Light shines through the blinds like trees in the forest. Great trunk like pillars spring up from the floor. Who would have thought that a boy, just 14 years old, could spark the beginning of generations of learning truth and light? The BYU education exhibit portrays the rich history of education throughout LDS history. The exhibit walks anxious visitors through the history of church education from that momentous moment when the Father and the Son came down to instruct the prophet Joseph Smith, through the origins of the institute program, and down into this era when temples dot the earth.
Some features of the exhibit include many trinkets and facsimiles of original documents from early Latter Day Saint history; each with its own story and significance. One item is a pair of very old dancing slippers akin to those that may have been worn by early latter day saints. The shoes were pink and worn; their white souls, paled and worn with time, seemed to be near falling out, yet well preserved for the time they came from. On the wall next to the shoes; a set of small type letters like those that would be used in a printing press in the time of Joseph Smith. Their square shapes and long stems give meaning to the depth of the impact they may have had in their day. Perhaps each strike made, like a hammer, a stitch in the vesture of a new message to the early saints.
The exhibit is also littered with histories of prominent founders and trail blazers on the road of education in the church; one in particular stands out—that of James E. Talmage. Talmage’s exhibit displays a black and white picture of him, younger, perhaps in his 30s, surrounded by beakers and other chemistry things. A beige plaque below the black and white picture tells of the story of his life in education and learning. Below that are two books: one is the Book of Mormon, a replica, the other, black, old and tattered with a brown binding, a first edition copy of Jesus the Christ; a true relic of the past.
As I walk around the last corridor I find myself back in the main room and see the great beams of light pouring through the skylight in the ceiling. I feel a greater sense of understanding and a greater appreciation for the light and knowledge that has flowed throughout the ages. I am grateful that that light continues to flow today.
5 comments:
I regard the metaphor of light seeping through window blinds being compared to dappled sunlight coming through trees in the Sacred Grove a brilliant insight! Wish I'd thought of it. =)
There are lots of effective remarks about the exhibit as a whole, and if just one element of it was chosen as a focus, then my attention would be captured even more in this composition. You mention a few highlights of the exhibit, like the instruction of Joseph Smith, Institute, and "trinkets," for example, but now try picking one of those highlighted items, pictures, or featured stories, and describing in greater detail that smaller part of the whole.
You begin with a powerful simile. Like you, I was impressed by the quality of light coming into the windows that morning of our visit to the exhibit. In fact, my first response was to write a short poem:
EXHIBIT (Education in Zion)
The daybreak shines –
The shadow reclines –
New beauty’s mountain light reveals –
The calming of another sea –
The caring for another sheep –
Pacific now – the valley kneels.
Could you use the first sentence to make a poem? Or could you use it as a theme or frame for the whole piece? I would like to read more. I would like to see more specific details.
There's a wonderful connection in this piece between present day and that day in the grove. I particularly liked how you compared the pillars to trees! It's the perfect analogy! The ending line, "Each item carries its own story and its own history," makes me curious about the stories themselves. It's a great framework. Perhaps you could "flesh it out" a bit?
Great imagery with the light. I like that you begin and end with light, with different connotations.
I liked your description of the exhibit, but I agree with Courtney. Try focusing on one to describe the overall.
Excellent revision because you added more specific details that anchor the description as a real place.
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