Lovely...

Knowledge 3


MONTHS ago I got to go to my lovely beehive, Shea's, middle school performance of Beauty and the Beast.  I meant to pass off "knowledge 3" at that time but it slipped away from me.  This morning I memorized (again) the 13th article of faith and thought the time was perfect that I write my thoughts now.  I've seen the real difference between things that are virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy... and things that are not.

As for Shea in Beauty and the Beast... TALK ABOUT praiseworthy and lovely!  How wonderful to see VERY young people working so hard, extending their talents, growing friendships and sharing with others despite nerves, etc.  It was an uplifting experience for all of those who were involved.  Shea was outstanding!  I also know that from a friendship she had in that production she was able to do missionary work and bring a friend to girls camp.  Talk about cool!

I was also able to see the show Tarzan at the Arizona Broadway Theater.  This was people maybe 10-15 years later who have since polished their talents and are sharing them on a grander scale.  It was an uplifting show, however , I could sense that as the years go on, people got lost.  Some of the choreography was edgy- men dancing like women, which seemed only to offend my family and I, and no one else in the audience.  It's sad to sit in a family show and be "forced" to pretend it was OK.  The virtuous and lovely potential of that show was diminished for maybe 4 minutes of dancing. I am truly beginning to see how the 13th article of faith is a perfect measuring tape, particularly for entertainment.

Now we are in Las Vegas for the summer.  We got here 2 days ago and decided to do the Las Vegas Blvd Strip to see the water show, pirate show, all the lights, etc.  I was SEARCHING AND SEARCHING for things of virtue.  They are VERY scarce.  We had family home evening and went out for our activity, and it was truly a terrible way to end our family home evening.  Pornography, alcohol, rude behavior, money, etc. saturate this town.  I really wanted to have fun and ignore it, but as latter-day saints, we cannot.  We KNOW better.  We believe in being HONEST, TRUE, CHASTE, BENEVOLENT, VIRTUOUS, and in DOING GOOD TO ALL MEN.  We won't be going back there.

We've been trying to teach Olive about things that are "lovely".  I love that word and so does she.  Princesses are lovely after all.  We try to teach about being lovely in DRESS and BEHAVIOR and SPEACH.  It's helped keep me in check as well!

I'm so grateful to know of these things.  I'm grateful to have seen the bad, so that I can remember how much more LOVELY and, quite frankly, more FUN wholesome things are.  It uplifts my spirit!  I know these things are true and I say them in the name of my Savior, who is the loveliest, Jesus Christ, Amen.