Literature: Creating Commonality and Meaning

It is so important that we, as members of the church, are literary. Literature creates a space of shared meaning and commonality which is important for us in a general context, within our own faith tradition, and within ourselves. Literature allows us to work through our ideas and thoughts and shared them with others. One of the things that was particular impactful for me, was our conversation we had about the relationship between the early church and literature. I loved that we studied different works of literature and that we wanted "our own Miltons." Through this class I feel like I have gained a much greater understanding of the place that literature has in our own faith tradition. 

I first think the literature is important to us, because it helps us connect to others. Currently, I am an English teaching major, but before this I strongly considered teaching math. I loved math and am much better at it then English. Ultimately though I decided to go with English, because I wanted to be able to teach morals and value to my students. In a lot of ways, literature is the religion of the modern world. I feel like literature is a way that we can bridge gaps between us and our brothers and sisters who have different beliefs than ours. I feel like F. Scott Fitzgerald put it best when he said, "That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longer are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong." When I feel those connections that Fitzgerald explained, I am reminded that we all a part of the family of God. 

One example of this that I found in our class was Martine Leavitt's My Book of Life by Angel. This book was woven with threads of LDS thoughts and theology. Like our unique ideas about the fall, our belief in guardian angels, and the belief that God answer's prayers. Yet it connected with people of all faiths and ideologies. It allowed us together to explore hard topics and an ugly issue that exists in our world right now. As we strive to connect with the world around us, I feel like literature is a way we can do it. 

I feel like literature can connect us as members of the Church of Jesus Christ as well. The greatest example of this would be the Book of Mormon, of course, which is the keystone that keeps us all together. However other texts can do that for us as well. In some of my research for my job, I have looked through Exponents magazines (which we looked at in class too) and it was interesting to see how important that those were to them at that time. Women of the church really felt connect through those magazines. I also feel like Darlene Young's Homespun and Angel Feathers is another great example of this. Her poem "Utah Mormon" really resonated with me and in that moment I realized I wasn't alone in the feelings I was feeling. I also think that the Happy Little Secrets play demonstrated a different aspect of this, because it was a safe way for us to work through difficult aspects of our beliefs. 

Continuing this theme that it helps us to connect to each other, I think it also helps us to rethink ideas we already know and believe. The doctrine of the gospel is unchanging, so I feel like are focus is on deepening our understanding of it, instead of widening it. When we are able to work through the cliques in our language and find new analogies and metaphors, we are "all edified together." I really enjoyed Dr. Burton's "Creativity and New media Mormonism" speech, because he did that within his speech and also explained the concept of continually finding awe in the gospel. I think we have an obligation to use literature to explore our own faith and then share that with others. 

Finally, I feel like literature helps us to connect with ourselves. Another impactful moment for me in this class was when Ashley Mae Holiand came to class. She talked about how she tried to just write for herself. Then she talked about how she is writing about her experience with an illness as she is experiencing the illness. It was clear that writing was a way that she processed life and tried to understand the world around her. Then we had that class conversation and activity where we explored the idea that writing can help us process doubts and problems we have. I feel like this class has really helped me to understand that concept and idea. I have an increased desire to write my experiences and share my thoughts and ideas through literary means. 

From this class, I learned that literature really does plays an important part in our faith tradition. We need to have it to connect us to the world around us, to others and to ourselves. My all time favorite quote from this semester was something Darlene Young said. I probably am not going to get it exactly, but she said we write not to get to a destination, but to allow someone to have an experience. The gospel, for me, is all about the experiences that we have in this life. Repentance is a change of perspective, and I think literature helps us to accomplish that. 

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.

Leavitt / Hoiland Response

Response to My Book of Life by Angel:

I thought that it was a fascinating experience, meeting with Martine Leavitt as a class. In relation to Angel’s spirituality, I asked Mrs. Leavitt how much of Angel’s experiences were realistic and how much were her own reverberations from an LDS faith? She responded with something along the lines of, “when I was doing my research, I found that these young girls were deeply spiritual, not religious, but spiritual.” Mrs. Leavitt then responded with a time of when she was researching the book, she worked in a kitchen with an older woman who was a prostitute and found deep connection with her. It seemed as though Martine almost couldn’t believe that this woman was involved in it. She seemed so human. Mrs. Leavitt then continued with, “though they are deeply spiritual, when I was writing the book, I knew that I wanted Angel to see an angel before the book was complete, so that was my part.” This book really impacted me as the reader, yes it was fiction, but written in a poetic form, the style really elevated these girls as discussed in the interview. It opened my mind to the idea that these women who are emotionally and sometimes physically bound to the trade aren’t horrible sinners, but struggling women that have been taken advantage of. Women that are starving for help, but cannot break free. Women that undergo awful and traumatic experiences that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. My Book of Life by Angel, struck a spot in my heart, opening the door of recognition, that these unfortunate women are here in the United States, maybe even in Provo, UT. A place that for some is a sanctuary, for others must be a living hell.

One of the stories that really stood out to me from Hoiland’s One Hundred Birds Taught Me To Fly was under the subheading: Grace. Hoiland addresses an issue that can be considered controversial in the church – that is some church members look down upon, even criticize those who stop attending church. Often inactivity creates separation in what was a strong family as some have difficulty accepting their loved one’s choices. I appreciated the technique Hoiland used to illustrate why her sister Sage stopped attending church. She explains that nearly a decade previously her sister, “moved away [from the church] slowly, almost imperceptibly, after the disappointment of passing on the sacrament trays without being able to lift anything to her lips for too many Sundays left her feeling hopeless and rebellious” (Hoiland 39). She then describes the innocence of their childhood, bringing back fun and nostalgic memories to when the girls were young. She subsequently shifts to the inner struggles her sister had growing up: the battle with anorexia, the drugs, the antireligious boyfriend. She introduces the character of their loving parents and the blindness the excessively trustful eye of religion brings. Hoiland doesn’t seem to hide the flaws of being a religious parent. Her sister’s choices early in life led to limited participation in family events such as baby blessing, temple attendance, wedding participation, etc. The hurt that her sister must have felt is at the forefront of her story. Where many LDS members might look at this girl and condemn her inactivity in the Church, Hoiland plunges deeper, allows readers to really connect, to understand her sisters story, turning feelings of contempt into love. My favorite quote from this story was when she said, “I am embarrassed now to think that I ever questioned the happiness of another because it did not match perfectly my own, but my young heart was not ready to understand that the thread between my sister and me would not even waver let alone break, in the years to follow, even when our lives looked different (Hoiland 41-42). This solidifies her case, and becomes a non-direct didactic moment with whom LDS readers can identify. I’d like to model this tactic of personal lessons learned.

Marcus's Leavitt/Hoiland Post

1.    The author mentioned different methods of her writing, like using poetry forms to provide a different style of reading. If I remember correctly, she created the story in this form for a couple of reasons: 1. Because that’s just how the story ended up as she started writing it. 2. Poetry allowed her to write about difficult moments without being too graphic or specific. 3. The form created an interesting connection between the reader and the story – it was a truer form to tell the story. It made it more real. As for morals and LDS angles of her writing, she demonstrated the reliance of miracles. The author mentioned that many of these young girls turn to Christ because they have literally nowhere else to turn. She used this fact to increase the addition of miracles to the story. However, the author leaves it open ended, because she didn’t want the ending to be too glorious – many of the times, these young women only live up to 5 years once immersed in drugs and prostitution.

2.    “…A pretty useless word, really, but the fact that someone took the time to teach it to us, to say. it over several times until we got it and the Remy held the snail up to his eyes and said snigel means I will cherish that word as a passed-on treasure until I am old and forget all my words.” (Pg. 10)

I really liked how this part stood out among others even though she is very descriptive in her details throughout the book. She used a simple word and phrase to create an entirely new meaning which produced a deep reflecting moment. It is details like this that I would like to remember and put into my own writing. As I had mentioned before, writing boldly helped me remember details I had forgotten, but by replicating this style and approach, I think details will come back to me and I’ll be able to write them in a unique way. There are simple things in life that can have a great impact, and it is important to show that in my writing. At times I want to focus on this big moments, but the little ones pack a big punch as well.

Kendal's Journal

Here's a paragraph from my own journal, followed by variations. 

Proud of my consistency of writing lately. I guess its a mode of survival during fall. Can't believe it's already September. I just finished my homework and I feel like I'm figuring out my schedule nicely. Feels good. I ran up a mountain today. Finally felt alive and was cured from my weird feelings of not feeling human. Loving my classes. My friends are great too. Feel like I'm doing well in all aspects of life and everything is set up for success. 

1. -proud of my consistency with writing

-can't believe its already September 

-ran up a mountain today

-classes and friends are good

-feeling good

2. Proud of my writing consistency and how I ran up a mountain today. Feeling alive and like everything is going to work out makes me feel like everything is set up for success.

3. Why do I have to write or run up mountains to feel okay? How is it already September? Why did I not feel human? 

4. Even though I didn't feel good, I got things in order and feel alive now.

5. Proud of my writing consistency today. I finished my homework and I feel like I am figuring out my schedule nicely. Feels good. I ran up a mountain today and it made me feel alive. Loving my classes. My friends are great too. Feel like I'm doing well in all aspects of life and everything is set up for success.

In reflection I can see the different ways of writing in a journal. Each gives a different feeling to conclude a day. It shows that we each have a choice as to how we do that. Journaling is an art form and I am just seeing that now and I like it. I like 3 and 5 best. The focus on positivity and then the questioning brings up reflection.