Home

I never realized how much being from Georgia was a part of my identity until I moved to Utah for school. I love being from the south. I've grown up pretty close to Atlanta, so I haven't lived in a little country town, but all the same I feel that southern pride. Yes, I love pecan pie and peaches, but I don't have much interest in ice tea and I've never watched Nascar. When I meet someone for the first time, one of the first things they comment on is my accent...or lack thereof, but all the same when I hear a strong southern accent it makes me feel at home. I'm one of those kids who had to go to early morning seminary, though I was blessed to live very close to a temple. In GA there's a church on every corner, but they're not all LDS chapels like here in Utah and the sight of a big Gospel choir warms my heart. Summer makes me think of catching fireflies, going to Braves games, and occasionally catching a Stone Mountain Laser show- the epitome of Southern pride in action.

I miss it like crazy. I miss the humidity. I miss the diversity. I loved going to a school where white kids weren't the majority. I love my stake at home where my stake president is black, my stake patriarch is Hispanic, and during stake conference all sorts of languages are being translated. I miss the trees. I miss the road that curve and change names a million times. I love not being able to see everything around me as I'm driving down the interstate...as crazy as that may seem.

I love country music...and I don't care how many people can't stand it, I still love it. (not all of it of course...) It's kind of ridiculous how happy I am when I hear references to GA, or Tim Mcgraw's new song "Southern Voice." Maybe part of why I care to listen to it so much now is because it offers me a little bit of a connection to home.

It's interesting to recognize that I have no idea where my children will grow up. In my heart I want to take them home. Not necessarily to GA, but maybe the Carolinas, TN, Virginia...somewhere green. But who knows. Here I am engaged to someone who only remembers living in Utah and felt lost and claustrophobic when he visited GA last summer. No matter where they grown up, I know they need to find their own identity...I guess I just want to make sure that I never lose the southern part of mine. GRIT, Southern Belle, Georgia peach (that's my G-pa's favorite)...I'll take any of these names...because it's just one more thing to remind me of home.

Section 59

The insights into the creation that I gained from reading D&C 59 are that all things were made for man, not only for food or shelter, but also to gladden the heart and please the eye. Just because something might not have a particular obvious use, you can still find purpose in its existence. I also love the reminder in verse 21 (and just gave a talk on it in church) that "in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things..." I know it is important to "live in thanksgiving daily" and to have an attitude of gratitude. I think particularly during this holiday season we should each strive to open our eyes to the beauties of creation all around us and remember to thank our God for the beautiful world he has given us and all the other blessings we've been given.

Museum of Art visit

I'm afraid to say I'm not a lover of art. I think it's beautiful, I appreciate the talent of others, and I recognize it's value, but I'm not the kind of person who can stand there and stare at a piece of art for hours...nor can I look at a very abstract piece of art and find meaning in it.

That being said, I'm glad I had the opportunity to go to the Museum of Art (MOA) and look at some of the exhibit with the guidance of Rita Wrights. It is obvious that she does have a passion and love for art and I was grateful for her patience in helping us to look deeper at the pieces of art displayed.

I really enjoyed looking at the artwork that referred to the Prodigal Son. I think it is a very powerful story and the two pieces of art were so different and yet so profound. There was only one piece that I couldn't stop staring at and that was the new picture of the Savior holding the cross. It is beautifully painted and very straightforward. At the same time there were so many different things hidden from first glance. I appreciated the opinions of fellow classmates as they shared their insights. It is incredibly powerful to stare at a painting of the Savior and reflect on all He has done for me. It was a very moving piece of artwork.

I encourage anyone who has the chance, to go to the MOA and particularly look at the exhibit "Intimations of Divinity."

Exodus

This week we're supposed to compare and contrast the Old Testament Exodus and the Restoration Exodus. It's been really interesting to talk about in class over the past few weeks. I think I don't want to write about scriptural details so much as the spiritual implications. It's amazing how the Lord purifies his people. One image that I really like is that of a wilderness. I think even in our own lives we all go through our own wildernesses of different types and lengths. We all have periods of time in which we experience trials or we don't feel like we're receiving the guidance and answers that we would like. We have to trust and be patient and those are really hard things to do.

Another things I find interesting is wondering how it must have felt both in the Old Testament and during the Restoration, to be in the midst of "the exodus." From our perspective we can see the end from the beginning...we can recognize the importance of different trials the Saints went through..lessons they learned, etc. But in the moment they had no idea what was coming next. Sometimes it's hard in the day to day busyness of my life to focus on a broader perspective. I try to guess about what's coming next or spend too much time wanting to understand perfectly why things happen the way they do. Sometimes instead I need to be better about trusting God. I know He loves me and wants what's best for me. I need to hold on to that and quit trying to figure everything out and worrying over the end result. I feel like I'm starting to ramble, but this whole idea of trust really has been on my mind a lot. I'm learning to be grateful that I don't always know what's coming around the next corner in my own life. I certainly could not have predicted the past year...but all the same it's still hard to keep from wanting to know what the next year will be like.

Maybe we each have our own exodus...as we follow the prophets, experience trials, learn how to more fully trust in the Lord, and finally return to his presence again. Maybe the exodus is something that happens over and over, more than we realize...in the pages of our lives and the lives of those around us, rather than just the pages of the Bible or Doctrine and Covenants.

D&C 42: "The Law"

Section 42 of the Doctrine and Covenants is one of the few sections that has an official name by which it is known. According to the Lord, section 42 is "the Law." It is referred to as such in previous sections and continues to be known by that name today. It is an important section in that it answers many questions and gives a foundation of doctrine upon which the church operates. It covers topics such as missionary work, commandments (very similar to the 10 commandments), laws governing the consecration of properties, and healing of the sick. It is also important in that it refers to pieces of information that will be given in future generations, such as the site of the New Jerusalem.