Jamie’s Blog

The other day I added Google’s AdSense to LatteDaySaints.com Since then I have placed a poll on my website asking people if the Ads should stay or should they go. I voted for them to stay and one other person voted for them to go. I have seen other Mormon and ever Anti-Mormon sites with AdSense on them. What got me about this is they would have ‘Mormon Garments’ ads, and other Anti-Mormon ads on their site. I have tried to filter them as much as I can¹.

I placed these ads on the site to help pay for Latte Day Saints cost of doing it’s Blogtoons. Nothing more and nothing less. If it comes to a point where I make money over and above operating this site, I just might create giveaways for its commenters. Maybe I could put a mistake into a post to have someone find it and give them a prize. A caution to you. You will be up against some fierce competition. MCQ, onelowerlight, Kim Siever and John Hamer. That last one you will have to watch. He’s a quick one.

But anyway on this past Sabbath Day someone clicked on an advertisement. I reveived eight cents². First I thought eight cents? But eight cents is eight cents. Never look a gift ad in the mouth.

So if there is an ad you just might be interested in please click on it. But don’t abuse the system just to keep this site up and running.

Jamie Trwth

1. If you see one of these ads please tell me and I will take it off. [↩]
2. Well not really received. I have to get to $10.00 to receive a check. [↩]

If you are a Political Mormon you blog about your Mormon view of Politics. If you are a Feminist Mormon you blog about the feminine aspects of Mormonism. But if you are a Black Mormon you tend to blog about the Black side of Mormonism. I try not to focus so much on the Black Side of Mormonism too much but since it is black history month I feel slightly compelled.

This past Sunday in Gospel Doctrine the Substitute Teacher ended the talk on the subject of: The Curse.

She stated that that the Curse of Cain wasn’t the color of a persons skin, it was the mark of the curse. Well, that’s a relief. She wasn’t really talking about that Curse but the Curse the Lamanite were faced with. Some of the people in attendance hailed Indian leaders as being the nicest people they have ever met. I sat there all amazed. I smiled, looked down at my skin and kinda felt strange. What did they think about my skin color. If this is the Mark of the Curse am I still Cursed? Or was I even Cursed to begin with?

Even though some people claim the Mark of the Curse wasn’t a mark of color, many still see it that way, Mormons included. I have to impart the fact that the Real Gospel Doctrine teacher is a Native American- A Lamanite in Mormon eyes. Would she have ended the class in this same way? I don’t think so.

I think people today still think Blacks and Native Americans are cursed. Which causes this teaching to continue to invade our hearts and minds. The first time I ever heard of this Curse business was when I was a kid. A grandmother of a friend of mine believed God made black people black because they were full of sin. My friend tried to explain it to me one day and I just said nothing and went on my way when he was finished. Needless to say I wasn’t allowed to go over to his grandmothers house. His father didn’t trust her around me.

One of the speculations is that black people are evil. And adversary of the devil. Maybe it’s because a past President of the Church stated:

And after the flood we are told that the curse that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued through Ham’s wife, as he had married a wife of that seed. And why did it pass through the flood? Because it was necessary that the devil should have a representation upon the earth as well as God. (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 22 page 304).

Above all else we are commanded to love on another. I just can’t believe that God made me different because thousands of years ago an ancestor sinned against God. We also believe that we will be judged from what we do and not because of another’s transgressions. Being cursed for someone else’s sins just doesn’t fit into the Articles of Faith now does it?

We all are children of God. Disliking me because of my color, no matter what it might be, isn’t Gods way. What would Heavenly Father do? Besides that wasn’t in the plan was it. What if racism was in the plan:

And some of you will be cursed. For those who want to be cursed please stand in this line. And the ones who don’t want to be cured stand in this line.

If that was the case maybe the ones who stood in the wrong line were not that smart of a people. But that doesn’t hold true either. Did you know many smart Black people invented things we use every day?

• The Folding Chair (like the one you use in Relief Society)
• Hair Brush (like the ones we use today)
• Leather Shoe Maker
• Disposable Syringe
• Improvements to the Lawn Mower

The list go on and on and on. Although prejudice and racism prevails. If you were wondering about the graphic at the top of this post. Read this from President Hinckley First.

I remind you that no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ, How can any man holding the Melchizedek Priesthood arrogantly assume that he is eligible for the priesthood whereas another who lives a righteous life but whose skin is of a different color, is ineligible?

Those are powerful words. The picture of the shirt at the top of this post that reads “I can’t I’m Mormon”.  But it should:

I Can’t Be A Racist Because I’m A Mormon

Jamie Trwth

Yesterday I placed Google AdWords on my other Blog Site Latte Day Saints. I was really unwilling to accept using the service but I will be have to move my website to a paid web hosting company. What Google allows you to do is filter web addresses so I can filter out all the Anti-Mormon web addresses when I see them.

(If any one of you see an Anti-Mormon ad on my site just leave a comment about it including the url)

Initially I have filtered out the usual suspects. The ads for ‘Mormon Garments’, Mormon Ringtones, Living Hope Ministries, and ‘Are Mormon’s Really Christians’.  All which I have filtered. But this morning I checked my site for any offense to Mormonism ads and found one (I thought) entitled:

Are Mormons Christians?: Is this a legitimate question? The answer might surprise you.

So I went to the URL (typing it in manually, Google doesn’t allow me to click on my own ads.). And the answer did surprise me.

The answer to the question “Are Mormons Christians?” was answered in this way:

As it’s asked, this question doesn’t make sense. It implies that it’s what you do that makes you a Christian.

This interested me also. Usually you get a definite ‘NO!’ answer. The article went on to state that not all Mormons are Christians just like not all people that call themselves Christians are actually Christians.

If this subject interests you please go over to Called To Be Free. Tell me what you think after reading the article.

Jamie Trwth

Today marks something wonderful in my career as a Mormon Webtoonist. As of Feb 8th 2008 Latte Day Saints has been referenced in a Blog Posting on Deseret Morning News by Emily W. Jensen. I guess I have made it all the way to Deseret.

Thank all of you for your support.

Jamie Trwth

Recently I had the privilege of being interviews by annegb of Mormon Mentality. She’s a wonderful and crazy woman. I really mean crazy as a compliment. The first time I talked to her it was like we were old high schools buddies. Everything she talked to me about seemed right off the top of her head. Some was and some wasn’t. She took notes and remembered what she didn’t take notes on. She is an excellent journalist and she should be paid for her diligent work.

When she emailed me to ask if it was OK to interview me, I honestly thought it was spam. But something caught my eye about the email.

. . but if you’re game, give me a call. I’m for real.

I think it was the ‘I’m for real’ statement she made. She’s been a member of the Church all of her life. She asked me very thoughtful questions about life, my upbringing and moose.

I could not do her writing justice in this small blog posting, so take a look for yourselves at Mormon Mentality - In Which Annegb Writes a Small Book About Jamie Trwth

Enjoy The Novella

I guess I have been catching way to many Taboo episodes on the National Geographic Chanel. Seems ever time I pick up that Tivo remote I automatically press 0-5-4-select. You see they, NGC, have been airing an awful lot of Coming of age documentaries. They are actually documentaries about African Tribes and in all cases include rituals to cross over to Adulthood.

The other night the NGC’s Taboo Series documented a young woman in the Karo tribe in Ethiopia. In Karo women are required to have a certain series of raised scars on their torsos to be eligible for marriage. This is the initiation into Womanhood for all female members of the tribe.

The cuts used to be made with bone, now with the influence of western culture straight razor blades are used to create the incision.

In another Ethiopian tribe, when a boy was ready to be a man, they would cut strategically placed marks all over his body to transform him into a crocodile. After the cuts were made they would place animal fat, dirt and ash into the wounds to have a unique raised. This step was one of many steps to Manhood. Some of these steps consisted of humiliation, sleep deprivation, pain, and sometimes even death.

If you contrast this with the path to Adulthood in the Mormon Coming of Age story you would find similarities as well as uniqueness.

Mormon Coming of Age
Age: 8 Years old
Boys & Girls: Baptized & Confirmed

Age: 12 Years Old
Boys: Young Mens Program - Deacon
Girls: Young Womans Program

Age: 14 Years Old
Boys: Ordained Teacher

Age: 16 Years Old
Boys: Ordained Priest

Age: 18 Years Old
Boys: Ordained Elder / Elders Quorum
Girls: Relief Society

Age: 19 - 25 Years Old
Boys: 2 Year Mission

Age: 21+ Years Old
Girls: 18 Month Mission

Age: 21+ Years Old
Boys & Girls: Temple Marriage

Before I became a Member I heard Anti Mormons state the current Missionary practices were inherently barbaric. Stating the lack of health care, non-existent dental care¹, lack of money for food, the slight percentage of missionaries who succumbed to death, murder, rape and other unforeseen atrocities. They would claim it was harmful to their wellbeing and dangerous. In society we need initiation rites. If the critics took a look at the Adulthood initiation rituals of other countries they would quickly find the Church’s program are not pain based rites.

Other countries have Adulthood Initiation Rituals they abide by and so does the Church. Who’s rituals are superior to the others? None. They all accomplishing the same job. . . To take our young people over the threshold of Childhood into Adulthood.

Jamie Trwth

1. One of our missionaries chipped his tooth and could not get it fixed until he returned home. [↩]

I commented in a blog posting titled “Tal Bachman leaves Mormon Church” and my statement to all was: What Would Jesus say? This was in regards to the bickering that is going on over the subject. Tal is an ex-Mormon. He feels he was lied to all his life about the Church and now he, and many other family members are no longer in the Mormon Church.

But there was a person slamming him personally, his intelligence, as well as his career. Now is this what we are called to do as Mormons? Or as just plain old people. I have a very simple view of life. Be good to others and Karma will take care of you. . . . yes I subscribe to Karma. I have seen it work in life love and the pursuit of happyness (yes I know it’s spelled incorrectly).

I remember the Flaming Parties that were had at the beginning of the Internet on the user groups over 10 years ago. Nothing has changed. In Internet time Flaming Parties are . . . . like . . . . a billion years old.

If you don’t have something intelligent to say . . . say something stupid.

Jamie Trwth

While reading “Our History”¹ I noticed Sister Missionaries were not called to service until 1898. I started to wonder what were some of the main reasons President George Q. Cannon called Sisters into the Missionary Field? As you know men like things the same and women like things to change every once-in-awhile. So whatever the reason for instituting the Mission opening up to female members of the Church, it has changed over the years.

 In my humble opinion in the church today, Sisters in the Mission Field are Neo-Mormon Rebels, Feminists in the Church for lack of a better word.

It is not required for women to serve a mission. If you are a woman and you are of Missionary age, not married, not career oriented, then what else is there to do in the church to distract attention from yourself . . . . serve a mission?

 So tell me what you think! Do you think Sister Missionaries are Feminists in Temple Clothing or Faithful Mormon Women looking for a distraction away from their not being married yet? Or is there a Third Way?

P.S. I seek on to offend. Only inquire thoughtful inquiries.

Jamie Trwth

1. Our History: A Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Published 1996 [↩]

The other Sunday while listening to a Sister give her talk in church, my wife leaned over and whispered into my ear, ‘If I had to have a Sister Wife, I think I would want Sister XYZ.’ I was kinda taken aback. You see Sister XYZ is a single Sister and on top of that we have been watching more than our fair share of Big Love.

My wife often asks me “Would you want to have another wife?” I answer “Only if I could clone you.” or “I don’t think I could handle another wife.” and she replies smiling ”But I bet you would love to give it a good college try!”

Polygamy is a sore subject with some people these days. Maybe it’s because it is a male dominated role in this type of society. But being the egalitarian that I am, my view of Polygamy would be to have multiple partners, Half-Spouses¹². Both Ways, not just for men but for women also.

Could you handle a second spouse? Could your spouse handle a second spouse? So what do you think? Is real Polygamy³ a viable option for a relationship or is it just a strange way to cancel your Membership in the Church?

Jamie Trwth

1. Half-Wife = Second, Third, etc [↩]
2. Half-Husband = Second, Third, etc [↩]
3. Multipal Spouses for all [↩]

The first part of this book, in Personal insights From a Black Man in Zion, Marcus Martins states he was the first Black man to go on a full time mission after the ban was lifted. The foot notes read “Brother Elijah Able, a (member of the third quorum of the) seventy, was the first member with Black African ancestry to serve full-time missions for the Church in the nineteenth century”. If the Priesthood Ban was instituted in 1830, the first year the Church was established, then how did Brother Able become ordained an Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood and also Ordained to the Office of Seventy? Marcus never explained the why he was ordained. Or if it was a problem in the Church.These are some of the questions I wanted answered in this book.

As I read further, he did answer a question regarding the Priesthood Ban. But the answer was neither official nor unofficial. It was his own hypothesis. And how we should not question God.

In my mind this book should have had a different title. It probably wouldn’t sell as many copies but it would have a true title like: “Blacks & the Mormon Priesthood: Don’t Question God“or “Blacks & the Mormon Priesthood: The Ban is now in the past (stop bringing it up already. . . gosh!)“.

There was one, out of many, off topic remark was made in the book. But this one shocked me to read:

“So if someone can’t bear the thought of being with me in eternity, he or she is welcome to head or another kingdom. ¹ In my research I have read many racist remarks made by church leaders and this statement in up there with the best. How dare he say that about others? How dare he say that? Oh, if you want to know the title of the next sub-chapter in the book:

“Dealing with Statements from the Past.”

And now we have a hateful statement from the present.

I really need to let the people in on something about Jamie Trwth. I read my first real novel  at the age of 25. Learning the eloquence and flow (for lack of better words) of the English language didn’t come easy for me. Being Diagnosed with learning disabilities when I was young and adult Attention Deficit Disorder in later years. But I didn’t go to college and partake in writing classes. And I really have to say that if I was to ever hand in a paper of this sort to any one of my professors I would have failed the course no questions asked. This book is one of the worst reads². If you were thinking about purchasing this book on the publishers website please think again. They didn’t even have it listed nor do they have an ecommerce site of their own. You are taken to another site to search for and purchase this book.

And like I said in the first post. . . . I was really disappointed with this book. . . on so many levels.

For real answers to your questions about the “Black Mormon Priesthood Ban” check out Blacks in the Scriptures or John Delihn’s Mormon Stories Podcast Episode #26 Blacks and the LDS Priesthood

Jamie Trwth

1. Page 27 Setting the Record Straight: Blacks & The Mormon Priesthood. [↩]
2. beside the ‘Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple‘ Booklet [↩]