Comments on: I Have a Question, 1895

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:47:13 +0000

“Gregabeth Stratocumulus” — between the two of us, John, I think we’re on to something. Whoa!

By: John Mansfield

John Mansfield — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:59:37 +0000

Ardis, my frazzled mind that day ran in a different direction than Gregabeth. It started with the idea that the last name assigned my child didn't necessarily have to be my last name, as President Cannon, his questioner, and any right-thinking person would assume. It could be any last name I picked. It could be any word, like Chair or Stratocumulus. There didn't have to be a last name at all. The names could sequences of random syllables, or unpronounceable strings of letters. Again what struck me most was that not even the last name was necessarily safe from atrocities inflicted my demented parents, hence the connection to the Juvenile Instructor entry above.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:20:37 +0000

I don’t know nothin’ ’bout unique names, SilverRain!

And I hope I didn’t offend many Rusellettes or Gregabeths out there when I referred to freakishly original names …

By: SilverRain

SilverRain — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:59:24 +0000

My parent’s children all have very unique names (which is part of the reason I use a pseudonym on public blogs,) and I gave my daughters unique names. But I chose names that were historical and reflected their ancestral culture, not ones I just made up.

The initial thing just goes to show that we are a hopelessly irreverent culture.

By: The Other Clark

The Other Clark — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:39:36 +0000

If those who administer the affairs of the Church don’t like seeing “the Church of J.C. of L.D.S.” I guess I’ll be getting a few tithing checks back!

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:42:57 +0000

I can think of a few parents whose children’s freakish names and oryijinalle spellings prove that they were not as wise as John.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:47:23 +0000

John, I’m trying to imagine what you might have called him…

By: John Mansfield

John Mansfield — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 17:57:01 +0000

The afternoon after my first child had been born, and my wife was asleep, and I sat down and felt all the hours that had passed since we rose from our beds a little after midnight, I looked at the form to fill out for the state vital statistics registering the birth. There was a blank for last name. Every thing was open. We could name the child anything, even any last name. Such power that could be so easily and so horribly abused required a night’s sleep to assure that no harm was inflicted.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:45:29 +0000

I was fascinated by my sin of calling Brigham Young University “The Y”.

But also by the discussion of literal descendants of Aaron as bishops. Good stuff this time (canned or not).

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:12:58 +0000

Love the stuff on baby blessings, especially the note about eighth day blessings. While very common, I only had one transcript of such a blessing and I found a second only a week ago! Very cool stuff.