Response to "Mormon voters wary of showing too much love for Romney"

I'm making a comeback on my blog. This is a shout out to all of my friends, LDS or not, who have their own political leanings, influenced by their surroundings and life experiences of course, but that are uniquely theirs. Here is my response to a Washington Post article I read this morning: Mormon voters wary of showing too much love for Romney 

I was surprised by the statement: "Mormons, one of Romney’s most loyal voting blocs, are often quiet about their support. That might be because the church discourages political involvement."

While the LDS Church as a whole does not endorse any particular political party, it reserves its right to become involved in specific political issues -- hence its involvement in Proposition 8 in California. But it is not as commonly known that the church also supported Utah HB 116 a not-so-conservative guest-worker program for illegal immigrants.

The church actively encourages its members to be politically involved but does not prescribe with what political party members must be involved. In fact, Utah was predominately Democratic from the 1880s to 1970s when disagreement over the Equal Rights Amendment weakened party alliances. This decrease in the Democratic Party in Utah specifically, which occurred concurrently with a decrease in the Mormon proportion of the Utah population, and among Mormons generally continued through the 1980s and 1990s until today when Democrats make up a small minority of voters in Utah. Although it is important to point out that there are still several Mormon politicians who have maintained their alliance with the Democratic Party including Representative Jim Matheson and his father, former Utah governor Scott Matheson.

While there may be more Republican Mormon voters than Democratic Mormon voters, it cannot be ignored that Harry Reid, one of the most powerful Democratic political leaders in our country, is Mormon. And he is not the only Mormon Democrat. Brigham Young University (BYU), the university owned the LDS Church, has had several political speakers at campus-wide events and graduation ceremonies including Condoleezza Rice and Dick Cheney, but also Harry Reid and Joseph Lieberman.

It appears that some want to paint the LDS Church in an extreme light but the issue of political involvement and political parties among Mormons, as with most political issues, is more complicated.

To try or not to try: that is the question.

For those who don't know, I currently work as a research assistant for a professor at BYU. Right now, most of the probjects I'm involved in deal with divorce. One of my tasks is to sort through comments made during an evaluation of a book my professor co-authored titled Should I Keep Trying to Work It Out: A Guidebook for Individuals and Couples at the Crossroads of Divorce (And Before).

If you know anyone contemplating divorce, I recommend this book (for which I have included a full-text link above) as a resource to guide the decision-making process. 

Halloween

Jasmine and German Folk Girl

Recording of Abide With Me

During the Winter 2008 semester, my friends Elise Rasmussen (Soprano 1), Kelsey Thomas (Alto 1), Haley Flanders (Alto 2), and I (Soprano 2) performed this arrangement of Abide With Me that our friend Joseph Sowa arranged. Mom, you will be happy to hear that I finally figured out how to post my recordings on my blog! Enjoy!

Mi Casa es su Casa

It has been a long day so this post is like therapy for me. Enjoy!

On Friday night I was able to go to the 138th Ward Family Reunion. It was so nice to visit with old friends and their families. Seeing my former bishop reminded me of all the ways I grew in his ward and what I learned from him. This post is a compilation of all the things that made Bishop so great!

This is a picture of some of us with the bishop at a temple trip in 2007.



This is me with the Crosbys at the Reunion. I was able to work closely with Sister Crosby in Relief Society. She was our trainer and go-to woman extraordinaire. The reunion was at their home and I love visiting them!


John will tell you that this is a typical Andrea pose. "John, you better not take the picture until we're ready."


This is my former roommate Emily. I miss her.


Bishop memorized everyone's name before they moved into the ward. I remember on my first day he asked my name and when I told him Andrea he said, "You know Jackie in the ward." He never forgot it. I also heard that when he was called to be bishop he received a copy of the ward directory before being sustained. On his first Sunday in the ward, he stood at the front of the room and knew every ward member's name. Crazy!

Bishop made it clear that we were a family ward, not a singles ward. He thought the term "singles ward" was ridiculous so he made it very clear that we were a ward family and that we were to take care of each other.

Bishop taught about Christ. Our ward theme was Come Unto Christ and it was regularly referred to in meetings, lessons and other interactions. I always remember having a testimony of Christ, but Bishop's unapologetic emphasis and lived example made the Atonement of Jesus Christ a more vivid reality for me.

Bishop's favorite hymn was Press Forward Saints. Whenever we sang it, we all had to stand. I've never seen someone sing with such gusto.

Bishop was always looking for teaching opportunities. Sometimes I would be talking to Bishop at an activity and our conversation would remind him of something so he would find the scriptures and teach me a principle. On Friday, Bishop pulled me aside and taught me something out of 3 Nephi that perfectly matched what I needed to hear.

Bishop calls us his sons and daughters. At an enrichment activity Bishop told us something that has affected my behavior ever since. He told us that some women slow down for a man that they like, but that was not the correct way. He told us as his daughters to go forward in life as fast as we had strength and to wait for a man to see us pass by and think that he wanted to work to catch up with us. He told us that's what he loved about his wife... and he meant it.

Bishop didn't knock. And neither did anyone else in the ward. Because we were a family, there was an open door policy. He also told us if there was going to be any kissing to lock the door because no one wants to walk in on that. Once a couple in the ward did not take that counsel and it was super awkward for me! :D

Bishop baptized the whole ward on temple trips. It didn't matter how many sisters there were; he baptized every single one. (My arms hurt just thinking about it). He also bought us all dessert in the temple cafeteria. Mmmm...

Bishop fed us. We went up to Bishop's house a few times a month and there was always plenty of food. He didn't lock the door to his house and told us this with an invitation to come over anytime and to make sure we didn't knock. Some people really took him up on this.

Bishop random digit dialed. All of the apartments in the complex started with the same eight digits and then had two digit extensions. When there was a pressing need in the ward, he would randomly mix up the last two numbers and ask whoever answered the phone to take care of the need.

Bishop tried to get us 7 am church. When faced with the dreadful 1:30 pm church, Bishop tried his hardest to bargain for 7 am church. The stake said no one would come. Bishop thought otherwise but was vetoed.

Bishop loves to tell stories. My favorite was when he got fired as a bus driver.

Bishop was slightly intrusive. From the beginning Bishop acted like a good friend. At first it was hard for me as a closed-off Minnesotan to accept. But once I realized that he was genuine I started to feel comfortable. Because he asked the hard questions, I feel like Bishop really knows who I am.

Bishop interviewed like crazy. His last week of being bishop he interviewed everyone in the ward. Seriously.

When I run into someone who was in that ward I feel like I'm seeing family. My last week in DC, a friend from the 138th ward, Hugh, moved into my DC ward. It was a happy reunion!

I am certain I will never again meet someone quite like Bishop. What a blessing to have learned from him!

Mormonism and the Mind, Part 2: Resolving the Paradox

“The true intellectual is one whose intellect is sufficiently developed that he recognizes not only the great potential, but also the limitations of his intellectual capacity.” These words, spoken by Rex E. Lee to law students at BYU, continually have a significant impact on my approach to learning.

In a chapter titled “Two Cheers for Excellence” in The Broken Heart, Bruce C. Hafen deals with the seeming preclusions of seeking after excellence and striving to be a devoted (and non-competitive) disciple of Jesus Christ. In it he mentions that many would rather be a leader in Hell than a door-keeper in Heaven. I want to be a good student, an excellent student really. However, it is difficult for me to view the possibilities of what I can do without becoming conceited.

I can identify two main symptoms of intellectual pride. The first is an inability to relate to those who are “normal” because of the belief that one is more intelligent and therefore better than others. This can be seen when people intentionally discuss esoteric intellectual topics around those they know will not understand their conversation. The second is closely related. It can happen even with those who are not trying to portray an elite class and consists of excessive trust in oneself. Those who exhibit this symptom seldom believe they are wrong or that they need to change. Both of these symptoms are felt to varying degrees internally and externally by those who have them.

It pains me that I experience both of these symptoms (as I perceive, mostly internally). My parents have tried to help me to be humble since I was young, but the accolades of the world often overshadow any sense I have of meekness. One daunting fear still looms in my life, the fear that I will “get rich…forget God and his people…and kick myself out of the Church.” Not because I in any way desire this, but because I have not truly overcome my pride and I am still not sure how to.

John Tanner advised some fellow scholarship recipients and me that it is better to be good than to be great. He developed the thought further by saying that it is better to be a good person than to pile up distinctions and worldly accomplishments.

So I work everyday to overcome myself. I want to be great, but I also want to be good for something. Though I’m not sure how, I know that as I desire to have my heart changed, study the life and teachings of Christ and commit myself to serving those who have nothing to give me, the change will come.

I'm an Art-aholic

Since I've been out East, I've had the chance to attend many art museums and I've discovered... that I'm an art-aholic! So far my favorites have been the Metropolitan Museum of Art (top) and the National Portrait Gallery/Smithsonian American Art Museum (bottom).

Paintings just aren't the same in a textbook as they are in person. Sometimes the most important aspect of a piece of art is its actual physical size. Other times, the vividness of the colors does not hold in the reproduction. Mostly, there is something about looking at the actual canvas that Picaso, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Seurat, Raphael, Cassatt, or Degas painted that is thrilling.

I love impressionism. These paintings are meant to capture the impression of scenes and often portary everyday events or landscapes. The beauty of the brushstrokes and the capturing of the feeling of an event or scene can make me feel serene.

Back at BYU I went to a lecture on annunciation paintings and now I just love them. To illustrate this, at the Met in New York I specifically sought out an exhibit that I thought would have annunciation paintings. I walked through, enjoying the artwork but noticing the lack of annunciations. Then I turned a corner and **BAM** there was a wall-sized annunciation and I gasped! Audibly. The rest of the rooms of the exhibit had several annunciations and I took pictures of them so I could study and ponder them later. If you don't believe, see photo of the annunciation painting below. They are packed full of symbolism, which makes searching for symbols like an eye spy game, and I am impressed with some of the consistencies across the paintings. Ask me later if you want to hear more about my love for them.

But as you can see from the quizzical look below, I still have a hard time understanding modern and contemporary art. We thought this one (at the Musem of American Art) looked like a thought bubble. The plaque described it as an example of delicacy despite it's large size and some other stuff that I didn't buy. If anyone has any insights, feel free to share.

Yay art!

Positive Outcomes

Last month, I helped my supervisor create a PowerPoint presentation to be delivered at a UNICEF conference in Paris. Unfortunately she was hit by a car while she was on her bicycle shortly before the trip and wasn't able to deliver it, but another employee at Child Trends did and I think the topic of the presentation has remarkable application in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

For the past several years, my supervisor has been involved in a push for the development of positive indicators in the Child Development research community. Click here to see a copy of the presentation she gave to BYU students when she spoke as a guest lecturer there in 2007.

Part of the argument for positive indicators is that "problem free is not fully prepared." In other words, we can work to get rid of adolescent drug use, but that is not the same as having a community full of healthy teenagers who are living good lives. As a society, after we encourage children to avoid bad things, we must also suggest and encourage good activities to fill that empty time. This is difficult for several reasons that are outlined in her slides, including the lack of consensus on positive indicators, but I believe it is an ideal to be worked toward.

That is part of why I am so grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am reminded of things to avoid in my life because they will bring unhappiness. But there is no void because through the encouragement to seek to fill my life with good and uplifting things, I am able to find fulfillment (Articles of Faith 1:13). To me, this seeking after good is what truly makes a great society.

Mormonism and the Mind, Part 1

A few weeks ago, on March 19, I had the opportunity to go up to Salt Lake City with my friends (old and new) Andrew, Thamina, and Michael and meet with some Princeton Students. These students were in town for their spring break on a Civic Engagement trip to learn more about Mormonism. During their time in Utah, they had visited Temple Square, LDS Humanitarian Aid, and met with Rocky Anderson, the Polygamy editor for the Salt Lake Tribune (who knew the Trib had a polygamy editor?!) and several LDS families in the area. At the end of the trip, they realized they hadn't talked with any Latter-day Saints their age and asked Andrew's dad (who they had dinner with a few night before) if Andrew could come up and talk with them about BYU and being a young Mormon.

A few weeks before, my former professor, Donlu Thayer (aka Sister Thayer), had sent us a link to this video (see the bottom of this blog post) of an LDS Harvard student answering questions about her faith. She answered so well - with respect, knowledge, and testimony. After wathcing the video I strongly desired to have a similar experience and missed the opportunities I had to share my beliefs while in high school. I got a call from Andrew Thursday morning and even though I had dinner plans, I felt like this was something I needed to go to.

It is amazing to look back at how Heavenly Father prepared me for this opportunity. The semester before, in my honors writing class, Sister Thayer spent hours telling us about the importance of learning to take our religion and its principles and make them meaningful and relevant to those not of our faith. We spent months writing, reading, and discussing issues of the time, particularly issues that could be considered controversial. I gained confidence in my positions and refined my ability to explain my beliefs in a respectful manner. We even had several "The World According to Thayer" lectures (her words, not mine) about dealing with hard issues as a member of the Church and maintaining strong testimonies.

This semester, I am in a Doctrine and Covenants class. We have learned so much about the temple, exaltation, truth, and the priesthood. Our tests in that class have been essay tests that have helped me to synthesize all the material and internalize and sort through the truths it contains. My Doctrine and Covenants class has also helped to strenthen my testimony.

I have found that when my testimony is strong, I am less defensive when sharing my religion with others. I don't feel like I have anything to defend, only to share, and I have the spirit with me (which is the opposite of contention). The questions of others no longer shake my beliefs and cause anxiety, they become natural human reactions to foreign beliefs. Others aren't bringing up concerning issues I haven't dealt with or heard of, but questions I have spent time thinking about and pondering with the Spirit.

These testimony building and intellectually enlarging experiences at BYU prepared me for this encounter and I have a feeling are preparing me for other experiences in the future. I love BYU! I believe in BYU! What a blessing it is to study here.

The students from Princeton were great. I have never met a group of such bright, curious, and respectful young adults, from such diverse backgrounds. Stay tuned for what we talked about!


Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose - 3. Rachel Esplin from Harvard Hillel on Vimeo.