The first quizteaser was a little statistics-heavy, so for the second quizteaser, I have decided to offer something more appropriate to people with little interest in numbers, something like a Name that Tune for texts. In the late 19th century, a Mormon writing in an official publication offered the following advice: “agreeable reading or conversation, beautiful soul thrilling music and even agreeable food; all these and much more are essentials.”
Here’s the question: to what did s/he refer?
Your answers have all been interesting and exciting, and I hope to see these guidelines implemented in almost all of those settings. Ultimately, Stirling has the right answer. The source is Hannah Tapfield King, “Procreation,” Woman’s Exponent 14/7 (1 Sep 1885), 51, as reprinted in Carmon Hardy’s fascinating and readable documentary history of polygamy, just out from Arthur C. Clarke company (pp 138-9). I meant to propose a nuanced discussion of the sanctity of human intimacy (recognizing that eugenics isn’t the first place we would currently look), but unfortunately I have too many work deadlines right now.
May 21, 2007 at 7:11 pm
I hope the answer is Sacrament meeting and that the news is we’re bringin’ back the soul thrillin music and the food.
It wasn’t a primordial bloggersnacker was it?
May 21, 2007 at 7:14 pm
What about keeping the Sabbath Day holy?
May 21, 2007 at 7:16 pm
amri–I just had an image of a Methodist agape feast with hand-made bread and cheese with some fresh herbs and vegetables and fine wine (or its appropriate current replacement) with maybe St. Matthew Passion, while we read some wonderful piece of holy fiction. Dang, I hope you’re right and it’s coming to a wardhouse near me.
May 21, 2007 at 7:24 pm
To traveling to Europe?
May 21, 2007 at 7:45 pm
What to look for in a plural wife?
May 21, 2007 at 8:54 pm
That line is obviously from a travel column in the Deseret News, describing the overnight accomodations at Fort Bridger.
May 21, 2007 at 9:43 pm
My first guess was FHE, but the timing’s wrong. How about temple night? I remember once reading here about all that dancing and holy kissing….
May 21, 2007 at 9:54 pm
P-day. I wish my P-days had had some soul thrilling music beyond my comp’s contraband Enya …
May 21, 2007 at 11:33 pm
It’s certainly not our ward’s Break the Fast potluck… there is absolutely nothing agreeable about 27 different ways to cook hamburger.
May 22, 2007 at 12:20 am
Weddings. The plural ones.
May 22, 2007 at 7:05 am
I’m going to guess accomodations in the home of Brigham Young.
May 22, 2007 at 7:28 am
Tips for potty training your children in one day.
May 22, 2007 at 8:05 am
Life in the Spirit World
May 22, 2007 at 8:50 am
suggestions for foreplay.
May 22, 2007 at 8:55 am
Funerals, before the advent of funeral potatoes.
May 22, 2007 at 8:58 am
These are all on the 19th century DO list for Sabbath day observance…
May 22, 2007 at 9:37 am
I think that the Sabbath Day observance might be right, or perhaps just guidelines for life. In the little Mormon town where I grew up, Sabbath guidelines were much more like the instructions above than what seems to be current in the culture.
May 22, 2007 at 9:58 am
Oh please be sacrament meeting. That’d be great. Heaven knows we really need to do something about it. Ad fonte!
May 22, 2007 at 10:56 am
Temple worship.
May 22, 2007 at 11:58 am
Suggestions for post-play.
Seriously, my vote is for aspects of a happy home – just to be different.
May 22, 2007 at 2:44 pm
I have no idea what the quotation may be in reference to. However, it would take nothing less than such to get me to another “Broadcast Stake Conference”, in which each of the elements are missing.
May 22, 2007 at 3:18 pm
The list contains 19th century suggestions for exorcising impure thoughts!
May 22, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Eugenics-inspired advice for the best conditions for procreation in order to produce healthy, non-degenerate children?
May 22, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Obviously, it refers to the ideal 24th of July celebration.
May 22, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Hosting your home teachers….after which you can put all that away and bring out the beer, the stale bags of Doritos, drag the Playboys out from under the couch and place them back on the coffee table, and crank up the heavy metal music!
May 22, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Requirements to get the Elders Quorum help you with a move.
May 22, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Answer now in revised initial post.
May 22, 2007 at 9:21 pm
This is about SEX!?! I love it. But won’t women start to enjoy it? Uh-oh.
May 22, 2007 at 9:25 pm
I should have stuck with you, Matt (#14 & #20), and not added my “real” guess. Oh, well, maybe I’ll learn.
May 23, 2007 at 7:23 am
Carmon Hardy’s fascinating and readable documentary history of polygamy, just out from Arthur C. Clarke company
I think you meant to write Arthur H. Clark here. Interesting slip, however.
May 23, 2007 at 9:05 am
That’s just wrong.
May 23, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Justin, touche. I actually have little idea who either of those gentlemen actually are. One is sci fi and one is fi-fi? pardon the pun.
May 23, 2007 at 5:11 pm
I hear ya about the agreeable food. A wise person once said, “I find pastrami to be the most sensual of all the salted, cured meats.”
May 23, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Hmm. Sam MB, I thought you were making some subconscious comment on polygamous eugenics as something in the realm of sci-fi.