Seeking the Best Books

What is religious about literature? Obviously some literature is overtly about religious belief or experience. But is there anything inherent to literature that is also inherent to religion? Does Mormonism aid us in seeing this dimension to literature?

Good literature is more than story telling. A friend of mine once approached me about my choice to study English during my undergraduate studies. Perplexed, he asked, “Why would I read a book when all they do is teach you about how to interact with people? I would rather just go to the source and spend my time building relationships than indulging in fantasy worlds and imaginary people.” Although I fundamentally disagree with my friend, I couldn’t find the words to explain why. The question had a root that perplexed me. What is the true value of literature? Are there elements of literature that build something inside of us like nothing else can? And, finally, is there something spiritual about even secular literature?

Some elements of literature are inherent to religion as well. Socrates once stated, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” This principle is consistent within all great literature and theology. Speaking about literature, CS Lewis once said, “Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.” A good book amplifies our understanding of the world and ourselves instead of merely portraying it. If the latter were the case, my friend would have been right, and living and interacting with others would be enough for us to live a fulfilling, meaningful life. But great literature makes us seek truth in places that unreachable without it. The scriptures likewise admonish us, stating, “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith.” Both great books and the scriptures look beyond the surface of life, to the very marrow of our existence. True happiness is not found in diversions, hobbies, or activities. It is found in true principles that are consistent through all faiths and beliefs.

In this sense, literature penetrates to the core of human existence, even unintentionally at times. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I have often found truths reflected in the secular literature I have studied that amplify and sharpen my understanding of a doctrine or belief. I believe that the Light of Christ shines through all great literature, relating true principles to people who may even claim to not believe in Christ. There are inherent similarities between the purpose of literature and the purpose of religious introspection. But Mormonism adds to the literary experience by providing a scope for truth to be filtered through. Instead of accepting every possible view at face value, Mormonism has helped me to know which ideas to explore further and which to abandon.

But truth is truth no matter the source. And for the exploring minds of the church, that is good news.

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. 

Jer3miah vs Sherlock

"The Book of Jer3miah" did what I thought was all but impossible: create a murder mystery intertwined with BYU culture.

The story of a college freshman who's life comes crashing down after receiving a bizarre, supernatural calling to protect a box, "The Book of Jer3miah" delivers a suspenseful plot with the short segments of the wen series. After reading the reviews of some of my classmates and more critical commentary, it became evident that the choppiness of the web series did not appeal to the broad audience. There were also complaints that the story lacked character development and that the dialogue was scattered and inconsequential. While all of these comments hold water, there is still something to be said of the series when the genre is taken into consideration.

Over the course of my life, I have gone through many TV show binges. Normally, I side with medical or comedic series, but I have tried on a few occasions to get into more mystery and crime based productions. My issue has always been the lack of depth, especially in shows where the plot is unrelated between episodes and the audience is left to enjoy the story just for the twists and turns of the day. As an avid reader, I personally tend to crave character development more than the average person, but this has not diminished my appreciation for the brilliance of the genre when executed well. Then, six months ago, I was turned on to BBC's rendition of Sherlock Holmes. Where other mysteries lacked in character development and meaning, Sherlock Holmes excelled. I believe the reason is the show's focus on portraying Holmes's personality as its primary hook. As opposed to other mysteries, it feels as though the plot is just the vehicle that the directors use to develop Holmes as a character, and not the end all be all of the show.

While "The Book of Jer3miah" is not Sherlock Holmes, I do appreciate it for what it is. Jeremiah remains a somewhat flat character, but I believe that the main focus of this show was the suspenseful plot and not the development or journey of Jeremiah as a person. However, there are attempts at this development. For instance, Jeremiah's intuition and sensitivity to the Spirit makes him and interesting character to follow.

While I do agree that some elements of BYU culture being portrayed in the series make me cringe (such as the scene from a ward prayer in which Jeremiah's love interest asks him to stay just after returning home from his parent's funeral because "Everyone needs to pray"), I think overall, this is a successful and engaging series.

Learning from Imperfect Reactions

More than appreciation for the characters themselves, I have come to appreciate the imperfect assumptions they make when faced with new situations. The Book of Mormon, along with the Bible, provide insight into people that make decisions differently than perhaps you and I would, sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse. Whatever the case, it is interesting to read these holy texts pretending that we don't know the end from the beginning, putting ourselves in the shoes of the men and women and thinking how we would respond to their set of circumstances.


The brother of Jared provides one such example. When he sees the finger of God, he has many options for his reaction. Surely, anyone would feel humbled. One could feel overjoyed, disbelieve the sight, or at peace at first glance. But this is not his reaction. Instead, the brother of Jared states, “I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.” What does this tell us about the brother of Jared’s assumptions about God? Did he perhaps misunderstand the rebukes of God in earlier occurrences as signs of a temperamental and harsh personality? Surely not everyone would immediately conclude that God would smite them upon seeing him. But this tells us about both the personality of the brother of Jared and, perhaps, more about the nature of God.


In another instance, we see the often scrutinized Laman and Lemuel question an angelic messenger after just being reprimanded for turning on their brothers while returning to Jerusalem to retrieve the scriptures before their long journey in the wilderness. While most people would likely adhere to the counsel of an angel, at least in an immediate sense, Laman and Lemuel instantly question the veracity of the angel's assertions. They comment, "How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?" While many of us would likely react with more faith after such a divine intervention, Laman and Lemuel are not the first people to run away from a celestial mandate out of fear. The likes of Jonah and others provided us with insight into a certain kind of person, whose fears can often cloud their faith.


We tend to condemn Laman and Lemuel for their every mistake, knowing the end from the beginning, but as readers, we should keep in mind that this moment of weakness was not damning. Surely, some of us would fear the loss of our lives as well against such a formidable foe. Therefore, reading the scriptures can teach us through the personality and responses of its characters.

The Author's Touch: Revised Edition

The Book of Mormon was not written by perfect people, and it certainly wasn't written by perfect authors with respects to story development and conventional literary knowledge. However, some of the red herring details have actually strengthened my testimony.


For example, in 1 Nephi 2:6, Nephi describes himself as being "exceedingly young, nevertheless being of large stature" before diving into his anxiety to know the truth from God. Why would Nephi mention his size in relation to his age and its connection to his spiritual disposition? I had a friend once who read Nephi's writings as if Nephi had an unrestrained ego, but that is not what I read here. I see a man giving a simple detail of interest to better allow the reader to picture and understand him. It would be similar to me saying, "I, Nick, being exceedingly young and a little less coordinated than your average teenager." These little details, for me, are glimpses into a man who actually lived, and an author who (perhaps without much thought or literary foresight) simply described a cardinal attribute about himself that he considered indistinguishable from a full depiction of himself.

Another instance of an author's signature can be seen in Alma 24. This account relates the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis (a complicated name to begin with). After vowing with God to never draw their swords again in battle, they are met and exterminated by the Lamanites. The slaughter has the effect of humbling the Lamanites, which the author explains as follows:


"And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace."


The last phrase may catch the attentive reader off guard. The term "weapons of peace" is not one we commonly see in scripture, especially in relation to a group abandoning its previous engagement in warfare. This may be an editorial mistake, and perhaps an indication of how hard it is to erase mistakes when writing in stone rather than paper, but it could also account for a very peculiar style of authorship. I personally like the amendment, because the author catches himself in describing "weapons of peace," realizing that the point of the story is that warfare does not bring the same peace that diplomacy and repentance are capable of.

"The Excommunicate" by Danny Nelson

Consistent with my theme of this semester, I found Danny Nelson’s poem “The Excommunicate” to be a deeply insightful view into the mind of one who has lost faith and feels there is no way to reconcile it. The imagery of the piece is dark and bitter. It opens with a condescending mention of a “white-shirted man” who rests his hand upon the back of the narrator and assure shim that “God is not gone.” However, as the poem will reveal, the narrator feels that this man has misunderstood his need entirely. He knows God is not “gone,” but rather feels that God remains all the same, but as a “plague” in his life. He goes as far as to describe God as a “vengeful task master,” an “unapproachable father,” and an “inconsistent judge.” Ben Abbott’s reading of the poem brings these empassioned declarations to life, and you can feel the pain in each depiction of a distanced deity.

            

It is clear that the speaker is as hard on himself and his misunderstood band of brothers as he is on his Heavenly Father. He calls them “bastards” and “abortions in the wilderness.” Purposefully using such emotive language, Nelson’s narrator feels victimized and judgmental, but still justifies his actions in his head, stating that there are “some hungers which are better to fill than to die.” The most heart breaking lines, for me, read, “No help from him who SAYS he bore the burden of all. No hope. No hope remains save sliced wrists, harsh medicines, or the long slow slope built by the bored Gods.” There seems to be no escape for the torture soul, except those of self inflicted pain and anguish. The poem ends with a supplication, perhaps made in cruel jest, but perhaps as a sincere, final cry, as the narrator states, “Oh Savior, stay this night with me, behold, tis eventide.”

            

I cannot imagine feeling so angry towards God, which is why I appreciated this poem so much. Poetry is an excellent lens into the emotive life of someone who you may not understand otherwise, and this certainly was the case for me reading this poem. I felt pained both listening and reading it, sympathy and a sense of hopelessness in spite of my own convictions of the Lord’s infinite forgiveness and goodness. That is the power of the text. I am fascinated by these people and am trying to find a better way to communicate the love of God to them, and this poem certainly gave me insight into their lives that I did not fully comprehend beforehand.

Finding Testimony in Strange Ways

Reading the Book of Mormon as literature as rendered some insights that I did not expect when I started the process. I am a very calculated reader in most cases. For example, I always read SparkNotes alongside any novel I am reading because I want to make sure nothing is going over my head that I wouldn't have caught otherwise. Pertaining to the Book of Mormon, I have always read it with a specific purpose in mind. Sometimes, I read through looking for examples of faith. Other times, patience. Other times, how to build a relationship with God. But this read through has been interesting because my approach has been open and unscripted. 

I have made a conscious effort to simply do a close reading and see what comes of each chapter. As a result, i have learned things I did not foresee myself learning which have strengthened my testimony of the Book of Mormon. Here are just two short examples: 

1. Strange Details 

The Book of Mormon was not written by perfect people, and it certainly wasn't written by perfect authors with respects to story development and conventional literary knowledge. However, some of the red herring details have actually strengthened my testimony. 

For example, in 1 Nephi 2:6, Nephi describes himself as being "exceedingly young, nevertheless being of large stature" before diving into his anxiety to know the truth from God. Why would Nephi mention his size in relation to his age and its connection to his spiritual disposition? I had a friend once who read Nephi's writings as if Nephi had an unrestrained ego, but that is not what I read here. I see a man giving a simple detail of interest to better allow the reader to picture and understand him. It would be similar to me saying, "I, Nick, being exceedingly young and a little less coordinated than your average teenager." These little details, for me, are glimpses into a man who actually lived, and an author who (perhaps without much thought or literary foresight) simply described a cardinal attribute about himself that he considered indistinguishable from a full depiction of himself.

2. Appreciation for Imperfect Characters

More than appreciation for the characters themselves, I have come to appreciate the imperfect assumptions they make when faced with new situations. For instance, when the brother of Jared sees the finger of God, he has many options to react. Surely, anyone would feel humbled. One could feel overjoyed, disbelieve the sight, or at peace at first glance. But this is not his reaction. Instead, the brother of Jared states, “I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.” What does this tell us about the brother of Jared’s assumptions about God? Did he perhaps misunderstand the rebukes of God in earlier occurrences as signs of a temperamental and harsh personality? Surely not everyone would immediately conclude that God would smite them upon seeing him. It is insights like these that have me looking deeper into a text I felt I knew so well, but keep learning from.

Drawings in the Sand

            “You’re a cheat, Joseph! You’re a cheat and I’ll make you pay!”

            Jeshua was frightened. He had seen many people mildly upset with his father over the carpentry work they had done together, but nothing like this. The man’s eyes seemed glazed over with a look of wild disdain. He looked more like an animal than any human Jeshua had ever seen. The altercation had transformed the man more and more with every exchange, and by now, Jeshua was starting to fear for his father’s safety. Unseen behind the entryway, Jeshua looked on in anticipation.

            “Have you nothing to say, Joseph? Have you no words to explain this unsatisfactory craftsmanship? I will blacken your name across town if not!”

            Jeshua turned from the livid man to his father. Joseph’s calm expression had not changed. Jeshua knew his father to be a good man, and a collected man in his dealings, but also knew of his father’s unbending inner-convictions. Jeshua knew the situation well. His father’s work was not only satisfactory, but exceptional. The fuming man was trying to shave down the price with his anger, a tactic Jeshua had seen before, but never so vehemently as this instance. The boy wondered which side of Joseph would respond, the peaceful or the self-assured. Jeshua saw no compromise.

            Waiting for the calm to give way to the impassioned, Jeshua held to his father’s face. But it simply looked on. Direct. Uncompromising. Still kind, but resolute. What was his father to say, with such a man wound as a raging bull waiting for his moment?

            Moments had passed with no words. The tension was palpable at this point. Jeshua considered interjecting, standing up for the work his father had done. He didn’t want to see his father taken advantage of. But he simply stood there, looking on! “I must act,” thought young Jeshua.

            Just as he was about to spring forward, Joseph moved for the first time. But it was not his mouth that moved first. He broke his gaze with the man, and slowly crouched to the ground. The angry man looked on in confusion, his fixed hostility breaking for the first time since the altercation began. He looked on as Joseph took his index finger and, to the surprise of his audience, began tracing into the dirt of the floor. Jeshua watched in shock. His father seemed to disregard the presence of the man entirely, shaping the ground to his liking.

After moments of baffling silence, Joseph looked up at the changed countenance of his customer. “What more must I do to fulfill my obligation to you?”

The man was startled by the kindness and sincerity of the question. He took his leave after apologizing for losing his temper, paying Joseph in full.

Jeshua emerged from behind the doorway, amazed at what had happened. “Father,” he begin to ask, “why did you kneel and draw in the face of such persecutions?”

            The father looked lovingly at his young son. “You will learn, son, that some fights aren’t worth winning, and others,” he said with a soft smile, “are own in moments of silence.”

John 8

2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery;