Every Kid Should Have a Pet Rat

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by jpaul (bio)

A few Saturdays back, my wife had a photo shoot and I was in charge of our three kids (5, 3, 1) for a few hours. She should have known that leaving me alone with the kids on a Saturday morning was not going to end well. Being a wise husband, I decided the first thing we needed to do was leave the house so that it wouldn't be a disaster when my wife got home. Unfortunately, summers in Houston are unbearable, so going outside was not an option. I decided our best alternative to playing outside was to go to the Better Zoo. This is the name our family has given PetCo, since it is like the zoo, but better in two very important ways; it is free and it is air-conditioned.

I say it's free, but I guess that is only if you decide not to buy anything, which is what we usually do … not today. We passed by the small mammal section and spotted some rats that we just couldn't pass up. My son chose his favorite "feeder rat," which are meant to be fed to a snake, and named him Ratty. Hopefully words just popped into your mind like "gross" or "disgusting" ... perfect, read on.

In Memory of Richard Cracroft and the "Book Nook"

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by Scott Hales (bio)

Mormon letters recently lost one of its greatest champions, Professor Richard H. Cracroft, who passed away on Thursday, September 20, at the age of 76. From 1963 to 2001, Professor Cracroft taught English at Brigham Young University, served as the dean of the College of Humanities, coordinated the American Studies program, and directed the Center of Christian Values in Literature. He also served faithfully in various church callings, including bishop, stake president, and mission president for the Switzerland Zürich Mission.

Unfortunately, I never got a chance to meet Professor Cracroft. I will always remember him, though, as the author of Attuning the Authentic Mormon Voice: Stemming the Sophic Tide in LDS Literature, an important essay on Mormon literary criticism. I will also remember his monthly "Book Nook" column in BYU Magazine, which he used to introduce readers to lesser-known books by Mormon authors. When Professor Cracroft's health problems forced him to discontinue the column last year, BYU Magazine lost its one true gem.

In honor of Professor Cracroft's life and work, I'd like to do a one-time Book Nook column of my own here on MMM. As a rule, Professor Cracroft always limited his column to books by BYU graduates. I'm not going to be that strict. I hope he doesn't mind.

Hephzibah by Emmeline B. Wells
In 2012, Mormon novelists are as common as pennies under the couch. But that wasn't the case in 1889 when Emmeline B. Wells serialized Hephzibah in The Women's Exponent. Since it was never published in book form, though, this novel—the first, I believe, by a Mormon woman—was forgotten about. Fortunately, Ben Crowder and folks at the Mormon Texts Project have painstakingly transcribed the book from digitized issues of the Exponent, edited it for clarity, and made it available for free in various e-book formats on their website.

Linger Longer 14

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Linger Longer is a series where we highlight articles that recently caught our attention. Suggest religious blogs to add or recommend your own articles in the comments. Click here for previous efforts.

Bloggernacle (religious sites)
A Good Man is Hard to Find (Segullah)
Beauty and Unbearableness in Charlotte's Web (By Common Consent)
Gender and Priesthood (Times and Seasons)
Mormon Modesty: We Have to Do Better (Feminist Mormon Housewives) *way to go on the redesign FMH*
'Tis a Far, Far Better Thing (Zelophehad's Daughters)
Bean: Living With Sheldon (Dandelion Mama)
On Neutral Ground: Nephi Anderson and Race (The Low-Tech World)
How Do You Feel About the Relief Society Manuals? (The Exponent)
For the Strength of YOUth (Wheat & Tares)
Helaman's Sons (Keepapitchinin)
An Online Mormon Literature Course? (A Motley Vision)
Choosing Faith in the Face of Doubt (Doves and Serpents)
Remarkably Clever: The Mormons and Jane Austen (The Juvenile Instructor)
10 Changes If I Were in Charge of LDS Scripture  (Faith-Promoting Rumor)
Gender Issues in Mormonism (Ask Mormon Girl)
Is Criticizing Mitt Romney an Excommunicable Offense? No (Religion Dispatches)
The Former Bishop (The Craig Report)

Mormon-Related Podcasts
Episodes 363-364: Bishop Bill Reel (Mormon Stories Podcast)
Episode 127: Grace (Mormon Matters Podcast)
Episodes 125-126: Mormonism and Politics (Mormon Matters Podcast)
Episode 59: Gina Barberi (The Cultural Hall Podcast)

Off-Bloggernacle (non-religious sites)
Why I Love Mormonism (The New York Times)
Obama's Way (Vanity Fair)
How Michael Jackson Made 'Bad' (The Atlantic)
Everybody Jump, Soul Mates, and Cassini (What If?)
10 Habits of Remarkably Charismatic People (Inc.)
On the Goodness of Beeminder (Overcoming Bias)
What Americans Do All Day Long (The Big Picture)
What Inherits Your iTunes Library? (Pay Dirt Blog)
What I Am Grateful For (The Altucher Confidential)
Ready Steady Slow: Time Slows Down When We Prepare To Move (Discover Magazine)
A Slippery Slope: Dissing Facts and Science (Working Wider)
I Knew It All Along ... Didn't I? (Science Daily)
Why Free Stuff Is So Irrationally Exciting (Bloomberg)
How Google Builds Its Maps — and What It Means for the Future of Everything (The Atlantic)
Who Killed Sarcasm? (Slate)
Comments Are the Radioactive Waste of the Web (The Telegraph)

Mormon Doppelgängers 11: Jenna Kim Jones & Elisha Cuthbert

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by Scott Heffernan (bio)

See all Doppelgängers here.

Do you know Jenna Kim Jones? She's a writer, a comedian, and she's a Mormon. I don't know her personally, but I know I like her tweets.

You probably recognize Elisha Cuthbert as Jack Bauer's daughter on 24. Maybe you saw her in Old School or The Girl Next Door (neither of which are currently available on ClearPlay).

Other than looking alike, these lovely ladies don't seem to have much in common. However, Jenna is a Gemini and Elisha won a Gemini Award once, so ... there's that.

Honorable mention: Mae Whitman

Am I the only one who sees a resemblance here? You may know Mae from Parenthood, Scott Pilgrim vs. the Word, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. But really, she'll always be Ann, aka Egg, from Arrested Development.

Declaration of Dependence

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by Seattle Jon (bio)

image via BBC News

In 1913, in an effort to reduce and regulate childhood labor, the National Child Labor Committee composed a Declaration of Dependence by and on behalf of the children of America. I came across the declaration while reading Howard Zinn's A Young People's History of the United States, and since I'd never read it before I thought I would share. I particularly like the language in Section I.

WHEREAS, We, Children of America, are declared to have been born free and equal, and

WHEREAS, We are yet in bondage in this land of the free; are forced to toil the long day or the long night, with no control over the conditions of labor, as to health or safety or hours or wages, and with no right to the rewards of our service, therefore be it

RESOLVED, I - That childhood is endowed with certain inherent and inalienable rights, among which are freedom from toil for daily bread; the right to play and to dream; the right to the normal sleep of the night season; the right to an education, that we may have equality of opportunity for developing all that there is in us of mind and heart.

RESOLVED, II - That we declare our selves to be helpless and dependent; that we are and of right ought to be dependent, and that we hereby present the appeal of our helplessness that we may be protected in the enjoyment of the rights of childhood.

RESOLVED, III - That we demand the restoration of our rights by the abolition of child labor in America.

Interestingly, a Google search for "Declaration of Dependence" brought up an Ensign article written by Robert K. and Shirley Wilkes Thomas in June 1976 titled Declaration of Dependence: Teaching Patriotism in the Home. While not directly related to the declaration above, the article is worth reading.

Guest Post: Moroni vs. Jigsaw, The Role of Violence in Media

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Want to be translated like Enoch? Submitting a guest post to Modern Mormon Men is a good start. Send us an email with your post, a post title and a paragraph of introduction on yourself.

Jonathan Decker is a marriage and family therapist moonlighting as a film critic, providing Hollywood movie reviews from a Latter-day Saint perspective at Mormon Movie Guy. He also writes for Meridian Magazine and Mommy Bear Media. Jonathan has a background in independent film and stage performance, including two years with the popular BYU humor group Divine Comedy. Find and follow Jonathan on Facebook and Twitter.

When it comes to media, it used to be that General Authorities warned us mostly about pornography. In recent years, however, the Brethren have increasingly turned their attention to the portrayals of violence that are so prevalent at the cinema, on TV, and in video games. We are directed, in the most recent version of the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet, to "not attend, view, or participate in anything that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in anything that presents immorality or violence as acceptable."

Accepting, as I do, the words of modern prophets and apostles as if from the Lord himself (D&C 1:38) this poses a conundrum, as I love action films, a genre of entertainment that absolutely portrays violence as acceptable. Of course, if it were necessary, I’d like to believe that I would sacrifice my favorite manly movies in order to "be diligent in keeping the commandments of God as they are written." (Alma 37:20)

But wait just one minute. Isn’t there violence in Church movies? Should we avoid The Testaments because it shows the Lord being whipped and crucified? Is Joseph Smith - The Prophet of the Restoration inappropriate for my kids because it portrays the great restorer gunned down at Carthage Jail? Can I get an edited version of The Whole Armor of God, as it has a sword fight representing our battle sin? Could O Ye Fair Ones be run through Clearplay? After all, I don’t want to sit through that scene of a river flowing with blood after the Nephites are wiped out.

Please don’t misunderstand my humor as calling the Brethren into question. I’m absolutely not. I stand by my testimony that the kingdom is led by living prophets and apostles. But how do we account for this supposed discrepancy between the counsel we’ve received from Church leaders and the films they themselves have overseen and approved? Is violence ever acceptable in arts and entertainment?

Forget Proper Discipline: Let Your Kids Know You're Craaaaazy

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by Dustin (bio)

For some time now I've been intrigued as I watch parents struggle to discipline their children. Some parents have no discipline strategy at all and it shows: kids run rampant and constant anarchy reigns. Other parents have a great system in private but when their kids go out in public it all goes to pot. And yet other parents are unashamed to make a public display, such as the lady who put her kid in the naughty corner during sacrament meeting a few weeks ago, except the naughty corner was the front pew in the chapel in the middle of the meeting. The whole ward got a good taste of her child's tantrum abilities. Early on in our parenting I stumbled on a technique that has paid serious dividends in disciplining our children for inappropriate behavior, whether in public or in private, and I feel it's time to share it. As with all good parenting techniques, it has roots in the prison system.

Prison is a scary place. So is elementary school. And so is virtually any new environment where there is a pre-existing power dynamic -- first day at a new company, rookie on a sports team, new recruit in the military or in a fraternity. What all of these scenarios have in common is an underground hierarchy. Someone is the top dog and everyone else is not. But there's a quick, time-tested way to level the playing field and earn instant respect. It's the principle of "mind games." Let's look at an example:

Imagine it's your first day in prison. What's the first thing you do? Rearrange the cot in your cell? Organize your belongings and unpack your toothbrush? No. You go to the lunchroom and find the biggest, meanest, scariest inmate you can, walk directly up to him, and punch him in the face. Just like that everyone thinks "this guy is either really stupid or really crazy or both." Forget what happens as a result. The power dynamic has instantly shifted. People don't mess with you because you're unpredictable. They're not sure what's next. You make people uneasy and for that reason you're respected. But the principle doesn't always need to include physicality to be effective. Take your first day at a new job. One of the best ways to shift the power dynamic is to allow yourself to get "caught" in your office rocking back and forth, staring out the window with crazy eyes, and mumbling to yourself. People see this and think, "This guy's crazy. I'm not messing with him." Better yet, keep the door cracked while doing decline push ups off the edge of your desk in the middle of the afternoon. Mumble to yourself between sets and don't be afraid to occasionally lash out at the wall or another inanimate object. Instant respect.

So let's translate the principle to parenting. First off, I'm not advocating abuse. Far from it. What I'm advocating is keeping your kids on their toes. When kids act out they are testing your boundaries, so don't let them find the boundary. Here's how it works in our house:

Several weeks ago my four-year-old was misbehaving, acting the fool. Any other parent would have either spanked him or put him in the naughty corner straightaway, but I knew better. I recognized this as a perfect opportunity to leverage the craziness. I marched over to him, flipped him upside down, lifted him over my head by his ankles, and began to tricep press him. Partly stunned by my stealth and partly by the fact that he was now hanging upside down being repped like a dumbbell, he fell into line. Just as quickly as I lifted him over my head I set him back down on the couch, pointed at him, and nodded my head Mr. T style.

No words were exchanged. We didn't dialogue about what he was doing or why that just happened. I just let it linger and then walked off. We didn't need to discuss it. We both knew what just happened. And I could see the wheels in his mind spinning as I turned to walk away and left him thinking to himself, "What was that!?! Man. DAD IS CRAZY."

Here's another one: