The Kindergarten Author

I am the oldest of five children and for each child my mom has kept a box of school assignments, art projects and crafts that we have completed over the years.  The majority of my box contains tiny books I made with printer paper and staples.  My favorite activity was to compile these small books and write little stories .  As my childhood continued, these stories became  less fairy tale- like short stories and poems.  I read like a fanatic for school yet never considered this passion for literary practices more than a hobby.  I began my freshman year at BYU as a Pre-Communications major and happened to take an English class for GE .  I studied theory and literary technique and wrote analysis essays rather than fiction.  By the end of that semester, I had switched to an English major, realizing that English and literature and writing was more than a hobby but a way of life.
 I find that I cannot simply separate my life from literature.  I watch movies, have conversations, listen to music and feel "literary".  I read conference talks like personal essays and I find this method overwhelmingly uplifting.  As a way of expressing my testimony, I have written blog posts and spiritual poems since my ability to express myself thoroughly has recently been the written word.
I have felt my faith increase through literature on multiple occasions. including yesterday  when my teacher became choked up while reading Whitman.  Whitman wasn't testifying of the LDS Gospel yet spoke truths.  Analytical and literary techniques allow us to delve deeper into the Spirit of Truth we feel when listening to General conference or reading the Book of Mormon and the literature we read can emphasizes the eternal Truths we find through our faith in this Gospel.