Saturday, June 21, 2014

"In a Nutshell" Discussion

We close out the first week of the Mormon Lit Blitz with an explosion...

Today's Piece: "In a Nutshell" by Doug Staker

This is not the way we usually talk about exaltation.

Shortly after my mission, I was called to teach Sunday School for a large class of 14-16 year-olds. One week, the lesson was on the plan of salvation, and after going through the standard diagram with circles for pre-existence, earth life, the spirit world, and the kingdoms beyond, I handed out paper and a big bucket of crayons and colored pencils and asked them each to think of a different way to draw that same journey.

I would love to see Doug Staker's plan of salvation diagram.

What do you think of this poetic piece of it?

How might you describe the relationship between mortality and eternity?

What role can literature play in studying the gospel?

7 comments:

  1. I loved this one! The whole image resonated with me because I love my miniscule darkness :) Also, I liked the idea of sitting in a bowl on the counter until it's time to be cracked. That makes it all sound so random, which is how it feels. "In the mood for complete transformation today? Not really. Oh wait, sure. I'll take a walnut." Craaack.

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  2. Oh, yes. Very nice. It reminds me of the quote about how the growth of a seed looks like total destruction if you don't understand what's happening. And that is what my own personal growth often feels like to me. Birth, rebirth, growth, resurrection ... it all takes us from our safe dark places into bigger brighter somewhat scarier futures.

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  3. Very nice poem. It reminds me of the quote about how the growth of a seed looks like total destruction of the seed if you don't understand what's happening. And that is what my own personal growth often feels like to me. Birth, rebirth, growth, resurrection ... it all takes us from our safe dark places into bigger, brighter, sometimes scarier futures.

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  4. Blinding light . . . I think I've felt that in small ways. Darkness can be so safe and comforting, predictable even. Powerful poem.

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