The Nelson Challenge: Lamb of God

I've been following President Nelson's challenge to study the words, actions, doctrines, prophecies, and commandments of Christ every week. Here is something I studied recently.

Lesson #4

What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

...These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple...

For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Revelations 7:13-15, 17

Every Saturday, I exchange floral shirts and pencil skirts for a long white dress, the uniform of a temple worker. On one of my first shifts, I found an oil smudge on my sleeve, and another woman directed me to the laundry facility in the temple basement. There I was taught how to use a powerful stain remover. First, I had to apply the chemical, which came in the form of a glue stick, to the stain. Then, I had to place a white cloth underneath the stain and rub vigorously across the stain with a wet cloth. The stain would be pushed out of my dress and transferred to the white cloth underneath. 

Of course, I was in the temple the whole time, so the symbolism of that small event shone through to me. We wear white clothes in the temple because they represent the Savior cleaning us with his blood. He transferred the stains of our sins onto himself and purged them away with his power and his sacrifice. 

L'Innocence, William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1893)

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, the lamb that was led to the slaughter and slain. He is gentle and innocent, as we are encouraged to be. It's no wonder that, with his divine and loving perspective, he asks us to feed his lambs, for he sees the true potential of the rough and the guilty. We really can be like him because of his willingness to save us and teach us. He is so patient with our shortcomings, even when we make the same mistakes over and over again. The Lamb of God wants to raise us up from the mud and the dust; he wants to clean our robes so that we can go on to do marvelous works.

That is what I am celebrating this Easter week: that I can enter the temple, the house of God, because of the sacrifice of the Lamb. That I can serve my sisters, both living and dead, because of the innocence of my Brother. That I can rise from my failures to become divine because of my Savior.

I wear white in the temple because I am continually cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.

March Favorites

1. Mayim Bialik's YouTube Channel

I don't actually watch Big Bang Theory, but I first heard of Mayim Bialik because of her work on that show. There was a big hullaballoo about how she was the only member of the cast who actually was a scientist in real life (she has a PhD in Neuroscience), and I read several interviews of her describing her experience as a female Jewish geek. Her YouTube Channel only accentuates how wonderfully unique she is. Check her out here for videos by and about cats, geeks, and feminists. Yes, her naked (hairless) cat is featured prominently.

2. Boss Monster

So much fun. And so many expansion packs. 

Boss Monster is another card game that I tried out this month. The premise just tickles me pink: you play as the monster at the end of a side-scrolling video game (basically, you are Bowser in the castle in Super Mario). You have to play cards to build up your dungeon so that more heroes come to you and more heroes die. Even the box is designed to look like an old-school Nintendo game box.

3. The Nanny

Such joie de vivre!

Shocker! I watched The Nanny a lot when I was growing up, and it remains one of my favorites today. A hilarious, self-possessed female lead who endures being single? I'm in. I'm so in that I've been re-watching all the episodes I have and dreaming about owning the ones I don't have. Also, apparently, I have a theme of awesome Jewish women this month. Go figure.

4. Scamalot Videos

James Veitch, a comedian, responds to spam emails and starts pranking the wannabe thieves. He has a whole stream of funny videos detailing his efforts. Try this one out and then find the rest!

5. 365 Creative Writing Prompts

An old friend posted on Facebook recently that she wanted to put together an online writing group. Lo and behold, I have been looking for an online writing group to join. We've been responding to ThinkWritten's 365 Creative Writing Prompts. I'm posting my entries on my fiction blog, and the prompts are found here. I have been trying to take a horror or magical realism horror spin on each prompt, which is not easy.

6. Ben Byrd Art

They're so cute!

I love Ben Byrd's postcard-sized watercolors. He comes to Salt Lake Comic Con every year, and I book it straight to his booth. I buy the art by the armful and give them away as gifts or use them as decor or bookmarks. Check out his adorable work here.

January Favorites

1. The new Nanowrimo Goal Trackers!

I'm back in the writing game thanks to this simple feature of the Nanowrimo website that allows me to set a writing goal and track my progress--outside of November! I've wanted this function for years, and I am pleased with its customizable elements. I chose to track my writing hours as I revise (since word count during revision fluctuates significantly), and even though I am currently behind in my hours, I like what I see.

2. An old love, Star Trek: Voyager

I came to the Voyager game way late, but better late than never. As a child, I watched Next Generation occasionally, but I really got the Star Trek spin-offs when I discovered them on Netflix. Voyager is by far my favorite spin-off: a female captain with quirks and flaws, a crew of diverse ethnicities and alien races, a dramatic tale of being lost in space--this show has it all!
2a. Some favorite episodes: Season 3.25 "Worst Case Scenario," Season 2.21 "Deadlock," and Season 4.18 & 4.19 "The Killing Game, Parts 1 and 2"

3. A new love, One Day at a Time

This Netflix sitcom is about family, and I am a sucker for shows about family. I am also a sucker for shows that provide insight into a different demographic. In this case, Cuban-Americans play on center stage, allowing me to consider what I have in common with them and what their unique strengths and struggles are. Plus, Rita Moreno. What more could I want?

4. Community Involvement a la Parks and Rec

I recently finished rewatching Parks and Recreation for the hundredth time (or so), and Leslie Knope always gets me fired up to be more involved in my community. Also, certain current events are getting me fired to be more involved in local government. So, I am now a volunteer at the Orem Public Library. I had to visit the Orem Police Department and City Center for the first time in order to apply for the volunteer position, and it was neat to walk past the City Council chambers and see the Orem seal lit up in a dark room. Anyway, I repair books so that (1) the city can save money on replacing books and (2) the children of my community can read and learn and grow. Plus, I get to be around books more. 5 out of 5 stars, would recommend.

5. Roasted Baby Carrots

I don't like raw carrots. Ever since I was a baby, I have had an odd reaction to something in carrots. It's almost like eating extremely sour food. HOWEVER. I discovered this month that I enjoy roasted baby carrots. It would probably be regular carrots, too, but I am too lazy to chop them up into bite-size chunks. Baby carrots come in smaller quantities and smaller chunks. Just sprinkle some salt, onion powder, and garlic over them and pop them into the oven for about 30 minutes. Delicious!

6. Mary Poppins musical

BYU put on a production of the Mary Poppins musical, which I saw in 2010 on the Broadway tour in Atlanta. I loved it the first time, partly because of the special effects: people and kites fly, and a certain chimney sweep tap dances on the ceiling. I thought BYU would not have the means to incorporate that level of effect, but I was wrong. They did a great job! Also, "Feed the Birds" always makes me cry. Also also, I want to be as confident as Mary Poppins when I grow up. After all, the song "Practically Perfect" is her singing about how perfect she is, "so people say."

A House of Learning - February

1. Theatre

I attended an adaptation of my favorite Shakespeare comedy, Twelfth Night. I have a problem (read: obsession) when it comes to stories about women dressing up as men to move through society more easily. The BYU Young Company did a great job setting the classic story in the wild American West, as well as simplifying the story for an audience of children. I thoroughly enjoyed the music and the audience interaction--it seemed very authentic for a Shakespeare performance.

2. Weekly reading series

Ashley Seitz-Kramer, a Utah poet, read some great poems to us from her collection Museum of Distance, which I later purchased out of awe. She is not only an inspirational writer, but she turned her reading into an art. She taught me the importance of the pause and the silence before reading, when we let the air clear itself of past words and we breathe in and pause to wait for and hunger for more words.

I also heard some poems by a former Utah poet, Wyn Cooper. He read a few postcard poems--poems that are written as notes to people or things or places or emotions or places of mind. He taught me to have fun with poetry, to make poetry accessible to its readers. He also talked a bit about the writing process of a poet. Many poets edit a poem after they publish it; thereby, the poem becomes a constantly evolving, living work. Cooper also explained something about Joyce Carol Oates: she was always attached to a typewriter. She would bring it in the car and write on long drives, and she would even have several typewriters lined up at home, each with a different project she was working on. When she got bored with one, she would move down the line to the next.

3. Art lecture 

At a lecture on campus, local artist James Christensen discussed 24 of his paintings featuring fascinating female figures. I've had this painting ("Virtue") in my bedroom, and I didn't even know it was his. 

I love art with a high contrast between light and dark, especially when the light is warm, a practice called tenebrism. Anyway, the artist himself was friendly, funny, and personable. He used to be a bishop in my stake, so my stake building is full of his work. His art is inspiring, whimsical, and narrative.

4. Fireside

I attended a fireside about the archaeology of Ancient America and learned tons about the Adena and Hopewell cultures and their parallels to the Book of Mormon. The presenter made a great case arguing that the Adena people could be the Jaredites and the Hopewell could be the Nephites and Lamanites. Even if that isn't true, his message helped me to understand that the Book of Mormon is real. There's no reason why those people shouldn't have left traces behind them. And now, when I read the Book of Mormon, everything is more tangible.

I definitely have never learned so much about the inhabitants of my own country. That part of history gets skipped over for the more culturally significant Aztecs, Olmecs, and Mayans.

5. Women's Services lecture: Beauty Redefined

The BYU Women's Service office hosted a lecture by media and body image professors (and twin sisters), Lexie Kite and Lindsay Kite. Here are some insights I got from the Drs. Kite: 

• Stop talking about only looks when complimenting others, especially on social media.
• Stop self-objectifying (thinking about being looked at). 
• Resist these habits with mental might, physical fortitude, social skillfulness, and spiritual strength.
• Your body is an instrument for you to use, not an ornament.
• Be more than just a body. In return, see others as more than just bodies.

6. Temple tours

The Provo City Center Temple offered tours during February, and I was able to go on two tours. The first was the bridal tour, and they walked groups of single women through the bridal room and up the tall, twisting staircase to a sealing room, where the sun was setting just behind a stained glass window. It was truly gorgeous. Divine. The second tour took us through the rest of the temple, which was small but ornate. With all the authentic workmanship, I felt like I was stepping into the 1920s.

7. BOOKS

In February, I read 6 books and listened to 1 audiobook (Pride and Prejudice). I went on a Louise Plummer and Carol Lynch Williams kick, and it was a glorious kick. I have met both women and found them kindred spirits. Their writing makes me want to write volumes.

February Favorites

1. Product: Spray shampoo for cats

Waterless. Delicious scents. Easy application (once the cat gets over the fear of being sprayed with liquid).

2. Clothes: Downeast blouses

Beautiful, affordable, comfortable, modest, and at the BYUStore, no less. Easy easy access for me.

3. Art: James Christensen's "Faith, Hope, and Charity"

A little whimsy, a lot of gospel feelings.

4. Film: Kiki's Delivery Service

Not a new discovery, but a much beloved recent discovery. Also, I want to do a Kiki cosplay for FanX. I love the idea of Kiki's happy, simple, working life.

Honorable Mention: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, because Mr. Darcy in black leather.

5. TV: DC's Legends of Tomorrow

I'm loving the DC TV CW-verse. There's probably a more eloquent way of wording that. But at any rate, their newest addition is a fun treat with characters I love and time-traveling that I love even more.

Honorable Mention: Agent Carter, always beloved and a smashing good time. Plus musical numbers!

6. Binge-watch: Fuller House

Nostalgia? Check. Female friendships? Check. Feel-good TV? CHECK.

Sabbath Study

"Waiting" by Connie Chadwell

"He [God] knows what we need, what we can wait for, and what we can do without."

- Lynn Muir, "Simple Lessons from a Few Cans of Soup"

Anger Management Problems

The Flame by Jackson Pollock

My mother has a bookshelf of villains.
Tiny, plastic hands and hooks and tentacles
Extending from wily reds and angry purples,
        And billowing blacks,
The primary colors of being the bad guy.

I suppose that is why I came to her,
Flushed and bruised and screaming,
Just in time for lunch on a Wednesday,
In the middle of the story of that week,
And I raised my head right there in the hospital
To see if the world had heroes to pick on.

College of Humanities - Feast!

The College of Humanities at BYU turned 50 years old this past year, and in typical academic fashion, we celebrated with a fine feast and a book release. The college was founded in 1965, so we were encouraged to dress in 60s fashion--and if there's anything I enjoy, it's dressing up outside of my time and reality. The previous dean published a collection of his writings, and we all got a free copy. It's gorgeous and full of spiritual insights. Oh, and also I won an orchid. It matched my dress.

My evening in one image.

The best part of the evening was being introduced to the newest department in the college: Art History. Each faculty member chose a piece of art that represented their work and somehow commemorated the number 50. They only spoke briefly, but I tasted that sweet nectar of an art history lecture and I wanted more.

The newest faculty member taught us about depictions of the Veil of Veronica, a Catholic legend of a woman who wiped Christ's sweaty, bloodstained face on his way to Calvary. The cloth she used retained the image of Christ's face, just as we are to retain Christ's image in our countenances, his example in our hearts. 

Creepy, yet inspirational?

So, happy birthday, College of Humanities! I enjoyed both the physical and intellectual food at your party, and I am so proud to be a (teeny tiny) part of your legacy.