Ashby 1 Danielle Ashby Professor Austin Dance 261 22 January 2014 1.

1 Examine the Words of Modern Prophets The arts embody a unique learning process that awakens the very core of ones being to lifes meaning and beauty (Dayley). As LDS artists, the arts enable us to learn spiritual things quickly that we would otherwise learn at a slower pace, according to Elder Boyd K. Packer (Dayley). Creativity is something that is inside each and every one of us whether it is through singing a simple song, painting a masterpiece on canvas, or fabricating movement into a dance. Modern prophets have taught that through God we can find creativity, that the body should be celebrated as long as it is done correctly, and that we must spread truth and place Christ at the center of all art. Creative expression through dance, or any form of art, shows gratitude to God for the gifts and talents bestowed to each and every one of us. Elder Neal A. Maxwell teaches that Righteous work is of our love of God and of our neighbors being manifest! Creative work is a social expression, a more excellent way, of showing that love. Creativity does not just come instantly to the human mind and body though. Thus creativity involves both a process and a result (Maxwell). Showing thanks unto the Lord for the beauty and truth He has created makes the creative process a very personal experience. When we have a close relationship with the Lord and do all things with Him, we will see the beauty and remarkable detail in everything God has given us. Our minds will be open to inspired ideas that will lead us to know and share the truth of

Ashby 2 all things with others. When our eyes are opened through God, we then see and feel things which we never had supposed (Moses 1:10) (Maxwell). The body is a beautiful instrument that can be used, as mentioned previously, to create inspiring artistry. It is a magnificent creation of God. It is a tabernacle of flesh - a temple for your spirit. A study of your body attests to its divine design (Nelson). The gift of a physical body is priceless and without it we cannot obtain a fullness of joy. We must give thanks unto God and acknowledge Him as our creator by protecting and caring for our bodies both physically and spiritually. Dance is a form of celebration so that we might be able to express our love and appreciation toward God. What better way to thank Him than with one of the greatest gifts He has given us? However, because the body is something to be celebrated, we are commanded to not defile our bodies in any way. We need to keep our bodies physically fit, fuel them with nutritious food, and keep them clean from tattoos and piercings. Along with this, we must keep our spirits healthy through living Gods commandments and staying away from filth such as pornography. Our bodies and spirits will be with us for eternity, and we will be judged by the traits of our spirits at the final day. These include the virtues of integrity, compassion, love, and more. Your spirit, by being housed in your body, is able to develop and express these attributes in ways that are vital to your eternal progression (Nelson). God is the ultimate creator. Everything comes from Him and it is truly spectacular that He is so kind and willing to teach us, as His children, to create as He would. God only creates truth, nothing of another nature. If we want His blessing of creativity then we must live an honest life and live by His truth. The truth always has been and always will be true whether we believe it to be or not, and we all have the ability to find the truth for ourselves through the power of the

Ashby 3 Holy Ghost. Finding the truth for ourselves is one of the reasons we, as Gods children, were sent here to earth (Uchtdorf). Once we know of the truth, it is then our duty to share it with others in every way we can and work to always have the spirit present in our lives (Bednar). Art that is centered in Christ and builds people up invites the Holy Ghost to be present. There is a difference between art that comes from the Savior and art that comes from the devil, and as LDS artists we are directed to use our artistic work to contribute to the building of Zion. This is when we must ask ourselves, will we be willing to place Christ at the center of our work? (Dayley). Do we love the praise of men more than God? Lucifers appeal can be potent even to those who are true followers of Christ and know the right paths to take. But Newell Dayley teaches us that arts centered on the Savior invites everyone to do good, emanates the light of Christ, and manifests of the Saviors love, while art created by the devil is completely opposite. Latter-Day Prophets have taught us that every human being on this earth is able to create. Finding that creativity within ourselves is a process that takes much time and effort, but when we follow in the Saviors footsteps and live a life of integrity, using our talents for good, and seek a partnership with God in all things, we will be able to share the light of Christ with others through art.

Works Cited

Ashby 4 Bednar, David A.. "That We May Always Have His Spirit To Be With Us." lds.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, n.d. Web. 22 Jan 2014. <http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/04/that-we-may-always-have-his-spiritto-be-with-us?lang=eng>. Dayley, Newell. "Centering The Arts in Christ." lds.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints. Web. 22 Jan 2014. <http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=264>. Maxwell, Neal A. "Creativity." LDS New Era. Aug 1982: n. page. Web. 22 Jan. 2014. <https://www.lds.org/new-era/1982/08/creativity?lang=eng>. Nelson, Russell M. "We Are Children of God." Ensign. Oct 1998: n. page. Web. 22 Jan. 2014. <https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1998/10/we-are-children-of-god?lang=eng>. Uchtdorf, Dieter F.. "What is Truth?." lds.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Web. 21 Jan 2014. <http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/print/cesdevotionals/2013/01/what-is-truth?lang=eng>.