Day 5: Beautiful Art

Have you ever seen a scene so beautiful that it took your breath away?
Have you ever seen a piece of art that had the same effect?
Today, Erin and I visited the National Gallery of Art. What a magnificent place. Not only were the paintings gorgeous, but the architecture was stunningly beautiful. Every room added to the power of the paintings. I highly recommend that you attend if you enjoy peaceful beauty. It's very different from the Capitol or the Natural History Museum, but very moving.
Erin and I talked about how amazing it would be to have coloquia in that art museum on some of our favorite paintings. Some works have been so carefully crafted to portray a message, and reading them and discussing them is like reading and discussing a book, but like just discussing the 2 most important paragraphs of the book. All the superfluous is gone. It's just you and the thesis.
One of our favorite paintings was Thomas Cole's Journey through Life.
I hope these pictures are at least semi-visible. You can always google them and look at a larger scale.
The work is a series of 4 progressive paintings, that tell the story of a man. First, it shows him as an infant, being guided by an angel through beautiful and clear waters, flowing peacefully through a flower lined stream.
Next, he becomes a young man, full of ambition and dreams, he is in control of his life. The angel is still there, but watching close by
as the young man sails off to conquer life and fulfill his dreams.
Then, he matures. His youth turns to full manhood. His light boat becomes burdened with cares and responsibilities. The helm of the boat is lost, the boat heads towards dark and dangerous waters and the man's eyes look heavenward, pleading for help. I loved this painting best of all. Sometimes I've felt like that in my life: the upcoming trial is too big for me and I don't have the power to steer or control my life. My life is out of my hands and I have relied


completely on Providence to guide my boat through the roughest
waters, where I am unable to steer.
The last painting is simple and beautiful. At the end of life the man sees the angel that has been with him all along, unseen, helping and protecting him. The man has finished his journey and heavenly concourses come to meet him and carry him to the clouds.
What a beautiful perspective on live. I love art that inspires me and makes me appreciate the good and the lovely and the virtuous. In fact, I think that is what true are is; the use of media to inspire goodness, virtue, truth, and beauty.

Day 4: Our Lives, Our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor

"When in the course of Human Events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another..."
That's how it all began. A revolutionary war and a revolutionary government and country.
But really it began a long time before those words ever flowed from the ink of Thomas Jefferson's quill pen.
Today I stood in the beautiful Rotunda in the National Archives, where lay in solemn majesty three documents that channeled the flow of the River of History down a completely new and unchartered course towards Life, Liberty and the Persuit if Happiness: The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution and The Bill of Rights.
I mentioned spiritual fingerprints, it was interesting to feel how similar that Rotunda felt to Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It was the same story, it was the same event. It sent out the same wave of spiritual energy into the Universe, changing lives forever.
I was overcome by emotion as I looked at those documents; not the parchment and fading ink--but what they stood for and what they represented. These have become cornerstones of Liberty throughout the world, and the men who made them, examples of Manhood and Mission forever to be emulated.
The Rotunda is dimly lit, to preserve the ink and parchment; it also adds a fitting hallowed feeling--you want to whisper and walk quietly. Above the documents, about 15 feet off the ground are two huge murals: one of the signers of the Declaration and the other of the signers of the Constitution. The murals are beautifully painted and seem to personify perfectly these amazing Patriots; our Patriarchs of freedom.
I looked at the mural on the left, of the signers of the Declaration, and picked out the familiar faces: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, George Wythe, John Hancock among others. Each one willing to sign that document, knowing it was a blatant act of treason. Pledging their "Lives, Fortunes and [their] Sacred Honor", wasn't a trite phrase, they literally were putting their lives, the lives of their families, their wealth (for many of them, was considerable), and their honor as men, knowing that if they were wrong that any blood shed in this war would stain their hands at Judgement Day, before the Great and Eternal Judge. They understood all of that, and signed anyway.
As I looked at the mural, the words of the Declaration of Independence flooded my mind. I'd memorized it once upon a time, and my memory now is kind of fragmented and mixes it up. But I love the beautiful language Jefferson used, and also the powerful ideas. Jefferson and his founding brothers knew Socrates, Romulus, Moses, Locke, Blackstone and Montesquieu; the myriad of truths taught by every great teacher were like Legos blocks that Jefferson had accumulated through hours of study, pondering, and application. With these pieces of truth, he created a whole new work of art--a revolutionizing and distinctly individual masterpiece.
I was going to quote some favorite parts, but as I looked over the Declaration, I realized I would end up quoting basically the whole thing. Just go read the Declaration, its innate majesty is far greater than any I could add.
I'll only make one last comment.
As I looked at the grand Mural, I wondered, "how could they have done it?", "what gave them the strength to sacrifice their Live, their Fortunes and their sacred Honor?"
The answer came from the preceding clause: "And for the support of this Declaration, with a Firm reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge...." They really believed that they were in the right, and they believed that God would honor that. It didn't matter that they were opposing the most influential King of the 18th century world. It didn't matter that they had no official navy to fight the greatest fleet on the 7 sees. It didn't matter that George Washington was leading rag-tag farm boys against the most organized and armed army at the time. It didn't matter that it was impossible. It didn't matter.
There was a Power stronger that Armies, more powerful than Navies, more noble than Kings; in that Power they trusted, they hoped, they prayed.
The Protection of divine Providence did shine upon them, and against all odds these 13 struggling colonies pulled one of the greatest military upsets in all history that I've studied. It was a miracle. A miracle that happened because 26 men were willing to rest their Lives, their Fortunes and their sacred Honor on good things to come.

Day 3: Monticello

What do you think people will say of you when you die?

What do you think people will talk about when they visited your grave or home?

Day three came, and I continued my adventures to Monticello.

I was so grateful to actually be at Thomas Jefferson's house. I had dreamed since being a little kid of going to Monticello, and I'm grateful that modern technology allowed that to be done.

The View was breathtaking from on top of the hill, looking over the deep green of the rolling hills of Southern Virginia. The architecture was stunning and so were the gardens. What intrigued me most was to hear what people talked about while visiting Jefferson's plantation. Normal, everyday conversations about groceries, bills, work problems and facebook postings were replaced by discussions of liberty, beauty, education, politics, the need of virtuous men today, and respect for Jefferson's breadth of knowledge. Just by visiting his house, and seeing what he'd created by his life, changed what people talked about--thus changing their thoughts, actions and the future. Jefferson is still effecting the future just by people visiting his house--fascinating.

That brought up me next question, "what will people talk about at my grave or house when I'm deceased?" Will my legacy inspire people to do better? Or will people look at my tomb as they perhaps may at King David's: "he had so much potential, it's a pity he fell so short".

As I've visited other homes and graves of Pioneers, at Nauvoo or Martin's Cove, the conversation almost inevitably turns to faith, courage, dedication, diligence and enduring to the end no matter the cost.

These people wrote their lives story in far more than journals. Their character runs so deep that how they lived and how they died was a testimony of who they were and what they believed.

Is my life that directed? Is my character that strong?

I decided today that I want to live my life in a way so that if one day people visit the home or grave of Lucas Reynolds, their thoughts will be inspired to do better, live more fully and love more sincerely.

I want my influence to last long after I'm laid to rest.

Day 2: Independence Hall

Have you just ever had a really stressful day where you felt like nothing would turn out well?

Did you ever have a day like that which actually proceeded great happiness?

I thought about that today as I say Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

Our first tour was to good old Philadelphia, where it was nothing less than a miracle that took place over 230 years ago.

Grant, Anna, Jefferson (age 4) , Duncan(age 2) and I piled into their silver Ford Focus and drove the 2 1/2 hours to Phily.

The Liberty Bell was awesome, as well as the Phily Cheese stake we ate for lunch. I learned a lot at the U.S. mint and the Federal Reserve, and felt awe looking at Benjamin Franklin's grave and Betsy Ross's house. But my favorite part of the day was being inside independence hall.

As soon as I walked in that room, I felt something special. I could almost see the powdered wigs and feel the summer's heat and hear the flies. I could see the delegates debating and arguing, wise words and stunning sentences being thrown back and forth.

I could see John Adams pleading for the resolution to declare independence. I could see James Madison feverishly taking notes on the constitutional debate, and transcribing them late into the night. I could see George Washington in his white powdered whig, keeping order with his stern, but loving face, hoping that from this spinning potter's wheel of ideas, that a beautiful vase of liberty would be formed.

I saw the seat where Benjamin Franklin would have sat, with his leg raised and his glasses perched on his nose. Pondering his pearls of wisdom and wit.

I felt like I could see the convention adjourn after a normal day, and all the delegates shuffle out into the summer's heat, persperation rolling down their brows, wrinkled with concern for this infant nation which they held in their hands. Bent over with worry, they wondered, "Will this be of any good?" "Will anything ever come of this?" "Is it worth it?"

So many doubts could have, and probably at times did fill their minds. I wish I could have shouted to them from across the centuries and have pulled them to take a look at modern Philidelphia, and say: "It will work out! It will! Don't give up, not yet. Look at what you'll create! See this city? See these people bustling to and from work? See the thousands of visitors who came just to see what you did? Don't give up! Don't give in! It will work out, and you will change the world."

But I think there were angels who did that; unseen messengers, who stood by their elbows and whispered thoughts of hope into those great, but tired men. I've felt those angels in my life, telling me not to give up right when I was so close to throwing in the towel.

In this way, the founders weren't that different than us. They had to live with the eye of faith, just as we do. They didn't know that the constitution would build the most powerful nation on earth; they didn't know when they declared independence that they would win the war (in fact, at that point they were losing), but they hoped. They hoped and they believed in good things to come. In spite of how bleak the present may have been they pushed forward, just as we need to do daily.

A nation might not rest in our hands, but people do: our families, our friends, our class mates or coworkers. Do we dream big dreams and not give up, or do we look at the facts and say, "this is hopeless", throwing up our hands and walking out of our independence hall with only a half written declaration or constitution?

The world was only changed because they didn't give up, and they didn't give in. Wherever we are, and whatever our doubts are that make us not want to finish our good intentions, we may need to take a step back and see with our eye of faith what may happen, and then hope, believe, and hold on--come what may.

Day 1: Motherly Patience

Monday. April 18. 2011

Wow! Here I am in Washington D.C. It still feels so surreal. I loved driving down the freeway and seeing the D.C. Temple seem to burst forth through the trees. My heart started racing and I thought: "You're really here" and I am.

Today we didn't do too much, but I did saw a valuable lesson in Patience; I saw my sister be a mother.

Oh my Goodness! Motherhood really doesn't ever stop. The whole entire day Anna was helping Jefferson and Duncan, this was sometimes playing with them, sometimes reprimanding them, or teaching them, or explaining rules, or feeding them, or cleaning up after them, and usually it seemed that she had to do all of these at once.

She so patiently taught and so lovingly reprimanded. Motherhood is a beautiful thing! I am so grateful for my Mother and also for my sisters who are mothers and their examples of selfless motherhood.

There is no more difficult job than Mothering, but good mothers make it look so natural and easy.

So, my first lesson in visiting D.C. didn't have anything to do with history or the founders, (except, perhaps, that each one of them had an amazing mother, I'm pretty sure of it).

Too Clear to See

When too much of a good thing isn’t good.

So today I was changing my contacts. I had my old ones in and they were starting to irritate me; I realized it was past the day to replace them, so I went to the bathroom, pulled out my contact boxes and when to work.
I pulled our my right contact, everything going slightly blurry in the room, (you see I’m pretty blind, when I only have one contact in everything is off, and when I have niether in, I’m pretty much blind). So I get my right contact out and think, “I’m so grateful for contacts so that I can actually see!” Then I put my new right eye contact in.
I proceed with my left eye, but when I put the contact in my sight is still blurry. I take it out, put more solution on it, but it is still blurry. I go outside and shovel the walks thinking, “maybe time will correct it.” But the whole time my left eye stayed just as blurry. Now there are very few things as anoying as only having one eye that works. Everything just feels out of perspective. So I go back to the bathroom to have a round two with the contact.
I take the contact out, and look in the mirror, “Funny” I thought, “I see better without this contact than with it in. What’s wrong with this contact?” But then I looked in the mirror again. I saw just fine without the contact. I saw perfectly. Then it hit me, I still had my old contact in.
I had out my new contact right on top of the old one, and I found out that two contacts don’t make your vision twice as good.
In some parts of life there are prescribed doses or measurements. Twice as much doesn’t mean twice as good. Sleeping 16 hours a day doesn’t make you have more energy than sleeping 8. The goal in life is to learn the laws by which the Universe lives, the laws that set the doses and measurements, and live accordingly. You can have too much of a good thing. Most unhappy people are unhappy because they live unbalanced lives. They have so much of one good thing that it becomes a vice.
In short, they are wearing so many contacts that they have gone completely blind.
Here is what I’m saying: learn your prescription and live by it. There is a really good Doctor I know, His name is God, and He is really good at helping people find their prescription lenses. Once you find that prescription, only put one contact in at a time.