Has the new Mormon Prophet given any new revelations from God? —Gerry A

No. But he has shared stories of his visits to widows, recited Edgar Guest poetry, and recently nailed the elusive "passive triplet" with this gem: "hearts were gladdened, spirits were lifted, and stomachs were filled."

OK, I just made that all up. But there's no question the role of prophet in the Mormon church is not what it was when Joseph was at the helm. I mean does anyone seriously think the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon is coming out during Monson's tenure? No, it appears that God's plan for the winding up scenes of the last dispensation is to have a bureaucratic gerontocracy that issues platitudes and can't be nailed down on any question where they may later be proven wrong. And poetry. Definitely poetry.