Mormon Media

Martin Luther, in 1517, was able to influence the world with his 95 Theses. These protests against the old Catholic clergy were read and considered by many due to the power of the printing press. In our day, we have the internet, which is parallel in idea and effect as the old printing press.
Elder M. Russell Ballard, a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, states the following about the great internet and the incredible effect, if used properly, it can have on the world. (from Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet)
"Today we have a modern equivalent of the printing press in the Internet. The Internet allows everyone to be a publisher, to have his or her voice heard, and it is revolutionizing society. Before the Internet there were great barriers to printing. It took money, power, influence, and a great amount of time to publish. But today, because of the emergence of what some call “new media,” made possible by the Internet, many of those barriers have been removed."
There are conversations that go on about various topics, including the Church. Elder Ballard urges members to not "stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches." So, let us "join the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration."
From this simple statement by Elder Ballard, and my previous experience with the internet, I know that many things can be accomplished if we each participate and make a stand. There are millions of internet users in the world today, and a simple conversation declaring our thoughts and opinions will effect at least one person. Remember, the worth of souls is great. Who knows, maybe that person has a family who will also be influenced, and their families, and their families. It's a growing web.
From simple media, my parents were introduced into the Church, and now, all 7 of my family members are active members in the LDS faith! More to come :)

Each individual can be heard. The use of modern day media. Growing web and connections between people.

One of my favorite blogs to follow is Mormon Media. Simple but uplifting spiritual messages :)

Evolution and LDS theology

The much debated topic between evolution and theology has caused much confusion and doubting of scientific research and the powerful religion. If God created man "in mine own image", how does evolution come into play? Don't we have bones of early ancestors of the homo sapiens sapiens? 

Here, I share some personal thoughts along with the thoughts of leaders of the LDS church. In the end, science and religion go hand in hand. 

First, please do not begin to doubt in the important truth that religion offers. In the early 1900s, the LDS Church produced a statement of The Origin of Man. The statement begins with the statement that "Truth is what we wish to present, and truth-eternal truth-is fundamentally old". From the Bible, we know that "God created man in his own image" (Gen. 1:27). This is the fact, truth has one source, and "all revelations from heaven are harmonious with each other." Even Moses witnessed the creation of man. Various prophets have recounted visions where God is seen. And we look like Him.

“Well, last week when we were discussing the creation of the world you said that life on earth could not have come about by evolution. We both agree on the one really essential aspect, that God created all living things; but when you say that He could not do so by an evolutionary process, are you not in effect saying that God could not do with the beasts and the lilies of the field what man can do with cows and dogs or wheat and roses?”
“Still I see no great problem; there are so many explanations. For example, evolution might account only for man’s physical body; the addition of that ‘divine spark’ that sets man apart from the other animals might have been the final step that created the man, Adam. Whichever way it came about, I am willing to wait until some future time for the details.”
“I never try to convert anyone to evolution, but I do believe in helping people to understand enough to judge for themselves. What I was trying to do was to convince you that one can believe in evolution and still believe in the Gospel. I believe the Gospel embraces all truth; then if evolution is true, it is part of the Gospel.” -Bertrand F. Harrison

Evolution: look what we can do

Generation 6

Generation 1

On October 23, 2001, Apple Computers publicly announced the development of a portable music digital player, the iPod. First generation, with a mechanical scroll wheel and 10 GB capacity. This was a hot new item, a sleek new mp3. Soon, a second generation ipod followed, allowing for 20 GB of memory, with a touch-sensitive wheel. Fourth and Fifth generation ipods emerged, ending with the final Sixth generation of the classic ipod on September 5, 2007, capable of storing 160 GB, audio, video, and photo capacity! Soon emerged smaller versions of the ipod nano, ipod shuffle, and ipod mini. The latest version is the ipod touch, and even the iphone, capable of video recording, retina display, camera, 64 GB, and touch screen.The ipod touch is more convenient, cool, and desirable. Way more are produced than the original 10 GB generation 1 ipod classic. It has taken over. (ipod history)

The ipod is a prime example of modern day evolution, or the change in traits of a population over time. Evolution must consist of descent with modification, a change within lineage. Like the ipod becoming faster, containing larger memory, and more convenient, species evolve over time.

So why do species evolve? Charles Darwin provides insights which are studied today in his Origin of Species

Populations are not perfect. There are random mutations. Mating is chosen. These points will result in progeny that is better suited and equipped for survival. 

Notice the beak of the cactus finch. In order to obtain food and water, this finch must be able to navigate the spines on the cactus. The short, stubby beaked birds will not be able to feed and will not survive. Thus, species evolve, each best suited to it's natural environment. This principle of survival caries into our daily lives. Why do girls put make-up on? Why are computers getting faster? Where did our big corn or juicy apples and tomatoes come from? Why is there calcium infused in our orange juices? What is a prius? Isn't everything evolving?

The new frontier

"The ideals of a people, their aspirations and convictions, their hopes and ambitions, their dreams and determinations, are assets in their civilization as real and important as per capita wealth or industrial skill." -Pioneer Ideals and the State University 


From the beginning our nation, pioneers have kept one common ideal: conquest. The first pioneers had to fight with nature for the chance to exist. Burning, cutting, fighting just to let the sun reach a few dozen acres of farming land. Soon, the pioneer made way all the way to the west coast. California is a beautiful example of the accomplishments of our original pioneers. For a beautiful work on this, refer to Jeffrey Whitlock's "The Frontier and the City of Angels".

But what happened once we conquered the land? Where to next? where was our conquering spirit to go? And where are the boundaries of complete knowledge? Here are some short examples of how many areas we have to explore, and how, in the year 2010, we are still making new, world-changing discoveries.

Book Review of Frankenstein

Review posted on Amazon.com

Many of the main ideas of Romanticism are seen in Mary Shelley's book Frankenstein. The romantic period is characterized by a movement and departure away from scientific and rational ideas, in literature, ideology, and art. The artwork from the romantic era strove to capture and represent the sublime, the experience of nature, and the personalization of these experiences. This particular work of Mary Shelley is a story that is not from her own personal experience nor written in her own voice. This work is about a quest to achieve the sublime. Through the use of emotionally stirring words and a creative, gothic mood, Mary Shelley creates a romantic piece of artwork that drives one towards personal discovery and romantic ideology. Frankenstein is about Dr. Victor Frankenstein's quest to create a living being out of raw materials in his laboratory. With an emphasis on a "new way of seeing things", Dr. Victor Frankenstein applied imagination and creative thinking in order to better understand the world, perfect the vision of human beings, and better characterize the society in which we live. Being the dreamer, who is preoccupied by the sublime, suggest Dr. Victor Frankenstein and this novel, as a wonderful romantic work.

Civil Disobedience

"That government is best which governs least"

The influence of romanticism

During the 19th century, a great change was in place! It was known as romanticism!!! Gaining strength from the industrial revolution, the romantic era was a movement against aristocratic social and political norms. This era, although mostly embodied in visual arts, music, literature, and nature, had a large impact on modern day education and history.

These are some pictures that embody the romantic feelings. Notice all the emotion, imagination, and subjectivity in the approach. The largeness of nature and how miraculously you and I associate with it so well. The feeling of discovery, not only of the wide world, but also of the inner man. Much emphasis was put on emotion as an authentic source of aesthetic experience. Intuition, imagination, and feeling replaced rationalism, logic, and order. 

Writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau found inspiration in nature and the human imagination. The beauty of this new realm differed largely from that of previous times. Nature was encouraged as a form of innocence in human kind. On the other hand, industrialism and modernization threatened this force. 

The new approach to life and discovering "man's desire to redefine himself" fed into the American ideology and philosophy: a new desire to discover belonging in a world of innovation. This quest for discovery and balance embodies the democratic spirit, where one must discover equality and liberty. Romanticism introduced a whole new level for learning and creation, which carries on today through various means.

Book Club

What could be better than book clubbin' with Jeffrey and Jake? Maybe sippin' mango shakes on the beach, uhh, nevermind. that's not as good. Anyways, books are so beautiful. I love being able to look deep into the thoughts of the author as I explore his book. It is enlightening and romantic (yeah? yeah? haha! this is my classroom application) Let's begin with lovely, innovative, artistic, literary, and intellectual music video. Followed by description of suggested books.


Book Number 1: Poor White by Sherwood Anderson. This is a story of Hugh McVey, an inventor who rises from poverty on the banks of the Mississippi River. In this book, we see the influence of industrialism on the more rural side of America.













Book Number 2: A History of English Romanticism in the Nineteenth Century by Henry A. Beers. This looks like a very interesting book that can be very informative of romanticism. We can learn of beginnings and results!

Book Number 3: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This is a great book written in the romanticism era that depicts early science fiction, gothicism, and the complexities of the inner man. This book also warned against the expansions of the modern man of the industrial revolution. From reading this, we can gain a better understanding of romanticism.







Other possible works written in the romanticism era are Edgar Allan Poe poems, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

Catch ya reading a book!

(nice cheesy ending ;)

In God We Trust

"In God We Trust" is the official motto of our Country, The United States of America. This powerful phrase reflects of the influence of God in the building and functioning of USA. All the way from the War of 1812, when morning light showed that the American flag still flew above Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key said, "And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust!'" And on July 30, 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the law which established this phrase as our motto.

What does America stands for? Freedom! Opportunity! (your thoughts). Thinking about the growth of the nation is a powerful witness to me of the influence God has on the USA.

I want to take this idea and run some short ideas by you about how this relates to capitalism and communism. I'm not trying to impose ideas or offend anybody, just provide some food for thought :)

Let's begin with a brief comparison between capitalism and communism. Traditionally, capitalism means the ownership and control of the means of production by a class of "capitalists". A capitalist is one who owns capital or some means of production used by workers. On the other hand, communism means the ownership and control of the means of production by the workers themselves, whether as individuals, cooperatives, collectives, communal groups, or state. Capitalism is the private (non-government) ownership of the means of production. This means that the state does not participate in planning or in individual's capital. Communism, on the other hand, means the ownership and control of the means of production by the people as a whole, by means of the state, or some sort of local government. For a brief overview of the two systems or for further understanding, click on theses sources that outline Adam Smith's capitalism or Karl Marx's communism.

Capitalism cannot exist without God. I say this because for me, knowing that God is real helps me understand the importance of keeping morals and ethics. God teaches principles of kindness, charity, and honesty from scriptures like the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Prophets. Capitalism is based on the idea of 'self-interest' and requires morals to function effectively. "I work hard because of self interest. I put fair prices on my products, and use excess to invest in my business, resulting in better products and lowering prices." However, when these interest's turn into 'selfishness', the system begins to suffer.

Communism is the control of capital by a head party. Although communism attempts to lessen the gap and competition between rich and poor, it places a lot of power in just one group, that is in charge of distribution. The motives of this system are good, but the set-up is not quite parallel with principles of agency, self-governance, and growth.

I am grateful to God for so many things, and this offers another perspective into the economic world.

Labor Unions

In this clip from the movie, Newsies, Jack Kelly (the cowboy), begins a union and a strike against the big paper companies, with the idea of, "when you got a hundred voices singin', who can hear a lousy whistle blow?" The newspapers boys join together in order to protect their individual rights.

Labor unions resulted from the Industrial Revolution, which brought about dramatic changes in demographics, politics, social structure, and economy. With the growth of factories, people were drawn into the metropolitan centers. Capitalism was magnified in this time period. Factory owners who controlled the means of production, became rich very quickly. Soon, new technologies, like steam power, mining, and metallurgy, emerged. But with the new demand of workers also came an issue with working conditions. Work places were often poorly ventilated, over-crowded, and full of safety hazards. Men, women, and children (all of whom were employed), struggled to meet living expenses and formed urban slums.

Consequently, conditions of action were taken to protect workers. Safety laws were passed, minimum age limits, schools for the children, and other standards were created.
The individual workers also initiated activities for protection, and established labor unions.

We see labor unions today.
October 3, 2010, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, gives a speech at "One Nation Working Together" at the Lincoln memorial that contains many purposes of a trade union.

"We believe in America. It's time for America to believe in each and every one of us. And we have to ensure that working men and women have the freedom to make every last job a good job by joining together in a union to bargain for a better life." -Richard Trumka

What can you do if you are a worker in a factory, slaving away long hours, never even seeing the finished product. The capitalist in you screams "I have a family to take care of...self interest". How can one protect himself or herself?
Labor Unions provide one answer. Are there others?

Fruit of the Renaissance

Imagine living a couple centuries ago, looking at the stars, planets, and the sun from our beautiful planet. You observe that the planets follow different patterns, challenging the idea of the geocentric model, which has been the accepted model for more than 1500 years. This "complex interaction of circles" was challenged by various philosophers and astronomers, however, because of their lack of authority, the ideas of a heliocentric system never really caught on until the 16th century with Copernicus. 

Now imagine the great religious prominence of the Catholic Church in the 1500's. Controlling a lot of the political and social power, the church stood as a symbol of authority and power. The people in high positions of the church, namely the priests, were involved in all aspects of life, from baptism to burial to marriage to forgiveness. Some of these practices were questionable, but who dared voice an opinion without the risk of losing life? 

In 1517, Martin Luther posted 95 Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,  which catalyzed the protestant reformation.

These examples, and many more, are points of the renaissance, a rebirth and a cultural movement. There began a great flow of creative thinking, realism, and humanism. Great theories of individualism, capitalism, and other new theories spread, shaping our world today.

One interesting point is the French Revolution, a period of radical social and political upheaval. The authority in France, Louis XV, fought many expensive wars. As a result, a lot of financial strain was put on the citizens, resulting in starvation, likelihood of disease, and poor trade. An assembly was formed to discuss issues at hand, and it turned sour, resulting in a stormage of the assembly by mobbers against the king. The people were not afraid of voicing their ideas. The renaissance period left man uplifted and protective of rights. The people of France wanted popular sovereignty, and dethroned the king.

The rights of the people is very important, and the French Revolution may seem well justified. However, Edmund Burke shared some thoughts about the revolution that question the reasoning and impulsiveness of man. Speaking of the French revolutionists, he wrote, 

"You might have repaired those walls; you might have built on those old foundations. Your constitution was suspended before it was perfected' but you had the elements of a constitution very nearly as good as could be wished. You had all that combination, and all that opposition of interests, you had that action and counteraction which, in the natural and in the political world, from the reciprocal struggle of discordant powers, draws our the harmony of the universe...You had all these advantages in your ancient States; but you chose to act as if you had never been moulded into civil society, and had everything to begin anew." (Edmund Burke. Reflections on the Revolution in France. pg 205)

So where is the line between complete revolution compared to modification? The French Revolution ended with a blood bath. 

On the other hand, the American Revolution resulted in the beginning of a great nation. What was the difference? We still feel the effects of the renaissance today.