At a Break

Today is the lull before the storm.

Yesterday was a very cathartic day.  I went to Chemistry, as always (every day at 8am!), came home, and saw an email that told me I had won the Freshman Learning in the Light of Faith essay contest.  Guidelines can be found at the essay contest website.  Yes, there is a grand prize of $500.  Winning was totally unexpected!  41 essays were entered.  Here is the essay, written the day before the deadline:

Quandary

It is soot black. Rural Idaho has no streetlights; one would be hard pressed to say the two-rut weed patch meandering around the country is any sort of a road, let alone a street.  No moon shines.

If the outside is soot, inside the garage is soot burned a thousand times over, coated with pitch, ensconced in the blackness of a glistening stallion, and laying at the bottom of a five hundred foot pit.  Black as night.  Blacker than night.

Stumbling through the garage, my toe is stubbed by an unknown solid.  By feeling around with hands I can deduce the texture and shape of a wooden box.  Why is it there?  What purpose does it serve?  I can’t tell in this overwhelming darkness.  Everything seems jumbled up, patternless. 

Secular scientists the world over comfortably establish the metaphorical ground on which they stand and then reach out into the darkness carefully until touching something.  By feeling around the object they may deduce various physical properties about the object or even its identity.  However, there is no illumination.  It is meekness as a disciple-scholar that allows one to bring the lights up and see not only the box but also how it fits into the garage’s overall pattern.

First year biology, Brigham Young University.  Evolution unit.  Nobody is late for today’s class: Discussion on Science, Evolution, and Creationism.  Apparently there are not many people disinterested in this subject; most, like me, are listening intently.  As we read the BYU evolution packet I remember Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s assertion that “Restoration theology is expansive, not constraining” (Maxwell 6).  I must remember to keep an open mind about evolution and the processes whereby organisms adapt.

Scientists have documented natural selection really happening.  During a drought on Isle Daphne Major of the Galápagos, medium ground finches’ beaks increased in depth considerably, heightening their ability to survive eating harder seeds (Freeman 506-08).  Over time, this natural selection leads to evolution.  The process is occurring.  The problem I was left to grapple with is how this process fits into the larger plan presented by the Bible and Book of Mormon, which I know are true with far more certainty than evolution.  How is this reconciliation possible?

The answer is through meekness.  Both Maxwell and Cecil O. Samuelson Jr. cite meekness not as just one of many characteristics of a disciple-scholar, but as the chief characteristic of a disciple-scholar (Maxwell 12-15; Samuelson 44).  Nephi, the Book of Mormon prophet, is a quintessential example of meekness.

While journeying in the wilderness, all of Lehi’s sons lose the use of their bows.  When Lamen, Lemuel, and even the stalwart Lehi murmur, Nephi humbly makes another bow and asks his father, “Whither shall I go to obtain food?” (1 Nephi 16:23).  This meekness is one of the characteristics of Nephi that qualifies him for his glorious vision in chapter 11.  Nephi’s vision sheds light upon the mysteries of Lehi’s dream.  The big picture is shown and the individual events are explained.

At the end of the lecture the only pragmatic statement on evolution was that Adam and Eve are the primal parents of our race.  At first I wished something more tangible could be given out, but perhaps this quandary is best put to rest by the words of a wise roommate on the subject: “It’s not hard.  That’s what faith is all about.  You know the important stuff; you don’t need to know everything yet.”

Still dark.  Almost as quiet.  Unable to get anywhere without running into another quite-solid object, I call out quietly.  To my surprise, the deep baritone tone of my father’s voice rings out strong and true.  “I’ll get the light, son.”

Gradually, light fills the room from the dimmer switch.  A path materializes out of the darkness and confusion melts away.  Noticing my interest at the suddenly clear box, my father reminds me, “That’s our Christmas box I made.”  The box fits neatly into a clear grid pattern.  As I thread my way through the narrow, before-unseen path, my father puts his arm around me and together we walk inside.  I don’t yet need to see what else I could have bumped into.

Secular science explores boxes in the dark.  I would rather explore boxes in the light with the Maker close by, exploring the ones that He tells me about, listening to how the box fits into the larger pattern, and meekly trusting Him explicitly.

Works Cited

Freeman, Scott. Biological Science. 2^nd ed. New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005.

Maxwell, Neal. “The Disciple-Scholar.” Learning in the Light of Faith. Ed. Henry B. Eyring. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1999. 1-18.

Samuelson, Cecil O. Jr. “The Importance of Meekness in the Disciple-Scholar.” Learning in the Light of Faith. Ed. Henry B. Eyring. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1999. 35-48.

On top of that great news, I took our Chemistry test and was very pleased with my score on the multiple choice section.  What I love about Chemistry is the sense of wonder emanating from our professor.  He truly sparks that natural curiosity about the world in his students.  I was wondering the other day about the hard water deposits on our glasses after we do the dishwasher.  Having just studied about solubility and acid-base reactions I was curious as to how detergent manages to tie up ions in the water.  I learned that the harder the water, the more detergent needs to be used.  Knowing what I know now I can equate that to Ksp and the five solubility rules.  I would be interested to learn more.

After the test I played some Super Smash Bros., which I haven't done for a while.  It was quite fun.  After that I took some soup up to a girl in our ward who is sick, then went to eat dinner at the all-you-can-eat cannon center (or cancer center, as my biology professor calls it).  Stuffed, our Freshman Academy community walked to the Marriott center, where one of our roommates performed in a celebration of Christmas with folk dances around the world.  Very fun.  After that I was privileged to go to the creamery with some friends, then come back and play catch phrase.  Overall, a very, very good day.

Today there is hardly anything going on.  Tests and assignments are mostly over.  It is the slow inhalation of air before the "final" push.  Finals are the week after next and everything is wrapping up in classes.

Furhermore, I got my Elks Lodge Scholarship form turned in a couple days ago and they just notified me that the Byrd scholarship checks are on their way.  These are both beneficial to my financial situation at college and I was excited to hear about them!

Until next time,

Sean

Lanahans Round 2

Once again it becomes necessary to turn again to governmental politics for tomorrow.

James Ceaser/Andrew Busch - Red Over Blue

The elections of 2000, 2002, and 2004 brought with them a major increase in Republican leadership. There are four major policy dimensions: the economy, welfare issues (health, education, etc.), national security, and what has variously been called "social" or "moral" concerns. The red-blue divide leads to dichotomous thinking. The gender and race gaps in voting are closing, and more and more it is the issues that take the lead in polarization. The political realignment theory discuss before is attacked by David Mayhew. Ceaser and Busch take a less "dramatic" version of the realignment theory and apply it to the election of 2004. Conservatism has gained enormous ground. To me this means that our country has become like a prevelent female attitude (females, please take no offense from this) - trying to get to age 20 or so as fast as possible, then spending the rest of her life trying to remain that age. Same with conservatism and our country.

Earl Black/Merle Black - The Rise of Southern Republicans

This is mostly about the Solid Democratic South and its shift. The shift in the south toward Republicanism has "restored competition to America's presidential politics [and] revitalized congressional politics." There was a Great White Switch when Congress passed the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The South has become a most important high stakes component of the national two-party war.

John White - The Values Divide

The twenty-first century is an intensely personal political realm. The value divide between liberals and conservatives over lifestyle issues has become a chasm. There is a huge difference between those who attend church and those who don't. Duh. According to White, values matter today more than ever, but politics can't cope.

Mark Monmonier - Bushmanders and Bullwinkles

Gerrymandering and remapping are discussed in this segment. And I'm tired...and I'm done with this segment. Sorry for the lame post, but I'm...really...tired.

Lanahan Readings...Again

Mr. McKeehan is really loading it on us now. We have to read eight excerpts from our Lanahan book, four sections out of our book, complete two+ online political ideology surveys, then write a three page paper on it...all by Wednesday. Today's Monday.

So here goes...I've already read a few excerpts and done the essay, so this will be relatively short.

V.O. Key - Public Opinion and American Democracy

Key attempts to explain the relation between people's opinions and the political leadership's opinions. In his opinion public opinion is useful as a parameter the ruling elite can maneuver in. This concept refers to what Key calls "Opinion Dikes." He says this because public opinion never exercises any initiative. It is more static. He finishes by saying the responsibility for indecision, decay, and disaster rests with the opinion-leader group because they influence public opinion, which in turn provides broad ideals of what is acceptable for governmental leaders to accomplish.

Lawrence Jacobs/Robert Shapiro - Politicians Don't Pander

The title says it all. The authors argue that politicians create a version of public opinion that coincides with their own objectives, and the media takes this view and makes it appear to the public that the politician's version of public opinion is in fact true public opinion. Gradually this effect shapes public opinion itself into what politicians want. The authors say that only the "heat of an imminent presidential election and the elevated attention that average voters devote to it motivate contemporary politicians to respond to public opinion and absorb the costs of compromising their policy goals." This seems to suggest that parties have different agendas and policy goals than do the people, which is a reasonable assumption. Politicians use to crafted words to simulate responsiveness. They create the appearance of responsiveness.

Walter Dean Burnham - Critical Elections and the Mainsprings of American Politics

Walter Dean Burnham talks about "critical realignments" and several key characteristics of this types of elections. First, they are associated with short and intense disruptions of traditional patterns of voting behavior. Second, the elections are characterized by abnormally high intensity, including the intensity of ideological polarizations. This intensity causes incumbent leadership to become more dogmatic, which in turn contributes to the intensity. Abnormally high voter turnout is also present. These realignments are like a train going slightly off course and then snapping back on to the rails with a bang. They occur with startling periodicity. These realignments are the result of the inability for parties to make gradual adjustments along vecotrs of emergent political demand.


That's all for tonight, folks.

Low Stress! Wahoo!

Today in AP English we had our gargantuan day. We totally finished our vocabulary book, turned in our take home Jane Eyre test, wrote two essays on Jane Eyre in class, took a Barron's How to prepare for the AP English Test vocabulary test, turned in a three page paper I wrote yesterday on a play I read yesterday (Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller), and thoroughly enjoyed being released from class. So now a load has been released. I just have to work on the two websites, listen to Jazz, eat ice cream, and prepare for Preference tomorrow.

I mean, Prefernce.

Jane Eyre

I am taking a test on Jane Eyre right now and I found this quote that I thought I would share:

After marrying Mr. Rochester, Jane goes to spring the news on the servants, and says,

"The housekeeper and her husband were both of that decent, phlegmatic order of people, to whom one may at any time safely communicate a remarkable piece of news without incurring the danger of having one's ears pierced by some shrill ejaculation, and subsequently stunned by a torrent of wordy wonderment."

These are the kind of people you want to hang around with. ;)
I really enjoy the way this book is worded. The eloquence of the novel cannot be said to be readily available in the modern world. I feel that more writers should aspire to this type of writing.

Now back to work. I have to finish this take home test, read "The Death of a Salesman", then write a three page paper on it. Today. At least I don't have to get my Sterling Scholar binder ready for tomorrow! I'm looking forward to the completion of all of these assignments!

LDS-ity

Well, today I wasted a TON of time when I should be reading Jane Eyre for tomorrow's AP English test. I guess that's what comes having the LDS website as my homepage. They just released a new website that talks specifically about Jesus Christ. That led me to go to the LDS Tech site forums, which then led me to reading several pages on Mormon.org and then I read some pages on this Gordan B. Hinckley website and this one as well. Then this and this Thomas S. Monson website. Then I wondered about the More Good foundation, which sponsored the last four websites, and so I signed up there, then followed a link to LDS.net, and signed up there, which had this interesting news story. I also watched a small video on that website which talked about how to blog, which is what inspired me to write in mine. Now I've got to go read prepare for the test tomorrow, but first...some ice cream.

Essays and the Nature of Us

I am horrible at writing essays. I try to have a catchy opening, and I fail miserably. I try to add in details that add substance, and I fail miserably. I cannot express my ideas in writing very clearly. Maybe clarifying some ideas on this blog will help me to create a strong essay.

I've been working on an essay about us as humans. Where is our intellect stored in relation to the "real world"? It is my belief that our minds, our intellects, ourselves are held seperate from the reality of realness by a barrier, through which brick pinpricks of light break through and serve as channels for information. These channels are our senses. No mortal human can in full measure understand the purest nature of reality because our senses are always there, acting as an interface into our brains. Reality itself as humanity and mankind sees it is just the result of collective translation of reality to a form our brains can understand. For example, the taste of something is just a property of something that is so real we cannot comprehend it. Our taste takes that property of the real object and transforms it into something our brains can understand; we only perceive it as taste. All matter is energy, and all energy is linked somehow, but we cannot understand that because our brains can only see through those little pinpricks of light in the isolating barrier, or membrane...or...perhaps...veil? All matter has certain properties that can only be sensed and acted upon by our bodies. Perhaps matter as we know it is just energy with a few more properties than pure energy. Perhaps all energy has certain properties; in the case of most matter that we can sense, the property of the ability to be sensed by the senses that we have could be a property (yeah, you might need to read that sentence one more time). Everything is linked, but the intelligences that were organized before the world was as independent, free willing agents sit isolated, taking streams of input from several channels and acting out its decisions through several channels like muscles.

The next important concept is deciding whether our consciese selves, the thoughts that we can think, are part of this independent mind or part of the output of this independent mind, and we have some sort of sensor in our brain that senses the output of our souls/ourselves to our minds and repeats the message? Is there a distinction between what is truely the most pure form of us and the mind and consciese that we can feel every day? In other words, is there another component besides just our physical bodies and brains and the electrical impulses therein? Of course, we know the answer to that. There is - our spirit and our body are two different things.

OK, I'm sorry I can't explain stuff better. However, it was good to philosophize. Who knows - I might be incorrect on all this stuff. Remember, it's just a theory, and completely subject to change.