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. 

Perfectionism and My Iphone 6

A personal Essay by Siera Lara

Who would have thought that my broken screen could represent healing? 

For me, there is something satisfying about the brand new. When it’s yours, you feel as though you have started over, that you have a clean slate with no mistakes.

I remember, specifically, the day I got my brand new iPhone 6. The box it came in was sleek and shiny, but not as shiny as the phone itself. I marveled as I ran my finger over its polished surface not finding a single defect. As I held it in my hand, my attention was drawn to how perfectly it fit there as though it had been custom made for me. I imagined that only the hand of my soulmate would fit better.

The Book of Mormon as a Literary Text

   I have never pondered on the literary value of the Book of Mormon before, but in reading the introduction of Hardy's edition of the book I realized there are a lot of beautiful literally elements there. One of my favorite examples of this is "The Psalm of Nephi" in chapter 4 of second Nephi. I love it because it captures feelings that we all struggle with in such a beautiful and poetic way. Had that chapter not been written in that way (and written well), I don't think it would have held as much significance for me.
   I think Hardy's version of the text was really beneficial in the way it grouped concepts together. I really loved how the verses about Lehi's vision in chapter 1 are all put into one paragraph. It helps the reader focus on it as its own entity. I also really liked the headers as well. In chapter 2 when it has one called "Laman and Lemuel's Murmurings" and "Nephi's Faithfulness and Blessing" those really help demonstrate the contrast in that chapter that I feel like the writer is trying to convey. One thing I didn't like though is Hardy's formatting the Lord's response to Nephi in a poem at the end of chapter 2. It just doesn't seem to read like a poem to me. Maybe I am just missing something. If anyone has any thoughts on that that might help me to see why he did that, I would appreciate it!

Elect Of Elohim and The Kiss- 19th Century Poetry

Elect of Elohim-Orson F. Whitney.

I choose to analyze this one, because I really enjoyed reading it. It is written in the form of an epic poem. I didn’t detect a specific rhythmic form, but there is a rhyme pattern of abcbdefe. The audience is obviously members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The content is doctrine unique to the Church and words like Kolob, Elohim, and Lucifer as also words only commonly used by members of the Church. I think the purpose of the poem is to help members visualize and better understand the council in heaven.

The Kiss-Carol Clark Ottesen

I chose this one because it is so different from all the other ones we read for this section. Most are narrative or instructive type poems. This one though is more describing emotions or an experience in a figurative way. It also has a different purpose then most. It is really more to entertain then to provide some big insight or teach us anything. It doesn’t have a specific rhyme pattern or rhythm, but it uses a lot of similes and metaphors. I also like the way it reads. With the short lines and then the longer ones. I can’t quite describe it, but it adds a dimension to the poem.

Siera's Questions about LDS Literature

Do we consider literature written by members of the Church as literature, even if it's geared to an LDS audience?

How do we encourage creativity and originality in Church member literature without moving away from the doctrine?

What is the cultural response to having our own literature? Is frowned upon? encouraged?

Can a cultural of literary criticism exist within the realm of LDS literature?

How can we use LDS literature to change outsiders view of the Church and its members?

Is it religiously significant to understand our literature and how it affects us?

Journaling: The Way I Overcame a Mental Illness

Journaling has healed me in ways nothing else can. During my late high school and early college years I suffered from toxic perfectionism. I worked extremely hard in school, magnified my callings, volunteered, worked a part time job, and was a good friend, yet I never felt like I was doing enough. Those feels hit their apex when I was on my mission. I was working the hardest I have ever worked in my life, yet I still felt completely worthless. hroughout this time and the hard months that followed, I received lots of council and guidance from people who loved and supported me. Looking back, their advice was good, but my mind was too clouded from this mental illness for me to comprehend it. It wasn’t until I started journaling my thoughts, feelings, and experiences that I was able to make any real progress. It shifted my perspective and helped me detached myself from my own detrimental thought processes. Even now, I continue to use journaling as a means to express myself and process my emotions and experiences. It’s been the way I have been able to see Gods hand in my life and feel confident in my abilities and move forward in my uncertainty.