Home Literature Aspects in Added Upon

When it comes to Home Literature, Orson Whitney talked about how literature was for learning, and some of what fell under the “best books” also included history, poetry, philosophy, etc. Literature must also be original and diverse, and a person should also feel what they write.

Something that Nephi Anderson did in Added Upon was include substantial amounts of poetry (such as Wordsworth). If, for some reason, you stumbled upon the book as a non-member, you would be able to see a familiar names within the poetry. The book was published in 1898, so it was after the early saints had struggled with a lot of moving from place to place, and were in Utah (however, they were still moving around after that), so that could have influenced Anderson’s writing and “feeling of what he wrote.” He also began the book with the story of the premortal existence, a story, as members of The Church, we are familiar with. People of other Christian faiths would also be able to recognize the event taking place, as the widely-known characters are either presented by name (ex. Lucifer), or easy to pick up on (ex. Father). He kept with the basic storyline, but included characters of his own to make the story more original.

Home Literature, Added Upon

The whole purpose of Home Literature, as I understood it, is to have another outlet of literature for Latter Day Saints that isn't the Bible or The Book of Mormon and still have it be spiritually uplifting. It is important for members of the church to seek "the best books" all over the place, and not just within their own scriptural cannon. There are so many ways to learn and so many things to learn from, that it would be foolish to only stick to what we are already familiar with. The basis of our attempt to learn according to Whitney, "means history, poetry, philosophy, art and science, languages, government--all truth in fact, wherever found." This can include stories, fiction or non-fiction, that are not explicitly didactic in their form and can be about a wide variety of topics, yet are filled with meaning and help us learn and grow 

Nephi Anderson accomplishes this in Added Upon by sticking to a familiar principle in the plan of salvation, that many people within the LDS church and identify with. Pre and Post-mortal life, however, is a subject that is widely thought about and discussed among people of many religions. Giving names and dialogue to people up in heaven as they discuss which plan is best and what earthly life is like for them is an effective tool in presenting choices that the audience can connect with the choices of the characters and think about in a way that will motivate them to think in a more spiritual way.

Kendal's Personal Essay Ideas

As I think about what I might write my personal essay about, I find myself thinking about the moments that have shaped me as an individual. I have found that every time I go about writing about myself I go to a specific part of my life, my mission. I can vividly remember a lot of moments and events and here are some of my brainstorming ideas:

• My experience about having a big role in the conversion of a stranger to the LDS faith. This was influential to me because this person died of liver cancer and I was there through it all. She taught me things that I could have never learned without that experience.
• Something unique for me is that I am a professional photographer. I live a very different lifestyle in that I do not have a day job and my main focus is on this art form. The cultures and people I have come into contact with are not who I normally associate with, but with my talent and job, I have had very different experiences.
• Lately I have struggled with self esteem issues although I am very confident in myself. I could expand upon that and explore it.
• I could explore and expand upon what it was like living in a surf city.

Henry Morris Personal Essay Ideas

There are a few directions that I feel like would have both a solid amount of content to write an entire personal essay about, and also be interesting enough to read. After just a quick session of brainstorming, this is a small list that I will consider writing about.

·       Being what I would call a “late learner” in the LDS Church, brings its own set of issues I think are unique. Not knowing certain doctrine and/or principles as a young adult and returned missionary create a difficult set or circumstances to develop and grow faith among other who appear, at least on the outside, to have everything figured out.

·       Attending BYU as a member of the church who, at times, has not been fully invested in the gospel has helped me see things through a different lens than if I were 100% active 100% of the time.

·       Switching universities, even within the same state has taught me a lot of lessons about how to cultivate an ideal culture for education and growth that I think people can benefit from. There are a lot of differences and similarities that are important to identify.

·       The combination of secular learning and religious learning in the classroom has been both a positive and negative experience at times. I think it would be interesting to analyze and talk about both types of experiences I have had in my time at BYU.

Dorothy Smith Personal Essay Ideas

A common theme throughout the essays assigned about personal essays is the effort to create a space in the LDS community where one can share their stories and thoughts in a way that will connect to a larger audience. With that in mind, I compiled some of my experiences as an LDS member that have resonated with me and connect to the bigger picture. 

• Unexpectedly returning home from my mission earlier than anticipated and navigating unfamiliar cultural standards about coming home earlier than expected. 
• Deciding to return to the mission field, getting a new mission call and repeating the process for going on a mission a second time. 
• How I have learned to proceed when some of my political perspectives do not align with the Church. 
• What I have learned, and want other modern LDS women to know about creating a space of her own within a Church that is predominantly patriarchal. 
• How has my writing style been impacted by the LDS literature I grew up reading.

The Prodigal Bucket: Kemp's Fictional Parable

Kenny Kemp takes a fresh look at Jesus' inspiration for his famous parable about the Prodigal Son in The Welcoming Door. Taking one page of the Bible and turning it into 74, he creates the rich, colorful story behind Jesus the carpenter mending a broken family's door.

I was intrigued by Kemp's simple word choice. The simple, straightforward language may come off as youth-oriented, but the content suggests that this tackles mature themes. Rather than appealing to a younger audience, I think Kemp attempts to imitate the simple language of a parable.
Additionally, I enjoyed his use of irony for dramatic and comedic effect. When Reuben the Prodigal is knocking on impassive doors, begging for money and protection, Jesus is constructing a unconventional door, built to welcome rather than deny. When Reuben finally makes it to the "door yard". Jesus talks to the fattened calf about how some hellos are goodbyes, and leaves. Kemp wants to remind the reader that Jesus was Jewish, and with his power with words comes the power of humor. The parable becomes more tangible.

Overall, not very surprising content-wise, but it was never supposed to be. Kemp uses his artistic privilege to make the story more grounded.

Marcus' Personal Essay: In Due Time

In Due Time (a possible title for my personal essay): Being comfortable with my own timeline and not worrying about social pressures of the “standard” timeline for life occurrences. 

-      Construct a basic understanding that there are social pressures at BYU and within the Church of Jesus Christ that cause young adults to fear “falling behind”. There is no such thing.

-      Certain points that were considered “late”: being comfortable with myself, going less active and becoming associated with the gospel, progression within the mission, starting my undergrad as a transfer student, joining athletics, dating, etc.

-      There are specific details about ones lives that cause them to take paths that stray from the expected – this isn’t wrong, but a path of understanding oneself and their potential.

-      Explain what “in due time” means under a worldly definition as well as an eternal definition. There is a big difference between what we see on this earth and what we try to accomplish in the time given, compared to the time we have to prepare in the eternities. 

-      Being able to adjust your timeline based on experiences as well as understanding your relationship with God and the paths he has opened for each of us.