Secular or materialistic success left many wondering if there was anything more; that there must to be more to life than just waking, eating, earning money, spending money, and sleeping.  Deism recently became the general belief, that God created the earth and then left his children alone.  Before the Awakening, people allowed their fatigue of life to keep them from church.  The Second Great Awakening began to attempt to answer questions and change these attitudes. 

In the 1820’s and 1830’s, New York experienced a “Great Revival” and from Albany to Buffalo, which became known as the “Burned-Over District.”  Kentucky experienced similar revivals in rural regions where religion filled in the place of weak political structure.  The purpose was to help people who already had a belief in Jesus to realize their sinful ways, repent, and come to Him for their salvation.

In addition to revivals, Communitarian believers created communities to solve problems they saw in American Society.  One example of these groups was the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearance, also known as Shakers, who were worried about slavery, bondage, and women being degraded in marriage situations with their only purpose to biologically create.  As a religious community they believed their founder, Anne Lee, was Christ returning in female form as the Holy Mother of Wisdom.  The communal life was based on strict equality of the sexes.  They practiced celibacy, separate communal living for men and women, to prevent the inequality of women in marriage.  They believed that everything they did was to worship God; their work ethic was affected by this attitude and they focused on making work easier for all people. With their innovative persistence they invented seed packets, clothespins to dry on clothes on line, flat brooms, and their famous furniture.

One thing most of the communitarian groups had in common was the religious issue of slavery.  These attempted utopian societies were created to try to internally fix inequality between men and women as well as slavery with no participation in that culture.  Ultimately the failure of these societies led to the Civil War, when peaceful religious means were not adequate in reaching a solution.  While the Great Awakening got people on the path of religious thinking and practices, it also elevated the tension of anti- and pro- slavery sentiments.

                The first, Lehi and His People Arrive in the Promised Land by Arnold Friberg, was a picture I had grown up with in the LDS church, but never really understood its relation to Christ.  With closer examination however, I saw Lehi looking toward heaven, suggesting a heavenly connection or gratitude.  The water is rough, but the Lord has safely carried his family across the ocean and brought them to the Promised Land.  The birds and the mountain on the horizon show how close they are to arriving and how much they have to be grateful for.  The sails are curved, golden material catching the wind and driving the vessel with the aid of the Lord.

                Next we saw The Rod and the Veil Franz M. Johansen.  The resin figures popped off the flat surface, one character’s feet hung below all the rest of the piece.  The figure on the right resembled the figure of Christ on the Cross, both arms outstretched.  His right hand reached underneath a veil, almost touching a rod that the other figure hung from.  The connection between Christ and the rod – usually symbolizing the scriptures, word of God, or personal revelation – seemed to suggest the necessity of clinging to not only what Christ left behind for us but also the atonement.

                At first glance, Daily Bread by Lee Bennion, appeared completely unrelated to Christ.  A somber looking woman wearing a brightly colored apron holds out a loaf of bread on it, with geraniums in the background.  The hands have an unusual pose, one curved as Christ’s is when showing his hands, the other as Mary’s hand is when pointing to Christ in another piece.  The Apron is similar to the description in Isaiah to the breastplate of righteousness, a protection or shield through Christ.  Bread is called the staff of life, and every week the sacrament bread is taken in remembrance of Christ’s body.

                Exchange by Ron Richmond displays two chairs in the center of the painting; on upright with a white cloth, the other overturned by a red cloth.  Immediately my thoughts turned to the scripture in Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow”.  The chair is like the throne of Christ.  Two more subtle elements of the painting are a dark rectangle behind the chairs which block of the point of horizon and give the sense of eternity, and a circle on the outer edge of the painting which creates a focal point and suggests all is encompassed in Christ’s atoning sacrifice.

                The last two paintings both were regarded parallel of the Prodigal Son.  An aspect of the parable that was brought clearer by these paintings by Edward John Poynter (The Prodigal’s Return) and Bruce H. Smith (The Prodigal Son) was the individual journey all must make to return to Christ.  Each individual on earth was given free-agency and inevitably makes decisions that cause them to turn away from Christ, yet he is anxiously waiting like the father of the Prodigal Son for us to return to him.

                For more information on the exhibit, visit: http://typesandshadows.byu.edu/FacultyResources.html

                What really struck me about the movie was the portrayal of the Africans.  For the majority of the film they apparently are slaves, speaking in their native tongue, and continuing their culture and customs.  The lighting and close-up camera angles give the connotation they are savages.  However, while they don’t change their identity, their reaction to their situation demonstrates great intelligence and understanding in a foreign country.  They adapt and survive when the people in control of their lives are inconsistent and harsh.  One of the men begins to study the pictures in a Bible and relates their situation to Jesus Christ.  He sees Jesus as a great man who performs miracles and people love and trust him, but then for apparently no reason crucify him.  He and his people were also accused of a crime they did not commit, victims whose lives are threatened by death.  He finds comfort in the picture of Christ’s resurrection and decides death may not be so bad.  During the one of the courtroom scene, the African leader stands up and repeatedly exclaims, “Give us Free!”  The power of his statement reverberates through the courtroom, a declaration at the foundation of the country’s principles.

                One of the characters implores John Adams for assistance in fighting the case.  He gives the advice that it has been his experience that the lawyer that tells the best story wins the case.  He then asks what the African’s story is.  When their origin is given, he replies “You know WHAT they are, Africans, congratulations. What you don’t know is WHO they are.”  This statement is a pivotal part of the plot, where these African slaves become real people, with individual histories, and they own life of trials and successes.  This reminder applies to all men and reflects what being created equal truly means.

  However, Adam Smith believed that the wealth of a nation should be defined by the lifestyle and standard of living of the people; instead of the government “stockpiling gold” the people should be producing and consuming.  In order to increase a country’s wealth they needed to increase the per capita income, focusing on the happiness and welfare of the people.  The wealth would be expressed in how much the people consumed within their means (not referring to debt). 

This model was based on consumer sovereignty, putting the economic choice into the hands of the people.  He thought this would start with a simple exchange between two individuals seeking self interest.  Both individuals would feel that the exchange benefitted them and was a voluntary act exercising freedom of choice.   His Invisible Hand Theory stated that if each individual is seeking self interest then the “invisible hand” will direct the competition and both producers and consumers will benefit, furthering the economy.  By allowing the people to choose, efficiency of producers would increase, prices of products would decrease, the quality of products would improve, and profits for products the people wanted would rise, all based on the created competition.  He realized while the exchanges may not be equal, both parties would benefit and both would have the freedom to choose not to participate if it goes against their self interest.  

Published in 1776, Adam Smith’s model for economic freedom came forth in Scotland at the same time the United States was forming ideas of political freedom.  Adam’s Market Economy was successfully implemented into America’s foundation between Washington’s inauguration and Jackson’s farewell 50 years later.

As Gutenberg lived in the Dark Ages, he tried to keep his invention secret because the public and the Catholic Church was leery of anything different.  When the Catholic Church did discover his work, they gave him permission to keep his press if he were to print the Bible for them, but it needed to be in Latin.  He then began the arduous process of creating all the Latin characters.  He developed ink, a mixture of linseed oil and lead and copper oxide to make the ink black.  He created inking balls covered with goose skin to apply the ink to the letters.  He built 6 printing presses and trained 6 teams of printers, assigning each group to a different task.  He printed 140 copies of the bible on paper and 40 on animal skin. 

The year 1450-1500 was called the “Out of the Cradle” Period.  20 million books were printed which brought Europe out of the Dark Ages.  This foundation led to the founding of the United States of America.  The six different printing groups Gutenberg trained spread out in Europe and established their own presses after he went bankrupt.  As people printed their ideas, religious differentiation became public.  When the colonists came to America, they brought and printing press with them to continue the circulation of ideas. 

Benjamin Franklin became an apprentice to his brother James for the “Boston Current” after he was persuaded by his father this was the way to continue his love of reading.  As he spent time surrounded by political ideas he developed his own opinions.  After his brother rejected his request to write for the paper, he began sending letters to the paper under the penname “Silence Dogood” until he finished expressing his ideas.  By age 16 Benjamin Franklin had become an accomplished printer, which usually took to age 21 or 22.  When his brother got in trouble with the law, he became the full printer, eventually starting the “Pennsylvania Gazette” at age 24.  This is only the beginning of Benjamin’s life.  He served in the military, participated in the creation of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, wrote America’s first joke book with “Poor Richard’s Almanac”, served as an ambassador for the United States, and made discoveries about the world around him.    

All of these events and men led to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.  Both a printing press and a book binder were in Palmyra, New York , possible with the building of the Erie Canal to ship the printing press on, when Joseph Smith finished the translation of the golden plates.  5000 copies of the Book of Mormon were initially printed, only taking an unprecedented seven months.  The same process used to print the Gutenberg Bible was used to print the Book of Mormon 400 years later.

The Crandall Printing Museum is in the process of expanding its size with the goal to be completed by next year.  All missionaries who enter the Missionary Training Center will have the opportunity to go through the museum before leaving for their mission area to have a solid foundation of the truly miraculous process it was to bring forth the Book of Mormon.   Donations are needed for the completion of the building.  For more information or to donate, please visit http://crandallmuseum.org/.

The Continental Congress that put forth the Declaration of Independence worked through many ideologies before ever considering the need to break away from Britain.  For them, the problems in the colonies simply needed to be resolved and then join again with their family in Britain with their rights as citizens restored.  The Declaration moved the colonial states into complete darkness with an uncertain future.  The states faced the largest naval power in the world with no navy themselves and an untrained militia, a war on their own land with their own families and possessions being killed and destroyed, demoralization with the addition of troops into their society, no protection from the Indians, potential slave revolts, and vulnerability to be subject to the rule of other countries.  The Founding Fathers themselves faced treason, the consequence being the loss of their own lives by hanging and quartering to embarrass and shame them, loss of their homes and possessions, leaving their wife’s and children with nothing, and their honor, being remembered for history as traitors to their country.  They knew of the imperfections of men, especially themselves.  They knew they needed a government that would protect the people from any form of tyranny, created by a single ruler or the majority.  The Founding Fathers were acutely aware that the decisions they made would affect the following generations, and they created a society where their intellectual class would be demolished because they followed their own self interests and they needed a government to protect them from themselves.  Sending that document across the ocean was a step toward the creation of the United States, but only a step.

After winning the Revolutionary war, the Articles of Confederation were established.  It was eleven years after the Declaration that the Constitution would be signed.  Thomas Jefferson was an ambassador in Europe, not present for the discussion of the new government.  John Madison led the way for the establishment of the government as it is today.  He studied modern and ancient governments, trying to understand what would bring the states together and give the newly freed country a world presence.  Aware that his influence would not be enough to unite the small and large states, he practically begged George Washington to reenter the political scene to help bring everyone together.  The state representatives’ plan upon arrival was to simply revise the Articles of Confederation, many with strict orders from their state to allow no major changes to the Articles.  Madison had the governor of Virginia present his plan which would entirely abolish the Articles of Confederation.  His ideas included the separation of powers into three branches with the representation of the population expressed in proportion to their votes, radically changing the current one state, one vote system.  His plan was not rapidly accepted, with the biggest objection from the small states that saw their power in Congress diminishing, going directly against their state legislatures.  The political debate saw proposals of the New Jersey Plan in addition to the Virginia Plan, and compromising one House votes based on population and the other one vote for each state.  The Founding Fathers spent months trying to come to a conclusion, eventually forming a committee to try and move forward with a compromise.  Even the most revered men like Benjamin Franklin had difficulties knowing and understanding the best path to lead the coun try on.  The end result is the constitution as it stands today, most similar to Madison’s plan, yet with the compromises became different than any other government to have existed in the history of the world.  The Founding Fathers knew their work was not perfect, but the formation of the country was a miracle and directed by God.

                 The people in Nephi’s time desired to have king rule over them.  Nephi, as a prophet of God, led them to the promised land, taught them to keep the commandments and law of Moses, raise flocks and herds of animals, make weapons based on the sword of Laban, defend them against the Lamanites, build buildings, work with wood and  precious metals and ores, build a temple, and be industrious.  His experience has a leader was numerous and the people saw him as an obvious choice for their king.  By choosing their prophet as the head of their government they chose a system that intertwined church and state.  The only one with reservations to the proposal was Nephi, who felt that if there was one wicked king he would lead all the people to iniquity.  The colonists on the other hand desired to overthrow their king under the principle of human rights.  They had become self-sufficient and created a society where men could improve their own life with hard work.  They wrote the Declaration of Independence with the grievances they suffered from their king, and believed that they deserved freedom and liberty to choose for themselves how to lead their personal life and country separate from a monarchy.

                The system of government between ancient and modern America also varied greatly.  The Nephite’s government had no system of checks and balances, no legislator, no taxation by popular assembly, and no representation of the common people.  The system established by the founding fathers had frequent elections by the people, separation of powers, a bicameral legislature, and popularly elected office assemblies to control the power.  Where one group of people fell toward the side of a single ruler, even with the attempt to establish a system of judges, the other group fell to the side of the power spread out among many people.

                Multiple times in the history of the Nephites, they were led out of captivity and protected by God, all according to their faithfulness and humility.  In response, they gave thanks to Him and retold of his deliverance to their posterity.  Those who were righteous knew to look to God as the source of strength and power for their civilization.  In contrast, the present American society looks to leaders and heroes as their source of success.  The Founding Fathers receive all the credit and criticism for the foundation of the United States Government.  Starting with George Washington who was a military hero as well as a political leader to now Barak Obama who is a political and social leader, these men, not God, are praised for the progress of the country.

                The Book of Mormon shows of an American Revolution where a group of people were fleeing from their captors, delivered by God, not military geniuses who overthrew a tyrant

In choosing “sober” as the description of the American Revolution, Martin Diamond conveyed an unusual perspective of the heroic Founding Fathers.  “Sober” means “not fanciful or speculative; based on facts and ration thinking rather than on speculation”.  During their time, almost every action they proposed opened to an uncertain future, yet they focused on one fact to guide them:  men are not perfect; they have weaknesses of human nature.  Unlike the many other revolutions that have occurred during the history of this world, the American Revolution did not follow Utopian ideas.  For this reason the Revolution would appear sober with its absence of mass killings to refresh the population and raise a new indoctrinated generation.  Instead, the Founding Fathers realized the need for a government that would safeguard principles from politicians who sought their own interests and protect the people from tyrannical rule while maintaining freedom and liberty.     

The Founding Fathers were also aware the majority of people would not understand the potential of the Declaration and Constitution until they experienced the new freedoms of choice.  The “self-evident truths” spoken of would not be recognized until individuals realized they had previously been limited in their agency.  The process of the Revolution was therefore slow but deliberate, allowing for protracted political debate.  The Declaration was written eleven years before the Constitution, by different authors, unheard of before this time.  The Declaration set out the principles of the country while the Constitution made a physical model of those principles and a sober reflection of them.  The Founding Fathers determined that it was necessary to have the people’s consent to the form of government established, although not a right to operate it once in place.  The initial weight on the shoulders of the earliest Americans to create an organization that would protect Americans from themselves is expressed in the duration of the process.

To further add to the soberness, the Founders formed a government that would force the end of their own social class of intellectuals.  They ended a system where people would no longer have time or financial means to spend their days in personal, expansive libraries studying philosophies and political thought.  There would never again be a group of men as intellectually studious with the ability to have dynamic effects on the social or political America.  They created a society instead equal in rights and agency, where all men would have the opportunity to be self-made.

Although not an eloquent speaker, John Adams spoke with passion and power of thought.  On July 1, 1776, he made the case for Indepence in the Continetal Congress in a debate against John Dickinson, a lawyer who felt determined offer reconcillation to Britian.  Before this debate however, John Adams had worked diligently to sway members of congress in his favor.  Knowing the political power of Virginia, John approached Thomas Jefferson, a Virginian Delegate, to write the Declaration of Independence.  He felt that Jefferson’s writing was superior to his own, Jefferson had more time to spend writing, and he knew of Jefferson’s passionite dislike of the British Empire.

As in the case of Jefferson, Adams knew how to place people during this dynamic time to create the results he needed.  After an encounter with George Washington who announced his duty to defend the Massachusettes Colony from Britain as a person living in America,  Adams proposed his name in the Continental Congress to lead what would be the Continental Army.  Adam’s foresight to place Washington at the head certainly saved Boston and prepared a capable first president of the United States.  In addition to working with people, he personally took action to see that necessary steps were taken to make the revolution successful.  When George Washington’s army needed supplies, he pled with the Congress until items such as cannons were delivered to Boston. 

John Adams saw beyond his own time in building the foundation of the nation.  He realized “lives of millions born and unborn” would be effected by the new government.  With that perspective, he was willing to sacrifice everything of personal importance for the good of the country.  The severity of committing treason would have resulted in his own humiliating death, the loss of a home for his family, and the loss of honor for himself and his family, and yet he felt strongly enough about doing what was right to risk everything. Even with his long term perspective, he faced challenges of such magnitude it is surprising he was able to lead the life he did; having a fleet of 400 British Ships off the coast of New York ready to destroy everything is intimidating at the very least!  But as many of the Father Fathers, Adams also believed God’s hand was involved in the founding of America, and the Revolution could not be stopped.

My response is fictional, but I hope that it may help the understanding of what slavery really means to the individual.

Caught, treated like an animal, I no longer feel like a human.  I am ill from the motion of the ship and lack of food.  All of my possessions were stripped away from me and my respect stolen by abuse.   The only part of me that remains is my thoughts, and even my courage to think diminishes each day.  I had a life with goals – now they remain to be dreams forever.  I hate the despair I feel; I never thought I would allow myself to surrender my hope – the one area of personal power that remains – yet it is water seeping through my fingers, impossible to hold onto.  The mental torture outweighs the physical pain I experience.  I’m surrounded by enemies, warring tribes not to be together.  To survive we must work together, and yet I feel so conflicted every time I overstep the traditions of my family.  I do not know right from wrong anymore, not in the details anyway.  I know that the rape, beatings, and murder surrounding me are wrong, but not if abandoning my beliefs and culture to stay alive would condemn me.  After all I have seen, death may be the right answer to all my questions.  So many have already perished by their own will or have been murdered along this retched journey.

Laying here in the darkness, day after day, I wish for even the monotonous tasks of my old life, my real life.  The want for what now are luxuries overcomes my very soul:  sunlight, clean water, real food, walking, communicating in my own languages, and my home.  I spent an unknown amount of time relishing in my memories recently; wandering the village, talking with friends while we worked, watching my brothers and sister play in the open air, and singing and dancing in the coolness of the night.  I desperately miss my family.  Separated during the raid of our village, I have no idea whether they are alive or dead. I hope they remain aloof from the suffering.  I hate what we as people have become: savages, just as the traders treat us.  I have seen friends and family turn on each other for self preservation, greed seeping into our hearts, and decency completely absent in our manners.  Very few of us on this ship still think of others, as the only unifying factor is this horrifying experience. 

My mind becomes burdened surrounded by languages unfamiliar to my ears.  I understand very little beyond hand signals and facial expressions.  The lack of intelligent conversation, or any conversation, slows the seconds to hours.  I feel as a stupid child, not comprehending the dialogue around me.  This one aspect only adds to the humiliation I have experienced.  We have been herded like cattle, forced to crouch over, relinquishing our dignity and control.  Feelings of rebellion are new to me, but I fear to express them.  Yesterday a small riot ensued against the crew, and those involved were punished severely, but they did not die.  I could not handle the torture or the loss of personal dignity, if I have any left.  I do not like how I have changed, how the world has become a nightmare, but I see no way to stop the downward spiral.