Mormon Mishaps book review

At the end of this post I will tell you how to win a $20 Gift Card to Barnes and Noble so keep reading!

Being at church can be a very funny experience. At unintended moments fast and testimony meeting can be hilarious. Like the time a sister, "stood to bear her testimony. Holding a Kleenex to damp eyes and struggling with her feelings, she said, 'I don't do this very often because I'm such a big boob. ' After she sat down, a member of the bishopric stepped to the pulpit. Offering what he thought was consolation he said, 'That's okay; we like big boobs.'"

In Mormon Mishaps and Mischief you can read about that story and:

• The preschooler who was afraid of being eaten by "Sunbeans"
• Establishing Zion in Cougar stadium
• Doing battle with the "Laman Knights"

D. N. Giles and C. L. Beck have pulled together over 200 anecdotes that had my family laughing from one page to the next. Mormon Mishaps and Mischief would make a great Valentine's Day gift, Birthday gift, or simply a key acquisition to your LDS or humor book collection.

Giles/Beck will have a giveaway for a $20 gift card to Barnes and Noble for one lucky tour commenter. How do you enter to win? Each time you leave a comment here telling me about what you did, I will enter your name in the drawing.

1. For your first entry, you can become a follower on my blog, and leave me a comment. If you’re already a follower leave me a comment telling me.

2. Post about my blog and this contest on Twitter or Facebook.

3. Blog about this contest and link back to my blog or the Mishaps website or humor blog.

4. Leave a positive review on Amazon, Deseret Book, Goodreads, or any other book-reviewing site – then leave me a link.

You may enter as many times as you like for the prize drawing. Just remember to always leave a comment here so I can keep track of all that is going on. You need to do this soon, because the drawing closes on Feb 19 and they will announce the winner on Monday, Feb 22.

You might want to check out the other stops on this blog tour, and maybe enter the drawing on their blog as well.

Feb 5th Rachelle Christensen
Feb 6th Ronda Hinrichsen
Feb 9th Connie Hall
Feb 10th Cathy Witbeck
Feb 12th Danyelle Fergusen

Pure religion in Haiti

Pure religion in Haiti

In the wake of the earthquake in Haiti that left millions of lives shattered, the world saw, and continues to see, an outpouring of love, compassion and service on a magnificent scale.

To continue reading this story from the Washington Post, click here.

Agent in Old Lace

Tristi Pinkston is not only one of my favorite authors, she's one of my favorite people. She has four published novels with the latest being Agent in Old Lace. It is the only book of hers that I don't have a signed copy of.

MRBunderson is currently running a contest for a signed copy of Agent in Old Lace. In fact, I am writing this blog post to increase my chances of winning Tristi's book. You could do the same, but I'm hoping that you won't because that would decrease my chances of winning. Typically, I'm not this sefish, but if you've read Tristi's other books, you'll understand why I'm hoping you don't enter the contest to win her book. Please don't go to this link to try and win her book. In fact, just ignore that you ever read this post.

Why I like Fantasy

Fantasy is a growing genre. Perhaps viewed by most erudites as a colossal waste of time; nothing could be further from the truth. Good fantasy is not merely a vehicle to help escape reality for a short period but rather a means to look more deeply into the human soul. Magic, dragons, elves, etc. are not to be taken literally. However, their symbolism can powerfully portray truths in a clear concise manner. When Gimli looks at Legolas in The Return of the King and states something to the effect of, “I never thought that I’d die fighting alongside an elf,” and Legolas responds, “How about dying fighting alongside a friend?” Gimli states, “Aye lad, I could do that.” The lesson on diversity and tolerance is unmistakable. If an elf and a dwarf (mortal enemies) can become best friends then why can’t you and I?

I spent about an hour yesterday at the Sandy, UT Barnes and Noble. They were having a book signing for a new LDS humor book called Mormon Mishaps and Mischief. It is a collection of over 200 humorous anecdotes taken from various church meetings and activities.

I submitted two stories that were accepted. They can be found on pages 26 and 46 respectively. One recounts an “experiment” in a combined Priesthood/Relief Society that went horribly awry, and the other brings back a fond and funny memory of a Fathers’ and Sons’ Outing.

As a contributor I was allowed a free copy of the book. That was my primary reason for going to the book signing. Also, I had communicated several times via e-mail with Nichole Giles and Cindy Beck, who were the primary forces behind the book, but had never met them in person. They were every bit as charming in person as I found them via our e-mails. They invited me to sit with them and another contributor to the book, Sherry Taylor, for a while. I thought that we would just chit-chat for a bit, which we did, but then someone came to our stand that looked at the book. Cindy told her that I had a very funny story ion the book and asked if I’d read it. I turned to page 46 and shared my experience at the Fathers’ and Sons’ Outing. Much to my amusement, the prospective buyer laughed and decided to buy a copy. I was then asked to autograph the copy. That is the first time that anyone ever wanted my autograph for something other than a tax return, or a parking ticket, etc.

I had a great time there and I think that it rekindled the spark I needed to continue writing. The book is hilarious by the way, I’ve laughed at every story. There are stories about:

• The preschooler who was afraid of being eaten in “Sunbeans”
• Establishing Zion in Cougar Stadium
• The 14th Article of Faith
• Doing battle with the Laman Knights
And more.

The book has sold out at most of the bookstores and Amazon.com but you can still find a copy here

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

I haven't posted much in a while. I write a weekly newsletter for the hotel I work at, and that's about all the writing I have been able to keep up with. However, I will be substituting this Sunday for the 16-17 year old Sunday School class in my ward. For me personally, I can't imagine a better calling than teaching that age group. Any younger and it's difficult to keep them involved in a lesson. Much older and people by and large have already made up their opinions on most aspects of life. You can have great conversations teaching adult classes, but I feel like I'm really teaching/contributing when I can teach the 16-17 year old group. With any luck a new teacher won't be called for a while and I can continue to teach the class.

This week we will discuss The Family: A Proclamation to the World

The importance of this declaration can not be overstated. It is a very clear and concise guideline to finding joy and happiness in this life, and more importantly the life to come. After presenting it in a General Relief Society meeting, President Hinckley sent the proclamation to the leaders of many nations:

On 13 November, about two months after the proclamation was issued, President Hinckley met with William Jefferson Clinton, the president of the United States, at the White House in Washington, D.C. The prophet presented him with a copy of the proclamation, which led to a discussion on the family. “It is our feeling that if you’re going to fix the nation, you need to start by fixing families. That’s the place to begin.” The leaders discussed “the need for parents to be actively involved in their children’s lives.” After giving him bound copies of his and his wife’s family histories and describing the Church’s family home evening program, President Hinckley suggested that the nation’s leaders get his family together and “sit down with those books and have a family home evening.” Church News, 18 Nov. 1995, p. 1. Church History in the Fulness of Times, p. 632.

Surfing in Utah?

Yep. You no longer need to live near the beach to feel the adrenaline rush of shredding a few waves. Wendy and the boys joined me here last week. The boys weren't fully convinced that this was the place they wanted to live. Of course, it is where I found a job so there wasn't too much discussion. Anyway, in an effort to gain enthusiasm for the move, we decided to go and visit the Salomon Center in Ogden.

Below are a few pics of the boys at Flowrider, an indoor surfing experience. It took a little while to learn, but they got the hang of it. However, since everyone loves a good wipeout picture, I've included both the best and worst of the day.