The One with Thoughts from a Pearl...perfection...

The third installment...

Scripture: Moses 7:21

While many aspects of Mormon culture today benefit its members, such as service, a fair number also provide negative feedback. One such aspect is that which demands perfection now. Mormon culture teaches members that they ought to be perfect in every aspect of their life (and be humble about it) right now. Rarely, indeed if ever, does this teaching provide a benefit to members, but rather puts most in fear of acknowledging and/or admitting to their short comings for fear of rejection.

The One where I conform...sort of...

The version that I actually turned in...everything written in red is the how I would have answered the questions while under the influence of sarcasm...check back later to see how I turn this into an essay.

FIRST ARTICLE

What is the topic of your FIRST article?  (Eight words or less.)
For example: “The First Vision” or “The Joseph Smith Translation”

Abraham’s sojourn in Egypt  That one time that Abraham went to Egypt and lied about his wifey

What was the main thesis of this article?  (One sentence – three lines maximum.)

That by collating various sources of information about Abraham’s time in Egypt we can better understand not only Abraham himself, but also resolve seeming conflicts in his moral character such as when Abraham “lies” and calls Sarah his sister. That if you have the good sense to allow yourself to accept the Gospel as taught in the LDS Church you will quickly realize that we have access to better scriptures which clearly explain that everything Abraham did was an express commandment of God, even if your mother told you that lying is ALWAYS bad.

Summarize the top four points of this article.  (One sentence [two lines maximum] per bullet.)

·         The story of Abraham’s journey into Egypt as recorded in the Book of Abraham appears to predate all other accounts of the story. The version of Abraham's story as recorded in the Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price is not only the most correct translation, but also (if you need science on your side) the oldest and therefore the most correct. ·         Because of the above and the fact that the Book of Abraham records that God commanded Abraham to lie to Pharaoh, we can absolve Abraham of all wrong-doing.  Considering that  God commanded Abraham  to lie, as recorded in the Book of Abraham (the most correct of all records of Abraham) Abraham might still be a good guy. ·         While in Egypt Abraham used the Priesthood to heal Pharaoh, and because Pharaoh wanted the power and knowledge Abraham had he attempted to trade his throne for these. There's a random couple of paragraphs devoted to Abraham, the Priesthood, and whether or not Abraham taught the Egyptians astronomy.  ·         Many sources conclude that Sarah was, in some sense of the word, already Abraham’s “sister” and therefore telling this to Pharaoh was not a false statement. Even if you ignore the fact that Abraham was commanded to tell Pharaoh that Sarah was his sister, Sarah was in fact (by some definitions) his sister, so this was less of a lie and more ok.

Explain: (1) how this particular article is connected to the Pearl of Great Price, and (2) why you selected this article.  (Two sentences – four lines maximum.)

This particular article is directly connected to the Pearl of Great Price not only because it examines a story found there but the author also uses it as a direct source for his commentary. I selected this article because it met the minimum requirements established and the title caught my interest. This article is connected to the Pearl of Great Price because it talks about the Pearl of Great Price. I selected this article because it was the first one on the list when I searched for articles.

What was something new you learned from this article?  (Two sentences – four lines maximum.)

Something new that I learned from this article is that some ancient peoples has a process whereby a man’s wife could also become his sister. **This question I actually liked, I just wish I had more room to expound on the topic.**

What could the author do to extend the research for this article?
How could it improve the article?  (Two sentences – four lines maximum.)

As a method to extend his research for the article the author could have consulted other versions of the story of Abraham. This would improve the robustness of the article and it might improve the validity of the research among non-LDS circles, because currently the article almost summarily dismisses all records that do not agree with the Pearl of Great Price. If the author was any sort of real researcher he would have provided actual evidence for the things he was claiming instead of basing his claims on the word of so-and-so, as if we can trust him. This would improve the article hy making it actually a legitimate research article, instead of just giving it the appearance of one.

SECOND ARTICLE

What is the topic of your SECOND article? (Eight words or less.) 
For example: “The First Vision” or “The Joseph Smith Translation”

Joseph Smith’s translation of the Book of Abraham Is Joseph Smith a crazy man who has duped millions of people? (part 394,752,168)

What was the main thesis of this article?  (One sentence – three lines maximum.)

There are many questions to be asked about the Book of Abraham, but usually when the non-Mormon critics take a look at the matter they base their analysis on many false assumptions and use “facts” that have no or little credible base. Hugh Nibley believed that most people who criticize the Book of Abraham ought to just read the book and pray about it where they would discover that it was in fact true, accept that we don't know everything yet, and continue on their merry way doing useful things in life.

Summarize the top four points of this article.  (One sentence [two lines maximum] per bullet.)

·         When non-LDS scholars attempt to discredit the Pearl of Great Price, they often do so in ambiguous language and with poor understanding of true Church doctrine. Hugh Nibley believes that before you go around making accusations you ought to have all of your facts straight, especially when the Church has Hugh Nibley on its side. ·         Commonly among Egyptians any document that contained the words of Abraham would be considered an “original” and “by Abraham” regardless of who physically wrote on it. Hugh Nibley believes you ought to not get your knickers in a twist over the fact that the first manuscript says "original" and "by Abraham" those things have many meanings.  ·         Those attempting to discredit the Pearl of Great Price have recently begun to employ more sound arguments, however the Church maintains that we don’t know everything. Hugh Nibley applauds people that have recently gotten smarter and are using actual evidence in their attempts to prove the Pearl of Great Price wrong. ·         Furthermore, these arguments continue to be shrouded in misinformation in an attempt to sway the public against the Pearl of Great Price. Hugh Nibley believes that although some people have gotten smarter the Church still doesn't claim to know everything and so most of these arguments are invalid.

Explain: (1) how this particular article is connected to the Pearl of Great Price, and (2) why you selected this article.  (Two sentences – four lines maximum.)

This particular article is connected to the Pearl of Great Price because the article centers on the argument of non-LDS scholars against the validity of the Book of Abraham. I selected this article because I am interested in attempts to discredit the Pearl of Great Price, and I was particularly interested to discover how Hugh Nibley addressed the topic. This article is related to the Pearl of Great Price because it talks about the validity of the Pearl of Great Price. I selected this article because it was the first one the list by Hugh Nibley, and who wouldn't want to read a Hugh Nibley article?

What was something new you learned from this article?  (Two sentences – four lines maximum.)

Something new that I learned from this article is how ancient Egyptian and Hebrew ideas of authorship differ, and are similar, to modern ideas of authorship. Anciently any copy of a work that was either physically written or commissioned by a person remained the “original” and “by the hand” of the first person, which is similar to current ideas of “copyright”. **See the above**

What could the author do to extend the research for this article?
How could it improve the article?  (Two sentences – four lines maximum.)

To extend the research for this article the author could use more recently available articles that have more thoroughly investigated the origin of the Joseph Smith papyri. This would improve the article because it would provide a better base from which to disprove those attempting to discredit the Pearl of Great Price. Because Hugh Nibley has since passed away he now has access to all knowledge and could speak with authority on the subject. This would improve the article because who (in their right mind) is going to argue with an angel?

Study Abroad Peru 2013: May 1: Day 5, Part 2 (Cusco)

For lunch we went down to the soccer stadium. While there we met some kids with a soccer ball and a few of us started a match with them. Even though the kids were about half of our height, they had great ball handling skills and significantly more energy than we did. Because it was a holiday (Labor Day) all of the kids were out of school and our match drew many of them to play and watch.

Just hanging out with our new hairdressers.
Please excuse my blindingly white skin.

Some of the little girls decided to sit right behind us and watch. (Possibly based on their knowledge that we had candy, and would probably hand it over at some point) This eventually turned into a them braiding our hair. Almost all Peruvian women have long beautiful hair worn in one or two long simple braids, so their little girls know how to braid earlier than most American girls. They were very talented and not at all afraid to yank hair exactly where they wanted it to go.

The One where I flashback to the second grade...

Each year as I moved from grade to grade I always thought to myself that I had grown, if even in some small way. That in getting to say that I was now a third grader, sixth grader, ninth grader, college freshman, or college senior I was now going to be judged by a higher standard and would now have to prove myself to be a better person than I had before. So naturally I approached my classes this semester expecting to be challenged in new ways. I only worried that my Anthropology 101 class would have such a rigid structure that it would bore me, instead I found just enough wiggle room to make the class my own and actually enjoy the experience. What I didn't expect was what came at me from my 300-level religion class on the Pearl of Great Price. In that class I found a rigidity, structure, and total commitment archaic teaching methods that I had feared from my Anthropology class.

I can deal with most of that. I understand that there is a large group of teachers who believe that students only learn through thoroughly reading the dictated material and then having an in-class discussion. I completely disagree, but I understand that this is the method they were taught, and they aren't the type of people to question the methods and knowledge handed down to them from on high (or the past). The part of this class that completely caught me by surprise and absolutely blew me away was one assignment in particular.  The "Gospel Scholarship Assignment" (seems innocuous, yes?) essentially requires the student to find, read and report on two scholarly articles related to the Pearl of Great Price. GREAT! THAT assignment I can do, what can't I do?

 I can't sit idly by and let the above assignment, which might actually teach me something and let me develop a personal connection to a topic I find interesting in the book of scripture I am currently studying, turn into something I last saw in the second grade...a worksheet. Go back, read that sentence again. Yes, I really said that a WORKSHEET! When was the last time you filled out a worksheet? I am going to hazard a guess that it was in about the second grade. And then, after filling out said worksheet you took the information found there and turned it into the higher form of academic synthesis more commonly known as an "essay". But no, this assignment is to simply fill out the worksheet.

All of the times over the last week or so as I have attempted to complete this assignment, I have been reduced to a helpless wordless rage that mostly resulted in copious consumption of Dr. P and Psych episodes. (Well, the rage wasn't that wordless, but I try to not use those words...I try to carefully articulate my opinions...) But now that the deadline has come I have finally sat down and just filled out the ______ (choose the adjective of your choice that means "a waste of my precious time") worksheet. However, I got part of the way through (to the question that asks why I choose that particular article to read) when I realized the worst part of this assignment: THERE ARE POINTS ASSIGNED FOR TAKING THE ASSIGNMENT SERIOUSLY. At that point I faced a serious dilemma, one of my most frequently employed tactics for dealing with the things I decide are a waste of time is sarcasm, (Just ask my capstone coach Jim, but that's a story for another time.) but clearly that wasn't going to fly here if I wanted all of the points...and I am hardwired to want ALL of the points. After about an hour of deliberation I eventually conceded to the part of me that wants all of the points, with the caveat that I was going to write this blog post to expose the lunacy of this assignment.

So here I am, writing this post solely to help myself feel better. I don't expect anyone in the Brigham Young University Religion Department to be paying enough attention to a lone student to sit this professor down and explain that this kind of assignment it to up to par. That this kind of assignment is not in line with the BYU mission statement which says that my time at this institution should be

"a period of intensive learning in a stimulating setting where a commitment to excellence is expected and the full realization of human potential is pursued". 

 (See BYU's mission statement here.)

At any rate if you are curious to read the actual assignment (and how I would have liked to fulfill the assignment, because that's how passionate I am about this) stay tuned. I'll be posting these in between my regularly scheduled posts. (So don't worry if you come back tomorrow and there is a post about Peru or something...I'm significantly more stubborn than someone who would let it drop like that.)

Study Abroad Peru 2013: May 1: Day 5, Part 1 (Cusco)

Propane stove in Mattinga.

Today started out pretty early (if you haven't sensed my hatred of mornings...you aren't paying attention) as we were trying to get up to Mattinga in time for lunch at 10am. We recorded lunch at the house of the President of Mattinga and the house of another woman named Ide.

We learned many interesting things from her. Ide had a traditional cookstove, a rocket stove, and  propane stove. **TECHNICAL NOTE: A "rocket stove" can mean slightly different things to different people, in this case I just mean a stove with an extra hole to provide more air access to the fire and hopefully increase combustion. This is different from traditional Peruvian stoves which only have a small opening on the front for fuel and oxygen.**

The One about New Technology and New Ideas...

This is the second installment in the series of random anthropology papers...

Our history of the world shows us that undoubtedly the world has changed since its conception.

Photo Credit: Lisa Brewster via Flickr

As the world changes with, what appears, to many, as, an increasingly rapid pace, some have begun to question how new technologies develop, how new ideas develop and how these relate to changes within the lives of individuals. Clearly both new technologies (hardware and software) as well as new ideas (the applications) come from human thought, however that transition takes place, technology to ideas or ideas to technology, it clearly depends on people believing in a different social norm. Each transition then alters the way that the rest of the world lives as they shift to accept the “new norm”. Recent changes to the computing market clearly illustrate the process from technology to ideas and ideas to technology, with each changing the world in its own way.

By the late 1900s IBM had established its monopoly on the computing world. [1] They had built their company, and success, on ideas proposed by anthropologists and thinkers like Karl Marx and Michel Foucault. Marx and Foucault, along with others, believed that those who controlled the knowledge had power over everyone else. [2] IBM thought that this meant they would always control the computing market because they controlled, essentially, the “knowledge” of the technology. [1] However, they did not account for the possibility of change brought about by those who Anthony Giddens said “might choose to act contrary to a shared idea or practice” despite the social consequences for doing so. [2] Thus opening the door for people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to use the knowledge (or technology) from IBM and apply it to a “new” area, the personal computer. Because these men had a vision for a different sort of normal, the one where every person had access to their own computer, the acted contrary to the idea put forth by IBM that only large corporations needed/used computers. Gates and Jobs further opened the arena of personal computing by taking old technologies, from Xerox for example, and applying it to their new idea. [1] Further illustrating that because they did not care about any social consequences of using this knowledge, they were able to create, and perpetuate, this new idea of a personal computer. One of those social consequences they did not account for was creating a new generation of tech companies that do not make people products they already know they want, rather they open entirely new markets for products the general population had not yet conceived possible.

One of those companies is Qualcomm. Long before the age of the “smart phone” engineers at Qualcomm worked to develop the technology that not only allows people to talk on the phone, but to transmit any sort of message over any distance, and to make founder Irwin Jacobs’ idea of a palm pilot strapped to a wireless telephone a reality. Here again the people perpetuating the social changes not only ignored all social convention, but also the current technological paradigm which said it could not be done. Thomas Khuhn theorized that “individual minds are intimately connected with the events of the world and the thoughts and actions of other people”. [2] As Qualcomm and its partners took a new idea and developed the new technology needed to make it a reality they forced a shift in the entire world’s technological paradigm. Further Qualcomm, as well as Apple and Microsoft, proved Karl Marx wrong when he proposed that only those with the media resources could control the available knowledge. [2] These companies harnessed the greatest power to spread social change, we, the people.

All of these new tech companies defied the paradigm of the time and brought new ideas and technologies to the world. Subsequently they contorted to the best resource available to them, word of mouth, and forced the world into the reality that best suited them. These companies used the ideas articulated by anthropologists, such as Mikhail Bakhtin and Michel Foucault, to suggest, and then insist, that everyone needs their own computer and cell phone. Bakhtin and Foucault theorized that a direct interaction between how one person thinks and lives to how another person thinks and lives. [2]

No matter which transition studied, Gates’ and Jobs’ technology to idea or Jacobs’ idea to technology, both have similarities in terms of how they came about and how they affected change in the daily lives of people all around the world. Both transitions insist that only those willing to challenge the status quo have the vision needed to change the world and further only those willing to turn around and use the principles of “normal”, that they fought against in the beginning, can force this technology on the world.
Works Cited

[1]	R. Cringley, Director, Triumph of the Nerds. [Film]. United States of America: Public Broadcasting Station, 1996.
[2]	D. Crandall, A Short Introduction to Anthropology, Provo: Brigham Young University, 2005.