Great Beginnings

Anyone who’s ever written a paper of any kind understands how difficult it is to begin. Writing an introduction can be challenging. It needs to succinctly present the theme of everything that follows and set the appropriate tone, all while drawing the reader in. And a writer has only a few sentences to accomplish this.

As a student of English, I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on beginnings. There are a few excellent ones: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us” (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities). Dickens was a genius! Then there is the much more brief, but oh-so-well-known “Call me Ishmael” of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Of course I must give my favorite beginning its due notice: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in a want of a wife” (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice). With an introduction like that, what woman wouldn’t want to read that book?!

So then what of the first line of the Book of Mormon, which reads “I. Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.” This book is considered to be the keystone of my religion and is the foundation of my own personal faith. So as I begin posting on this blog, which I intend to be primarily an outlet for the recording of spiritual thoughts and experiences, I have to carefully consider how to begin – how to present myself to my reader.

I do, in fact, hope to have readers. And if, over the course of the next few months or years I manage to accumulate half a dozen, I hope my words inspire you to find your own faith, or grow whatever faith you already have. And so in an attempt to follow Nephi’s pattern I submit to you the following:

I, Susie, having been born of goodly parents (I really was – my parents are awesome!), and having had a good-sized handful of years in which I’ve both struggled and rejoiced in coming to understand God and his goodness, therefore I present to an as-yet unknown reader some of the thoughts of my heart. I hope they lift and inspire, or at least make you think about things you may not have otherwise considered. But most of all, I hope they draw you closer to God.