Church:
Last night my friend Rob and I were discussing church. We both made some comments about how boring we think church is. I personally don't like Sunday school because I feel it's boring, and I have a hard time not falling asleep because I'm tired all of the time. He didn't like how his ward members would take forever in the halls between classes, so that they never started on time.I agree with his complaint. In my singles ward we start at 1, and we never start Sunday school until 2:30. Sometimes that is due to sacrament getting out late, but still. Some people arrive early, and slowly the room fills up. And it always seems like groups of people have a hard time sitting next to someone they aren't familiar with. They will most often sit with a single seat in between them. This causes groups of friends that come late to have to break up. I'm not saying this is bad, but just something I've noticed. I think people need to arrive at church early to catch up on the latest gossip, sports and other activities in their friends lives, rather than in the hallways between classes.
One down side to starting late is that the teacher has to start late. It always seems like there is so much for the teacher to discuss and there is never enough time. Many teachers stress about their lesson the week before, so why not show the cutesy of showing up in a timely manner? I get that some may need to use the restroom, or get a drink. But it is unreasonable to think that it takes 20 minutes to do so.
My next topic is books. There are so many genres of books I don't think I know all of them. There are probably at least 100 million books currently out there throughout the world. Many of them are by authors who won't be well known, who will probably do something else for a livelihood. But I just want to say thanks to all writers, because they have probably been an indirect influence in my life.
I love reading. It is something I can say I'm truly passionate about. I love talking about ideals, and life in general. The written word is how things are passed from person to person, along with the spoken word. Writing is key to success in the world today.
I have recently been posting about a list of 50 books I believe everyone should read. These are just books that I have read, and have influenced me. They have played a role in who I am today. Of course, I am biased, since I am only thinking of me when creating this list.
There is a set of book, 55 in all, that is called The Great Books of the Western World. These are a collection of books and essays, both ancient and modern. In the 1950's some scholars got together and created a list of 55 authors who have influenced the West significantly through their writing. They start with Homer of ancient Greece, and end with the late 1800's. I have read several of the authors, and have enjoyed them.
I believe that a love of reading is being lost in America. I look at my friends and very few of them have a passion for reading. Tonight I went home teaching, and the girl we visited said she loved to read. We talked briefly about books, until my companion said he didn't like reading at all. My friend Rob doesn't either. Most of my friends rarely read for pleasure. I think this is sad.
Reading has taken me many places I haven't been to or probably won't ever get to visit. I've been to Rome in The Da Vinci Code, the Wild West with Louis L'Amour, China in Wild Swans and many other places. The stories are incredible. I believe people are missing out.
So I have heard a few people claim a library is a waste of tax money. I disagree strongly with that opinion. I think reading is key to civilizations future. We need to stay educated to stay free. Sure there is a lot of junk out there, books that won't help out in life. But most won't hurt you either. You need to be able to read to stay free. Books help transfer information, ideas.
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