HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK FOR ANSWERS? 

SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T......

As an intro, I'm going to bring up those ever painful memories of doing homework.  Oh, boy. Wasn't it great when we could find answers to every odd numbered question in the back of the book?  Torture being made easier gave us hope, which was probably false hope, but still, some hope to hold on to. 

Everybody has times in their life when the answers would be awesome to have, but even if they were available, they were written in code. 

Without fail, something you can do to bring on such trials is to do what I've done far too many times to make sense of it; Pray for patience.  Why would one want to do this?  Something about becoming a better person is the only common theme that I can remember when making this choice.  Once it's done, there is no going back, you just have to take whatever comes. 

Recently, I once again asked for Heavenly Father to teach me to have more patience. It's like he sits in heaven waiting for us to ask, because these prayers seem to be answered faster than any other prayer.  This time its really got me grasping at straws.  I've really done myself in.  Now I want to take back that prayer, but even if I could, I obviously needed to work on myself, so I wouldn't take it back anyway.

And so it goes. As an answer to my prayer, I find myself in a situation that I've never been in before.  I have no idea what formula to follow, no idea of what the final outcome will be, and no clue of what the lesson to be learned will provide.  Oddly enough, I do know how to show my work while solving these problems, which ought to make my old teachers happy for me. 

The worst part of it right now is that I'm slowly finding out that many of the issues that I now face are my own fault.  What's up with that?  It's like I'm being told to turn the other cheek multiple times, but if that's what I'm supposed to do, then I'll keep doing it.  I have already hit rock bottom.  I have had thoughts and feelings that were unknown to me previously, and almost done some very stupid things.  Prayer and support have been vital to my overall health and strength. 

THIS IS WHERE THE HEAVY METAL COMES IN....

Tim Lambesis (As I Lay Dying), one of my heroes, gave us some insight.  "It seems our problems solve themselves, when we look beyond us, to those truly in hell."  I've tried to incorporate this thought, and it helps.  Even though this is probably the toughest trial overall that I've had the pleasure of having, doing things for others seems to ease the pain.  Doing work in the LDS temples is probably the most spiritual way to serve others.  Simply doing the extra kind thing for my family is doing a lot for me as well.  It's not so hard to do the latter, because I love them unconditionally.  If they happen to read this, I hope they hear it and know it once again. 

Sometimes we resemble a heavy metal ballad, even without knowing that we do.  We (usually our intentions) can be misunderstood, like the music that I listen to.  The words are not always heard clearly until we've heard them many times in repetition.  There is a lot of noise that is making it even harder to focus on the message.  In our lives, we have to repeat ourselves a lot when trying to convey feelings to others, and there are many distractions.  Just like a song, each person will take what is being said differently. 

There is a song by Born Of Osiris called "Singularity."  It is an extremely heavy, loud, and chaotic sounding song.  At the same time, I hear more passion in that song than so many others that I've heard.  With somebody that is not talented in the art of metal-listening, they would probably get a headache and not feel positive after hearing it.  Does that mean that the person who wrote it is unsuccessful as a musician?  That depends on their reason for writing it.  If it was written for themselves (which in this case is apparent to me), then they succeeded quite well. 

THE LESSON....

As long as we are doing what we know we should be doing, we are showing our work.  Even if we don't know the formula, the answer, or our learning objective, we will gain much.  Keeping the commandments, praying, going to the temple to do work for the dead, and shifting focus away from myself are the ways that I'm dealing with my trial.  Will it work out for me in the end?  I don't know that right now, but I'll do my best to show my work, that way when it's all said and done, I'll be able to learn whatever I needed to. 

If only I had the strength (musically or spiritually) of the band For Today, I'd be better off.  The lyrics to a song on their new album, Immortal, are encouraging and instructional:

For Today - Fearless

"We will not
We will not
We will not be afraid
WE ARE FEARLESS!!!!.....

I can feel the courage rising in the hearts of the sons of God,
I can feel a fire burning, across the Earth we stand as one.

Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
We will fear no evil, for we know that you are near.

We will not
We will not
We will not be afraid
WE ARE FEARLESS!!!!
SO LET THE DEVIL COME"

I guess that is why I prayed for patience. So that I can have that kind of strength.  I hope it works, but for now, it's kicking my butt :(

Celestial Completion....An interesting view of the end!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, I have discovered a masterpiece. But before I get into that, I just want to say that it's been a few months since my last post, and I feel very incomplete. I love sharing my feelings, and it's very rewarding when someone I don't know likes what they have read. Even if these posts are more of a personal journal of what helps me in my life, one day somebody could stumble upon my thoughts and gain something valuable, and that is why I do what I do.

So, with that said, Becoming The Archetype released an album earlier this spring entitled "Celestial Completion." From what I gather it is about the end of the world, or the second coming of Christ (whatever you choose to believe). There are some awesome themes, which are mostly religious, but not entirely. Some of the themes just make the album epically fun and exciting. Let me point some things out to you:

I will take it easy with the lyrics (since it bothers so many of you), so I'm going to focus on the concepts. THERE IS SOME GREAT STUFF TO THINK ABOUT. When this world ends and is born again, how exactly is it going to happen?

We know that there will be famine and difficulties like we've never seen before, that's what the scriptures tell us. But what about that moment when the faithful are no longer mortal? This album gives a very interesting version of transfiguration/translation. The album cover alone depicts a person undergoing the change from mortal body on earth to celestial and eternal entity.

I have noticed a recurring theme in a lot of christian metal, and that is the use of the word "light" to represent the gospel or the word of God. Makes sense, doesn't it? I really like how it is used on this album. There are 3 occurrences in regards to "Celestial Completion" that are noteworthy:

"Father of lights
Shine upon us here
Take the darkness from our hearts
Make it disappear
Reflect, refract
Break me
Remake me
A mirror that reflects your glory
Break me
Remake me
A mirror that reflects you perfectly"

We all want to become like our Heavenly Father. We are created in his image, but have to undergo the tests and trials of this world. Essentially, even if we don't admit it, we all came here to prove that we can start from scratch, and become like God, and live in his presence forever.

"See the darkness that conceals you
Evaporating, exposing the soul
And as the light reveals you
Let it in, let it take control
As death corrupts
Beauty is revealed
As the whole world falls apart
Broken souls are healed
We are breathing light
It sets our hearts aglow
We are breathing light
Eternal is the overflow"

When I read this, I think of Joseph Smith. When he experienced Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appearing to him in the Sacred Grove, he was overcome with the darkness of the adversary, but then, he saw "two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description." Is that the case for all of us? I tend to think so.

Again, when Joseph was visited by the Angel Moroni, he records that a light appeared in his room that "continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday." He also spoke of the exquisite whiteness of the robe that Moroni wore, and that he believed no earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant.

Lastly, if you watch the music video for "The Magnetic Sky," there are a few things to notice:

0 Did they really make an RPG game for the NES system just for this video?
0 The band survived because they were not alone, and neither are we.
0 The light in the end of the video is very bright, and it is clear to me what the message was supposed to be.

Becoming The Archetype is dead even with FOR TODAY as the most religious metal band that I've ever heard. The message that I take away is always a strong one that makes me want to be a stronger and better person. I think about the fact that we are running out of time in this world, but that this world is a temporary state of existence, and that if we make the right decisions, we will get to experience all that God has and wants us to share with him.

This music is fun for me, but it also means a lot to me. For you UN-Metal types, you may enjoy the following songs from the album that are not heavy:

Breathing Light
Path of the Beam
The Magnetic Sky

Thank you all, I love you as brothers and sisters. If I'm not acting like it, please remind me.

Devon Smith

Christ Centered Metal = Controversy

Is it possible for heavy metal to be centered around our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I would VERY, VERY MUCH like to hear your comments on this post. This evening I was watching some music videos on youtube when I saw a very interesting looking video on the right side of the screen entitled,"Is Christan Heavy Metal Evil?" (Of course this sparked my interest) This was about an 9 minute video by a guy who calls himself jezuzfreek777, and he made some great points. I want to expand on these for a brief moment.

One of his first points is one I've heard many times. Not ALL songs are bad in regards to content. There are some Metallica songs that have a great message. For instance, "Master of Puppets" is not implying that Satan is the master, but is more of an anti-drug themed piece of music. It is the bands cry of warning to not let drugs take control of peoples lives.

The next point has to do with the sound of rock and roll, and how it can be misinterpreted. He plays a simple chord with no amplification or distortion. It does not sound objectionable. It sounds very clean and would be accepted by many to be a great sounding music note. Well, what if you are playing in a live show, and you have a few thousand people, you need amplification so your music can be heard. Also, you use distortion to keep your sound unique. It's the same chord. Heavy metal can be simplified, and it would sound very good to a large demographic. What kind of instrument is being played should not matter. If the point of the music is to glorify God, it is not evil or wrong. (I share this opinion)

This is SO the same point I've been trying to make for a very long time. If I thought that the sound of the music was offensive or inappropriate, I would NOT listen to it. I understand the argument that "if Jesus were here, he wouldn't like how it sounds." He may not, but if what I hear is the message of his greatness, power, and holiness, IS IT WRONG? (I am VERY interested to hear some responses, PLEASE)

My friends, this is something I have prayed about. I used to listen to a lot of horrible music that had horrible language and false doctrines. I made a conscious effort to purge these from my life, which I feel I have successfully done. It's a great feeling. I am still haunted by the fact that some do not accept my preference in music as anything but evil, satanic, and wrong.

I am grateful that NOBODY can ever tell me that I don't love the Lord. Only I can make that decision, and for that reason I have made the changes necessary in my life to feel that I can serve him effectively.

MORE CONTROVERSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A cover song of the popular Christian hymn "How Great Thou Art" has touched my soul. However, it is in heavy metal form. And, oh my goodness, what a stirring of feelings it has created. I completely understand that some may shy away from the idea of hymns being metal-ized. What "EYE" see (lol, pun) is an artist that really wants it's heavy metal followers to hear the great message that is in this great hymn. I already knew that my wife did not like the song as it is covered by Becoming The Archetype, but I asked her to explain her feelings so I could post them for you:

Me: "Mal, how do you feel about "How Great Thou Art" by Becoming The Archetype?"

Mal: "It is very disrespectful. It's such a sweet song, and it's about the Savior, so to hear it this way is very....harsh. I don't like it at all."

Obviously this is not for everyone. This cover song spoke to me in a way that literally made me cry, not out of sadness or hurt, but out of love and respect for Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for me; The same feeling one might get from hearing this hymn in church.

Becoming The Archetype named their band based upon a scripture in Genesis. God created man is his own likeness, and in his own image. Jesus Christ was the Archetype of mankind because he was without sin. The songs written by BTA are very christian. I feel the holy spirit when I listen to their music.

Archetype - Epitome, Prime Example, Model, Prototype, Standard, Original, Classic. Definitions that can be used to explain the Savior.

One song that really touched me from the album "Dichotomy" is called "Self Existent." This song is about a man who witnessed the crucifixion of Christ. I would like to share some lyrics from this song:

"Into the darkened tomb
I walked but only found it empty
My mind is tormented
My soul is shaken
As a flame is tormented by the wind and rain
As the earth is shaken by an earthquake
My heart has accepted
What my eyes could never have believed
I watched Him die
I watched Him die
In the silence death is defeated
In my spirit the battle rages on
And then I stepped into the light
I heard His voice, I saw His face
And then He stood there before me
A man buried but never dead
My heart has accepted
What my eyes could never have believed
I saw Him rise
I saw Him rise
HE IS ALIVE! and reigns forever
HE IS ALIVE! He'll reign forever"

There is also a really cool song on the album that is about artificial intelligence vs. humanity. It really bashes the idea of technology defeating biology. One of the most powerful statements (because of the way it's delivered AND the message) on the album is made. "I AM NOT A MECHANISM, I AM PART OF THE RESISTANCE, I AM AN ORGANISM, AN ANIMAL, A CREATURE, I AM A BEAST!"

Thank you again for being patient with me. I feel very loved right now, and I want you all to know that as my brothers and sisters, I love you. We can overcome evil. I know this from experience, but also need to remember it as I will be tempted many more times in this life. I hope I'm good enough to live with my Heavenly Father again.