"They're Gonna Wanna Know"

Yesterday I heard a national financial news reporter repeat the phrase several times until it perked my interest.  The point was that investors will want to know more about online-review service Yelp Inc., which plans a $100-million IPO (initial public offering) (per WSJ online), before they risk their money buying shares of stock -- (like I'm "gonna wanna know" if any GOP candidate can defeat Pres. Obama in the election.)  I'm also "gonna wanna know" (pause for a breath ...) what are the American people and their elected representatives who are working hard at playing politics … thinking (or failing to think)?!!  

As I read today’s Standard-Examiner front-page headline "Aubree Jo's Law stalls", I couldn’t wait (and didn’t want to dwell on another non-fast-food topic) to combine it with the above, which is related in a minor (no pun intended) way.  As reported fairly by Loretta Park, the bill which passed the Utah House unanimously “on Feb. 14, states that courts cannot discriminate in a custody dispute based on gender, race, ethnicity or religion.”  A “concern came out of the blue” (I wouldn’t use that figure of speech in this case), so they are working on a nice compromise.  “California has a similar bill, … but has expanded the word gender …”  It appears the Utah Senate must either delete the word from the bill, or legally define the word to be more inclusive, and avoid a future problem.

My 1998 Merriam-Webster Dictionary has two definitions of gender:  1. any of two or more divisions within a grammatical class that determine agreement with and selection of other words or grammatical forms.  [The other appears to be, but really isn’t simpler:] 2. sex.

Maybe the M-W editorial committee saw the writing on the wall 15 years ago, and decided not to expand that second definition, recognizing our changing culture.  (I’m almost afraid to look at the 2012 edition to see how “progressive” it is.)  I’m thinking we will eventually have three sets of definitions to cover the English language: traditional, legal, and this-is-life-now (the-only-constant-is-change) set.  I wrote about language change 11/30/11, as I see it happening every day. 

Enough of that heavy fare -- let’s lighten up!

Primary Purpose

To share a little personal history: I remember Mother playing the organ for our weekday (3:30 Wed.?) Primary meeting in the historic Twentieth Ward chapel.  I was probably around six to eight years old, and felt proud that my mother had such talent and prominence in the church.   Besides the music, my only other memory of that Primary is sitting in an upstairs classroom, hearing stories of prophets and Jesus.

My favorite songs were "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" and "I think When I Read That Sweet Story" (about Jesus and the children); I still love them.  On that subject, Kay loves her calling as Primary song leader, but her favorite job was Primary president in East Mill Creek when our children were young.

“The Organization of the Primary” (from the August 2009 Friend magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

“Many years ago, Aurelia Spencer Rogers, a mother of 12 children, was worried about the neighborhood boys. [Sound familiar?] ... Sister Rogers decided to speak with Sister Eliza R. Snow, the Relief Society general president. Together, Sister Rogers and Sister Snow decided to create an organization called Primary. President John Taylor suggested that boys and girls attend. The first day of Primary was held on Sunday, August 25, 1878, in the Farmington Rock Chapel in Utah. There were 215 children there. Today, 131 years later, more than one million children from all over the world belong to Primary. The main purpose of Primary is to teach children the gospel of Jesus Christ. …”  -- lds.org/...history+of+primary

One of my favorite jobs in the church was nursery assistant when our youngest daughter was in it; (not just because we got treats --cheese and crackers, cookies, etc.)  There were unforgettable spiritual rewards from nurturing and teaching the littlest ones about our Savior.