While I have been posting on and off at Wheat & Tares as “Bishop Bill” over the past 7 years as a guest, the powers that be asked me to be a regular contributor to this blog. So I thought I’d do a brief introduction.
I’m a multi-generational Mormon on both sides of my family, with my GGGrandfather taking several plural wives after the 2nd Manifesto (1904) while living in the Mormon Colonies in Mexico. I served a mission in South America, was married in the Oakland Temple soon after, and have three kids, now all with families of their own.
I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and work for the US Government. I meet all the stereotypes for an engineer, with bad spelling and writing skills. Please feel free to correct me. I even have a little sticky note above my desk as I write this, showing when to use “affect vs effect”.
I have a warped sense of humor, as my poor wife will attest, and according to new research, a warped sense humor could be early sign of dementia. I also like satire, and have been known to weave Monty Python quotes into my posts.
I started my life on the Mormon internet in the early 1990’s, before there was even a world-wide web. I was a regular contributor to Mormon-L listserv, when it was hosted on BYU’s servers (until a certain professor got us kicked off!), and have been a regular poster to various forums over the last 25 years.
I was a bishop in the early 2000’s, and have since kept a pretty low profile at church as far as callings are concerned. I am active, and love asking the hard questions in class. Being a former bishop in the same ward you served in gives you lots of leeway in making such comments in class. I am the quintessential “cafeteria Mormon”; I take what works and reject the rest. (Should that be a semi-colon, a colon, or a comma? Bill Gates says semi-colon so I’m going with that!)
In my free time I play with my grand kids, read cognitive psychology books, and surf. My user name comes from a Bishop I had in my youth, and I picked it when I was doing the “You’re the Bishop” series here on Wheat & Tares in 2010. I plan on re-posting some of them as there are lots of new readers since then.
I hope I can meet your expectations!
Bishop Bill
Wheat & Tares 
“A warped sense of humor could be an early sign of dementia.”
I’m screwed.
Excellent use of the semicolon 🙂
Being a cafeteria Mormon, if the calling of bishop was an actual item plausibly on the menu at the Chuck-a-rama located at 400 south and 700+ east in Salt lake, what item might it be?
I look forward to the return of “You’re the Bishop”!
I agree completely with Bro. Jones! I loved, “You’re the Bishop!”
Well, Mike, I don’t know about that Chuch-a-rama, but if it were on a cafeteria menu, I would think it likely something like liverwurst, or maybe blood sausage, or something else to be avoided, if possible.
We are lucky to have you! Also, the Oatmeal is a great read if you’d like to understand how to use a semicolon: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon. At the bottom of this article, he’s got more on related writing topics.
Actually, a colon would be a better choice–the second part of the sentence explains the first (that you are a cafeteria Mormon). A semi-colon is not incorrect, though; bravo for braving it! Welcome to W&T, Bishop Bill!