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A Mormon Girl from Idaho - speaking at Harvard

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  • A Mormon Girl from Idaho - speaking at Harvard

    Sally Quinn ran a forum discussion with Harvard students representing Islam, Mormonism, Judaism, Presbyterianism and Buddhism. Background here. Rachel Esplin of Southeastern Idaho represented the Mormon point of view. I think she did a pretty good job:

    [YOUTUBE]<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2120177&amp;server=vimeo.com &amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portr ait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2120177&amp;server=vimeo.com &amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portr ait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/2120177">Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose - 3. Rachel Esplin</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user481977">Harvard Hillel</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.[/YOUTUBE]

    Here's a link to the video, since the code doesn't seem to be working, not being YouTube.
    Last edited by LA Ute; 12-30-2008, 05:21 PM. Reason: code issues
    “There is a great deal of difference in believing something still, and believing it again.”
    ― W.H. Auden


    "God made the angels to show His splendour - as He made animals for innocence and plants for their simplicity. But men and women He made to serve Him wittily, in the tangle of their minds."
    -- Robert Bolt, A Man for All Seasons


    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

  • #2
    She's cute. All American should go to Law School there and date her.
    "Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum

    "And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Mormon Red Death View Post
      She's cute. All American should go to Law School there and date her.
      Hardly. She openly admits to not studying her scriptures every day.

      AA, this girl is bad news!
      Fitter. Happier. More Productive.

      sigpic

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      • #4
        Originally posted by TripletDaddy View Post
        Hardly. She openly admits to not studying her scriptures every day.

        AA, this girl is bad news!
        She just said that to make the gentiles comfortable ... it's called lying for the Lord my friend.

        Comment


        • #5
          She did a great job of representing S.E. Idaho and the church.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by LA Ute View Post
            Sally Quinn ran a forum discussion with Harvard students representing Islam, Mormonism, Judaism, Presbyterianism and Buddhism. Background here. Rachel Esplin of Southeastern Idaho represented the Mormon point of view. I think she did a pretty good job:

            [YOUTUBE]<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2120177&amp;server=vimeo.com &amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portr ait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2120177&amp;server=vimeo.com &amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portr ait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/2120177">Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose - 3. Rachel Esplin</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user481977">Harvard Hillel</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.[/YOUTUBE]

            Here's a link to the video, since the code doesn't seem to be working, not being YouTube.
            SE Idaho mormon farmgirls are smoking hot! And they are able to pull it off by taking President Hinkley's opinion on earings to the extreme!
            Do Your Damnedest In An Ostentatious Manner All The Time!
            -General George S. Patton

            I'm choosing to mostly ignore your fatuity here and instead overwhelm you with so much data that you'll maybe, just maybe, realize that you have reams to read on this subject before you can contribute meaningfully to any conversation on this topic.
            -DOCTOR Wuap

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by RC Vikings View Post
              She did a great job of representing S.E. Idaho and the church.
              The 208 baby!
              Do Your Damnedest In An Ostentatious Manner All The Time!
              -General George S. Patton

              I'm choosing to mostly ignore your fatuity here and instead overwhelm you with so much data that you'll maybe, just maybe, realize that you have reams to read on this subject before you can contribute meaningfully to any conversation on this topic.
              -DOCTOR Wuap

              Comment


              • #8
                I'd hit that.

                I dunno about the Jewish guy staring at her throughout the interview, though. Creepy.
                τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατέλλοντα πλείονες ἢ δυόμενον προσκυνοῦσιν

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thanks for posting that, LA Ute.

                  She did a fantastic job.

                  Two thoughts I had:
                  1. I'm not a big fan of the "Either it happened the way Joseph Smith said it did or the Church is a sham" line of reasoning. I think some members need a little more flexibility in their interpretation of Joseph Smith to account for things like the Facsimiles in the D&C.

                  2. I personally wouldn't call missions "optional" for women. Doesn't everybody have the option whether or not to serve a mission?

                  But overall I thought she came across as thoughtful and smart. Good thing she's not planning on the mission because she would be miserable having to spend time around by a bunch of barely literate 19- and 20-year olds with no college under their belt.
                  Last edited by CardiacCoug; 12-31-2008, 05:48 AM.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by All-American View Post
                    I'd hit that.

                    I dunno about the Jewish guy staring at her throughout the interview, though. Creepy.
                    Good call. I definitely wouldn't hit that Jewish guy.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by CardiacCoug View Post
                      Thanks for posting that, LA Ute.

                      She did a fantastic job.

                      Two thoughts I had:
                      1. I'm not a big fan of the "Either it happened the way Joseph Smith said it did or the Church is a sham" line of reasoning. I think some members need a little more flexibility in their interpretation of Joseph Smith to account for things like the Facsimiles in the D&C.

                      2. I personally wouldn't call missions "optional" for women. Doesn't everybody have the option whether or not to serve a mission?

                      But overall I thought she came across as thoughtful and smart. Good thing she's not planning on the mission because she would be miserable having to spend time around by a bunch of barely literate 19- and 20-year olds with no college under their belt.
                      Agree on all three of those points. She kind of caught herself on the "optional" thing--you could tell that same thought went through her head--but I think she handled it well. I really feel sorry for sister missionaries. Some of them are crazy, but the few normal ones really have to put up with a lot, between their crazy companions and 19 yo gunner DL's.
                      At least the Big Ten went after a big-time addition in Nebraska; the Pac-10 wanted a game so badly, it added Utah
                      -Berry Trammel, 12/3/10

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by CardiacCoug View Post
                        Thanks for posting that, LA Ute.

                        She did a fantastic job.

                        Two thoughts I had:
                        1. I'm not a big fan of the "Either it happened the way Joseph Smith said it did or the Church is a sham" line of reasoning. I think some members need a little more flexibility in their interpretation of Joseph Smith to account for things like the Facsimiles in the D&C.

                        2. I personally wouldn't call missions "optional" for women. Doesn't everybody have the option whether or not to serve a mission?

                        But overall I thought she came across as thoughtful and smart. Good thing she's not planning on the mission because she would be miserable having to spend time around by a bunch of barely literate 19- and 20-year olds with no college under their belt.
                        My thoughts on your thoughts....

                        The "either it happened this way or else" quote......this girl has been doing her reading. And the second she said the aforementioned quote, I knew she was basically paraphrasing LeGrand Richards in his preface to Marvelous Work and a Wonder. Except she strategically chose to use "sham" instead of the original "you Mormons are all ignoramuses" language.

                        The "optional missions" term has always bugged me, too. Missions are optional for everyone. there is absolutely no penalty doled out by the Church for not serving a mission. There may be other things working to one's detriment, but the Church doesn't ding you for it. My honest impression at that moment was that she wanted to state that, "hey, I might find someone and get married," but given the crowd in the room, such a statement would have gone over like a ton of bricks. Let me add that my impression would be that she would continue to go to school while married, but I just kept thinking that she was dancing around the marriage thing. For someone as versed as she is in the LDS way of life, for her to leave out marriage as part of LDS culture was deliberate....it is a very integral part of life for young LDS people.

                        I did get a kick out of how many times she did product placement for Harvard:

                        "Well, I USED to think that way BEFORE I came to Harvard!"

                        "It has been SO awesome being here at Harvard!"

                        "Everyone at Harvard is so open minded!"

                        I wonder if she was paid to drop the H-bomb so many times?

                        I honestly think that she did an excellent job. Is it common practice to prep panelists with exact questions? If she did all of this ad hoc, then I would say that she answered from the hip more effectively than probably 95% of all LDS members. The other 5% would be career Church leaders, PR folk, hard-core scriptorians, and people like me that already own Vol 1 of Joseph Smith Papers.
                        Fitter. Happier. More Productive.

                        sigpic

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                        • #13
                          She looks like she's baked out of her gourd.
                          There's no such thing as luck, only drunken invincibility. Make it happen.

                          Tila Tequila and Juggalos, America’s saddest punchline since the South.

                          Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday
                          Today is Friday, Friday (Partyin’)

                          Tomorrow is Saturday
                          And Sunday comes afterwards

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by TripletDaddy View Post
                            My thoughts on your thoughts....

                            The "either it happened this way or else" quote......this girl has been doing her reading. And the second she said the aforementioned quote, I knew she was basically paraphrasing LeGrand Richards in his preface to Marvelous Work and a Wonder. Except she strategically chose to use "sham" instead of the original "you Mormons are all ignoramuses" language.
                            You might be right but I am not sure that many of the younger generation are reading Marvelous Work and a Wonder even among Mormon Harvard undergrads (its not even in the Missionary library anymore). President Hinckley used phrases like that often enough (I think he is reflecting Legrand Richards sentiment so indirectly you are almost surely right). For example,

                            That is the way I feel about it. Our whole strength rests on the validity of that vision. It either occurred or it did not occur. If it did not, then this work is a fraud. If it did, then it is the most important and wonderful work under the heavens.

                            http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vg...____&hideNav=1

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by CardiacCoug View Post
                              1. I'm not a big fan of the "Either it happened the way Joseph Smith said it did or the Church is a sham" line of reasoning. I think some members need a little more flexibility in their interpretation of Joseph Smith to account for things like the Facsimiles in the D&C.
                              I agree, though I think is something that at least I only hear from leadership rather than membership. We don't officially believe in infallibility but when you say that either it is all true or none of it is true infallibility is the doctrine you are articulating. And you are right, that is a hurdle not even the true church can clear. Even Mormon says in the title page of the BOM:

                              And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.
                              That, in my opinion, is the true doctrine, rather than "all true or none true."

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