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.
Carla, Thank you thank you thank you for keeping the blog alive. I too like writing to you, but somehow I always forget this is an option. But I just love hearing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, tell Brother David Bradford that his blog is awesome! I just read the one post you sent but I will surely be exploring further. It's true, his writing is excellent and I am always looking for a wider variety of new interesting music. I will definitely be keeping up with this one.
I have seen Going Clear--I don't remember if I told you that ever. I watched it a while ago, before we got married. I did see a lot of parallels to the LDS Church, though at the time it didn't bother me a bit. To be clear, it still doesn't really "bother" me, but there are issues in the similarities that I think are more important now. Namely the fact that you're supposed to dissassociate from all bad influences, never absorb any anti-scientology information, and just generally never question what you're being told. Herein lies another paradox: we're supposed to sustain and follow our leaders/prophet unwaveringly, and yet we are supposed to study and find things out for ourselves. Now, I believe Church leaders do mostly do lip service to studying and finding things out for ourselves. Which is unfortunate, but understandable--if you're leading a multi-million member organization that exists all around the world, and if you believe that you are in some degree responsible for these people's happiness and even salvation, of course you are going to encourage them to just do what you think is best without making too much of a fuss. Also, I think we perpetuate this as members, because following unquestioningly is in some ways a lot less intellectually demanding (not to mention socially acceptable at least in Utah Mormon culture) than trying to sort out the right and wrong of every policy and teaching for yourself. I've been thinking a lot about how we use the words "faith," "knowledge," "doubt," and "question" in the Church. As in: Faith is good, but knowledge is better and the ultimate goal. Is it, really? Also: Questioning is okay, but doubt is bad and should be ejected at its first appearance. What is the difference, really? I'm trying to think more about these things because I realize I don't really know what they mean. Anyway, that's something I've been thinking about a lot, and I'm starting to realize that the Church may be an instrument of God here on earth (and I totally believe it is, don't get me wrong), but it's still subject to all the laws of social psychology and groupthink that any other organization is, and we have to fight against that in some cases to make it a more perfect organization.
I have listened to most of Hamilton, although not all in order. Derek's sisters are completely obsessed with it, so I end up hearing the music a lot. And I agree--it's very interesting, entertaining, high-quality stuff. I like it a lot. Maybe the thing preventing me from jumping entirely on the bandwagon is just that Nicole and Anna like it so much. I feel like I couldn't start liking it now. It's not like I need to be first, it's just that . . . I don't really know. Anyway, I do agree: the music is very good. Did you ever listen to the musical This American Life episode? Apparently Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the music for that, too. It's awesome as well. Haha.
And yes, I have read Gilead, in high school! I did a book report about it. And I remember liking it, though I only remember the story very vaguely. I have it on my bookshelf; maybe I should revisit it.
Thank you Carla for your thoughtful and consistent posting. I will reciprocate soon. You are the best.