A Little Compendium of my Thoughts
_{The random stuff that comes out of my brain from time to time...}

*It is fall here this weekend. Chilly and drizzly and windy. Even when it warms up, it no longer feels like summer.*

Man... actually, I really miss that, as strange as it is. But I'm looking forward to seeing the snow again.

*Were you aware of gangs here in Seattle? The eastside?*

They were jokes... there were "gangs," even a couple serious ones, but compared to really anywhere else, they didn't really do anything, not until you got around the Tacoma area. Everyone was to chill to shoot each other about drugs.

*Either that or not being attached to things, as in not worrying about them. Being able to accept that things are transitory and not needing "things." Finding joy in life, not the things you have in life. *

**Attachment can go far beyond 'things' though. I think even more significant can be attachment to thoughts, emotions, addictions... When we are attached to the way we think things 'should be', unless that something is God's will, chances are good there will be suffering... "Shoulds" are maybe the biggest attachments of all.**

Hmm... I think you're right. I hadn't considered that before. We get attached to our paradigms and opinions and don't want to let them go. Probably also to nostalgic memories of how things "used to be" and how much "better they were." Everything changes from moment to moment and can never be the same. Fighting that fact is not only rather useless, but will bring struggle=suffering. Interesting...

* Old age, huh? I already feel old enough, being 20... I'm kind of afraid what's going to happen when I hit 40 :p

**You'll be translated? (you've always been an 'old soul'. This goes along with the soul-level-9 thing... :-)**

I can live with that. No pun intended.

Yes, we'll have to go to the Jordan River Temple... the two new ones in the valley only have the baptismal jumpsuits; everything else you'll have to buy. It's actually been a big problem; a lot of people here don't have their own temple clothing.

* Wow... I wasn't aware, actually. And you're right; there ARE good things that come out of Utah :p You will find people who are very much converted to the Gospel, and *get it.* Like this lady... I just wish we met them more often.

*Do you think the percentage of the not-truly-converted is higher in Utah? or just more obvious since there are just so many more of them? So many not-really converted, or don't-remain-converted everywhere...*

I think there are more... there are plenty who do, but it seems that they're the minority, unfortunately. At least with the white folk; the Hispanics are often more genuinely converted.

*Am not sure what to think about our church meetings - especially Sacrament Meeting. We spent the bulk of church today practicing for the Primary Program. The kids could hardly stand it by the end (it was long - nearly 2 hours of rehearsal). Several of the ones sitting around me totally didn't want to participate ("I *hate* the Primary Program!") - I came away completely exhausted. No one I know really likes watching the Primary Program, and so many kids don't like doing it - again, I wonder why we do it? I'd kinda like to attend some black Southern Baptist mostly-musical meetings.*

I think we do a lot of things because we think we are supposed to... it's tradition/culture in the church. And a big problem that I can see is that for people born into the church, it's completely taken for granted; you don't understand or value what it teaches or does. Example, Marco, the boy who was baptized about a month ago, got infuriated at a boy in his class who said that he didn't want to pray, and quite upset at another girl who didn't treat the scriptures with respect (tossing them, not being careful). Marco is only 8 years old. To him, the things that he's learned, like reading the scriptures, praying, going to church, are sacred. To the other children, not at all.

So I think the problem lies on both sides. WE as people don't understand or appreciate a lot of what's done, and I still do think that the church culture is so DARN dry and joyless a good deal of the time. And I don't think that dryness is an eternal principle either, but rather the culture which dominates church at this point.

*C.S. Lewis may be in the apostate Christian category by some, but he sure is quoted a bunch in General Conference... So *someone* doesn't think he's apostate...*

I was making a joke :p

*I'm glad that you will probably scholarship to BYU - but there will still be living expenses, and graduate school, etc*

I'm planning on spending as little on living as possible (living with the grandparents has actually become really appealing) and I'd always been planning on paying for my own graduate school, actually... hopefully I'll be able to.

*And yes, I think our understanding of God/dimensions/creation/life after death is only the barest, most surface scratch possible... Makes this current existence feel fairly surreal...*

Whenever I start to really ponder and *think,* life really does feel surreal... There was one point in Junior High when I started to think and think about the idea of time, and it got to the point where it actually didn't even make sense to me, that time is linear and transitory. Then something happened, I had to interact with the real world again, and life went back to normal. But whenever I really do sit down and think, I always find that this existence is very much a tiny portion of what really is. Like a dream, almost.

*Being aware of so much beyond this current existence (as you many times are) does sometimes make it more difficult to 'be here'. Thus, the more we can learn to find joy in our 'here'/temporal lives, the better off we are I'm sure. I think this life is supposed to be a *good* experience, even if not an issue/opposition free one. Maybe that's the reason the veil is so important and prevalent - otherwise we might be more miserable and homesick and not 'play along' with this existence.*

I generally really don't like 'playing along' with existence... it's boring and awfully harsh. But I think you're exactly right, we are to have *joy.* And like we said, some times these are not statements, they're commandments ("let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid..."). I think that's part of our job here on the Earth; to learn to find joy in life.

*How did the Elders take muscle-testing, etc...? (some people, especially heavily cultural Mormons, really freak out about this energy stuff...)*

They were all really chill about it, actually, which surprised me. One was very freaked out until I explained and supported what I said with the scriptures. Most of them couldn't muscle test, though. Not sure why.

Oh, by the way, could you send me some information about Chakras? Where they are, what they represent and do, how they should feel, etc.

*What else is in Kamas? Is it a loony energy community? (some certainly are).*

Part of it... also lots of racist, ultra-conservative old white people from what I've heard.

Hey, I saw the copper mine today. It's actually in my area... and it's enormous! Like in inverted mountain. Actually, that's exactly what it is. I saw a photo from the Apollo 11 flight, and you can see it from orbit. And that was some 40 years ago.

Oh, I have a new companion, Elder Mitchell from Roosevelt Utah. Elder Torres in now in El Salvador, and Elder Mitchell is waiting for his visa to go to Tijuana, Mexico. So... I'm kind of like a solo missionary here. It's weird. Fun kid, though.

An investigator told us that he's felt for some time that he would hear something very important in October, and that he's felt this for some time now. I've been feeling the same thing... he thinks that it'll be something he'll hear in General Conference.... I wouldn't rule that out, but I'm really not sure. But *something* will happen, of that I'm sure. Even if we don't recognize it at first.

Yeah, the government has gotten a lot more controlling of late, it seems, which really frightens me. And I agree; apparently having any sort of strong political views on anything makes you a scary fanatic. Unless your views happen to agree with the popular party. *sigh.* I want to go back to Washington and start a constitutional/libertarian movement. We'll see.

*I did finally finish up, revise, scan and print out these horsey covers (ah! this is taking me so long!) I've started painting them. Finally.... I also spent one day this week revising my Oz piece so that it could be posted on the site with the other pieces of work done at my workshop (they were due on the 1st). I still am not quite happy with how it is pulling together, but that's all the time I have for that at the moment.*

Copies please. And if I could have another set of copies of my art, that would be great. I gave a few out.

Bumbershoot! Aww... I wanna go :p

*Hey, what the *heck* is Ezekiel 1 talking about?!!!*

The history channel said possibly a space ship, or an alcohol-induced dream :p

It seems similar to the four beats in Revelation 5, which the doctrine in covenants says represents the beats (ie creations) of God. In short, I'm not really sure... some sort of intense vision which involved cherubim and a lot of things he didn't have words to be able to precisely describe what he saw. I'll read it again and tell you what I think.


*You said you don't think the 5th seal has been broken? Depends on what kind of martyrs I suppose - we've had quite a few. 6th - probably not (again, depends. Pompeii would have done that, as would have any number of volcanic eruptions..)*

I think that the 5th was opened... I think that we're either right after or right before the opening of the 7th seal. But again, I'm not sure. BUT, if D&C is literal, and the Earth has a literal 7,000 year existence, that we would be right around that time, Adam being about 4,000 BC

*I watched a Christian-made movie this week called "Fireproof" (about the sacred nature of marriage) - the most interesting part for me was listening to the commentary by the guys who made it. They are ministers in Georgia, who are making [quite good] Christian-based movies (beats a number of the Mormon ones by far!) *So* converted and committed. Really good, solid people. As much as the thought of the humidity kind of terrifies me, maybe I would enjoy living in the South...?*

I heard that the movie was really good... I actually really like Baptists, to be honest. Very devout, converted people. And I did love Georgia.

Notes on my blessing would be nice.

Thought: it was not only the spirits of men who followed Lucifer when he fell from heaven, but also the spirits of beasts, animals, and other creatures... what do you think?

Well, I got to go.

Con Amor,

Elder J. H. Chang

*I can't believe August is almost over.*

I know, right? I'm not sure when that happened... it's almost autumn. School's already started here in Utah...

*What's up with the gang stuff? Did you see much of that around here? I know there's some downtown - but out here in the suburbs? (Gadianton robbers!) *

There's some in the suburbs, but mostly up in West Valley and Ogden. West Jordan and south, not so much. In my opinion, the society here is really... cold. Hard, like LA, not at all, but very much not welcoming in a lot of ways. That explains the gangs.

*Ahh... I hadn't thought about it that way. That makes perfect sense. I dunno... one thing which surprised me was to learn that a lot of Hispanics ARE of the tribe of Ephraim. Lehi was of Ephraim, Ishmael of Manasseh. All of my Hispanic companions have been of Ephraim so far, so I'm not really sure where that puts us. And remember that both of the two do come from Joseph.

**Maybe it is entirely cultural then. Sometimes I get very tired of our uptight, puritanical culture. Do you remember Lyla? (I think I've asked you this before - her daughter Loni Ann is serving on temple square?). She and her Tongan family were primarily Manasseh - and boy, I've never had so much fun as I had with her. And "good" fun too - nothing offensive or problematic - she just knows how to really, really feel and enjoy life. I miss her. Or having someone like her in my life.**

Yes, I remember Lyla... they were fun :p I think it is cultural more than anything, but in the end, I don't know.

*Night is my favorite time also. Always has been. Part of it might be because 'most everyone else is asleep and so you don't have all that waking-ambient-frenetic-energy bouncing around? Also night feels dark, comforting and cocoon-like (womb state?). I don't know. Ross also really likes night - he made me a lovely mixed CD of 'night music' to celebrate our mutual affinity. I've just always really liked night energy - maybe it's more of a yin thing, as opposed to all that hard, bright, shiny yang energy? If part of the reason we need to be a married couple for eternal progression is to balance each other, I think the yin/yang concept makes really good sense to me. (However I have no idea what it means for polygamist unions...:-p ). *

I totally agree with the lack of ambient energy/soothing and comforting aspect of the night. That and I just feel very much... *alive* at night. Not sure why. But I also like the day... just not anywhere near as much.

Polygamy and yin-yang? NO idea :p

*Some Eastern philosophies say "Attachment is what brings suffering. Let go." Also true. I don't think 'let go' means not engaging or caring about anything, but back to letting go of your will in lieu of God's... Complete submission to Him. *

Either that or not being attached to things, as in not worrying about them. Being able to accept that things are transitory and not needing "things." Finding joy in life, not the things you have in life.

*Struggle is necessary to progress. "After much tribulation comes the blessings." But I think that one BIG struggle for us as people is learning to accept some things and to learn how to change the things that need to be changed. As it turns out, it seems like that things we need to accept are hard to accept, and the things which need to change are hard to change. I think many people fall short of this, holding onto things which need to be let go (old grudges, anger, laziness, etc) and don't change the things that need to be changed (getting MARRIED, ending bad habits, daily exercise, etc). We don't often need to be reduced to an intense struggle in our daily lives, I think. I can and does happen, but I think we often create our own problems through our action/inaction, and inflate problems which actually aren't that important.

**Very true, I think. You're getting very wise in your old age. **

Old age, huh? I already feel old enough, being 20... I'm kind of afraid what's going to happen when I hit 40 :p

*Another way to talk about Helping Others in this way is to "hold a space" for them - which basically means you truly witness them, and their issues - help them to feel heard and acknowledged (mourn with those that mourn. Comfort those in need of comfort, etc..). Allow God's love and Christ's influence to flow *through* you -but you don't have to do anything beyond being there and be a conduit. Many times that's enough by itself to help them then start to be able to release it and hopefully turn it over to God. I think much of the time, we are the most helpful when we talk less and just focus on *being there* and witnessing someone - being fully present.*

Yeah, that's kind of what I've been doing for a while now... it works a lot better.

*Carol Tuttle has also talked about asking God to bless anyone you come in contact with with a dose of unconditional love (you know, people in line with you in the grocery store, the crazies out driving on the road with you, etc..) - just spreading light and love anywhere you go. *

Actually, I do that too every now and then :p I'll try to do it more often.

*Do you get to attend that temple now?*

No. It doesn't rent clothes.

*Oh - for me to send you socks and shorts, it would be good to have sizes. Shoe size is about 9 isn't it? What is your current waist size?*

Just some black socks.... I'm size nine and a half. Waist... just go for 30-32. I'm still a 29, but just get them a little bit big.

*Yeah, I think *something* is going to happen also. Enough so, that parts of me are having a hard time going forward with pursuing personal art-stuff (so that I can market myself in these other genres) - because I'm not entirely positive there is going to be anywhere to market anything some time soon.... I truly truly hope that is not the case (and if so, why the heck have I been feeling 'pushed' to continue in this field????). Maybe it's my own self-sabotage - but I've had a really hard time staying in the 'faith' place (like that faith vs. fear stuff we talked about) in terms of illustration at least. *

I've actually really had the same kind of impression: that the society that we enjoy right now isn't going to exist for too much longer... so frankly, why care? Answer: I don't know. It very well might pull its self back together and keep going miraculously, maybe we need to preserve knowledge and skills, or something else. I really don't know.

*Washington does feel more alive to me also. Trees, water, wildlife.... Desert doesn't it for me - and underneath all that dense Utah population is desert.*

I even really like Eastern Washington desert. It still feels alive, for whatever reason. And it just doesn't feel good here.

*I never wanted to live in Utah outside of BYU.*

Yeah... me either.

*I did love living there. Not perfect by any means, but mostly it felt really good. As does Grandma and Grandpa's ward. They joke about having the best ward in the church, but it may actually be true. I think it's like 98% active, with a huge percentage of High Priests and temple recommend holding members. Many of the members are BYU faculty and are hugely accomplished in their various fields. There are also high end professional artists and musicians and various other professionals... As well as young marrieds/students. Lots of kids. And they seem genuinely converted to the *gospel* - not to Mormon culture.-*

Yeah, I liked their ward a lot. Just not their ward's youth...

*Did I ever tell you about Stephanie (and Christian) Nielson? Stephanie (Nie Nie) has been blogging for about 5 years - mostly about being a wife and mother of 4 little kids and joys and foibles of slices of someone thoroughly reveling in being at stay-at-home-Mormon-mom down in Texas. She also takes fabulous pictures - lots of candids of her kids and 'still life's of lovely vignettes in home/kitchen/garden which she includes with each entry. About a year ago, she had like 10,000 blog followers and had been on Good Morning America or some other morning show discussing how popular her beautiful, homey, exuberant, faith-filled blog was (and how unusual for someone obtaining some sort of celebrity for motherhood and homemaking!). Anyhow, a year ago this month, she and her husband were going up in a private plane with a friend piloting, and the plane crashed/exploded on takeoff. The pilot was killed and Nie Nie was pulled out of the burning plane by her husband - as a result, he was terribly burned on about 30% of his body and she was burned on about 90% of hers. In a coma for months. Her sisters in Utah took over the care of her children while they were both hospitalized. She woke up after several months, had a bunch of surgeries to try to repair all the damage from melted cartilage (did you know your nose and ears could actually melt?) and the burned beyond repair skin all over her body - and when she was finally strong enough to travel was moved to Utah where she was hospitalized for some more time. Her husband moved in with the sister who had most of her children to be with them until she was well enough to be at home with nursing there. Now they live in a house a couple of blocks from Grandma and Grandpa, and her parents are also in their ward. Anyhow, she started blogging again a few months ago - now telling about how difficult her recovery is (she had so much to recover from. Her face was essentially gone. Lots of grafts. Lots and lots of scar tissue over her entire body. Fingers burnt so badly that much reconstruction was necessary to attempt to make them functional again...) but still interspersed with her beautiful photos and discussions of Spirit and gratitude and the wholesale support she's experienced from thousands and thousands of people in her recovery. Anyhow, she and her sister both blog semi-professionally and their descriptions of their lives, which are fairly seamlessly entwined with their faith and Mormonism, feel incredibly *real*, grounded, sincere and hugely faith-promoting without being sickly-saccharine or feeling at all like a put-on. I find them very moving. And an aspect of Utah that is very positive. I am grateful for Mormons like this...*

Wow... I wasn't aware, actually. And you're right; there ARE good things that come out of Utah :p You will find people who are very much converted to the Gospel, and *get it.* Like this lady... I just wish we met them more often.

Well... I got to go. I'll snail mail the rest.

Con Amor,

Elder J. H. Chang

*So, training and District Leader both -eh? That oughta keep you busy.*

Yeah... it does. Very little time for really anything. I've stopped trying to record everything in my journal, I can't. When we get home, I'm OUT about five minutes when I lie down in my bed, and getting up has been really hard.

*I'm trying to remember where Kearns is. Didn't realize it had become so 'foreign'. I know Aunt Kathy says that the Jr. High where she teaches is predominantly Hispanic (and kind of scary. Gangs. Low economic students for the most part - bad language, bad behavior, bad attitudes.)*

At this point it's a little piece of Mexico in Utah. So is West Valley, for that matter; like I said, the billboards and building sings are usually in Spanish. Lots of adds for immigration lawyers :p

There are a lot of gangs, as it turns out. Not just with the Hispanics, though.

Elder Torres could get his visa at really any time. We don't know... and President was hinting that I might be getting ANOTHER visa waiter...

* Maybe... I'm just reticent to really generalize it like that. Each tribe has specific blessings, and a role to play in the world. Perhaps they have 'defects' as well. I'd need to study this more.

**Given that there is 'opposition in all things' I would think that blessings and their opposing 'challenges' would be a given.**

Ahh... I hadn't thought about it that way. That makes perfect sense. I dunno... one thing which surprised me was to learn that a lot of Hispanics ARE of the tribe of Ephraim. Lehi was of Ephraim, Ishmael of Manasseh. All of my Hispanic companions have been of Ephraim so far, so I'm not really sure where that puts us. And remember that both of the two do come from Joseph.

*So much is semantics and how we define words... Makes real communication difficult a lot of the time. *

YES

*It was kind of a strange week here this past week - since I was completely on my own for all of it. I was kinda lonely the first day, but after that I decided I mostly liked it*

I really like being alone, for whatever reason. I also LOVE the night time and the dark. Maybe I'm just weird.

The people we live with have some little blackberry brambles... they're all right. Really small and a little sour... and much nicer than ours back home. These you can take out with just a pair of shears.

*School starts in just over a week.*

Wow... that's really weird. And I've almost been out for a year... in fact, we just picked up a new investigator and her baptismal date is for the 3rd of October, exactly one year before I go home... it freaked me out :p

*Listened a bit more to Carol Tuttle on DVD. She is talking about how life consists of opposition, but that doesn't mean it has to consist of struggle - just contrast.*

I agree with that one... sometimes there does just come struggle and there's not too much you can do about it, but I really have learned a lot about just letting things be, right or wrong, if you cannot or don't need to change them. Some things are beyond your power, and some fights are not worth fighting. Focus on the weightier matters: choose your battles and WIN them, letting go the ones you can't. I've gotten a lot less uptight :p

*And if we are close to the Spirit and follow our 'joy' it can be really limited in the struggle department. Unless we think we really need that to progress - but it's not a requirement. I'm trying to decide what I think about that. I like the concept, am not entirely convinced it is true.*

Struggle is necessary to progress. "After much tribulation comes the blessings." But I think that one BIG struggle for us as people is learning to accept some things and to learn how to change the things that need to be changed. As it turns out, it seems like that things we need to accept are hard to accept, and the things which need to change are hard to change. I think many people fall short of this, holding onto things which need to be let go (old grudges, anger, laziness, etc) and don't change the things that need to be changed (getting MARRIED, ending bad habits, daily exercise, etc). We don't often need to be reduced to an intense struggle in our daily lives, I think. I can and does happen, but I think we often create our own problems through our action/inaction, and inflate problems which actually aren't that important.

*One thought I did have this week - I was reading Elder Eyring's talk in the Ensign about prayer. I was thinking about the section on "Thy will, not my will" when we ask for things... Later in talking with Aprill and trying to clear my overabundance of "stuff", a couple of things occured to me. One, I believe that I agreed to carry a lot of generational 'crap' in order to clear and heal it - for me, and for our ancestors (and consequently, progeny). However, in my typical over-optimistic fashion, I believe that I took on even more crap than I was divinely "assigned". This is the flip-side of "Thy will, not my will" - when I do even more than asked. I would be better off, happier, have more energy and less angst, if I only try to deal with the things God has 'assigned' rather than trying to 'save the world'. I wouldn't be surprised if you have some of that same dynamic going on - feeling like you have to do *everything* (which is really usurping the Savior's role... not our job...) I'm trying harder to give more over to God/Christ ('cast your burdens on the Lord'....) and deal with what is left. What I feel inspired to deal with rather than burdened to deal with...*

OH yeah... remember when I was trying to carry everyone's pain for them? It was NOT good for me, and that's the Savior's job. I think a much more appropriate role for me as an Empath is the ability to understand and discern people's problems and help THEM work through it with God's help. And yes, I do tend to try and do everything, though much less that I use to. I've changed I lot in the past 11 months.

One thing that I've learned is that now I need to not focus on myself, i.e. not try and fix my crap, but rather just focus on how I can help others. In the process I have dealt with a lot of my own problems, and after my mission I will have PLENTY of time to deal with myself and try to fix me. It's just not my calling at the moment.

So, a few updates. I'll respond to the rest of the letter later:

Remember Will and Cynthia? Cynthia's son Marco got baptized a little bit ago, and both will and Cynthia were on date to get baptized. Guess NOT; they're both waiting court dates, so they can't be baptized until that finishes. Which doesn't look like it will be any time soon, because Will just pleaded "not guilty" to a domestic violence charge. I personally don't think that he' guilty, but he needs to go to trial now. *sigh*

We had another guy, Luis. He's the one who was in gangs (MS-13 most recently), has tatts all up his arms, and wants to change his life. Well, he lives outside of the mission... yeah.

We also had Henry, who's married to a member. Or so we thought. Turns out that she's actually already married to another man... we're seeing them tonight.

So that was all four of our investigators we were really working with. Which sucks :p

On the plus side, we're picking up some more. We had blessed a lady who recently was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago, and we're starting to work with the family. It's a BIG family too; probably over 10 people living in the house. One of the daughters was baptized a little while ago, and we've just begun teaching her brother and grandmother. Yay!

The girl on date for the 3rd of October is named Zoe, is ten years old, and tells her grandmother that she'll be a missionary when she grows up. The grandmother HATES it :p She's a really smart kid, too.

My guitar efforts have stopped... I have to guitar. Looking for one, though.

The Oquirrh Temple dedication was good... but the ironic thing is that the temple in IN our area, and we had to watch the broadcast... *sigh*

Well, I need to go. I'll write more later.

Con Amor,
Elder J. H. Chang

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

Utah Salt Lake City South Mission
8060 South 615 East
Sandy, Utah 84070


August 14, 2009


Dear Brother and Sister Chang:

I am happy to inform you that your son, Elder Justin Chang, has been called by the Lord to serve as a trainer of a new missionary, Elder David Torres.

This is the most important calling in the mission because he will influence the outcome of this new missionary's mission. As he properly trains, he will instill characteristics of teaching effectively, budgeting time and funds wisely, and working spiritually with investigators in the mission. In doing these things he will become one of the most important people in this new missionary's mission experience.

You may be well pleased with his progress as a missionary. I am sure you will see in him many good changes and much positive development. He is a great missionary! Please continue to give him your encouragement to magnify his calling as a proselyting missionary, and as a Trainer also.

May the Lord's blessings be with you.

Sincerely,

G. Steven Laney

Mission President

Yep, I'm in the same place, and I'm training. So... I was wrong about being transferred :p I don't really mind; I LOVE this area, though Elder Dixon is serving as a District Leader in Kearns, which is pretty much a little piece of Mexico in Utah. The Billboards are in Spanish :p

My new Companion is Elder Torres from Mission Texas, a little town fifteen minutes from the border. He's waiting for his Visa to go to El Salvador, so he was sent here. It happens pretty often. The weird thing is that you are usually in a threesome if you have a visa-waiter... because they get shipped out when they get their visa, and that can be at any time. But it's fine; he's a GREAT missionary.

Spanish is his second language, but he's fluent; just can't read very well. But he is, in the words of a member who came out with us, a "little spiritual giant you." This kid *gets* it, which is more important than really anything else. He's confident and not afraid to speak up... I got the best new missionary of the whole lot :p

I really liked Kailin's ties... and so does everyone else, it seems. Good choices.

* I'm not sure... I think it's how we're raised to react to things; complain and say how things "should" be in their perfect, ideal state which doesn't actually exist. Although most people just seem to complain. I really don't know.

**Part of it is environment, I'm sure, but there do seem to be some generalizations re: groups of people/ethnicities/tribes? Ephraim seem uptight and complainy to me...**

Maybe... I'm just reticent to really generalize it like that. Each tribe has specific blessings, and a role to play in the world. Perhaps they have 'defects' as well. I'd need to study this more.

A Spanish speaker asked if I sang in Korean :p

After we came home she made me play Rock Band with her*

hehe..

*did you know they are releasing a Beatle's version? With all kinds of downloadable add ons. You can buy replicas of the guitars George and Paul actually used, and up to 4 mikes, so that you can sing in full-out Beatle harmony..*

I did hear about that, actually... I think it's coming out now because the rights were owned by Michael Jackson, who was a friend of Paul and generally kept them safe. After he died, they probably got sold to the highest bidder (a big music label) and now can be marketed.

*The best part though was watching the equestrian group - they were amazing!It's this Italian family that have been doing circus/equestrian acts for like 7 generations. They had a large portion of the field roped off and laid out for Equestrian Acrobatics - for their gypsy-themed show (crazy good! Lots of standing on galloping horse back while juggling, doing backflips and various other nutty stuff. Gypsy music and costumes and juggling weaponry and fire... *

Wow... that sounds really exciting! A seven generation Italian tradition...

It's been really cool/autumnal here as well. 70's, cloudy, bouts of rain... just like home :p

*We did get the assignment for our Christmas self-promo that our agents send out every year. The theme this year is 'caroling'. I was feeling bored at the prospect of doing it as a young child's targeted illustration, so maybe I will see if I can come up with something with broader appeal*

What about 17-1800's caroling? That would be fun, I think. Or dragons and bards :p

*like the Oz piece. How did you like it btw?*

I quite liked to Oz piece... especially the wicked witch with the top hat :p

So, I got a lot of things...

First, one of our investigators, Will, the one who couldn't get married because of legal issues, then had a violent breakup with his girlfriend and was devastated (oh, and the cops showed up one time when we were teaching him), is now EATING UP the gospel. He lived on a little island in the Yucatan, so he knows all the ruins pretty well, and showed us a few things. Like the Mayan calender of the Earth's cycle, which has the one main God in the middle and at the end a little God pouring out water onto the world. That gave me shivers... see Rev 16. Then he showed us a picture of the oldest known observatory, also in Yucatan (Alma 30:44, Hel 12:15). He'll be baptized on the 29th.

Also, Will's stepson, Marco, got baptized and confirmed this week! It was kind of bitter sweet... but a good thing. He's wanted to be baptized for months.

I WILL write the rest in a snail mail, but I gotta go for now. Bye!

Con Amor,

Elder J. H. Chang

* Was the summer the hottest ever on record? What's up with all this weird weather going down while I'm gone?

Yup. If there is anything to the whole 'climate change' thing for real, I guess we shouldn't be surprised at things getting more and more out of whack as time goes on. The scriptures tell us it will.

* I know, right? White people can be SO abrasively whiny about EVERYTHING... there's always something to complain about. That's definitely something I've noticed about our culture that I don't like at all.

* think there is some underlying misconception that if we *worry* and/or complain, somehow we are helping...? Or preparing ourselves for the worst so it won't hurt so much?*

I'm not sure... I think it's how we're raised to react to things; complain and say how things "should" be in their perfect, ideal state which doesn't actually exist. Although most people just seem to complain. I really don't know.

*I can't remember all your mission boundaries - is Park City not in your mission? Do you get missionaries way out over the mountains to the East? And how far west does it go?*

We are from 41st south to the point of the mountain, and then the peak of the Oquirrh mountains to Park City and Kamas. PC and Kamas are 2/3rds of our mission geographically, and each just has one set of bilingual missionaries. So it's basically Taylorsville to Draper, Copper Hills to Murray.

*But I may be reconsidering. I listened to a CES talk by Elder Bednar this week that he gave at BYU-ID in May, and read 2 talks in this month's Ensign (do you guys get to read that?) about the evils of online gaming/RPG games/electronic addictions. Not that any of them are intrinsically wrong on their own, but that too many people get obsessive and addictive and spend WAY too much time in 'fantasy' rather than actually living *here*, now, physically with their environment.*

Yeah... that's true. There are people who I know who spend or spent dozens of hours on games every week, usually on World of Warcraft or another online game. It's like anything else; in excess it is VERY bad. Like watching TV four hours every day. Or going and playing music all day and not working. Or anything else which gets out of hand. I agree, nothing about most of these 'escapisms' is intrinsically bad, but definitely can be when taken in excess.

I'd say: if it's fun and enjoyable, why not try something new and make some art?

*I read a lot about Hopi culture and how there was really no difference to them between the spiritual and the temporal. It was all both*

D&C 29:34

*I think I've postulated to you before that some of our uptightness and emotionally stunted ways of doing things is possibly lineage/tribe influenced?*

Half of the Hispanics are Ephraim, the other Manasseh, with a few Judah's mixed in there. I think that might be true... specific blessings given to each tribe, but I do think that a lot of it is just culture and upbringing. Would have to ponder it more.

*Part of the appeal was how distinct their visual 'voices' were. That is a place that I still struggle. I think I do a good job of working to the client's specs, but am much harder pressed to know what I'd even *do* if I could be doing anything I wanted... *

I have a problem with that too... though I do seem to have a few common themes in my creative projects. I hope to be able to develop that more.

Oh, I got to solo a few times! I sand "lead kindly light" in Spanish for a fireside and in a sacrament meeting... good fun. I miss performing. As a side note, after I sang this last week, someone asked me if I was singing in Korean... :p


*I'm re-listening to some CDs about energy/health/happiness which are re-iterating how our bodies are message centers. When they hurt or disfunction, it is so we will pay attention and deal with the underlying emotional/mental/spiritual issue. Another thing this CD says that I like is that it is our *job* to Feel Good. When we Feel Good, our vibration is the highest, and the higher the vibration, the close we come to God's energy (the whole point of life). If we can generally keep our vibration high, then anytime we feel something negative, that is a big signal that something is 'off', and we need to pay attention and address it. So many of us go through life rarely feeling good, mostly feeling bad, or numb (like the video-addictions discussed earlier) that we miss many many of the signals we are given. Then it takes more extreme things to get our attention - chronic pain, major illnesses, major accidents, etc... Would rather not! Sounds like a good motivation for working on the feeling good approach. :-)*

Yeah, sounds about right. Still trying to figure out what the HECK I have blocking me from being able to feel good.

So, a few updates:

We had a baptism yesterday. An 8-year old kid named Marco Ramirez. Great kid... he's the one that loves Star Wars.

His parents are Cynthia and Will, the ones who couldn't get married because of the custody battle. Well, a month ago Will FINALLY got legally divorced, a year after he filed, Cynthia is now eight months pregnant, and just had surgery. And she attacked him, and drew blood, twice. They are NOT living together any more, she's actually living in a shelter down in Salt Lake City, and is looking for a place to live. Might be moving down to California in a week or so... Friday, we were teaching Will and the Cops knocked on the door; Cynthia came to pick up a few of her things and the Cops came with her.

I'm almost certain that she was possessed, very literally. Whatever it was, it's gone now. We gave her a blessing after Marco's baptism and trying to find a place to live. It was a very sad baptism... it was just us, two other missionaries, the Branch President, and Mario (our ride, who just received his mission call to Venture California). One of Cynthia's friends in the branch was there but had to leave before he was actually baptized.

That kid has wanted to get baptized for months. So has Cynthia, for that matter. And now she can... And Will came to church, LOVED it and wants us to come by and keep teaching her.

I don't think the separation was a bad thing... I think it would have happened sooner or later, to be honest, but it CERTAINLY didn't need to happen like this... Satan just destroyed the lives of three people, within a matter of hours. *sigh* it makes me so sad...

We're teaching a LOT more people now... he have several who should be baptized this month. It should be good.

Oh, Erik and Adriana still want to be married/baptized, but Erik wants to do it all in September. We proposed the idea of just getting legally married (I mean, they already have their own kid together) and having the ceremony later. He said that if one of us is transferred, they'll get married on Tuesday because they want to have us be the witnesses... Oh Mexicans :p I love them.

Well, I'll add more later.

Con Amor,

Elder J. H Chang

Was the summer the hottest ever on record? What's up with all this weird weather going down while I'm gone?

*One day we went to see Harry Potter. It was good, but not great... Very long, and oddly paced*

That's too bad... the last was was pretty well done, I thought.

*I would be grateful for dry heat!*

I don't like the dry heat... I just don't really like dry in general, I think.

*The Nielsons are leaving tomorrow to take Sam to Utah. Exciting and very sad also. He goes into the MTC on Wednesday*

That's really weird to me still... is Sam all excited to be off?

*We do Have a couple of priests left - Daniel Strieff (when he comes) and Lee Woodard and Brandon? Garbor.*

Oh yeah, Lee's a priest now... I have no idea when Chandler and Keigan turn 16.

*Have I mentioned how much more I'm enjoying the ward in general now that I'm in Primary? I love my Primary kids and don't interact with the grown-ups enough to get irritated or alienated by them*

I know, right? White people can be SO abrasively whiny about EVERYTHING... there's always something to complain about. That's definitely something I've noticed about our culture that I don't like at all.

*Other missionary news - I got a very sweet call from Elder Spencer (your flat-mate?) last week, telling me how much he appreciated you and what a good district leader you are. :-)*

That was actually Elder Laulea... he wasn't really supposed to do that, but I figured that you wouldn't mind :p

*I also heard that Alberto Nunez (from the Spanish ward) just got his call - to your mission/Spanish speaking. I haven't heard when he goes into the MTC, but I suspect you'll see him around a bit. Small world?*

VERY small world. I'll almost certainly see him... serve around him, maybe.

*Also small world - the Lindemans are in town visiting. Bishop/Eric says he's seen you a number of times - most recently a few weeks ago at the Oquirrh Temple open house? How often are you still running into people that you know from elsewhere?*

Rather often... a few times a month, it seems like.

* But I think we should have a *huge* party/open house when you get back. Invite everyone you know and can think of!*

*huge* maybe not. But a little get togeather would be nice.

* Do they let you go see anything interesting on your P-days?*

No. Our zone is the size of the city of Kirkland, and there isn't really anything interesting to see. All of the "cool stuff" is up in Salt Lake or Park City. This is not an "exciting" mission... really at all.

*Kailin's been playing a lot this summer. You should see her calluses! Truly impressive! I hear she is writing and singing her own songs - but she won't do it for us. :-(*

I've got a few calluses by now... just little ones. And tell her that she should play her songs :p

*Now that it is cooler, I'm trying to chug away on my flitty fairy horses... But dreaming of other kinds of work. The art director for D&D and WotC runs a fabulous blog, featuring all sorts of artists doing RPG sorts of art, as well as weekly "Art Challenges". They are getting a lot of response - some of it amazing - with weekly 'winners'. Sometimes with big-name judges, sometimes peer-judged. This past week was the "Drow vs. Mind Flayer" book cover challenge. *

Kind of weird, but cool.

*I never really got into the whole D&D thing, so these characters and their specs are all foreign to me, but some of the challenges sound fun.*

This is not necessarily a bad thing... it IS awfully nerdy :p

Heh... interesting little competitions. There probably is a LOT of very silly stuff which gets submitted there :p

Malachy is in possession of all of my D&D books, but George has MUCH more... give him a call and ask him for the 3.5 and 4.0 "monster manuals"... those have all the little pictures in them. He'll also be able to help you with what these things actually are. Bribe him with food and theatre and he should be all yours :p

His number is 301-6747, by the way.

*vs. 45 "Earth rolls upon her wings" -
again I am pondering a more literal interpretation of this beyond their symbolic representation. Do you think/see the earth/stars having energetic wing-like structure like people and angels?

*Not really? It's interesting to me how these large stellar structures (planets, stars, some galaxies) all eventually assume a spherical shape, which is the shape I assume an intelligence would have. I think that our physical bodies being in the "image of God" is awfully significant. I'd have to ponder more on this, though.

*Interesting thoughts (spheres = intelligences). Some people have postulated that the Northern Lights/aurora borealis is actually the earth's aura made visible.

Spheres would be a logical symbol for intelligence, at least to my head. The Aurora Borealis IS a completely explainable natural phenomenon... I dunno, I've just never seen Auras as being visible to the "natural eye."

Okay... no more time now. Will write a long snail mail.

Mucho Amor,

Elder J. H. Chang

We've been up in the 80's and 90's? I actually really like it. Just wish it wasn't so dry.

*Today was Sam's farewell Sacrament meeting*

No way! He's off too? Do we have any priests left? And no, I can't see the pictures? the best bet is to just mail them, unfortunately? half of the time I can't even open them.

* Talked to Craig Turner tonight and I guess they got word that Adam has arrived in the Philippines. They haven't heard from him directly yet. It sounds like it took him nigh until 4 days to actually get to his area*

A lot more exciting than the story of me getting my mission :p We drove all the way to the Salt Lake City Airport, then back to Sandy to drop me off? seriously, we could have just walked there in a day.

*Tonight we went to an open house for Sam*

I didn't do anything like that, did I? I didn't realize that we're "supposed" to do all this stuff for missionaries? I just got invited to see a kid here open his (Roseville California, English speaking). They invited the whole neighborhood.

*Dad got called to be the employment specialist in church today*

Really? Our employment specialists are always PACKED here. Everyone needs a job? it's better now that I'm in a more affluent area, but there are still many many people who need work.

*I did get your long, scriptural letters - thank you.*

I look forward to reply commentary.

*It is beautiful. Most of the Mormons that I've talked to that have attended it haven't loved it however (neither did Mr. Branmann). Too liberal? Too big and impersonal? Too much baggage with the whole Greek System?*

I've kind of heard that it is what you make it? it is VERY liberal, and big, and can be quite impersonal, and the Greek houses are big, but you don't *need* to be part of that. It's probably a little work not to get caught up in it, but from what I've heard there are plenty of niches to find a community in. But then again, I've never been a student there :p

* Jakub sounds like it fits him well. He's applying to take his MCATs soon! Crazy!!*

Yeah, pretty much?

*I haven't heard anything from Cort since he deployed...*

Nor have I. Which doesn't really surprise me.

*We spent *all* of Monday at WWU's campus. I dropped off Kailin early to meet with the director of bands. They seemed to enjoy each other. He is actively recruiting horn players, so unless she completely bites her audition she ought to be able to scholarship there at least some... *

That's good? music REALLY pays of in college. Not so much afterwards, though?

*The Bishop is trying to convince her to consider the UofU - Nancy got a degree in Music there. They both loved it. But Kailin refuses to consider anything in Utah*

I haven't heard anything bad about the UofU. A lot of people here that I've talked to loved it. But it IS in Utah?

*The campus is small - about 14,000 students. Small class sizes - lots of student/faculty interaction. It's pretty, fairly modern, and is studded with one of the countries largest collections of outdoor abstract sculpture... Most of which I don't get. At all. Enormous, cubed, iron rectangles...?? Why.???? Orange painted steel beams soldered together to vaguely resemble a gigantic mosquito....??? Makes no sense to me.*

Hehe? I actually kind of miss that weird stuff. And no, it makes no sense; they're not artistically interesting, nor aesthetically pleasing. Or even interesting from an engineering point of view? hippies :p


*While we were in the hotel Sunday night, I 'played' with some stuff that I rarely have or take the time to do. Played with some brush pens and watercolor pencils - nice and portable. Had also brought along with me the 'sketchbook' for the Wizard of Oz graphic novel that is coming out. Illustrated by a guy named Skottie Young. *love* his characterization. I copied his sketches for a bit to get a feel for how he stylizes. Then during some of the sit-down lectures the following day, I tried some of my own riffs on that approach. Then tried to 'de-cutify' it a bit with slightly more gothic fairies. Looked kinda manga. So when I got home I tried looking at some photos (how I usually work) but still incorporate some of the looser characterization - kind of meld the styles. Was pretty fun. (I've attached the progression for you to see as well. Hopefully it will let you). Maybe I'll do gothic fairies after all. :-)*

Goth fairies, eh? Well, I can't see any of the sketches? I'd really like to.

*I'd love to hear you play the guitar. (Camera vid for me maybe?) Hope you get time to continue to learn it.*

Psh? I'm still just trying to learn chords. Actually playing will take some time.

88th section commentary:

*vs. 11: light... *how* does light 'enlighten' and 'quickeneth your understanding'?? Is all knowledge maybe carried on lightwaves, or other related frequencies? Could we maybe attune ourselves to light itself and 'download' information when we sit out in the sunshine...?*

^"Light" as spoken here I don't think refers to literal light. Christ described himself as "the Light," the saints as a "City set on a hill" who's light could not be hid. D&C 93 says that "Intelligence" is "light and truth" and that Satan takes away this light. I think that this "light" is more symbolic of pure knowledge, of truth. So as we gain more "light" or "pure knowledge," or minds will be enlightened and our understanding expanded.

^^I know the symbolic applications of light (and most of the other things I'm pondering in this section) - I was just postulating that it could also be literal on some levels. I do know when people are connected to God ("whole body is full of light") their auras are also physically *brighter*. Scripture is so multi-layered, I think it can have many many meanings and applications. I am pondering the literal application of light here...

Hmmm? I don't know. Perhaps this type of light which can "quicken our understanding" can only come from God? the Sun doesn't strike me as the most intelligent object in our local space, so it wouldn't be able to teach us too much. It certainly does; without the sun we would have a very different, and much smaller, understanding of our world, I think. That and the whole lack of photosynthesis/carbon based food chain :p

*vs. 16: How does the resurrection = *redemption*..?? How is our soul 'redeemed' in this way?*

*Cross reference to Romans 8:23... there are two deaths in this world, the physical and the spiritual. Both will and do separate us from God. Until we receive our resurrected bodies, we will not be able to enter into his kingdom. Other than that, I think life without our bodies will kind of suck...

^Why do we need resurrected bodies to enter into His kingdom exactly do you think? We were in His presence for untold eons before getting bodies....

It seems that we DO go back to him as disembodies spirits after this life (Eccl 12:7, Alma 40:11), but that our mortal bodies cannot withstand the presence of God (Moses 1: 11,14). Why, I'm not sure, but it seems to work like that.

*vs. 19: in what way is (being crowned with) glory = the presence of the Father?*

*Cross reference to D&C 130:7-9. Also Guide to the Scriptures (on LDS.org): Crown. Also Rev 4:4 to D&C 77:5. Those who are thus crowned will be admitted into the celestial kingdom, into the presence of the Father.

^^Again, I'm looking to see if there is a more literal application of this. I know that wings, horns and halos in traditional religious art were all symbolic of energetic states - horns =power, halos = pure auras, etc... Wondering what crowns might actually *be*???

Besides energy-stuff, I don't know? I don't think these crowns are literal, or if they are, they themselves are symbolic of their exaltation.

*vs. 41: "God comprehends all things"
^- I agree that time distorts our comprehension of this. My question was, do you think we could comprehend *more*, more like God, before we came to this linear, corporeal existence?

Yes. Not the same as him, certainly, but more like him. I have an inkling that time as we understand it only really exists here in our 3-dimesional mortal lives.

*vs. 45 "Earth rolls upon her wings" -

^again I am pondering a more literal interpretation of this beyond their symbolic representation. Do you think/see the earth/stars having energetic wing-like structure like people and angels?

Not really? It's interesting to me how these large stellar structures (planets, stars, some galaxies) all eventually assume a spherical shape, which is the shape I assume an intelligence would have. I think that our physical bodies being in the "image of God" is awfully significant. I'd have to ponder more on this, though.

*vs. 94 "mother of abominations" ?

^I think the identity or focus of this probably changes throughout time. I do think the leftist/socialist/secularist wave that is threatening to sweep over us here may be it for us right now. It is pretty darn evil in a lot of ways and smacks loudly of Satan's plan in the pre-existence.

This "mother of Abominations" has been many, many different things throughout time. Right now it might very well be a literal political movement, though I'm hesitant to label it as such, especially with me blind to news/politics right now :p

*vs. 105 'wine of the wrath of her fornication' ?

^false religion + corrupt government. Sounds like now.

Yep.

^What is the *wrath* of her fornication mean though? I don't really understand the meaning of this phrase.

I'm not sure?. Perhaps the wrath of the Lord upon seeing such fornication. Perhaps the wrath that seems to envelop people who live in said fornication.

*vs. 111-114

^trying to picture a *war* of testimony and spirit. Feels vaguely like a wand-fight out of Harry Potter. How does one war this way?

I've gotten a picture of a big argument between hundreds of people on the floor of the English Parliament? lots of yelling, confusion, etc. You don't really know what's true/correct at this point, or have the means to verify it. It's your word against the next person's. We had no "proof" of the divinity of Christ's plan, nor could we even understand it if we did. The only "evidence" that existed which we could understand were the testimonies of the warring parties.

I DO think that the war at the end of the Millennium will be a little more literal, though.

*Correct- the complete endowment was given later (kind of in stages). Things changed, or were refined as they went along. I read a think recently that asserted that at least the brethren, maybe all members, 'covenanted' in the temples when they got to Utah to see the deaths of Joseph Smith and Hyrum avenged.. Weird stuff went on in the early days of the church.*

Really weird stuff? perhaps not all of it divinely inspired. Perhaps yes? really, we don't know. Except that we are CERTAINLY not ready as a people or a world for the things which the early saints saw.

*Your discussion of Adam/Michael/a "God" makes sense, yes. I'm not always clear what the big hooplah over the Adam-God theory is (haven't read up on that for awhile).*

Dumb people who like to make noise and make mountains out of molehills? People who like to point their fingers and yell "blasphemy." It's all rather silly.

*The "I Am" vs "I Do" - yes I think that is right. The "am" is more important than the "do" - but we get *to* the "am" by doing.*

Yep? we can only change one bit at a time. It's about using our agency to do what we DON'T want, in some cases. To surrender our will to the Lord's. You can have a desire to do the right thing, but still not *want* to do the actual deed. Kind of like how we all desire more money, but rarely, if ever, will *want* to work more.

*Music makes me happy*

Yeah? I miss it.

*Interesting music quote for the day: "Music is the half forgotten memory of a primitive state, it is a bridge of holyness between this world and the World of all Beauty." Hildegard von Binger. Make of that what you will.*

I kind of think he's onto something? Music is a primal, beautiful form of communication which CANNOT be described in words. I certainly think that it "halfway," as he said, between our mortal existence and something much more grand.

Oh, someone named Fred Owens asked about me when he went through the temple open house? one of the sisters told me. We served his mission in Venezuela, adopted some Korean kids, apparently, said I'm his cousin? who is this guy?

I'm out of time? next week.

Mucho Amor,
Elder J. H. Chang

*Feeling rather left out on the letter front. Wrote you rather long one with not even a snail-mail back from you for my trouble*

Well, you have a LONG letter coming your way. You'll like it?

*Why didn't you want people to know about you being made a district leader? Kirk used to do that to us when he was a missionary (never tell us stuff like that)*

It's not really important... I'm not a leader because I'm "better" than anyone else. It's just like you said, someone *has* to do it. I just don't want to be said "someone." I didn't have enough time as it was. Oh well... it'll teach me to be even more efficient with time, I guess.

*why can't you be in music groups???*

It's in the white handbook.

*Was any of that piano music I sent you helpful?*

Yes... I haven't had too much of an opportunity so far, but no one else really plays the piano in the zone. Hopefully we will soon.

*We spend the bulk of Friday at UW. Which is a gorgeous campus!*

yes it is... If I wasn't going to BYU, I'd go to UW. A beautiful, good, fun school.

*Jakub sounds like he loves it (and boy, is he a glutton for scholastic punishment! He does not take any breaks from school/work/interning from what I can tell. He is one brainy puppy...)*

YES he is a brain puppy... he's crazy. And wicked smart.

*Is it fun that you get to do baptismal interviews now?*

No

* would he still need the missionaries to teach him?*

Not until he is nine. After that, he'll need to take the discussions.

Kind of doubt Amanda will send me pictures, to be perfectly, honest. Meh.

Elder Dixon says "thank you" for saying Happy Birthday.


88th section commentary:

*vs. 11: light... *how* does light 'enlighten' and 'quickeneth your understanding'?? Is all knowledge maybe carried on lightwaves, or other related frequencies? Could we maybe attune ourselves to light itself and 'download' information when we sit out in the sunshine...?*

"Light" as spoken here I don't think refers to literal light. Christ described himself as "the Light," the saints as a "City set on a hill" who's light could not be hid. D&C 93 says that "Intelligence" is "light and truth" and that Satan takes away this light. I think that this "light" is more symbolic of pure knowledge, of truth. So as we gain more "light" or "pure knowledge," or minds will be enlightened and our understanding expanded.

*vs. 13: in what way is 'light' all those things? life, law, power....?*

I kind of think that what gives God his omnipotence is his knowledge. He knows *all* things, and has a perfect understanding. Knowledge gives us inherent power, in this life and in the life to come. Is is this "light" or "truth" which gives life to all things. Kind of like the Force... :p

*vs. 16: How does the resurrection = *redemption*..?? How is our soul 'redeemed' in this way?*

Cross reference to Romans 8:23... there are two deaths in this world, the physical and the spiritual. Both will and do separate us from God. Until we receive our resurrected bodies, we will not be able to enter into his kingdom. Other than that, I think life without our bodies will kind of suck...

*vs. 19: in what way is (being crowned with) glory = the presence of the Father?*

Cross reference to D&C 130:7-9. Also Guide to the Scriptures (on LDS.org): Crown. Also Rev 4:4 to D&C 77:5. Those who are thus crowned will be admitted into the celestial kingdom, into the presence of the Father.

Vs. 25: the Earth is obedient. Cool, huh?

*vs. 40: as with everything else, like attracts like... Law of attraction in practice once again...*

Yeah... see the above verses. We'll all be quickened to the Kingdom that we can abide. Also, that which is good will attract good, and evil to evil.

The rest later.

Elder Chang