Choice Assignment Number Four Week 10

John 13: 1-17; Luke 22:24-30; Mark 10: 43-45

Leadership is taught differently in these scriptures because the world teaches that a leader is almost above the follower, but in these passages the leader is also the follower. When Christ washed the apostle’s feet he was showing humility and love for them. Peter didn’t want to accept charity, but Christ said that if he wouldn’t accept this act of kindness then he wasn’t a follower of Christ. Peter then said that he should wash his whole body, to show his devotion to Christ. The world teaches that the follower has no experience to be a leader, so they must do and act as their leader says. This is not the case in the scriptures.

A Church leader who led and taught the same way Christ did:

There are so many of the church leaders who have taught the same way Christ did, but the one that stands out in my mind is Joseph Smith. If there is one thing to say about him, is that Joseph Smith was humble. He worked with the people that he led. He didn’t expect to be treated any differently than anyone else. I think that we compared the two lives of Christ and Joseph Smith we would find a lot of similarities. Joseph Smith was willing to sacrifice his time and efforts for the good of his people and he loved each of them. He was willing to do anything for those he loved, just like the Savior. Joseph Smith taught the many gospel principles that the Lord has set for us, and he did it without thinking himself any better than anyone else. He was there for strangers as well as his friends and loved ones. This man was a true disciple of Christ.

Green Angel

Green Angel

This book was a tragic book. It was an annotation on September 11, 2001. Green is a fifteen year old teenager who was angry with her family when they left for town, she didn't speak to any of them when they left. All of a sudden she's alone because her family was killed in a tragic fire. She becomes depressed and cuts off her hair, tattoos herself, and renames herself Ash. By the middle of the book Green is in the darkest of places and the saddest of sorrows. As the story goes further, she takes care of an old high school friend, Heather, who is forgetting about everything before the fire. She takes in and takes care of a dog, Diamond (a boy she met), and her next door neighbor. Her neighbor helps her to realize that time heals wounds and Ash is slowly becoming Green again. In the end, she is healed and changed forever.

This book was written by Alice Hoffman in 2003. THERE IS A LINK TO HER OFFICIAL WEBSITE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.

CAUTION: There is violence, depression, be prepared to feel sad throughout most of the book.

Taking of Room 114

The Taking of Room 114

This book was very intriguing and did not take me long to read. It is told in the point of view of many different people such as the students, teachers, principles, police, parents, bystanders. There are many different characters such as the artist who wants to go to Paris, the athlete, the fat kid, the many kids who ditched, the drop out, etc. I liked this book just for that reason because the author, Mel Glenn, really understands the different characters and circumstances that teenagers come from. I really enjoyed reading their thoughts and reactions. It started off with them waiting in line for their yearbook, and then all of a sudden the history teacher takes the senior class hostage. Then it shows their points of view from freshman year to the current moment. I really enjoyed this poetry book, it was awesome and unlike anything that I have ever read before.
CAUTION: There is some language, violence, and sexual content.

Say Hello to the Hit Man

Say Hello to the Hit Man

Okay, I apologize I couldn't find any image for the book cover of Say Hello to the Hit Man, so I found a picture of Al Capone instead. This book is about the son of a mobster who wants nothing to do with his father's lifestyle. He refuses to see his father. I found this book in the young adult section. I believe he was eighteen, but it never actually said. Frank Morgan receives a phone call from the "Hit Man" stating that he wanted Frank to suffer and that eventually he would kill Frank, but it would take time.
This was a short book, but also very intriguing. I enjoyed reading this book for my young adult class. This book was written by Jay Bennett in 1976.
CAUTION: There is violence and language.

Inexcusable

Inexcusable

Keir thinks that he is a pretty good guy. In the beginning of the book, it shows from his point of view that he is raping a girl. He doesn't think of it as rape, he thinks she loves him and he her. Keir continues to tell his side of the story throughout the book. He proceeds by telling of some other bad things he's done, but he justifies everything he has done. The narrator is not reliable at all. Chris Lynch wrote this book in the point of view of a rapist, and even in the end his character has not learned his lesson.

CAUTION: There is a couple of rape scenes as well as language, it is also a bit confusing because he jumps from past to present without being obvious about it, so pay attention when reading.

Alice I Think

Alice I Think

This book is about Alice and her eccentric experiences in life. First, her mother is an ex-hippie and adores the new age therapies. Her father, is a little technologically handicapped, and Alice is handicapped in social areas. This book is a self identity book. She goes through many stages and she is convinced that she is actually the one helping her counselor instead of the other way around. There are a few life goals that she has set and throughout the book she tries to accomplish them.
She experiences dating, but she doesn't want to count that one because she spent most of their dating trying to avoid him. In the end, she seems to know who she is a little bit more, but there is a lot more to discover.

CAUTION: There is some language and a sex scene.

Impossible

Impossible

This is a story that coincides love and fantasy elements. Lucy is seventeen years old and for as long as she can remember her own mother has been insane. Apparently her mother, Melinda, went insane after giving birth to Lucy. Now seventeen years later, she wants nothing to do with her mother. Melinda keeps singing "The Scarborough Fair" which holds three tasks that Lucy must accomplish in order to break the family curse. This book deals with many issues that teenagers deal with such as: rape, teenage pregnancy, and young love.

Zach, is her childhood friend, and they end up falling in love. He becomes her sort of hero in the story as he helps her accomplish these tasks in one way or another. This book is definitely a chick book, but it is a great one. Impossible was written by Nancy Werlin in 2008.

CAUTION: There is a rape scene and mild language.