User:Rich jj

About me
I grew up in California and the United States east coast in a large Mormon family that emphasized education. After serving an LDS mission, I finished college, started a family, and got a real job.

I've always been politically unaffiliated, though nearly all of my neighbors, associates, friends, and family are Republicans. I fancy myself a moderate and centrist, whatever that means. I don't think there often are good solutions to difficult problems, but we still have to fight for a better world.

I am an active, believing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I enjoy Mormon history as a hobby. Faith-promoting history is important to my religious life, but frank history can be more powerful as it presents people and events that I can actually identify with and believe. Integrity would have me consider differing sides of controversies, even though it gets messy and can make clear answers unattainable.

Wikipedia
I started contributing to Wikipedia in March 2008. While objectivity is impossible, I appreciate neutral language, consideration of all sides, and self-doubt. I like a well-cited article because one of Wikipedia's greatest strengths is surveying the major sources.

I tended to follow lots of Mormon pages, sometimes helping with vandalism, orphans, published works, and missing details, but generally avoiding larger battles. In recent years I've been "less active" since I find it difficult to find the time for lengthy research, writing, and editing. It's still a lot of fun, but I don't even know how I made time in the past.

I don't have a wiki law degree, so if I violate Wikipedia's numerous conventions, rules and politics, please kindly help me while assuming good faith.


 * User:Rich jj/Sandbox
 * User:Rich jj/works


 * LDS articles needed
 * Category:Latter Day Saint movement stubs
 * Bad links from the old Deseret News private archives search


 * Naming conventions (Latter Day Saints)
 * Manual of Style (Latter Day Saints)
 * Manual of Style
 * Template messages
 * Citation templates
 * Template:Harvard citation
 * Template:Infobox Person


 * watcher
 * BYU library catalog entry static link
 * Studies in Mormon History
 * LDS Church History Library catalog
 * LDS Church Periodical Index
 * WorldCat
 * US Copyright Catalog