Cholera Cemetery above Tredegar, Wales

Copyright Robin Drayton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

This is one of the bleakest, saddest places on earth up above Tredegar, Wales on Rhymney Hill. The cholera victims were buried up there because, well, cholera. While the story I am writing is not intended to be illustrated, this place makes an appearance.

We don't see much cholera today because of clean and safe drinking water and sewage systems generally through people united in governmental activity. During the Capitalist exploitation of the Industrial Revolution in Wales, there was no economic incentive to provide sanitary or sewers or clean drinking water. It was illegal for the workers to organize. The towns were controlled by the same wealthy men who controlled the pits and furnaces. When cholera struck, the masters left for houses deep in the country. If workers died, more were readily available from the poor of Ireland and elsewhere.

Let's All Repent & Be Humble

A little harsh, perhaps, but let's all repent and do better. From Anonymous D:

After the lesson on self-reliance last Sunday I’ve come to recognize just how much the average Latter-Day Saint despises the poor.  The occasion was nothing more than an opportunity for the resident businessmen and bankers to moralize about the incredible laziness of the less fortunate and potential employees.  Even those who themselves have been out of work got in on the act.  My reaction was not anger but an overwhelming sadness.  It’s come to this. We actually despise the poor and the needy.  I could, as I sat there, hear the words of Moroni ringing in my ears.  

Priesthood Session LATE Blogging: October 1, 2011

This is now online for all to watch. It was probably online live.

While our chapel has now gone wireless, and I know the password, I think I will still refrain from live-blogging the priesthood session on my netbook which could prove too much of a distraction to others. Although it might keep me and others more awake. I'll just have to try and scribble some notes in the inevitable darkness (they turn out all the lights to watch the screen!). And I'll try to blog highlights later.

I still don't know why they don't just broadcast it on TV. It's not any big secret or anything. To the credit of the LDS Institute at the U, they will rebroadcast at 9 pm so people can see it after the football game with the U of Washington Huskies. We'll see if any of my boys make it up there.

Cool! I Finally Have a Blog Frenemy!

This morning, I received an e-mail from one of my regular followers notifying that it appeared someone had attempted a little cyber-bullying going through all my past postings for some time and clicking on "dislike." This was on all of them, political, religious, personal, and otherwise. I found it highly entertaining. My passion is generally so moderated I don't stir up a lot of contention. I've had a few challenging comments but not as many as some were expecting. It's hard to argue with a moderate. Most dissenters simply dismiss me as no threat without a second thought. (Hence, their eventual surprise when we meek actually do inherit the earth!)

The Meek Peacemakers

Our Gospel Doctrine teacher was solid today but he gets a little nervous with comments that take him off his preparation. So, I was quietly going a little deeper in thought on my own into the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5). I had already noted and marked the Temple-War connection there. (OK, to lay it out - "Peacekeepers" should be obvious. The Beatitude just above mentions "pure in heart" which equals "Zion" (D&C 97:21) and "Zion" is the same thing as "Temple." (Jeremiah 50:28) (Jeremiah rather explicitly linking Zion, Temple and War).

And I was trying to figure out the meek inheriting the earth.