2015 Stance Mocktail Party
Author: Stance Studies on the Family
Emma Smith: How Much Could One Heart Take?
Emma Smith is a source of contestation and conflicting viewpoints for many within the LDS community. A popular song (at least amongst missionaries I served with) about Emma Smith has the refrain “How much could one heart take?” as it’s main theme. The popularity of …
Moroccan, Islamic Women and Latter-day Saints
When I first read the title “Moroccan Women’s Integration of Family and Religion,” I was at once piqued. I am always eager to learn new insights into other cultures and religions, and Donna Lee Bowen gives an insightful account of her findings from the women’s lives she submerged herself in.
Islam is the dominant religion in Morocco, making the majority of its population Muslim. As I continued to read the article, I was presented with facts about Islam, and the people who follow it, that I had never heard before in a history class.
A controversial topic in Western Society is the inequality of Muslim women. But as Bowen points out, when laws and customs are taken out of their social context of course they seem unequal. One law gives twice the amount of a wife’s inheritance to her husband than vice versa. To members of Western society this screams of gender inequality, but the purpose of this law is to give male family members more of the inheritance so that they can take care of the women. Not unequal, but a check to make sure everyone in the family can support each other. Pondering over this example, and other examples that Bowen gives, I began to see parallels between Islam and Mormonism.
How much anti-Mormon literature takes quotes and statements out of context, using them to slander our religion? How many people have been turned away from the Gospel of Christ because of a misconstrued myth about Mormon culture? It happens all the time to Latter-day Saints, and reviewing what I hear on the news and other media sources it happens to Muslims, as well.
Now I am not saying that every Muslim custom is misunderstood, but I believe that a religion that champions family and equal family roles deserves understanding. Ignorance is the main cause of misunderstanding, but knowledge can bring enlightenment. After reading this article, I believe that as a Latter-day Saint who seeks to enlighten those who misunderstand my beliefs and culture, I must first enlighten myself to my misunderstandings of others.
—BrookeAnn Henriksen, Stance: Studies on the Family
10 Children’s Room Ideas
It’s true—decorating or even updating decor can be stressful. But when you decorate this special space, the process does not need to be complicated! What you need is specific idea in mind. For example, try picking a theme or a color. Consider questions, such as the …
Last First Aid Friday Post of the year!
Sometimes, the solutions to “typical” first-aid moments catch me off guard. For years, the first thing that I did when I got a bloody nose was to tilt my head back and pinch my nose. I’m pretty sure that was my immediate choice of response in order to avoid getting any unnecessary blood dripping on my jeans or on the friend sitting next to me—that would have been so embarrassing! But what the proper response would have been in those moments would be to tilt my head forward in order to avoid any blood going down my throat; and by so doing, avoiding further damage. Often times, like my bloody nose incidents,I find that even the most basic “I know how to handle this” procedures can use some updating. Today we are just going to rewind back to the basics to give a few short tutorials of the most common first-aid procedures that help in aiding infants, children, and yourself!
Ready, set, let’s BEGIN!!
Minor Wound Care
What to do:
• CHECK the scene to make sure it is safe.
• CHECK the child or infant.
• Reassure the child or infant that you are going to help.
• Apply direct pressure to control bleeding.
• Avoid touching blood or body fl uids by wearing disposable gloves.
• Wash the wound with soap and water. If possible, rinse for about 5 minutes with clean, running tap water.
• Apply a triple antibiotic ointment or cream if the child or infant is not allergic or sensitive to the medication.
• Cover the wound with a sterile dressing and bandage.
Nosebleed
What to do:
• CHECK the scene to make sure it is safe.
• CHECK the child or infant.
• Reassure the child or infant that you are going to help.
• Have the child or infant sit leaning slightly forward.
• Pinch the nose shut for about 10 minutes.
• Apply ice or a cold pack that has been wrapped in a cloth or towel to the bridge of the nose.
If the bleeding does not stop—
• Apply pressure on the upper lip just beneath the nose.
- Call or have someone else call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
Blisters
What to do:
• If a blister is broken—
• Wash the skin with soap and water.
• Wipe the area with antiseptic wipe.
• Apply a triple antibiotic ointment or cream, if the child or infant is not allergic or sensitive to the medication, cover with thin gauze, and then apply a bandage.
Heat (Thermal) Burns
What to do:
• CHECK the scene to make sure it is safe.
• CHECK the child or infant.
• Reassure the child or infant that you are going to help.
• Stop the burning. Remove the child or infant from the source of the burn. Put out fl ames or remove from source.
• Cool the burn. Use large amounts of cold running water until pain is relieved. Do not use ice to cool the burn.
• Cover the burn loosely with a sterile dressing and care for shock. (Go to SHOCK, page 43.)
• For a serious burn, call or have someone else CALL 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
- Call the parents and tell them what happened.
* Note: all of the above procedures are provided by the Emergency Reference Guide: American Red Cross. If you wish to learn more, feel free to visit their website:http://www.redcross.org/imagesMEDIA_CustomProductCatalogm4440138_Babysitting_Emergency_Reference_Guide.pdf
Nutella Hot Chocolate and Frozen Whipped Cream
I need to share a few wonderful things with you all today. First is this video. It is How the Grinch Stole Christmas in American Sign Language, and you cannot tell me that this little girl isn’t the most adorable thing or that you don’t …
Homemade Marshmallows
Here’s a fun holiday treat that the whole family can help make! These delicious homemade marshmallows will melt in your mouth, but the best part is choosing your favorite toppings to roll them in. Crushed graham crackers, toasted coconut, and cinnamon sugar are some tasty …
Wedding Wednesday: Kid Questions
The excitement is building; I am officially counting down the days now. In a little over two weeks my fiancée and I are getting married in the Salt Lake Temple! He feels like it’s not coming soon enough, I feel like the time is whizzing by.
Today, instead of talking about wedding planning, I’d like to talk about something that I will have to start thinking about in the near future; when to have kids. My fiancée and I have only talked about it occasionally, and it was only the basic questions like: “how many kids do you want?” or “what should we name our kids?” We haven’t really talked about it seriously yet, but I imagine that time will be coming soon. It’s a question that all married couples have to face and eventually decide on.
A couple weeks ago, my cousin told my fiancée and I not to have kids until he had a secure job. At the time we just smiled and didn’t say anything, but I was inwardly upset. Not only was it not her place to say, but also in the LDS faith we are taught that having children is part of God’s plan, and that families are essential to our salvation. I have often heard from Church leaders that couples should not necessarily wait until they are financially secure to have children. I knew that my cousin had heard the same testimonies on the subject so I was confused as to why she would say that to us.
I had to take a step back and think about where my cousin was coming from. My cousin grew up in a home where her father came from a well-to-do family and was already secure in his job when he married her mom. Taking this step back, I could see her perspective and knew that she sincerely had our best interests at heart.
While my cousin’s advice was logical, it is not up to her, the rest of my family, nor my friends, or really anyone, to decide when my fiancée and me have children. The decision when to have kids and how many should be between the spouses and the Lord. When making this decision, and really any important decision, it is necessary to consult with each other and pray to the Lord about the decision. By doing this we invite the Lord to be a part of the marriage and have a hand in it.
Just as we wouldn’t want to be judged, it is important not to be judgmental of other couples based on how many or how few kids they have. No one really understands their specific situation, only the Lord does. The Lord is the judge of mankind, not us. Many times it may be difficult for a couple to bear children, and it would be unfair to judge them. Remember, it is not anyone else’s business; it is solely between husband, wife, and the Lord.
I personally cannot wait to start a family and I am so ecstatic to be a mother. Families are essential to society, and most notably to the children that are brought into it.
By Bryn Adams
Thanksgiving Leftovers
Now that you are all rested and full from Thanksgiving, what are you going to do with all those leftovers? Here are some ideas . . .