Added Upon in a Different Light

The scriptures admonish us to "Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith" (D&C 88:118). I’m not exactly sure what God meant when he instructed us to seek out of the “best books,” but I believe His criteria is different from that of modern literary scholars. Orson Whitney had his own ideas about that scripture as it pertains to Mormon literature. He stated, “Above all things, we must be original. The Holy Ghost is the genius of "Mormon" literature. Not Jupiter, nor Mars, Minerva, nor Mercury. No fabled gods and goddesses…Our literature must live and breathe for itself. Our mission is diverse from all others; our literature must also be.” I believe that to be an enlightened statement. 

By this divine standard, I believe Nephi Anderson’s novel “Added Upon” falls under the umbrella of these “best books.” The story of various people journeying through pre-mortal, mortal, and post-mortal life, this novel focuses more on effectively teaching the Plan of Salvation than building its characters. In a way, it feels like a well-constructed Sunday school lesson, using allegories and stories form real people to strengthen the lessons about mortality and immortality. Although the book is far from eloquent by most worldly standards and relies more heavily on scriptural references than characters to deliver its points, I believe it still accomplishes something significant. 

The point of the novel is not to connect us with the happenings of the characters’ lives. Rather, we are meant to connect with the Plan of Salvation. I believe this is the case with the Book of Mormon. While Mormon Scholars have long interpreted the character and personality of characters off the pages, the Book of Mormon remains largely vague as to the personal lives of its characters (maybe with the exception of Nephi). Even the life of Christ is very sparsely covered relative to his 30+ years of life. I believe the reason is that these books take for their subject matter something bigger than personality. Nephi Anderson, in his own way, is trying to “add upon” the knowledge of the scriptures. While his style is not something I would be likely to emulate when trying to reach a non-LDS audience, I believe his efforts are commendable. At the very least, “Added Upon” understands its mission as being diverse from all others. 

Don't Judge a Book by its Terrible Writing

Anyone that has taken a creative writing class anytime in the last decade or so has probably had a few ideas drilled into them: Show, don't tell; sense of place, consistent characterization, "Kill your darlings," etc. When a reader starts Nephi Anderson's Added Upon, it becomes immediately apparent that this book was not only written in a different century (1898 to be exact), but would have benefited from a more thought-out, more skilled authorial hand. 

While trying to teach the beliefs Latter-Day Saints in regards to living before and after our time on earth, Anderson writes with a style that is overly obvious and painfully amateur. In fact, I would not have survived part one of the book had I not been required to read it. So, moral of the story? Steer clear of this book and save yourself a little agony, right? Actually, no.

Sharing feelings and testimony of God is deeply embedded into the culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and it was clear, that in his own flawed way, that's just what  Anderson is doing in this novel. After muddling through the first pages (and I did have to muddle!), I felt the less than masterful writing added a sense of sincerity to the text. As I approached the novel this way, I began to care about the characters, their lives, and what they were trying to accomplish. I appreciated seeing different views of our beliefs in both the characters and the overall novel. We may be one church, but we are made up of individuals, and we have different perspectives and approaches to our gospel understanding. I felt that in this novel. We all try hard, but no one's perfect. That I felt that in this novel as I forgave the awful writing again and again.

No, this book is not a nice piece of brain candy to gobble up on a sunny afternoon. But it is thought-provoking—even more so because of its flaws. I'm surprised to tell you that (in a painful sort of way) I actually enjoyed this book.

Lacked Upon

Nephi Anderson's novel "Added Upon" tells the story of the plan of salvation, as believed by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was a revolutionary novel, the first of a long line of what we today refer to as "Mormon literature." This novel opened up many doors for other aspiring Mormon authors to publish their work.

That being said, Anderson's novel felt like the first of it's kind. The idea of the story was a very compelling and interesting one for sure. Many people, even today, are very interested in learning where they came from and what will happen after death and this offers one such view in a cute novel. However, the characters, albeit adorably cheesy, were not well-developed. I never felt very connected on any level to the characters. I also felt at times that the story line was a bit confusing, as we jumped from character to character and even from one time to another.

Thinking of a non-Mormon audience, I think that these readers would get extremely confused and lost. There were terms that weren't fully explained until much later on, such as temples. The whole concept overall is a hard thing to accept if it's not explained properly and I myself got confused in certain sections as to what part of the plan of salvation we were supposed to be learning about.

Even with all of these complaints, I still enjoyed the novel overall. Anderson may have bitten off more than he could plausibly chew when he chose the plan of salvation as the basis of his novel, but he did pave the way for other novels with more clarity and deeper, more realistic characters to be written and published. The saving grace of this novel is it's fascinating topic of the plan of salvation, which I believe is the only real reason I enjoyed the novel to any degree.

The Great Didactic Novel

In his novel, Added Upon, Nephi Anderson depicts the Latter-day Saint belief in the Plan of Salvation through the stories of various characters as they navigate the different stages of the plan. The novel begins in the premortal life where the main characters accept Heavenly Father's plan to come to earth and be tested. It then follows these same characters through their earthly experiences and trials on to their life in the spirit world and, finally, into the Millennium and resurrection.
The novel does have potential to accomplish some great things. Depicting the Plan of Salvation in a narrative way can make it more accessible for people and help readers understand the doctrines of the plan in a personal way as they read about how it applies to fictional characters they can relate to.
However, the novel falls short of its potential to accomplish these two feats for a couple reasons. First, the characters are extremely flat and don't fully develop. They face struggles and trials, but instead of showing the reader how the characters grew from these difficulties, Anderson simply has them miraculously find the Gospel and immediately accept it, which suddenly solves all their problems. It almost makes the characters seem like they're practicing blind obedience instead of faith because the reader never sees the characters' faith grow. They don't see the character come to believe, they simply see the character suddenly believe which is hard to relate to.
It also falls short because it conveys the Gospel in a very didactic, preachy way. In a novel this can come across as abrasive because the lessons of a story should naturally spring from the story, not be forced on the readers. Readers want to find the lesson for themselves and this novel doesn't give them that opportunity. Instead to blatantly states it, making the lesson and not the story the focus of the novel.

Image by Pixabay.com

And then there's that..."Added Upon"'s Over the Top Ending

Nephi Anderson's book "Added Upon" provides a look into the possibilities and experiences regarding the Plan of Salvation.  Anderson uses four spiritual settings in his book: the pre-existence, mortal life, the spirit world and the millennium.  In the pre-existence, the readers are introduced to multiple characters, specifically Homan and Delsa, who currently experience the great battle of Heaven.  Lucifer, the Son of Morning, offers his plan of personal glory while Christ offers a plan of redemption and all glory be to God.  These characters discuss both plans for mortal life, deciding to align themselves with the plan.  Anderson language in this section sounds quite scriptural meaning that his use of actual scripture and his explanation/description of the Plan of Salvation and Pre-Existence blend together. Though only presenting an imagined view of the pre-mortal world, Anderson language makes this world believable.
In the mortal world, the readers are introduced to the characters of Rupert, Signe, Rachel, Marie and Henrik.  These characters all experience conversions to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Though converted in different ways and by different aspects of the Gospel, each character's conversion happens quite quickly.  Considering Anderson's timeline, spanning from pre-existence to the millennium, perhaps the details of the conversion were not as pertinent as the happening of the conversion.   The language in the mortal life is interesting as well.  Whereas the language describing the pre-existence was more formal and scripture-like, the language in the mortal-life is more informal and reads more like a story.  By the end of the mortal section, every one has married (except Rachel) and passed away having lived a fulfilling and prosperous life with a bright and pleasing ending that reads "Peace and prosperity came to the people of this story.  As years were added to years, their good works increased, until the Lord said to each of them, Enough.  Then in their own time and place, they passed into the Paradise of God."
The final two sections include Anderson's speculation of the Spirit World and the Millennium. Anderson goes into much more detail especially in regards to the Millennium.  On a purely subjective opinion note, I found the section regarding the Millennium a little over my head.  The scenes involving the King of Poland I found confusing and a little out of place.  The ending involved the characters being reunited with friends and family in Zion which was a nice conclusion but I could have done without the section about the Millennium.  The depiction of the Spirit World was similar to other depictions I have read and was not too over the top yet I was confused by the marriage of Rachel and David and how their temple work came about.
Overall, Nephi Anderson provides an interesting, to say the least, account of multiple character's experience with the different stages of the Plan of Salvation and definitely delves deep into the possible settings of each stage.

a novel novel

Nephi Anderson’s novel Added Upon does a very clean job of navigating through the beliefs of the Latter-day Saints (LDS) in a clear and simple way. By addressing the belief of a Pre-Mortal existence, an Earthly existence, and a Post-Mortal existence, Anderson outlines the LDS doctrine of what is called the Plan of Salvation. This Plan is absolutely key doctrine to the beliefs of the Latter-day Saints and to understanding further doctrine and principles. Through his effective writing style and storyline choices, Anderson is able to clarify an often misunderstood piece of the restored gospel, as believed by the LDS population.

He addresses specifics of how the pre-mortal existence went, in how all of God’s children were invited to come to this Earth, and how both Christ and Lucifer volunteered their lives for the Plan. He creates a confusion in the pre-mortal existence that is relatable and understandable for all readers—he makes the scenarios very realistic. He uses an assortment of very human characters to continue his story in depicting the earthly existence to which the readers might be able to better relate to and understand because of how real the situations are. He continues to easily explain the post-mortal existence and the Millennium through using those same characters to navigate those areas of eternity as though they are really happening. This novel is actually quite novel in its approach to structure and content. It is intriguing, informational, and inspiring.

Added Upon: Truth as a Substitute for Artistic Beauty

Photo by Ben Crowder

Added Upon as one of the first novels written in the LDS genre, is certainly a landmark novel for its structure, audience, purpose, and attempt at portraying doctrinal truth as fiction. Many of us are familiar with Saturday's Warrior, a Plan of Salvation narrative that colored our childhood Sundays. But until reading Added Upon many of us will not have realized that Saturday's Warrior had a precursor.

Following two main families, the Bogstads and the Ames, we watch as love in the pre-exsistence becomes love in mortality. We see life sorrow turn into life lessons, and saviors come from many different avenues, often unexpected. As relationships are begun, nourished, and enjoyed in each stage of the Plan of Salvation it is easy to see the appeal of the Plan of Salvation as a doctrinal tenet.

As a salvation narrative, Added Upon sets forth a five part structure beginning in the pre-exsistence, then moving through mortality, the spirit world, the millennium, and resurrection. Unfortunately the transitions between sections are abrupt and rushed, making for poor artistry, though such abruptness may function as a representation of the distinct places of being that comprise the Plan of Salvation. Similarly, the characterization of the novel is almost non-existent, emphasizing, rather, their actions, and the work they are involved in as they seek to become a part of God's plan. These aspects make for poor style, ineffective fiction, and detached readers, but perhaps, a point is being made that Truth should be able to stand on its own, functioning as the beauty and artistry, instead of being shackled to artistry as a means of appeal.

Because this novel is written for an LDS audience, it tends to fall back on antiquated language that we are familiar with through scripture. Its structures, characters, and style were all weak as well because they reflected a reliance upon the audience's LDS culture instead of the art of style. But perhaps that is the point; perhaps Truth should not be bound by the beauty of artistry.

"Go Bang Your Head on a Desk": Ideology in Nephi Anderson's Added Upon

Nephi Anderson’s Added Upon, typically regarded as the first Mormon novel, outlines the Mormon doctrine of the plan of salvation onto a narrative about some people. The novel serves as a fascinating window into the lives of turn-of-the-century Mormons: how they interacted with the world around them, and how they valued and practiced the various doctrines of their religion. As a work of literature, though, Anderson’s novel commits a cardinal sin: that of being one of the most boring books out there, and of making its reader want to bang their head on their desk.

          Most of the literature that I value employs a pragmatic, “showing is better than telling” construct to its design. This is what makes literature not just words, but art: it elevates somebody else’s story into a vicarious experience for the reader. Added Upon, however, is driven by dogmatic, “tell, don’t show” methods of craft. This makes the book feel more like a really long pamphlet than a novel, and, again, will make you want to bang your head on your desk.

          How does Anderson pull off this magnificent effect, you ask? Here’s a few ways:

1.     Hollow character. This book has six main characters: Rupert, Signe, Henrik, Marie, Rachel, and the King of Poland (I'm serious), all of whom are essentially the same person. These are not people, but ghosts, who essentially think the same way, and who never have to make any concrete decisions. They were so boring, that when I got to the part about Chicago, I leapt with delight, because the city itself was the most interesting character so far. (It got about a paragraph of description before Anderson moved on to other stuff.)

Something you should go see instead of reading Added Upon

2.     Technical ideology. More than character, Anderson concerns his “book” with ideology: he wants to tell you all of the most famous Mormon doctrines, more than tell you about the people he’s created. I use the word technical in this bullet point because this ideological emphasis gives the book a scientific, explanatory spin to it. It’s a recipe, it’s an owner’s manual, it’s Yahoo Answers, it’s an infomercial—but it's not a novel.

3.     Forward design. Unlike a tightly plotted movie, in which the writer sees the end from the beginning, Anderson writes this book like a journal, never really sure about what’s coming next. This is why so few of the conflicts in the novel—Homan and Delsa’s suspended love, Rupert’s loss of his parents, Marie refusing Henrik’s proposal—ever land; they get barely any time to simmer, which prevents the reader from connecting with them. Anderson’s forward design gives the book no forward motion; it makes you want to put the book down, not race to the end.

I give it an iron medal! Hopefully you’ll never have to think about seeing this one in theaters.

Above All Else, Be Good

In Orson F. Whitney's ambitious plead for the LDS people to create and advance the artistic and technological advancements of the world, he practically begs for us to, "above all things, [...] be original." He reasons that we have a culture and a religious history that is so unique and innately different that it should be easy for us to create works of art that are, if nothing else, unique from anything else in the world.

Considering the time of Whitney's address (1888) and the release of Nephi Anderson's Added Upon (1898), I can't help but imagine Anderson hearing this plea, running home to his favorite writing spot, and putting pen (quill?) to paper (parchment?). His ambitious portrayal of the Plan of Salvation in its whole--including the parts wholly unique and original to our religion--is practically a direct response to Whitney's statement.

The question that must then follow this, is "was he successful?"

Successful in being original? Absolutely.

Successful in being good? Not quite.

I understand that this book comes from a time early in the church's history when fascination with our doctrine must have (understandably) been incredible. But to now read a book where we get to follow two characters through the War in Heaven and then find each other (as "soulmates" nonetheless--something of a dirty word among LDS singles nowadays) on Earth and then into the postmortal realm, gives me the same icky feeling that I get when I see a painting of people in robes standing around in what's supposed to be the pre-Earth life, or seeing old Church videos depicting heaven.

We have absolutely no clue what either of those places would be like. And until we do, any attempt to depict it will fall miserably, unsettlingly short.  

Higher Education

What do most people think of when they hear people discussing the matter of higher education?  Likely college, undergraduate and graduate studies, and possibly PhD or Masters’ programs.  However, when Orson Whitney referenced Doctrine and Covenants 88:118 in his speech Home Literature, I automatically thought of the divine higher education that is taught in the House of the Lord and through other means.  What do temporal and spiritual learning have in common, and how can we use one to aid the other?

Nephi Anderson’s novel Added Upon discusses the knowledge we gained while still living in the premortal life.  The narrator talked about how the experiences we had in heaven were “wholly within the compass of spiritual life” and how we must “become acquainted with the existence of properties, laws, and organization of matter” other than those we knew as spiritual beings.  This concept made me think about what I need to be learning of temporal importance while on this earth, and how I can use my spiritual knowledge to further advance my education.

After pondering this topic for some time, I came to the conclusion that my desire is to obey God’s every command, which specifically includes D&C 88:118.  Through Joseph Smith, God instructed us to “Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”  Through obeying this commandment, we can fulfil the mission which we were sent here to complete.  Whitney defines it as such, “to draw all men unto Christ by means of knowledge, wisdom and learning revealed from heaven and recorded in the best of books.”

Through these teachings, I know we can fulfil this mission and obey God’s commandments to educate ourselves and those around us in the temporal and spiritual things of the world, as taught in Nephi Andersons’s Added Upon and Orson Whitney’s Home Literature.

Humble Your Heart

My absolute favorite theme in "Added Upon" is to humble your heart and become worthy to live with God once again. In the novel, we are able to see that many of the characters needed to become humble. Heavenly Father gave them many trials which help them to humble their hearts.

I believe being humble is extraordinarily difficult for people in this world. Everybody wants to drive the fancy drives, wear the expensive clothes, be the best of the best, show everyone that they are successful and know that they are successful. I grew up in Southern California where this is extremely prevalent Many people do not take the time to notice that there life is this way because God blessed them to have these amazing lives. Seeing this so often, I try to make it a priority in my life to remember that all of my talents and gifts were given to me from God and without out him I would not be where I am today.

In Orson Whitney's talk, he discusses how people need to be humble and need to seek to live with God once more. I believe that Nephi Anderson did a fantastic job of displaying the need to have humble heart. The best display of needing to have a humble heart is when Rupert was prideful about what he had done for the city he lived in. Next thing we know, Rupert lost his house, farm, and fiancé without any notice. This is when Rupert becomes humble and changes who he is. He also joins the church at this time.

Having a humble heart is one of the most necessary thing in this life. Being prideful you nowhere in this life. We are all so blessed so just remember that Heavenly Father has given you everything!

The Universal Dream

 

Photo from: my.englishclub.com

Every child has a dream. To become something great, something that is marveled at; that is the universal dream. There is something deep within us that inspires us from birth to want to become something special. A fireman, astronaut, professional musician. The list goes on and on.

Photo from: kidsdreamspot.com

There is one thing in common with these dreams: virtuosity. Becoming something above and beyond the average person. To become so skilled and fluent in one thing that you shine above the rest.

 A main theme in the book, Added Upon by Nephi Anderson, is virtuosic excellence, although not in the way we normally view it.

It came in the criticism of Sardus’ love of music. His friend Homan tells him, “I think there is danger in it. Some I know who neglect every other duty except the cultivation of a certain gift.”

At first, this makes no sense. How could working towards that childhood dream, that universal goal, be so terrible? But Homan continues.
Homan explains, “I think we ought to grow into a perfectly rounded character, cultivating all of Father’s gifts to us, but not permitting any of them to become an object of worship.”

Delsa affirms Homan’s stance, saying, “It is well enough to excel at one thing, but that should not endanger our harmonious development.”

Photo from: questforgod.org

And here we find a continuous theme throughout the book. The author expands our view of excellence and that dream that we were all born with.

Orson F. Whitney exhorts all in his talk, Home Literature, to rise up in our own sphere and to be like Shakespeare, Goethe, and Carlyle.  He says of them, “[they brought] rich treasures of inspired thought and intelligent research into the lap of humanity, giving birth to civilization and filling earth with fame and glory.”

He shows us that it is not enough to improve one aspect of our lives. No, we should be striving toward a much higher goal. In the eternal scope that the novel, Added Upon, places us in, the goal becomes excellence in more than just one aspect of our lives.

 The goal becomes excellence in every aspect of our lives.

It Is The Bosom That Burns

My favorite line from Orson Whitney’s Home Literature speech is as follows: 

“The intellect may shine, but it is the bosom that burns, and warms into life 

every movement that is born to bless humanity.” 

When addressing matters of the spirit, it is important to remember that whatever is being said is framed in a way that is factually correct and in a way that can inspire people. 

Photo Cred: www.lovethispic.com

How often have we spent an hour in Sunday school listening to the teacher with half a mind and no desire to connect with the lesson? Contrary to that, how many times have we learned and taken away significantly more, simply because we found our connection and it opened up our heart, which in turn opened up our mind?

In the preface to Nephi Anderson’s Added Upon, he mentions that “It is suggestive only; but it is hoped that the mind of the reader, illumined by the Spirit of the Lord, will be able to fill in all the details that the heart may desire.”As an author, especially in the Mormon Literature Genre, he understands that two different people will take away two completely different opinions of the book. While that is one of the amazing things about human nature, it also proves to be a difficult challenge to approach. 

Anderson relies on the Spirit to fill in the missing parts of his novel. He provides the basis and the story, but for many there will be no takeaway, unless they open their hearts as they are using their minds. After all, even God said that he will tell us both in our mind and in our heart (D&C 8:2).

This is our Story

Orson F. Whitney was on to something when he declared in his 1888 speech, Home Literature, "We will yet have Milton and Shakespeare's of our own." Whitney called for a movement to flood the homes of Latter-day Saints with vitreous and wholesome books.

Shortly after, Nephi Anderson's Added Upon, became one of the greatest Mormon literary successes.

Sometimes our change is slow or unorganized but it is what God expects of us

Simply because this story is our story. In Added Upon, we follow the journey of a few of our Father in Heaven's spirit children through what we know as the Plan of Salvation, the three act play.
Our pre-mortal existence, our life on earth, and Eternal life.

Although, Anderson provided little structure, organization and form, it is an accurate representation of our life. Sometimes, little or nothing is quite expected or how we want it to be. Life, spiritual conversion, relationships, never follow 'one size fits all' pattern, or logical path. However, knowing of God's perfectly structured plan helps us find peace despite the abrupt changes in life.

Ultimately, Adnerson was trying to teach us how personally we live the Plan of Salvation. Just like the characters go about great changes--from one location to the next--they learn to form and become something in the process because of their experiences and challenges.

This teaches us that God's plan for each of His children its not just about getting somewhere, its about becoming something. And so, this is our story. We, God's children, are not just here to get somewhere--the Celestial Kingdom, God does not just care about our location, He cares about us, our hearts, our desires, our weakness and strengths, and He wants us to become something. Ultimately, He wants us to become like Him.

Light and Darkness

In Orson Whitney’s speech “Home Literature”, one of the topics he teaches is the importance of truth. He says that no matter where and who creates finds it, truth is truth.  God, or more specifically the Holy Ghost, inspires truth. In the history of the human race God has inspired men and woman to share truth with others through literature, music, oral tradition and other mediums.

What happens though, when there is so much truth in a book but it also has its flaws? Do we love it and revere it? Do we take the good without the bad? Can we truly understand the truthful part without the other part?

In Nephi Anderson’s Added Upon, as readers, we must make this distinction. This book is full of great imagery and excels in its ability to transport a reader to the premortal realm.  Anderson sheds light on what it may have been like to fight Lucifer in the battle of the minds.  The truth is that the children of God are mighty and fully capable beating evil.  In this life we are really in a battle of the minds.

In a world where the Adversary fights so hard for our souls, it is comforting that there are people who listen to the Spirit. I believe it is a way that the Lord is fighting against Satan and a way that the Lord intends to bring many souls back to Him.

“For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God” (Book of Mormon)

I believe that there are many seeds of truth in the book Added Upon but we must be careful so that we do not accept everything. In short, take the light and leave the darkness!

The Plan of Salvation and "Added Upon"

In Nephi Anderson’s “Added Upon”, I thought that it was very interesting how the plot developed.  I think Anderson accomplished what Orson F. Whitney wanted regarding the church and how literature would take part in it.

In the speech called “Home Literature” by Orson F. Whitney, Whitney mentions the scripture “If ye are Abraham’s children, ye will do the works of Abraham.”  Whitney also states “It is by means of literature that much of this great work will have to be accomplished: a literature of power and purity, worth of such a work.”  So, according to Whitney, the “works of Abraham”, or the works of salvation, are to be done through literature.

In Anderson’s “Added Upon”, as Anderson would have characters in the book speak, he would sometimes have the characters give doctrine, often by having them go on for paragraphs at a time, something that probably wouldn’t happen in a real conversation.  However unrealistic this may have been, I believe Anderson did a great job of keeping the dialogue simple, moving the story along fairly quickly, and sharing the entire Plan of Salvation without losing the interest of the reader.

By doing this, I believe that Anderson helped accomplish what Orson F. Whitney was talking about – the “works of Abraham” or the works of salvation.  I think that reading “Added Upon” is a refreshing take on the well-established Plan of Salvation.  By being refreshing, “Added Upon” can help create new interest in the Plan of Salvation that might be lacking as a result of always seeing the Plan of Salvation in the same way (through scripture, Sunday school, etc.).  This can help someone stay focused on studying the Plan of Salvation, whereas he or she might not be inclined to study it or focus on it nearly as much.

The Genius of Mormon literature

Can we truly lock down the concept of what “Mormon” literature should consist of? I believe it is true that pending the style, genre, format and purpose behind the writing our perception of the Mormon culture and doctrinal concepts can be heavily influenced. 

In a marvelous speech given by Orson F. Whiney titled “Home Literature” he taught this principle as he encouraged members of the church to become involved with sharing the gospel through literature. 

“Experience has taught me that it is the heart. not simply the head, we must appeal to, if we wish to stir the soul. The intellect may shine, but it is the bosom that burns, and warms into life every movement that is born to bless humanity. l, therefore, speak to your hearts, and I would rather say three words by the power of the Holy Ghost than lecture here for three hours on the fables of Greece and Rome.” 

Mormon literary pioneer, author Nephi Anderson gives his attempt to provide a look into the gospel through his 1898 novel “Added Upon”.  The foundation of this novel is based up the church doctrine regarding the Plan of Salvation. This doctrine is already criticized and questioned due to differences from main stream christian beliefs. 

From the pre-earth life experience to the millennium and exaltation, we can see how the lives of the characters are impacted and blessed through the simple blessings of the gospel. While the doctrine at times in inaccurate, for those that know little of the mormon faith they can at the very least feel the joy and happiness that come from the knowledge of our heavenly fathers plan and how his timing is what matters. We just have to go forth in faith. 

Whitney reminds us that “Above all things, we must be original. The Holy Ghost is the genius of "Mormon" literature.” despite misleading doctrines taught in the novel, Anderson has captured a portion of the genius and allowed us to feel the blessings of the fathers plan through “Added Upon” 

A Journey of Souls

“…And they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever”

Added Upon is an LDS fiction book that brings love to its purest. From pre-existence, through mortality, and into the spirit world beyond this life, Nephi Anderson tell us a sweet story depicting how life did not start here in mortality, and neither will end in this world. The plan of salvation shows how this mortal life is just a small part in a journey of souls, in which we are all immersed but only some of us will come to the next state. Nevertheless, just an eternal perspective could give us like Anderson said “…an opportunity for every deserving soul ” to achieve the highest estate, and live with the ones we love the most.

It is amazing to simple think that those we love on earth were also an important part of our lives in the pre-mortal existence. Just like Delsa and Homan were joined together in a very inspiring journey, we have the same opportunity to enjoy earthly experiences next to those whom we met before this life.

Specifically, I really like the literary way Anderson describes the feeling of love between Delsa and Homan:

“True love had awakened in two hearts. Through all the shifting scenes of earth-life, nothing like this had ever come to this mand and this woman. Love had waited all this time. The power that draws kindred souls together is not limited to the few years of earth-life".

Find someone to share the journey, a soul that understands you like no other, and loves you like no other, find someone that makes you feel that it was worth the wait.

A Vision of the Future

Orson F. Whitney prophesied that the gospel would be preached to the “high and mighty, even to kings and nobles” and that it would “penetrate and climb to places hitherto deemed inaccessible.” Nephi Anderson, in his novel Added Upon, seeks to illustrate the fulfillment of this prophecy.

            Henrik Bogstad is a rich and respected man. He lives in Norway—a country so far distant from the Utah-based Mormon community as to be considered “inaccessible.” Furthermore, he lives in a mountainous region. Missionaries would have to physically "climb" to reach the various houses and communities. Henrik decides to join the church after talking to the missionaries; despite the disapproval of his fiancé, close family members and the community. He is then characterized as diligently righteous in his sharing of the gospel and performance of family history work. Through this character development, Anderson not so subtly depicts the realization of Whitney’s declaration, down to the last detail. The description of Henrik’s conversion provides a hopeful type for the conversion of many great men and women to the truth of gospel.

            During the millennium, the King of Poland visits Zion. The King is guided around the glorious city and expresses his amazement at its advances and majesty many times. Throughout the tour, commentary between the King and the guide emphasizes the superiority of Zion to Poland. When it comes time to leave, the King is so impressed he wants to stay and live in Zion. Once again, a man with worldly power and honor is brought into the kingdom of God. The society of the saints, once despised and dismissed by the world, now leads and surpasses all other nations. 

         Anderson primarily uses the characters and setting to create a detailed vision of the future Orson F. Whitney described in his “Home Literature” sermon.

Laying the Foundation

       "Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning even by study, and also by faith" is the key theme of our mortal education. In Orson Whitney’s Home Literature, he says we are to seek to cultivate and grow our literary culture so we may “have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own.” But he did recognize the rough start to build the foundation of this people’s literary culture.  

    

      The early works in the LDS literature, like Added Upon by Nephi Anderson, were “the rough, strong stones” on which the future generations would build upon. Nephi Anderson tried his best to bring the Plan of Salvation in a story-friendly way to appeal to all readers alike. The characters of Signe, Rupert, Henrik, Rachel, etc., makes you want to get to know them, and become emotionally attached to them, but the story comes up short to the reader’s emotional expectations. The reader is left wanting more details and closure with the story arcs of these characters, but this really wasn’t the purpose of this novel. 

       

     While it comes off as didactic and not a well put together story, the main purpose was to expose the reader to the bigger picture of life, the purpose of life. This rough, early piece of LDS literature paved forth the foundation for how this literary culture would flourish. Early works like Added Upon were used as a sure foundation so “the great Architect would rear the superstructure of the future; that the youth of Israel, their offspring, would be inspired to build upon the foundations of the fathers.”