Crandall Printing Museum

I had the opportunity of visiting the Crandall Historical Printing Museum last year. For those of you who have never visited the museum, I highly recommend it! The cozy cottage exterior gives the museum a nice environment, and the inside is an amazing display of artifacts, replicas and demonstration materials. If anyone is even remotely interested in the history of the printed word, this place will amaze you. I was quite surprised that this place existed in a town like Provo, and that I had never even heard of it.
As the tour began with the replication of the Gutenberg Press, I was immediately drawn into the discussion. I loved the enthusiasm of our guide, because it seemed to me like the subject matter could have been quite boring. Instead, our guide had some fascinating insights into the press that I had never heard before. The pain-staking work that the pressers put in as they labored over the moveable type and sticky ink. Every individual letter had to be placed in the press separately. Row by row, page by page, the printer worked on making sure everything was spelled correctly. Each letter had to be inserted backward in order to produce a copy that the words could read in the normal direction. I could definitely appreciate the work it took to produce a book. I couldn't even imagine the kind of effort it took to produce a book as large and complicated as the Bible. However, it was because of this unique and important invention that so many were able to read the word of God. For so many, the Bible became an accessible and readable work. Christianity saw some major growth at this time because of the ability for even the most common to have access to the scriptures.
After seeing the Gutenberg Press we were lead on a tour throughout the home-like museum being able to view important technological updates that were made throughout the years. We discussed the importance of these technologies in relation to mass distribution of the printed word. Such technologies became very important to the American colonies as they were distributing their ideas far and wide, promoting a united effort against the tyrannical force of the British.
The printed word continued to develop and technology made it possible for the Book of Mormon to be produced for a relatively inexpensive cost and published in large quantities. The E.B. Grandin Press served as the first publishers of the Book of Mormon, and with a substantial donation from Martin Harris, several hundreds of copies of the Book of Mormon were published over the course of mere months. This kind of technology is a testimony to me that the Lord guides inspired men to do His work. The Crandall Printing Museum is a unique place and a landmark in the city of Provo.

The Apostasy

As the early christian church was not only facing heavy persecution, but also great separation one from another, the members of the church began to be confused on certain doctrines. The young movement had scarcely come into existence before things began to change. The Apostles were having a difficult time holding everything together, and the new members of the movement were more or less on their own to figure things out.
After the ascension of Christ, the Apostles were charged with the responsibility to go out and preach the gospel to all nations "the Jew first and then to the Greek." As they did so, they faced major opposition from established Jewish leaders as well as the Roman empire, as these new teachings were fairly radical departures from their general customs. Ideas such as equality among men and women, Jew and Gentile, and (in some cases) bond and free were quite different from current beliefs as well as the Law of Moses. As various Apostles began to spread and baptize, they had a difficult time maintaining doctrinal clarity amongst themselves as their previous held beliefs (such as circumcision laws) were maintained. Although apostles, such as Paul wrote epistles and letters, and tried to visit, it seemed as though the moment they clarified a situation, something else would come up. Not only were Apostles charged with clarifying and correcting, but they were also out to preach the gospel and baptize new members. Needless to say, it was quite a stressful time.
Paul began to notice these changes amongst areas of the church during his lifetime. In Acts 20:29-31 Paul warns of false doctrines arising and how the members of the church must keep their guard and be careful not to let these incorrect teachings creep into their beliefs. He says, "For I know this, that after my departing shall agrievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking aperverse things, to bdraw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to awarn every one night and day with tears." Paul cared for the well being of these people. They were his friends and allies. How passionately he must have preached to them and how much love he must have felt for them to preach as he did.
The apostasy did not happen over night, but by the 2nd century the church had pretty much fallen to pieces. The foundation of faith and baptism were still present, but various sects were left to pick up the pieces the best they could. Doctrines had been altered and sacred rites had been changed. Fortunately, faith in Jesus Christ remained the basis for the vast majority of these churches and Christianity survived.

Museum of Art

Every time I visit the BYU Museum of Art, I am taken aback at how amazing it is. It is a beautiful museum with some amazing exhibits. Our New Testament class had a great opportunity of going to visit an exhibit about Jesus Christ and artist's reflections on the resurrection. Many of the pieces had a deep impact on me. One of those was a sculpture about Christ reaching through the vail to a man trying to hold on to a rod. The piece had deep significance in the way the hands of the person were portrayed. Was he trying to hold on? Was he letting go? Was it too hard? Christ always has his hand outstretched to us if we're willing to accept it, but it is a difficult road to follow. So difficult that we often feel like we can't make it and we let go. The rod is always there and so is Christ, and if we're willing to make changes and have confidence in him he will be there to lift us back up.
The picture below is also featured at the museum, and had a huge impact on me. I was very touched by how much I resembled the prodigal son. How often I have disobeyed when I knew what was right and how often I have been so foolish as to do my own will. I felt the spirit as I viewed the painting and I realize that it was something very significant to me.

The Book of Romans is a powerful epistle from Paul. Although he may not have been the one to actually write down the words, the messages conveyed in the book are both revolutionary and eternal. In the first chapter, Paul bears a powerful testimony and sets up the rest of the book with his authoritative tone. In verse 16 he says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto the salvation to every one that believeth: to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” I remember on my mission, we were asked to look especially for men in ties to talk to. At first I was a little bothered by the idea because I always considered missionary work to be to everyone… especially the downtrodden and humble. As my mission progressed, I was able to see the wisdom in this counsel, however. Although we definitely kept seeking out everyone we could find that would talk to us, we would definitely focus on talking to men in ties. Often, these men had families they were supporting through stable jobs and had stable lives. Although this may sound a bit judgmental, the work progressed as we talked to these people. We were asked as missionaries to seek out families, and if men in ties were the way to do this, then so be it. In this scripture, Paul talks about first preaching to the Jew, and then the Greek. Although this may seem a bit biased at first reading, it makes sense. The Jews were a God-fearing, scripture-reading, covenant-keeping people who understood Jehovah and knew how to keep commandments. The Greeks had a much different, polytheistic view and were thus less susceptible to adapting to a monotheistic, commandment-keeping belief system. That’s not to say that there weren’t any Greeks in the church (there are several mentioned in the scriptures) but they were less likely to join with the young Christian movement than their Jewish counterparts.
Skipping ahead to chapter 8, I think Paul has conveyed one of the most beautiful concepts in Christianity. He says (verses 37-39): “Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, not things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creatures, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus or Lord.” Paul is a man who has had keen experience with suffering and grief. He knows the loneliness of separation and the pains of torture. Yet all these things have not separated him from the love of God. As he says, he is the “servant” of the Lord, and has had experiences feeling the depth of love that Christ has for his children. This is the message that Paul is conveying, and this is the message of the Gospel. No matter what wrongs we’ve done, we are never too far that the love of Christ cannot reach us.