Presentation

We went on another double date with Berklee and Seth.  It was such fun.  We went to see Emma.  I've seen other productions of the Jane Austen story, and loved them all.  I loved this one two.  It was gorgeous to watch, with England taking a starring role.  I understand that some parts of it were shot in the surrounding countryside of Oxfordshire.

I love looking at a story through someone else's lens.  It is fascinating how we all see in our minds the settings, the characters, the plot, they way lines are spoken.  That is the risk any film maker takes when he takes a beloved volume and films it.   If that book is beloved by us, we can be harshly critical.

For Institute tonight, we watched portions of the new Book of Mormon films.  I think they are well done, but some of the YSAs are not particularly enamored with them.  Just not what they expect to see from their own reading of the book.

Otherwise, the lesson was excellent.  We talked about the last two chapters of Nephi - his last words basically.  They have always been among my favorite chapters in scripture.  Nephi condenses the gospel down to its simplest form, yet his language is beautiful.  One of the young women here brought a nonmember - who had asked her if she would tell her about our church.  It seemed natural to invite her, and tonight's lesson was accessible - with nearly everyone adding to the conversation.

I served Melissa's (Donna's) lemon bars, and put a dollop of whipped cream to the side with a smattering of raspberries and blueberries on top. 

Presentation - something I don't normally worry too much about  - can make a big difference in how someone feels about the dessert - or a film.

I'll have to think about that.