"I'm the best there ever was," Peter Pan.

So still in pain, I just watched Peter Pan. Maybe not the best thing to do when bored, weak, lonely, and anxious to get out of the house and to eat real food.

But anyway. I am all registered for my classes at BYU. I'm very excited to be off, and yet I have my reservations too. It'll be a fun semester . . .

-Dan

I got my wisdom teeth out this morning and am not feeling good at all. *sigh* I'm feeling down and would rather not post when I'm down, maybe I'll be back later.

But on a positive note:
I changed "my website" (link to the left) to a link to the family website so there'd be a way for you to access my pictures without trying to find the entries with links in them. Oh, and (click) yAy! for modesty

Can I just say I love early morning. I just got back from the Senior Lock in . . . maybe I'm crazy but I love driving early in the morning. Just before the sun rises when the moon is still out but the sky is light and the car is misty and the road is covered in fog and everything is cool and moist. I love it. It is my favorite time of day. 5 am.

Edit (9:45):
I just got back from work and am now blasting "Time stands still" by the All American Rejects.

Yesterday was fun yet crazy. I was late to Grad. Rehersal which was long . . . then I gave my brother a lunch break from work and then I went and saw Harry Potter with Elizabeth and some friends. It was really good. Definately the best one.

The Senior Party was a blast . . .
Will be back later to finish this post.

Ok I have a question. A family friend sent us this article (with good intentions, he always sends us articles that he thinks will fascinate us): Taking Mormons to Court? (a related article here )

The article is about Jews who are upset (to the point of asking Hillary Clinton to take legal action) about our ritual of proxy baptism. Proxiy baptism is sacred ordinance performed for the deceased. Like most Christians, we believe that no one who has not been baptized can enter the highest glory of heaven. However, understanding that there are many people who have never had the oportunity to be baptized (or even learn what baptism is), we perform baptisms for the dead. The way it works is this: a member of the Church researches an ancestor's name, takes the name to the Temple, is baptized in place of that person, and then that deceased person's spirit has to choose wheither or not to accept the baptism. Once the ordinance is performed, the name is kept on a record that includes the baptism date as well as birth and death dates. This is so that we don't repeat baptisms over and over. We also believe in keeping good records. This practice is why we do so much geneology research.

Anyway, the problem is that this practice bothers some Jews (and others) because it supposedly robs their anncestors of their heritage. My question is, is that a legitimate concern, and how can we address that concern without compromising our beliefs?

Most of me wants to say that if you don't think we have the authority to actually do the ordinance legitimately, why do you care? And if you care, then you obviously think that it is legitimate, and if you think it's legitimate, then why aren't you a member of the Church?

But then there's a small part of me that says hey, the Church procedure is that the names you find are supposed to be family members, and if people aren't following that procedure, then they should be punished. But suing the Church is still inappropriate by that mode of thought because it is the member's fault for not getting the right names, not the Church's fault.

I don't know, it's complicated. These ordinances and these records are crucial parts of our faith. The mission of the Church is this: 1. Perfect the saints, 2. proclaim the gospel, and 3. Redeem the dead.

Could the government even have the power to take away that last goal? Proxy work is such a spiritual, beautiful, sacred thing. What would the Church do in such a circumstance?

Personally I think that even should Hillary Clinton bring it to court, it wouldn't go anywhere. I was very amused, though, by some of things people are saying.

For example:
"'I am really saddened that the practice is continuing,' said Cathy Wolf, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix. 'I was under the impression it had been stopped.'
She said she hoped that religious groups would learn to respect one another's unique practices."

Oh the irony. Isn't this one of our unique practices that she is not respecting.

"One of the "unintended consequences" of proxy baptism is the legitimization of fascists and Nazis."

What the heck? I don't get this arguement.

"It's ridiculous for people to pretend they have the key to heaven," said Rabbi Marvin Hier

Then what the heck are you doing as a Rabbi if you can't even promise your flock salvation?

OK, I'm done asking my question, ranting, and rambling.

So help me decide which is better as my profile picture, my self portrait that has been up the fast few weeks, or this picture from prom. . . anyway. Was bored and read last summer's entries. Man was I a major loser last year. I've made 3 resolutions to prevent such a disaster of a summer from repeating.

Number One. If any little people try to talk to me, I will not listen to them.
Number Two. Though music is good, I will resist the urge to become addicted to, dependent on, or otherwise hindered by any specific song.
Number Three. If I want to something, I will do it instead of just waiting to be asked if I want to do it.

I already starting with number three today . . . it half worked, but hey, better than not happening.