There Has Been an Awakening.

Star Wars is among the newest mythology to show up on this little blue planet.  That's what mythology is in the end, stories.  There are all kinds of things to be learned from it.  It's characters are known to the general public even if they haven't even seen it before.  There are many possible reasons for it's popularity, and now is not the time for me to list them.  I only wish to theorize that a reason for its enduring popularity, and the popularity of other movies, may be that it has an abundance of truth.  No, I don't believe that the events actually or indeed could ever happen.  I'm talking about spiritual truth, and not just about good and evil.

Let me begin by saying that there will be no apologies given in referencing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  It is in point of fact, the reason the website is here at all.  And with Star Wars in particular, there parallels are numerous.

My theory is that some of the most iconic stories resonate with audiences on such a deep level because that is one of the ways that the Holy Ghost can reach out and touch the hearts of the general public.  That is in some measure why some stories have almost a religious following.  It is because they felt something special that they feel ever so rarely.  The Holy Ghost testifies of all truth.  And Star Wars teaches what was thought to be fiction to the hearts of receptive souls everywhere, about good and evil, redemption, life after death, a force out there that accounts for things, even recent history.

The Jedi Order is favorably compared to the early church established by Christ in Jerusalem.  The Jedi order was not destroyed by enemies from without, but from within.  Anakin Skywalker can be compared very easily to Judas Iscariot.  One by one the Jedi were hunted down and destroyed, creating an apostasy in the force.  The same thing happened to the early Apostles resulting in an apostasy that lasted nearly two thousand years.

Then, we have a humble farm boy with no extraordinary talent on the outward appearance who gets called to become a new hope.  He then through patience and training becomes a hero and a legend.  Joseph Smith is called to restore the Gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth.  Luke Skywalker is called to restore balance to the force and restore the Jedi Order.

There are many other things that could be mentioned, but this suffices for my next point.  Recently a prophet has declared that this now is the time to hasten the work of salvation.  You could say there has been an enthusiastic awakening of spiritual duty and awareness.

Some have criticized the seventh Star Wars movie, "The Force Awakens," to be too much like A New Hope.  While that may be true, the context is different in the way it resonates with audiences.  The awakening in the movie illustrates that it is time to fight again for all the light that is out there, to stand against new darkness inspired by darkness of days past.  That is where we find Rey, someone with no past and no future, nothing but a scavenger on a forgotten planet cut off from the galaxy.  Then the force intervenes and she is swept up in a fight for the future of light and hope in the galaxy.  And when she is thrown into this adventure, she finds herself more equal to the task than she would have ever believed.  As she that her abilities and her worth are greater than she could have ever hoped, those around her see it too.  She finds out that she is much more than a scavenger.  Rather, she finds the potential deep within herself to become a Jedi Knight.  It is time for ancient ideas to make a comeback.  Ideas such as heroism, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, hope, humility and faith.  It is time for an awakening of new Jedi, so to speak, to fight the battles that will rage.  Unfortunately evil is not permanently destroyed, and heroes cannot defeat danger itself forever, but for a moment, they can free others from fear.  Let others find hope in their sacrifice.  Let those that knew them well speak of their fierce loyalty, unwavering convictions, and when the time came, their ultimate willingness to give all.  That's how legends are born.

It is for these ideals that we have to strive to be better, to become heroes, to not allow ourselves to squander our abilities and gifts on satisfying our lusts for revenge or power.  They are given to us to give others hope, to give others an ideal to strive towards.  So become Jedi, always in control of your thoughts and emotions, using them to help those in need. Now is the time to be heroes, to be guardians of peace and justice for all.

There has been an awakening.

Have you felt it?

Have you been paying attention?

Believe it.  Join the Resistance against the dark side.  You will have help.  You will find the strength within yourself like Rey in her fight against Kylo Ren.  Feel the force around you.  Listen to it.  If it were here on earth you would call it the Spirit and Power of God. (depending on the situation).

The Force: It's calling to you!  Just let it in...