Musicals and the Gospel

So anyone who knows me knows that I love musicals. I can talk about them all day if someone will listen. My dream is to one day become a Broadway actor. I love the feeling of performing in front of people and giving them something to enjoy. That is the whole reason of musicals; to transport you to a place where you can forget about your own troubles and worries.

So how does this relate to the Gospel? I believe the Gospel is very similar, because through the teachings of Jesus Christ we can forget our troubles and move on to something better. The Gospel can take you to a place that is better than the one you are already in. It can bring you to a place that helps you not worry about everything in life.

Another reason that I love musicals is because they teach a lesson. In one of my favorite musicals, West Side Story, there is a great quote at the end. The character Maria has just lost her love, and she says. "All of you! You all killed him... Not with bullets, or guns, with hate..." That line is so powerful and true. Hate is what makes us make bad decisions. Now, it doesn't necessarily lead us to kill someone, but hate leads us to do things that we will later regret in life.

Now, there are happier lessons also. Another favorite of mine is Into the Woods. This is a quote from the character Cinderella. All night she has been running from the Prince after the ball, and she says, "Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor." So from that we can learn that whenever something good comes along, like the Gospel, or new revelation from the Prophets, we should take advantage of their counsel. If we don't, then when we come before our Heavenly Father at Judgement, we will regret not listening and doing what the Prophets told us to do.

We can learn so much from the Gospel, just like we can from musicals. You may think I am weird for loving musicals, but I have learned so much from them. People may think that us Mormons are weird for believing what we believe, but in the end what we believe will enable us to return and live with our Heavenly Father. I know that this Gospel is true, and I know that by abiding by the teachings of the Prophets and the scriptures, we will gain eternal life. And just for the heck of it, go see a musical! You can learn many valuable lessons from those also!

No Pain, No Gain.

I am sure that we have all heard the phrase of "No Pain, No Gain." It implies that if you don't experience pain, you are never going to get anywhere. I believe that this concept works for those who exercise, because when you hurt your muscles, you are actually making them stronger. But in life, I do not believe that is the case. We shouldn't have to go through pains to reach our goals.

In my life, I have taken roads that have caused me, and others, a lot of pain. In some ways I am grateful for those experiences. They made me who I am today. But I know that I could have avoided those certain situations, and that I still would have learned a great deal by avoiding them. We should never do something just for the sake of doing it, or to feel included, or cool. Making those types of decisions never end up being beneficial.

Sometimes we think, "Oh, I can handle it," or "This is just a part of life." We always have the ability to choose what we do. It's like if you come to a forked path. The one on the left is a shorter way to your destination, but it's full of dangerous animals and thorns. The one on the right will take longer, but it's nice and straight and clear. Sometimes we have to take the longer path in order to avoid pain.

I have experienced both ways, and I know that I want to take the path that is nicer. Obviously, there will be two paths that are both hard. But with faith in Jesus Christ, we can always choose the one that will be less hard and more rewarding. Only through Him can we know how to get through life.


So let's leave the "No Pain, No Gain" to those exercise kings and queens. We know that we can do things without having to experience the pain.