Analogies – Ammon Shepherd

Writing is like carving in stone

Like a block of stone

I recently finished writing and rewriting and writing again the essays for several scholarship applications. It is probably a good thing, but that was the most time and effort I have ever spent writing three pages of text. I went through several revisions of each essay, had the wonderful Fulbright advisers at George Mason read and reread the essays, and even went to the vastly underused (by me anyways) campus writing center.

Roughing it out

My personal essay started out as being a little too personal, as in informal. At the writing center, I also realized that the opening paragraph was too negative. I wanted to show how as a child I deeply disliked school. In first and second grades, in order to avoid going to school I would often hide in the backyard or somewhere in the house, and generally make a big stink every morning. One time my mom drove me to school (two blocks away) and when we got there I jumped out of the car and ran off into the neighborhood for an hour or so. The rest of elementary school through high school was better; I did not put up as much of a stink, but I still did not like school. I was convinced that I would never have anything to do with school again once I graduated from high school. That’s how my essay started out, a general idea of what I wanted to write about. Like a big block of stone that I hacked away at.

Adding Detail

I wanted to convey all of that in a couple of sentences, all to point to the irony that I am now pursuing the highest degree one can attain in school, and that I am still in school 16 years later, with another three years to go (I did have three years off in there, though). But the gal at the writing center was right. It was a bit too negative. Instead I focused on my strengths as an historian and my technical skills. This worked out much better, since this is one of the major focuses of the dissertation. Through this constant revision and insight from others my project started to take shape.

Finishing

One of the other really neat things about spending so much effort on an essay (especially one about my dissertation research) is that I was really able to focus my arguments and tighten up my thoughts on what I hope to accomplish. Through this process of constant revision I realized three things that I wanted to focus on in my dissertation: the story of the underground dispersal projects; how the projects are memorialized or not, and what that says about Vergangenheitsbewältigung; and an argument for the change in what is considered scholarship in the historical profession. Going through the constant revisions has changed my focus in some small ways from my original proposal in the dissertation prospectus, but that is to be expected. I feel that I now have a much more polished and obtainable goal.

All images courtesy of Akbar Simonse, who photographed Mark Rietmeijer sculpture. http://www.flickr.com/photos/simeon_barkas/sets/72157600224554402/

Go Fly a kite

I always felt I was not doing enough as an Elders Quorum President. There were things undone, people I never met, etc. I had an experience that helped me realize that my way of measuring success might not always be the same way God measures success. It happened on March 29, 2008, and I wrote it in my study journal the next day.

“I learned a principle that applies to life, especially my calling as E.Q. Pres, through an experience yesterday. The family and I went kite flying at the National Mall for the Smithsonian’s Annual Kite day. I had helped Jonas and January make a kite from a garbage bag, some small dowels, and duct tape. This was my first home-made kite, and the first time to fly one since I was a kid.

“When we got to the Mall I was determined to get the kite in the air, so I tried first. I tried for half an hour but only got the kite to go 20 feet high or so, each time watching it crash to the ground. For it to “count” for me, it had to be high, 50, 100, 150 feet. At least as high as everybody elses kites seemed to be. It wasn’t working like I wanted it to. After so long of failure, and Jonas’ constant asking and pleading to have a turn at the controlls, I finally relented.

“He got the kite, and after a few tries, it went 10-15 feet in the air. He was exstatic! “Look Mom! I’m flying a kite! Look how high it is!” It was just about low enough that I could jump up and catch it. But for Jonas it had reached as high as the Washington Monument.

“I realized, then, that he had a totally different perspective about flying kites than I had. To him, success was getting the kite into the air above his head for any length of time. I learned that sometimes we set our expectations for ourselves too high. We think success in something means one thing only. Sometimes, though, what the Lord expects is much different. I expect a 100 foot high kite while being EQ Pres in order to be successful. But the Lord may only want me to get the kite above my head for any moment of time. (I surely hope this is how He sees it, for that’s how I felt the whole time.”

The lesson is: Trust in the Lord for the measure of success. Let Him be the to determine the height of success. Let His perspective by my perspective.

The need for a restored Church of God

Mark 2: 21-22 gives an analogy for why the church of God needed to be restored. Jesus has been asked why his disciples do not fast, but those of John and the Pharisees do. Jesus responds with an analogy that those with a bridegroom do not fast, but only when he is not present. He then expounds, in the aforementioned analogy, that the bridegroom, referring to himself, will not be with the people always. But that he, Jesus, will return again. And when he does, it will not be to the same organization that is a remnant of what he left. As he says, new cloth should not be sewn into an old garment because the new cloth is stronger and will make the hole worse. New wine is not stored in old wine bottles (usually made of leather), because the old leather will not stretch as the wine expands during fermentation and will break the bottle.

Jesus shows that there will be an Apostasy or a time of separation from him and the truth when he says in Mark 2: 20, that the bridegroom will be taken away, and in that time they shall have to fast.

When the gospel and Christ’s church is restored to earth, it will need to be done in a new vessel. The truths restored would break the old church. It would not be able to support the changes needed to be made. They would not be able to support the restored gospel, rules, structure, mentality, organization and way of life required by Christ’s true church. A completely new structure was needed. Built from the ground up, piece by piece with someone in charge who was completely dependant upon Christ for direction and understanding. Why not take a young, barely educated boy and make him the leader and builder of the restored and eternal organization of Christ’s gospel?

James 3: 4 teaches that it is a small helm that guides a large ship. It must be a small and simple person to bring about the great restoration.

In 1 Nephi 16: 29, Nephi teaches us with the story of the Liahona, that it is by small means that great things are brought to pass when done with faith and diligence.

Alma warns in Alma 37: 7 and 41 that we must not forget that the Lord works by small means to confound the wise, and to use our faith and diligence in remembering this fact.

The Lord provides encouragement in a revelation (D&C 64: 33) to Joseph Smith on September 11, 1831. He counsels us to not be weary in doing good things, for it is by our small and simple acts that he brings about his great work.

Joseph Smith was the small and simple person, chosen by God to restore his church on the earth. He built the church anew, reestablishing the doctrines, ordinances, covenants and organization that had existed before, but were lost due to the Apostasy.

[Personal Study Journal, June 17, 2008]

Toothbrush Analogy

This was one of the previous posts…

These are thoughts I had once while thinking about members of my family who are inactive, and while brushing my teeth. I wondered if they will become more active as they get older, have kids, and realize the great things they missed out on.

Toothbrush Analogy

As a kid, you might not like brushing your teeth. For whatever reason, you’ve decided that it’s not for you. Your parents might have made you do it. You might not like the dentist visits: they make you feel uncomfortable, you might not believe the things they say, etc. Perhaps the thought of having to brush morning and night, day in and day out, no breaks, no holidays, just makes you upset. For whatever reason, you just don’t like to brush.

Well, one day you are going to realize the importance of teeth brushing. It might be as a kid, still, when you get 5 cavities that hurt like the dickens. You might realize that if you take care of your teeth you won’t get cavities and they won’t hurt. It might be as an adult when you have to pay for your own cavities, or when you have your own kids and have to pay for theirs. It might even be when you’re putting in your brand new set of dentures, that you finally realize that if you had taken care of your teeth, that you would still have some.

The Gospel is the same way. Whether you don’t believe, or don’t want to. Whether your parent’s made you go to Church and Seminary, or because you don’t like the bishop office visits, or because you have to live the commandments morning and night, day in and day out, no breaks, no holidays… Or for whatever reason you don’t.

There will come a day when you will have to acknowledge and finally realize that the Gospel is true. You will have to acknowledge that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church of God in these times. You will bow to your knees and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is your Savior, Creator, and Redeemer. The day may come when you feel the Spirit at a meeting you were forced to attend, or when you see a small miracle happen in your life. It may come when you are having hard times as an adult and finally humble yourself to God. It might come when you have kids of your own and you realize how much the Church and the Gospel and Christ can really do for you. It might even come after you die and are forced to acknoweldge the further existence of your spirit. It might be when you stand before Jesus Christ and take an account of all your thoughts, words, and deeds-good and bad-and are judged accordingly. Whatever the reason, one day you WILL realize the TRUTH.

Don’t wait for your teeth to fall out before you realize that brushing your teeth is a good thing. And don’t wait until you are standing before our Savior Jesus Christ to finally acknowledge that what you have been and are being taught is the truth. Gain a testimony now! Do the simple things to gain the greatest. Say your prayers, read the scriptures, live the commandments. Prepare yourself so that day may be a Great one and not a Terrible one.