Monday, May 10, 2010
Class today was the beginning of the study I had hoped we would have here. I loved our bit of form analysis we did on Mozart's Requiem. While no, I did not understand every bit of the theory we covered, but I am definitely making progress and I really like that. I think this study here will make me a much better musician—or so I hope. I enjoyed the theory and form analysis much more than the discussion about our responses to the pieces. The emotional, spiritual and psychological responses of listeners to pieces is surely extremely important, but I think the things—the music, including its form, chordal structure, etc—that create those feelings or affects, are almost more important than the responses to the music. If a composer or musician can understand those constructs, then he or she will be able to best convey those things to his or her audiences.
I've thought a bit more about my comment about the effect of live music on listeners and have come up with a few other ideas:
When people use their resonators to the fullest extent, they produce many overtones, which are, for some reason, arresting to the attention. Sister Hall calls it “making our endorphins dance.” But there is really a physiological, spiritual, psychological response to those overtones produced which makes us devote our full attention to what's going on musically.
Unfortunately, even with the recording technology being as advanced as it is, it still can not capture those overtones and when we hear recorded music, we simply can not achieve the same effect as when we hear it live. This really interests me, even after writing a 20 page paper on it two years ago. I still want to know what is happening mentally when those things happen—when music locks “air-tight,” if you will.
We went to Evensong tonight at Southwark (pronounced “Suthik”). I was fairly underwhelmed with it, but whatevs. I think it may have been the tuning or maybe the underdeveloped children's voices. But whatever it was (or wasn't, as the case was), it didn't really strike the chord for me.
We're seeing the Tallis Scholars tomorrow night. I think I might wet myself.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010. London.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
The Sung Eucharist service at Westminster Abbey this morning was really quite extraordinary. I loved finding the parallels between their service and some of our most sacred services in our Church. I am constantly amazed at how many similarities there are between our Church and others, but I never find one single church that is similar to ours. It's just further proof that each of the other religions has so much truth, but none of them have a totality of the truth. I was deeply touched, however, by some of the things that were said at the service—even some of the set text that is a part of each service.
It's actually pretty interesting that I have had some really powerful spiritual experiences in going to other religions' services, especially Catholic services. There is a lot of reverence and silence that creates an atmosphere that is so conducive to the Spirit, which I fear eludes our own meetings. And I believe that if you attend others' services with an attitude of learning and appreciating and understanding, God can teach you what you will need to know simply by you being open. And while it may not all be true, there are, like I said, many truths that are taught in those services. In fact, in the program, which I don't currently have with me, there were a few phrases that had some deep, deep doctrine.
The choir at Westminster was fabulous. It was a boys choir, with boys singing the soprano and alto lines and men singing the tenor and bass lines. Although I do appreciate so much the fullness and grounding of women, there is something to be said about the boys' purity in their sound. They really can soar on those high notes and hit them so effortlessly. I was so impressed with their musicality and intonation at such a young age! Heavens, I have been singing for....who knows how long, and have not achieved that level of intonation. Quite impressive.
It's Mother's Day today. What a fabulous mother I have. I often think about all she did for me as I was growing up. She sacrificed so much for us and did so much to make us feel her love through the way she served us. And serves us! She has such a wonderful, good, tender and caring heart. I feel her love every day. I only hope she feels mine as well. I know at times she gets frustrated with how little time I have to talk on the phone, and I feel badly for it, but sometimes it really isn't possible for me to talk at that specific moment when she calls. Anyway, I am so grateful for her and her love. I am one lucky chap to have a mother such as her.
The Sung Eucharist service at Westminster Abbey this morning was really quite extraordinary. I loved finding the parallels between their service and some of our most sacred services in our Church. I am constantly amazed at how many similarities there are between our Church and others, but I never find one single church that is similar to ours. It's just further proof that each of the other religions has so much truth, but none of them have a totality of the truth. I was deeply touched, however, by some of the things that were said at the service—even some of the set text that is a part of each service.
It's actually pretty interesting that I have had some really powerful spiritual experiences in going to other religions' services, especially Catholic services. There is a lot of reverence and silence that creates an atmosphere that is so conducive to the Spirit, which I fear eludes our own meetings. And I believe that if you attend others' services with an attitude of learning and appreciating and understanding, God can teach you what you will need to know simply by you being open. And while it may not all be true, there are, like I said, many truths that are taught in those services. In fact, in the program, which I don't currently have with me, there were a few phrases that had some deep, deep doctrine.
The choir at Westminster was fabulous. It was a boys choir, with boys singing the soprano and alto lines and men singing the tenor and bass lines. Although I do appreciate so much the fullness and grounding of women, there is something to be said about the boys' purity in their sound. They really can soar on those high notes and hit them so effortlessly. I was so impressed with their musicality and intonation at such a young age! Heavens, I have been singing for....who knows how long, and have not achieved that level of intonation. Quite impressive.
It's Mother's Day today. What a fabulous mother I have. I often think about all she did for me as I was growing up. She sacrificed so much for us and did so much to make us feel her love through the way she served us. And serves us! She has such a wonderful, good, tender and caring heart. I feel her love every day. I only hope she feels mine as well. I know at times she gets frustrated with how little time I have to talk on the phone, and I feel badly for it, but sometimes it really isn't possible for me to talk at that specific moment when she calls. Anyway, I am so grateful for her and her love. I am one lucky chap to have a mother such as her.
London. Saturday, May 9, 2010
Saturday. May 8th, 2010
What a wonderfully refreshing day today! This past week has been pretty tiring because I was in Paris and I wanted to see everything, so I spent everyday wandering the city and seeing the city, probably walking a total of about 10 – 15 miles daily. So when everybody was blastedly tired from jetlag last night and went to bed early, I figured I would join the club and hit the sack at a reasonable hour. Having slept about 10 hours, I felt absolutely wonderful in the morning, as opposed to fantastically exhausted, compared to the rest of the week.
After a group meeting, during which we went over a bunch of program logistics, we were set loose to go on the town. We have a couple with us named the Whimmers who have spent a lot of time in London and they are more or less serving as resident tour guides for us. They gave us a walking tour, which would take us down by Trafalgar Square and the Parliament, Big Ben, etc. However, I decided I wanted some produce, so I went with my friends, Michelle and Scott, who are dating and are wonderful as well, to Portobello Road. It actually reminded me of 25 de Marco, from Sao Paulo, but actually quite toned down. You can find a lot of pretty cool things there on Portobello, but the prices aren't nearly as good as at 25 de Marco. But it was a really fun atmosphere and we saw some fantastic stuff. There are a whole lot of really cool vintage shops, wonderful produce venders (L4.50 for about 2 wks' worth of vegetables—also, can we pause and just contemplate how delectable carrots are in the UK?! Great scott!), and tons of little knick knack stores with lots of odds and ends. Seriously a really fun and awesome atmosphere. I loved it.
After getting back, I made some food, ironed my newly acquired shirts, INLCUDING a beautiful white and purple checked shirt I bought at H&M this morning for L10, and got ready for our concert tonight at St. Martin's at the Fields.
They did some really nice Purcell pieces, including one of my very favorite choral pieces in the world, “With Drooping Wings,” from “Dido and Aenaeas.” We sang it earlier in the year for our fall concert and that was when I first fell in love with it. It is at the end of the opera when Dido has died and the chorus is imploring the cupids to “scatter roses on her tomb” and to keep their watch and “never, never part.” It is an absolutely beautiful and stunning piece, which really cuts to your soul as you both sing and hear it. The writing is really quite amazing, especially considering the time when Purcell composed the opera. As I remember it, there are quite a few 7ths and 9ths between the interwieving parts and can be fairly dissonant at times. It is a fantastic piece though.
The second half was first Mozart's Gloria, I believe, which I don't think I'd ever heard, but REALLY liked. Following that was his Requiem Mass, which I had never heard performed live. Oh my gosh, I LOVED it. It really is an amazing piece of work and it has some exquisite parts. I remember a specific part when the choir repeated multiple times the lyrics “salva-ma.” I could feel and hear Mozart crying and weeping to the Lord “Save me, Jesus!” And it wasn't necessarily that he was pleading with the Lord to save him from sin, but rather from the depths of dispair and depression in which he spent much of his life. It was amazing to hear his voice through his music and feel his raw emotion. I think it was partly due to the performers, but I believe it was mostly Mozart's doing. I think I first fell in love with this piece after watching “Amadeus.” I know the story portrayed in the movie isn't necessarily true, but it still gave me access to the piece and now I totally love it.
It was interesting how hearing live music for the first time in about 3 weeks had an effect on me. I've been listening to good, intelligent music for the past couple weeks, but LIVE music had a real impact on me. I almost felt like I was being purged of impurity as I sat there. I am interested to see how this develops during this study. Suffice it to say that I am THRILLED to be here and am SO excited to get going on this.
Out.
What a wonderfully refreshing day today! This past week has been pretty tiring because I was in Paris and I wanted to see everything, so I spent everyday wandering the city and seeing the city, probably walking a total of about 10 – 15 miles daily. So when everybody was blastedly tired from jetlag last night and went to bed early, I figured I would join the club and hit the sack at a reasonable hour. Having slept about 10 hours, I felt absolutely wonderful in the morning, as opposed to fantastically exhausted, compared to the rest of the week.
After a group meeting, during which we went over a bunch of program logistics, we were set loose to go on the town. We have a couple with us named the Whimmers who have spent a lot of time in London and they are more or less serving as resident tour guides for us. They gave us a walking tour, which would take us down by Trafalgar Square and the Parliament, Big Ben, etc. However, I decided I wanted some produce, so I went with my friends, Michelle and Scott, who are dating and are wonderful as well, to Portobello Road. It actually reminded me of 25 de Marco, from Sao Paulo, but actually quite toned down. You can find a lot of pretty cool things there on Portobello, but the prices aren't nearly as good as at 25 de Marco. But it was a really fun atmosphere and we saw some fantastic stuff. There are a whole lot of really cool vintage shops, wonderful produce venders (L4.50 for about 2 wks' worth of vegetables—also, can we pause and just contemplate how delectable carrots are in the UK?! Great scott!), and tons of little knick knack stores with lots of odds and ends. Seriously a really fun and awesome atmosphere. I loved it.
After getting back, I made some food, ironed my newly acquired shirts, INLCUDING a beautiful white and purple checked shirt I bought at H&M this morning for L10, and got ready for our concert tonight at St. Martin's at the Fields.
They did some really nice Purcell pieces, including one of my very favorite choral pieces in the world, “With Drooping Wings,” from “Dido and Aenaeas.” We sang it earlier in the year for our fall concert and that was when I first fell in love with it. It is at the end of the opera when Dido has died and the chorus is imploring the cupids to “scatter roses on her tomb” and to keep their watch and “never, never part.” It is an absolutely beautiful and stunning piece, which really cuts to your soul as you both sing and hear it. The writing is really quite amazing, especially considering the time when Purcell composed the opera. As I remember it, there are quite a few 7ths and 9ths between the interwieving parts and can be fairly dissonant at times. It is a fantastic piece though.
The second half was first Mozart's Gloria, I believe, which I don't think I'd ever heard, but REALLY liked. Following that was his Requiem Mass, which I had never heard performed live. Oh my gosh, I LOVED it. It really is an amazing piece of work and it has some exquisite parts. I remember a specific part when the choir repeated multiple times the lyrics “salva-ma.” I could feel and hear Mozart crying and weeping to the Lord “Save me, Jesus!” And it wasn't necessarily that he was pleading with the Lord to save him from sin, but rather from the depths of dispair and depression in which he spent much of his life. It was amazing to hear his voice through his music and feel his raw emotion. I think it was partly due to the performers, but I believe it was mostly Mozart's doing. I think I first fell in love with this piece after watching “Amadeus.” I know the story portrayed in the movie isn't necessarily true, but it still gave me access to the piece and now I totally love it.
It was interesting how hearing live music for the first time in about 3 weeks had an effect on me. I've been listening to good, intelligent music for the past couple weeks, but LIVE music had a real impact on me. I almost felt like I was being purged of impurity as I sat there. I am interested to see how this develops during this study. Suffice it to say that I am THRILLED to be here and am SO excited to get going on this.
Out.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tough love: Cyclists and drivers share the road
Tough love: Cyclists and drivers share the road
By Logan Bradford
“Gah! I hate bikes!”
This is not an uncommon outburst heard on BYU campus.
Impatience and ignorance present a major safety concern for both drivers and cyclists, making the need for mutual understanding greater than ever.
Despite statistics indicating a decrease in bike-motor vehicle crashes over the past 30 years, there are still hundreds of collisions and even deaths every year.
Racer Gibson, owner of Racer’s Cycle Service in Provo, attributes most car-bike incidents to cyclists acting erratically, limiting drivers’ ability to react to and predict what cyclists will do.
Gibson is a strong advocate for vehicular cycling, which promotes the idea that cyclists should act as cars when riding on the road.
According to Utah law code section 41-6a-1105, “a person operating a bicycle, a vehicle or device propelled by human power, or a moped has all the rights and is subject to the provisions of [that] chapter applicable to the operator of any other vehicle.”
Arnold Lemmon, BYU police lieutenant, has seen people not following this on and around BYU campus.
“Bikes want to be treated both as motor vehicle operators and pedestrians,” Lemmon said. “When a cyclist is on a roadway, he is subject to the same laws as a motor vehicle operator.”
One of those laws, Lemmon said, is using turn signals. He said cyclists should use hand signals to indicate their intended direction.
“It lets people know what’s going on,” Gibson said. “It’s like using turn signals in your car.”
Gibson also emphasized that riding on sidewalks is dangerous because drivers do not look for traffic moving three times the rate of a pedestrian when pulling out of a driveway and could potentially not see them, causing an accident.
In fact, the Utah law code reads, “A person may not operate a bicycle or a vehicle or device propelled by human power on a sidewalk, path, or trail, or across a roadway in a crosswalk, where prohibited by a traffic-control device or ordinance.”
Lemmon stressed the importance of cyclists riding on the shoulder of roads when possible, and if not, riding as far to the right in the lane as possible.
He also highlighted cyclists’ personal safety, using reflectors, lights and helmets.
“You get people riding at night without lights or reflective gear and they want to be treated well by motor vehicle operators,” Lemmon said. “You can’t get equal treatment if you’re not seen. Having the right equipment goes a long way.”
He said helmets are the best and cheapest way to protect a cyclist’s skull. He said it only takes one accident to ruin a life.
“You may think you look dumb wearing a helmet,” said Bree Goates, former BYU student and cycling enthusiast. “But you’ll look a whole lot dumber being a vegetable for the rest of your life because you got hit by a car when you weren’t wearing your helmet.”
Lemmon’s final advice for bike safety advocated communication.
“The more you can communicate your intention as a cyclist the safer you’re going to be,” he said.
By Logan Bradford
“Gah! I hate bikes!”
This is not an uncommon outburst heard on BYU campus.
Impatience and ignorance present a major safety concern for both drivers and cyclists, making the need for mutual understanding greater than ever.
Despite statistics indicating a decrease in bike-motor vehicle crashes over the past 30 years, there are still hundreds of collisions and even deaths every year.
Racer Gibson, owner of Racer’s Cycle Service in Provo, attributes most car-bike incidents to cyclists acting erratically, limiting drivers’ ability to react to and predict what cyclists will do.
Gibson is a strong advocate for vehicular cycling, which promotes the idea that cyclists should act as cars when riding on the road.
According to Utah law code section 41-6a-1105, “a person operating a bicycle, a vehicle or device propelled by human power, or a moped has all the rights and is subject to the provisions of [that] chapter applicable to the operator of any other vehicle.”
Arnold Lemmon, BYU police lieutenant, has seen people not following this on and around BYU campus.
“Bikes want to be treated both as motor vehicle operators and pedestrians,” Lemmon said. “When a cyclist is on a roadway, he is subject to the same laws as a motor vehicle operator.”
One of those laws, Lemmon said, is using turn signals. He said cyclists should use hand signals to indicate their intended direction.
“It lets people know what’s going on,” Gibson said. “It’s like using turn signals in your car.”
Gibson also emphasized that riding on sidewalks is dangerous because drivers do not look for traffic moving three times the rate of a pedestrian when pulling out of a driveway and could potentially not see them, causing an accident.
In fact, the Utah law code reads, “A person may not operate a bicycle or a vehicle or device propelled by human power on a sidewalk, path, or trail, or across a roadway in a crosswalk, where prohibited by a traffic-control device or ordinance.”
Lemmon stressed the importance of cyclists riding on the shoulder of roads when possible, and if not, riding as far to the right in the lane as possible.
He also highlighted cyclists’ personal safety, using reflectors, lights and helmets.
“You get people riding at night without lights or reflective gear and they want to be treated well by motor vehicle operators,” Lemmon said. “You can’t get equal treatment if you’re not seen. Having the right equipment goes a long way.”
He said helmets are the best and cheapest way to protect a cyclist’s skull. He said it only takes one accident to ruin a life.
“You may think you look dumb wearing a helmet,” said Bree Goates, former BYU student and cycling enthusiast. “But you’ll look a whole lot dumber being a vegetable for the rest of your life because you got hit by a car when you weren’t wearing your helmet.”
Lemmon’s final advice for bike safety advocated communication.
“The more you can communicate your intention as a cyclist the safer you’re going to be,” he said.
Monday, October 12, 2009
the sabbath
My current facebook status focuses on the Sabbath. One of my friends from my job in Alaska asked, in response, what the Sabbath means to me. I responded with this message. Because I feel so passionately about it, I decided to post it here.
Here's what I wrote her:
Hey kid. Thanks for asking me what the Sabbath means to me. To be honest with you, it means a lot to me.
I grew up in what I consider to be the most amazing family on the face of the planet. My parents are some of the most Christ-like and devoted people I know. We have always been a very religious family. My beliefs partially come from what the Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) teaches, but also from what my parents, as well as what the Holy Ghost have taught me about this principle.
As I implied in my status, the Sabbath is so very sacred to me. It is one of the most special days I have in my life. And it happens EVERY WEEK! Oh, it’s WONDERFUL! Basically, my practice comes from the ever-so-simple commandment we find in Exodus, where the Lord says:
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
So, basically, the Lord says here that we should do all our work in six days and on the seventh we should rest from those things. Now to be honest with you, Sundays are nearly always one of my busiest days (except when I was on Coppers, in which case I did very little all day long, which was GREAT!). However, I take the opportunity to rest from my worldly cares of work, homework, and media that is not conducive to feeling the Spirit of the Lord.
So, you may ask what I do on Sundays:
1. I go to church. It lasts 3 hours: one hour for a combined meeting with all members, an hour for Sunday school, and an hour for a men only/women only meeting. The combined meeting has talks given by the congregation and the other two hours have lessons. All three can be phenomenal. Sometimes they are; sometimes they aren’t. The primary purpose for going to church, however, is to renew our baptismal covenants through taking the Sacrament, as was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper. We take a small piece of bread and a sip of water, symbolizing (not transubstantiation) the body and blood of Christ. So, what are our baptismal covenants?
We testify:
1. That we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ
2. That we will always remember Him
3. And that we will keep His commandments
That:
We may always have His Spirit to be with us.
Just a little reflection on that phrase: Oh my gosh, we can have a member of the godhead with us in ALL we do. Oh. My. Gosh. THAT is incredible.
So that’s why we go to church.
Now for the rest of my Sabbath observance.
I try to do everything I can to make Sundays as holy and sacred as possible. I truly try to make it a different kind of day. To do this, I do a few things:
1. I forget about any kind of music or movies (media) that won’t draw me closer to Christ. Given, I should do that everyday, but there are some kinds of media that are good and promote a good lifestyle, but simply don’t have Christ as their main message. I want every bit of media I consume on Sunday to direct my thoughts and feelings toward Christ.
2. Visit friends and family. Sunday is very much a family day (since I live away from much of my family, I call them fairly often on Sunday.).
3. I try not to indulge in sporting activities, or watch them, for that matter.
4. Enjoy nature, but with the intent of appreciating God’s creations, not with that of “conquering” mountains, etc…
5. Deepen relationships with people (conversations, emails, etc.)
6. Other forms of Church service (visits, meetings, etc.)
7. I don’t work on Sundays.
8. Make beautiful music that will help me come unto Christ.
I don’t know if I’m communicating this effectively, but I try to make sure everything I do on the Sabbath is directly related to either bringing myself or bringing others unto Christ (and in bringing others unto Christ, I only bring myself unto Him.).
The Sabbath is truly a reprieve for me. It is when I can stop caring about life for a day and focus on the things that matter most to me, such as my own personal salvation, as well as my family and those people for whom I have been entrusted to care.
I can’t say I always keep exactly to what I’ve laid out above. And that list is not the minimum or maximum; it simply contains some examples of what I do. There have been a handful of times I have not done these things, or kept to that list, but those are the basic guidelines that govern my Sabbath observance.
Each person’s Sabbath observance is a bit different. The Holy Ghost teaches us all differently and tailors what the Lord has to say to us to our needs and situations. I sometimes forget this and that’s where statuses such as the one you asked about originate. Just because the Spirit has told me to observe the Sabbath as he has does not mean that he has told other people similarly. I need to be more cognizant of that and more tolerant as well.
Anyway, I DOUBT you knew you were asking such a complicated question. There’s my answer. Hope you like it! Want to know more about any of what I wrote above? I would LOVE to tell you all about it. Christ’s gospel is the most valuable thing I have in my life. I love Him and want to follow Him so badly. I fail constantly, but I don’t care—it’s our constant getting up that makes it possible for Him to save us.
See you later!
Here's what I wrote her:
Hey kid. Thanks for asking me what the Sabbath means to me. To be honest with you, it means a lot to me.
I grew up in what I consider to be the most amazing family on the face of the planet. My parents are some of the most Christ-like and devoted people I know. We have always been a very religious family. My beliefs partially come from what the Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) teaches, but also from what my parents, as well as what the Holy Ghost have taught me about this principle.
As I implied in my status, the Sabbath is so very sacred to me. It is one of the most special days I have in my life. And it happens EVERY WEEK! Oh, it’s WONDERFUL! Basically, my practice comes from the ever-so-simple commandment we find in Exodus, where the Lord says:
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
So, basically, the Lord says here that we should do all our work in six days and on the seventh we should rest from those things. Now to be honest with you, Sundays are nearly always one of my busiest days (except when I was on Coppers, in which case I did very little all day long, which was GREAT!). However, I take the opportunity to rest from my worldly cares of work, homework, and media that is not conducive to feeling the Spirit of the Lord.
So, you may ask what I do on Sundays:
1. I go to church. It lasts 3 hours: one hour for a combined meeting with all members, an hour for Sunday school, and an hour for a men only/women only meeting. The combined meeting has talks given by the congregation and the other two hours have lessons. All three can be phenomenal. Sometimes they are; sometimes they aren’t. The primary purpose for going to church, however, is to renew our baptismal covenants through taking the Sacrament, as was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper. We take a small piece of bread and a sip of water, symbolizing (not transubstantiation) the body and blood of Christ. So, what are our baptismal covenants?
We testify:
1. That we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ
2. That we will always remember Him
3. And that we will keep His commandments
That:
We may always have His Spirit to be with us.
Just a little reflection on that phrase: Oh my gosh, we can have a member of the godhead with us in ALL we do. Oh. My. Gosh. THAT is incredible.
So that’s why we go to church.
Now for the rest of my Sabbath observance.
I try to do everything I can to make Sundays as holy and sacred as possible. I truly try to make it a different kind of day. To do this, I do a few things:
1. I forget about any kind of music or movies (media) that won’t draw me closer to Christ. Given, I should do that everyday, but there are some kinds of media that are good and promote a good lifestyle, but simply don’t have Christ as their main message. I want every bit of media I consume on Sunday to direct my thoughts and feelings toward Christ.
2. Visit friends and family. Sunday is very much a family day (since I live away from much of my family, I call them fairly often on Sunday.).
3. I try not to indulge in sporting activities, or watch them, for that matter.
4. Enjoy nature, but with the intent of appreciating God’s creations, not with that of “conquering” mountains, etc…
5. Deepen relationships with people (conversations, emails, etc.)
6. Other forms of Church service (visits, meetings, etc.)
7. I don’t work on Sundays.
8. Make beautiful music that will help me come unto Christ.
I don’t know if I’m communicating this effectively, but I try to make sure everything I do on the Sabbath is directly related to either bringing myself or bringing others unto Christ (and in bringing others unto Christ, I only bring myself unto Him.).
The Sabbath is truly a reprieve for me. It is when I can stop caring about life for a day and focus on the things that matter most to me, such as my own personal salvation, as well as my family and those people for whom I have been entrusted to care.
I can’t say I always keep exactly to what I’ve laid out above. And that list is not the minimum or maximum; it simply contains some examples of what I do. There have been a handful of times I have not done these things, or kept to that list, but those are the basic guidelines that govern my Sabbath observance.
Each person’s Sabbath observance is a bit different. The Holy Ghost teaches us all differently and tailors what the Lord has to say to us to our needs and situations. I sometimes forget this and that’s where statuses such as the one you asked about originate. Just because the Spirit has told me to observe the Sabbath as he has does not mean that he has told other people similarly. I need to be more cognizant of that and more tolerant as well.
Anyway, I DOUBT you knew you were asking such a complicated question. There’s my answer. Hope you like it! Want to know more about any of what I wrote above? I would LOVE to tell you all about it. Christ’s gospel is the most valuable thing I have in my life. I love Him and want to follow Him so badly. I fail constantly, but I don’t care—it’s our constant getting up that makes it possible for Him to save us.
See you later!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
outgoingness. yes, that IS a word.
I’ve been conducting an experiment lately:
I’ve always been a really outgoing person, so whenever I sit down next to someone I don’t know, I make an effort to get to know that person and make conversation with them. I noticed a little while ago that I was almost always the one to start the conversation. First, I think it’s funny that it took me that long to notice that. Second, I found it interesting that the other person almost never started the conversation. So my experiment was to let the other person start the conversation—for myself to be on the other side, receiving the sociality, as opposed to giving it to the person. This has been pretty interesting because it has led to some fairly awkward situations and silences. However, I have stopped doing it because I have realized that the reason people aren’t outgoing is because they are either angry or bitter at life or they are afraid of being shot down or rejected.
I have found that when I am proactively friendly with someone, if—and this is a big if—I do it right, it is like I am going up to them and saying “I accept you; you can be yourself and someone loves you.” That’s what I aim for in my friendliness. I wrote a blog about a year ago called “happiness is…” that touched on going around with a positive attitude and scattering sunshine wherever we go. But I have learned over the last year that it is not enough to just smile at everyone and ask them how they are doing; that doesn’t solve anyone’s problems. I need to be friends with people who need friends in order to make this world better. People need love. That’s what it boils down to.
Why is it so hard for us to leave our own personal comfort zone and bubble and go out to others with whom we normally wouldn’t socialize? Why do we shut ourselves off? I have found that the more outgoing and friendly I am, the happier I am. So why aren’t I ALWAYS friendly? I think it might be because I have had experiences when I have tried to reach out and was shot down that has made me subconsciously hesitant to try again. I talked to my dad recently about this and he said it’s a lot about listening to the other person and really figuring out what it is that is important to them and getting the topic of conversation to focus on them so they’re comfortable and feel valued. And not only do they feel valued, but they actually are valued if you do it sincerely. Friend Shannon also talked to me about figuring out how the person can help you in your life so they feel like they contribute to the relationship.
Like most of my blogs, this has gotten a little tangential, but I’m ok with that.
Conclusion: people need love.
I’ve always been a really outgoing person, so whenever I sit down next to someone I don’t know, I make an effort to get to know that person and make conversation with them. I noticed a little while ago that I was almost always the one to start the conversation. First, I think it’s funny that it took me that long to notice that. Second, I found it interesting that the other person almost never started the conversation. So my experiment was to let the other person start the conversation—for myself to be on the other side, receiving the sociality, as opposed to giving it to the person. This has been pretty interesting because it has led to some fairly awkward situations and silences. However, I have stopped doing it because I have realized that the reason people aren’t outgoing is because they are either angry or bitter at life or they are afraid of being shot down or rejected.
I have found that when I am proactively friendly with someone, if—and this is a big if—I do it right, it is like I am going up to them and saying “I accept you; you can be yourself and someone loves you.” That’s what I aim for in my friendliness. I wrote a blog about a year ago called “happiness is…” that touched on going around with a positive attitude and scattering sunshine wherever we go. But I have learned over the last year that it is not enough to just smile at everyone and ask them how they are doing; that doesn’t solve anyone’s problems. I need to be friends with people who need friends in order to make this world better. People need love. That’s what it boils down to.
Why is it so hard for us to leave our own personal comfort zone and bubble and go out to others with whom we normally wouldn’t socialize? Why do we shut ourselves off? I have found that the more outgoing and friendly I am, the happier I am. So why aren’t I ALWAYS friendly? I think it might be because I have had experiences when I have tried to reach out and was shot down that has made me subconsciously hesitant to try again. I talked to my dad recently about this and he said it’s a lot about listening to the other person and really figuring out what it is that is important to them and getting the topic of conversation to focus on them so they’re comfortable and feel valued. And not only do they feel valued, but they actually are valued if you do it sincerely. Friend Shannon also talked to me about figuring out how the person can help you in your life so they feel like they contribute to the relationship.
Like most of my blogs, this has gotten a little tangential, but I’m ok with that.
Conclusion: people need love.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
institutionalized religion......why?
I received quite a few comments on my last post about the laws that we live and how we live them. Some of the comments I received focused on people agreeing with, almost saying that I was writing about some sort of disestablishmentarianism (and yes, I did just use a 24-letter word), suggesting that we should not depend on the Church or other organizations or institutions to help us decide how to live the commandments and laws we receive.
I thank everyone who replied to my post, but I should tell you that those who implied a sense of disestablishmentarianism in fact, do not agree with me. I support the organization of the Church because of the very components that make up the organization, such as apostles, prophets, and other Church authorities. It is because of the Priesthood that there needs be an organization. Without the organization, the power of God would be in an organization contrary to its nature: complete disorganization and anarchy. Christ established a Church for a reason: to ensure that His people had order and that there would be some way to help people along. Harkening back to my last post, people aren’t spiritually mature enough to just read their scriptures on their own and do things of their own free will; they must be pushed along. People themselves are rarely proactive on things they read or learn. To illustrate the point, how many people do you personally know who read they scriptures 30 minutes every day? I know very few. And taking it a bit further, how many people (yourself included) do you know who live according to what they learn in their gospel study? My guess is that your answer to this question is a FAR smaller number than your answer to the other question. So why have the institution? To help people along.
Now, with organizations and institutions comes corruption; it is a given. But does it not say in the scriptures that we will lay down this corruption and take up incorruption? We are ALL corrupt. Why must we insist that we be incorrupt or that member of the Church be incorrupt? We will ALWAYS be disappointed if we expect people to be sound. Jesus did not come to hang out with the people who had already made it to perfection, but rather to make it possible for us—those who are far from perfection—to form a covenant relationship with Him and then be able to get back and live with Him. That is precisely what frustrates me about many people who leave the Church as a result of other members’ actions—I may be wrong, but I get the impression that they merely tire of the all-too-common Mormon culture, which admittedly can be fairly judgmental and clique-y. For any of you people reading this who aren’t members of the Church, let me clarify what is “Mormon Culture.” Often members of the Church can get into a bubble mentality, thinking that everyone thinks similarly or should think similarly to how they think. The problem comes when they react to those people whom they encounter who don’t think similarly to them; they can at times be a bit closed-minded and judgmental, which can lead to shutting people out and not being open to listening to their different points of view. This is of course completely contradictory to that Christianity teaches, and that is where the frustration of those who leave the Church [I imagine] originates. And here’s the ironic part: that is where my frustration with those who leave the Church originates, because I don’t think they realize that while yes, it most definitely is not on the OK list to be closed-minded, we still need to help those other people along and help them form a closer, better relationship with Christ.
And THAT is why we have the organization of the Church—we are all at different stages of our spiritual development. We need help in order to get to where we need to be spiritually. Very seldom can people think independently enough to make it on their own and really be taught the way by the Spirit. The organization is there to provide a means to disperse information to other members of the Church who either do not receive revelation for other members or so that those who do think independently of set norms of the Church and [especially] its culture can share their insights and help others live according to how the Spirit has taught them to live. I put that in italics because I wanted to emphasize the point that it is not how they have taught themselves to live, but that the Spirit has taught them. The Spirit will never teach doctrines of teachings contrary to the Church’s teachings because the Spirit is essentially the messenger for Christ and this is Christ’s Church; why would the two differ? The important distinction is the difference between Mormon culturistic norms and Church doctrines. There are some things in Mormon culture that have been practiced for so long that they have come to be accepted as doctrine, but are actually not.
So to summarize, the organization of the Church is necessary to give order to the Lord’s people—to ensure that they are being taught correct principles and to give them aide in living those principles. I believe it is necessary to receive insight from other people in order to confirm that what I am learning on my own is legitimate (sometimes it is extremely difficult to know what is the Spirit and what is not.). The people of organizations are not perfect, but if we are truly working toward a Zionistic society, it won’t matter because charity will get us through. And that is a blog for another day.
Before I end this one, however, I would like to add a quote that has spawned a whole litany of thoughts:
“The devil flatters us into believing that we are more righteous than others and with this very astute strategy, takes us his.”
-President Ezra Taft Benson
I thank everyone who replied to my post, but I should tell you that those who implied a sense of disestablishmentarianism in fact, do not agree with me. I support the organization of the Church because of the very components that make up the organization, such as apostles, prophets, and other Church authorities. It is because of the Priesthood that there needs be an organization. Without the organization, the power of God would be in an organization contrary to its nature: complete disorganization and anarchy. Christ established a Church for a reason: to ensure that His people had order and that there would be some way to help people along. Harkening back to my last post, people aren’t spiritually mature enough to just read their scriptures on their own and do things of their own free will; they must be pushed along. People themselves are rarely proactive on things they read or learn. To illustrate the point, how many people do you personally know who read they scriptures 30 minutes every day? I know very few. And taking it a bit further, how many people (yourself included) do you know who live according to what they learn in their gospel study? My guess is that your answer to this question is a FAR smaller number than your answer to the other question. So why have the institution? To help people along.
Now, with organizations and institutions comes corruption; it is a given. But does it not say in the scriptures that we will lay down this corruption and take up incorruption? We are ALL corrupt. Why must we insist that we be incorrupt or that member of the Church be incorrupt? We will ALWAYS be disappointed if we expect people to be sound. Jesus did not come to hang out with the people who had already made it to perfection, but rather to make it possible for us—those who are far from perfection—to form a covenant relationship with Him and then be able to get back and live with Him. That is precisely what frustrates me about many people who leave the Church as a result of other members’ actions—I may be wrong, but I get the impression that they merely tire of the all-too-common Mormon culture, which admittedly can be fairly judgmental and clique-y. For any of you people reading this who aren’t members of the Church, let me clarify what is “Mormon Culture.” Often members of the Church can get into a bubble mentality, thinking that everyone thinks similarly or should think similarly to how they think. The problem comes when they react to those people whom they encounter who don’t think similarly to them; they can at times be a bit closed-minded and judgmental, which can lead to shutting people out and not being open to listening to their different points of view. This is of course completely contradictory to that Christianity teaches, and that is where the frustration of those who leave the Church [I imagine] originates. And here’s the ironic part: that is where my frustration with those who leave the Church originates, because I don’t think they realize that while yes, it most definitely is not on the OK list to be closed-minded, we still need to help those other people along and help them form a closer, better relationship with Christ.
And THAT is why we have the organization of the Church—we are all at different stages of our spiritual development. We need help in order to get to where we need to be spiritually. Very seldom can people think independently enough to make it on their own and really be taught the way by the Spirit. The organization is there to provide a means to disperse information to other members of the Church who either do not receive revelation for other members or so that those who do think independently of set norms of the Church and [especially] its culture can share their insights and help others live according to how the Spirit has taught them to live. I put that in italics because I wanted to emphasize the point that it is not how they have taught themselves to live, but that the Spirit has taught them. The Spirit will never teach doctrines of teachings contrary to the Church’s teachings because the Spirit is essentially the messenger for Christ and this is Christ’s Church; why would the two differ? The important distinction is the difference between Mormon culturistic norms and Church doctrines. There are some things in Mormon culture that have been practiced for so long that they have come to be accepted as doctrine, but are actually not.
So to summarize, the organization of the Church is necessary to give order to the Lord’s people—to ensure that they are being taught correct principles and to give them aide in living those principles. I believe it is necessary to receive insight from other people in order to confirm that what I am learning on my own is legitimate (sometimes it is extremely difficult to know what is the Spirit and what is not.). The people of organizations are not perfect, but if we are truly working toward a Zionistic society, it won’t matter because charity will get us through. And that is a blog for another day.
Before I end this one, however, I would like to add a quote that has spawned a whole litany of thoughts:
“The devil flatters us into believing that we are more righteous than others and with this very astute strategy, takes us his.”
-President Ezra Taft Benson
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