Reading

Our readings this week really helped to wet my appetite for the humanities, especially the message about the The Gospel Vision of the Arts. As this is my first semester at BYU it is still amazing and wonderful to me that the professors are allowed to combine the churches beliefs in their academic learning programs. One of my favorite sentences was, "What could be the result if discovery were made of equal talent in men who were clean and free from the vices, and thus entitled to revelations?" Something about it just thrilled me, maybe it was the idea of just what could be accomplished. Thinking of it is beyond my grasp because it's hard to imagine anything better than the best we've been exposed to. It's hard to know what better is, what kind of genre will the musician who is better than Bach write? What kind of painting will an even better painting be? Would I be able to tell the best violinist from the best already existing? President Kimball's message kind of makes me feel guilty for not striving to become the best. For not deciding that I need to be better than ordinary or good because I, along with other latter-day saints have the potential to become the best through inspiration. It's already hard to walk the line between pride and humility, and being the best at something would indeed be a great challenge in that regard. I like that the first presidency took the time to write a message to the saints, encouraging them to build themselves in all areas, not just the spiritual, but the physical parts of man's potential as well. I don't feel that I am meant to become really great at something, but no one ever will if everyone feels that way. I hope to someday hear Paginini's better, or read a play by Shakespeare's better.