Essay Option #1: How is Mormonism literary?
The characteristic of literature that I feel is most relevant to my life is how it attempts to understand and find meaning within specific areas of the human experience and the cultures that surround it. I think this is a powerful and vital role that literature plays in our society and in our individual lives. Literature is a tool for learning. As a Mormon, I've felt my religion compel me to learn and understand my place in this world and in eternity. There are so many literary aspects to life in the LDS church.
Every Mormon congregation is full of people trying to understand the events that surround their lives. Trying to understand why things happen and what they mean for each of us is an integral part of being LDS. This mirrors the way that literature explores ideas and looks for meaning through stories, characters, poetry, fiction, and non fiction. My favorite reading this semester was our study of Fire in the Pasture, a collection of poetry written by Mormons. Through their poetry, these people attempted to come to terms with difficult and complex ideas: Christ's sacrifice, motherhood, the death of loved ones, ancestors, family life...the list goes on and on. Even though I believe we have the blessing of a true gospel that helps us understand the answers to difficult questions, we still feel compelled to look deeper and gain a more thorough understanding of our experience as human beings and children of God. This effort to search, to learn, to discover patterns, to see beyond the trivial events of life and find true and real meaning is what studying literature and being Mormon is all about. This is what makes Mormonism literary.
Mormonism places a huge emphasis on scripture. Both the Book of Mormon and the Bible are considered by many, inside and outside our faith, to be works of literature. When I made the decision to make English my major, I did so partially because I knew that the strategies and skills I would learn would help me to better understand the scriptures. Studying great writing as a full-time college student has exceeded my expectation in this regard and I've come to realize that the very foundation of our faith is based on a strong literary experience with the scriptures. Only after Joseph Smith studied and pondered a verse in the Bible did he realize he needed to pray about which church to join, leading him to the revelation that would initiate the formation of the LDS church. This same process is key to each member's journey in the faith. We place heavy influence on the sincere and diligent study of the scriptures, and we believe in the power it has to lead us to act and do God's will. I've felt my study of literature enhance this principle and I've had similarly powerful experiences from secular books as well. Studying, learning, and acting is a process that Mormons try extend to every part of our lives.
As mormons our history, theology, and everyday lives lead us in a literary path. I truly believe that the mormon experience is a literary experience.
Showing posts with label posted by Dallas H. Show all posts
Showing posts with label posted by Dallas H. Show all posts
Monday, April 20, 2015
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Jer3miah: A Good Watch
I remember seeing Star Wars Episode 3 in theaters as a 17 year old on the night it appeared in theaters. When it was over, I felt like it would be so cool to be a character in a storyline so epic and grandiose. Then, while on my mission, I finally realized that I was involved in an epic story, and I think Jer3miah captures that feeling. It parallels the eternal struggle that we are all in and makes it relatable and entertaining.
The story is full of mystery and I think it’s executed well. Mystery surrounds the box, Jeremiah’s mission, and even Jeremiah’s very identity. It definitely kept me interested and wondering what each episode would reveal. I think the plot develops well and moves forward at a good pace. I like the emphasis on lineage and Mesoamerica. It has a lot of potential for rich eternal identity and purpose, while having a constant appeal to the Book of Mormon.
I was very impressed with the way that the series was able to create an emotional impact on the viewer. I seemed like I could understand what Jeremiah was feeling during the intense moments in the story. This adds to the story's epic feeling and helps create a more authentic response in the viewer. The drama was interesting and well executed: It ranged from car accidents to cave adventures to interrogations. I was impressed with how far they were able to push the narrative while maintaining a sensible plot.
My only negative response is that the story is set in Provo and surrounds BYU campus and activities. Not that I don’t find that interesting! I just feel like the story has the potential to reach a larger Mormon audience than the specific audience it seems to initially appeals to. But I could be totally wrong there. It does makes sense that the students who made the movie were attending BYU at the time.
Overall I liked it and would recommend it.
The story is full of mystery and I think it’s executed well. Mystery surrounds the box, Jeremiah’s mission, and even Jeremiah’s very identity. It definitely kept me interested and wondering what each episode would reveal. I think the plot develops well and moves forward at a good pace. I like the emphasis on lineage and Mesoamerica. It has a lot of potential for rich eternal identity and purpose, while having a constant appeal to the Book of Mormon.
I was very impressed with the way that the series was able to create an emotional impact on the viewer. I seemed like I could understand what Jeremiah was feeling during the intense moments in the story. This adds to the story's epic feeling and helps create a more authentic response in the viewer. The drama was interesting and well executed: It ranged from car accidents to cave adventures to interrogations. I was impressed with how far they were able to push the narrative while maintaining a sensible plot.
My only negative response is that the story is set in Provo and surrounds BYU campus and activities. Not that I don’t find that interesting! I just feel like the story has the potential to reach a larger Mormon audience than the specific audience it seems to initially appeals to. But I could be totally wrong there. It does makes sense that the students who made the movie were attending BYU at the time.
Overall I liked it and would recommend it.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Revised: Humanizing Tone and Wilderness Experience in the Book of Mormon
As I have spent time reading the BOM as a I would any literary work, I've come to realize that each separate writer in the book has a noticeably distinct voice and style. I've focused my study on a few examples of BOM prophets who's tone and voice are the product of their own specific life experiences and their separate but specific purposes. These distinct voices also bleed into a theme of surviving the difficulties that life presents.
One young BOM author displays a unique and touching voice as he writes after some influential moments in his life. When his father passes away in the wilderness, Nephi feels the pain that we all have felt upon the loss of a loved one. In what is known as the psalm of Nephi, we see his raw feelings of pain caused by the loss of his father, the reality of his imperfect state as a human being, and joy that comes from the knowledge of a divine purpose to life. Nephi exlaims, "My God hath been my support; he hast led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness." Nephi's purpose is to help his readers be loyal to God so that we too can find strength in difficult times as we pass through our own afflictions in "the wildernesses" of our own lives. Coping with loss is a part of life, and Nephi's voice not only speaks to his distinct style, but provides readers with an example to follow in times of loss.
Moroni is the last writer in the BOM. His people were slaughtered by his enemies and he is left alone to make the journey to bury the record (that would one day become the BOM) so it could be recovered in the latter days by Joseph Smith. Finding himself in complete solitude and knowing that there would be many different audiences reading his work, he writes that people will one day "mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing." Moroni is aware of his human weaknesses and acknowledges that he is not "mighty in writing." Anyone who writes can relate to this fear, but Moroni pushes through this human feeling of inadequacy to write what he considers to be important for future generations to read.
These human feelings of inadequacy, pain, and rejoicing are central to the purpose and relatable elements of the BOM that bind each of the writers' entries together. As readers focus on each prophet's distinct tone and style of writing, I think it adds to the authentic human qualities of the book.
One young BOM author displays a unique and touching voice as he writes after some influential moments in his life. When his father passes away in the wilderness, Nephi feels the pain that we all have felt upon the loss of a loved one. In what is known as the psalm of Nephi, we see his raw feelings of pain caused by the loss of his father, the reality of his imperfect state as a human being, and joy that comes from the knowledge of a divine purpose to life. Nephi exlaims, "My God hath been my support; he hast led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness." Nephi's purpose is to help his readers be loyal to God so that we too can find strength in difficult times as we pass through our own afflictions in "the wildernesses" of our own lives. Coping with loss is a part of life, and Nephi's voice not only speaks to his distinct style, but provides readers with an example to follow in times of loss.
Moroni is the last writer in the BOM. His people were slaughtered by his enemies and he is left alone to make the journey to bury the record (that would one day become the BOM) so it could be recovered in the latter days by Joseph Smith. Finding himself in complete solitude and knowing that there would be many different audiences reading his work, he writes that people will one day "mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing." Moroni is aware of his human weaknesses and acknowledges that he is not "mighty in writing." Anyone who writes can relate to this fear, but Moroni pushes through this human feeling of inadequacy to write what he considers to be important for future generations to read.
These human feelings of inadequacy, pain, and rejoicing are central to the purpose and relatable elements of the BOM that bind each of the writers' entries together. As readers focus on each prophet's distinct tone and style of writing, I think it adds to the authentic human qualities of the book.
In Connection with the Past: Humanizing the Book of Mormon
One of the most instinctual characteristics of the human species is our emotional and physical connection with the past. We visit historical places, treasure old family stories, and seem to constantly inform the present with what we understand from the past. The people that wrote experiences in the Book of Mormon not only did it so we could have a record of the past and its lessons, but so they could follow a legacy that others had laid before them. Reading the Book of Mormon with this in mind further reveals the human elements it contains.
Like many of us today, prophets of the BOM would use the past to find strength to complete difficult tasks. When Nephi and his family face the monumental task of retrieving records from Laban, Nephi encourages his brothers by referring to stories from their common past, which happen to also be scripture. He says, "Let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither." He helps his brothers find strength from stories from the past and they gain the confidence to move forward.
Some prophets in the BOM show that they are learning lessons from the past. When Ammon is teaching King Lamoni about the existence of God, he makes a point to talk about their ancestors and the mistakes they fell into. The record states in Alma 18 that Ammon "rehearsed unto them concerning the rebellions of Laman and Lemuel...he expounded unto them all the records and scriptures from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem." I think it's interesting that among the gospel topics of the Creation, the Fall, and the Plan of Redemption, Ammon chose to include elements from his and King's own ancestral past. Their present conditions and traditions were deeply connected with the rebellions of Laman and Lemual, thus Ammon saw a connection that would allow them to learn from those past mistakes and move towards a more righteous and prosperous future.
All throughout the BOM we see references to the past. While these references fulfill a number of purposes, but they collectively represent the human element of being aware of and connected to our past.
Like many of us today, prophets of the BOM would use the past to find strength to complete difficult tasks. When Nephi and his family face the monumental task of retrieving records from Laban, Nephi encourages his brothers by referring to stories from their common past, which happen to also be scripture. He says, "Let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither." He helps his brothers find strength from stories from the past and they gain the confidence to move forward.
Some prophets in the BOM show that they are learning lessons from the past. When Ammon is teaching King Lamoni about the existence of God, he makes a point to talk about their ancestors and the mistakes they fell into. The record states in Alma 18 that Ammon "rehearsed unto them concerning the rebellions of Laman and Lemuel...he expounded unto them all the records and scriptures from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem." I think it's interesting that among the gospel topics of the Creation, the Fall, and the Plan of Redemption, Ammon chose to include elements from his and King's own ancestral past. Their present conditions and traditions were deeply connected with the rebellions of Laman and Lemual, thus Ammon saw a connection that would allow them to learn from those past mistakes and move towards a more righteous and prosperous future.
All throughout the BOM we see references to the past. While these references fulfill a number of purposes, but they collectively represent the human element of being aware of and connected to our past.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Reaction and Analysis of "The Excommunicate" by Danny Nelson
This poem is a shocking departure from the usual sentiments expressed in the church, but it ends with something familiar and powerful. As the title implies, poem seems to express the feelings that accompany a person being excommunicated from the church. The language and imagery are strong and vivd. The poems starts and speaks of God as "a plague in my blood clotting life giving streams." Who would think of God as a plague? This put me in the shoes of someone experiencing extreme spiritual pain. The speaker doesn't deny the existence of God at all, but feels weakened by him, or maybe simply weakened by the burden of whatever he/she has done.
The speaker feels like an "abortion of a wilderness church" and "broken by hunger." There is so much imagery of solitude and hopelessness that contributes to the overall theme of being stuck in a whirlwind of doubt and guilt. The speaker refers to the savior as having only said "be bore the burden of all," implying his doubt about the validity of the atonement. Amid this doubt, he says, "no hope remains save slashed wrists." But, after spending almost the entire poem painting this hopeless picture, the poem concludes with the words from a hymn:
O Savior, stay this night with me; Behold, 'tis eventide.
That line (and the entire hymn) has always brought real comfort to me when I've felt burdens in my life, but this poem created an even more profound meaning to that line by using it to remedy such exquisite hopelessness, sin, doubt, and guilt. To be excommunicated would be an enormously difficult trial, but this poem depicts how far-reaching the Atonement truly is. It helps me to have more confidence that no matter what mistakes I make or how many doubts I may have, I will still be able to find solace if I embrace the Savior.
The speaker feels like an "abortion of a wilderness church" and "broken by hunger." There is so much imagery of solitude and hopelessness that contributes to the overall theme of being stuck in a whirlwind of doubt and guilt. The speaker refers to the savior as having only said "be bore the burden of all," implying his doubt about the validity of the atonement. Amid this doubt, he says, "no hope remains save slashed wrists." But, after spending almost the entire poem painting this hopeless picture, the poem concludes with the words from a hymn:
O Savior, stay this night with me; Behold, 'tis eventide.
That line (and the entire hymn) has always brought real comfort to me when I've felt burdens in my life, but this poem created an even more profound meaning to that line by using it to remedy such exquisite hopelessness, sin, doubt, and guilt. To be excommunicated would be an enormously difficult trial, but this poem depicts how far-reaching the Atonement truly is. It helps me to have more confidence that no matter what mistakes I make or how many doubts I may have, I will still be able to find solace if I embrace the Savior.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Humanizing Tone and Wilderness Experience in the Book of Mormon
Critics of the Book of Mormon often claim that book came about from a single writer, Joseph Smith. As I have spent time reading the book as a I would any literary work, I've come to realize that each separate writer in the book has a noticeably distinct voice and style. I've focused my study on a few examples of BOM prophets who's tone and voice are the product of their own specific life experiences and their separate but specific purposes.
Nephi is a young man. His father led his family from the city where they grew up and took them on a journey towards a new land where they could thrive and be protected from persecution. While his brothers understandably struggle with leaving their lives behind, Nephi stayed firm and loyal to his father and to God. When his father passes away in the wilderness, Nephi feels the pain that we all have felt upon the loss of a loved one. In what is known as the psalm of Nephi, we see his raw feelings of pain caused by the loss of his father, the reality of his imperfect state as a human being, and joy that comes from the knowledge of a divine purpose to life. Nephi exlaims, "My God hath been my support; he hast led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness." Nephi's purpose is to help his readers be loyal to God so that we too can find strength in difficult times as we pass through our own afflictions in the wilderness.
Moroni is the last writer in the BOM. His people were slaughtered by his enemies and he is left alone to make the journey to bury the writings those before him to be recovered in the latter days by Joseph Smith. Finding himself in complete solitude and knowing that there will be many different audiences reading his work, he writes that people will one day "mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing." Moroni is aware of his human weaknesses and acknowledges that he is not "mighty in writing." Anyone who writes can relate to this fear, but Moroni pushes through this human feeling of inadequacy to write what he considers to be important for future generations to read.
These human feelings of inadequacy, pain, and rejoicing are central to the purpose and relatable elements of the BOM that bind each of the writers' entries together.
Nephi is a young man. His father led his family from the city where they grew up and took them on a journey towards a new land where they could thrive and be protected from persecution. While his brothers understandably struggle with leaving their lives behind, Nephi stayed firm and loyal to his father and to God. When his father passes away in the wilderness, Nephi feels the pain that we all have felt upon the loss of a loved one. In what is known as the psalm of Nephi, we see his raw feelings of pain caused by the loss of his father, the reality of his imperfect state as a human being, and joy that comes from the knowledge of a divine purpose to life. Nephi exlaims, "My God hath been my support; he hast led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness." Nephi's purpose is to help his readers be loyal to God so that we too can find strength in difficult times as we pass through our own afflictions in the wilderness.
Moroni is the last writer in the BOM. His people were slaughtered by his enemies and he is left alone to make the journey to bury the writings those before him to be recovered in the latter days by Joseph Smith. Finding himself in complete solitude and knowing that there will be many different audiences reading his work, he writes that people will one day "mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing." Moroni is aware of his human weaknesses and acknowledges that he is not "mighty in writing." Anyone who writes can relate to this fear, but Moroni pushes through this human feeling of inadequacy to write what he considers to be important for future generations to read.
These human feelings of inadequacy, pain, and rejoicing are central to the purpose and relatable elements of the BOM that bind each of the writers' entries together.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
The Bueno Samaritan
Feeling the fatigue in his back and arms, Jesus began to guide another bundle of rebar to the left side of the east wall. The crane did the lifting, but he had to carefully stabilize each 500 pound bundle as the crane held it near the place it had to drop. It was the eleventh hour of another twelve hour day, and there was still much to be done.
As he unhooked the main block to get ready for the next bundle, he heard a faint groan come from the ally below.Curious, he looked down and could see a man laying face down on the concrete behind a dumpster, looking like he was barely conscious. Could he be drunk? As he looked closer he could tell his shirt was ripped, his shoes were missing, and the back of his head was red with blood.
The next bundle was on its way now, but Jesus couldn't look away from the scene. His heart was full of compassion for the man. He desperately yearned to help but there was nothing he could do at the moment. He steered the rebar to the wall, doing his best to concentrate on his potentially hazardous task, but he looked over his shoulder towards the injured man at every opportunity. All he could do was watch and hope that someone passing by would notice that the man needed help.
After a few minutes, a man passed the ally spotted one of the injured man's legs behind the dumpster. He stopped briefly and turned to get a better look. Jesus saw that he was holding a large book in one hand. Could it be a Bible? Jesus whispered silently to himself as the crane lifted another bundle, "Please...please...please. Help him." The man paused a moment, but decided to continue down his sidewalk to his destination.
The same thing happened a second time and Jesus couldn't bare it any longer. He reached down to unclip his safety line, but just as he began to call out to the crane operator, another pedestrian stopped to take a closer look. He wasn't dressed like most people and his left arm was covered in a sleeve of tattoos. He carefully turned the man over, placing his jacket under his bleeding head. Tears came to his eyes and Jesus watched and clipped himself back into his safety harness.
As he unhooked the main block to get ready for the next bundle, he heard a faint groan come from the ally below.Curious, he looked down and could see a man laying face down on the concrete behind a dumpster, looking like he was barely conscious. Could he be drunk? As he looked closer he could tell his shirt was ripped, his shoes were missing, and the back of his head was red with blood.
The next bundle was on its way now, but Jesus couldn't look away from the scene. His heart was full of compassion for the man. He desperately yearned to help but there was nothing he could do at the moment. He steered the rebar to the wall, doing his best to concentrate on his potentially hazardous task, but he looked over his shoulder towards the injured man at every opportunity. All he could do was watch and hope that someone passing by would notice that the man needed help.
After a few minutes, a man passed the ally spotted one of the injured man's legs behind the dumpster. He stopped briefly and turned to get a better look. Jesus saw that he was holding a large book in one hand. Could it be a Bible? Jesus whispered silently to himself as the crane lifted another bundle, "Please...please...please. Help him." The man paused a moment, but decided to continue down his sidewalk to his destination.
The same thing happened a second time and Jesus couldn't bare it any longer. He reached down to unclip his safety line, but just as he began to call out to the crane operator, another pedestrian stopped to take a closer look. He wasn't dressed like most people and his left arm was covered in a sleeve of tattoos. He carefully turned the man over, placing his jacket under his bleeding head. Tears came to his eyes and Jesus watched and clipped himself back into his safety harness.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
The Welcoming Door
It’s been a very long time since I’ve read a religious book outside the scriptures. I don’t really understand the idea of using time I could use to read the BOM or other scripture to read a regular book about religious themes. But, I was pleasantly surprised by the Welcoming Door. I really enjoyed this book. It’s definitely a book for a Christian audience. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it if I didn’t have an interest in Christian theology, but I think Kemp does an excellent job and creating some relatable elements around the parables of Christ. He puts a twist on them to make them more than just teaching aids but actually events in Christ’s life. The stories helped me to see the parables from a different point of view and they felt more real and in turn more impactful. I loved the tone of the book; it was reverent but not too heavy.
The life of Christ from the time he was twelve or so until his ministry is a mystery. I can't imagine the overwhelming task it must have to try and fictionalize this part of his life, but Kemp did it very well! It reminded me that Christ lead a REAL life: He had responsibilities, work, and things to get done like all of us do. Even with this normal life, Kemp depicted him still touching the lives of people around him and teaching those that come in contact with him, all the while he himself is learning from mortal life experiences to become the great teacher he eventually would.
I think there’s definitely a chance that Kemp was inspired and guided as the wrote this book. I had great experiences reading it and I feel like it brought me a little closer to Christ.
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