DoddemaGen

Usually, I’m a big fan of books over movies.  I don’t mind the movie adaptation but I always find the book more engrossing.  Until I started to read the Bourne books.  Oh my gosh, I was bored.  Ignore the fact that the movie is loosely based upon the book and that’s probably because it’s so boring to the casual reader.  The author rambles on about so many characters in the beginning that my head spins.  Now I know it just might be my medications that are at fault but I think not.

I’ll just try my hand at some other author in that genre.

Have you read the latest installment of Star Wars? Wow! Words are hard to describe what I felt in that book. I was frustrated, scared crapless, angry, and at one point wanted to throw the book against the wall and vow to never read a SW book again. Why?

It’s just that good. Believe it or not, this was the sixth volume in the mega series entitled Legacy of the Jedi. It keeps getting better as time goes along. Unfortunately I have to wait until November for the next novel to come out.

Until then, I’m going to dream of Luke kicking the crap out of his nephew!

The fifth installment in the Legacy of the Force series, Sacrifice knocks your socks off. It doesn’t pull any punches or spare your feelings.

Unlike Star Trek where main characters hardly ever die, Star Wars authors seem to take killing off main characters as an art form. Remember Chewbacca having a frackin moon fall on him during the Vong Wars? How about little Anakin biting it to save his teammate’s bacon? Jacen tortured.

In steps Sacrifice and true to its title, somebody dies so Jacen can ascend to the Dark throne. Remember little Jacen from the Young Jedi Academy books. That little quiet kid has become a real jerk. He continues to look at his grandfather’s flawed decisions and believes himself better but as the reader, we get to see that’s just not so.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the series but I also love the characters. They’re the embodiment of Star Wars. Who’s going to replace these characters if we keep killing them off and the younger generation gets darker? So far, the young ones haven’t really been popping out any kids and it doesn’t seem to be going to happen any time soon either. So where is it going?

Obviously, I’m going to read the next novel. Who wouldn’t? Luke is torqued and someone is going to feel his wrath.

I’ve read books that I just couldn’t finish…not because it was bad writing, it just didn’t hold my interest at that time. I’ve never stopped reading a book because it offended me…until now.

I’ve read all the Left Behind books and really liked them. Although LDS views are somewhat different about the latter days, it was interesting to see how the story unfolded and what the world could possibly be like during that time period before Christ’s return. Kingdom Come, the last book in the series (13 in total) takes us into the Millennium.

What should be a wondrous occasion turns into a future that I want no part of or at least this interpretation. Husband and wife are no longer together…they’re platonic buddies. Family ties are separated and we’re just brothers and sisters working for the “Cause”.

If marriage isn’t possible in the Millennium and beyond for those that lived before it’s beginning, then why even have marriage? Why go through all the trials and tribulations of marriage? Why has our Heavenly Father told us to “cleave one to another” if only to separate us at death?

This is where I take a LDS viewpoint. Families are forever…..literally. In 1995, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came out with the Family Proclamation where it specifically states that “ The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.”

It further states:

“The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.”

I believe, no I know that this is true. I’ve prayed and fasted about it and know that my wife and I can be together forever if we but continue to keep the faith and strive to do our best by others, ourselves and our God. I can do no less.

That’s why I quit the book. I tried but after reading 100 pages and listening to the drivel of meaningless human marriage, I had to stop. Obviously, it’s only my opinion. If you thought differently, comment but do so tactfully.

The proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the whole revelation, please go to Family Proclamation.