Can Latter-Day Saints write great Novels, Plays or Music.

[_zzyzx]

The fact that LDS folk have few who are on the upper level of creative achievement of cultural pursuits doesn't mean much. Sports might be a better indicator of where this energy is put to use. Cael Sanderson... 159-0 in NCAA wrestling and Olympic Gold. No mission. Steve Young... finally making the top level of Pro Football. No Mission. Harmon Killebrew... Hall of Fame baseball player. No Mission. Merlin Olson... Hall of Fame football player. No Mission. Gene Fullmer, World Champion Middleweight boxer. Beat Sugar Ray Robinson for the title and beat a number among the greatest in the weight class during his competitive years. No Mission.

Many others fit here. Nearly all with 'Mormon' in the religion column but not demonstrating the commitment LDS, Inc demands of its faithful. It seems they put their efforts, time, talent and energy into their chosen path rather than into church activity. They succeed in their chosen sport. If more LDS spent time on the arts they might do better. Some are very good but dividing ones time between their passion and their religious 'duty' means both get shortchanged. Not conducive to producing the Great American Novel or great accomplishments in the arts.

[_zzyzx]

Sorry, hit the button too early.

Many in the creative arts find their greatest time of inspiration when they are in love. Something about the excitement of sex, love or infatuation carries over to their art. Ansel Adams finest images all coincide with infatuation with female assistants. Edward Westons years of photography and excellence is more consistent through the years. A womanizer with constant companions and liasons, this could have been part of the inspiration.

Many artists, writers and performers have this type of creative inspiration where their greatest accomplishments are during times of infatuation and love. Something about seeing the world through raging hormones and the anticipation of love carries over to other pursuits. Taking too much time being 'sober and honest' and putting all your effort into conformity is contrary to creativity.

[_Yoda]

Many artists, writers and performers have this type of creative inspiration where their greatest accomplishments are during times of infatuation and love. Something about seeing the world through raging hormones and the anticipation of love carries over to other pursuits. Taking too much time being 'sober and honest' and putting all your effort into conformity is contrary to creativity.

Are you stating that simply because Latter-Day Saints are taught to be virgins when they get married that they don't have raging hormones, or experience the angst of falling in love? I must say that nothing could be further from the truth.

I do agree that many talented artists, both LDS and non-LDS, are torn between career and family.

[_Gadianton]

Hi Karl,

There may be a "one off" here and there, but all in all, it's unlikely that Mormonism will ever develop a "high culture". Another truism might be the chances of doing so diminish further in proportion to the influence of apologetics. This is a complex thesis I will one day expound on, but I have no time at the moment as the works of Shakespear beckon me.

Read this, and then go back to my thread on Brethren-directed tastes and read the arguments by Mak and Nehor in particular. You will then understand why Mormonism and culture are like oil and water.

[_Daniel Peterson]

Gadianton, as we've learned, cannot be taken seriously.

He's joking, it's true, but he's also not a serious thinker.

[_Gadianton]

No, I assure you I am not joking. I really will be producing a thesis about apologetics and cultural decline.

Was SWK a more "serious thinker" than I am?

Take a da Vinci or a Michelangelo or a Shakespeare and give him a total knowledge of the plan of salvation of God and personal revelation and cleanse him, and then take a look at the statues he will carve and the murals he will paint and the masterpieces he will produce

Can you really take your leaders that seriously? Do you think the above constitutes interesting, serious thought worth considering a great deal?

[_Inconceivable]

No, I assure you I am not joking. I really will be producing a thesis about apologetics and cultural decline.

Was SWK a more "serious thinker" than I am?

Take a da Vinci or a Michelangelo or a Shakespeare and give him a total knowledge of the plan of salvation of God and personal revelation and cleanse him, and then take a look at the statues he will carve and the murals he will paint and the masterpieces he will produce

Can you really take your leaders that seriously? Do you think the above constitutes interesting, serious thought worth considering a great deal?

Excellent point, Gadianton.

I actually took this quote from SWK very seriously.

It's important to note that though apologists and a few others don't take the statements of prophets seriously, it doesn't mean prophets weren't dead serious when they made them.

It does, however, indicate that apologists are one of the subsets of members the prophets have called to repentance for picking and choosing among their words.

[_The Nehor]

I really will be producing a thesis about apologetics and cultural decline.

Make sure to include mention of C.S. Lewis, a man dedicated to apologetics whose other works were culturally bankrupt in every way.

[_Phouchg]

The big problem with Mormon artistic works is that they don't ask questions, they only provide answers. A painting is much more esteemed if it produces warm fuzzies in the viewer, instead of raising questions in the viewer's mind.

Good art should always challenge the status quo, not reinforce it.

But unfortunately, Lex de Azevedo, Michael McLean, Anita Stansfield, Gerald Lund, Arnold Friberg, and Boyd K Packer and his damn wooden birds will have a ready made audience to slurp up the glurge.


fook

[_Some Schmo]

The big problem with Mormon artistic works is that they don't ask questions, they only provide answers. A painting is much more esteemed if it produces warm fuzzies in the viewer, instead of raising questions in the viewer's mind.

This is a great observation.

Mormons could produce something great, but they generally haven't.