MBASA Opening Social 2013

On September 4th, MBASA members new and old gathered at the Hinckley Alumni Building for our Opening Social. There was lots of chatting as everyone had time at the beginning to meet new friends and reconnect with old ones. We were privileged to have some of the MBA and Marriot School Administration members with us, too. These ladies help us out SO much and we are grateful for all that they do in our behalf.

Lori Frandsen introduced the theme for the year: Embrace. Enrich. Elevate. She talked about how in MBASA we embrace each other and each person's unique contribution. Everyone is welcome! We are united in purpose, which is to enrich each other's lives. By giving of our time and talents, we create a wonderful experience for all who participate. We want each person to grow in every aspect of their lives. It requires the effort of all to continue the excellence that MBASA is known for. Being lifted up, or elevated, in any circumstance in our lives happens when we fully engage, without fear or self-doubt. This can be a time of amazing growth and opportunity for all of us as we rely on and serve the Lord, our families, and each other.  She extended several challenges which included 1) being the first one to introduce yourself to others at activities, 2) choosing what you participate in purposefully, and 3) pondering on what this time of life will require of you and seeking for the joy in it. 

We got to hear from each of our wonderful committee heads, who talked about what their committee's purpose was and listed some examples of activities they were hoping to do. Remember, getting involved with committees is the best way to make this a meaningful year and to make friends quickly! 

Abby Smith sang an amazing rendition of "You Raise Me Up" (Josh Groban) with Taunya Perry accompanying and Rebekah Sanders on the violin. It was a beautiful and uplifting reminder that we are strong and truly elevated when we rely on the Lord. 

Finally, we were blessed to have Sister Mary N. Cook address us. She was recently released as a member of the YW General Presidency, and it was easy to feel of her spiritual strength and testimony as she spoke with us. She also talked about our theme and challenged each person to ponder on the questions, "Who needs me? Who can I help elevate?". She spoke to us about the need to embrace our role as LDS women in the latter days. She said that life is both grand and challenging. We should remember that part of our role is to be an influencer and a nurturer. The only way to do this well is to become pure women and to preserve the sanctity and integrity of our homes. Sister Cook said that spiritual fitness requires 4 things: 1) Read the Book of Mormon every day, 2) Pray sincerely for worthiness to be guided daily, 3) Be obedient, and 4) Smile. She reminded us that we have every reason in the world to be happy and that we need to be ready and worthy to act when the Lord needs us. One of her concluding thoughts was about adjusting to new situations (which applies to first years who are adjusting to MBA life and second years who will soon have to adjust to a busy post-graduation life). She said, "Give it a year, but don't sit around." She acknowledged that some new situations are incredibly stressful, but we can alleviate that stress by finding things to be involved in and ways to grow and learn. (Perfect, because we have MBASA which will help us do both of those things!)

It was an incredible evening filled with the Spirit and excitement for another amazing school year ahead of us. After the closing prayer, MBASA members were able to mingle, meet the committee heads in person and sign up for committees. A huge THANK-YOU to all who participated and worked to make it a successful event. 

{Arts & Letters} Deciphering the Mysteries of Temple Architecture and Art

The fabulous Jessica Peterson spent an evening giving a lecture entitled: "Deciphering the Mysteries of Temple Art & Architecture." Jessica's background in Art History gave her the perfect perspective to teach about symbolism in Christian art and architecture, and more specifically, LDS temple architecture.  Those who attended the class were not disappointed with Jessica's breadth of knowledge!

The woman of the hour

A few of the books Jessica used in her research

Jessica shared the background behind some of the most common and some of the lesser known "gems" of LDS Temple/Christian art and architecture.  

For example, did you know?

• The number 1 in Christian art is symbolic of God the Father and eternity. A circle is also symbolic of the same - look for the use of circles in the interior and exterior of the temple.
• The color green is symbolic of new life and is often found in temple decor - usually carpeting.
• The niches on the front of the Salt Lake Temple (where brides typically stand for pictures) used to hold bronze statues of Joseph and Hyrum Smith as the literal "guardians" of the temple.  The statues were removed in 1911 and moved to other areas on Temple Square.
• The first temple to have an Angel Moroni on top was the original Nauvoo Temple.  The angel was horizontal and above it were the marks of the compass and the square.
• The east towers of the Salt Lake Temple are 6 feet higher than the west and represent the Melchizedek Priesthood, while the west towers are symbolic of the Aaronic Priesthood.
• The moonstones around the base of the Salt Lake Temple reflect the phases of the moon over the entire year.  The moonstones on the center east tower reflect the moon during the month of April, while directly across on the center west tower the moonstones reflect the moon six months away in October.   April is an important month in LDS culture because of the reorganization of the church and it is commonly thought that Jesus was born on April 6th.  John the Baptist, His cousin, was born approximately six months before Christ which would mean his birth occurred in the month of October.  Connect those dots.  :)

A Replica of Early Christian Art

A few members of the Arts & Letters Committee who helped sponsor the event!

Thank you Jessica and the Arts & Letters Committee for the fabulous evening!

For those who would like a copy of Jessica's notes, we are working on a way to distribute all instructor class notes more effectively - so stay tuned.   :)

Family Committee: Pirate Princess Party

Thank you to JODIE who created a magical playdate filled with Pirates and Princesses. There was coloring, hat making, a playground to conquer and snacks to munch on.