I really enjoyed writing this blog. I love blogging, and I plan on making more time for it in the future. I unfortunately didn't keep up very well with this blog, and ended up posting a ton right at the end. However, I have learned some new things about myself as I've taken this journey through my first semester of college.
One really interesting thing I noticed as I was comparing what I wrote near the beginning to what I wrote at the end is that I wrote two of the same blogs without realizing it. #4 and #18 talk about the same point, just with slightly different points of view. It is rather interesting to see (1) how they are similar and (2) how they are different. The fact that they are so similar, and yet written several months apart, tells me that writing really is something that is good for me. This has solidified in my brain that I need to keep blogging because obviously someone is trying to tell me something...
As I look back over this semester and my posts, I can see how I've progressed into a better writer. The first thing I can see is my titles: they got much more creative and interesting as I went along. I think I am going to keep blogging so I can continue to see my progression over the course of my four to six years of college. Maybe someday I can show my kids my blog so they can see that I really was a kid once, and know what I'm talking about when I try to give them advice.
Anyway, this has been a great experience, and I have learned alot about myself. I hope to learn more as I continue blogging in the future.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
20. Music Speaks Louder Than Words
So, I decided that since I'm a music person, I need to have at least one post about music on here, and this has been on my mind lately, because we have talked about it in Music 101.
When music was first written, it was accompaniment only, or used for meditative purposes. Over the centuries, people started recognizing that it has a power of its own. Today, it is the driving force behind movies, plays, TV shows, and life in general. You'd be hard pressed to walk down the street and not see someone with headphones in, listening to music. At the theater, if you're scared, it's better to plug your ears than close your eyes. Why? Because music is more powerful than words.
If you've never played an instrument, you may not have felt the soul to soul connection that can only come through music. I am one of those lucky enough in this life to feel that connection. As I play, I feel as if I'm speaking in a different language, one which everyone understands and speaks. I've felt the touch of another's soul on mine as I've either played or listened to someone else play. The only other feeling in the world I can equate it to is the feeling I get when the Spirit, a soul, touches mine and whispers truth.
That is why music is so beautiful and dangerous. Music can be used for great good: we sing hymns at church and bring the Spirit into our homes with good music. But music can also be used for great evil. Satan can use music to create turmoil, hate, anger, and contention. The leaders of the Church have begun stressing more and more how important it is to be careful of the music we listen to, because it affects us so deeply. Music arouses strong emotions, for good or ill.
I do not know if there has been official declarations on whether certain types of music are good or bad, but I know how I feel. That is what the Apostles and Prophets tell us: listen to the Spirit and what He is telling you. If He wants to leave when you hear a song, you shouldn't be listening to that song.
For me, music is a way to connect to God. It calms me down when I am frustrated, helps me recenter my life and focus on listening for the Spirit. That's why I keep playing it: I long for that connection to another soul, specifically to the Holy Spirit. I'd like to add my testimony to those of the Prophets and Apostles: listen to good music, for it will bring you great joy and be an helpmeet to you. Beware of that music which drives the Spirit away, for music can chase away the Spirit faster than you can say the name of the song. To borrow a quote from Forever Strong: "Listen right."
When music was first written, it was accompaniment only, or used for meditative purposes. Over the centuries, people started recognizing that it has a power of its own. Today, it is the driving force behind movies, plays, TV shows, and life in general. You'd be hard pressed to walk down the street and not see someone with headphones in, listening to music. At the theater, if you're scared, it's better to plug your ears than close your eyes. Why? Because music is more powerful than words.
If you've never played an instrument, you may not have felt the soul to soul connection that can only come through music. I am one of those lucky enough in this life to feel that connection. As I play, I feel as if I'm speaking in a different language, one which everyone understands and speaks. I've felt the touch of another's soul on mine as I've either played or listened to someone else play. The only other feeling in the world I can equate it to is the feeling I get when the Spirit, a soul, touches mine and whispers truth.
That is why music is so beautiful and dangerous. Music can be used for great good: we sing hymns at church and bring the Spirit into our homes with good music. But music can also be used for great evil. Satan can use music to create turmoil, hate, anger, and contention. The leaders of the Church have begun stressing more and more how important it is to be careful of the music we listen to, because it affects us so deeply. Music arouses strong emotions, for good or ill.
I do not know if there has been official declarations on whether certain types of music are good or bad, but I know how I feel. That is what the Apostles and Prophets tell us: listen to the Spirit and what He is telling you. If He wants to leave when you hear a song, you shouldn't be listening to that song.
For me, music is a way to connect to God. It calms me down when I am frustrated, helps me recenter my life and focus on listening for the Spirit. That's why I keep playing it: I long for that connection to another soul, specifically to the Holy Spirit. I'd like to add my testimony to those of the Prophets and Apostles: listen to good music, for it will bring you great joy and be an helpmeet to you. Beware of that music which drives the Spirit away, for music can chase away the Spirit faster than you can say the name of the song. To borrow a quote from Forever Strong: "Listen right."
19. Stronger Than I Ever Knew
I recently heard a poem that I loved. It's called The Oak Tree, by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.
"A mighty wind blew night and day
It stole the oak tree's leaves away
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark
But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around
The weary wind gave up and spoke.
How can you still be standing Oak?
The oak tree said, I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two
Carry every leaf away
Shake my limbs, and make me sway
But I have roots stretched in the earth
Growing stronger since my birth
You'll never touch them, for you see
They are the deepest part of me
Until today, I wasn't sure
Of just how much I could endure
But now I've found, with thanks to you
I'm stronger than I ever knew"
I love this poem because it puts so simply why we face trials, or at least one reason why. Jesus spoke in parables. Why? I think one reason is because it makes the lessons more accessible. This poem does that using vivid imagery. Everyone has seen a storm whip a tree around, or tear it's branches off. Everyone has felt the winds of trials rip into them. We can relate to the oak tree and gain strength to stand strong.
I hope that when we stand before Christ at the Judgement Day, we can say to the wind "I've found, with thanks to you, I'm stronger than I ever knew." Trials help us, even if they hurt while we're going through them.
I have had an experience with this. My Sophomore year of High School, I was struggling with everything, school, church, friends, everything. I felt like I was lost, being tossed by a mighty wind all over the place, with no roots. No matter how hard I prayed, I felt like no one was listening. But someone was, and He sent me one of my best friends in the whole world. This friend helped me get through the year, by listening when I needed someone to talk to, by sending random texts throughout the day to make me smile, by doing his best to understand what I was going through, even though he didn't fully understand all the Spiritual stuff. He helped me find my roots.
At the end of that year, I looked back and realized that I had not left my roots, the wind had just twisted me so I couldn't see them. After that year, I could look the wind in the face and say "Until today, I wasn't sure Of just how much I could endure, But now I've found, with thanks to you, I'm stronger than I ever knew."
Just like the Brad Paisley song quoted beneath my blog picture, I lost myself, but with the help of a friend sent strait from God in answer to a desperate cry for help, I got through the wind and found that my roots go deeper than I thought. I have a stronger testimony now that God does hear and answer our prayers. I also know that He knows what's best for us, what winds we must face to grow stronger, and He knows exactly how deep our roots go. If we turn to Him, He will not let the wind knock us down. We may get scratched, dented, bruised, torn, and scarred, but at the end of the day, we will be able to stand before Him and say "I have given my all, I have fought the good fight."
poem courtesy of http://www.ellenbailey.com/poems/ellen_143.htm
"A mighty wind blew night and day
It stole the oak tree's leaves away
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark
But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around
The weary wind gave up and spoke.
How can you still be standing Oak?
The oak tree said, I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two
Carry every leaf away
Shake my limbs, and make me sway
But I have roots stretched in the earth
Growing stronger since my birth
You'll never touch them, for you see
They are the deepest part of me
Until today, I wasn't sure
Of just how much I could endure
But now I've found, with thanks to you
I'm stronger than I ever knew"
I love this poem because it puts so simply why we face trials, or at least one reason why. Jesus spoke in parables. Why? I think one reason is because it makes the lessons more accessible. This poem does that using vivid imagery. Everyone has seen a storm whip a tree around, or tear it's branches off. Everyone has felt the winds of trials rip into them. We can relate to the oak tree and gain strength to stand strong.
I hope that when we stand before Christ at the Judgement Day, we can say to the wind "I've found, with thanks to you, I'm stronger than I ever knew." Trials help us, even if they hurt while we're going through them.
I have had an experience with this. My Sophomore year of High School, I was struggling with everything, school, church, friends, everything. I felt like I was lost, being tossed by a mighty wind all over the place, with no roots. No matter how hard I prayed, I felt like no one was listening. But someone was, and He sent me one of my best friends in the whole world. This friend helped me get through the year, by listening when I needed someone to talk to, by sending random texts throughout the day to make me smile, by doing his best to understand what I was going through, even though he didn't fully understand all the Spiritual stuff. He helped me find my roots.
At the end of that year, I looked back and realized that I had not left my roots, the wind had just twisted me so I couldn't see them. After that year, I could look the wind in the face and say "Until today, I wasn't sure Of just how much I could endure, But now I've found, with thanks to you, I'm stronger than I ever knew."
Just like the Brad Paisley song quoted beneath my blog picture, I lost myself, but with the help of a friend sent strait from God in answer to a desperate cry for help, I got through the wind and found that my roots go deeper than I thought. I have a stronger testimony now that God does hear and answer our prayers. I also know that He knows what's best for us, what winds we must face to grow stronger, and He knows exactly how deep our roots go. If we turn to Him, He will not let the wind knock us down. We may get scratched, dented, bruised, torn, and scarred, but at the end of the day, we will be able to stand before Him and say "I have given my all, I have fought the good fight."
poem courtesy of http://www.ellenbailey.com/poems/ellen_143.htm
Monday, December 6, 2010
18. I Wrote That?
J.K. Rowling, in her interview with Oprah said something I found interesting. She said that before she wrote Harry Potter, she couldn't have told you her beliefs, but now that she has written it, she understands better what she believes. I understand what she meant. I have found an understanding as I wrote my personal narrative.
When we were told to pick a memory that taught us something from life, I thought "well, that's it! I can't think of a single memory that taught me something; it took lots of times over the course of years to teach me the lessons I know now." However, as I thought a prayed about it, one memory kept returning: that of Dave on a scraggly old hill in Colorado. This is what I eventually wrote my personal narrative on, as posted below.
When I first thought of that memory, I still wasn't sure exactly what I had learned from that experience, except a special bond with Dave and another song added to my favorites list. However, as I started writing, a lesson took shape, and I realized as I wrote what I had learned from that experience. Thus, I understood better what J. K. Rowling was talking about.
I also had another testimony of this near the beginning of the semester. This is also posted below, but I'd like to focus on a different aspect of it. My first horn lesson, my teacher asked me why I play French Horn. As I thought about that, I felt the urge to write it down. I had recently started blogging more, so I decided to blog about it. You cannot tell as well from the post below, since I edited it to make it less scattered, but you can see the process I went through on the original post here: http://byu-adventure.blogspot.com/ . I wrote that post over the course of five days. As I wrote down my thoughts, they started forming better pictures and lines in my head; they started making more sense. This was one of the strongest testimony-growing experiences I have had in relation to writing.
This idea is one of the reasons I believe we should keep journals. I know not all of us feel less scattered after all our thoughts are on paper, but I know many of us do. Maybe we should try journalling just to clear our heads, sort of like cleaning house every night so when we wake up in the morning, our brain is ready and waiting to fill itself up again with as many ideas as we can throw at it.
My experiences with blogging have given me a firmer resolution to journal in order to make sense of the mess in my head, in order to clean house so I can face tomorrow with a clean house, ready for the crazy children of the day to come in and run wild.
When we were told to pick a memory that taught us something from life, I thought "well, that's it! I can't think of a single memory that taught me something; it took lots of times over the course of years to teach me the lessons I know now." However, as I thought a prayed about it, one memory kept returning: that of Dave on a scraggly old hill in Colorado. This is what I eventually wrote my personal narrative on, as posted below.
When I first thought of that memory, I still wasn't sure exactly what I had learned from that experience, except a special bond with Dave and another song added to my favorites list. However, as I started writing, a lesson took shape, and I realized as I wrote what I had learned from that experience. Thus, I understood better what J. K. Rowling was talking about.
I also had another testimony of this near the beginning of the semester. This is also posted below, but I'd like to focus on a different aspect of it. My first horn lesson, my teacher asked me why I play French Horn. As I thought about that, I felt the urge to write it down. I had recently started blogging more, so I decided to blog about it. You cannot tell as well from the post below, since I edited it to make it less scattered, but you can see the process I went through on the original post here: http://byu-adventure.blogspot.com/ . I wrote that post over the course of five days. As I wrote down my thoughts, they started forming better pictures and lines in my head; they started making more sense. This was one of the strongest testimony-growing experiences I have had in relation to writing.
This idea is one of the reasons I believe we should keep journals. I know not all of us feel less scattered after all our thoughts are on paper, but I know many of us do. Maybe we should try journalling just to clear our heads, sort of like cleaning house every night so when we wake up in the morning, our brain is ready and waiting to fill itself up again with as many ideas as we can throw at it.
My experiences with blogging have given me a firmer resolution to journal in order to make sense of the mess in my head, in order to clean house so I can face tomorrow with a clean house, ready for the crazy children of the day to come in and run wild.
17. Agency: A New Deifinition
Agency. We talk about it so much, it has become common place. What do you think of when you think of agency? Until the last couple months, I thought of agency as refusing to drink or rejecting Satan's temptations, but now I see it as so much more.
There is too much stuff to put it all in a blog post and not have it be extremely long-winded and boring. But there is one idea in the scriptures that hit me hard: God will not force a man to Heaven. We see this idea whenever resurrection or sanctification is mentioned. We also see it in Moroni when God talks about how both He and Satan entice men one way or the other, but never force them. It is one of the reasons we don't take the Sacrament unworthily. It is why God lets us make stupid mistakes, and lets some of His children leave Him forever. Our ability to choose for ourselves is more important to Him than getting all of His children back, and it is more important to us (or was when we understood what that meant). That sounds horrible, but it boils down to what happened in the pre-mortal life: Satan's plan to take our free agency was rejected by everyone who is currently (or ever has been) on the Earth in favor of the Plan where we retained our agency, knowing full well that that meant some of us might not return.
As I've thought more about this idea, it has become ever more clear to me how much (1) agency matters and is important and (2) how much God trusts us. He trusts us to not only get ourselves Home, but to also bring as many of His other children with us as possible. My hope and prayer is that we will use this gift of agency, over which a war was fought in Heaven, to choose to come Home and choose to help as many of our brothers and sisters as we can make it Home, too.
There is too much stuff to put it all in a blog post and not have it be extremely long-winded and boring. But there is one idea in the scriptures that hit me hard: God will not force a man to Heaven. We see this idea whenever resurrection or sanctification is mentioned. We also see it in Moroni when God talks about how both He and Satan entice men one way or the other, but never force them. It is one of the reasons we don't take the Sacrament unworthily. It is why God lets us make stupid mistakes, and lets some of His children leave Him forever. Our ability to choose for ourselves is more important to Him than getting all of His children back, and it is more important to us (or was when we understood what that meant). That sounds horrible, but it boils down to what happened in the pre-mortal life: Satan's plan to take our free agency was rejected by everyone who is currently (or ever has been) on the Earth in favor of the Plan where we retained our agency, knowing full well that that meant some of us might not return.
As I've thought more about this idea, it has become ever more clear to me how much (1) agency matters and is important and (2) how much God trusts us. He trusts us to not only get ourselves Home, but to also bring as many of His other children with us as possible. My hope and prayer is that we will use this gift of agency, over which a war was fought in Heaven, to choose to come Home and choose to help as many of our brothers and sisters as we can make it Home, too.
16. Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling
I don't know if you saw it, but about a month ago, J.K. Rowling gave Oprah an exclusive interview, one of only a few she's ever given. I watched most of it, and it was very amazing. It was like other interviews, where the questions and answers are predictable. This was emotional: J.K. Rowling almost cried once. It was amazing to hear her reasons for the books and how her life affected the books. If you haven't seen it, go to http://video.the-leaky-cauldron.org/video/1629 and watch it. It's amazing.
J.K. Rowling talks about her life. When she started writing Harry Potter, she was clinically depressed, poor, and struggling to support her daughter. 6 months after she started the books, her mother died. She herself says that this made the books what they are today. The Harry Potter books are about death, how it affects the living, its many forms, etc. From her life, she drew characters such as the dementors, who represent how one feels when they are depressed. The story about the books coming to her on a train is true. Everything just popped into her head, flooding her with all the specifics about Hogwarts and wizards and such. In this interview, she talked about her family and her first marriage in depth for the first time.
One of my favorite quotes from the interview was actually from a commencement speech Rowling gave at Harvard: "Rock bottom became the foundation from which I rebuilt my life." She talks of the importance of failure, and how it is not necessarily a bad thing. From failures, we learn, and we grow. Similarly, with trials, we learn and we grow. Though it would be nice to stay away from rock bottom, we can know that we have a rock we can build on: the Savior. He's always there for us, throughout our trials and hardships.
Another idea they presented was the difference between a phenomenon and something normal. They talked about it in terms of Micheal Jackson. An article they had read said that Micheal Jackson didn't realize Thriller was a phenomenon, not the norm, and he spent the rest of his life chasing a phenomenon instead of moving on. Both Oprah and J.K. Rowling agree that they must move on, leave the phenomenon as a phenomenon, and move on to something different. This applies in our lives. If we are constantly comparing ourselves to what we did then, or how we were then, we will never be happy with how we are now. We must say "that was a great phase of my life, I wonder what the next one will hold" and move on. Take lessons with us, but then let the rest play out how it should. Many people waste away trying to relive the glory days and they miss the beautiful, fascinating, and wonderful things about the now. I hope that I and each of us will be able to appreciate the now instead of constantly looking back at the then and making ourselves unhappy in the process. Happiness now comes from enjoying the now, and not living in the past.
This interview was very interesting, even from a non-fan point of view. As with the rock bottom quote, many of the subject they discuss can be applied to our life today. This video is well worth the time it takes to watch it.
J.K. Rowling talks about her life. When she started writing Harry Potter, she was clinically depressed, poor, and struggling to support her daughter. 6 months after she started the books, her mother died. She herself says that this made the books what they are today. The Harry Potter books are about death, how it affects the living, its many forms, etc. From her life, she drew characters such as the dementors, who represent how one feels when they are depressed. The story about the books coming to her on a train is true. Everything just popped into her head, flooding her with all the specifics about Hogwarts and wizards and such. In this interview, she talked about her family and her first marriage in depth for the first time.
One of my favorite quotes from the interview was actually from a commencement speech Rowling gave at Harvard: "Rock bottom became the foundation from which I rebuilt my life." She talks of the importance of failure, and how it is not necessarily a bad thing. From failures, we learn, and we grow. Similarly, with trials, we learn and we grow. Though it would be nice to stay away from rock bottom, we can know that we have a rock we can build on: the Savior. He's always there for us, throughout our trials and hardships.
Another idea they presented was the difference between a phenomenon and something normal. They talked about it in terms of Micheal Jackson. An article they had read said that Micheal Jackson didn't realize Thriller was a phenomenon, not the norm, and he spent the rest of his life chasing a phenomenon instead of moving on. Both Oprah and J.K. Rowling agree that they must move on, leave the phenomenon as a phenomenon, and move on to something different. This applies in our lives. If we are constantly comparing ourselves to what we did then, or how we were then, we will never be happy with how we are now. We must say "that was a great phase of my life, I wonder what the next one will hold" and move on. Take lessons with us, but then let the rest play out how it should. Many people waste away trying to relive the glory days and they miss the beautiful, fascinating, and wonderful things about the now. I hope that I and each of us will be able to appreciate the now instead of constantly looking back at the then and making ourselves unhappy in the process. Happiness now comes from enjoying the now, and not living in the past.
This interview was very interesting, even from a non-fan point of view. As with the rock bottom quote, many of the subject they discuss can be applied to our life today. This video is well worth the time it takes to watch it.
15. Cutting Up Others' Words
When we were beginning our research paper, we talked about different strategies to write it. We watched a video of different famous people talking about how they write papers. My favorite was the cut-n-paste method. It involved reading tons of books, finding every quote you might possibly use and typing them up, citations and all. Then you print out the quotes and take a pair of scissors to it. You go crazy, cutting up the quotes and such, and end up with pieces of paper all over the floor/table. Then you pick those pieces of the quotes you like and outline your paper with them. You glue/tape them to another piece of paper, organized, and then go to your original quotes and find the citations for each quote you picked to use. Finally, write your paper around those quotes.
This method works very well for research-based papers, but it takes a lot of time. I did not do this for my research paper, because I procrastinated, but I plan on trying this method in the future.
I like this method because it is similar to how I think: all over the place. I'm very scatter-brained, and my ideas are often difficult to get down on paper. I feel like this method would give me a way to express my ideas using other's words, refining them in the process, so that when it came time to sit down and write, my ideas are succinct, simple, and already backed by experts. I also like this method because it is hands-on. I already try cutting and pasting on the computer, but I often get lost in all the windows. I like to see everything laid out side-by-side, so this method sounds to me like it would suit me well.
I plan on trying this method with future papers, and maybe even trying it with some creative writing pieces...but first I must stop procrastinating.
This method works very well for research-based papers, but it takes a lot of time. I did not do this for my research paper, because I procrastinated, but I plan on trying this method in the future.
I like this method because it is similar to how I think: all over the place. I'm very scatter-brained, and my ideas are often difficult to get down on paper. I feel like this method would give me a way to express my ideas using other's words, refining them in the process, so that when it came time to sit down and write, my ideas are succinct, simple, and already backed by experts. I also like this method because it is hands-on. I already try cutting and pasting on the computer, but I often get lost in all the windows. I like to see everything laid out side-by-side, so this method sounds to me like it would suit me well.
I plan on trying this method with future papers, and maybe even trying it with some creative writing pieces...but first I must stop procrastinating.
14. Which Would You Choose: Less or More?
If you had a choice, would you choose to work less or more? I feel pretty comfortable in saying that most of the human race would rather work less for the same results. Why then, do we so often give ourselves more work than necessary, and often with less results? It's every oxy-moronic.
I'm talking about procrastination. You're probably all smiling and nodding your heads at this point; you know what I mean. I should have realized this a long time ago, but obviously I didn't because Wednesday night right before the research paper rough draft was due found me up late on the computer, surrounded by books and articles, starting to stress out of my skin. As I went to the school the next on about four hours of sleep, I started realizing how much more work procrastination was. It seems counter-intuitive, since we usually spend less time on something we've procrastinated than we would had we done it in a timely manner. However, I am convinced that the stress and loss of sleep amount to having spent four times as much time on the assignment than we would have otherwise. And stressing too much can lead to death, which is never a good thing.
The worst part is that the assignment we procrastinated and spent four times as much energy on than we should have is probably not as good as it would have been had we done it early. Isn't that an interesting oxymoron that continues to crop up in our lives: we strive to do the same amount of work with less effort, yet we constantly make choices that lead to us doing more work for less results. What's worse is that we know about this problem; we're told all through the scriptures "don't procrastinate the day of your repentance." I feel like many people don't catch the full meaning because they focus on the repentance part, but if you take that part off, it becomes "don't procrastinate." We've been told for centuries not to do it, and logically, we shouldn't want to do it, but the moon still finds us up late into the morning, writing papers, and stressing over an undone project. It makes me feel stupid.
However, with this feeling of stupidity comes a re-found resolve to end my procrastinatory tendencies. After I've felt how much work procrastinating takes (research paper, studying for tests...this blog), I have decided that procrastination is one of the Devil's tricks, and I am not going to fall for it anymore. I no longer want to give the Devil a reason to laugh and sneer.
So the moral of the story? Don't procrastinate.
I'm talking about procrastination. You're probably all smiling and nodding your heads at this point; you know what I mean. I should have realized this a long time ago, but obviously I didn't because Wednesday night right before the research paper rough draft was due found me up late on the computer, surrounded by books and articles, starting to stress out of my skin. As I went to the school the next on about four hours of sleep, I started realizing how much more work procrastination was. It seems counter-intuitive, since we usually spend less time on something we've procrastinated than we would had we done it in a timely manner. However, I am convinced that the stress and loss of sleep amount to having spent four times as much time on the assignment than we would have otherwise. And stressing too much can lead to death, which is never a good thing.
The worst part is that the assignment we procrastinated and spent four times as much energy on than we should have is probably not as good as it would have been had we done it early. Isn't that an interesting oxymoron that continues to crop up in our lives: we strive to do the same amount of work with less effort, yet we constantly make choices that lead to us doing more work for less results. What's worse is that we know about this problem; we're told all through the scriptures "don't procrastinate the day of your repentance." I feel like many people don't catch the full meaning because they focus on the repentance part, but if you take that part off, it becomes "don't procrastinate." We've been told for centuries not to do it, and logically, we shouldn't want to do it, but the moon still finds us up late into the morning, writing papers, and stressing over an undone project. It makes me feel stupid.
However, with this feeling of stupidity comes a re-found resolve to end my procrastinatory tendencies. After I've felt how much work procrastinating takes (research paper, studying for tests...this blog), I have decided that procrastination is one of the Devil's tricks, and I am not going to fall for it anymore. I no longer want to give the Devil a reason to laugh and sneer.
So the moral of the story? Don't procrastinate.
13. Eternal Perspective
During the October 2010 General Conference, Per G. Malm of the Seventy spoke of having an Eternal perspective. This talk hit me very hard. He said, "A helpful habit is to lift our vision daily in order to maintain an eternal perspective of the things we plan and do..." He then told a story about his Grandmother, her grandchild, and some eggs: "She sent one of her young children to buy some eggs. The trusted child was probably joyfully walking home along the road, but most of the eggs were broken when the child arrived home. A friend of the family was there and admonished my grandmother to scold the child for behaving so badly. Instead, Grandmother calmly and wisely said, 'No, that will not make the eggs whole again. We will simply use what we can and make some pancakes that we can enjoy together.' "
At this point in his talk, I realized something. We look forward our whole lives to what we'll do after college, what our job will be, where we'll be in retirement. We complain about how hard enduring to the end is. However, I would submit that if we look shift our view above the mundane of the world and look forward to Eternal life, making choices based on this and not on what job we'll have in five years, we will find it infinitely easier to endure faithfully, to keep the commandments, and love God. We will have His Spirit with us, we will not have questions about the gray areas of life, we will naturally live righteously. Elder Malm said this, "When we learn to handle the small and simple daily things in a wise and inspired way, the result is a positive influence that will solidify harmony in our souls and build up and strengthen those around us."
It is a training process to lift our view to Eternal spheres, but I believe that when we do, we will be happier. Our lives will be full of joy, we'll look around us and see the beautiful things in this world, see His children for who they are and love them. If we have an Eternal perspective, everything else will simply fall into place how it should be, and God will make more out of our life than we ever could imagine was possible.
At this point in his talk, I realized something. We look forward our whole lives to what we'll do after college, what our job will be, where we'll be in retirement. We complain about how hard enduring to the end is. However, I would submit that if we look shift our view above the mundane of the world and look forward to Eternal life, making choices based on this and not on what job we'll have in five years, we will find it infinitely easier to endure faithfully, to keep the commandments, and love God. We will have His Spirit with us, we will not have questions about the gray areas of life, we will naturally live righteously. Elder Malm said this, "When we learn to handle the small and simple daily things in a wise and inspired way, the result is a positive influence that will solidify harmony in our souls and build up and strengthen those around us."
It is a training process to lift our view to Eternal spheres, but I believe that when we do, we will be happier. Our lives will be full of joy, we'll look around us and see the beautiful things in this world, see His children for who they are and love them. If we have an Eternal perspective, everything else will simply fall into place how it should be, and God will make more out of our life than we ever could imagine was possible.
12. First Presidency Christmas Devotional
The First Presidency Christmas Devotional last night was amazing. In congruence with what we talked about at church that day, an amazing realization struck me: we were there, singing as angels at His birth, and now we herald His second coming in this life.
Our choir director is in Women's Chorus. At Celebrations of Christmas, they sang "Silent Night". Our choir is also singing "Silent Night", so I choir director presented us with an interesting idea that her choir director had presented. As we sing "Silent Night", we are to think about that night, about the angels, the shepherds. Then think that we were probably one of those angels who sang praises on that lonely hill with the shepherds. When we sang that song, we were to pick a character from the manger scene and sing as that character. Our choir director told us she always picks the angel. I found it really interesting and wonderful to think that I really was one of those angels.
With this idea still fresh in my mind, I watched the Christmas Devotional. President Uchtdorf said, "When Jesus was born, the joy in Heaven was so great, it could not be contained." (May be slightly different, I don't have the actual text.) We know this from the Book of Mormon account when the Heavens lit up, and from the Bible when the angels sang to the shepherds. When he said that, I thought about how I was one of those angels that could not be contained. Was I one of the angels who sang to the shepherds? I don't know if I have ever felt joy like that since that day long ago, but I know my soul still remembers the feeling.
When he spoke of our duty now, to prepare the Earth for His second coming, everything clicked with perfect clarity. We were there, that silent night so long ago. We were the ones who couldn't be contained within the veil. We were filled with so much joy we could not be quiet. Now, we are here to herald Christ's Second Coming. We don't speak out because we feel nervous or worried about rejection or looking stupid. I would assert that in order to overcome this fear and hesitation, we must reconnect with the joy we felt when Christ was born at the Meridian of Time. Our souls know the feeling, and long to feel it again. Through the Gospel, we can find that joy, and when we do, we will not be able to be contained by our mortal feelings: we will share that joy with the whole world. I hope someday I can reconnect with that joy, and fulfill this yearning in my soul for the pure love of Christ, the greatest joy of all.
Our choir director is in Women's Chorus. At Celebrations of Christmas, they sang "Silent Night". Our choir is also singing "Silent Night", so I choir director presented us with an interesting idea that her choir director had presented. As we sing "Silent Night", we are to think about that night, about the angels, the shepherds. Then think that we were probably one of those angels who sang praises on that lonely hill with the shepherds. When we sang that song, we were to pick a character from the manger scene and sing as that character. Our choir director told us she always picks the angel. I found it really interesting and wonderful to think that I really was one of those angels.
With this idea still fresh in my mind, I watched the Christmas Devotional. President Uchtdorf said, "When Jesus was born, the joy in Heaven was so great, it could not be contained." (May be slightly different, I don't have the actual text.) We know this from the Book of Mormon account when the Heavens lit up, and from the Bible when the angels sang to the shepherds. When he said that, I thought about how I was one of those angels that could not be contained. Was I one of the angels who sang to the shepherds? I don't know if I have ever felt joy like that since that day long ago, but I know my soul still remembers the feeling.
When he spoke of our duty now, to prepare the Earth for His second coming, everything clicked with perfect clarity. We were there, that silent night so long ago. We were the ones who couldn't be contained within the veil. We were filled with so much joy we could not be quiet. Now, we are here to herald Christ's Second Coming. We don't speak out because we feel nervous or worried about rejection or looking stupid. I would assert that in order to overcome this fear and hesitation, we must reconnect with the joy we felt when Christ was born at the Meridian of Time. Our souls know the feeling, and long to feel it again. Through the Gospel, we can find that joy, and when we do, we will not be able to be contained by our mortal feelings: we will share that joy with the whole world. I hope someday I can reconnect with that joy, and fulfill this yearning in my soul for the pure love of Christ, the greatest joy of all.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
11. Following in Another's Footsteps
I'm a dancer, among other things. I dance Country Swing, Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blue Tango, and even a little Hip Hop. If you teach it to me, I'll dance it. When I first started out, I was in a High School class with more girls than guys with one of my band friends. We decided that since we were comfortable with each other, we'd dance together. After a few days, we settled into a pattern with me leading and her following. So, the first four months of my dance career (not including those times at EFY or Youth Conference when they try to teach teenagers to touch each other and dance), I was the lead of our team. We had fun in that class. I learned the basic steps to a bunch of new dances, and learned how to move to a beat. However, I found I had trouble when I came to college and now had to follow a guy I had only just met and would only dance with for one song.
When I started following, I was stiff and thought more about the steps than the movement. I'd watch the feet of my partner and strive to do my part perfectly. What ended up happening was that it looked stiff, incompetent, and like a made a ton of mistakes. I joined the Swing Kids Beginning Dance Team, and there I learned how to follow. I learned to let go. The steps are important, but you must implant them in your brain so it becomes second nature to do them, and then not think about them anymore. Put in a little style, and go big. If you dance big, even if you make a mistake no one can tell. Over the course of two months, I learned what steps generally follow certain steps. I got good at reacting to what steps a guy takes. This worked: it looked OK. But it felt off-step. I was always half a step behind the guy, reacting instead of going with him. Then last Thursday, I went to Blue Tango at the OZZ...
At Blue Tango, I had a very interesting conversation. One of my partners said he has led and followed and he decided following was harder. I disagreed; I thought following was easier since you only think in the moment, not about what's coming. However, I have since thought about it, and decided he was right. I think following is harder. When you lead, you think just about what you're doing, and what you want your partner to do, then you push or pull them that way, give them cues to tell them what to do. The follow, however nice it is not to think about what's coming, has the harder job because they must interpret the clues the lead gives them, and act accordingly, all in a split-second so it doesn't look off-set. It's a mind-set different from our normal mind-set. When I realized that in the last week, I also realized that following God is a mind-set we must develop, it's a process. As followers of God, He is sending us signals on what He wants us to do. It is our job to interpret and act on those signals in a timely manner. If we are distracted or out-of-tune (if our connection is bad), we misinterpret signals, or miss them altogether, and our life becomes off-kilter.
So, this semester as I've danced, I've learned to develop a follower's mind-set and have gotten better at understanding where my partner wants me to go next. I'm still learning, but with practice I'll get there. And I'll keep developing my connection with God to get a better and understanding of where He wants me to go next. With practice throughout my life, I'll get to where He can give me a look and I'll know what He wants and do it, so I'll be an instrument in His hands.
When I started following, I was stiff and thought more about the steps than the movement. I'd watch the feet of my partner and strive to do my part perfectly. What ended up happening was that it looked stiff, incompetent, and like a made a ton of mistakes. I joined the Swing Kids Beginning Dance Team, and there I learned how to follow. I learned to let go. The steps are important, but you must implant them in your brain so it becomes second nature to do them, and then not think about them anymore. Put in a little style, and go big. If you dance big, even if you make a mistake no one can tell. Over the course of two months, I learned what steps generally follow certain steps. I got good at reacting to what steps a guy takes. This worked: it looked OK. But it felt off-step. I was always half a step behind the guy, reacting instead of going with him. Then last Thursday, I went to Blue Tango at the OZZ...
At Blue Tango, I had a very interesting conversation. One of my partners said he has led and followed and he decided following was harder. I disagreed; I thought following was easier since you only think in the moment, not about what's coming. However, I have since thought about it, and decided he was right. I think following is harder. When you lead, you think just about what you're doing, and what you want your partner to do, then you push or pull them that way, give them cues to tell them what to do. The follow, however nice it is not to think about what's coming, has the harder job because they must interpret the clues the lead gives them, and act accordingly, all in a split-second so it doesn't look off-set. It's a mind-set different from our normal mind-set. When I realized that in the last week, I also realized that following God is a mind-set we must develop, it's a process. As followers of God, He is sending us signals on what He wants us to do. It is our job to interpret and act on those signals in a timely manner. If we are distracted or out-of-tune (if our connection is bad), we misinterpret signals, or miss them altogether, and our life becomes off-kilter.
So, this semester as I've danced, I've learned to develop a follower's mind-set and have gotten better at understanding where my partner wants me to go next. I'm still learning, but with practice I'll get there. And I'll keep developing my connection with God to get a better and understanding of where He wants me to go next. With practice throughout my life, I'll get to where He can give me a look and I'll know what He wants and do it, so I'll be an instrument in His hands.
10. French Horn and Me
"Why do you play French Horn?"
When my teacher asked me this in my lesson, I told her because I like to create music and I love the sound of the horn. She told me this wasn't good enough. It isn't.
I've played horn for seven years now. Think about that, if a soccer player just liked to kick a ball around and loved the sounds of a crowd, would he stick with soccer for seven years? I don't think so. These are pluses, but he's got to like the thrill of running around a field, fighting against an opposing team, controlling a little rolling thing...you get the idea.
Let's start at the beginning, to see how I got here, and maybe learn something along the way...
I started playing Horn in 6th grade. In 5th grade, they came to each class and passed around a sign-up sheet for those who wanted to join band. When it got to me, I picked Horn for three reasons:
1. It sounded like an interesting instrument.
2. My dad played it in High School.
3. It was challenging. You had to get the director's permission to play it. I like challenges.
These reasons lasted about a month. Sure, it was a challenge and an interesting instrument, but it didn't feel like much of a challenge for me: it came almost naturally, like math. And it really didn't matter that my dad had played it, that had only caught my attention. So I had to have new reasons to keep playing the Horn.
My second reason for playing was that I couldn't quit before getting one year into it. I also liked learning, and I learned that whole first year. I loved the people in our small band in sixth grade, and band was the only time I talked to them. I think a major part was that I didn't want to let anyone down by quitting (I was the only Horn).
Those reasons only hold up for 6th grade, however, because in 7th grade, I went to Junior High School and joined the 7th grade band. I was one of 6 horns, in a band that was at least five times bigger than the one I had just recently left. My band friends became my all-the-time friends, and we had a blast. No one would be severely let down if I quit, since I was one of six Horns sitting on the third row. All of my previous reasons once again became obsolete. I found myself, yet again, changing my reasons for playing, and not even realizing it.
I feel like 8th grade is the time when my current reasons started forming. Unfortunately, I didn't keep a journal back then, so I really don't know what I thought or way I stayed in band. Part of it was the friends I had there. As humans, we are social, and band was how I could be social really easily. I also really liked my band directors. In 8th grade, we had three directors, two of which dealt directly with me. They were great people and really funny. In high school, we had one of the best directors in the state (in our opinion). He was so dedicated to us. He made us work hard, harder than we thought we could, but it paid off when we received superiors at competitions. He was so funny, as well, though his sense of humor was subtle. My band directors have helped keep me in band. But this isn't the only reason; it can't be, because Senior year, our band director changed, and I didn't like some of the stuff he did. The Spirit of the band changed, and all of Senior year, I wanted out. But I didn't leave.
As I was thinking about this questions during the week between my lessons, and in the months since then, I have decided that my reasons are so well-hid that not even I can find them. It's like I drew a map of where I hid them, then lost it. I have figured out a few reasons why I play, though. Here they are:
1. I love music because it speaks directly to my soul. I feel the Spirit when I here good music. So, I play Horn to immerse myself in it.
2. Camaraderie. I know it may sound shallow, but I enjoy working with other musicians. They are very much like me, and so I get along with them. My friends are musicians, and that may be because I'm in band, but I think I'm in band partly because that's where the people I befriend are. Since coming to college, I've found a ton of friends, and only after knowing them awhile do I find out that most of them are in band (and at least five play French Horn).
3. The above two reasons are why I play music. Now, why do I play Horn? It started as a fling, where it sounded interesting. But the reason I stuck with Horn is this: it felt right. I played trumpet for a semester and I have tried to teach myself the flute. Neither of those stuck with me because they didn't feel right. Horn is what stayed because I am supposed to be playing it. I don't know why yet, but I know one day I will find out the higher purpose, even if it's just to bring me joy.
4. Which leads me to the fourth reason I play Horn: joy. I am happy when I'm playing Horn, even if I'm in pain or I'm frustrated, or bored. I love playing the Horn, creating something out of nothing. I told a friend awhile ago that I couldn't think of a blog title because I couldn't make something out of nothing. This may be true in writing sometimes, but it is never true when I'm playing my Horn. Just playing an F is creating beauty where nothing was a second ago.
While I may not know why I play French Horn, or the plan that God has for my life using it, the important thing is that I'm doing what I feel is right. So far, on my journey, I have picked up friends, sheet music, bruises on muscles I didn't know could get bruised, muscles I didn't even know I had, and an ability to recognize the Spirit as I play. I hope to gain more and more of these precious experiences, those moments when I touch another's soul in a way you can only do through music, as I continue to play and travel on the path to Eternity.
When my teacher asked me this in my lesson, I told her because I like to create music and I love the sound of the horn. She told me this wasn't good enough. It isn't.
I've played horn for seven years now. Think about that, if a soccer player just liked to kick a ball around and loved the sounds of a crowd, would he stick with soccer for seven years? I don't think so. These are pluses, but he's got to like the thrill of running around a field, fighting against an opposing team, controlling a little rolling thing...you get the idea.
Let's start at the beginning, to see how I got here, and maybe learn something along the way...
I started playing Horn in 6th grade. In 5th grade, they came to each class and passed around a sign-up sheet for those who wanted to join band. When it got to me, I picked Horn for three reasons:
1. It sounded like an interesting instrument.
2. My dad played it in High School.
3. It was challenging. You had to get the director's permission to play it. I like challenges.
These reasons lasted about a month. Sure, it was a challenge and an interesting instrument, but it didn't feel like much of a challenge for me: it came almost naturally, like math. And it really didn't matter that my dad had played it, that had only caught my attention. So I had to have new reasons to keep playing the Horn.
My second reason for playing was that I couldn't quit before getting one year into it. I also liked learning, and I learned that whole first year. I loved the people in our small band in sixth grade, and band was the only time I talked to them. I think a major part was that I didn't want to let anyone down by quitting (I was the only Horn).
Those reasons only hold up for 6th grade, however, because in 7th grade, I went to Junior High School and joined the 7th grade band. I was one of 6 horns, in a band that was at least five times bigger than the one I had just recently left. My band friends became my all-the-time friends, and we had a blast. No one would be severely let down if I quit, since I was one of six Horns sitting on the third row. All of my previous reasons once again became obsolete. I found myself, yet again, changing my reasons for playing, and not even realizing it.
I feel like 8th grade is the time when my current reasons started forming. Unfortunately, I didn't keep a journal back then, so I really don't know what I thought or way I stayed in band. Part of it was the friends I had there. As humans, we are social, and band was how I could be social really easily. I also really liked my band directors. In 8th grade, we had three directors, two of which dealt directly with me. They were great people and really funny. In high school, we had one of the best directors in the state (in our opinion). He was so dedicated to us. He made us work hard, harder than we thought we could, but it paid off when we received superiors at competitions. He was so funny, as well, though his sense of humor was subtle. My band directors have helped keep me in band. But this isn't the only reason; it can't be, because Senior year, our band director changed, and I didn't like some of the stuff he did. The Spirit of the band changed, and all of Senior year, I wanted out. But I didn't leave.
As I was thinking about this questions during the week between my lessons, and in the months since then, I have decided that my reasons are so well-hid that not even I can find them. It's like I drew a map of where I hid them, then lost it. I have figured out a few reasons why I play, though. Here they are:
1. I love music because it speaks directly to my soul. I feel the Spirit when I here good music. So, I play Horn to immerse myself in it.
2. Camaraderie. I know it may sound shallow, but I enjoy working with other musicians. They are very much like me, and so I get along with them. My friends are musicians, and that may be because I'm in band, but I think I'm in band partly because that's where the people I befriend are. Since coming to college, I've found a ton of friends, and only after knowing them awhile do I find out that most of them are in band (and at least five play French Horn).
3. The above two reasons are why I play music. Now, why do I play Horn? It started as a fling, where it sounded interesting. But the reason I stuck with Horn is this: it felt right. I played trumpet for a semester and I have tried to teach myself the flute. Neither of those stuck with me because they didn't feel right. Horn is what stayed because I am supposed to be playing it. I don't know why yet, but I know one day I will find out the higher purpose, even if it's just to bring me joy.
4. Which leads me to the fourth reason I play Horn: joy. I am happy when I'm playing Horn, even if I'm in pain or I'm frustrated, or bored. I love playing the Horn, creating something out of nothing. I told a friend awhile ago that I couldn't think of a blog title because I couldn't make something out of nothing. This may be true in writing sometimes, but it is never true when I'm playing my Horn. Just playing an F is creating beauty where nothing was a second ago.
While I may not know why I play French Horn, or the plan that God has for my life using it, the important thing is that I'm doing what I feel is right. So far, on my journey, I have picked up friends, sheet music, bruises on muscles I didn't know could get bruised, muscles I didn't even know I had, and an ability to recognize the Spirit as I play. I hope to gain more and more of these precious experiences, those moments when I touch another's soul in a way you can only do through music, as I continue to play and travel on the path to Eternity.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
9. Modern-Day Prophets
In General Conference, November 2010, a certain talk was mentioned twice: 14 Fundamentals in Following the Prophet", a talk by President Benson. I decided that since two of the living prophets had mentioned it, I should go look it up. So I did. The first thing that hit me was that it was given at BYU. That meant that his audience was college students, like us. His message was that we should follow the living Prophet and he gave us the fundamental lessons about doing so. His message hit home to me: my testimony of the Prophet has increased as I've read it. Here's what did it for me:
Point two: "The living prophet is more vital to us than the Standard Works."
Think about how many times we're told to read our scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. They say it at least five times every conference, and bishops and stake presidents say it all the time throughout the year. It's said at least once a month in my ward. Think about your love for the scriptures, how strong it is. Then think "My love for the Prophet and how much time I spend reading his words should be more than that for the scriptures." Maybe we should sit down and read the Ensign...
Point five: "The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or diplomas to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time."
No Prophet has had a doctorate in anything. Joseph Smith didn't even have a high school education, yet look at what he said, and how science has eventually proved it. Prophets don't have to know anything about a specific area, because God knows everything and will give them what they need to know. President Benson makes this promise: "if there is ever a conflict between earthly knowledge and the words of the prophet, you stand with the prophet and you’ll be blessed and time will show you have done the right thing."
Point six: "The prophet does not have to say “Thus saith the Lord” to give us scripture."
This is an interesting idea since this class has been talking about the use and power of words. Writing concisely means you write your thoughts and ideas with the fewest words possible while still getting your point across. Prophets speak concisely, which means they rarely say "Thus saith the Lord" anymore. They don't have to. Moses and Old Testament prophets did, but they had the lesser Law. The people didn't understand the importance of Prophets. Today, we do. Prophets always speak for the Lord. Follow every commandment, counsel, and word he says.
Point 14: "The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer."
“I thought how true, and how serious when we begin to choose which of the covenants, which of the commandments we will keep and follow, we are taking the law of the Lord into our own hands and become our own prophets, and believe me, we will be led astray, because we are false prophets to ourselves when we do not follow the Prophet of God. No, we should never discriminate between these commandments, as to those we should and should not keep.” -President N. Eldon Tanner
Can you imagine what would happen if people started picking and choosing commandments? If you're just looking at the Ten Commandments alone, that's 10! different permutations. Each permutation would become it's own church, and soon we'd have 3,628,800 additional churches on our hands! Think about what would happen as people: if one person picks "Love thy neighbor" to follow, and another decides to ignore "Thou shalt not kill", we'd have a massacre on our hands. The commandments are meant to be taken all together.
I really like the line "we are false prophets to ourselves when we do not follow the Prophet of God." This is logical. If we're not following God's Prophet, but we're following someone (ourselves) and some commandments, and we think that we are speaking for God, we just put ourselves up as a prophet who is false with one follower: yourself. From that point, everyone in Pres. Tanner's and Pres. Benson's audience would have heard of the scriptures about false prophets, and know the dangers and punishments that come with following them. Neither of them has to say what happens, we all know those who follow false prophets do not reach exaltation.
Here is something that hit me throughout the talk: the use of strong words. [bolding added]
“Now I tell you that a man in his position [following the dead prophets but rejecting the living ones] is on the way to apostasy. He is forfeiting his chances for eternal life. So is everyone who cannot follow the living prophet of God.” We've talked about the power of words; forfeit is such a powerful words. It connotes giving up, weakness, sorrow, loss. All are negative words. When I think of someone forfeiting, I think of someone who has given in to worldly pressures and lost his/her will to finish the task. I think of someone who has tried hard, but not hard enough, and who will regret that decision forever after. It is a powerful word, in connection with the greatest gift in this life: eternal life. How would it be to forfeit Eternal Life; to try hard, but not hard enough. To make all that work meaningless because you just didn't go far enough.
"Yea, they are they [rich, learned, and proud] whom he [God] despiseth." Despise. Hitler's hate of the Jews was powerful, but I've never heard anyone use the word "despise" in congruence with it. God hates those who are "wise, and ... learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up" more than Hitler hated the Jews. Yet at the same time, He loves them enough to extend His infinite mercy towards them. I think that's a second part of the word "despise" that we overlook: despise does not equal hate. Despise is like hating someone's actions, while still loving the person, so you despise them. It's a powerful word, but to me, there is also hope behind that word.
"We should never discriminate between these commandments..." Never is such a powerful word, at least to me. I had a teacher who would say that "never" and "always" get overused and have come to mean something completely different. When we here "never", we take it to mean "I won't, unless...." "Never" does not have a condition on it, it is set in stone. Using that word here draws attention to the point and tells of the importance of it: we cannot ever discriminate between the commandments.
I loved this talk. It was written to us. It is rhetorically strong and sound. The point is important: follow the Living Prophet, God's mouthpiece on Earth. This has strengthened my testimony of following the Prophet and given me a greater conviction to read the Ensign as part of my scripture study.
Point two: "The living prophet is more vital to us than the Standard Works."
Think about how many times we're told to read our scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. They say it at least five times every conference, and bishops and stake presidents say it all the time throughout the year. It's said at least once a month in my ward. Think about your love for the scriptures, how strong it is. Then think "My love for the Prophet and how much time I spend reading his words should be more than that for the scriptures." Maybe we should sit down and read the Ensign...
Point five: "The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or diplomas to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time."
No Prophet has had a doctorate in anything. Joseph Smith didn't even have a high school education, yet look at what he said, and how science has eventually proved it. Prophets don't have to know anything about a specific area, because God knows everything and will give them what they need to know. President Benson makes this promise: "if there is ever a conflict between earthly knowledge and the words of the prophet, you stand with the prophet and you’ll be blessed and time will show you have done the right thing."
Point six: "The prophet does not have to say “Thus saith the Lord” to give us scripture."
This is an interesting idea since this class has been talking about the use and power of words. Writing concisely means you write your thoughts and ideas with the fewest words possible while still getting your point across. Prophets speak concisely, which means they rarely say "Thus saith the Lord" anymore. They don't have to. Moses and Old Testament prophets did, but they had the lesser Law. The people didn't understand the importance of Prophets. Today, we do. Prophets always speak for the Lord. Follow every commandment, counsel, and word he says.
Point 14: "The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer."
“I thought how true, and how serious when we begin to choose which of the covenants, which of the commandments we will keep and follow, we are taking the law of the Lord into our own hands and become our own prophets, and believe me, we will be led astray, because we are false prophets to ourselves when we do not follow the Prophet of God. No, we should never discriminate between these commandments, as to those we should and should not keep.” -President N. Eldon Tanner
Can you imagine what would happen if people started picking and choosing commandments? If you're just looking at the Ten Commandments alone, that's 10! different permutations. Each permutation would become it's own church, and soon we'd have 3,628,800 additional churches on our hands! Think about what would happen as people: if one person picks "Love thy neighbor" to follow, and another decides to ignore "Thou shalt not kill", we'd have a massacre on our hands. The commandments are meant to be taken all together.
I really like the line "we are false prophets to ourselves when we do not follow the Prophet of God." This is logical. If we're not following God's Prophet, but we're following someone (ourselves) and some commandments, and we think that we are speaking for God, we just put ourselves up as a prophet who is false with one follower: yourself. From that point, everyone in Pres. Tanner's and Pres. Benson's audience would have heard of the scriptures about false prophets, and know the dangers and punishments that come with following them. Neither of them has to say what happens, we all know those who follow false prophets do not reach exaltation.
Here is something that hit me throughout the talk: the use of strong words. [bolding added]
“Now I tell you that a man in his position [following the dead prophets but rejecting the living ones] is on the way to apostasy. He is forfeiting his chances for eternal life. So is everyone who cannot follow the living prophet of God.” We've talked about the power of words; forfeit is such a powerful words. It connotes giving up, weakness, sorrow, loss. All are negative words. When I think of someone forfeiting, I think of someone who has given in to worldly pressures and lost his/her will to finish the task. I think of someone who has tried hard, but not hard enough, and who will regret that decision forever after. It is a powerful word, in connection with the greatest gift in this life: eternal life. How would it be to forfeit Eternal Life; to try hard, but not hard enough. To make all that work meaningless because you just didn't go far enough.
"Yea, they are they [rich, learned, and proud] whom he [God] despiseth." Despise. Hitler's hate of the Jews was powerful, but I've never heard anyone use the word "despise" in congruence with it. God hates those who are "wise, and ... learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up" more than Hitler hated the Jews. Yet at the same time, He loves them enough to extend His infinite mercy towards them. I think that's a second part of the word "despise" that we overlook: despise does not equal hate. Despise is like hating someone's actions, while still loving the person, so you despise them. It's a powerful word, but to me, there is also hope behind that word.
"We should never discriminate between these commandments..." Never is such a powerful word, at least to me. I had a teacher who would say that "never" and "always" get overused and have come to mean something completely different. When we here "never", we take it to mean "I won't, unless...." "Never" does not have a condition on it, it is set in stone. Using that word here draws attention to the point and tells of the importance of it: we cannot ever discriminate between the commandments.
I loved this talk. It was written to us. It is rhetorically strong and sound. The point is important: follow the Living Prophet, God's mouthpiece on Earth. This has strengthened my testimony of following the Prophet and given me a greater conviction to read the Ensign as part of my scripture study.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
8. There is a Brown Hill Far Away...
Past(er)
Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder… G-G-G-F-D-F-F-Eb-Eb-D
I knew the next line, so I looked up at the ceiling. The lights up there were blinding, but I liked tracing the gold chains of the lamps with my eyes. After tracing three on the lamp in the front-right corner, I looked back at the first line of the next verse. As usual, I sang a different part.
When thro’ the woods and forest glades I wander… Eb-Eb-C#-D-B-A-A-G-A-B
This time, I watched the black notes climb up and down the staff. I had to in order to sing the Alto part. I was getting better at hearing the note simply by what wrung of the staff it was on. As we reached the end of the verse, I looked up at the organ. It was a simple brown box on the right side of the stand, across from the grand piano on the left. The pipes rose, tall and grand, behind the choir seats. They didn’t work. I think at one time, they did, but the only things coming from those gold tubes were ghosts of songs sung long ago; from the wooden pipes came beauty, a reminder of the tall trees they used to be, even as they sat there, silently waiting for nothing. The big brass monsters hidden in the alcoves were silent guards of some long-lost sound that once shook the hearts of the congregation and filled the room with almost inaudible waves. When we had moved here the year before, I thought they were real until the choir director complained about how they just take up space that could be filled with choir seats.
Then sings my soul, me Savior God to Thee…
In thinking about something else, I had slipped back into the soprano part. That was alright. It simply changed the part I would sing on the fourth verse. I looked down again at the green Hymnal and prepared for the hardest part of all: the tenor.
When Christ…shall come…with shout of ac…clamation…Bb-Bb-Bb-Bb-F-F-F-F-F-F
This was the easiest part, because it doesn’t change notes very often, but it took the whole first line to find the right note: it was lower than I thought it was. It always happened like this. My voice always hurt at the end, but I still pushed myself to do it, just to make singing the hymn more interesting. It was getting easier to sing so low, the more I did it, but I had only been doing it for about a year, so my voice wasn’t yet used to it. I could sing down to the E below middle C. This song was especially hard, for it stayed at the lowest edge of my range
As the song finished, I closed the hymnal, cleared my throat and got ready for the prayer. As I closed my eyes, the song continued playing in my head: it was the band geek’s curse kicking in again. Her mind sucks in songs and plays them on repeat until it sucks in another song to replace it. And so I sat through Sacrament meeting, O Lord my God, waiting, Then sings my soul, for the Sacrament, my God, how great Thou art!, hymn to replace the one stuck in my head, how great Thou art!
Past
It was cold. I wasn’t nervous yet, but I knew the butterflies would fill my stomach as we walked to the field. Right now, though, all I thought was, “Why did Doc have us climb up this stupid hill two hours early?!” Two people had already almost broken their ankles in the stupid holes. Those holes made me nervous; someone said they were gopher holes, but they reminded me of the snake hole on the school playground in third grade. I hate snakes. Needless to say, I gave the holes a wide berth.
My uniform was tight, and I was used to that, but right now, it bothered me. I wanted to be able to move my arms freely: I couldn’t even raise them straight over my head. I was anxious and annoyed. My calves were starting to burn from all the climbing; that wasn’t good, because they always hurt after basics, and if I started with them aching, it was really painful by the end.
I really wanted to be back in the stadium. Loveland had been next, and their show was always amazing. We never got to watch very many other bands; we were always practicing…
We finally reached a flat part of the hill and started warm-up. I got so bored, I zoned out and almost fell when I took the first step and the ground wasn’t where it was supposed to be. I snapped back to the real world as all my muscles screamed at me for direction. In the blink of an eye, I recovered; I and everyone else focused on our feet and looked down at the ground through our instruments so we wouldn’t step in the holes. The murmur of voices rose as the lines started wiggling back and forth to dodge the gopher mounds.
“I know it’s bad up here, just do your best and focus!” Dave, our instructor, called us to order, reminding us what was ahead. Pomona was one of the hardest competitions and it was good preparation for State. Slowly, we focused. We worked through basics, not doing anything faster than 128 bpm so no one would break a leg. Finally, Dave had us finish and Doctor C called for music warm-up. This was the reason we had come so far away: we lost points if we played anywhere near the stadium that wasn’t a designated warm-up spot, and we didn’t get one of those spots for another hour. It still irked that we had to even practice so early; no other band practiced as much as us. But Doc was the boss.
We set up in our circle. Doc had us do a warm-up scale, and then he started going around with a tuner. As he did, we did our before-competition handshakes. That went quickly, and then I zoned out again. By this time, the sun had set; it was just a fading half-circle of light on the horizon. The stars were coming out above us. From our hill, we could see the city below; I didn’t know which one it was. I thought it might be Colorado Springs. That’s pretty, I thought, and then let my mind go blank. As Doc got to the flutes, just two sections away, I heard it.
“Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder…” It was just a murmur, sung under someone’s breath. I looked to see where it was coming from. There was only one other Mormon in the band, but he wasn’t singing. Then I pinpointed the source: Dave Hein, my fellow mello. I was shocked. Dave did not strike me as the kind of guy who would know that song, let alone sing it. This was the guy who messed around during practice and had to run laps because he was late a lot. He was always talking back to Abbe, making sexual jokes, and last year, at the final run-through…I didn’t even want to think about that. I had no idea he was religious.
“You’re singing that song, Dave?” I asked, trying to suppress my surprise and failing.
“It’s a good song,” he replied. I think he was a little embarrassed that I had noticed, because he didn’t sing again, but it didn’t matter. I looked at him in a new light.
Doc was tuning the Mellos now, so I turned forward and got ready to play. As I tuned, I was still partially in shock. When Doc moved on past me and I put my instrument down, I was hit full-blast with the view of the sunset. I looked at the stars shining in the sky, and the lights of the city sparkling in response. The first line of the song ran through my band geek brain again and again, for that was all I knew of it: Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. I looked out over the valley and the glory and beauty God created there, and I thought of the child of God standing two people to my right. At the most unexpected time, in a place I had never thought I would feel it, I felt the Spirit of the Lord fill my soul. As we focused on our performance, I tucked that feeling away and fed on the strength it gave me to perform one of the best shows of the year.
Present
Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder… G-G-G-F-D-F-F-Eb-Eb-D
As the song starts with the only line I had known back then, I am transported back to that twilight-lit hill. I see the stars hanging in the darkening sky, the pale glow of the fading sun on the horizon, and the soft glow and sparkle of the city lights below us.
When thro’ the woods and forest glades I wander… Eb-Eb-C#-D-B-A-A-G-A-B
As I now easily switch from part to part, I feel the soft give of the sandy dirt beneath my feet. I hear the soft scratch of the dry tumbleweed against my pant legs. I can see the stickers I’ve collected on the climb up the hill, stuck all over my black tube socks, standard issue for a band geek.. As I look around me, I see the mounds surrounding the gaping black chasms of those stupid gopher holes.
Then sings my soul, me Savior God to Thee…Bb-Bb-Bb-Bb-F-F-F-F-F-F
I hear Dave’s voice singing softly to my right, “Oh Lord my God…” I feel the love start to swell in my heart.
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart! Then I shall kneel in humble adoration, and there proclaim, ‘My God, how great Thou art!’
I belt out those words in the soprano part, sending my heart and soul to the world. My heart is exploding with the love I feel inside, my soul soaring with the joy of the Gospel and exalting in the beauty of the world surrounding me. I look up at the lights in the meetinghouse, and remember the gorgeous stars of that night; I trace the chains of the lamps with my eyes before the prayer, and as I close my eyes, I see the glittering lights of the city reflected in their golden faces. I listen to the prayer as one of my favorite songs plays in the background.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
7. Reaserch Paper Ideas
Here's my idea:
Books. Publishers decide what books get published, for example, the Harry Potter series almost didn't get published, no one thought it would sell. I could focus on the power publishers have in deciding what books reach the general public. Or I could focus on what the books they publish are teaching the population, with research including what books publishers believe are "acceptable" for each age group. Is it really an open market? Can you find any kind of book? What kind of books are rejected by publishers every year? Another focus could be on the publishers, specifically. How can one person have so much influence, deciding what we read?
(I'm much more excited about this focus, because I love the Harry Potter books and am interested in the controversy surrounding them.)
A break-off of that, I could focus on the Harry Potter books, see how they affect kids. How that's been received in the Christian world, the general population, etc. Look at arguments against and for them. Especially considering the Oprah interview J.K.Rowling just did, see what her arguments for the books are. Question: How have the Harry Potter books affected this generation? I could focus on the dichotomy of magic vs. the religious allusions in the books. Why have these books made such a big "splash"? They've been some of the most successful books, obviously J.K.Rowling is now the only billionaire writer. Why are these books so popular? Why are they so controversial in the Christian world?
(The difficulty with this idea is that it might not really be mass media based.)
I really need help first knowing if this idea has any grounding, and I need help focusing it to a topic that is plausible and reserachable. I don't know if there's a way to make it mass media based, or if books count as mass media. This topic is also very general, and I don't know if there's an argument there.
Books. Publishers decide what books get published, for example, the Harry Potter series almost didn't get published, no one thought it would sell. I could focus on the power publishers have in deciding what books reach the general public. Or I could focus on what the books they publish are teaching the population, with research including what books publishers believe are "acceptable" for each age group. Is it really an open market? Can you find any kind of book? What kind of books are rejected by publishers every year? Another focus could be on the publishers, specifically. How can one person have so much influence, deciding what we read?
(I'm much more excited about this focus, because I love the Harry Potter books and am interested in the controversy surrounding them.)
A break-off of that, I could focus on the Harry Potter books, see how they affect kids. How that's been received in the Christian world, the general population, etc. Look at arguments against and for them. Especially considering the Oprah interview J.K.Rowling just did, see what her arguments for the books are. Question: How have the Harry Potter books affected this generation? I could focus on the dichotomy of magic vs. the religious allusions in the books. Why have these books made such a big "splash"? They've been some of the most successful books, obviously J.K.Rowling is now the only billionaire writer. Why are these books so popular? Why are they so controversial in the Christian world?
(The difficulty with this idea is that it might not really be mass media based.)
I really need help first knowing if this idea has any grounding, and I need help focusing it to a topic that is plausible and reserachable. I don't know if there's a way to make it mass media based, or if books count as mass media. This topic is also very general, and I don't know if there's an argument there.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
6. Rhetorical Power of Boyd K. Packer
For my General Conference analysis, I analyzed President Boyd K. Packer's talk about the sinfulness of homosexuality. I found that he used a ton of logos, defining our beliefs and God's laws. My favorite logical argument he makes is the cat story. We do laugh, but we all agree that you cannot vote on the sex of a cat, or the laws of gravity. I thought that was one of his more powerful arguments, I at least thought it was the most memorable. He was very persuasive, at least to members. Obviously, it has created a lot of uproar. There is a petition to try ad get President Packer to rescind what he said, the Church has given a statement in response saying we stand behind our doctrine, and there are Facebook© pages supporting President Packer. I do not know if this is correct, but to me, it speaks of President Packer's talk that it has caused such a stir. Granted, it's a very polarized issue, but I still believe that the power and frankness of his talk spurred on this strong reaction.
He used strong, logical examples, along with emotional examples and very authoritative sources (the scriptures) to convince us that homosexuality is not a tendency inherent in people, but a temptation given them as part of the test in this life. I believe that President Packer's frankness and logical arguments powerfully convinces us not only that homosexuality is a temptation and a sin, but give hope that the Atonement covers those tendencies, and with Christ's help, we can overcome all sinful tendencies. President Packer's talk is one of hope.
I personally love the Church's stance on this issue: it's that act that is sinful, not the thoughts. I had a friend, who was gay, ask me once why I thought it was bad, and I didn't know how to answer him. Now I do, because of the events surrounding President Packer's talk. I hope one day I will get the chance to talk to him again and explain my position with more clarity. I am very grateful for this assignment, because it made me read a Conference talk, and showed me that there is a lot to be gained from doing so. I will be reading more in the future.
He used strong, logical examples, along with emotional examples and very authoritative sources (the scriptures) to convince us that homosexuality is not a tendency inherent in people, but a temptation given them as part of the test in this life. I believe that President Packer's frankness and logical arguments powerfully convinces us not only that homosexuality is a temptation and a sin, but give hope that the Atonement covers those tendencies, and with Christ's help, we can overcome all sinful tendencies. President Packer's talk is one of hope.
I personally love the Church's stance on this issue: it's that act that is sinful, not the thoughts. I had a friend, who was gay, ask me once why I thought it was bad, and I didn't know how to answer him. Now I do, because of the events surrounding President Packer's talk. I hope one day I will get the chance to talk to him again and explain my position with more clarity. I am very grateful for this assignment, because it made me read a Conference talk, and showed me that there is a lot to be gained from doing so. I will be reading more in the future.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
5. General Conference October 2010
Some time ago, someone told me that taking notes in Conference should not necessarily mean that you write down what the speaker is saying, but what the Spirit tells you. I never tried that...I was too afraid. I'm one of those people that takes too many notes in class because I write down everything, whether or not it's important. It was even harder for me in General Conference, because everything is important, it's from the Prophet and Apostles. But this time, I decided to try it, to not write down anything but what the Spirit told me. It was hard, and I was not perfect, there are still some things that I probably didn't need to specifically write down, but it was amazing what I learned when I listened to the Spirit, how many prayers were answered. I also found that I had an easier time listening and remembering what was said, which is a strange idea. As I listened, I connected what they were saying specifically to my life; instead of some words said by someone on TV, they became a friend's advice to me, which meant that I remembered them.
So, I add my voice to President Eyring's: Listen for any word in a Prophet's talk meant specifically for you, and (I would add) listen to what the Spirit tells you. Write down what you, specifically, are meant to hear, for it will help more than anything else.
So, I add my voice to President Eyring's: Listen for any word in a Prophet's talk meant specifically for you, and (I would add) listen to what the Spirit tells you. Write down what you, specifically, are meant to hear, for it will help more than anything else.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
4. Writing as a Way to Find Yourself
J.K. Rowling recently agreed to hold an interview with Oprah in Edinburgh, Scotland, one of the few times she has done so. In that interview, Rowling said: "This is probably true of all writers, but I believe what I believe because of what I have written. Ultimately, before I wrote it, what did I believe? I probably couldn't have told you." Today is class, my Writing teacher said something similar, that in writing we come to know ourselves. So this blog is about coming to know yourself through writing.
Recently, I experienced this very phenomenon. My French Horn teacher asked me why I played French Horn. She didn't accept the answers I had given her on the spot as the deepest reasons why, so she told me to go home and think about it. Since I enjoy writing, I decided to go about the assignment by keeping a blog journal about it. Every time I had a spare moment, I asked myself "Why Horn?" Whenever I had a thought, I'd write it in this blog, and over the course of five days, I found stuff out about myself through writing. I have never had that happen before, except for possibly journalling in past years, but I didn't recognize it for what it was then. It was a fantastical experience.
I wonder what it is about writing that shows us something new and exciting about ourselves...my personal belief, at least for me, is that my mind is very complicated and confusing. The act of writing something down straightens out my thoughts, makes them coherent. When that happens, I discover things that were hidden in the mess, kind of like cleaning my room. I use this idea everyday, by making lists and writing down reminders. In my house, whenever anyone has any activity or event coming up and they try to tell mom, she says, "Don't tell me, go write it on the calendar." We have a large wall calendar in the main kitchen/dining room where everyone can see it. It's common in our house to hear "go check the calendar" or "go write it on the calendar". If something is not written down, we forget it...it's happened before. I'm the same way now, on my own: if something does not get written down, I forget it. I think there are two metaphors I can make to explain this, so indulge me while I try.
The first one is the analogy of my messy and confused mind. When I think of something, if I don't write it down and straighten things out, it will get lost in the mess of my mind. I may remember that it's there and that it was maybe important, but I don't know where to start looking for it in the mess, kinda like looking for a pair of shoes in the mess of my room...writing things and ideas down help me put them in their proper place, so I can usually find them again.
The second metaphor is that of a bulletin board, and it is necessary because the first allegory is imperfect: often when I put something in its place, I forget where its place is. A bulletin board analogy fixes that. When I right stuff down, and say it, and hear it, the item gets placed on a bulletin board where I will remember to look for it. This technique is also used in my home: above the calendar, we have a white board and a bulletin board. Temporary notices and messages get put on the white board, and important papers and announcements get hung on the bulletin board. Whenever an important paper is missing, mom says "check the bulletin board", and it is usually there. The same thing applies to my mind; when I write stuff down, I organize it, and if it's important, I hang it on a proverbial bulletin board where I can remember to look for it when I'm looking for it. Often, this fake bulletin board becomes a reality when I put sticky notes on my desktop (I love the sticky notes application!)
So, writing helps me organize my mind, helps me discover things that were there all along, but that I didn't know were there. Writing something down also helps me remember it later. I had a French teacher who said "read it, write it, hear it, say it helps you remember it 10 times better" (or something like that). She was right, I remember things better when I write them down and then read them again.
Thank you for joining me as I discovered more unique things about myself!
Special thanks to the Oprah Winfrey Show, which is where the J.K. Rowling quote came from.
Recently, I experienced this very phenomenon. My French Horn teacher asked me why I played French Horn. She didn't accept the answers I had given her on the spot as the deepest reasons why, so she told me to go home and think about it. Since I enjoy writing, I decided to go about the assignment by keeping a blog journal about it. Every time I had a spare moment, I asked myself "Why Horn?" Whenever I had a thought, I'd write it in this blog, and over the course of five days, I found stuff out about myself through writing. I have never had that happen before, except for possibly journalling in past years, but I didn't recognize it for what it was then. It was a fantastical experience.
I wonder what it is about writing that shows us something new and exciting about ourselves...my personal belief, at least for me, is that my mind is very complicated and confusing. The act of writing something down straightens out my thoughts, makes them coherent. When that happens, I discover things that were hidden in the mess, kind of like cleaning my room. I use this idea everyday, by making lists and writing down reminders. In my house, whenever anyone has any activity or event coming up and they try to tell mom, she says, "Don't tell me, go write it on the calendar." We have a large wall calendar in the main kitchen/dining room where everyone can see it. It's common in our house to hear "go check the calendar" or "go write it on the calendar". If something is not written down, we forget it...it's happened before. I'm the same way now, on my own: if something does not get written down, I forget it. I think there are two metaphors I can make to explain this, so indulge me while I try.
The first one is the analogy of my messy and confused mind. When I think of something, if I don't write it down and straighten things out, it will get lost in the mess of my mind. I may remember that it's there and that it was maybe important, but I don't know where to start looking for it in the mess, kinda like looking for a pair of shoes in the mess of my room...writing things and ideas down help me put them in their proper place, so I can usually find them again.
The second metaphor is that of a bulletin board, and it is necessary because the first allegory is imperfect: often when I put something in its place, I forget where its place is. A bulletin board analogy fixes that. When I right stuff down, and say it, and hear it, the item gets placed on a bulletin board where I will remember to look for it. This technique is also used in my home: above the calendar, we have a white board and a bulletin board. Temporary notices and messages get put on the white board, and important papers and announcements get hung on the bulletin board. Whenever an important paper is missing, mom says "check the bulletin board", and it is usually there. The same thing applies to my mind; when I write stuff down, I organize it, and if it's important, I hang it on a proverbial bulletin board where I can remember to look for it when I'm looking for it. Often, this fake bulletin board becomes a reality when I put sticky notes on my desktop (I love the sticky notes application!)
So, writing helps me organize my mind, helps me discover things that were there all along, but that I didn't know were there. Writing something down also helps me remember it later. I had a French teacher who said "read it, write it, hear it, say it helps you remember it 10 times better" (or something like that). She was right, I remember things better when I write them down and then read them again.
Thank you for joining me as I discovered more unique things about myself!
Special thanks to the Oprah Winfrey Show, which is where the J.K. Rowling quote came from.
Monday, September 20, 2010
3. Sarcasm: Where is it?
As I was listening for sarcasm, I was surprised that I found very little of it. I know it's there, I remember hearing way too much of it in High School, but no matter how much I listened here, I didn't hear very much. Now, this could mean one of three things:
1. People are more mature in college, especially this college, and don't use sarcasm as much. I initially believed this, and though it probably does play a part, I talked to others who were able to hear many examples of sarcasm, even here. So that isn't it.
2. I wasn't listening hard enough. This is also very likely, and plays a part. I haven't been getting out much, so I might not have been in situations where I would hear sarcasm. I could also be hanging out with people who don't use sarcasm, or we might have been in situations where sarcasm wasn't warranted. I don't think this is the main reason, though.
3. I can't hear or understand sarcasm when I do hear it. I think this is at least partly true, if not mostly true. I've had trouble recognizing sarcasm when it is used around me. It caused many uncomfortable situations in high school (you can use your imagination as to how). I don't know if it's a good thing I can't understand sarcasm as easily as others seem to, or if it's going to get me into real trouble someday. It already has gotten me into difficult situations when I used it unknowingly.
The above reason are maybe why the assignment to listen for sarcasm was hard for me. I felt like I wouldn't have anything to write about in this blog. Basically, I take what people say at face-value, and I maybe trust them a little too much. I don't think these are bad things, but there are certain situations where they can be undesirable traits.
So basically, I need to work on reading people.
That isn't what I really want to write this blog on, though. I want to discuss sarcasm in another area of life that may be even worse: our spiritual relationship with God.
As I said above, I don't understand sarcasm, so I looked up "sarcasm" on LDS.org and came up with 66 entries. I didn't have to go very far before I had an epiphany, though, for in the first summary paragraph of the first entry, it said,
"A most damaging form of humor is sarcasm, or cutting, hostile, or contemptuous remarks. Though often meant to be harmless, sarcasm denotes insensitivity to the feelings of others, stemming either from thoughtlessness or maliciousness."
-Peter B Rawlins, New Era, August 1974
The first sentence makes sense, I've heard it every time there's a talk or article about sarcasm. But the second sentence struck a chord within me. "Though often meant to be harmless, sarcasm denotes insensitivity to the feelings of others, stemming either from thoughtlessness or maliciousness." I'll come back to this thought in a minute.
The other thing that helped me get to this epiphany was the song I was listening to when I did my search: I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go. As I thought about the message in this song, and the second half of the definition of sarcasm, it hit me: how many times do we use sarcasm in our prayers, or in our church callings. How many times do we say "I'll do what you want" and think "but it's not what I would do" or "I'll do it my way". Isn't that a form of sarcasm? We say or think a remark meant to be harmless, as a "side note", that in reality hurts someone else's feelings, because they feel that you are being demeaning. In the example, it's God's feelings we are hurting. How do you think He feels when we say we'll do what He wants, but then we turn around and ignore His counsel? I don't think we mean to be malicious to God, but what do we convey to Him in the thoughtless remarks we make in the recesses of our minds?
When we are told to do something, we need to respond sincerely with a "sure, I'll do what you need" instead of a sarcastic "sure, I'll do that, whatever". I think Satan really wants us to slip in thoughtless remarks to God to hurt our relationship with Him. Isn't that Satan's ultimate goal: separate us from our Father? What better way than to get us to do it ourselves?
So, what's the cure to this? I believe that it just takes practice. We must practice praying in order to understand God's will, and not try to force our will on Him, and then we must practice recognizing and acting on the suggestions/instructions God sends us. Honestly, how many times have the prophet and apostles told us this same principle in the last three years? Even within the past two weeks, we've heard it at least three times from three different apostles.
I challenge each of us, myself included, to stop using sarcasm in our relationships, especially our relationship with God. Just ask, is Eternal Life worth a sarcastic remark?
1. People are more mature in college, especially this college, and don't use sarcasm as much. I initially believed this, and though it probably does play a part, I talked to others who were able to hear many examples of sarcasm, even here. So that isn't it.
2. I wasn't listening hard enough. This is also very likely, and plays a part. I haven't been getting out much, so I might not have been in situations where I would hear sarcasm. I could also be hanging out with people who don't use sarcasm, or we might have been in situations where sarcasm wasn't warranted. I don't think this is the main reason, though.
3. I can't hear or understand sarcasm when I do hear it. I think this is at least partly true, if not mostly true. I've had trouble recognizing sarcasm when it is used around me. It caused many uncomfortable situations in high school (you can use your imagination as to how). I don't know if it's a good thing I can't understand sarcasm as easily as others seem to, or if it's going to get me into real trouble someday. It already has gotten me into difficult situations when I used it unknowingly.
The above reason are maybe why the assignment to listen for sarcasm was hard for me. I felt like I wouldn't have anything to write about in this blog. Basically, I take what people say at face-value, and I maybe trust them a little too much. I don't think these are bad things, but there are certain situations where they can be undesirable traits.
So basically, I need to work on reading people.
That isn't what I really want to write this blog on, though. I want to discuss sarcasm in another area of life that may be even worse: our spiritual relationship with God.
As I said above, I don't understand sarcasm, so I looked up "sarcasm" on LDS.org and came up with 66 entries. I didn't have to go very far before I had an epiphany, though, for in the first summary paragraph of the first entry, it said,
"A most damaging form of humor is sarcasm, or cutting, hostile, or contemptuous remarks. Though often meant to be harmless, sarcasm denotes insensitivity to the feelings of others, stemming either from thoughtlessness or maliciousness."
-Peter B Rawlins, New Era, August 1974
The first sentence makes sense, I've heard it every time there's a talk or article about sarcasm. But the second sentence struck a chord within me. "Though often meant to be harmless, sarcasm denotes insensitivity to the feelings of others, stemming either from thoughtlessness or maliciousness." I'll come back to this thought in a minute.
The other thing that helped me get to this epiphany was the song I was listening to when I did my search: I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go. As I thought about the message in this song, and the second half of the definition of sarcasm, it hit me: how many times do we use sarcasm in our prayers, or in our church callings. How many times do we say "I'll do what you want" and think "but it's not what I would do" or "I'll do it my way". Isn't that a form of sarcasm? We say or think a remark meant to be harmless, as a "side note", that in reality hurts someone else's feelings, because they feel that you are being demeaning. In the example, it's God's feelings we are hurting. How do you think He feels when we say we'll do what He wants, but then we turn around and ignore His counsel? I don't think we mean to be malicious to God, but what do we convey to Him in the thoughtless remarks we make in the recesses of our minds?
When we are told to do something, we need to respond sincerely with a "sure, I'll do what you need" instead of a sarcastic "sure, I'll do that, whatever". I think Satan really wants us to slip in thoughtless remarks to God to hurt our relationship with Him. Isn't that Satan's ultimate goal: separate us from our Father? What better way than to get us to do it ourselves?
So, what's the cure to this? I believe that it just takes practice. We must practice praying in order to understand God's will, and not try to force our will on Him, and then we must practice recognizing and acting on the suggestions/instructions God sends us. Honestly, how many times have the prophet and apostles told us this same principle in the last three years? Even within the past two weeks, we've heard it at least three times from three different apostles.
I challenge each of us, myself included, to stop using sarcasm in our relationships, especially our relationship with God. Just ask, is Eternal Life worth a sarcastic remark?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
2. Footprints in the Sand
This post is an explanation, both of the title of the Blog and of the URL, sandyfootprints.
First, the title.
"The only way out is through." This is a quote I heard somewhere, I don't remember where. I searched for it on the Internet, and came up with about 15 different people who said it, including J.K. Rowling, Robert Frost, and an obscure poet named Akka Mahadevi. To me, it doesn't matter who said it, it's still an inspiring quote. When I heard it, it was used in reference to life and our trials. So often in today's world we search for ways to avoid the difficult things. We have TV remotes so we don't have to leave the couch, pizza and popcorn buttons on the microwave so we don't have to hit three extra buttons, Internet quick links and favorites bars so we don't have to type in a URL, the list is endless. Unfortunately, we also take this philosophy into our Spiritual lives. One complaint I've heard about the Gospel is that it's so hard to keep our standards. Televangelists don't make money unless they sprout ideas like "Proclaim Jesus your Savior, and you'll be saved, no matter what" and even the Catholic Church did something where you could buy repentance instead of actually doing the work. (These were indulgences, and are no longer in use. They were used during the Middle Ages) The point is, even in our Spiritual life, we want to take shortcuts. I've wanted to sometimes; I've wanted to just read the scriptures instead of studying them, or I want just go to an hour of church instead of three. That's why I like this quote: it says there are no shortcuts when it comes to trials. The only way to get out of trials is to go through them. If you dodge them, they come back later, oftentimes worse. This quote gives me the courage to face my trials head-on and remember that there is an end, I just have to endure.
Next: the URL.
My favorite poem is "Footprints in the Sand" by Mary Stevenson. I first heard it during a Church talk a few years ago, and it's struck me. That was at a time in my life when I was struggling to feel my Savior's love for me, so this poem really hit as a reminder that God is always there. Here is the poem:
Footprints in the Sand
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?"
The Lord replied,
"The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you."
Mary Stevenson
Copyright © 1984 Mary Stevenson, from original 1936 text, All rights reserved
http://www.footprints-inthe-sand.com/index.php?page=Poem/Poem.php
This poem gave voice to my feelings of loneliness and abandonment. It then told me I was being stupid. I had forgotten who I was, a Daughter of God, and just as my mortal father is always there for me, so is my Heavenly Father always there for me. This poem helped me realize that it wasn't my Father in Heaven who had forsaken me, but I who had left His side, through my own choices. It helped me start recognizing His hand in my life and helped me feel His love again.
This quote and poem are from a time in my life when I felt lost, alone, forsaken, and like I would never see the end of the tunnel I was in. They helped me through the tunnel, and now I use them all throughout my life, including on a blog for a freshman writing class.
First, the title.
"The only way out is through." This is a quote I heard somewhere, I don't remember where. I searched for it on the Internet, and came up with about 15 different people who said it, including J.K. Rowling, Robert Frost, and an obscure poet named Akka Mahadevi. To me, it doesn't matter who said it, it's still an inspiring quote. When I heard it, it was used in reference to life and our trials. So often in today's world we search for ways to avoid the difficult things. We have TV remotes so we don't have to leave the couch, pizza and popcorn buttons on the microwave so we don't have to hit three extra buttons, Internet quick links and favorites bars so we don't have to type in a URL, the list is endless. Unfortunately, we also take this philosophy into our Spiritual lives. One complaint I've heard about the Gospel is that it's so hard to keep our standards. Televangelists don't make money unless they sprout ideas like "Proclaim Jesus your Savior, and you'll be saved, no matter what" and even the Catholic Church did something where you could buy repentance instead of actually doing the work. (These were indulgences, and are no longer in use. They were used during the Middle Ages) The point is, even in our Spiritual life, we want to take shortcuts. I've wanted to sometimes; I've wanted to just read the scriptures instead of studying them, or I want just go to an hour of church instead of three. That's why I like this quote: it says there are no shortcuts when it comes to trials. The only way to get out of trials is to go through them. If you dodge them, they come back later, oftentimes worse. This quote gives me the courage to face my trials head-on and remember that there is an end, I just have to endure.
Next: the URL.
My favorite poem is "Footprints in the Sand" by Mary Stevenson. I first heard it during a Church talk a few years ago, and it's struck me. That was at a time in my life when I was struggling to feel my Savior's love for me, so this poem really hit as a reminder that God is always there. Here is the poem:
Footprints in the Sand
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?"
The Lord replied,
"The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you."
Mary Stevenson
Copyright © 1984 Mary Stevenson, from original 1936 text, All rights reserved
http://www.footprints-inthe-sand.com/index.php?page=Poem/Poem.php
This poem gave voice to my feelings of loneliness and abandonment. It then told me I was being stupid. I had forgotten who I was, a Daughter of God, and just as my mortal father is always there for me, so is my Heavenly Father always there for me. This poem helped me realize that it wasn't my Father in Heaven who had forsaken me, but I who had left His side, through my own choices. It helped me start recognizing His hand in my life and helped me feel His love again.
This quote and poem are from a time in my life when I felt lost, alone, forsaken, and like I would never see the end of the tunnel I was in. They helped me through the tunnel, and now I use them all throughout my life, including on a blog for a freshman writing class.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
1. Learning Now in Preparation for the Future
"Child of God" by President Eyring of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was a talk given at Brigham Young University about what makes us great learners. He detailed four attributes that all great learners possess: they welcome correction, keep commitments, help other people, and expect resistance and overcome it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his talk, and these characteristics are going to become part of my soul, but I also enjoyed getting advice for my future position: a teacher.
I plan on becoming a teacher when I finish college. In Pres. Eyring's talk, he told us the four main attributes that great learners have, and so he told me what attributes I should try to get my future students to develop.
Welcome Correction: Great learners welcome correction. Pres. Eyring says "the wise learner cares more for the jottings than for the grade at the top of the page." I had a teacher once who ran her class this way: you could rewrite any paper as many times as you wanted. In this way, she made us focus more on the corrections and not the grade, since that grade was easily raised. When I run a classroom, I want to follow this same pattern to teach my students that grades don't matter; improving through corrections is what is important.
Keep Commitments: My freshman year of high school, our English motto was "Challenge the System". Pres. Eyring asserts that learning to keep our commitments is important in our respective discipline because each discipline has rules that must be followed. However, he also states that great learners have "a deep appreciation for finding better rules and a commitment to keeping them." So my freshman class motto started me down the path to becoming a great learner as it put into my mind the curiosity and means to challenge the set system and find new and better rules. Keeping my commitments will lead to success in my discipline and it will help me improve my discipline as I keep my commitment to find a better way to do anything. In my own classroom, I will allow my students to challenge the system, including mine, to find ways to improve everything around them.
Work Hard: Great learners work hard. This makes sense; we've known learning takes a lot of work since middle school. Pres. Eyring says that when we quit working, we quit learning. I would liken learning to going up the down escalator. It takes work, and it's much harder than going up the up escalator, but when you get to the top, you feel much more accomplished. Another point that Pres. Eyring draws is that those great learners who always work hard do it for non-academic reasons. Same way with going up the down escalator. If it was a logical argument, that much work is completely illogical. It's illogical to work hard for education, by worldly standards, since you can have pretty good life by dancing through school. Great learners motivate themselves, and they get more out of life since they are engaged. When I am a teacher, I want to teach my students to work hard, but this is one of the hardest things to do. Students do not want to work hard, and pushing them will just make them angry with you. I had a government teacher who got us to work hard. He inspired us to be more than we thought we could. Inspiration is the method teachers use to persuade students to work hard; I want to learn this skill so I can help make great learners.
Expect Resistance and Overcome it: According to most Christian beliefs, and most definitely according to my beliefs, there is opposition in all things. This includes education. Learning is hard, especially if the subject doesn't come naturally to you. Even if something came naturally to you, it is almost certain that you will meet a piece of that subject that is difficult for you to grasp. Great learners expect this, but they are determined to work through the challenges. They have this determination because they know the value of the knowledge that lies on the other side of the hardship. Pres. Eyring counsels us to not get discouraged and to work through whatever comes at us until we overcome it. That is the mark of a great learner: perseverance. I took French in high school. Learning a foreign language is difficult enough, but I also skipped the second year of it. On top of all that, they hired a new teacher to teach the third year, and she was horrible. She was a really nice, interesting person, but she did not know how to teach to our class. She was a by-the-book teacher who was used to having students who were by-the-book learners. My high school was not a by-the-book high school so we all struggled in her class. I considered dropping her class, and then even quiting after the drop date, but my dad told me to keep going. My friends in the class and I started working together to try and learn the information; we persevered. And you know what? All of us passed that class and moved on to fourth year. I even got pretty good at reading French, though my speaking still needs some work. The point is, when we persevered through her class, we came out on the other side with knowledge that was special to us because we had fought hard against the odds to gain it.
This, again, is a difficult trait to teach my students without becoming that teacher that they strongly dislike for the rest of their lives. I don't want to be that teacher, but I do want to teach them perseverance. Luckily, our school system at least partially teaches this concept by requiring tests and papers and finals that many students see as opposition. Opposition is also inherent in ourselves, as we learn what are our strengths and what are our weaknesses. This concept is what I will use to teach my students perseverance. I want to teach math. I'm sure half of you out there just sighed in disgust or spit or something. I'm hoping you did because that means you faced the opposition many, if not most, people find in Math. I plan on helping my students overcome this difficult subject, not by giving them step-by-step instructions for every little problem they encounter, but by giving them general guiding principles that they can apply to math, and anything else that opposes them in life.
President Eyring's talk "Child of God" is food for the thought, but it was also a list of suggestions for me in my future career as a teacher. I hope that you will read this talk and see what it says to you, and what knowledge you gain for your future happiness. Thanks for reading.
I plan on becoming a teacher when I finish college. In Pres. Eyring's talk, he told us the four main attributes that great learners have, and so he told me what attributes I should try to get my future students to develop.
Welcome Correction: Great learners welcome correction. Pres. Eyring says "the wise learner cares more for the jottings than for the grade at the top of the page." I had a teacher once who ran her class this way: you could rewrite any paper as many times as you wanted. In this way, she made us focus more on the corrections and not the grade, since that grade was easily raised. When I run a classroom, I want to follow this same pattern to teach my students that grades don't matter; improving through corrections is what is important.
Keep Commitments: My freshman year of high school, our English motto was "Challenge the System". Pres. Eyring asserts that learning to keep our commitments is important in our respective discipline because each discipline has rules that must be followed. However, he also states that great learners have "a deep appreciation for finding better rules and a commitment to keeping them." So my freshman class motto started me down the path to becoming a great learner as it put into my mind the curiosity and means to challenge the set system and find new and better rules. Keeping my commitments will lead to success in my discipline and it will help me improve my discipline as I keep my commitment to find a better way to do anything. In my own classroom, I will allow my students to challenge the system, including mine, to find ways to improve everything around them.
Work Hard: Great learners work hard. This makes sense; we've known learning takes a lot of work since middle school. Pres. Eyring says that when we quit working, we quit learning. I would liken learning to going up the down escalator. It takes work, and it's much harder than going up the up escalator, but when you get to the top, you feel much more accomplished. Another point that Pres. Eyring draws is that those great learners who always work hard do it for non-academic reasons. Same way with going up the down escalator. If it was a logical argument, that much work is completely illogical. It's illogical to work hard for education, by worldly standards, since you can have pretty good life by dancing through school. Great learners motivate themselves, and they get more out of life since they are engaged. When I am a teacher, I want to teach my students to work hard, but this is one of the hardest things to do. Students do not want to work hard, and pushing them will just make them angry with you. I had a government teacher who got us to work hard. He inspired us to be more than we thought we could. Inspiration is the method teachers use to persuade students to work hard; I want to learn this skill so I can help make great learners.
Expect Resistance and Overcome it: According to most Christian beliefs, and most definitely according to my beliefs, there is opposition in all things. This includes education. Learning is hard, especially if the subject doesn't come naturally to you. Even if something came naturally to you, it is almost certain that you will meet a piece of that subject that is difficult for you to grasp. Great learners expect this, but they are determined to work through the challenges. They have this determination because they know the value of the knowledge that lies on the other side of the hardship. Pres. Eyring counsels us to not get discouraged and to work through whatever comes at us until we overcome it. That is the mark of a great learner: perseverance. I took French in high school. Learning a foreign language is difficult enough, but I also skipped the second year of it. On top of all that, they hired a new teacher to teach the third year, and she was horrible. She was a really nice, interesting person, but she did not know how to teach to our class. She was a by-the-book teacher who was used to having students who were by-the-book learners. My high school was not a by-the-book high school so we all struggled in her class. I considered dropping her class, and then even quiting after the drop date, but my dad told me to keep going. My friends in the class and I started working together to try and learn the information; we persevered. And you know what? All of us passed that class and moved on to fourth year. I even got pretty good at reading French, though my speaking still needs some work. The point is, when we persevered through her class, we came out on the other side with knowledge that was special to us because we had fought hard against the odds to gain it.
This, again, is a difficult trait to teach my students without becoming that teacher that they strongly dislike for the rest of their lives. I don't want to be that teacher, but I do want to teach them perseverance. Luckily, our school system at least partially teaches this concept by requiring tests and papers and finals that many students see as opposition. Opposition is also inherent in ourselves, as we learn what are our strengths and what are our weaknesses. This concept is what I will use to teach my students perseverance. I want to teach math. I'm sure half of you out there just sighed in disgust or spit or something. I'm hoping you did because that means you faced the opposition many, if not most, people find in Math. I plan on helping my students overcome this difficult subject, not by giving them step-by-step instructions for every little problem they encounter, but by giving them general guiding principles that they can apply to math, and anything else that opposes them in life.
President Eyring's talk "Child of God" is food for the thought, but it was also a list of suggestions for me in my future career as a teacher. I hope that you will read this talk and see what it says to you, and what knowledge you gain for your future happiness. Thanks for reading.
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