Philip Danielson

Managing Director | Negotiation Professor/Consultant | Speaker | Former Air Force Missile Officer | Happily Recovering Attorney | BYU Grad

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

Clint, while we claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. It only applies if it doesn't offend the aesthetics of a bedroom community in Texas.

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@StallionCornell Says one of the biggest ones. But it is ok as long as you can go after the majority of the church…Oh, the irony.

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@NoblestCalling @Grownded When the replace their signs, can we place next to each that says, Please Let Us Worship in Peace

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@Manhattva Preach!

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@JakeFleshner Negotiate bolder

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@Noah_Fencebutt @DChadwickAuthor Nope, never.

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@Noah_Fencebutt @DChadwickAuthor As a former nuke codes dude, my mission is where I learned about being cool under pressure but I’m not sure I would have been as chill as him.

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@winchesterlaw @LDSLaw Honduras. Same thing. Good times.

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@gaptoothdummy Don’t worry, the brutality comes the moment you think you can get away with it.

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@DanShaha I think you nailed it. It is a good thing.

[LDSLawyer @LDSLaw]

Some thoughts about the Declaration of Independence, in this, her 250th anniversary year. Third installment.

A scene from the 1935 film, Ruggles of Red Gap. In the film he plays a British butler who has been won by a rich western family in a poker game. He comes to America, and is infected by its freedom.

He quotes Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Now, regardless of your feelings about Lincoln, there's no doubt that he was absolutely STEEPED in the principles of the Declaration of Independence. You can see that literary genealogy in the words to one of the greatest political speeches ever delivered.

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

Dude, I love you. I really do. But I don’t believe this is some credal Christian separation thing. In my experience in the military, it is about how the Chaplain Corp minister and administer to soldiers. The bottom line is, we don’t need (or want) their help. We have the priesthood and can do it ourselves.

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@LDS_Dems Settle down skippy. I’m sure it has to do with how chaplains are managed. We don’t need a non-LDS Christian chaplain to manage us. We can do so ourselves through the priesthood.

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@johnyeardley @kariwarburton Add Ammon to that

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@skipwired @atensnut That’s my pick too

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@CynicalPublius @appathfinders Me too. I was on terminal leave for the first week of law school.

[Steve Bigler @bi02247255]

Offering some hopefully kind words to anyone who might be the parent of a full-time young LDS missionary - or will be in the future...

Along with my wife, I recently served an 18-month mission as an Area Medical Advisor. We covered 13 missions in the North America Central Area, dealing with the physical, mental, and emotional health of hundreds of missionaries.

I'd estimate that probably 94-95 percent of missionaries are enthusiastic, faithful, hard-working young men and women and get along great with their companions.

But somewhere around 5-6 percent of young missionaries struggle. And some struggle mightily! Some struggle with depression, anxiety, autism, and/or ADHD. Others just don't really want to be out in the field serving a mission and drag their feet daily.

Mission Leaders - the Mission President and his wife - leave their lives, their families, their work, and their careers for three years to truly live the Law of Consecration presiding over missions. It's a 24/7/365 calling. My wife and I grew to admire and respect these couples greatly! It just might be the hardest calling in the entire church!

In many cases, their greatest challenge wasn't dealing with the missionaries, it was dealing with the parents of the missionaries!

If you're the parent of a missionary, and you start getting calls from a concerned Mission President, please don't make his life and his job harder. Please accept that he is doing his level best to help your child. He and his wife are inspired, and they're right there "in the arena" with your child.

Also remember this: If your child is a virtually non-functioning missionary, that also destroys the mission experience of his or her companion! And that's not fair to the companion.

Also remember that the Mission President is typically responsible for around 150 or more missionaries. He simply cannot devote all of his time to your child.

So, if you receive concerning calls from your child's Mission President, it's perfectly fine to offer your thoughts or suggestions to him. It's also perfectly fine to urge and encourage your child to work hard and follow the counsel of his/her Mission President. But please don't dig in your heels and oppose the Mission President.

Yes, you know your child. But you don't know your child living far from home under the stress and demands of a full-time mission.

We honestly experienced parents who would state, "President, you can send my son home. But we're not going to pick him up at the airport. If he comes home from his mission, he's on his own!" Don't be that parent.

Also - to all LDS parents: Teach your children to do hard things as they're growing up. A mission is a hard thing. Very rewarding, but hard. It was pretty clear to us which missionaries had never done hard things.

And one last thought: Service Missions are real missions! Service Missions are NOT "less than." There are many ways to faithfully serve the Lord. Service Missions are one of those very valid ways. We came to love Service Missions and Service Missionaries!

[LDSLawyer @LDSLaw]

These are my casual rankings.

[Philip Danielson @DanielsonPhil]

@kat_maryb She put him out
Like the burning end of a midnight cigarette

Whiskey Lullaby