Musings

As I mentioned in a previous post, Masterpiece on PBS is showing Jane Austen movies. This past weeks was Mansfield Park. So I would be better prepared to enjoy the movie, I decided to reread the book and watch another version of the movie. Why all this work just to watch a movie? Well the other two movies that have been shown so far, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, were both very well done, but I didn't feel like I had enough knowledge to really appreciate them. This time, things were different. Because I had recently read the book, I knew what portions were included, and what portions were left out. The version of the movie I watched during the week seemed to get bogged down with too many of the small details in the book, whereas the PBS version had the important parts and were able to focus on those. It was great! They also included a much more fulfilling ending. In the book, the two lovers get together of course (it is Jane Austen, after all), but the details are glossed over. In the movie, I enjoyed watching Edmund come to the realization that he really does love Fanny and then watch him try to pursue her. This is turning out to be a wonderful way to spend my winter!!

On a more somber note, learning that President Gordon B Hinckley passed away on Sunday has certainly been cause for some reflection. As I've read some other blogs, I can tell I'm not the only one who has had the same response. One of the things I find myself pondering at this time is how the leadership of the church changes hands. Instead of politicking and stuggling to gain footing and "win" the position of leader, the members of the Quorum of the Twelve pray and meditate and fast to learn the Lord's will. Isn't that the only opinion that matters? It is, after all, the Lord's church. The love that these men have for each other is truly evident, and it is my opinion that although the tradition currently holds that the most senior apostle is the next president, if the Lord revealed to them that the president should be someone else, they would comply. They don't look for earthly glory, and in today's world with people who are so willing to lose their morals and really themselves to have their "10 minutes of fame," their humility is a striking contrast. If and when Thomas S Monson is called as the next president of the church, I'm sure it will be because he is chosen of the Lord. I am so blessed to be a member of this, the "only true and living church on the face of the earth."