The algebra lion

Miracle of miracles, I spent time with my family this morning and early afternoon. I've been so busy that posting on my blog—which usually consists of copying and pasting from my journal—has been challenging. This semester is crazygonuts.

The definite upside? I scored 100% on my first probability exam and 79% on my first linear regression exam! Linear regression is a very difficult course—easily the most brain-demanding course I've ever taken—but I'm getting through and making sense of it. Right now, my overall grade stands at a 93%, which I'm very happy about.

Guifang, my linear regression professor, commented on the results of the first exam yesterday. She told a story about her first semester in America, how she hardly understood the language and struggled through her abstract algebra course. She didn't perform well at first, but, she said "I have a strong heart." She worked hard and got through it. And now she's teaching! I think her first semester in America was six years ago or something like that. Pretty incredible.

Man's prerogative

I just can't see myself holding up this sign.

A few days ago I read an article in The Salt Lake Tribune about a church that came to certain conclusions about divine punishment on America. While I don't have access to the original article, I found something similar here.

Later that same day, I read this appropriate statement in Jesus the Christ:

It is not man's prerogative to pass upon the purposes and designs of God, nor to judge by human reason alone that this person or that suffers disaster as a direct result of individual sin. Nevertheless men have ever been prone to so judge. There are many inheritors of the spirit of Job's friends, who assumed his guilt as certain because of the great misfortunes and sufferings that had come upon him.

Never mind the opinion of whether or not America is doomed. I just think Elder Talmage makes an excellent point.