The Best is Yet to Be

So this is a WAY overdue post. Probably more so than any other post I've tackled. Due to the complex nature of the situation, I refrained from making this announcement more public. I'm sure that many of you are already aware of this but just so it's official as it gets: I'm engaged!

Now, while you may have already known this, very few people actually know very much about this wonderful woman that came into my life and changed it forever. First, I'll give you the condensed version of our story. I decided to give online dating a try back at the end of March and within a week, the profile of Lauren Kay House came to my attention. She initially reached out to me, so although I wasn't entirely sure what to make of her profile, I began talking with her. I set up our first date within a few days for the following Saturday. We went to a stand-up comedy performance on BYU campus and got frozen yogurt afterwards and talked about anything and everything. I dropped her off in total shock, amazed at how brilliant she was and how I felt closer to the Lord being with her. I had really begun to lose my confidence in the dating process, but being with her that night reminded me that everything I had gone through at that point was all worth it. I didn't want to get my hopes too high, but I prayed that I would have more opportunities to take her out and be around her. I knew she was a very unique and precious daughter of God, and if for no other reason than that, I wanted to spend more time with her. She really made me want to be better. 

Due to the conclusion of the semester, a sales job that took me to Illinois, and some other inconvenient issues that came up, we didn't come into contact with each other for several weeks. At that point, I was already in Illinois, so the only way that we could communicate was email and Skype. We began emailing each other every night and Skyping once or twice a week. 

Within a month or so, we both received strong promptings from the Lord that what we were doing was right and that we should look to the future with the plan of becoming eternal companions. I was initially hesitant to share the promptings I had received because not only had we only known each other for a few months, but we had been separated for the majority of it. But, from the beginning, we both valued transparency and complete honesty with one another and so during one of our Skyping sessions, I just came out and said it, simply hoping it would come across the right way and that whatever was going through her head, she would choose to take it up with the Lord. The "The Lord told me that you should marry me" card has always struck me as ridiculous for several reasons and it gets used all too often in the dating world, and that was the last thing that I wanted to come across in sharing my experiences with her. To my great surprise, she had received similar promptings and we decided to just move forward. 

For various reasons, we were only able to see each other for a few days during the summer apart and although we knew we were going to get married, I wanted to make the actual moment of giving her a ring and asking her to marry me to be ours and meaningful. So this past Wednesday, we drove out to Salt Lake to attend an endowment session in the temple and before going in I took her to the rooftop of the Conference Center to propose. Due to security issues, we weren't allowed to go by ourselves, so we were given an escort to take us there. After expressing our desires to avoid the tour, she left us to be alone for a moment and surprisingly, the rooftop was barren. As we were gazing at the temple, I finally asked her the question I'd been waiting all summer for and became one of the happiest men alive. The tour guide saw from a distance what had just taken place and took several pictures of us including the one you see above. 

Now, more about Lauren herself. She is originally from the east coast, primarily Boston and the surrounding areas, though she has spent a lot of time in various places on the coast. She attended American University and double majored in Public Communications and Graphic Design before coming to BYU and beginning her work in Ancient and Near Eastern Studies. She loves the Hebrew language and culture and would love to continue her studies as a profession. She is very health-oriented and loves cooking and living healthily. She is very creative and loves reading, writing, painting, and photography. She takes the gospel very seriously and has studied the Bible extensively. She is an expert thrifter and deal-finder. She continually inspires to be better than I am and reminds me how blessed I already am. It was the easiest thing to fall in love with her and I cannot express my eternal gratitude in words for her choice to become my wife for time and all eternity. 

May I just say to all my single friends who are still out there, it's tough being single sometimes. Dating can be unbelievably frustrating and ridiculous at times, but I know from my own experience that God has a plan for each of us that will bring us the greatest happiness so long as we choose to do things in His way. I thought I knew what it meant to love someone until I had the experiences that I did with Lauren and our separation. I didn't know that my heart had the room for such an amazing amount of love. All the time spent in preparation and waiting for your own future spouse will be so worth it. The Lord desires to bless us with greater things than we can imagine. Trust in Him and know that, as Elder Jeffrey R. Holland would say, "The best is yet to be." 

One Day at a Time

This is one of my dad's favorite sayings and accounts for half of the conversations I have with him when I'm away at college. Being in a long distance relationship has made me develop a new level of patience that I hadn't ever really experienced. The only comparison that comes to mind is the separation that came with being away from my family during the time I was on my mission. I'm incredibly grateful that I never had a girlfriend on my mission and give props to all those who do and are able to stay focused on the work and give 100% to the Lord. Living my normal life and being separated from someone I hold closer to my heart probably anyone else right now has been difficult enough.
What gives me a great deal of comfort however is knowing that the Lord is at the helm of my life and in this separation has come some of the greatest blessings. After all, as we are taught in Corinthians, "[W]e see through a glass darkly..." at this point in time in terms of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. And yet, He gives us so much to be grateful for and happy about. This life, though it comes with its share of trials and tribulations, has the potential of being the supreme learning experience, filled with inexplicable joys and happiness. I know that having the opportunity to end my separation with my fiancee for a brief period brought a greater sense of gratitude and joy in my life that I had never experienced before. There are few times in my life where I can remember being so happy. The Lord continually teaches me amazing lessons through those trials I face. I can only imagine what it will be like when we are no longer separated from our Father in Heaven and we get to see Him face to face. The happiness will truly feel incomprehensible to me.
Hopefully my next post will be a little more original rather than an extension of my last one, but for now I just wanted to say how lucky I am, and we all are, to have so many blessings in our lives as they are. Watching the video below reminded me of that and I hope you'll take a few minutes out of your crazy days to watch it as well. I didn't get up and bear my testimony in church today despite having the opportunity, so I hope this counts for something. I know that our Heavenly Father has a never-ending love for us and that whatever trials we face in our lives will only give us the chance to become more like Him and receive more happiness than we have now. I encourage you to take the time to ask Him what you can be learning from the difficult experiences you may be facing, and I promise you, while you may not come to an immediate recognition of them, you'll be amazed at what the Lord has in store for you. Happy Sabbath!

This too shall pass...

Wow, it's been way too long since I've posted. So much has happened I don't even know where to begin. Time seems to just get away from me constantly these days. While this will be a short post, hopefully it will still be meaningful. At any given time in our lives, we as individuals are experiencing some form of trial, or know someone close who is. Whether it's experiencing the difficulties that come with a long-distance relationship, losing a family member, overcoming a divorce, working every day to help a child with special needs on top of raising your own children, there is seemingly no end to the trials we face. But, for me personally, knowing that these times, these trials are temporary, and knowing that there is most definitely someone out there who has it much worse than me changes everything. I hope that regardless of whatever personal trials you may be experiencing that you will be able to find that perspective you seek, and that you will reach out to those who are having a more difficult time than you. I'm so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ, who suffered everything that I would ever have to face. I know that as I seek His help through prayer and His word that He will turn my trials and tribulations into some of the greatest experiences of my life. 

I discovered this song a few weeks ago and haven't been able to stop listening to it. Even if you're not a big fan of this band, hopefully you'll enjoy the video. :)

I Know that My Redeemer Lives

I can't say I fully understand all the reasons for posting this today. Perhaps, if for no other reason, its to help me think aloud. I was looking over this month's First Presidency Message and as I did so, this song popped into my head. This particular version is so powerful to me personally. I remember hearing it for the first time on my mission, and just having a feeling of peace. Almost every day I spent in the mission field, I needed a reminder of why I was doing this work, because if I ever got to thinking it was just for my benefit, it wouldn't take long for discouragement and disappointment to settle in. But remembering what this message means to me, that my Savior Jesus Christ not only suffered and died for my sins, but continues to live for me today, changes everything. I can't think of a greater message that needs to be shared with this world. I'm so grateful that my elder brother would have the love to do that for me and make it possible for me to return to my Father in Heaven. I'm so grateful for this knowledge in my life. This message is one of hope. All things have been made possible through Jesus Christ, and there is nothing we can't overcome with His help in our lives. I would most certainly not be where I am in my life today without it. So grateful to know that this life is not the end, but that through Christ we may partake of eternal life and live forever with our families in the life to come. May we all remember what the Savior means to us as we celebrate this Easter season, the commemoration of His resurrection. And may we strive to live in such a way that His light will continue to be seen, and bring hope to all those around us.

The Issues With Adaptation (Part 1)

So, this is going to be an ongoing topic for another post or two, but this is something I've been thinking about a lot, given that I've been doing an in-depth research paper of the film adaptation of No Country for Old Men. I'd like to give you a taste of some of the issues regarding adaptations in general. I feel it is important that this issue be addressed because too many people, myself included until recently, think that a film adaptation is only as good of a film as its reflection to the book. I'd like to use the True Grit films as a case study.

Man, and we think the rating system is screwy today. M for Mature? What does that even mean? At least the video game rating system has an age to go along with the letter. It is incredible to me just how much even the way trailers for films are made these days compared to now. While even today no two trailers are the same, the style and the manner in which they are prepared is markedly different compared to four decades ago. Anyway, this film will forever remain a classic for many people if for no other reason than the fact that this was an Oscar-winning role for the Duke. I have no doubt that many people were very wary of having Jeff Bridges step into the boots of the Duke. 

However, if you'll watch them both, you'll notice that these films are not even comparable really for multiple reasons. One being that the Coens drew inspiration from the book rather than the 1969 film for their screenplay. The tone is markedly different as well. While the 1969 version may have received an M rating, I can recall seeing this film at a very young age, and it wasn't because my parents didn't care what I was watching. The 2010 version on the other hand doesn't appear too family friendly. The Duke's Rooster Cogburn may be rough around the edges, but he also has a very likable demeanor about him. Bridges' Cogburn doesn't seem like the guy you'd want to cross anywhere. Period. Now, another problem you face with adapting a book into a film is perspective. The book is written in first person, entirely from the point of view of the 14-year-old female protagonist Mattie Ross. Immediately, you face the issue of trying to make that voice come out in the film without a constant monologue. This is one of the reasons I found The Hunger Games to be a very well done film adaptation because many of the little changes made to the film opposed to the book were simply because you couldn't inform the audience all the details roaming through Katniss's head, not to mention the little details of how the games worked along the way.

So, is it really even fair to ask how the film compares to the book? To what degree can the two be compared?

Because I love this movie and its just plain awesome...

So there's really no other reason for posting this other than the fact I think this is an awesome video that reminds me why I love the actual film so much. Given that this originally came out during my mission, I just barely came across it the other day. But whether you're a fan of the movie or not, I think you'll rather enjoy it. :) From my understanding, this was to help promote the film before it came out, and though it may not have a gazillion views, I'd say it was successful in achieving its goal.



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Mapril Conference!

Yes, I did just spell that word Mapril, given that we have one day of March and one day of April in this wonderful General Conference weekend. In case you didn't already notice the banner above, you should watch a session if you get a chance! I'm in the middle of a lot of projects, so I only got to watch this morning's session, but it's been wonderful so far! Hope everyone is taking advantage of this amazing opportunity! I've been trying to add a promo for it, but neither the video or the poster (for lack of a better term) is working, so just click the banner above for more info!

5 Movies that Actually Deserve Remakes

Hollywood has been cranking out remakes, sequels, and prequels like it's their job lately. Some classics I think should have remained untouched (such as Footloose) at least for a few more decades or so, but there are some adaptations and films that I believe could truly benefit from a new adaptation. Here are my top five for the moment:

5) Anne of Green Gables

(Side Note: I had never seen this poster before searching for it. Pretty unique!) This three-hour pretty darn faithful to the book adaptation of the times novel was a classic. But, 3 HOURS! With the exception of movies like Lord of the Rings, it's difficult to keep an audience glued to the screen for that long anymore. Granted, this film was originally a two-part miniseries on TV. But, the next three films in the series departed so much from the novels, that by the third film, I got to wondering if I could have kept watching without Megan Follows playing Anne. I think if put in the reins of the right director and actors, there could be some potential to make this more accessible to a new generation, especially with the many books in the series, this could be a very profitable franchise. But if it never happens, so be it. The first film is still one of my all time favorites and a very well done adaptation.

4) Scooby-Doo

One of my favorite cartoons as a kid became the biggest cheap shot adaptations of all time. The only thing that I can say was truly good about this movie was the performances of Matthew Lillard (who completely NAILED the role) as Shaggy and Linda Cardellini as Velma. There was so much potty humor and sexual innuendos, if I ever meet the writer of the film, I may have to slug him. Its sequel was a much better attempt, but still had some serious creative issues and had more ridiculous humor that the first film suffered from. Alas, Scooby-Doo is so steeped in pop culture and has so many direct-to-video sequels, I don't think they'll ever do another big-screen adaptation. I sure wish they would have done some re-writes on that script...

3) The Last Airbender

My gosh. What didn't go wrong with this film? I have very little faith left in the director M. Night Shyamalan (director of The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs). I honestly don't know how he did it. The only thing he got right about this was the basic story line of the animated series (which is AMAZING and everyone should have a chance to watch). I mean, all he had to do was copy and paste the dialogue of the animated series into a script and the audiences would have fallen in love with it. But instead he decided to strip the film of everything that made the animated series the great series that it is: humor, originality, and heart. I don't even need to mention his previous box office flops prior to this, but if I was a big-wig in Hollywood, I wouldn't trust him with anything at this point after what he did to this film. Just about anyone who tries to remake this film (and hopefully they will given the flop it was among critics and audiences alike) will do a better job than him.

2) Star Wars Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith

I may be inciting the wrath of Star Wars fans everywhere and I understand completely that a remake will never happen, but I've got to say, the biggest mistake of George Lucas's career was allowing Hayden Christensen to fill the shoes of one of the most iconic film villains of all time: Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker. They may as well have cast Jon Heder. At least I would have known I couldn't take it seriously anymore. Christensen is the worst excuse for actor in this movie (and I really don't care for the other films I've seen him in either). Even Natalie Portman is passable as Padme, but really? REALLY? The most important character arc and aspect of this film was Anakin and the only thing that Christensen could've done worse was tried to hold the script and read his lines as they filmed it. In Lucas's defense, the rest of the movie as a whole is decent. But talk about the biggest letdown ever...

1) All the Pretty Horses

This is another classic "where-to-begin" with what went wrong during the production of this film. First off, let me mention this is an adaptation of one of the best novels of all time by renowned American author Cormac McCarthy. Billy Bob Thornton originally created a somewhere between 3-4 hour cut of this film and then Miramax hauled off and did perhaps the WORST hack editing job ever. Along with that hacking went the original score of the film by Daniel Lanois, perhaps forever ruining any chances of letting the original/director's cut of the film, because in so doing, Lanois refused to let his score be released to the public. Billy Bob won't work with Miramax ever again (at least as a director) after what they did. Perhaps because they didn't like the postmodern Western feel of the book, the studio execs tried marketing the film as a romance. And romance there is in the novel, but that's only a third of the book! Not to mention the other amazing two-thirds of the book! As well as Matt Damon acts in this film, he and his co-star Henry Thomas just don't pass as sixteen and seventeen year old boys. On the bright side, the cinematography is incredible and Lucas Black was the perfect Jimmy Blevins. Another huge issue I think they had with the marketing was releasing it Christmas Day. There are few movies I believe that you should release on that day/weekend, and I think that also contributed it to its low box office performance. If you've read the book, its not difficult to see where the film got hacked like crazy to the point where you wonder how an audience unfamiliar with Cormac McCarthy's novel could ever imagine the true glory that it holds. Being familiar with McCarthy's works and knowing that Billy Bob wanted more than anything to see this adaptation be done justice, I still like the film and will add it to my collection eventually. But man Miramax, if you guys hadn't helped distribute No Country for Old Men, I wouldn't have a very high opinion of you at all. Of all films that really deserve a remake, its this one. I sure wish they'd release the director's cut, but seeing the legal complications involved, I don't think it will ever see the light of day. I have a hard time believing however, with all the toil that Billy Bob took to make the film that a copy doesn't exist somewhere. So, if you know anyone who's in good with him, let me know :).

What do you think? Any films you'd like to see remade? Disagree with any of my choices?

Finding Joy and Love in Service

Today as I was in stake conference, there was a speaker who talked about making home teaching more meaningful, and gave the example of how his own home teacher became so invested in him personally. I was reminded of my mission president and his wife, and how it seemed even before they really came to know me personally, they loved me. I was then reminded of how I grew to love the people of Antonito, the last town I served in on my mission. The town I never would have chosen personally to be sent to preach the gospel, but eventually grew to love with all my heart. I’ve sometimes wondered how I truly grew to love a place that seemed so forlorn and cast off the face of the earth, and what really changed it for me was just serving there. The Lord truly blesses us with the ability to love all those whom we are called to serve, and I’m so grateful for that. With that in mind, I’m coming to understand a little better how the Lord loves us, because really, we don’t merit anything to have His love, but He does nonetheless. I think part of it is simply because we are His children. He created us and loves us for that alone, not to mention the countless other reasons. Knowing that makes such a difference in my life. I know that as we are called to serve others, whether it be as a missionary, a relief society president, or even just a home teacher or visiting teacher, we have the opportunity to expand our capabilities as a servant of Jesus Christ and grow in our love towards our fellow brothers and sisters. I hope that we will all take advantage of these opportunities whenever they present themselves.

Super Short Post

So, as much as I'd like to sit down and do a totally awesome blogpost today, I've decided that getting some much needed research and homework done. But I will give you a hint of what I'm working on and hopefully I'll be able to expound upon it more in future posts.

I'm currently formulating a paper on the dude in this poster:

If you don't recognize this guy, you really should take the time to find out (and believe me it will be worth it).

And I'm also doing another paper regarding this infamous series:

I'm so looking forward to this :)...

Incredible Perspectives

This video pretty much speaks for itself. It is the testimony of a couple who, after just three weeks of marriage, discovered that the husband, Daniel, had cancer. To this, I will just add my own testimony regarding trials that as Daniel says, "Sometimes tests aren't about passing or failing. Heavenly Father is not sitting up there with a pen and checklist while we are enduring a trial". I know that the trials we receive are specifically tailored to us personally and that Heavenly Father never leaves us alone during them. I'm truly grateful for the perspective we are blessed with when we endure our trials well. I'm beginning to learn that not only are we going to have similar trials on more than one occasion, but rather than immediately assuming that we've learned all that we need to from a particular trial, to exercise more faith in the Lord and be patient. It is often in these moments that we learn more than ever before and more than we could have imagined. I know that from personal experience and I'm so grateful that the Lord is patient with me as well and takes the time to help me learn lessons that I constantly need reminders of.

Broken and Eternal Family Trees

The older I get, the more convinced I become that there are few, if any, coincidences in this life. There are so many experiences I have at particular times in my life that I couldn't have possibly planned better on my own. Today I'm so grateful that along with the trials I have received that the Lord has allowed to gain the perspective that I have concerning my more recent trials. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I've learned all I needed to from them, but definitely more than I thought I would this quickly.

I'm also grateful today that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our families have the ability to be together forever. I'm grateful for the knowledge that God knows each of us individually and that regardless of our individual and family situations, He will not deny us the blessings of exaltation if we do all we can to obtain them. There is an unnecessary and unrighteous stigma that surrounds divorced members of the church that I wish we could dispel. While we shouldn't condone it per se, I believe it is wrongful to look down upon individuals simply because they became involved in them. We all make mistakes and need the Atonement to heal us, regardless of the gravity of our individual sins.

This song has really taken on a new meaning for me the past couple days and has strengthened my testimony regarding families. I too have no idea how things are going to work out in the next life when it comes to creating and reuniting eternal families, but I take comfort in knowing that this is the first priority of our Father in Heaven, and that "bringing to pass [our] immortality and eternal life" is His greatest joy.

A Pandemic of Perplexing Proportions

I know that we hear about this issue almost every General Conference in the LDS community, but recent events in my life have helped me see why we will probably never stop hearing about this problem. I would just like to add my personal witness that this plague, in no uncertain terms, has the ability to decimate and destroy individuals and families alike. It is truly heart-wrenching to be surrounded by the effects of this sleaze. I hope that if there are any individuals involved with pornography within the sound of this blog that they will have the courage to free themselves from this most damning influence. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ there is no weakness or trial that we cannot overcome. And I hope that all of us will exercise the personal strength to see that any and all forms of pornography stay out of our lives.

Elder Oaks has spoken more in depth on the subject and I'll let him do the rest of the talking.

Personal Healing and Inception

This semester has been crazy to say the least, despite only being a month into it. And at the same time, it has been very cathartic. A time of healing and understanding. Gaining knowledge that I don't think I could have possibly learned except by going through the experience I did, coupled with perspective I could not have gained on my efforts alone. I've learned more about relationships and love in the past year than I think I did in my first twenty-two combined. I wonder what life will be like when I'm ninety and I have so much more to reflect on.

One of the classes I'm taking this semester is an English senior seminar centered around Carl Jung and pop culture. The past few weeks my class has been studying the film Inception very in depth, because believe it or not, the movie is really just a "...domestic drama-painted as large as possible" in the words of Jonathon Nolan, the director's brother. For those of you who are living under a rock, or are simply crazy enough to have not seen this movie yet, you truly have no idea what you're missing out on. The special effects are incredible in and of themselves, and unlike some other movies with great special effects i.e. Avatar, there is a plot to the film. Simple really, yet extremely deep when it comes to the heist part.

As I've been a part of the class discussions, I've come to gain an even greater appreciation for a film I loved since the first time I saw it. I didn't really internalize it the first several times I watched it, but the journey which Robert Fischer, the man who's being incepted, must take into his subconscious is not one that he takes alone. Cobb, too, has to come to terms with the mistakes of his past in order to achieve wholeness as a person as he comes face-to-face with the projection of his dead wife Mal, the guilt he has harbored within himself for so long. I could spend several posts going more in depth with Jung's psychological parallels, but suffice it to say that I too have had to come face-to-face with my own psychological issues and see them for what they really are. In so doing, I've come to accept so much more about myself than I ever have before. I've come to learn that in order to have charity towards all, you have to love yourself. Trying to

find love in other sources, besides Christ, will not be compensatory. Knowing that has changed my perspective so very much in a good way. Maybe someone has incepted me :)-

This week in FHE we discussed Christlike attributes and we left with the commitment to pray to recognize our weakness and what we can do to overcome them. I testify that when we do that, we can come closer to our Heavenly Father and gain a greater understanding of Him and ourselves personally. I hope that we will all be willing to do that. Not just admit that we have them, but acknowledge them for what they are and go to work on them. I'm so grateful that the Lord gives us continual opportunities to do this through His infinite and eternal Atonement.

So, if I haven't been able to convince you to go and watch this movie yet, at least listen to this song from the film. It's from the last scene and it is simply amazing. If I were to turn my feelings into words right now, I imagine it would sound similar to this. Letting go of things we have no control over is one of the hardest things we can do, but it brings a perspective that we could not otherwise obtain. I cannot express in words how grateful I am for the perspective I've been given by my trials and the lessons I've learned from them. Sometimes the hardest person to forgive and love is ourselves, but when we embrace those concepts fully, it literally changes us from the the inside out. The debate goes on about the conclusion of Inception, whether or not Cobb has really experienced everything or if it's all been a dream. However, I choose to believe, as many others of the cast have also concluded, that the top still spinning shows how irrelevant the whole concept has become to Cobb. It no longer matters to him whether or not he's dreaming. He's finally come home, he has finally become whole, and that's all that matters.

Much Belated Post

Wow. This month has gone just incredibly fast. Some days I wonder if I'll find time to breathe, but I suppose that will make things go by faster. That being said, this is brief, but I thought it was high time I reminded myself that I had a blog. This is an awesome song. The lyrics may not be much to shout about, but the music is beautiful and makes me wonder why it took so long for it to wind up on a movie trailer before Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. By the way, has anyone gone and seen it yet? I've heard mixed reviews, but not from anyone I know personally. Alas, I digress.

This past month has not gone without some serious reflection upon my life and all I can say is I'm so very blessed to have had the experiences that I have in the past several months. While some of the trials seemed to be more than I could bear for a time, I'm beginning to see some of the reasons and the amazing insights I have gained from them. I don't know that everything has found a place quite yet, but I'm certainly a great deal farther than I was a month ago. I don't have time to explain all the details, but I will say that I'm so grateful the Lord has blessed me with awesome friends who have challenged my views and perspectives and helped me to become better than I could have done on my own.

Why I'm An English Major

So, as some of you reading this blog may already be aware, my schedule is rather crazy this semester. I mean, I know we all have busy lives, and I don’t mean to minimalize anyone’s personal schedules/trials, but I have a busier schedule this semester more than ever (hence my lack of posts the past week). However, I’m able to do it because I absolutely love the courses I have to take (minus Spanish). After pondering on this and reading a post from another one of my friends, I thought I’d write down just a few of the reasons I’m in this major that too many people think is worthless.
1: I LOVE READING!
So, among many other college undergrads, I had a very difficult time deciding on a major. I think I may have always had ADD, I just didn’t realize it until I 20 years after the fact. As a kid, I loved reading books. If not for movies, I probably would have been grounded from reading at times. My family inherited a couple hundred children’s books when I was growing up, so I was constantly surrounded by them. If I’m really honest though, I didn’t read probably half of them. I tended to stick to the ones I loved: The Bernstein Bears, Arthur, etc. Before I learned to enjoy English, I knew that I could get through my English classes for this reason alone.
2. I love exploring different perspectives. If you want to be an English major, you must be willing to read a lot, and A LOT of things that you don’t want to initially. This was one of the reasons that I struggled with making this my major because I felt like I encountered so much gratuitous material in the works I read. But as time has passed and I’ve matured a lot, I’ve become much more tolerant of such materials because I understand their context, not because I accept the behavior portrayed. There is a huge difference between tolerance and apathy, and I certainly do not associate with the latter.
However, nothing frustrates me more when people simply refuse to read or view something because it may have unsavory material. I understand that in many cases that we are fed unnecessary trash. We don’t need to look any farther than our TV sets to find that. I guess what frustrates me is when people look only at the rating reasons below the MPAA stamp on the DVD and don’t bother to read the plot summary. I’m aware that Satan’s influence is rampant in the world today and I don’t care to view material that he inspires others to create. But, I believe that Heavenly Father gave us agency to USE it, to think and make decisions for ourselves, not just surrender it in every case. It would have been SO much easier to do things Satan’s way after all. But, Heavenly Father gave us agency because He wants us to LEARN for ourselves.
3. I have ample opportunities to better understand my own faith and beliefs. As I read various stories from all kinds of different authors, I’m exposed on a regular basis to belief systems that often do not coincide with my own. As I consider these things, I’m always reminded of the power that the gospel of Jesus Christ has in my life, and that I would not at all be where I am today without it. No matter what I encounter as I continue my studies and research, I will NEVER let go of my testimony of the things I know to be true. I’d change majors before changing my beliefs any day.
4. I have a passion for research, particularly regarding literature and film. As lame is it sounds, I’ve rather liked writing some of the papers I’ve written in the past because of them relating to a film I had viewed. Last night I was in the library later than I usually am, but for the first time, it was because I was genuinely enjoying my time there. I have so many questions to be answered by what I’m reading that sometimes I don’t want to stop. When I find something to be passionate about in research, it consumes me. It’s helped confirm that going on to be a professor is definitely something that I can find enjoyment in. This semester I’m blessed to have three classes that I’m very passionate about and so while the load on my hands is huge, it’s totally doable.
I’m so grateful to have the talents and abilities I do. Without them, I would never have set foot in this major, nor would I have the perspectives that I do.

The Upside of Failing

This past semester for the first time in my academic career, I flunked a class. Not a C, not even a D, a straight up F (or an E in BYU grades, since apparently we're too cool to use F's). I had hoped that by doing the minimal amount of work for my Spanish class that somehow I'd be able to get by. However, given that it is pass/fail class, I couldn't get anything lower than a B- if I wanted to pass. Over the break, to my great dismay, I discovered that I would be retaking the class. At first, I was infuriated. Partly at my teacher, but mostly at myself. Why had I been kidding myself the entire semester? At what point did I honestly believe that my meager efforts would magically amount to a passing grade?

While part of me still wishes I could have avoided the entire experience altogether, I'm grateful for what this experience has taught me. If I want to get a passing grade, I can't just be hoping to get by when I don't put forth my best efforts. This coming semester I've vowed to put forth more effort and energy than before in my Spanish classes. I've been too lackadaisical the past semester in my studies, and this is just what I needed to help me recognize that I can't keep doing what I have. While I know this is going to make things more hectic this semester, I look forward to having this opportunity to do better than I have before.

I'm so glad that Heavenly Father gives us second chances as well and that when we fail, we have the opportunity to use the Atonement of Jesus Christ to overcome our challenges and weaknesses. It is by no means a simple process, just like obtaining a passing grade, but it can be done. The Lord allows us to fail so we may more fully recognize our dependence upon Him. I love this song by Kenneth Cope because it reminds me that when we feel broken and like we are beyond repair, the Savior can step into our lives and help us overcome whatever challenges we are facing. So next time you find yourself failing at something, don't get too down on yourself. Remember that if the Lord is willing to let us fail at times, He is more than willing to help us get back on our feet and become better than we were before.