Famous Writer in "Ensign"

My wife called me in the room where she was reading and pointed to an article in the Ensign where a byline was showing a familiar name. Sure enough there was "Stephenie Meyer" plastered on the page. I checked the spelling and found there wasn't any discrepancy. I even read "Hero at the Grocery Store" about a woman who helps an elderly lady pay for some groceries. It really is a touching article. None of the scant details proved it wasn't who the name implies.

For those who don't know, Stephenie Meyer is an author of Young Adult books. Her first printed and successful book is "Twilight," about a girl who falls in love with a vampire. She is also a Latter-day Saint who graduated from Brigham Young University. From her official website bio page:

She lives with her husband and three young sons in Phoenix, Arizona. After the publication of her first novel, Twilight, booksellers chose Stephenie Meyer as one of the "most promising new authors of 2005" (Publishers Weekly) . . .

. . . Right now, I'm deeply involved in the editing for book two (more about that in "Other Novels"), getting ready for my first book tour, dealing with five separate drop-off and pick-up times for my kids' schools, and working with a nice personal trainer named Steve in a doomed attempt to erase the evidence that my body has carried three large children to term.

My favorite authors/biggest influences are (in no particular order) Orson Scott Card, Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, Maeve Binchy, Charlotte Bronte, Daphne DuMaurier, L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, Eva Ibbotson, William Goldman, Douglas Adams, Janet Evanovich... the list goes on, but I think I hit the highlights.

Her newest book is "New Moon," a sequal to her first vampire love story. She is also working on a novel "The Host" for an adult audience. It is about an alien invasion where the aliens have taken over human bodies. One of the humans doesn't completely go away, and the alien has to deal with all the thoughts and emotions of its host. Keeping with the author's theme of romance, the human in question clings to thoughts of a lover hiding somewhere from the invasion.

I am not going to review "Twilight" at this time, although I have read it. My local library has "New Moon" and I am waiting on a list of those who want to check it out. what I do want to say is that, for a YA and romance writer, she is among the best I have read in some time.

There was nothing on the LDS Church's website or her own to indicate if she wrote the Ensign article. I cannot be certain as she doesn't take e-mail questions. The name might only be a coincidence. Hopefully, out of curiosity, someone can clear this up.

Thanksgiving and the Day of the Lord

Reading up on giving thanks in the Scriptures, I came across D&C 59 that sounded very fitting for the Holiday celebration. Originally it discusses proper Lord's Day observances. It could be talking just as much about Thanksgiving and what it can mean to us as a religious observance. Ponder the following exhortation:

13 And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.
14 Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer.
15 And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance—
16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.
21 And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.

The Real-istic Jospeh Smith Please Stand UP

This is a copy of a post I wrote for "Blogger of Jared."

Not too long ago Richard Dutcher planned on making a movie about Joseph Smith Jr. with rumors of Val Kilmer as the lead. It didn’t take long for those rumors to be unfounded. There was news that he rejected the part for other movie roles. It seems that Bro. Dutcher has also gone a different direction and made other films. His personal homepage doesn’t offer any new information that he still has a biopic in the works. Other films have, more or less, taken up the slack.

There is an abundance of Joseph Smith roles to look at if interested in how he has been portrayed, both in and outside of LDS Church circles. The first major inclusion of Joseph Smith Jr was the Brigham Young movie of 1940, with Vincent Price taking up the part. Of all the ones I have seen so far, he seemed to represent him the best. It was too bad he played such a small role in that one. On the other hand, the book it was partly based on, "Children of God" by Vardis Fisher, was not a flattering portrait. There was another movie called Brigham with Richard Moll (of Night Court fame) playing Joseph Smith when he was tarred and feathered. Not sure if there was a martyrdom scene. He was problematic because the acting was stiff and he wasn’t the "hunk" that the historical records indicate for the real person. At least one other semi-portrayal was in "Angels in America," originally a stage play, and negative. Films done by Latter-day Saints have not fared better.

Three most recent LDS centric films, two of them done by the Church itself, include "Legacy," "American Prophet: the story of Joseph Smith," and "Work and the Glory." Each one had flaws that might be considered part of trying to act as a person whose life can be seen as larger than life. After all, it took someone like George C. Scott to play Patton and Peter O’Tool directed by legendary David Lean to play T.E. Lawrence, of Arabia fame. Neither historical figure accomplished or went through all the Joseph Smith did in his short life. Perhaps there are too many expectations. Nathan of Tachyon City made these personal critical opinions:

Nathan Mitchell, the actor who played Joseph was… pretty good. I’ve almost come to believe that actors who can successfully portray the passionate, gifted, flawed charisma of Joseph Smith must be almost as rare as men like him in real life. This Joseph was very believable as Joseph in his private moments, relating to his wife and family, playing with the children and adults of his community. He was a little less successful in portraying the expansive, captivating presence he reportedly had when preaching and teaching larger groups of people. A little soft, is how he appeared. I cringed in anticipation when it became apparent that the movie was gearing up to the "majesty in chains" scene, in which a shackled Joseph rebuked his jailors who had been boasting of their exploits against the defenseless Mormons fleeing Missouri. For this story, that scene would be equivalent to the high note which caps "O Holy Night" — the song lives or dies by that note. This Joseph was… not bad in that scene. But it’s a scene for which "good enough" isn’t good enough.

Of course, in context, this good Brother Mitchell was probably the best Joseph I’ve ever seen on film. Certainly better than the disastrously bad one in Legacy, who looked like a psychopath who wanted to eat your children. (Necessary disclaimer: I’ve yet to see either of the two The Work and the Glory movies released so far, so I can’t compare that Joseph, Jonathan Scarfe, to this one.)

I haven’t seen the most recent church produced movie, but I have seen the "Work and the Glory" with Jonathan Scarfe. If Tachyon City’s observation is correct, than it seems the public aspect of Joseph Smith is very hard to copy, compared to what we would imagine. There isn’t very many actors that could pull it off without overdoing it or underplaying the charisma. Assuming for the moment that a professional movie was to be made, what current actors would be best to play the part? Val Kilmer is out, although he would defiantly be eccentric enough to do a fine job. Another actor that might be a nice fit is Jonny Depp, who has both the flair and the personality, but perhaps not the look. Most of all, it is a question of what expectations do exist and who can best portray those qualities of personality missing in other presentations.

The Roles We Play

This is a copy of a post I wrote for "Blogger of Jared."

There are many roles available for people to pick and choose to define themselves and others. Sometimes there is more than one role we are actively playing at a time. There are even circumstances when one role is in direct contradiction to others. It can often become confusing.

Despite all of the various ways to define a person, there is always the chance we could label with too broad a brush. The worst scenario is stereotyping; where expectations are imagined without considering all other possibilities. This can stifle any chance of getting to know a person beyond what has already been decided. Jesus was a master at looking at a person who already had a particular "reputation" and seeing if there was something more:

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

John 4:7-30

Like all Jews of the time, Jesus saw the Samaritans as apostates who tried to usurp the true religion. He could have easily, much like he did the Gentiles, ignored her. It is true that he still reprimanded her for what she worshipped. Yet, he looked deeper into her soul and found a person he could talk with. Not only that, but she saw him as more than a Jew. He was a person she could respect. He may not have made her a Jew, but she was no longer simply a (1)Samaritan (2)divorced (3)woman sitting at a watering hole. In some ways she became more than that.

It is not only other people who define our roles. Many times we personally give names to what we are. Some of the more familiar ones include Mother, Father, Lawyer, Doctor, Mechanic, Priest, Elder, Bishop, Baptist, Muslim, Mormon, Spanish, Black, White, Republican, Democrat, American, European, Chinese, and the list goes on. Where do the names end and the person begin? Spending too much time acting as one thing can endanger other things that might be equally as important. Recently Elder M. Russell Ballard said:

Occasionally we find some who become so energetic in their Church service that their lives become unbalanced. They start believing that the programs they administer are more important than the people they serve. They complicate their service with needless frills and embellishments that occupy too much time, cost too much money, and sap too much energy. They refuse to delegate or to allow others to grow in their respective responsibilities.

As a result of their focusing too much time and energy on their Church service, eternal family relationships can deteriorate. Employment performance can suffer. This is not healthy, spiritually or otherwise. While there may be times when our Church callings require more intense effort and unusual focus, we need to strive to keep things in proper balance. We should never allow our service to replace the attention needed by other important priorities in our lives. Remember King Benjamin’s counsel: “And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength” (Mosiah 4:27). - M. Russell Ballard, “O Be Wise,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 17.

Probably the worst situation we can find ourselves in is when we don't know where we fit in the world around us. Those who feel that way can be lost and often depressed. Many who don't have a good grasp of their life often fill it with destructive choices. These are the kind of people who need one particular role for others to act the part; a friend. That is something everyone wants and can be.

Post-Mortem Republicans

For years the only power that the Conservative Republicans really had was the presidential cabinet. Then in 1992 the Liberal Democrats took over the U.S. House, Senate, and White House. Some say in that year that a short guy with a collection of charts lost the election for the Republicans.

For me it seemed that the end of the world was fast approaching. With mostly godless Liberals ruling a nation that had a blessing and a cursing, the return of a Divinity would be a welcome relief. It was obvious that the rest of the world wasn't repenting. They were either losing faith or becoming murderous fanatics.

A Miracle happened in 1994 and a Conservative Republican revolution had started. There was hope that the years of banal attacks against honest faith, family, and righteousness were about to be halted. Finally, in 2000 the Conservative Republicans took all three U.S. Houses. Slowly more conservative measures were getting enacted. A President and others were standing up against unrighteous laws and evil dictators. For a time it seemed things were changing for the better.

Then, something horrible intervened. The Liberal Democrats once again took over the reigns of government. The only thing standing between them and faith, family, and decency is a veto. The worst of this is that Conservatives helped them achieve this victory.

Self-Delusion

It is hard to say if Conservatives really made this change possible. There are many centrists and Independent voters with influence. What is known is that there were Conservatives who said they would vote Democrat this year. Of course, the two issues they said determined that was so-called corruption and the Iraq War. Perhaps it is simply a sign of licking wounds, but prominent Conservative Republicans are almost glad this happened. Glen Beck, Conservative radio personality and CNN Commentator had this to say:

Now, as we’re all painfully aware, yesterday was Election Day. Thank you that it`s over. Thank you. For the first time in 12 years, the Democrats are about to control the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. But here’s the real story: It’s not so much that the Democrats won, but that the Republicans lost. . .

. . . Well, you know what? Here’s the other real story. I mostly agree with them. See, what happened -- hear me out -- the Democrats didn’t win yesterday with their classically liberal agenda, but the more conservative- minded, Blue Dog Democrats or independent-thinkers, like Joe Lieberman, were appealing to voters . . .


. . . Besides voting for candidates, voters also turned out yesterday to weigh in on the issues in the form of ballot initiatives. The people have spoken and, with very few exceptions, they have come out overwhelmingly in favor of English as the official language, strict immigration reform, and a ban against gay marriage. Now, how on Earth did the Democrats win when the majority of Americans seem in favor of classically Republican points of view? . . .

He isn't the only one talking this way who is fully Conservative and Republican. Others include the likes of Dick Armey, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and even the unabashed Rush Limbaugh getting into the act. This all sounds nice and hopeful, but the truth is not as pleasant.

Facing Reality

All this talk of the American people voting for smaller government, more accountability, and locally still voting conservative on issues should be a sign of good things ahead. The problem for Conservatives is that these are minor developments on the road to major setbacks. Those Democrats in power are not going to be the centrist Democrats they think were put into leadership. The ones that hold the most important positions are actually very Liberal. It becomes possible to see this in the words of the new Speaker of the HouseNancy Pelosi, one of the most Liberal people in one of the most Liberal districts:

. . . Democrats are charting a New Direction, one that unites our country and addresses the real priorities of all the American people. By raising the minimum wage, increasing access to health care, making higher education more affordable, achieving energy independence, enhancing retirement security, and providing real security at home and overseas, Democrats will provide opportunity, security, and prosperity for all, not just the privileged few.

Democrats will make our economy more fair by giving a raise to the nearly 7 million hard-working Americans earning the minimum wage . . .

. . . Democrats will reverse the $12 billion raid on student aid enacted by the Republican Congress in order to help finance tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans . . .

. . . Calling for real investments in alternative fuels and tapping into America’s vast resources and ingenuity, we will send our dollars to the Midwest, not the Middle East, and achieve energy independence within ten years.

We will guarantee a dignified retirement by continuing to fight the privatization of Social Security and protecting pensions . . .

. . . The war in Iraq is not making our country safer; it is not making our military stronger; and it is not making our world more stable. Democrats want the Iraqis to take responsibility for their country and want the phased redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq to begin in 2006 . . .

She isn't the only one who has a more Liberal, rather than centrist or conservative, idea about government. The House will shift Left in the coming years. It will be the usual big government programs, class warfare, and partisan politics that the Conservatives who voted Democrat thought they were fighting against. When the worst fears of Conservatives are realized, don't think the Liberal Democrats will give up power. It might be another 30 years before another chance for Conservatives to govern comes along.

I had warned my fellow Conservatives that they were throwing away everything for pretending their enemies were friends. Some listened, but too many either voted Democrat or didn't vote at all. The best thing to have done was clean house amongst ourselves rather than invite the clawed cat to clear out the rats. Now everything we had worked for will be torn to shreds.