When I worked at the Enfield Shaker Museum, people always used to come into our 6-story main building and say, “wow! I’ve lived near here all my life and I didn’t even know this place existed!” And every time, I would look at them and think, “how is that even possible? I’m from two states away and I knew this place existed.”
Well, I think I finally understand what those guys were talking about. This semester, Dr. Holzapfel told us that we had an assignment to visit a place called the “Crandall Printing Museum” in Provo. “Provo?” I thought. “There is no such place in Provo.”
Well, apparently the Crandall Printing Museum does exist. It’s a cute little building hidden in the southern suburbs of Provo. It’s, unfortunately, 19 blocks from my apartment near the MTC, which was not a fun walk after a long day of school, but I do have to say that I’m glad I went.
The Crandall Printing Museum is a relatively new (only about 15 years old) establishment run by three elderly and cute-funny tour guides. For two hours, they regale you with stories about the art and evolution of printing, from Gutenberg, printer of the Bible, to E.B. Grandin, printer of the Book of Mormon. Along the way, they hit Founding Father Benjamin Franklin and discuss the Revolutionary War, and they add in a few other tidbits about the printing press for the Deseret News.
I will say one thing: I have a huge, huge appreciation for printing now that I’ve been to this museum. I can’t tell you how painstaking the process of printing must have been for the men who did it back in the day. I mean, imagine: first, you have to create letter models out of metal. Then, you have to place them side by side, upside down, on a template for printing. You need to space them correctly. After this process is accomplished, you have to place the whole thing on a press, ink up your letters just right, which takes awhile, and then press it out onto paper…and that’s just for the first few pages.
Understanding this process in the making of the Bible and the Book of Mormon gives me a great appreciation for the hard work and dedication of their printers. It took over 7 months to even get the first few copies of the Book of Mormon completed. I’m so grateful for these printing pioneers who made words and books more readily available for those who needed to read them.
To learn more about the Crandall Museum, visit http://crandallmuseum.org.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
From Joseph Smith to Revelation: D&C 127-131
When we flip through D&C 127-131, we find that, unlike earlier sections that contain revelations, we're reading about epistles or items of instruction given by Joseph Smith to others in the church. These don't contain those key words that we find in other sections of the D&C, such as "thus saith the Lord." The real question we have to ask ourselves when we read these is this: "why are these included in the Doctrine and Covenants? How did they become canonized, or made into Latter-Day Saint scripture? What is their purpose?"
Joseph Smith wrote a number of letters and revelations in the course of his life, and it's true that only a handful of them have been canonized. Mostly, this is because a good chunk of the letters Joseph wrote are a lot like our own letters. They're contemporary documents meant for a specific audience in a specific time and place. There's no point in canonizing one of Joseph's random letters to Emma or to one of his friends, now is there?
This being said, Latter-Day Saints do believe that their prophets, Joseph Smith being one of them, do receive the word of God. In our D&C, we read that "where by my voice or the voice of my servants, it is the same." Now, before the Winter of 1838-39, Joseph Smith really only spoke as the Lord's metaphorical mouthpiece by using the phrase "thus saith the Lord." These are those revelation chapters we find in the D&C. However, spending the Winter of 38-39 in Liberty Jail on trumped-up charges, Joseph Smith had a real change. Coming out of Liberty and arriving in the newly established city of Nauvoo, Joseph was able step into a new role as a speaker and a teacher in the Lord's kingdom. No longer was he afraid to speak as a prophet. Joseph began speaking more frequently in meetings, and he also spoke with other members of the church more frequently. This is where these revelations -- 127-131 -- all come from. 127 and 128 are epistles, or letters from Joseph Smith to members of the church in sermon form. In 129-131 we have instructions from Joseph Smith to members of the branch at Ramus.
Now, the question remains, "why are these letters scripture?" Well, knowing what we know now, the answer is simple. Like the Pauline epistles of the Bible, so too did Joseph's words have value for members of the church. Future LDS prophets saw Joseph Smiths' letters and sermons and recognized that they contained information that was valuable for church members. These letters contain doctrines on eternal marriage and temples. As the Lord's mouthpiece, Joseph Smith had the capacity to speak the word of the Lord for the benefit of others.
Joseph Smith wrote a number of letters and revelations in the course of his life, and it's true that only a handful of them have been canonized. Mostly, this is because a good chunk of the letters Joseph wrote are a lot like our own letters. They're contemporary documents meant for a specific audience in a specific time and place. There's no point in canonizing one of Joseph's random letters to Emma or to one of his friends, now is there?
This being said, Latter-Day Saints do believe that their prophets, Joseph Smith being one of them, do receive the word of God. In our D&C, we read that "where by my voice or the voice of my servants, it is the same." Now, before the Winter of 1838-39, Joseph Smith really only spoke as the Lord's metaphorical mouthpiece by using the phrase "thus saith the Lord." These are those revelation chapters we find in the D&C. However, spending the Winter of 38-39 in Liberty Jail on trumped-up charges, Joseph Smith had a real change. Coming out of Liberty and arriving in the newly established city of Nauvoo, Joseph was able step into a new role as a speaker and a teacher in the Lord's kingdom. No longer was he afraid to speak as a prophet. Joseph began speaking more frequently in meetings, and he also spoke with other members of the church more frequently. This is where these revelations -- 127-131 -- all come from. 127 and 128 are epistles, or letters from Joseph Smith to members of the church in sermon form. In 129-131 we have instructions from Joseph Smith to members of the branch at Ramus.
Now, the question remains, "why are these letters scripture?" Well, knowing what we know now, the answer is simple. Like the Pauline epistles of the Bible, so too did Joseph's words have value for members of the church. Future LDS prophets saw Joseph Smiths' letters and sermons and recognized that they contained information that was valuable for church members. These letters contain doctrines on eternal marriage and temples. As the Lord's mouthpiece, Joseph Smith had the capacity to speak the word of the Lord for the benefit of others.
Friday, March 12, 2010
I'll Answer, Dear Lord: Reflections on JS Manuscript
The section of the Doctrine and Covenants now known as Section 102 was originally recorded as meeting minutes on February 17, 1834, and it concerned the formation of the High Council of the church. It was on this day in February that 24 high priests gathered in Kirtland to organize and establish rules for the Council, which originally consisted of 12 high priests and one or two presidents. The purpose of the High Council was originally to "settle important differences which might arise in the church which could not be settled by the church or the Bishop's council to the satisfaction of the parties."
The presidents of this group were then called: Joseph Smith Jr., Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. By unanimous vote, 12 other men, including Joseph Smith Sr. and Oliver Cowdery, were chosen to be a part of the first High Council of the church. Upon being nominated for the position, each of the twelve men were called to 1) accept their appointments and 2) act in them according to the laws of heaven.
I would like to address the two-fold required response of men called to the High Council at this first meeting. Why were these men, who had already proven that they were faithful to the church, supposed to promise that they would accept their calling and act in it according to the laws of heaven?
The popular hymn, “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go” (no. 270 LDS Hymnbook) illustrates this principle well:
It may not be on the mountain height
Or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle’s front
My Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I’ll go where you want me to go.
The key word in this hymn is not “I’ll go where you want me to go.” It is “I’ll answer.” When we are called to an assignment, we always need to affirm our commitment to the work we are assigned. Vocal confirmation of the right helps us to remember our commitments and also allows us to make a covenant with the Lord that will allow us to receive blessings if we are righteous. We are called to do the work. Our duty is to say “yes” and to acknowledge that we will do our part. Committing and then following through are marks of dutiful people and faithful Latter-Day Saints.
The presidents of this group were then called: Joseph Smith Jr., Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. By unanimous vote, 12 other men, including Joseph Smith Sr. and Oliver Cowdery, were chosen to be a part of the first High Council of the church. Upon being nominated for the position, each of the twelve men were called to 1) accept their appointments and 2) act in them according to the laws of heaven.
I would like to address the two-fold required response of men called to the High Council at this first meeting. Why were these men, who had already proven that they were faithful to the church, supposed to promise that they would accept their calling and act in it according to the laws of heaven?
The popular hymn, “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go” (no. 270 LDS Hymnbook) illustrates this principle well:
It may not be on the mountain height
Or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle’s front
My Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I’ll go where you want me to go.
The key word in this hymn is not “I’ll go where you want me to go.” It is “I’ll answer.” When we are called to an assignment, we always need to affirm our commitment to the work we are assigned. Vocal confirmation of the right helps us to remember our commitments and also allows us to make a covenant with the Lord that will allow us to receive blessings if we are righteous. We are called to do the work. Our duty is to say “yes” and to acknowledge that we will do our part. Committing and then following through are marks of dutiful people and faithful Latter-Day Saints.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The Mother in the MOA
This week in class, we were able to visit BYU’s Museum of Art (MOA). I visited the “Intimations of Divinity” exhibit once before with Blair, one of my good friends. I have to say that visiting the museum for the second time with my D&C class was an incredibly different experience than viewing it the first time. Each experience had its pros and cons. However, I'd like to highlight just one contrast between these two visits that really impacted me as a student:
Blair Williams is an art lover. She just came back from a Study Abroad in Paris, where she frequently took pictures of the art, people and culture that impressed her. As such, visiting the MOA with Blair was like having a personal tour guide through the museum. I should point out that Blair is also a liberal, like myself. I remember distinctly stopping at one of the paintings, entitled “Daily Bread,” and looking at Blair’s quizzical reaction there. The painting was a vibrant depiction of a middle-aged woman facing the viewer with a loaf of bread in her apron. “I do not like this piece,” she said, “because this woman is too depressed. This bread represents sacrifice to God and the home, but women don’t have to be martyrs in their own household!” I definitely agreed with Blair. If this bread represents a sacrifice to the Lord and this woman is a mother, I thought, what does this say about womanhood? That we sacrifice unwillingly? That we labor too hard for our devotion to God and family? Indeed, throughout the day after that visit, I kept thinking back to that woman, and I was disturbed. I think this was because that woman reminded me of so many over-stressed and overwhelmed mothers who were trying to keep their own families running. I believed that the role of these mothers was unjust, and that they placed too much burden on their own shoulders. I wanted to see their children and husbands help them, and I wanted them to realize that they could simplify their own lives.
Visiting the museum for the second time, I was just as disturbed during our group discussion about the mother. That is, until I heard a comment from one member of the class, who simply said that the woman reminded him of Christ. And, although that comment did not entirely take away my dislike of the painting, I was able to suddenly see the whole piece in a new light. That woman was Christ, offering her bread, or body, as a sacrifice to save us from sin. The blue background reminds us of the water in the sacrament, or the blood of Christ. And, while I still believed that this metaphor of Christ should not extend to a mother who believes it is her duty to work without help in the home, I could suddenly see the painter’s point that we are all striving to become like Christ. His ultimate service for us was something that we could not do ourselves, just as mothers are caretakers for their young, helpless children.
I will not soon forget my visit to the MOA with my D&C class, if even just for that one painting. Visiting that museum taught me that what I perceive or understand about the world can change in an instant with the right inspiration, and that, in order to continually progress in this life, I need to value my educational opportunities in the academic world, at home, and in religious terms.
Blair Williams is an art lover. She just came back from a Study Abroad in Paris, where she frequently took pictures of the art, people and culture that impressed her. As such, visiting the MOA with Blair was like having a personal tour guide through the museum. I should point out that Blair is also a liberal, like myself. I remember distinctly stopping at one of the paintings, entitled “Daily Bread,” and looking at Blair’s quizzical reaction there. The painting was a vibrant depiction of a middle-aged woman facing the viewer with a loaf of bread in her apron. “I do not like this piece,” she said, “because this woman is too depressed. This bread represents sacrifice to God and the home, but women don’t have to be martyrs in their own household!” I definitely agreed with Blair. If this bread represents a sacrifice to the Lord and this woman is a mother, I thought, what does this say about womanhood? That we sacrifice unwillingly? That we labor too hard for our devotion to God and family? Indeed, throughout the day after that visit, I kept thinking back to that woman, and I was disturbed. I think this was because that woman reminded me of so many over-stressed and overwhelmed mothers who were trying to keep their own families running. I believed that the role of these mothers was unjust, and that they placed too much burden on their own shoulders. I wanted to see their children and husbands help them, and I wanted them to realize that they could simplify their own lives.
Visiting the museum for the second time, I was just as disturbed during our group discussion about the mother. That is, until I heard a comment from one member of the class, who simply said that the woman reminded him of Christ. And, although that comment did not entirely take away my dislike of the painting, I was able to suddenly see the whole piece in a new light. That woman was Christ, offering her bread, or body, as a sacrifice to save us from sin. The blue background reminds us of the water in the sacrament, or the blood of Christ. And, while I still believed that this metaphor of Christ should not extend to a mother who believes it is her duty to work without help in the home, I could suddenly see the painter’s point that we are all striving to become like Christ. His ultimate service for us was something that we could not do ourselves, just as mothers are caretakers for their young, helpless children.
I will not soon forget my visit to the MOA with my D&C class, if even just for that one painting. Visiting that museum taught me that what I perceive or understand about the world can change in an instant with the right inspiration, and that, in order to continually progress in this life, I need to value my educational opportunities in the academic world, at home, and in religious terms.
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