Human remains found on Daybell propery

[_Physics Guy]

Yeah, I think there can easily be a dangerous synergy between egotism and world-view flexibility. The same kind of thinking that lets you consider that the world might revolve around the sun can let you consider that it might revolve around you. I reckon that enough egotism can corrupt anything, but there may well be people who could have kept their egotism reined in to sane levels if they didn't find it so easy to reimagine the whole world in their own image.

I guess I just see the point of intervention as being the step where it starts being too much about me, rather than the point at which I get out of step with reality. One of Jesus's odder parables is the one about the wheat and the tares. It seems to say that even God is reluctant to try to nip things in the bud, because too much good can get lost by trying to prevent evil too early. Sprouts from different seeds can be too entangled to distinguish in early stages.

[_honorentheos]

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2020/06/r ... ge-letter/

In support of a runaway ego leading to trouble, the link above is to a letter posted by Vallows friend that gets into the weird beliefs they had. Apparently it included belief in being a reincarnated person (multiple mortal probations) with Daybell claiming he and Vallow were married to one another at multiple points in history including when he was James the lesser. She believed she had also been married to Moroni...because his being 15 when the destruction of the Nepites was in full swing escaped her. Or, she was into young dudes and they had to get married to remain chaste and, you know, the Lamanites could kill us at anytime so it would be a shame to die without ever...well, you know.

It does seem like at least some of this distills down to Daybell trying to get Vallow in bed, though. So, ego vs. sex? Hmmm.

[_Physics Guy]

That's an awfully long letter mostly about the author. I started skimming pretty early, when she complained that people weren't listening to her important preaching about humility. Her TLDR message seems to be that there's a lot of self-importance among religious preppers. I guess the irony in how she delivers this message only makes the point more clearly.

[_honorentheos]

That's an awfully long letter mostly about the author. I started skimming pretty early, when she complained that people weren't listening to her important preaching about humility. Her TLDR message seems to be that there's a lot of self-importance among religious preppers. I guess the irony in how she delivers this message only makes the point more clearly.

Exactly. She points out, while demonstrating, the faces of egocentric spirituality while making token appeals to humility.

The difference between how far she went with it compared with Daybell/Vallow is miles apart according to the law. But in many ways she's barely any different.

Its interesting to compare these modern day Mormon "preppers" with early Mormons. For example, these letters from Ezra Booth dating to the beginning of the church contain many of the same sentiments and language:

https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Ezra_Booth_letters

[_Jersey Girl]

For those interested in the case/investigation details. Documents are at this link. Notice the suspected involvement of Alex Cox, deceased.

https://www.kivitv.com/news/east-idaho- ... jjs-bodies

[_Lemmie]

Thank you, honor. Your posts like this are treasures.

Thanks, Lemmie. Hope things are well in your part of the country.

Off topic, but in the zeitgeist so I'll post it - I'm curious if you're able to share anything about how your University is planning to deal with classes this fall? Also, I'd be interested in your opinion on something. My daughter is a sophomore this year and last year ended ok but left her feeling like school might be messed up at the moment and worried she might be better off holding off on anything other than generals in the fall so she doesn't miss out on core curriculum information. Her thought being it's better to need an extra semester to graduate than it is to pay for a discount semester that hamstrings her education for the next two years. I can't answer her because I don't know but agreed it was a great question and worth being concerned about.

Honorentheos, I am so sorry I missed your question in this post! My apologies. My school has still not settled on a plan, so I’m still up in the air, but I also have one in the middle of college. His school is tentatively having in person classes, but already planning to keep them to a much smaller size, which also affects ability to get into his major requirements. Also, many courses will still be online. I don’t know what to recommend, but he is leaning toward a semester off, and working. I am not opposed to that, especially since there seems to be no break in tuition at his school for what will be a second disrupted semester. Taking an extra semester to graduate is not a bad plan, in my opinion. This is such an odd time and things are still changing so much. Ten years from now, or even five, slowing down for a semester will have no negative impact and may allow these kids time to think through and navigate a situation that I think will effectively change the value and process of higher education forever.

[_honorentheos]

Thanks, Lemmie. I appreciate your thoughts. It's helpful to hear your perspective and know it's not just us.

Our daughter decided to only take a few online generals this fall semester to get some classes done that she felt worked in an online format. Instead she is doing other things as well including volunteering with a school group and club that she feels will help her in the long run. It sounded like a good idea to me.

[_Physics Guy]

In Germany the semesters are winter and summer instead of fall and spring, so our current semester has been going since April and has a few more weeks still to run. Except for a few essential oral exams it's all online. It's actually quite a bit more work teaching this way, but I shouldn't complain. Teaching loads for professors in Germany are lighter than they are in most places.

I really think that what we're offering is at least as effective for learning as our usual lectures. I'm planning to keep some of these approaches even after we return to normal operation. All the real learning of theoretical physics happens when you're working through the calculations for yourself, anyway; all that any instructor or material can ever give you is a push. According to our students' association, though, the big problem for the students seems to be motivation. When you're alone at home with a screen that opens onto the entire internet, it's tough to make yourself focus on that dull little corner of the internet that contains your studies. It's easy to tell yourself that you'll download the stuff and watch it all tomorrow. Motivation is always a problem for university students who are usually living independently for the first time in their lives, but dragging yourself to a lecture hall at a specific time is a concrete task that also involves meeting your peers.

Here there is no tuition. Flat zero, for everyone, always; tuition doesn't exist. Free education for everyone, as far as they can go even right up through doctorates, is an investment the Bundesrepublik makes in its own future. So if this lockdown semester doesn't work out, students here are not wasting their money.

But even here it seems not to be easy to make an online semester worthwhile. Scaling back or just hitting Pause and Fast Forward might make sense.

[_Chap]

Here there is no tuition. Flat zero, for everyone, always; tuition doesn't exist.

I think I am not the only non-US English speaker to whom this reads very strangely. For people like me, 'tuition' simply means 'teaching', and you obviously don't mean that a student in Germany does not get given any teaching!

But it appears that for you 'tuition' means 'tuition FEES'. Got it.

[_Res Ipsa]

Here there is no tuition. Flat zero, for everyone, always; tuition doesn't exist.

I think I am not the only non-US English speaker to whom this reads very strangely. For people like me, 'tuition' simply means 'teaching', and you obviously don't mean that a student in Germany does not get given any teaching!

But it appears that for you 'tuition' means 'tuition FEES'. Got it.

Interesting. I'd never heard the word used that way before. US dictionaries seem to include both as acceptable uses.