We're just a few weeks into the Gospel Doctrine course on the Doctrine and Covenants, and this week's lesson is on--you guessed it--the Book of Mormon. Specifically, it covers the coming forth of the volume, including Joseph Smith's dealings with the Angel Moroni, and Joseph's reception and translation of the golden plates containing the ancient American record.
I've written a lot about the Book of Mormon over the past few months, so instead I'll just show you this: a few weeks ago, the aforementioned Moroni made what I'm pretty sure is his primetime network debut. See you in class!
Friday, January 25, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
Based on a true story
The news has been dominated this week by Lance Armstrong and Manti Te'o, two sportsmen who were revealed to be living very elaborate lies. If you want an athlete you can still have faith in, then study the life of the prophet Joseph Smith--the subject of this week's Sunday School lesson.
The focus of the lesson is on Joseph's first vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ, which many feel is just as much a fabrication as Te'o's girlfriend, but I testify to you that it happened. Smith also testified of its veracity in very strong language, including this passage near the end of this week's assigned reading:
In the meantime...for the non-sports fan, one of the biggest stories of the week is the opening of the Sundance Film Festival. A quick glance at the list of titles shows that many could be about Joseph Smith. They're probably not, but I didn't take the time to read the actual descriptions. Anyway, here's my guide to Sundance 2013, if it were dedicated to the first Mormon prophet and his associates. There have surely been some creative liberties taken with the narratives, as filmmakers are wont to do.
When I Walk--A biopic of Joseph's childhood, highlighted by the radical surgery that saved his leg from being amputated.
Sightseers--A documentary on the Urim and Thummim and seerstones used by Joseph and others to receive revelations.
You Don't Know Jack--An entirely fictitious account of a friend of Joseph's named Jack Kirtland, a well-meaning man who struggled to resist temptation--the original "Jack Mormon."
There Will Come A Day--A collection of short recreations of some of Smith's now-fulfilled prophecies, describing the growth of the church, the move to the Rocky Mountains, the onset of the Civil War, etc.
The Whistle--A Kill Bill style reimagining of the time Joseph was tarred and feathered by a mob. He seeks his revenge on the attackers who broke his tooth, causing him to speak with a whistle. Not for children.
Fat Shaker--A comedy about the only overweight member of the Shaker community, who is overjoyed when Mormon missionaries arrive to teach (among other things) that God does not require a vegetarian diet (see D&C 49).
Ain't Them Bodies Saints--This film depicts the inner turmoil of a member of the Missouri mob opposed to the persecutions his friends inflict on the Mormons.
We Are What We Are--An exposition on the concept of godhood espoused by Smith. The title is a combination of Mormonism's plurality of gods and Jehovah's "I Am that I Am" declaration from Exodus.
Gideon's Army--The saga of Zion's Camp, with some actual battles thrown in. (It's more commercial that way. Typical Hollywood.)
Two Mothers--The story of the first plural marriage, told from a child's point of view.
The Moo Man--A dramatization of the infamous "milk strippings" incident that helped drive early Apostle Thomas B. Marsh from the church and turn him against Joseph Smith.
Running From Crazy--A buddy pic about the relationship between Joseph Smith and Porter Rockwell.
Oh Willy...--A screwball comedy depicting counselor-to-the-prophet-turned-apostate William Law as a bumbling goofball whose betrayal of Joseph was a result of incompetence rather than treachery.
See you at the movies!
The focus of the lesson is on Joseph's first vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ, which many feel is just as much a fabrication as Te'o's girlfriend, but I testify to you that it happened. Smith also testified of its veracity in very strong language, including this passage near the end of this week's assigned reading:
I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me...I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it. (JS-H 1:25)There will be no sitdown with Oprah about this claim, no exhaustive journalistic investigation, but you can learn for yourself if it's true or not. I challenge you to do so if you haven't already. Let me know if you'd like more information.
In the meantime...for the non-sports fan, one of the biggest stories of the week is the opening of the Sundance Film Festival. A quick glance at the list of titles shows that many could be about Joseph Smith. They're probably not, but I didn't take the time to read the actual descriptions. Anyway, here's my guide to Sundance 2013, if it were dedicated to the first Mormon prophet and his associates. There have surely been some creative liberties taken with the narratives, as filmmakers are wont to do.
When I Walk--A biopic of Joseph's childhood, highlighted by the radical surgery that saved his leg from being amputated.
Sightseers--A documentary on the Urim and Thummim and seerstones used by Joseph and others to receive revelations.
You Don't Know Jack--An entirely fictitious account of a friend of Joseph's named Jack Kirtland, a well-meaning man who struggled to resist temptation--the original "Jack Mormon."
There Will Come A Day--A collection of short recreations of some of Smith's now-fulfilled prophecies, describing the growth of the church, the move to the Rocky Mountains, the onset of the Civil War, etc.
The Whistle--A Kill Bill style reimagining of the time Joseph was tarred and feathered by a mob. He seeks his revenge on the attackers who broke his tooth, causing him to speak with a whistle. Not for children.
Fat Shaker--A comedy about the only overweight member of the Shaker community, who is overjoyed when Mormon missionaries arrive to teach (among other things) that God does not require a vegetarian diet (see D&C 49).
Ain't Them Bodies Saints--This film depicts the inner turmoil of a member of the Missouri mob opposed to the persecutions his friends inflict on the Mormons.
We Are What We Are--An exposition on the concept of godhood espoused by Smith. The title is a combination of Mormonism's plurality of gods and Jehovah's "I Am that I Am" declaration from Exodus.
Gideon's Army--The saga of Zion's Camp, with some actual battles thrown in. (It's more commercial that way. Typical Hollywood.)
Two Mothers--The story of the first plural marriage, told from a child's point of view.
The Moo Man--A dramatization of the infamous "milk strippings" incident that helped drive early Apostle Thomas B. Marsh from the church and turn him against Joseph Smith.
Running From Crazy--A buddy pic about the relationship between Joseph Smith and Porter Rockwell.
Oh Willy...--A screwball comedy depicting counselor-to-the-prophet-turned-apostate William Law as a bumbling goofball whose betrayal of Joseph was a result of incompetence rather than treachery.
See you at the movies!
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Christmas in January
It's no longer looking a lot like Christmas in our apartment. This week, the Christmas trees came down--all five of them, including the Charlie Brown tree (there were too many to fit into one picture). It's nice to have things back to "normal," but it's also a little disappointing to think about how far away the next Christmas is.
So let's do our best to keep Christmas from ever ending! In honor of Elvis Presley, who would've turned 78 last Monday (just because I want perpetual Christmas doesn't mean I'm going to overlook other reasons to celebrate), here's the story of the birth of the King of Kings if it were told using song titles from the king of rock and roll:
When Mary and Joseph reached Bethlehem, it was "Heartbreak Hotel"--no room at the inn. Mary had to give birth "In the Ghetto," or its Judaen equivalent, a stable. Meanwhile, an angel gave the good news to some shepherds, which left them "All Shook Up," since they were used to "A Little Less Conversation" from the heavens. They came to worship the newborn babe, and Mary kept all these things "Always On (Her) Mind" (see Luke 2:19). Wise men came from afar as well, and after seeing the Lord were told in a dream not to "Return to Sender"--Herod the king. He and others had "Suspicious Minds" and wished to kill Jesus. The wise men "Follow(ed) That Dream," and Herod was prevented from turning the joyous occasion into a "Blue Christmas." Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, others who waited for Christ's birth were also in danger, and were saved by that "One Night" that stayed light even after the sun went down. When that happened, people all over the Americas were compelled to say "I Just Can't Help Believing." Jesus had come, and His "Burning Love" would save us all and make the spiritual "Jailhouse Rock."
Monday was also the birthday of another king: David Bowie, the Goblin King from Labyrinth. He sings my all-time favorite Christmas pop song. Such synergy!
If you want to read more accurate and important teachings about Christ and His mission, please use these scripture passages and discussion points as your guide. Then come to Sunday School and share what you learned!
[This week's BASOTRUSSL is adapted from an email I sent to my YSA Ward on January 12, 2011, while serving as the Sunday School president. We were studying the New Testament this year. The Doctrine and Covenants is far less narrative-driven than the other books of scripture covered in the four-year Gospel Doctrine rotation, and thus far I've struggled to come up with original ideas for these posts. I'll have to step up my game!]
Saturday, January 5, 2013
No more Sunday School posts...
...I'm just kidding!
That, my friends, is Fred Armisen's Fericito--one of the most underrated recurring Saturday Night Live characters of the last decade. I miss him. He had a bunch of catchphrases, the two biggest of which are featured above. I've already quoted the second one in this post, but the first one is the reason for its inclusion here--whenever I read the word Idumea in the first section of the Doctine and Covenants, I hear Fericito's voice in my head saying "ay, Dios mio!"
If you're wondering, Idumea is used in this context to represent the wicked world, those who reject the revelations of modern prophets, many of which are contained in the D&C. This week's Gospel Doctrine lesson is an intro to that particular book of scripture and the teachings that will be covered this year. Learn more here. Then enjoy Fericito's SNL debut, and some great interaction with "Bono" mocking a truly ridiculous song lyric.But make sure to do your studying before watching the funny videos--it's more professional!
That, my friends, is Fred Armisen's Fericito--one of the most underrated recurring Saturday Night Live characters of the last decade. I miss him. He had a bunch of catchphrases, the two biggest of which are featured above. I've already quoted the second one in this post, but the first one is the reason for its inclusion here--whenever I read the word Idumea in the first section of the Doctine and Covenants, I hear Fericito's voice in my head saying "ay, Dios mio!"
If you're wondering, Idumea is used in this context to represent the wicked world, those who reject the revelations of modern prophets, many of which are contained in the D&C. This week's Gospel Doctrine lesson is an intro to that particular book of scripture and the teachings that will be covered this year. Learn more here. Then enjoy Fericito's SNL debut, and some great interaction with "Bono" mocking a truly ridiculous song lyric.But make sure to do your studying before watching the funny videos--it's more professional!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Hoffmann of the Month: January
After a two-month hiatus, the Hoffmann of the Month feature is back! In late October/early November I got caught up in Halloween preparations and festivities, working extra hours due to Hurricane Sandy, and taking a trip to New York. I have no excuses for skipping December, I just didn't do it.
But this recurring feature is back in 2013 and hopefully better than ever. In case you've forgotten or are new to the blog, at the beginning of each month I spotlight a deserving Hofman, Hofmann, Hoffman, or Hoffmann. I like the "Hoffmann of the Month"'s inclusivity, but my favorites are always the Hofmanns--including January's honoree, Janell Burley Hofmann!
Janell has been in the news this week (including this Good Morning America article and video that gives her name as "Hoffman," but I'm going with her official website's spelling) because of a contract she created in conjunction with the iPhone she gave her 13-year-old son for Christmas. The contract stipulates when and where the phone can be used, warns against sexting and bullying, and more. It's really pretty ingenious. (Hence the above photos of Flo-Ho and J-Lo--they both appeared on the top row when I did a Google Image search for "cool smart mother." Plus they're a cheap ploy to drive blog traffic.)
In addition to being a caring and wise mom, Hofmann is a Huffington Post contributor, a crusader for womens' rights, and now, one of the most deserving Hoffmanns of the Month ever! Congratulations, Janell!
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