{ A Little Bit of Leah }

Grandpa Sonnet and photography by Leah Kelson Eyes closed and never more to feel and see; A smile pressed forever on your lips. The meaning of this day unknown to me; Just four years old and cannot come to grips. With years I see the vacancy you left: A chair unfilled at concerts where I play, Applause unheard, air bare, and I, bereft. Your face I yearned on graduation day, And how I wished you saw me all in white Or heard my baby cry with his first breath. But through it all felt I always your light As though you stood nearby though lost in death. A guardian you are, always to be Though gone in body, present near to me.

Photo Cred: Askmen.com Pornography: The Third Wheel Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are peppered with “the happy couple”. Captions filled with heart-eyed emojis and I-love-yous are paired with pictures of couples kissing, embracing, and holding hands. Smiles are pasted on and facades are created to portray the ideal relationship. But what Instagram doesn’t show is the “third-wheel” that constantly accompanies this “happy couple” on their long walks on the beach, exquisite dinners, and romantic date nights. This third-wheel is Pornography. Oxford living dictionary defines pornography as “printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate sexual excitement” (Oxford Dictionaries). Culture today teaches that pornography is a normal and an acceptable part of growing up. In fact, viewing pornography is culturally understood to help in the sexual development of emerging teens and young adults. Pornography i...

Photo Cred: reasonsforjesus.com I am an English Major. I enjoy reading and have had many favorite authors throughout my time as a reader. While my taste has varied throughout the years from Barbara Park to K. L. Fogg to Jane Austen, it is always interesting to find specific authors that one enjoys to read. Knowing an author’s style and background help us better connect with the characters and plots of each of their books. Likewise, it is important to understand the authors of each book of Scripture. We can see that Isaiah wrote very differently from Alma. However, understanding each author’s background and context allow new insight to flow into our lives as we study their inspired words. This is particularly true of the New Testament authors of the four gospels. While they cover the same amount of time and the life of the same person, each of their backgrounds and styles allow us to understand new things about our Savior Jesus Christ. I would like to explore the differences betw...