It requires a lot of faith to leave behind the known, and
venture into the unknown. I think that
that is exactly what Orson F. Whitney wanted when he gave his speech, “Home
Literature.” And that is exactly what Nephi Anderson took from it. He took a leap of faith when he wrote Added Upon. It was original and different from anything
else that had been done up to that point; the beginning of something great. Yet
I do not believe that Orson F. Whitney expected that the very first pieces of
Mormon literature would be masterpieces comparable to the works of Milton and
Shakespeare.
“Small things are the seeds of great things, and, like the
acorn that brings forth the oak, or the snowflake that forms the avalanche,
God’s kingdom will grow, and on wings of light and power soar to the summit of
its destiny.” This phrase by Whitney
helps us to understand that Added Upon,
as one of the first books written by us and for us, was simply the first
footstep on the trail that would lead to Mormon literary greatness. And while in itself, Added Upon is somewhat cheesy, and curious in its literary form and in its
content, it definitely follows Whitney’s instructions.
“Our literature must live and breathe for itself. Our
mission is diverse from all others; our literature must also be.” Anderson’s book is definitely different from
may other examples of literature, but I feel that it fulfills its message in
its themes; mainly being, the Plan of Salvation. Our mission of drawing all men unto Christ is
relevant in the book as it takes us step by step through the plan of salvation,
and teaches us the importance of other themes like family, friendship, and
genealogical work. Anderson was taking a
leap of faith in heeding an apostle’s call to preach the gospel to all people through
original literary pieces. "The writer of a book, is not he a preacher, preaching
not to this parish or that, on this day or that, but to all men, in all times
and places?" (Orson F. Whitney).
Nephi Anderson was a true pioneer. Like an Lds blogger in our day he was reaching out in a new and innovative way to share the truths he treasured. I think we can learn a lot from him.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I love this post. Yes, Nephi Anderson's book was a little cheesy, but he was trying. He was original and creative and he wove very important themes of his and the community into his novel. I think Milton and Shakespeare were geniuses and revolutionaries yes, but what made them so great was their passion. I think Whitney was calling for passion, calling for people to try, to create and to give. That's why I think Nephi Anderson was successful and paved the way for our own Miltons and Shakespeares, he was motivated by his values and passions.
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