January 22 – February 2: D&C 3–5
“My Work Shall Go Forth”
Karl Hale (American, born 1972)
One Eternal Round (2014)
black walnut, white oak, ash, maple burl, snake wood, brass and steel, 30" long, 24" wide, 25" tall
Collection of the artist
Used with permission of the artist
“For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round” (Doctrine & Covenants 3:2). The metaphor of the circle is rich with possible interpretations. It speaks to patterns, eternity, cycles, seasons, and the Plan of Salvation. The artist Karl Hale created a work titled “One Eternal Round.” It is a sculpture made almost entirely of carved wood—black walnut, white oak, ash, maple burl, snake wood, with brass chimes and brass and steel marbles. Unlike other kind of sculpture, Hale’s work moves. It is like a machine with diverging switches and spiraling paths that send balls on journeys from start to finish and back again. He notes that with the work he “wanted to marry the interest of engineering with the beauty of art.” Hale describes how he made “One Eternal Round” in the video linked above.
Discussion Questions
Have you ever felt like you are reliving the same hardships over and over? How does this relate, if at all, to God's path being "one eternal round" (D&C 3:2)?
When applying for a job, the qualifications are often listed. How do requirements for a job differ from the requirements to be a missionary (D&C 4:3-5)? How does this make you feel about yourself in your role as a missionary? With these scriptures in mind, how would you write a job posting for a missionary? ["Every member a missionary," as quoted from David O. McKay, Chapter Nine: The Expanding Church,” Our Heritage: A Brief History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1996), 105–19.)
The Lord told Joseph to: "Stop, and stand still until I command thee, and I will provide a means whereby thou mayest accomplish the thing which I have commanded thee" (D&C 5:34). Have you ever felt like doing nothing was responsive to personal revelation? Did doing nothing make you feel anxious?
For Children & Youth
Hi. Have you ever made an art work that moved? If you have dominos, you probably have set them up into a pattern and toppled them. That’s one example. Perhaps you’ve made your own version of a Rube Goldberg machine—chain reactions of one moving thing that triggers another. Projects like these can be super simple or mind-bendingly complex. Online there are many examples of that take weeks and even months to design and build. We wonder what a scripture-based version of your kinetic (moving) art might be like? So we have a challenge for you: make something that connects the scriptures that you are studying with art that moves. You might need a bit of help from other people, but that should be fun, too. Make it, and when you get ready to set it in motion, be sure to share it with other people. When you share, tell them what the spiritual source of your work is. Have fun. We want to see what you make.
Discussion Questions
D&C 3 is a revelation given after Joseph Smith made a mistake. What was the mistake that he made (see the introduction to D&C 3 and D&C 3:12-13)? What was the consequence of Joseph's poor choice (D&C 3:14)? How does remembering that "God is merciful" help you to feel hope when you make mistakes (D&C 3:10)?
Make a list of all of the virtues found in D&C 4. Pick three. How can these virtues you chose help you to come closer to Jesus? What can you do to make these virtues stronger in you?
The Lord talks a lot about witnesses in D&C 5. How can you be a witness of Jesus?