This song is like a hamburger. It's not sophisticated. It's not complicated. It's not profound. It's not the kind of thing you'd find in a really nice restaurant. But even though it's nothing amazing, it's just plain good. When somebody says they don't like it, you look at them like they're crazy. I love good music of all kinds, and I've spent a lot of time exploring and trying to become a bit more of a musical connoisseur. However, I'm pretty sure I've listened to this song more than any other in the past three or four months. I can't give any reason for why I like it so much. It just sounds good.
This is my official break from a full day of cutting up and writing about 59 issues of the New York Times for my Geography and Political Science classes. I made it about five hours (the cutting up part) before distraction started to set in.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
New music
Over the past few weeks, I've been exposed to some new and interesting music. (Well, "new" in the sense that I hadn't heard it or paid attention to it before. One of the songs is actually about ten years old.) Therefore, I shall write reviews of five songs that, for whatever reason, have particularly caught my attention. Not all music is created equal, and none of these songs would make it to a top 10 list of my favorites, but each is good enough to warrant a second listen and an analysis.
A Praise Chorus, by Jimmy Eat World
Linkage.
This song is from the album Bleed American, which contains several outstanding songs (the most famous being The Middle, and the best being The Authority Song). Musically, I think this song is a step down from the others that I am familiar with. One of my favorite parts of the rest of the album is its level of musical complexity. Guitar parts are varied, sound is layered, and vocal harmonies are incorporated into much or even all of the song. Here, there is little to distinguish the song, musically, from any other band's style. The lyrics, on the other hand, are the main reason that this song has caught my attention, mostly because they resonate with my feelings right now. The beginning of the second verse states the song's message clearly: "Are you gonna live your life standing in the back looking around? Are you gonna waste your time? Gotta make a move or you'll miss out." Also, in keeping with the band's tendencies, the song makes reference to not one, nor two, but SEVEN well-known songs listed here on Wikipedia.
Good? Definitely. Worth obsessing over? Probably not.
One Day Too Late, by Skillet
Linkage.
Last week, on the way to Idaho for Thanksgiving, I was listening to the radio and was informed that a Skillet song would be on next. Out of curiosity, I kept listening, fully expecting something depressing or angry to drive me away after a few seconds. Instead, I was surprised--the music was definitely Skillet, but the song was actually positive! The guitar part is still loud and the singer's voice is still raw, but rather than singing of hopelessness, he sings about hope. I thought I'd hear a song about how an opportunity had passed and today was one day too late, but instead I heard a song about how today is the time to act, because tomorrow might be too late.
This isn't enough to convince me to look further into Skillet's latest album, but it does prove that they aren't completely limited to depressing music.
Sigh No More, by Mumford and Sons
Linkage.
I discovered Mumford and Sons fairly recently, so when an answer to a question on The 100 Hour Board mentioned one of their songs, I happily looked it up. It's slightly different in style from Roll Away Your Stone, my favorite Mumford and Sons song, but it is still very good. It's upbeat and energetic, and its lyrics quote Shakespeare while explaining the nature of love.
All in all, very good.
The Only Moment We Were Alone, by Explosions in the Sky
Linkage.
My brother briefly introduced me to Explosions in the Sky shortly before he left on his mission. The band is fairly unique in that it has no vocalist and its songs have no lyrics. Emotion is conveyed entirely through the music itself. This song lasts over ten minutes (Wikipedia tells me that the album, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place, lasts 45 minutes but contains only five tracks.) I honestly can't properly describe the song's mood to someone who hasn't heard it. The first two thirds or so is fairly subdued, and the end is loud and powerful, but passion is present throughout. Still, I feel like I'm really missing out by hearing a recording rather than attending a live show.
And... as I am about to finish this blog entry, I discover a recording of a live show. It is that recording that I use in the link, while the review is based on the studio version. The sound isn't quite as good, but the performance is actually worth watching.
This song itself is not that exceptional, but the band impresses me.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night, by Five Iron Frenzy
Linkage.
They're back! After eight years of absence, Five Iron Frenzy is recording music together once again, and this song is not a disappointment. The song can be listened to (and, apparently, downloaded for free) on the band's web site. It's a loud, energetic explosion of ska, and its lyrics are fitting for a band recently reunited (their web site describes them as "an undead band from Denver, CO"). The sudden, brief moment of peace and quiet near the end seems completely out of place and probably should have either had a bit more of a transition or been left out altogether, but apart from that, I like the song, and I'm excited to see what's in store.
Hearing this song made me happy. Five Iron Frenzy is too good to be left dead.
A Praise Chorus, by Jimmy Eat World
Linkage.
This song is from the album Bleed American, which contains several outstanding songs (the most famous being The Middle, and the best being The Authority Song). Musically, I think this song is a step down from the others that I am familiar with. One of my favorite parts of the rest of the album is its level of musical complexity. Guitar parts are varied, sound is layered, and vocal harmonies are incorporated into much or even all of the song. Here, there is little to distinguish the song, musically, from any other band's style. The lyrics, on the other hand, are the main reason that this song has caught my attention, mostly because they resonate with my feelings right now. The beginning of the second verse states the song's message clearly: "Are you gonna live your life standing in the back looking around? Are you gonna waste your time? Gotta make a move or you'll miss out." Also, in keeping with the band's tendencies, the song makes reference to not one, nor two, but SEVEN well-known songs listed here on Wikipedia.
Good? Definitely. Worth obsessing over? Probably not.
One Day Too Late, by Skillet
Linkage.
Last week, on the way to Idaho for Thanksgiving, I was listening to the radio and was informed that a Skillet song would be on next. Out of curiosity, I kept listening, fully expecting something depressing or angry to drive me away after a few seconds. Instead, I was surprised--the music was definitely Skillet, but the song was actually positive! The guitar part is still loud and the singer's voice is still raw, but rather than singing of hopelessness, he sings about hope. I thought I'd hear a song about how an opportunity had passed and today was one day too late, but instead I heard a song about how today is the time to act, because tomorrow might be too late.
This isn't enough to convince me to look further into Skillet's latest album, but it does prove that they aren't completely limited to depressing music.
Sigh No More, by Mumford and Sons
Linkage.
I discovered Mumford and Sons fairly recently, so when an answer to a question on The 100 Hour Board mentioned one of their songs, I happily looked it up. It's slightly different in style from Roll Away Your Stone, my favorite Mumford and Sons song, but it is still very good. It's upbeat and energetic, and its lyrics quote Shakespeare while explaining the nature of love.
All in all, very good.
The Only Moment We Were Alone, by Explosions in the Sky
Linkage.
My brother briefly introduced me to Explosions in the Sky shortly before he left on his mission. The band is fairly unique in that it has no vocalist and its songs have no lyrics. Emotion is conveyed entirely through the music itself. This song lasts over ten minutes (Wikipedia tells me that the album, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place, lasts 45 minutes but contains only five tracks.) I honestly can't properly describe the song's mood to someone who hasn't heard it. The first two thirds or so is fairly subdued, and the end is loud and powerful, but passion is present throughout. Still, I feel like I'm really missing out by hearing a recording rather than attending a live show.
And... as I am about to finish this blog entry, I discover a recording of a live show. It is that recording that I use in the link, while the review is based on the studio version. The sound isn't quite as good, but the performance is actually worth watching.
This song itself is not that exceptional, but the band impresses me.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night, by Five Iron Frenzy
Linkage.
They're back! After eight years of absence, Five Iron Frenzy is recording music together once again, and this song is not a disappointment. The song can be listened to (and, apparently, downloaded for free) on the band's web site. It's a loud, energetic explosion of ska, and its lyrics are fitting for a band recently reunited (their web site describes them as "an undead band from Denver, CO"). The sudden, brief moment of peace and quiet near the end seems completely out of place and probably should have either had a bit more of a transition or been left out altogether, but apart from that, I like the song, and I'm excited to see what's in store.
Hearing this song made me happy. Five Iron Frenzy is too good to be left dead.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Foreign policy: Finally, a debate I can really understand. (And by "really" I mean "mostly," but "really" sounds better.)
Tonight, before watching the Republican presidential debate on foreign policy, I fully expected to see maybe half of the candidates somehow crash and burn, or at least say something distinctly bad. That didn't happen. Actually, to my pleasant surprise, the debate was very intelligent and reasonable. Candidates were often wrong, of course, but at least they were intelligently wrong.
My focus here has nothing to do with tactics or political advantage; I know next to nothing on the subject. My area of study is international relations, and that's what I'm judging: whose suggestions are the best, and whose ideas are the most reasonable; basically, who would actually make the best president. I generally don't offer analysis of debates, since this year they've been largely focused on domestic affairs; so, lacking a framework, I will conveniently steal Ben Kantack's framework of candidate rankings, beginning with...
8. Herman Cain
For the first time since I started paying attention to the primary race, Herman Cain spent an hour and a half in a debate without even once mentioning his 9-9-9 tax reform plan. While he made no substantial mistakes, he also made no substantial contributions. He said he does not agree with torture, but does agree with enhanced interrogation techniques, a rather vague distinction. He also placed himself firmly against the Arab Spring, a stance which I personally find very hard to justify.
7. Rick Perry
Perry's suggestion that we reevaluate our foreign aid, starting at $0 for each country and then letting countries make their case on why they should get our money, is an interesting if perhaps impractical idea. However, with the majority of the other questions, Perry essentially avoided several of the questions he was asked and, as far as I could tell, did not make much of a ripple.
6. Ron Paul
While Ron Paul tends to bring up very good points of discussion, his only opinion on foreign policy appears to be: Don't. When asked what to do about Iran, he limited his answer to ruling out military intervention, but he offered no alternatives. His point on the illegality and immorality of torture was important; his warning about the dangers of allowing the targeted assassinations of US citizens involved in terrorist organizations seemed kind of extreme.
5. Michelle Bachmann
The greatest miracle of tonight's debate is that Bachmann actually sounded really intelligent. Her answer on why we absolutely have to maintain our foreign aid to Pakistan (because they have nuclear weapons and a potentially unstable government) was excellent. So was her willingness to cut defense spending by spending smarter. Her other answers left something to be desired, though, and her support of the borderline torture technique of waterboarding is indefensible.
At this point, my rankings become somewhat arbitrary. It's a lot easier to pick the losers than it is the winners. Also, it's past midnight and I'm quite tired, so my analysis may also become a bit arbitrary here.
4. Mitt Romney
Romney delivered a solid policy on Iran, promising to use all means necessary, including the military in a worst-case scenario, to prevent their acquisition of nuclear weapons. He also presented a strong stance on China, arguing that a trade war already exists and that we need to do something about it. On the other hand, he suggested that Pakistan was comfortable with our use of drones within their territory, then quickly hedged and said that we had the approval of the people we needed it from. While he displayed foreign policy competence, it seemed to me that he spent as much time sounding presidential as he did actually proposing solutions. (I should note here, although it applies to all candidates, that I am not taking into account any comments on domestic policy in this analysis, for instance, responses on how to reduce the deficit. I'm just here to talk about foreign policy.)
3. Newt Gingrich
Since I'm tired, I can be totally honest: I got the distinct impression that Gingrich knew what he was talking about and said a lot of good stuff, but I honestly cannot remember what that good stuff was. So, my apologies. Maybe I'll redo this one when I'm more awake.
2. Rick Santorum
Santorum's best answers were to two questions about Pakistan. First, he said that we absolutely must be Pakistan's ally, because, essentially, the alternative is having a nuclear-armed radicalizing Muslim enemy. Second, he said that, in the case of the disappearance of a nuclear weapon in Pakistan, our solution would have to involve close cooperation with the Pakistani government. His other statements, while less stellar, were nonetheless overall good foreign policy.
And the winner is, based purely on substance and not at all on style...
1. Jon Huntsman
Huntsman didn't get the chance to open his mouth very often during this debate, but when he did, what he said was worth listening to. He cited waterboarding as a great way to diminish America's international image. He argued that we have achieved our mission in Afghanistan and need to focus our attention elsewhere. (That all depends on your definition of our mission in Afghanistan, I guess.) He argued for a positive policy of engaging China's younger generation to overcome our trade problems and avoid an overt trade war that could damage our already weak economy. He offered a solid answer on how to deal with a missing nuclear weapon in Pakistan. It's a shame that Huntsman is not a more assertive candidate and that he doesn't get much attention. One-on-one, I suspect he could tear apart most, if not all, of the other candidates on foreign policy issues. If only he'd prove himself willing to do so.
So, there you have it, my take on the debate. The order I've placed the candidates in doesn't necessarily reflect who actually won the debate (if you define winning as getting closer to winning the nomination); it's purely an analysis of the strength of their foreign policy stances.
That said, I'll make one last statement while I'm on the subject. I suspect that Perry, Bachmann, Cain, and probably even Huntsman are nearing the end of the road. Perry and Bachmann have already boomed and busted; despite his high poll numbers, I suspect Cain is also about to bust. Huntsman, despite his foreign policy strengths, can't seem to get off the ground. Paul has tenacity, but he's essentially a fringe candidate. The real contest, as far as I can tell, is between Romney, Gingrich, and Santorum. Like it or not, one of them will probably be the Republican presidential candidate. Which it will be, and how it will be determined, I have not the slightest idea.
My focus here has nothing to do with tactics or political advantage; I know next to nothing on the subject. My area of study is international relations, and that's what I'm judging: whose suggestions are the best, and whose ideas are the most reasonable; basically, who would actually make the best president. I generally don't offer analysis of debates, since this year they've been largely focused on domestic affairs; so, lacking a framework, I will conveniently steal Ben Kantack's framework of candidate rankings, beginning with...
8. Herman Cain
For the first time since I started paying attention to the primary race, Herman Cain spent an hour and a half in a debate without even once mentioning his 9-9-9 tax reform plan. While he made no substantial mistakes, he also made no substantial contributions. He said he does not agree with torture, but does agree with enhanced interrogation techniques, a rather vague distinction. He also placed himself firmly against the Arab Spring, a stance which I personally find very hard to justify.
7. Rick Perry
Perry's suggestion that we reevaluate our foreign aid, starting at $0 for each country and then letting countries make their case on why they should get our money, is an interesting if perhaps impractical idea. However, with the majority of the other questions, Perry essentially avoided several of the questions he was asked and, as far as I could tell, did not make much of a ripple.
6. Ron Paul
While Ron Paul tends to bring up very good points of discussion, his only opinion on foreign policy appears to be: Don't. When asked what to do about Iran, he limited his answer to ruling out military intervention, but he offered no alternatives. His point on the illegality and immorality of torture was important; his warning about the dangers of allowing the targeted assassinations of US citizens involved in terrorist organizations seemed kind of extreme.
5. Michelle Bachmann
The greatest miracle of tonight's debate is that Bachmann actually sounded really intelligent. Her answer on why we absolutely have to maintain our foreign aid to Pakistan (because they have nuclear weapons and a potentially unstable government) was excellent. So was her willingness to cut defense spending by spending smarter. Her other answers left something to be desired, though, and her support of the borderline torture technique of waterboarding is indefensible.
At this point, my rankings become somewhat arbitrary. It's a lot easier to pick the losers than it is the winners. Also, it's past midnight and I'm quite tired, so my analysis may also become a bit arbitrary here.
4. Mitt Romney
Romney delivered a solid policy on Iran, promising to use all means necessary, including the military in a worst-case scenario, to prevent their acquisition of nuclear weapons. He also presented a strong stance on China, arguing that a trade war already exists and that we need to do something about it. On the other hand, he suggested that Pakistan was comfortable with our use of drones within their territory, then quickly hedged and said that we had the approval of the people we needed it from. While he displayed foreign policy competence, it seemed to me that he spent as much time sounding presidential as he did actually proposing solutions. (I should note here, although it applies to all candidates, that I am not taking into account any comments on domestic policy in this analysis, for instance, responses on how to reduce the deficit. I'm just here to talk about foreign policy.)
3. Newt Gingrich
Since I'm tired, I can be totally honest: I got the distinct impression that Gingrich knew what he was talking about and said a lot of good stuff, but I honestly cannot remember what that good stuff was. So, my apologies. Maybe I'll redo this one when I'm more awake.
2. Rick Santorum
Santorum's best answers were to two questions about Pakistan. First, he said that we absolutely must be Pakistan's ally, because, essentially, the alternative is having a nuclear-armed radicalizing Muslim enemy. Second, he said that, in the case of the disappearance of a nuclear weapon in Pakistan, our solution would have to involve close cooperation with the Pakistani government. His other statements, while less stellar, were nonetheless overall good foreign policy.
And the winner is, based purely on substance and not at all on style...
1. Jon Huntsman
Huntsman didn't get the chance to open his mouth very often during this debate, but when he did, what he said was worth listening to. He cited waterboarding as a great way to diminish America's international image. He argued that we have achieved our mission in Afghanistan and need to focus our attention elsewhere. (That all depends on your definition of our mission in Afghanistan, I guess.) He argued for a positive policy of engaging China's younger generation to overcome our trade problems and avoid an overt trade war that could damage our already weak economy. He offered a solid answer on how to deal with a missing nuclear weapon in Pakistan. It's a shame that Huntsman is not a more assertive candidate and that he doesn't get much attention. One-on-one, I suspect he could tear apart most, if not all, of the other candidates on foreign policy issues. If only he'd prove himself willing to do so.
So, there you have it, my take on the debate. The order I've placed the candidates in doesn't necessarily reflect who actually won the debate (if you define winning as getting closer to winning the nomination); it's purely an analysis of the strength of their foreign policy stances.
That said, I'll make one last statement while I'm on the subject. I suspect that Perry, Bachmann, Cain, and probably even Huntsman are nearing the end of the road. Perry and Bachmann have already boomed and busted; despite his high poll numbers, I suspect Cain is also about to bust. Huntsman, despite his foreign policy strengths, can't seem to get off the ground. Paul has tenacity, but he's essentially a fringe candidate. The real contest, as far as I can tell, is between Romney, Gingrich, and Santorum. Like it or not, one of them will probably be the Republican presidential candidate. Which it will be, and how it will be determined, I have not the slightest idea.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Coming soon...
Coming shortly, my brief analysis of tonight's foreign policy-oriented Republican presidential debate, which appears to be the only occasion ever in which Herman Cain did NOT mention his 9-9-9 plan (unless it came up in the 10 minutes or so I missed because of internet troubles). In other news, Michelle Bachmann actually said something really intelligent! All this and more, coming shortly.
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Sunday, October 30, 2011
MTC
I walked to the Temple this morning. (Well, it wasn't really morning, but it was right after I got up, so that's close enough.) On my way up, passing the MTC, my mind was wandering through life two years ago, when I was there. The differences between mission life and regular life are surprising. In the MTC, we had relatively little to obsess over, so we obsessed over stuff like soccer and Chilean words. I won't say it was a perfect experience, because it definitely wasn't--I had my own issues to work through, which I didn't do until more than a year into my mission--but I enjoyed it and I wish I could go back.
Suddenly, I had a strong sense of panic, and I realized I'd forgotten something important. I looked at my left shoulder, and my nametag was missing.
...I don't need a nametag. I don't even have one in Provo. I got released as a missionary more than three months ago.
*sigh*
Suddenly, I had a strong sense of panic, and I realized I'd forgotten something important. I looked at my left shoulder, and my nametag was missing.
...I don't need a nametag. I don't even have one in Provo. I got released as a missionary more than three months ago.
*sigh*
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Matthew 16:13-23
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Like Peter, I have seen extreme spiritual highs and lows almost back to back. I don't understand exactly why things happen that way. I'd much rather just have a constant, steady upwards progression, however slow it may be.
It's easy to get caught up in the negative, though. Every one of us is imperfect. Peter, the man who authoritatively declared Christ's divinity, who later boldly testified before the Sanhedrin, "We ought to obey God rather than men," who worked mighty miracles of healing and even raised people from the dead, had to endure one of the Savior's most stinging criticisms. If he can be called Satan by our Lord, and yet become the chief Apostle, surely we too can overcome our sins and become true and faithful servants of God. If He corrects us, it's evidence that He hasn't given up on us yet.
That may not make the correction any easier, but it gives me hope.
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Like Peter, I have seen extreme spiritual highs and lows almost back to back. I don't understand exactly why things happen that way. I'd much rather just have a constant, steady upwards progression, however slow it may be.
It's easy to get caught up in the negative, though. Every one of us is imperfect. Peter, the man who authoritatively declared Christ's divinity, who later boldly testified before the Sanhedrin, "We ought to obey God rather than men," who worked mighty miracles of healing and even raised people from the dead, had to endure one of the Savior's most stinging criticisms. If he can be called Satan by our Lord, and yet become the chief Apostle, surely we too can overcome our sins and become true and faithful servants of God. If He corrects us, it's evidence that He hasn't given up on us yet.
That may not make the correction any easier, but it gives me hope.
One of those moments
Ever have one of those moments when you really want to make a blog post but just don't have anything important to post about? This is one of them.
Keep the people of Turkey in your prayers. There was an earthquake there measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale today, and at least 200 people have been reported dead with an unknown number missing and buried in the rubble.
Keep the people of Turkey in your prayers. There was an earthquake there measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale today, and at least 200 people have been reported dead with an unknown number missing and buried in the rubble.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
I did liken all scriptures unto us...
O that I were a full-time missionary,
and could have the wish of mine heart,
that I might go forth and speak with
authority from God, and cry repentance
unto all Chile! Yea, I would declare
unto every soul repentance and the
plan of redemption, that they should
repent and come unto our God, that
there might be no sorrow upon all the
face of the earth. But behold, my
mission has ended, and I do sin in my
wish; for I ought to be content with the
things which the Lord hath allotted unto
me. I ought not to harrow up in my
desires the firm decree of a just God,
for I know that he granteth unto men
according to their desire, whether it
be unto death or unto life; yea, I know
that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth
unto them decrees which are unalterable,
according to their wills, whether they
be unto salvation or unto destruction.
Yea, and I know that good and evil
have come before all men, and the
gospel has been taught to all my
converts; he that knoweth not good
from evil is blameless; but he that
knoweth good and evil, to him it is
given according to his desires, whether
he desireth good or evil, life or death,
joy or remorse of conscience.
I know that which the Lord hath
commanded me, and I glory in it. I do
not glory of myself, but I glory in that
which the Lord hath commanded me;
yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I
still may be an instrument in the hands
of God to bring some soul to repentance;
and this is my joy. And behold, when I
see many of my brethren truly penitent,
and coming to the Lord their God, then
is my soul filled with joy; then do I
remember what the Lord has done for me,
yea, even that he hath heard my prayer;
yea, then do I remember his merciful arm
which he extended towards me. And now
may God grant unto these, my brethren,
that they may sit down in the kingdom of
God, that they may go no more out, but
that they may praise him forever. And may
God grant that it may be done according to
my words, even as I have spoken. Amen.
and could have the wish of mine heart,
that I might go forth and speak with
authority from God, and cry repentance
unto all Chile! Yea, I would declare
unto every soul repentance and the
plan of redemption, that they should
repent and come unto our God, that
there might be no sorrow upon all the
face of the earth. But behold, my
mission has ended, and I do sin in my
wish; for I ought to be content with the
things which the Lord hath allotted unto
me. I ought not to harrow up in my
desires the firm decree of a just God,
for I know that he granteth unto men
according to their desire, whether it
be unto death or unto life; yea, I know
that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth
unto them decrees which are unalterable,
according to their wills, whether they
be unto salvation or unto destruction.
Yea, and I know that good and evil
have come before all men, and the
gospel has been taught to all my
converts; he that knoweth not good
from evil is blameless; but he that
knoweth good and evil, to him it is
given according to his desires, whether
he desireth good or evil, life or death,
joy or remorse of conscience.
I know that which the Lord hath
commanded me, and I glory in it. I do
not glory of myself, but I glory in that
which the Lord hath commanded me;
yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I
still may be an instrument in the hands
of God to bring some soul to repentance;
and this is my joy. And behold, when I
see many of my brethren truly penitent,
and coming to the Lord their God, then
is my soul filled with joy; then do I
remember what the Lord has done for me,
yea, even that he hath heard my prayer;
yea, then do I remember his merciful arm
which he extended towards me. And now
may God grant unto these, my brethren,
that they may sit down in the kingdom of
God, that they may go no more out, but
that they may praise him forever. And may
God grant that it may be done according to
my words, even as I have spoken. Amen.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Awesome, in three parts.
I discovered a natural law on my mission. It is that only the worst music from the US makes it overseas. For the first year or so, pretty much everywhere I went, I'd hear people listening to Miley Cyrus on the radio. Around the second year, she was replaced by Justin Bieber. The various other artists that I was exposed to were better, but not by much.
When I got home, my brother quite kindly introduced me to some of the better things that had happened in my absence. And so I first heard this song.
James, meet modern folk rock. Modern folk rock, meet James. It was love at first sound.
Fast forward nearly three months. I am listening to the radio, and I hear something wonderful. Further investigation identifies...
It was awesome with a British accent. Simple and accessible, yet beautiful and profound.
And almost immediately, I was presented with a new item of excellence.
It turns out I'd heard of this band before. A friend of mine had been listening to it while I was at his house right before I left for BYU, but I was too busy talking to him to be able to pay attention to it. My roommate tells me that Mumford and Sons is actually pretty famous right now. I can definitely see why.
In a world of mass-produced factory-built songs, folk is genuine music, something that can really be described as art. I love it.
SPECIAL BONUS SONG FROM BACK IN THE DAY!!!
I promise, I'm not a hippie. But I can't listen to this particular recording of this song and not be happy. It sounds so awesome...
Friday, October 14, 2011
That they might have joy.
It was not until the last months of my mission that I really understood missionary work. As President Benson said, quoted in Preach My Gospel, the secret to missionary work really is work. I worked harder, better, and with more love in those last three months than ever before in my life. As a result, I was far happier than I had ever been in my life. I felt almost constant joy as I served people that I loved.
And then, in a day, it all ended.
I don't complain about coming home. I knew, from before day one of my mission, that it would end in July of 2011. In the time since then, I have been able to be around family and friends and come back to BYU. And yet, compared to then, life is so... boring.
That's more or less how I've felt since I arrived at home. Make no mistake, I'm happy, but it's been a genuine struggle to find the same joy that I felt when I was in Chile. I get up every morning, go to work, go to class, do homework, and get to bed in time for seven or eight hours of sleep. It keeps me running, and it moves me towards my goals, but it isn't as fulfilling as I'd like it to be.
But there is one thing that has been an exception to this rule. Sometime during my freshman year, I gave my e-mail address to the BYU group Students for International Development. Then, while I was in Chile, my brother Robert got involved in the group and mentioned it to me on several occasions. Students for International Development (SID) is an organization dedicated to increasing awareness of poverty, here and abroad, and how poverty can be alleviated. There's something about development that just inspires me. I haven't been able to reach that same level of joy that I felt on my mission, but I'm beginning to taste it again, and I like it so far.
I'm just going to mention one SID event here. Yesterday, I attended the Peery Film Festival. Rather than attempting to explain it in depth myself, I shall simply link to it right here. Basically, film students create short videos (under ten minutes) about a development organization. The films from this year have not yet been posted, but those from last year are there. It's an amazing chance to get to see the innovative ways that people are helping people escape from the cycle of poverty. More and more, I think this is what I want to do with my life.
I hope you enjoy the films. If anyone is interested in getting involved with Students for International Development, the group meets every Thursday at 7:30 PM in room 238 of the Kennedy Center.
As the semester continues, I expect to have more items of awesomeness and more details to post about development. Next semester, I plan to publish a series of posts on the annual Hunger Banquet, the biggest and arguably most exciting development-related event on campus.
Thus I return to the blogosphere. Awesome.
Edit: I just saw this article on a closely related topic. Nothing spectacular, but it's a case of development making it into the news.
Intro to Awesome
Well, I have finally gotten the better of my procrastination and started a blog. I plan to use it for the publishing and discussion of a wide variety of topics, from international development to music to LDS doctrine to my job on the BYU grounds crew to internet humor. The one common theme that will hopefully run through all posts is awesomeness.
That's really all I've got to say about the blog itself. Enjoy!
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