There is this guy in my ward named David Bradford who loves music. He writes a music review every couple of months on his website and it reminds me of that Jazz class you took in college and how wonderful you were at writing music reviews. So here is his April's music review. I was so pleased at how it held my interest. https://dbradmusic.com/2016/05/02/five-quality-tracks-april-2016/
This lady popped up on my Pandora the other day: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacey_Kent
She also seems pretty cool.
In other news, I decided I'm going to write on this blog more often because I like talking to you. But not just talking to you, writing to you.
My mom is in Cuba right now. She decided she wanted to go, so she found a tour group to go with and left my dad and brother at home. Hahaha. Whoa Nelly.
Daniel and I watched Going Clear this weekend. It's a documentary about Scientology. I had mixed feelings going in. The way other people view the LDS church (I use the LDS acronym because later I talk about the Church of Scientology, so things can be confusing) has been on my mind almost obsessively because of my cousins leaving the Church, so I wasn't too eager to watch a documentary that lampoons a church and casts it in a bad light, even if it wasn't a documentary about the LDS church. But I have come to the conclusions that Scientology is actually pretty bad and also profiting unfairly off of people. But I did ask myself some questions: 1. Am I purposefully ignoring unpleasant aspects about the LDS church that are harming people currently? 2. Is my membership in the LDS church harming people? They are kinda the same question. I know the LDS church does not have a spotless history, but I believe it's progressing towards good. I don't think the LDS church is on a power trip or harming others through its practices or doctrines. So I feel like the answers to those questions are no.
I really like what you had to say about agency the other night when I was in Provo. Even leaders of the LDS church have agency and sometimes they use it to make poor decisions on the church's behalf. One reason the church isn't perfect is because God gives us humans the ability to choose. I feel people often demand a perfect institution and also members who have complete freedom to choose anything. I think those two requests are a paradox. If the institution was perfect, the members of the Church would have to be controlled. But people should not be controlled, so the Church is imperfect. Some people are displeased with this conclusion, so they abandon religion all together, which is what I feel was my cousin's thought process.
On a different note, have you listened to Hamilton? I know I'm a few months behind the Hamilton boat, but I am BLOWN AWAY. Daniel and I listened to it while we were driving to and from various places at my family reunion in Seattle. By the end I had a few tears rolling down my face and I was trying really hard not to let anyone know I was crying because we were in the car with my cousins who were not aware the most amazing piece of work had just ended. I looked over to Daniel and he was crying too. Hahahaha. Oh my gosh, but it's so good. Daniel says he feels like it's like the Book of Mormom when you are on a mission. You try and tell people you have just found the BEST THING EVER and you want them to experience it themselves. And the people you are telling this to don't understand you until they actually read the book. And then they are converted. You cannot comprehend how wonderful Hamilton is until you have listened to it yourself. Now I understand missionary work better. The musical moves me on several levels. It really evokes strong emotions of patriotism and rekindles belief in the American dream: "How does an orphan, bastard, son of a whore... become one of the most successful people in American history?" ( I couldn't remember the whole line, so I just ad libbed.) And when you think about the Revolution and the odds they were up against your heart starts to beat a little louder. And you realize that the Founding Fathers did not all get along, but they all had a dream of the United States, so they worked through their differences and accomplished something amazing. And when you think of politics today, some tears escape your eyes and you wonder how it's been reduced to bickering parties with no common goals (and Donald Trump!). And the story is so moving on a personal level. Eliza and Alexander! Phillip! Oh, it's so good.
Last thing. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Have you read it? I read it for Berkeley book club and I really liked it.
