Mark D, nowhere special, just busy.

Hehe.

Weird — that’s usually why I use words too! (Like for instance, in that last sentence I went with “use” because it means the thing I needed for that particular spot in my sentence.)

I was a bit baffled by that #56 comment. Was Bill in Wasilla taking a whack at humor? I chose to assume so…

Hmm, you lost me on your logic here. How does it destroy my point to use the word contumacious? To answer your question, I used the word because I think it is a great word and it means the thing I needed a word to mean for that particular spot in my sentence. (Incidentally, the context makes it abundantly clear what the word means even if you are unfamiliar with it, so I don’t think it’s much of a speed bump for the non-vocabularian.)

why would anyone want to sit during the hymns

Because I’d rather sit than stand. Because I don’t really enjoy singing. Because I have a child on my lap. Because most of the congregation isn’t trained to sing to the degree that they actually would sound better whether sitting, standing, or lying down.

All six verses appear in the previous LDS hymnbook, so either someone developed more delicate doctrinal sensibilities, or the verses (2 & 4) were cut for length as happened in many other cases. (such as High on the Mountain Top, O God, Our Help in Ages Past, The Lord is My Light, Gently Raise the Sacred Strain, and Know This, That Every Soul is Free, among others.)

Instruments with a prominent or less worshipful sound, such as most brass and percussion, are not appropriate for sacrament meeting.

So it does not specifically say that guitar is not appropriate… only brass and percussion.

Actually, it says most brass and percussion are not appropriate, which leaves open the possibility that there are instances where some might be appropriate. I have participated in many such instances.

I have no problem with Amazing Grace in the hymnbook, but there are probably 100 great hymns I would include, and it would only be somewhere in the middle of that list.

Finally, why would anyone want to sit during the hymns. In most other churches people stand for all the hymns, not just an intermediate hymn. Congregations and individuals sound much better if they are standing, since most people’s sitting posture is not conducive to proper singing.

the first “be” should have been, “been.”

I wonder how many more of these I can do?

there was supposed to be a “?” at the end of the first sentence. There should have been a third, “why,” too, and it should have really be emphasized.

And I should have added one more line:

“Perhaps some of you will even be in it.”

That would have got you excited.

But I forgot.

Darn.