Wading

Sometimes I feel like I'm wading.  Sometimes, I feel like I am up to my waist in problems, sickness, and stress.  It is about those times that I would like to talk here, the instances when we find ourselves beset by trials and struggles that seem beyond our ability to overcome.  Just to be clear, I don't have a lot of trials going on in my life right now, but my family and my wife's family have had their share of serious trials over the years, and my recent study of the Book of Mormon has prompted me to share my thoughts on the matter.

There is one scriptural account that I have found especially powerful.  It is in the book of Helaman, chapter three.  Just to give a little background, the people in the land of Zarahemla have become prideful and have started persecuting the poorer and more humble members of the church.  The persecution was so great, in fact, that they began to "wade through much affliction." I love the imagery of wading through affliction. It brings to mind images from my childhood, when the lake near my home was low, and we would race and play in the long stretches of shallow water and mud.  More often than not, I found myself stuck in mud up to my waste, barely able to move and free myself without another's help.  Perhaps that image from my past of wading through mud makes the imagery in this verse more pertinent to me, but I think it is the perfect description for trials and afflictions. In most cases, trials seem to keep us from accomplishing our goals, and living as we would most like to live; we become stuck, just as I got stuck while wading through the mud as a child.

(I didn't have any pictures of the mud near my home, but this one gets at what I am talking about.)

The most meaningful part of this analogy, however, is not the manner in which we wade through afflictions, but in how we get out of them.  This is where the scripture from Helaman comes in.

"Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in their faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God."

This is one of my favorite verses of scripture, and when I feel like I am wading through life, nothing gets me back on solid ground better than trying to apply this verse to my everyday life.  What I love about this verse is the way that it challenges the world's view on how we are supposed to overcome difficult times.  There are thousands of books and movies and seminars out there that are focused on "self help," the process of improving yourself, usually by devoting more time and energy towards personal goals and "me time." I don't mean to say that having personal goals and time for introspection are bad. On the contrary, I think that they are important aspects of life.  What I do mean to say is that according to scripture, the best way to improve yourself and overcome trials is to focus not on yourself, but on yielding your heart unto God, which we can take to mean loving and worshiping God, and loving and serving our fellow men.

It seems counter intuitive at first, that you can improve yourself and your circumstances by focusing your time on others, yet we have scriptural evidence that such is the case.  The people in the scripture above fasted and prayed and yielded their hearts unto God, and as a result, they became strong, firm, joyful, pure, and sanctified.  What I love most about the wording of this scripture is that these people were strong in their humility, firm in their faith, and filled with joy, despite the fact that they were forced to wade through much affliction. I may be wrong, but I would think that most people don't consider humility to be a strength, faith to be firm, or that afflictions can result in joy and consolation.

Despite what the world at large believes, however, it is an eternal truth that those who spend their lives in service to God and their fellow men become better people through the atonement of Jesus Christ. They become strong in their humility, firm in their faith, and filled with joy as He purifies and sanctifies their hearts.  And so, when it seems like I am wading waste deep in the proverbial mud around me, I think of the people of Helaman, who discovered in their own afflictions that they could find strength, peace, and purification by yielding their hearts unto God.

Mindfulness and Multi-tasking

I recently read a fascinating article in the New York Times about mindfulness, or concentration, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.  The main gist of the article is to outline the benefits of stillness and concentration, taking a few minutes everyday to clear your mind from distractions, focus your thoughts, and still your body.  According to the article, their are significant cognitive and physical benefits to taking some time to concentrate your mind each day, even if only for five-to-ten minutes.  I was also fascinated by the flip-side of this article, which covered the detriments of multitasking, and spreading our minds and our time too thin. 

I had a professor in college who seemed to understand this very well.  He constantly told his classes that there was no such thing as multitasking. What we are doing when we think we are multitasking is switching our attention from one activity to another, and back, without really concentrating on either.  An easy way to see that this is true is to recall the last time you read a novel. Invariably when I read a book, there are instances when I realize that I have been "reading" for several pages without understanding or remembering a word of the story.  While my mind is focused on one thing, usually on some random line of thought, it can not simultaneously focus on reading my novel, and so I come up with a blank and must reread those pages. 

Another example my professor used was to imagine yourself riding a bike and reading a textbook at the same time.  He argued that when we divide our attention between two simultaneous, yet equally important, actions, we essentially fail to complete either action to the level that we would otherwise be able.  His purpose, of course, was to motivate his students to pay attention and participate in class, rather than spend their time surfing the net or playing games on their tablets. He sincerely wanted his students to succeed, and he knew that if they divided their attention, they would not learn much from his class. I would add to his statements that by dividing our attention in an attempt to multitask, we decrease our ability to focus and to think clearly. Likewise we waste more time in doing so than we would spend should we concentrate on each task separately. 

I think this is a very important topic, especially for students and children at home.  Due to the availability and portability of electronic entertainment, most children and students have a tablet or a smartphone in front of their face during the majority of their waking hours.  I don't know how many times I have watched a movie with my siblings, or my in-laws, only to look around and see that half of them are playing a game or reading on their device while they watch.  I have heard some people say that they cannot sit down and read a book unless their favorite music is blasting in their ears. My worry is that, for some of us, multitasking is becoming a necessity because we are losing the ability to focus and concentrate our minds on a single activity.  I have even heard fellow students say that they play games or read during class because the lecture is too "boring", and they just can't concentrate unless they have something to occupy their minds.  In the past I might have agreed with them, but I am starting to think that what we really need is not more mental stimulation, but a more refined ability to focus.

Several recent psychological studies, all mentioned in the article I posted above, have concluded that the ability to concentrate can not only make us more efficient in the way we use our time, but it can drastically increase our cognitive abilities.  That is why I am becoming more and more an advocate of mindfulness, though not necessarily in the way that the article above suggests. 

"Although the concept originates in ancient Buddhist, Hindu and Chinese traditions, when it comes to experimental psychology, mindfulness is less about spirituality and more about concentration: the ability to quiet your mind, focus your attention on the present, and dismiss any distractions that come your way."

My disagreement with this statement is in their willingness to discard the spiritual aspects of mindfulness.  While, according to the article, the concept originates in the eastern traditions, I think that concentration and focus are vital aspects of any spiritual tradition.  The purpose of religion, in general, is to help people rid themselves of the distractions of the world, answer questions about identity, and bring peace to the chaos around us. All the world religions help people achieve that purpose in some way or another, and almost all recommend some form of purposeful concentration. Some call it mindfulness, some call it meditation, and some call it prayer.  In any case, I would argue that mindfulness is more about ones spiritual state than about mental focus or mere concentration.  The reasons behind my contention are varied and complicated, due to their personal nature, but I will try to articulate my feelings on the subject clearly.

In order for mindfulness to be successful, one must be able to sit still, clear ones mind, put off all distracting thoughts, sources of stress, and worries, and concentrate on a single thing.  I believe that, in order to truly be at peace with oneself, you have to be balanced spiritually.  Human beings are made up of a body and a spirit, and if we do not take care of both together, we cannot be at peace inside.  The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches, among other things, that forgiveness of sins is possible through the atonement of Jesus Christ.  If I have faith in Him, keep His commandments to the best of my ability, repent of my sins, and follow the guidance of His Holy Spirit, I can know that my sins will be forgiven, and that I personally will become more like the Savior. 

Why is this so important in achieving more mental control and inner peace?  I know of no better way to clear my mind of stress, worry, and distraction than to know that I am at peace with God and with my standing before Him.  Likewise, I know of no better way to exercise control over my thoughts than to kneel before Him in silent prayer, pondering His truths and listening for His answers.  I know from personal experience that my mind works better when I take the time and effort to seek out a quiet place to pray and reflect.  Being mindful in this way helps me to renew my energy, focus my mind, and see the world around me more clearly.  In a world that is full of electronic entertainment and endless opportunities for mental stimulation, the urge to sit and let two or three different screens bombard my consciousness is tempting, but I think ultimately harmful (For a slightly more artistic take on this, see this post).  That is why I am making a concerted effort towards spending more time each day in mindfulness.  And that is why I recommend that when life gets stressful, and busy, and you can't manage to find time for everything, take some time to sit, or kneel, and mindfully find that inner calm that you so desperately need.

(This picture just seems peaceful to me: the still water, the mountains, and the general beauty of the scene.)

To See the Face of God: Part Two

I wrote previously about Les Miserables, the power of repentance, and the purpose of sacrifice. I would now like to talk a little bit about spiritual journeys, and the story that has existed, in many forms, since the beginning of the world.  This is a story that brings clarity and peace to my outlook on life, and I am trying to understand it better.  I am hoping that by attempting to write it down, I will be able to sort through my thoughts on the subject.

The story of which I speak is that of man's journey towards reaching his divine potential.   It was brought to the forefront of my mind as I watched Les Miserables and Jean Valjean's transformation from an angry, bitter thief to a loving, selfless man who had devoted his life to God and others.  My thoughts on his story are written here.  As I was thinking about his spiritual journey, it reminded me of the ultimate spiritual journeys that have been preserved through myth and scripture, and what those journeys can tell us about our potential.

In many of the religious traditions throughout history, there is a central figure, usually part-mortal, part-immortal, who must undergo several trials and ultimately overcomes all to join the ranks of the divine.  The first of two that I want to discuss here is Heracles, who is widely considered to be the greatest of the Greek heroes.  Heracles, as the semi-divine son of Zeus, was blessed with both exceptional gifts and mortal weaknesses.  He was asked to fulfill twelve tasks, each forcing him to overcome incredible odds to succeed.  Finally, he was forced to visit the underworld and confront Hades, the overseer of the dead.  It was only after he descended to the underworld and subsequently returned to the realms of the living that Heracles had fulfilled his tasks. At the end of his journey, Heracles was able to join the ranks of the gods. This honor was not granted to most heroes, but it was justified in his case because he had descended lower than any other, and thus had earned the right to be one of the Gods.

 Mt. Olympus

There are two aspects of his journey that strike me as important.  The first is on the importance of sacrifice, which I will come back to later.  The second is best described by this New Testament verse: "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." (Matthew 23: 12) In the case of Heracles, he was exalted not because of his courage or his heroic deeds, but because he had lowered himself all the way to the underworld, and confronted Hades, and returned triumphant to the realm of the living.

The second figure of which I will write is not steeped in myth, as Heracles is.  Quite to the contrary, I believe this second figure to be the only real manifestation of the ultimate spiritual journey, the one upon which all other heroic stories are based.  That figure is Jesus Christ.  He was born the son of an immortal, exalted Heavenly Father and a mortal, natural woman.  He was likewise asked to fulfill certain tasks during his life on the Earth, including the performance of many miracles, and the establishment of a church and a gospel upon which to build that church.  Finally, he was asked to suffer for the sins and pains of the world, after which he was condemned to death, and executed by crucifixion.  His death was necessary, though painful and unjust, for His Atonement to be complete.  After three days spent teaching the dead in the spirit world, Jesus the Christ rose from the dead, having triumphed over sin, pain, and the very death that had taken Him.  Upon His rising, He became like unto His Father, having fulfilled all that His Father had sent Him to do, and having returned to Him in glory.

This story is the original and most important spiritual journey that has every taken place.  As I stated earlier, I believe that this story is the story upon which all heroic tales are based, and the pattern by which men may reach their divine potential, which is salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of God.  What I mean to say is that we are each on a spiritual journey.  We have tasks placed before us, and we must follow the example given to us by Christ if we are to reach the end of our journey successfully.  The tasks that we are given are not easy.  We are all given commandments to follow, which sometimes test our character and our diligence.  Likewise we are each given trials that require patience, understanding, and faith to overcome.  The tasks and trials that we are given help us to prove ourselves and to develop our talents, knowledge, and character. All of these are essential parts of our spiritual journey, but they are not sufficient by themselves.

 The most important aspect of a spiritual journey is found in the necessary transitions between life and death.  In myth, Heracles performed many valiant tasks, but he was not admitted onto Mt. Olympus to be with the gods until he was willing to sacrifice his life by venturing into the underworld, unsure if he would be able to return to the land of the living.  Also, as is written in scripture, Christ performed many might miracles, but His spiritual journey could only have been complete through His suffering, death, and subsequent resurrection. His sacrifice and ascension to glory was a fulfillment of prophecy, and the only way by which men could ever hope to do the same.

So what does this mean for us during our spiritual journey.  Surely we cannot be expected to follow exactly in Christs footsteps, for he was the Only Begotten of the Father, and He alone could fulfill the task that was given him.  Yet in a way, the final aspect of our spiritual journey does mirror His.  He was asked to suffer and die before he would be able to rise again in Glory.  In like manner, we are asked to kill off the natural man within us, and become a new creature in Christ.  It is for this reason that we are symbolically buried in the water during baptism, and immediately lifted up again into new life.  Through the atonement, we can be perfected in Him (see Moroni 10:32-33), and eventually return to live with our Heavenly Father, in His kingdom.  That is the ultimate end of our journey, and that is what should motivate us to live even as Christ did, with understanding, sacrifice, and love.

To See the Face of God: Part One

Hannah and I took her siblings to see the movie Les Miserables on opening night.  It is one of my favorite plays, so I was excited to see how the movie would turn out.

 

Overall, I thought that the movie was both interesting and fairly unique.  The music was, as usual, fantastic, with the exception of a few poor casting choices that had some difficulty (the most egregious in my opinion was Russell Crowe, who just didn't have a strong enough voice to play Javer, even though he remains one of my favorite actors, and has probably never made a truly bad movie, but that's a discussion for another time).  I was very impressed with Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, who both pulled of Broadway-worthy performances.  Their acting ability came through during the big songs, and the director chose to zoom in on the actors faces during solo performances, which I thought was an interesting contrast to the usual distance between the actor and the audience during a stage performance.  I thought that, while it did make some parts a little uncomfortable, it also added some meaning and closeness to the characters that you might not get as much from the play. 

The cinematography and music was very real, and very personal, and while I may not agree with all the directing decisions in the film, I love this story, and the way the music gives such power and feeling to the play's message.  I believe that, no matter the way in which it is presented, the message of Les Miserables is one that all people need to experience, because it is the most universal and essential message that the world has to offer. That message is that repentance, sacrifice, mercy, and love can truly allow a person to change their very being.  Men and women are not defined by their past mistakes and actions, or even by the state of their character in past years.  Rather they are defined by who they choose to be, and on whom they will rely to do so.  

In Les Miserables, Javer knows Jean Valjean only as a thief, and he cannot believe that, once a thief, a man could be anything else.  We are shown throughout the story, however, that Jean Valjean, by giving his life to God, was able to change his character and to become a great man.  It took some repentance and sacrifice on his part, some mercy on the part of a kind priest, and the love of God to do so, but Jean Valjean became a different man.  An important part of his transformation had to do with his willingness to love others, to see the best in them, and to put their needs before his own.  I believe that in any effort to change for the better, this willingness and sacrifice for others must become a priority, for, as the play so beautifully states, "to love another person is to see the face of God."  This resonates with me on many levels, because the scriptures teach us that "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."(see Matthew 25).  When we give of ourselves in service to our fellow men, we come to know God in a very real way.

Another scripture that further highlights the importance of coming to know God through service and sacrifice is found in John, chapter 17, which states "this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."  I think this speaks for itself, in a way that both inspires and motivates me to do what I can to truly know God, and His Son.  The point of all this is simply to express my appreciation for the experience that I had watching Les Miserables, because it reminded me of these eternal truths, and motivated me to live them more fully.  The beauty of the music and the power of the message makes this play/movie well worth the viewing.

The Demands of the Christmas Season

It's Christmas eve, and although we have been busy rushing to and fro fulfilling the necessary demands of the American Christmas culture, I have found some time to think about the equally necessary demands of reverence and worship towards Him whom we celebrate and remember at this time of year. 

 

 What I have felt impressed upon my mind throughout this season to this point has been the extent to which expectations influence our actions.  Most of the time, the expectations of our culture occupy our thoughts to the point that they end up directing everything that we do. During the Christmas season, everything from the gifts that we give, the food that we eat, the cloths that we wear, and the way that we spend our free time.  Often the focus, especially for parents, is on making Christmas live up to the expectations of their children as to what a Christmas "should" be, with the main qualifications being the look or the number of things, rather than the feel of the day.  

I have often found myself going about my Christmas shopping, decorating, and eating according to the expectations that have been made clear by my culture.  I know from my past experiences that to neglect the social customs of my culture would be to appear rude and off-putting.  This is not to say that I dislike the Christmas traditions of which I am a part.  Quite to the contrary, I very much enjoy them, and look forward to them each year.  Meeting the demands of the Christmas culture brings a great deal of satisfaction to my holiday life.  Giving and receiving heartfelt and well-meaning gifts is an especially symbolic and important aspect of Christmas that always leaves me feeling loved and full of joy for the wonderful people in my life. 

Despite the general feeling of joy and happiness that I feel during Christmas, I sometimes wonder if, as I go about meeting the demands and expectations of the American Christmas culture, I am failing to meet the demands and expectations that have been set for me within the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The most prominent of those demands in my mind lately has been his admonition to all of us to "be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."(Matthew 5:48) In my mind, these words sum up the very purpose of His gospel.  The entirety of His teachings are centered upon the eternal progression of man, with the ultimate goal of becoming "even as [He] is"  and living with him in His kingdom. It is a glorious plan, and I am truly blessed to have a knowledge of His gospel and a testimony of His atonement.  My upbringing in the gospel has been the most significant and stable element in my life, something that I turn to during both troubled and peaceful times.

The purpose of my ramblings here is, I suppose, to give voice to the questions that I have put to myself as I have thought of the purpose of this holiday season. I love holidays because for the most part they provide an opportunity to remember and renew our dedication to live a life of service, kindness, integrity, and love.  Holidays allow us to renew ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and with that renewal we are better able to reach our potential.  The problem that I have encountered, however, is in allowing the business and stress of the holidays to overshadow the benefits that come from them.  Am I hindering my own progression by getting caught up in the various aspects of the holiday to the point that I forget why we have the holiday in the first place?  Am I using the holiday to remember and renew my dedication to Christ, or do I let the worldly aspects of the holiday wear upon my character and my dedication to my own detriment?

There is no easy answer to these questions, and my hope is that by asking myself these things, I will be able to experience this Christmas as it was meant to be.  I am grateful for the expectations that are made of me during the Holiday season, and I pray that, as I seek to fulfill those expectations, I will be able to maintain balance between the different demands that come with the Christmas Season. 

The Art of Architecture

One of the things that has really struck me this year, especially in reference to postmodern art, is the ability to express the cultural climate surrounding it, and sometimes be an advocate to make it better.  I found this especially evident in some of the architecture we have studied.  For example, modernist architecture began as an effort to build democratic, unassuming structures that placed all within them on a supposedly equal level.  It was begun by socialist architects and designers in Europe, and was called the International Style.  The plain, geometric nature of this style is effective at wiping away signals of class or wealth that are evident in much of the architecture that preceded it.  One of the American offshoots to this style was conceived by Buckminster Fuller.  His design for geodesic domes was touted as an energy-efficient and very democratic.  Fuller had hoped that his building designs would usher in a new age of progress and equality. Unfortunately, the prospective benefits of this and other modernist styles eventually ended up becoming the face of capitalism in America.

The Postmodern reaction to Modernist architecture does not advertise itself as world changing or progress.  Rather it can be seen as a reflection of the ideals and mindsets that permeate society at any given point.  Postmodern architecture tries to incorporate elements from surrounding cultural or natural sources, which makes it very much a conduit representing the world around it.  This makes the architecture very appealing, aesthetically and thematically, to people who view it.  Michael Graves is one of the more noted postmodern architects, and his works are noted for their radical eclectic style that excellently incorporate the surrounding culture.  An example is his "Denver Central" which shows direct connections to the surrounding mountainous region, as well as the prominent mining community in the area.  This style has ironically become more democratic because it doesn't try to make all people everywhere equal, but in a unique move gives each region the chance to have its own identity expressed through architecture.

Abstract Art: Learning appreciation

When we started the discussion in class about abstract art, I was sure that I could never understand or appreciate it.  There are still some forms of abstract art that I don't appreciate, and probably never will.  However, I have come to an appreciation of a view artists and their unique styles.  I especially like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko.   Their styles are completely different, but both of them have an almost organic feel to them which is very appealing to me.  Also, neither is trying to make a statement with their art, but both rather leave it open for the viewer to interpret, which is a very democratic and fair way to present art.

Pollock's style is impressive to me because of the amazing balance he is able to achieve in his paintings.  When I first encountered his style, I was not impressed, because it seemed to me that even a small child could drip paint on a canvas and call it art.  Upon further investigation, though, I found that the different colors and patterns of paint are extremely well balanced in all of his paintings.  To achieve that kind of balance must take some measure of calculation, despite the intended randomness of the style.  His style is also appealing because of its fluid nature.  The paint almost seems to have a lifelike movement to it, which is very inviting to the viewer as well.  In short, I have learned to appreciate the depth and complexity of Pollock's work.

Rothko is another that at first I didn't find very impressive.  It seemed like his plain blocks of color were useless both aesthetically and thematically.  As I started to learn more about them, however, I came to a similar conclusion as I had with Pollocks paintings.  I had the opportunity to try making a parody of a color field painting using charcoal.  I found that the edges of Rothko's color fields were difficult to duplicate.  Like Pollock's, his edges have an almost organic feel to them, making the color blocks seem almost like simplified landscapes.  Having experienced to a small degree the creative process to this form of art, I now find his paintings peaceful and comfortable.  They are natural in a way that is very relaxing to me.  I have enjoyed getting to know more about abstract art, and going through the process of opening my mind a little to art forms that I don't understand very well.  In the future, this experience will help me not to judge things before I come to understand them.