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Empowering Latter-day Saints to spread light and truth by connecting them at the intersection of faith, creativity, and professional skill

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Ted Finch

Seeking and Creating Praiseworthy Works

April 7, 2021 By tfinch Leave a Comment

By Ted Finch

Our Thirteenth Article of Faith proclaims, “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.” My original goal for this blog post was to share quotes from a handful of articles I’ve studied over the last few months that have had an impact on my growth as a creative person trying to figure out how to share my light through praiseworthy works.

As I worked through several paragraphs, I started asking myself questions such as, “Why am I writing this?” and “Should I include this?” Finally, it dawned on me that I don’t need to write about what is in the articles themselves; rather, write about the idea that we have to work on our spiritual development and our artistic development in tandem. That is the moment the words started to flow.

The Spiritual and Artistic in Tandem

Artist James C. Christensen stressed the idea to many of his BYU students, “We cannot separate our spiritual development from our artistic development. We must work at both.” There is wonderful insight that comes when we involve God in our creative pursuits. Keeping our connection with the Spirit is key to receiving the guidance we need to grow spiritually and creatively. 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie said that the “Spirit of Christ . . . is the medium of intelligence, that guides inventors, scientists, artists, composers, poets, authors . . . when they set their hands to do that which is for the benefit and blessing of their fellow men.”

In 1995, President M. Russell Ballard stated at the Tuachan Mormon Arts Festival (later published in the July 1996 Ensign), “God’s purpose for the artist is to inspire. To give us visions of ourselves that we might not otherwise see, to make us better than we would have been.” 

Think about that. Our purpose as creatives is to inspire ourselves and others to see the world differently—in a better way. We can be guided to create things that will benefit and bless the lives of others. 

A hand holding out a candle. Sharing light, symbolic of creating and seeking praiseworthy works.
A Call to Share Our Light

In his speech, President Ballard stated, “This is the time, brothers and sisters to make our voices heard.” I think that call still rings true almost 21 years later. As we see more winds of commotion and confusion blow across the plains of the world, we must rise to the call to fill our quarters of the world with light and truth. 

How do we do this? As creatives, we “express [ourselves] in universal symbols, images, sounds, and feelings.” We have the “unique opportunity to present [our] opinions, and perspectives on Eternity” through “universal symbols, images, sounds, and feelings” (Ballard, 1995).

Now it’s time for you to discover how the Lord wants you to make your voice heard. It may be in the walls of your home, to your extended family, to your community, or to the world. You might share your praiseworthy stories, ideas, music, or other unique opinions from your perspective. Now is the time to share.

Enjoy your journey. Bring others with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s Note: I linked articles I cited in the article and have included a few others below to help start you on your path of creative discovery.

“The Sweep the Earth as a Flood” talk by Elder David A. Bednar
“The Arts and the Spirit of the Lord” speech by President Boyd K. Packer
“Seeking after the Good in Art, Drama, Film, and Literature” essay by Travis T. Anderson

———————————————————————————–

Ted Finch is a husband, father, disciple, and storyteller. He loves stories through novels, poetry, and film. Ted loves baking bread, fishing, and spending time outdoors. He is also passionate about creating learning experiences for audiences around the world.

Twitter – @tedthewriter

Instagram – @tedthewriter

Website – tedthewriter.wixsite.com/home

Filed Under: Articles, Faith & Mindset, Gospel Principles Tagged With: Articles of Faith, Creating, Creative, Creativity, good works, Inspiration, LDSPMA, Mormon, Praiseworthy, praiseworthy works, Ted Finch

Announcing the New LDSPMA Podcast!

March 3, 2021 By tfinch Leave a Comment

By Ted Finch

I am happy to announce the launch of the first episode of The LDSPMA Podcast! In the first episode, I interview Steven Piersanti, who is one of the original members of the Latter-day Saint Publishing and Media Association. He currently serves as the director of conferences and programs.

Podcasting is always an adventure for me. I love listening to podcasts and I have enjoyed the few that I have done before hosting The LDSPMA Podcast. To be honest, I never thought of myself as a podcaster. I’ve always seen myself as a writer and storyteller, but sometimes our creative paths lead us in directions we never imagined.

Podcasting is turning into a medium where we can simply and effectively share our light. We can flood the airwaves with hope and positivity. We can model civility and celebrate differences of opinion and diversity of thought.

I still write poems and work on my novels, but I feel my focus, for this time and season in my life, shifting to figuring out how to be the best podcaster I can be. I know that I’ll make some mistakes. I’ll even put out a few episodes that aren’t perfect, but I know that I can’t wait. If I wait—it won’t happen. There are stories to tell that need to be heard.

So, if you are a podcaster, or want to be, I encourage you to get your message out there. I would also love to connect and learn what is working well for you and what pitfalls to avoid.

Keep moving and don’t give up.

Ted Finch – Host of The LDSPMA Podcast

To be a future guest on The LDSPMA podcast, you can schedule an interview with Ted Finch at [email protected]

Filed Under: Articles, LDSPMA News Tagged With: LDSPMA podcast, Podcast, podcasting, Ted Finch

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