THURSDAY 24th SEPTEMBER 2015 07:00 BST

Read my book - ENLIGHTENMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK
 
Also available - EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK
 
WISDOM, HUMOUR, AND LOTS OF OTHER INTERESTING STUFF CAN BE FOUND ON MY PINTEREST PAGE and FACEBOOK PAGE
TO FIND OUT WHAT I DO, CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE

1. ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
24th September 1890
THE MORMON CHURCH RENOUNCES POLYGAMY IN THE 1890 MANIFESTO
Wilford Woodruff, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wrote the first draft of a manifesto which officially disavowed the continuing practice of plural marriage. There was a clear political motive for this - the Mormon aim of all Mormons having a "home state" as part of the USA. 

An application for statehood had already been rejected once because of federal opposition to the practice of polygamy. When Utah applied for statehood again after the Manifesto was issued, it was accepted. One of the conditions for granting Utah statehood was that a ban on polygamy be written into the state constitution. This was a condition required of other western states that were admitted into the Union later. Statehood was officially granted on January 4, 1896. 

Not all Mormons accepted this change of policy, seeing it as heresy. Breakaway churches formed and polygamy continued to be practised secretly. Dissenting groups persist to this day. The mainstream Mormon church, despite renouncing polygamy, continues to be rejected as a valid Christian church by the larger orthodox churches because the Mormons hold their founder Joseph Smith to be a genuine prophet, and his doctrines are at odds with mainstream Christian dogma. Smith himself had been a keen advocate and practitioner of polygamy, leaving the Mormon church on one hand revering Joseph Smith while on the other renouncing one of his central proclamations.

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
Quality Missus Time
Business promotional work
Meditation
Me Time

Twitter Followers = 2,016 (up 2)
Non-followed eliminated = 0
-
Unfollowers eliminated = 0
-
New Followers followed back = 0
-
Spammers not followed back = 2
Both untraced

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION

I continue to be pleased with my progress and the difference I am making, and it's a case of keeping on keeping on! I never forget however that the happiness I enjoy is not out my inherent life-force, but rather benevolent circumstances that I simply make use of. I will give myself credit for learning things and putting that learning into practice. Of these learned practices the most important is undoubtedly the Attitude of Gratitude. This makes happiness possible! Secondly, understanding what I really am allows me to recover from every distraction and gives me life's greatest prize - peace of mind.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Do you know who and what you really are?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Showers, often heavy, throughout but with sunny intervals
A moderate but gusty south-westerly will blow throughout
Max Temp = 12 degC at 2pm
Min Temp = 10 degC at midnight
Sunrise at 06:55
Sunset at 19:02
Moon: 

Weathertrack: A depression off Iceland will drive troughs across Britain today, resulting in heavy showers, but an anticyclone to the south is moving north

Air Pressure: 1007 millibars and rising

6. TODAY'S ONELINER

Just asked my wife what she's "burning up for dinner" and it turned out to be all of my personal belongings. :D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!

Jimmy Carr - improv

8. TRIVIA

REM atonia, or sleep paralysis, occurs in the typical sleeper every night to prevent people from acting out their dreams. Only a few muscles have the ability to move during REM sleep, such as the eye muscles, the auditory muscles, and the diaphragm for respiration.

9. ZEN WISDOM

Your strengths and abilities are forged in the fires of adversity