Heather- "Hearts Knit as One"

Reading this message in light of the theatre classroom was so great. I felt the spirit so strongly, and I know that theatre is something the Lord loves. I think the idea of unity is so inherent in theatre situations. Theatre only works (or only works well) when the cast and crew are united; when their hearts are ‘knit as one.’ I had never thought of this unity as spiritual before, but it totally is. When we come together and form bonds among people who without the theatre would have never been friends we are forming the unity that our Heavenly Father wants all of his children to be working towards. I just loved this part of the message and thought it applied perfectly to a high school theatre program: “That same principle applies as we build unity with people who are from vastly different backgrounds. The children of God have more in common than they have differences. And even the differences can be seen as an opportunity. God will help us see a difference in someone else not as a source of irritation but as a contribution. The Lord can help you see and value what another person brings which you lack. More than once the Lord has helped me see His kindness in giving me association with someone whose difference from me was just the help I needed. That has been the Lord’s way of adding something I lacked to serve Him better.” We need to make sure that we are letting ourselves and our students embrace and love the differences found in each and every one of them. As we embrace and love those differences we will find so many things to be grateful for, our production and class projects will be better as we find what everyone has to offer and we enjoy those things in unity. President Eyring also stated: “We know from experience that joy comes when we are blessed with unity.” This is SO true within the theatre. The times that I have enjoyed myself the most in a production is when I’ve been in a cast that feels so united. Where everyone has each other’s back. Where there is so much love and support. That is when joy comes in theatre. That is what I always want to create in my classroom; a feeling of love and unity, and therefore, joy.