BYU is near last place in # peace corps volunteers

[Mr. Incredible]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Is the Bishop still in the military? I imagine it would be hard on a ward for the Bishop to be gone for a couple of years during his tenure.

I think he's in the reserves. He has returned from Iraq, so I suspect he won't be going back anytime soon.

[creekster]

My ward has 2 FT mnisionaries and one YW and one YM that have entered the armed forces within the last year or two.

WHen we were first married, my wife and I came THIS close to entering the Peace Corps (and I had already served a FT mission) but we were actually discouraged by the Corps itself becasue they told us that they didn't like to send couples to the same place unless one fo them had a hard science or practical skill of some sort to share. We were both liberal arts types that were both likley going to be teaching English and they didn't really want us as a couple, so we moved on.

[MikeWaters]

Impressed that so many of your kids are serving in the military. I don't know a single person in my parts.

[OrangeUte]

Originally Posted by creekster

My ward has 2 FT mnisionaries and one YW and one YM that have entered the armed forces within the last year or two.

WHen we were first married, my wife and I came THIS close to entering the Peace Corps (and I had already served a FT mission) but we were actually discouraged by the Corps itself becasue they told us that they didn't like to send couples to the same place unless one fo them had a hard science or practical skill of some sort to share. We were both liberal arts types that were both likley going to be teaching English and they didn't really want us as a couple, so we moved on.

you guys could have been like ted and elaine in the movie "airplane". you could have tought the male natives basketball, and your wife could have had tupperware parties with the females.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by OrangeUte

you guys could have been like ted and elaine in the movie "airplane". you could have tought the male natives basketball, and your wife could have had tupperware parties with the females.

I think that was exactly what they were trying to avoid. In a way, it was a sort of subtle sexism. The recruiter we met with (a woman in Berkeley, CA) kept talking about how it would be fine if my wife could teach English and I could teach engineering or design water systems, or design building foundations and some such. In all the scenarios and possible locations she always pointed out that my wife could easiyl teach English but i was the loser for not haveng a hard science or practical skill background. We met several times and they kept suggesting we go to different locations (as in differnet countries). We were resistant, being married and all.

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by Archaea

To me, what you're saying, is society would like to enlist certain members of society to sacrifice for the good of society. To do so, we need to label the work "noble" in order to encourage people to do something for a higher cause. It's a sociological phenomenum. Your use of the word or concept of nobility necessarily involves sacrifice for society, and hence noble.

That's not the only definition of nobility for me. All work makes a person a better person, as it requires discipline, sacrifice and regimen. The street cleaner may not look like a noble vocation, but our streets are better off if they are cleaned. A man who shows up for work routinely, keeps his truck clean and does a good job cleaning has performed his work honorably and nobly. And each cog to society is important and noble.

We typically look upon firefighters, police, and the military as noble professions because of the "heroic" aspect of their work. I do not detract from that, but find its emphasis demeaning to those quiet vocations that society still needs and upon which no light shines. Good, honest work is noble.

I agree- work is noble. Some work, however, is more noble because the sacrifice and/or benefit to society is greater.