True Love and the Reformation

by Talmage Cromar



Anais mi amor,

I know how much you dislike studying history and reading about dead people who lived long ago because you feel that it has no relevance in your life. I feel differently and wanted to write and tell you why I love history and why I feel that it is relevant to our lives.

Specifically I wanted to talk about the Reformation. On the surface it may sound boring but hold on, it is really important. Before the 1500's, very few people knew what was in the scriptures, specifically the Bible. Literacy was low and the church's stranglehold on its canonical documents was firm. The very concept of religious freedom did not exist yet. Everyone was a member of the state church and had to believe what the priests told them.

All of this changed though when brave men, rebelled against authority to follow their consciences. Men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wycliffe and others protested against immoral church practices and sought to translate and disseminate the scriptures to the common people. Gutenburg assembled and invented the printing press and these scriptures were then spread among the people, elevating literacy and personal worship.

Today we enjoy religious freedom and thought and especially religious scholarship that would not have existed without these brave men in the Reformation. I have personally benefited from this as I have the scriptures in my language and additional resources to understand them and have received spiritual answers when I needed them. My personal worship is more sincere because I have studied the foundation of my faith. I am free to believe and exercise my religious beliefs as I choose because the reformation influenced the founders of our nation who established freedom of religion as a right for all people. My life is deeply enriched from all this.

So why does this matter to you? Because you are a deeply religious person and without these men doing incredibly daring things at a dangerous time, you would be unable to express your beliefs. You probably would not even have those beliefs as they would have remained inaccessible to you.

The Reformation was a critical period of time in our world's history. It opened up freedom of belief and thought. With this freedom of religion and thought, we were able to be sealed together in one of God's temples for time and all eternity. A blessing that wouldn't have existed otherwise. So, while you may feel that history has no relevence in your life, think again. Think about our little family and you will remember that we stand on the shoulders of giants.

With love from your husband,

Talmage Cromar

Individualism vs Collectivism: The Struggle is Real

By Grant Gibbons, Mary Dias and Talmage Cromar

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Individualism- a (1) :  a doctrine that the interests of the individual are or ought to be ethically paramount;also :  conduct guided by such a doctrine (2) :  the conception that all values, rights, and duties originate in individuals

Collectivism- : emphasis on collective rather than individual action or identity

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The Struggle

In Alaska this spring, a transgender woman (biological male) ran in the women's 100M and 200M races getting the state qualifying time edging out the other female competitors. This raises the question about how far individualism has been allowed to be exercised in our country. This is not a new question. History is full of examples of how this struggle is real and ongoing.

Although individualism has been the tool for great societal progress beginning in the Renaissance, we must find the proper balance in our moral and political systems between individualism and the collective well being because history has proven that appealing to either of these extremes is destructive to progress.

So where should the line be drawn? If it were up to you, where would you draw it?

Hi, I'm Grant.

Grant Gibbons

I write, arrange, and orchestrate music as a profession—I have a big passion for music and am in school right now to get a music education degree. I'm the 6th of 7 children in my family, so one of my other great joys in life is hanging out with them and their cute kids. I'm a Disney animated films fan, among other things. A big part of my life is church service. I am a Mormon (belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). I learned to love MANY different cultures while serving an LDS mission in East LA. This is where I gained a passion for sharing what I know with the world!

Collectivism: The Fandom Menace

While being a fan of something reflects a person's individualism, I see a clear danger: as groups of fans gather to celebrate that individualism, are they aware that really they are part of a collectivist group, subject to the influence of the major media producers of our day? Is it appropriate to consider media of our day propaganda? How has this negatively affected individuals, families, and communities in the past? How can we use this "collectivism" as  tool of good influence in the future?

Hi, I'm Mary.

Mary Dias

I am a student at Brigham Young University studying dietetics. I have been a long-time student and lover of health and wellness and I am extremely interested in the media’s influence on the physical health of our country's citizens. I enjoy reading, cooking, running, and camping and I have a love for learning. I live in Provo, Utah and will be married soon! I am excited to share my thoughts on diet culture, individualism, and how their connection could affect your life positively.

Diet Culture, Individualism, and Fighting Back

Diet culture is a modern concept perpetuated by the diet industry. This industry teaches values centered around health and appearance ideals that are often unhealthy and unrealistic. It’s goal is to sell product at the expense of the consumer’s long-term health. The industry’s niche is quick or easy weight loss and sensationalist claims about products. The culture is based on an assumption that every person should or has a desire to lose weight.  It subtly encourages the belief that outward appearance is more important than overall health. There is a certain ideology that was developed during and propelled the Renaissance that enables the exploitation of consumers by the diet industry. This ideology is individualism and, when applied a certain way, it allows consumers to be more vulnerable to the enticements of the diet industry. However, if a different application of individualism was made, it could change diet culture and demand change from the industry behind it.

Hi, I'm Talmage.

Talmage Cromar

I am an Advertising Major at BYU and love every second of it. An avid soccer player, I also dabble in any and all sports, even experimental ones like crate stacking. Married and with a 5 month old daughter, life is always busy. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as a missionary for two years in the Mexico City, Mexico area. I want more than anything for our nation to return to God and receive blessings from his hand again.

The Imperative of Moral Instruction in Education

Have you ever been frustrated by how our school system works? Long hours of sitting in a sterile room listening to a teacher drone on about the current subject and worrying about remembering it for a test that will happen a month or more from now? How there is alchohol and drug use, sexual promiscuity and general disrespect all around? How you seem to just be another student in this giant system called school, lost in all the noise? Well, you aren't the only one. Educational reform has been needed for a long time and we may just be on the edge of actually accomplishing it. Part of that discussion will be about the role of individualism in education. Should we structure the new system to place more emphasis on the group or the individual? I believe there must be a balance in education between individual and group benefits. Either way, this topic will have to be addressed if proper reform is to occur.

Education: Upside Down and Backwards

By Talmage Cromar

Although our educational system is already slated for disruption because of the need for more individualization, we must also incorporate a collectively beneficial moral instruction in our institutions because educating a society without virtue simply creates more sophisticated thieves and more corrupt government representatives which will ultimately lead to the loss of our peace and freedom.

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Something's Gotta Give

It was a glorious Saturday afternoon in October of 2015 and I had plans to take my wife on a date and then maybe snuggle and watch a movie together. Problem was, I had physics homework due that night. I wasn’t worried though. These usually took a couple hours at most and I had all afternoon!

Six hours into the assignment, I was on the verge of tears. I was tired, frustrated and searching for help on the internet, in the textbook and wherever I could find it. It wasn’t just hard, no. It was a gauntlet that repeated the concepts in a multitude of different ways until you didn’t know which way was up anymore. Above all, it felt like busywork. I didn’t get to go on that date or watch that movie. Eight hours after I began the assignment I finished the last problem and went straight to bed.

Does this sound familiar? Have your own complaint? Take a number and get in line.