hush, hush

This post is actually more of a book critique than things in my life. (****SPOILER ALERT****) I read a book called "hush, hush" this weekend by Becca Fitzpatrick. I was told that if I loved Twilight then I would love this book. I mean, it was good. I liked it. BUT I don't know that I loved it. When I read Twilight I felt it was pretty original- considering. I mean Meyers recreated vampires- vegetarian vampires? WHAT?! But the whole, innocent girl falling in love with the bad boy type or the forbidden love- that isn't anything new. Juliet falling in love with Romeo, the forbidden love theme has been around for forever. But this book I felt mirrored Twilight too much. There's a transfer student- this time it's not the girl. The boy is dangerous. Acts like he is annoyed with the girl as does Edward in Twilight. Bella and this girl are both annoyed with the guy, and have a love/hate thing going on inside of them. Against their better judgement they fall for the guy (don't get me wrong- I love Edward in Twilight and I actually like the guy in this book as well- but really?) The boys in both books are creepy stalkers, stalking around the girl's bedroom windows. Freak accidents. Even one where there's a car involved in both books. There's even a fateful trip out of town to the "big city" nearby. Anyways, for me there was a lot of similarities that I don't think I could ever call this book original.

What I DID like about it? In this book the bad guy is a fallen angel. He never directly tells the girl but tries to give her hints. He is definitely a bad boy type. But in the end, he overcomes the bad. He overcomes his evil side. He ends up changing his nature. Not just a vegetarian vampire- who is still somewhat dangerous by definition, but he is ACTUALLY changed at the end. The girl has to come to terms with him not being who his past defined him. Key word there was defined being PAST TENSE. In life we go through lots of things- things that help shape us into who we are. But our past doesn't have to define WHO WE ARE. What we learn from it, how we use it, how we change and the choices we make NOW and what defines who we are. That is what I gained from this book. Cheesy at times, and sometimes far from original, I liked the message that based on what we choose to do now, we can change. We can be forgiven. We can start anew. How far we may have come shows our strength and perseverance. What we've learned from it shows our wisdom we have gained. How we live now shows our wisdom and who we are- what we have become.

On one more critical note. I found an error on p. 320,
The girl is trying to call her mom and try to explain where she's been all evening in a way that her mom won't get too mad. I don't know where it should switch over, but it starts with the girl saying, "Here's the deal--" and then going on to say she had to turn back and get a room in Milliken Mills. But if you follow the conversation down, the MOM is the one who is in Milliken Mills, not the girl who the quote is attributed to. The girl is at home and becomes relieved to find that her mom didn't notice she was missing and left in search of her. Anyways, now that I've spoiled some of the story for you- read it if you wish. Just know that you will probably see similarities between this book and Twilight and I might've spoiled the ending for you- though I tried to be as vague as possible. I could only be so vague and still get my points across. So sorry if I have spoiled this experience for you!

Updates- Phantom

So.. it's been a long time since I've blogged about anything recent, so here goes. The biggest update has to do with a boy. :) There's nothing official, but I do like him a lot. So here's the scoop on him. He's a great guy from Sandy, Utah. He served his mission in my home mission, Spanish speaking- but never served in my stake. He's currently getting his doctorate in Classical Vocal Performance- or at least that's what I think it is- he's an Opera singer- a tenor, and he's getting a doctorate so he can teach it at a University level as a back up to performing.

He's a great guy with similar standards within the Church to mine. There are many people who have different standards on things, even within the Church and he seems to agree with most of all my personal beliefs which is one of the biggest reasons I decided to start liking him. How we met- well I actually had a membership to eHarmony, and I'm laughing as I write this because although I knowingly signed up for the membership I never actually thought it would work or help me find anyone. So side tangent for that...

I have been known for being impulsive, especially when it's late at night and I'm sleep deprived. It was one of these nights when I just decided I would make a profile on eHarmony and see what it was about. I have done online dating services in the past and I feel I am pretty safe with meeting up with people. I don't give out personal information, even when they pick me up- I don't give them my address or let them see my car so they can't stalk me that way. Just wanted to assure any readers who might have doubts about online dating that I am safe about it. Anyways, I went to a Family Home Evening last spring with my Stake Presidency. One of the counselors mentioned priorities. He didn't say anything new at first. God is our number one priority- why? Because we trust that He really does love us and that by putting Him first He will then help us with everything else in life. #2 priority- is our spouse. Why? Because we choose someone we want to be with that we feel we can trust to help us with everything else in our lives. This was the part he mentioned that hit me. If our #2 priority is our spouse- then shouldn't finding that #2 be at least a top priority? So I went home and thought about it and felt I didn't have time in my life right then to really meet more people. So, I decided to pay for the membership with eHarmony and was determined to let IT do the finding for me, so that I just had to be myself, respond and sift through the options. So then Phantom (as my roommates call him) contacted me. Before I had bought my membership I had encrypted one of my emails into the message so people could contact me without me having to pay. So Phantom did that, and we started talking.

That was the beginning of summer. We emailed back and forth sporadically and then started texting almost every day, but mainly small talk stuff. With online dating and all the stuff you can do, I determine not to actually let myself like them until I meet them in person. Well, the summer went by and right before school started I got back to Utah and he had stayed so we would be able to meet up. So we did. The first time he picked me up at the dorms and we went to lunch and then a movie. Then we talked outside for a bit and then he ended up meeting my mom and one of my sisters. My Mom didn't realize this was the first time I had met him and treated him like an old friend. Later she was mortified she had been so open with him, but Phantom didn't seem to mind. When he left we talked about seeing each other again on Friday before he left Saturday morning and I consented to driving up to Sandy so he didn't have to drive all the way down again. But as it turned out, he invited me to dinner on Thursday with his family and I had to decline saying I was having dinner with my mom and sisters before my Mom flew back home, but said he was invited to come with us. So he came to dinner with me, my Mom and two of my sisters. On Friday I drove up to his house and we went to lunch with his family- or his parents and one brother anyways. After each of the dinners both Thursday and Friday we had time to talk and get to know each other better. We did kiss before he left. But honestly I still wasn't sure how I felt about him. Tuesday after he left I felt like I was doing the right thing. Whether it is right to date him for now, or what, I don't know, but all I know is, that was the changing day for me. Still there's nothing official but I know how much I like him and it's definitely more than your average crush. :)

So this past weekend I had bought a plane ticket to fly to Indiana- where he is currently going to school. Thursday I started getting sick and then I didn't get much sleep that night on the plane- so it was a nice, slow, casual, comfortable weekend. :) I had a ton of fun and it was just nice to be there.

Saturday we spent walking around a small town outside of Bloomington, Indiana which was really fun. :) A lot of cute little shops. :) Then Sunday- that was my favorite day. :) In the morning I woke up and briefly talked to the girl I was staying with before heading upstairs. We had a little time before he left for an audition he had for the next Opera season. When he left I started getting ready for church. Then when he came home we had breakfast and then had a few hours before church. It was just a nice relaxing day. We went to church and because the Church makes it such a small ward, I actually knew one person in his singles' branch. He had been in my stake here in Provo til apparently just last month when he started at IU for grad school. But that was nice too. We left Sunday School early because he had another audition in Cincinnati- 2 1/2 hours away. It was kind of nice having a long drive together. Then his audition. Afterwards, we had originally planned on having a picnic at a nearby park, since it was Sunday- but plans changed when we realized how SHADY the area was. It was a drug infested, creepy area... not where you'd really want to stop to have a nice Sunday picnic... So we looked up a restaurant to go to and I found a Cajun one that happened to be across the river in Kentucky- so first time to Kentucky! Anyways, it was a nice little restaurant. :) We ate up on the rooftop terrace where they had a live jazz band and a GORGEOUS view of Cincinnati. The whole evening was very nice and just comfortable. I know I'm using that word a lot, but it really is the best description.. :) Then the drive home. he makes me laugh and I'm able to be myself with him and open. At one point on the way home I was getting sleepy so I was like, "Tell me a story or something so I don't fall asleep." So this was his story.. "Once upon a time, there was a Princess named Jamie. She had many princess sisters and a prince brother. They all lived together in a castle. And the Princess lived Happily Ever After." I was like, "That's boring! Happily ever after? All by herself?" So he responded with, "She's not by herself! She has all her princess sisters and a prince brother!" And I was like, "What about Prince Charming?" And he's like, "Well she has her prince brother, and I'm sure he's sometimes charming..." And I was like, "EW! That's like incest!" And he feigned shock, "Incest?! What?! They're family and they're just living in the same castle!" Anyways, it made me laugh.

So that's my Phantom. Not my boyfriend- nothing that official. We are dating, and we both like each other a lot but that's it for now. I'm sure I'll have more updates another time though, but that's it for now :)

Brigham Young quote

I do not, at this time, have enough time to devote to the whole discussion of Boyd K Packer's talk this past General Conference but I do want to address a quote that has been circulating. The quote is as follows, "If there ever comes a day when the Saints interfere with the rights of others to live as they see fit, you can know with assurance that the Church is no longer led by a Prophet, but a mere man." and is referenced to Brigham Young. I found a group on facebook that loves this quote and has been re-posting it to further their cause in not liking President Packer's talk. Some people on the page have asked for the citation. Only one response followed and it led to this SITE.

I tried looking for any other websites that would have the quote and found nothing. So as far as the web is concerned I believe it is only from this one page. And so on THAT site some people were asking for the source. After reading through it I realized something and I will share it with you, and if you wish to check for yourself, go to the page for yourself. On the right hand side you will notice it says that it is a blog roll, so a blog- posted by an average person. It also has the ability to subscribe to the RSS feed. It also has a place where it says "Email Brother Brigham" Email ME. This blogger's pen name IS Brother Brigham, and dedicates most of his posts to quotes Brigham Young DID say. I haven't read through them, so I don't know that I agree with how he interprets those quotes, but my guess is I don't.

The fact is, the quote people are saying is so contradictory is NOT actually from the Prophet Brigham Young but this blogger. His own comments which you can find on THIS PAGE, but you'll have to expand the comments to read it, says the following:

Brothers and Sisters, Good Evening,

I’m pleased the Sprit has directed you to my site.

To answer your questions, the above information is merely words that sum up my doctrine and my teachings. While I never said these exact words (and they do not appear in any of my published works) they express my personal religious convictions and a life time of teachings.

God Bless,

Brother Brigham.

PS (From Brother Brigham’s secretary: Brother Brigham wishes more to express his sorrow that this page of his website has been misunderstood. He wants you to know that all of his real quotes that appear on his website are set off by quotation marks and a citation. Brother Brigham is pained that the words that appear under the “ABOUT” tab of his website have caused confusion.)

(emphasis added)

So in essence, this is someone's OPINION about what THEY feel Brigham Young believed. Brigham Young was headstrong, and may not have been perfect, but his quotes that are doctrine ARE doctrine, and as we can see here, NONE of them actually say what is being posted on the web that condemn the Church's current stance on Prop 8, homosexuality or Boyd K. Packer's talk.