The Value of Art

A few weeks ago when I was questioning the value of art in comparison to other fields that I could be going into, my mom shared this quote with me that I believe the grandmother of E. W. Bok would say to him: "Make the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it."

I like the idea of making the world a better place through my art. It's just hard to feel sometimes that art makes that much of a difference because in most cases it seems to be such a subtle, almost imperceptible difference that is difficult to measure or quantify. Thus, to the left-brained world, or the world of definite right and wrong, art is of little value because the left-brain doesn't understand it because art cannot be evaluated in the same way that a math problem can be evaluated with clear-cut answers.

However, the fact that some people do not place very much value on art does not diminish it's inherent value. The value of art is a truth that holds strong regardless of people's perceptions of it, similar to the truth that a person's value doesn't change in the sight of God depending on what other people may think of that person. He or she is still every bit as valuable even if other people fail to acknowledge that value.

Whether we realize it or not, the art around us -- be it architecture,  interior design,  graphic design or whatever form of art -- effects us in some way. A beautiful environment has the natural effect of pleasing the senses and gladdening the heart. An ugly environment has the opposite effect.

Indeed, art has great value. It just needs to be understood and appreciated on a different level than other things that might have more obvious value. 

The Peace of Wild Things

My professor read this poem to us this week and I really liked it. A friend told me recently that I worry too much and that I shouldn't pollute my life so much with worries about things that, 90% of which, aren't even going to happen. So, I'm trying to cure myself of my addiction to worry. I thought this poem related well. It's called "The Peace of Wild Things:"

When despair grows in me
and I wake in the middle of the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

  -- Wendell Berry 

I believe Heavenly Father wants us to be happy. As expressed in the Book of Mormon "men are that they might have joy." Heavenly Father has given us everything and has given us this beautiful Earth, all for the intent that we might have joy. So, it's important to recognize the blessings he's given us and to look forward to the future with confidence that things will work out well in the end regardless of the unhappy things that might befall us in the mean time.

 

Being Alive

Today I was talking to my friend about recreational activities and what it meant to his family growing up to participate in such activities together. His family would ski together, go boating together, hiking, canyoneering, etc. He said that such activities helped his family grow closer. It really is impressive how such activities strengthen relationships.

I can say the same for my family. When you're doing something active you feel good about yourself, you feel healthy, energized and confident. I think those positive feelings about yourself also help you feel positive towards others and naturally that would strengthen any relationship. So, I definitely believe doing recreational activities together is something worth making time for.

Celebrate what's right with the world

About two years ago my teacher in the missionary training center showed us this movie and I just loved it so I had to share a clip from it. It really is amazing the difference our attitudes can make. Having a good attitude gives us positive energy that can be directed toward solving problems, whereas having a negative attitude only makes us angry and frustrated and doesn't help solve problems, but rather makes problems seem more daunting and hopeless. By seeing the good in the world, we are better able to confront what's wrong. Positive energy makes all the difference.

Good Things to Come

I love these little videos! They're so good. It was hard for me to pick which one to post.

I liked this one because it relates to some thoughts I've been having lately. I tend to get a little impatient, sometimes, wishing I could have certain things right now rather than having to wait indefinitely for them. But, as I have feelings like that, I keep realizing that I am so blessed right now and I need to enjoy every minute and not wish it away! I need to be patient and realize that those things will come eventually. And they do come! So, it's important not to get too impatient or unhappy while waiting for them.

God's timing for us is always best and there's always a reason things happen when they do.

The last year and a half

I figure there should be some kind of explanation about what I did the last year and a half. But, the task intimidates me, so that's why I've put it off for so long. I just don't think a single blog post could do it justice, so that's why until now I haven't attempted.

Anyway, here goes my attempt at the impossible...

February 2009, Missionary Training Center. I spent two months there learning Indonesian.

May - July 2009 in the cleanest city on earth: Singapore.

I spent the next nine months in Sibu, East Malaysia.

In Sibu I became acquainted with sitting on the floor, riding a bike in a skirt, in the rain, mud and floods and also had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people and to see how the gospel changed their lives.

(Pictured above is a family we taught. They were pretty young and had four kids. Precela and Vijay are bouncing their two youngest children in these slings attached to springs hooked up to the ceiling. Pretty much everyone uses these nifty devices.)

This is Rose, a tiny thirty-something-year-old mother and her shirtless, deaf, five-year-old daughter and their nine-year-old neighbor. Rose is illiterate, but was able to feel peaceful about what we taught her and felt comforted when she prayed at night. She impressed us by going against her mother's wishes and continuing to learn from us and eventually being baptized.

This is Senia, one of the women we taught who was baptized. She cooked this monitor lizard for us to eat. It was actually pretty good.

She also cooked us cuttlefish, dog, and snake.

I spent my last three months in Miri, East Malaysia.

This is how they barbecue chicken: feathers, bones and all.

They pluck the feathers while it cooks.

So, there's the super condensed version! I had other pictures I wanted to upload, but I didn't plan this post very well and it's too hard to rearrange pictures in these posts, so... oh well! It was a great year and a half. I learned a lot and met a lot of amazing people. They didn't have much, but they were happy. And those who accepted the gospel had what was most important.

If you are curious about what we taught people, or even why someone in their right mind would want to go half way around the world to only communicate with their family once a week via email and twice a year via telephone go here. It was definitely one of the hardest things I've done, but also one of the best.

I wouldn't have done it had I not known the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true and had I not seen the blessings in my life that have come from accepting the gospel and living it.

A Greener Map

A friend once told me about a computer game where you have a map, and all the areas where you haven't gone yet are dark, and the areas where you have gone are green. The areas that are dark become green as you explore more areas. She likened this to visiting new places in real life, explaining that it was as if she was filling in more green areas in her mental map. I like this analogy a lot because I can relate to it really well. It creates such a perfect visual image in my mind, not only for the exploring of new physical places, but also for the exploring of new intellectual and spiritual places.

It is amazing to me how much there is to learn. Sometimes I will think, that's it, there's nothing more to learn, but that is because my mind hasn't expanded yet to accommodate more knowledge or understanding. As I get older, I understand things better and I see things completely differently from how I saw them before and I wonder why I didn't understand or notice them before. It's an exciting thing to think that there is so much to learn and to feel that I am becoming more capable of learning it.

It has been exciting in my New Testament class this semester to be learning so much about Christ and to be gaining a better understanding of his life. It's exciting to still be learning more about him, even after having grown up learning about him. It's exciting to read the gospels of the New Testament after having read them before and to be able to find new meanings or ways of understanding them. And then to think that in spite of how much there is to learn from what we have, there is so much more that we don't have and that what we do have is so little in comparison to what we don't have.

As the last verse in John reads: "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written."

The First Christmas

One of my favorite things about BYU is the Tuesday devotionals. Today, Elder Bruce D. Porter, a leader in the LDS church, gave the devotional. He spoke about the first Christmas and gave some insights that I thought were really neat. As it was revealed through revelation to the prophet Joseph Smith, Christ was born on April 6th. This was at the time of passover. The month of April was traditionally the time of birthing for the lambs. The shepherds would stay up with the ewes as the lambs were being born. From these lambs, the lambs that were to be offered as sacrifices for the passover were to be selected. So, Christ, the Lamb of God, was born at the same time the lambs that were to be sacrificed for passover were being born. He was also crucified at the same time that the lambs were being slaughtered in the temple for the passover. Elder Porter also metioned that Christ, in addition to representing the role of the lambs, represents the role of the shepherd. So, he represented both roles of those being served and those who served. He was the greatest who made himself the least.

I love learning about such neat correlations. It's beautiful how symbolic the timing of Jesus' birth and death were. It's a testimony to me of how special and important such events were, and the timing was not coincidental but rather intentional so as to show us the connection between Christ and the sacrificial lambs.

I really liked this Devotional. There were a lot of other neat things that Elder Porter mentioned. It hasn't been posted yet, but once it is, you can read it or listen to it by accessing it on this page.

Caught in the Margins

I was talking to my cousin the other day about his frustration over feeling inferior to BYU students. This frustration has been the result of vibes he's been getting from BYU students when they find out that he's a student at UVU. He feels like they look down upon him as being less intelligent or less righteous. This bothered me because as a BYU student myself, I hate to think that people would have negative views of BYU or BYU students. Of course, my cousin made sure I was aware that he loved BYU, but he was just frustrated by the feeling he sometimes gets from BYU students. He said that the most frustrating thing to him was that he had been snubbed by some girls once because of his status of being a UVU student. How sad!

So, when he left and I was feeling less defensive I could see his point of view more and how that would be really frustrating. I would be just as worked up about it if I were in the same situation. And I do get worked up in similar situations, for example, when someone asks about my ACT test scores or whether I have or had a scholarship. It's so frustrating to be subject to prejudices! The thing is, I make assumptions too. I'm not sure there are many people who don't. But, knowing how it feels to be pre-categorized, I would not want other people to feel that way because of me.

In my New Testament class something we've talked about is how Jesus did not judge people according to societal prejudices. He spoke with the woman at the well, who happened to be a Samaritan which was cause to be looked down upon by Jews in that day. She was also a woman, which also placed her lower in society. Yet, despite this, the account of her conversion shows that regardless of one's background, they may be receptive to the gospel, and perhaps even more receptive than someone else who supposedly ought to be more receptive.

Just as Jesus gave that woman and so many others a chance without letting society's prejudices influence his judgment, I hope I can do the same. In my experience I've found that often my first impressions are wrong, and it's exciting to find out that someone is just as much a person as I am and that they aren't so annoying or so unapproachable or whatever it was that they initially seemed to me. It is then that I reallize how silly it is to judge people based on so little information. If those girls had just given my cousin a chance, they would have gotten to know him better and would have realized that he is intelligent (intelligent enough to have gone to BYU had he felt right about it) and strong in his testimony of the gospel. They might have enjoyed his sense of humor and sponteneity and they likely would have found him to be quite a wonderful and delightful acquaintance.

Coming Together, Gathering Sheep

Something that I've thought of several times as I've been thinking about my mission is that missionary work unifies. It's exciting how people all over the world can feel unified in the gospel in spite of cultural and language barriers. I'm excited to learn a new language and share what I love with others. In John 10:16, the Savior mentions that he has other sheep that he must bring and that they will hear his voice and there will be one fold and one shepherd. My grandma mentioned this verse to me as we were talking about my mission and told me that as I am doing missionary work in Singapore, I need to think of the people as my brothers and sisters and to think of them as the other sheep that Jesus mentions. It's exciting to think that I will be helping out in the work of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ -- the work that missionaries have been doing and continue to do. The gospel is not exclusive to one group or one ethnicity; it is inclusive of all because all are God's children. God loves all of his children, as this verse shows, no matter their backgrounds or ethnicity, and missionary work is evidence of that love. It is that love that God has for his children that dwells in the hearts of missionaries, leading them to serve missions. They serve because they feel God's love and they want to share it with others.

A Different Perspective on Nourishment

In Sunday school this last Sunday, the teacher made an interesting analogy. She had us think about what we do when we have lost something and then likened that searching process to how we search the scriptures. Then we talked about how as we search the scriptures more intently through consistent and persistent scripture study, we are able to find deeper meaning in the scriptures and they become treasures to us because of our enlightened understanding. They become treasures in the sense that they gain a more personal meaning as we find ways to apply them in our personal lives.

I was reminded of this analogy yesterday as I read in John 6 about Jesus feeding the five thousand. After they had been fed, the multitude follows him. In verse 26 he rebukes them because they are following him because they had been fed and wanted more food, not because they were interested in his teachings.

Jesus then tells them that rather than seeking after food for the body, they should seek after spiritual food or "that meat which endureth unto everlasting life" in verse 27. He goes on to say that whoever eats of this food "dwelleth in me, and I in him," in verse 56, and that they "shall live by me," in verse 57. Then, Jesus ties up this analogy in verse 63 saying, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteht nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are the spirit, and they are life." So, as much as we may think food is the substance of life, the words of Christ are the real substance of life. They give life to our spirits which is more important.

In taking the same approach with my spiritual nourishment as with my physical nourishment, I am able to see how much my spirit is in need of that nourishment. It is an interesting analogy and I think it works really well and is worth giving some thought. I think when I starve my spirit by not reading the scriptures or putting as much effort into studying them, I forget about the benefits of such study that I am lacking, just as if I were anorexic, I might forget how good it is for my body to be nourished by food. In either case, that sate is a dangerous state in which to be.

If you go here, you can read a talk I like by Dallin H. Oaks about nourishing the spirit.

Symbols in Art

This week in my New Testament class we had a presentation on the religious art in the BYU museum of art. We talked about symbolism and the importance of understanding symbols.

As I looked at the different paintings, I took a little more time to observe different details and to look for symbolism. I found the experience to be pretty rewarding. There's so much to get out of an artwork, especially religious artworks, if you take the time to study them.

When I was looking at this particular piece by John Rogers Herbert R.A. titled Our Savior subject to his parents at Nazareth, I noticed something I hadn't noticed before. The pieces of wood in the center are arranged in the shape of a cross and Mary looks as though she has just realized something. Maybe she is thinking of Jesus' divine mission. Jesus is holding what appears to be an empty basket. This reminds me of the miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand with five loaves and having twelve baskets of bread left over. I'm not sure what the significance of the basket is in this case and I'm curious to know what the painter had in mind. I wonder, was Jesus aware of his mission at a young age? I think he probably was. In this painting he seems to be aware as he meekly performs his chores, growing up in Nazareth, preparing for his ultimate act of meekness and love: the atonement.

Heavy vs. Light Burdens

As I was reading in Matthew 23:4, I made an interesting connection. In this verse, Jesus describes the hypocrisy of the scribes and the Pharisees, saying that they "..bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders.. In the previous verse, Jesus tells his disciples to do what the Pharisees tell them to do because they sit in "Moses' seat." However he warns them not to do as the Pharisees do -- saying but not doing (being hypocrites). Returning to verse 4, he continues to say that "[the Pharisees] themselves will not move [the burdens] with one of their fingers." Thus, the Pharisees of whom Jesus spoke expected others to do things that they theselves did not do, or that they did not assist with.

As I read this verse, it reminded me of Matthew 11:28-30. Here Jesus tells us to take his yoke upon us for "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." A yoke is used to join two animals so that they can carry the same load together. So, when Jesus invites us to take his yoke upon us, we know that he will help us. He isn't asking us to do anything that he hasn't done already or that he wouldn't help us with. Contrast this to the load of the hypocrites. While the hypocrites give burdens to men, they themselves do nothing to help or don't lift the burdens themselves and the burdens are heavy. However, Christ's burden is light. Because of the atonement, we are free from the chains and the load of sin. Our burden in that sense is lighter. The burden of following Christ is also lighter because as we do so, we will have clean consciences and we won't be wieghed down by the effects of sin. We will be light and joyful because our master is gentle and kind and does not expect us to do things without his help "for the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepaer a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7 (in the Book of Mormon)).

Man of Perfect Understanding

When Jesus taught his disciples, he didn't teach as the scribes who quoted scripture, but "as one that had authority." When he taught, he expounded the law taking it down to its core meaning and intention. Thus, many of his teachings were radical compared to what the Jews had been used to. One such teaching in the Sermon on the Mount expounded upon the definition of adultery. According to tradition, women were considered at fault in the committing of adultery. However, Christ taught that "whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matt. 5:28)."

When I first read that verse, I thought it was a little harsh and felt bad for the man who should be brought under condemnation so easily and I wondered why a similar saying shouldn't refer to the woman who might look on a man to lust after him. But, when my New Testament teacher explained the cultural view of adultry at that time, I undertood better the meaning of Jesus' words. According to Christ, women were not to be blamed for adultry; they were not to be considered the temptresses that they had traditionally been viewed as. True, in some cases women do act as temptresses, however, Christ's teaching offers a better understanding of the general situation.

This to me is a great example of Jesus as the perfect judge. He understands everything so completely and therefore can offer a perfect judgement. We being imperfect are often unable to judge a situation or person because we cannot see the entire situation; we lack the perfect understanding needed to judge well and often when we do judge we judge poorly because of our lack of information. Hence the warning in Matt. 7:1-2, "Judge not that ye be not judged.." I am grateful for a Savior who understands me and is merciful in his judgement. He knows the intentions of my heart and judges accordingly. Because of his mercy, it would be ungrateful of me to deny others that same mercy in my judgements. So, to all, the benefit of the doubt!

Yay for women!

The other day I was talking to a friend about her choice to major in astronomy. I asked her what she wanted to do with it and her response pleasantly surprised me. She said that she hoped to be an educated mother. She said it so matter-of-factly, comfortably, and without hesitation or self aggrandizement, for which I greatly admire her.

It's funny to me how I used to be uncomfortable with the idea of deciding on a major because I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career other than be a mother. Now I've become accustomed to the idea of going into graphic design and when people ask what I want to do with it, I tell them I'm interested in web-design, and when they ask why I chose graphic design, I tell them I chose it because I thought it was a good way to apply art. But, what I don't usually tell them is that I also chose it because I thought it would be a mother-friendly job if I find myself needing to work as a mother. And, I probably would never have thought of the response "so that I can be an educated mother." So, to my friend who most likely will not be reading this, I salute you!

Women are and have been under a lot of pressure. There used to be more pressure for women to stay at home and raise children. However, now I believe there is more pressure for women to go out into the career world and prove to the world, that had once been so warry of accepting the accomplishments of women outside the home, that they can make as much of a difference as men.

I think it's great that women have achieved more acceptance in the working world and I think that they have impacted and continue to impact the world in a possitive way with their increased involvement in out-of -home affairs. However, I think it is sad that in many cases, out-of-home achievements are viewed as far superior and more important to those achievements in the home. I think that while women's achievements outside of the home merit acknowledgement and praise, they should not overshadow or replace the importance of motherhood.

It is my belief that no woman has more influence in society than through raising her children in the best way possible. Motherhood is such an incredible responsiblity and by no means should it be demeaned or belittled.

Urgency to Do Good

I'm like a hobbit: I don't like to do things quickly, I like to take my time and am consequently slow. I can hurry when I have to, but I don't like to hurry. I also tend to get distracted easily and somehow my time slips away without me noticing. However, recently I've decided (not for the first time, but this time with more determination, so I think I will follow through) that I will use my time more wisely and cherish each moment as a precious gift that I mustn't waste.

I've made this resolution as a result, in part, of something that impressed me in my New Testament class. The last few weeks we've been studying in Mark and an aspect of Jesus' ministry that Mark emphasizes is the sense of urgency with which Jesus started and carried forth his ministry. For example, in Mark 1:18, 20, and 21 notice the repetition of the word "straightway": "And straightway they forsook their nets....and straightway he called them... and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught."

It makes sense that the savior would know better than anyone else the urgency of his mission and it reminds me of those times when I have felt the spirit and I feel uplifted and excited to do good and I realize the importance of God's work, to bring salvation to his children and I feel the urgency of it. But, sadly, that feeling often wears off and I am left feeling tired and unmotivated. Yet, when I commit myself to following through with my good intentions and perform that service or good work that I had initially felt so excited about, the excitement returns and I become excited about doing more.

So, I hereby resolve to more urgently use my time better because it slips away quicker and quicker every day, and to more urgently do good as Jesus did. His work continues, and I can contribute so much more if I just use my time more wisely. I don't want to reach my dying bed wishing that I had done more. It's comforting to know that I've been given enough time; I just need to see that I use it well.

(Some motivating verses: Moroni 9:6, Alma 12:24, 34:32-35)

Daily Bread

Last week I attended a seminar given by my New Testament professor, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel. He talked about the radical nature of Jesus' teachings in respect to the religious stance of his day. One of the things he mentioned that struck me was about Jesus' teachings regarding our relationship to God. Jesus encouraged his disciples to have an intimate relationship with their Father in Heaven. When he prayed, he addressed God as "Abba" which is Aramaic meaning "Father." When he taught his disciples how to pray, he taught them to pray for their daily needs. In the Lord's prayer, Jesus prays, "Give us this day our daily bread." Dr. Holzapfel made the point that people in Jesus' time and still today in Europe and elsewhere, people would go to the market every day to buy fresh bread, or they would bake fresh bread at the beginning of each day. I'd never really thought of it in that way since I've grown up always buying "weekly bread" from the grocery store, so I didn't really relate to that phrase very well. But, Dr. Holzapfel helped me to realize the intimacy of such a request. Such a prayer shows that Heavenly Father is concerned about even the simplest things in our lives - our day to day needs - not just the broad things; he's concerned about the specifics. This point was further driven home for me when in Relief Society (the women's organization in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon church)) the following Sunday, the discussion ended up focusing on ways of improving our prayers and making them more meaningful. Although I'm pretty good about remembering to pray, my prayers are regrettably formulaic at times, repetitive and not as feeling. I tend to repeat the same phrases and use generalities. So, I really appreciated being reminded of how intimate and loving our Heavenly Father is and I've since made the resolve to put more feeling into my prayers and to imagine a loving father listening to me as I pray and eager to assist or to bless or to guide as needed, even in the simplest ways. He's blessed me before when I've come to Him with simple requests, such as for help staying awake in a class, or finding a lost watch or getting along with others. I just need to keep remembering that He's always there and keep involving Him in my daily life.