Avatar

I saw Avatar when it first came out in 2009 and remember my dad commenting on how it touched on LDS ideologies. Rewatching it now I was able to better able to understand a few of those themes present in the film. The idea of an other world where we occupy perfect bodies is not a foreign idea to us. Jake Sully received a "perfected" body that took the form of his avatar so that he could have full control over his body. The idea of the earth being a spirit is not something that we focus on in the Church but I do think it is reminiscent of how the earth was created for us. Burton touches on deeper LDS ideas that are not easily noticed like the easier ideas mentioned. Like the idea of experiencing things on both sides of the veil. The avatar allows this to be plausible.

Avatar and LDS Doctrine

The movie Avatar has several interesting links to Mormon doctrine. Perhaps one of the most obvious is the idea of life on other planets. Another is the idea that everything has a spirit. In Abraham, it says that everything was created spiritually before it was created spiritually, and Avatar plays on this theme. The movie also focuses quite a bit on the idea of resurrection. The main character is a marine who has lost the use of his legs, but through his avatar, he is able to use legs once again. The body that is created for him lacks the imperfections of his own human body. Avatar also loosely incorporates the idea that sexuality is a bond between only two people. Once a mate has been chosen, the two are mated for life.
Burton talks about a lot of these aspects, but goes even further in the resurrection concept. For him, resurrection becomes a theme when Jake is finally able to become one with his avatar, which I thought was an interesting concept. I thought it was interesting how he tied in the idea of the Hindu avatar and videogame avatars. The word itself seems to connote pretension, faking being something you are not, and yet in the movie, the pretension actually becomes reality. Jake becomes part of the culture of which he has only transiently been a part.

Avatar and Latter-day Saint History

When I watched James Cameron’s film Avatar, it was reminiscent of the story of the early Latter-day Saints that were driven out of Nauvoo and into Utah—but this story, taking place in a remote fantasy world, is more palatable for a broader audience. The humans’ insistence on destroying the Na’vi’s home (despite its sacredness) and driving them out echoes the persecution that the Saints received in violent events like Hawn’s Mill massacre and the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. Grace’s death by the hands of her own kind was symbolic because it became the point of no return for the humans’ downfall. Similarly, Joseph implies that the destruction promised to the United States in Doctrine and Covenants 87 will be the result of an angry God avenging his persecuted Saints (87:6–7).

While I viewed the movie from this more historical perspective, Dr. Burton’s analysis of the film as a representation of our mortal journey toward an exalted state got me thinking about it in new ways. I thought that Jake Sully’s being a paraplegic was a cool concept, but casting the film in a Mormon light makes his condition all the more significant, since our bodies (like his avatar form) give us agency and more abilities. This view also made me ponder how I can use the avatar of creative writing as a vehicle for exploring both my personal identity and my identity as a Latter-day Saint. Some avatars of experience are neutral (e.g., social media), but can be either disastrous or character-building depending on how we use them, a cautionary truth that the film demonstrates.

Avatar

Watching Avatar with this LDS literature lens opened my eyes to the similarities. The plurality of worlds, superior beings, the supernatural, progression of the body and mentality, the search for the rational were all evident within Avatar. The main character goes to a "new world" and people keep saying things like "you aren't in Kanas anymore." Thats like what happened when we went from our premarital world to earth. His brother and him were part of the same genome so when he died it was like he was resurrected with his brother taking his place. There was also the belief in having the ancestors looking after us. How they link us together. The concept of praying over someone when they aren't well and in need of a miracle to survive is evident. Praying together is another thing they did that we believe.

Burton had me thinking about deity how each Avatar was almost as if they were immortal and God-like. Hadn't thought about the digital world as a second life before connecting that to how the main character felt. At one point he says that waking up from being an Avatar was like the dream rather than the reality being the other way around. The thought and belief that earth has a spirit is a good reminder and is very evident within the movie. Kinda like Jake Sully became a new creature with his body, we did the same thing when we came to earth and obtained bodies. We too had a new range of being and function. This has taught us things that we couldn't possibly learn without them.

Avatar: More Than Cool Graphics

The first time I watched Avatar was in the theater, and I admit, the plot, symbolism, and acting all took a backseat to just watching a super cool graphics and cinematography. I will say this next time around I was able to see the redemption theme more, and the sort of social and spiritual baptism of Jake Scully. Additionally, I could see an "in the world but not of the world" trope with Scully and the doctor, who must be human though incredibly sympathetic to the Na'vi. This reminded me of how we're told to live and minister with all people, even if our personal ideologies differ.

After reading Burton's piece, I was surprised at how nicely Church teaching were inserted into the movie, and the amount of correlations. Though Avatar isn't specifically directed towards the church, there is great value in having a globally-known movie flush with LDS allusions. It allows us to champion, or more like adopt, a film that wasn't a homegrown work. And that's great. The concept of connecting Avatar into Elder Bednar seems like a stretch, but there were some beautiful connections you could have never made without that connection. 

Avatar and The Tree of Life

The first thing that come to mind when connecting Avatar and LDS doctrine is definitely the tree that is so important to the Navi people. People gravitated towards it and believed that it connected them to their Goddess Eywa. This reminded me of the tree of life in the Book of Mormon and the significance it has to out doctrine as a metaphor of God’s love. When Jake finds his way to the tree and has sort of a “first prayer” moment I saw so much similarity between that and Joseph Smith’s prayer when Jake can feel Eywa’s presence and almost confirms his belief in her.

Burton’s essay got me thinking about “things as they really are” and thinking about what it means to be able to experience certain things because of the body we have been given. Jake’s avatar is just a means to an end for him to learn and grow and develop. The same goes for us. Our bodies here on earth are for us to use to learn and grow and develop. The experience that we gain here is all for us to use after this life and to be tested. The same can be said for Jake. He was tested as an avatar, and now after his journey ends he has acquired skills and knowledge to benefit him later on down the road.

Avatar and Eywa

The film Avatar’s overarching LDS themes are found in the Na’vi people’s worship of Eywa, the sacred tree that connects the Na’vi to their ancestors. It’s discovered by Jake and Dr. Grace Augustine that the tree is connected to everything on the planet, even those who have died. Jake Sully and the others begin to understand the sacredness of the Na’vi people’s belief, and Jake even seems to begin to believe in it himself. Jake prays to the tree, asking for help against the sky people –those in the world whose desire money and are willing to commit genocide to get it. At one point, Neytiri finds Jake praying, and her response is that Eywa isn’t interested in taking sides, but in protecting the balance of life. This response to Jake’s prayer grapples with the idea: why does God let bad things happen to good people, yet occasionally intervene?  Later, Neytiri, a believer in Eywa her entire life, is surprised when Jake’s prayer is answered by Eywa, and all the creatures work together to fight against the sky people. Grace winds-up sacrificing herself help Jake and the Na’vi people protect their way of life, choosing to serve Eywa and renounce the world, choosing a higher, holier path.

As mentioned in Burton’s essay, Latter-day Avatars for Mormon Expression, the avatar body itself can be seen as a skin for Jake’s true body. His limited paraplegic body is set free in his Avatar body, but his Avatar body is limited when not controlled by the technology. Burton states that, “For Jake, an avatar is not simply a new body; it gives him an important social identity and purpose.” This got me thinking about how humans can get lost in their avatars. At one scene in the movie, Jake begins to lose himself in the avatar. His real body gets skinnier, he doesn’t eat, doesn’t shave. He becomes so engrossed in his identity as one of the Na’vi, that when the time goes to change allegiances, he turns on his own people. As Burton mentions, LDS theology believes that our bodies are in a sense, avatars for our spirits. It made me think of how many people come to earth and get lost in the things of the world, completely forgetting that humankind must have existed before birth. But in Jake’s case, the full acceptance of the Avatar body can symbolize a new body, maybe even a resurrected body that doesn’t have the limitations of an earthly body.

Avatar and the Atonement

Movie Interpretation:

I largest connection that I made with LDS culture and the movie Avatar was the interconnection between the Plan of Salvation and the Atonement with the main character, Jake Sully. For example, the plot seemed to go along the lines of Jake (a spirit) coming down from heaven (outer space) to a world (Pandora) and gaining a body (his avatar), learning how the body works and learning of its connection within the world and its creator or spirit (Eywa). Another perspective is seeing Jake Sully with his broken body being restored into a whole and new body with his avatar (resurrection) or Dr. Grace Augustine dying and being received by Eywa.

Article Interpretation:

The article seemed to go along the same lines as my thought process and I enjoyed the connection of the veil; being able to experience both sides of the veil as a spirit (human form) and as body (avatar form). The bit about resurrection and the permanent embodiment I agreed with as this was the most prominent aspect of the movie for myself. I thought it was interesting the Professor Burton made stab at “avatars of experience”. I find it interesting that the things that we interact with could also be considered avatars – that which “stretch our souls to find their truest form.”

Mormon Drama: Morrison's "Adam and Eve"

Davey Morrison’s Adam and Eve puts a little spin on what came after Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden. Many people don’t think about Adam and Eve’s reaction, instead, all of the attention is placed on the moment Adam and Eve partook of the fruit.

Morrison give deep thought on how they would’ve reacted during the first few hours after they were driven out. The experience was new for them, so they had to figure everything out on their own. One aspect of life that was new to them was romance. Morrison described the romance between Adam and Eve perfectly. Before being cast out, they didn’t really understand their relationship as they would’ve after partaking of the fruit. For example, when Adam tries to hold Eve’s hand, she doesn’t like it at first, but tells him that it felt good and didn’t know why. That type of connection would feel foreign to them, as they were in a state of innocence in Eden. Adam wants to keep trying that type of affection, as it also feels good to him and he believes it can comfort her.

One thing I found interesting is how Adam wants to get right into fulfilling the next commandment (multiply and replenish the earth), and Eve is hesitant. She wants to figure things out first. I think that sort of comparison is a very humanly trait, especially when it comes to creating families. Both spouses need to be on board in order to have success in their newly-formed family.

Another aspect of Morrison’s story that through me for a loop was how Eve knew what a “pet” was right away. Her understanding the nature of predators wasn’t that shocking, but it was interesting that she immediately wanted a pet, when Adam and Eve were still trying to figure things out.

   

Morrison also added humor into the story, which made it more relatable. Adam and Eve would tease one another in several places (such as the word “apple”, which Eve found to be funny). Morrison’s type of humor that he gives to the couple is similar to the way I tease members of my family, so I found myself laughing throughout the piece.

Adam and Eve is a play that can help people understand what Adam and Eve would have experienced after being driving out of their paradise. It helps us relate to them on a different level.

Avatar....the Blue People

Looking at this movie through an LDS lense, my first thought was Jake was like a convert to the gospel. Before he was a man of the world, not a bad guy, but also didn't really have much of a purpose. Then he gets in with the locals, he thinks they are weird at first and doesn't really believe what they are saying about their gods and feeling something. Eventually he is able to feel things as well, he is able to connect to their god. He is converted and then participates in a ritual to become like them. Sounds very much like an LDS conversion story to me. Also one of the things that was really important to them was their ancestors. That is also very latter-day saint.

I did not think about the avatar being an earthly body and then later becoming a resurrected body. That was really cool to me, because it makes the contrast with the humans and the Na'vi more poignant to me. Jake had people who were trying to get him to turn away from what was real and true. Those that cared about him and wanted him to succeed, took him away from those bad influences. Which then allowed him to flourish and to accept his true identity. I feel like the world and Satan influence was well illustrated, in the sense that it lines up with how the scriptures talk about it. The focus being on money, power, and violence. 

Our own Avatars

In the film Avatar, there is a tree called the Tree of Souls. The tree has a spiritual connection, as it deals with ancestors. In Mormon culture, ancestors play a huge role (as we focus on families being eternal). The film makes illustrates the tree as large and bright, drawing the audience’s attention to it. The tree fills the entire screen, so there is no way the audience can miss it, and it enables significance. Then, when we hear the ancestors, it’s happy (there’s laughter and happy tones), which allows the audience to also think about their own memories of their ancestors.

A theme I also found in the film, which the essay touched on, is the Plan of Salvation. Something that stuck out to me from the very beginning of the film is that Jake Sully came to the planet from a different one (earth) so he could basically have a second chance. Something the article brought up that I didn’t think of before, though, is the connection of how our bodies are avatars of our spirits. In the film, Jake is able to use “his” legs in the other world, of which was restricted in earth. Another aspect of avatars which the article brought up was technological avatars we use on a regular basis through social media. I had never connected those to the meaning of avatar, but it definitely makes sense after reading the article. The “avatars” we use regularly through social media aren’t us, but they are somewhat linked to us.