bring a different point of view. That you’re a good man and I should keep you close.” 💖

Guess I'm not getting released any time soon from being the stake executive secretary 😅

[cadmusfly]

Non Comprehensive List of the Nice Spanish Paintings That Mysteriously Ended Up in Marshal Soult's Collection

Sourced from the essay Seville's Artistic Heritage during the French Occupation in the book Manet/Velázquez: The French Taste for Spanish Painting, which can be downloaded for free on the Met's website which is frankly awesome but i wish someone OCRed their book

In 1852 at the sale of his collection, there were 109 paintings up for sale - 78 from the Seville School, including 15 Murillos and 15 Zurbaráns.

It's interesting that Soult wanted to legitimize his ownership of these paintings via receipts and official documentation - the biography of him I was machine translating talks about the king questioning his collection and him pulling out receipts for each painting. But, well, the essay puts it like this: "The existence of an official letter can be explained by Soult's desire to dress up in legal or formal terms what was in reality theft or extortion."

I might put excerpts from the essay in a different post, but for now, let's look at the list! Modern locations of the paintings are in parentheses, and I must say, for an essay critical of historical reappropriation of artwork, a lot of these artworks are still extant. Not a dig or anything, just an observation.

I do not condone extorting or stealing priceless Spanish artworks anyway

On with the show!

Murillo The Immaculate Conception (Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid) Virgin and Child (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool) Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Nursing the Sick (Church of the Hospital de la Caridad, Seville) Christ Healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda (National Gallery, London) The Return of the Prodigal Son (National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.) Abraham and the Three Angels (National Gallery Of Canada, Ottawa) The Liberation of Saint Peter (State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg) Saint Junipero and the Pauper (Musée du Louvre, Paris) Saint Salvador de Horta and the Inquisitor Of Aragon (Musée Bonnat, Bayonne) Brother Julián de Alcalá and the Soul of Philip II (Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Mass.) The Angels' Kitchen (Musée du Louvre, Paris) The Dream Of the Patrician (Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid) The Patrician John and His Wife (Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid) The Triumph of the Eucharist (Lord Farringdon Collection, Buscot Park, Farringdon, England) Saint Augustine in Ecstasy [Not sourced from the above book, from a Christies auction actually]

Herrera the Elder The Israelites Receiving Manna (unknown/destroyed?) Moses Striking the Rock (unknown/destroyed?) The Marriage at Cana (unknown/destroyed?) The Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes (Musée d'Amiens, destroyed in 1918) Last Communion of Saint Bonaventure (Musée du Louvre, Paris) Saint Basil Dictating His Doctrine (Musée du Louvre, Paris)

Zurbarán Saint Apollonia (Musée du Louvre, Paris) Saint Lucy Musée des Beaux-Arts, Chartres Saint Anthony Abbot (private collection, Madrid) Saint Lawrence (State Hermitage, St. Petersburg) Saint Bonaventure at the Council of Lyon (Musée du Louvre, Paris) Saint Bonaventure on His Bier (Musée du Louvre, Paris) The Apotheosis of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Museo de Bellas Artes, Seville) Saints Romanus and Barulas (Art Institute of Chicago) paintings of the archangel Gabriel and Saint Agatha (both Musée de Montpellier)

Cano Saint John with the Poisoned Chalice and Saint James the Apostle (both Musée du Louvre, Paris) Saint John Giving Communion to the Virgin (Palazzo Bianco, Genoa) Saint John's Vision Of God (John and Mable Ringling Museum Of Art, Sarasota) Charity and Faith (present location unknown; 1852 Soult sale) Saint Agnes (destroyed in fire in the Staatliche Museen, Berlin)

Uncertain source, thought to be Murillo at the time A Resting Virgin (usually identified as The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist, Wallace Collection London) The Death Of Abel Saint Peter Saint Paul

Other artists in his collection whose specific works weren't named Sebastiån de Llanos Valdés Pedro de Camprobin José Antolinez Sebastiån Gomez