This past weekend, my crew and I visited my parents in Richmond, Virginia. My sister, her husband, and their 18-month old child also came down from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The only one missing was my sister, her husband, and 3 kids who live in Alabama. Part of the reason we gathered was for Easter. The other reason was for the new temple that is being built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Let me explain.
In our religion, we go to normal churches on Sunday for 2 hours. The first hour is the sacrament portion and the second hour is dedicated to teaching (sunday school). Outside of our churches, we have temples. You may have seen them before. They range in size and shape, but they all serve the same purpose. They are recognizable by the angel Moroni that sits atop the steeple with a horn in one hand, announcing the return of Christ.
In these temples, two things happen: instruction and ordinances. We are instructed on the plan of salvation which covers a lot of ground from the pre-mortal existence to post-mortal existence and everything in between. The other half of this are the covenants we make, espousing principles of Christlike thoughts and behaviors. This is where families go to be sealed together as a family unit, not just for our time on earth but for the eternity to come. This is a fundamental doctrine of our religion, namely that spouses can be together forever and that we are all sealed to each other, creating a link clear back to the beginning where the entire human family is connected.
That’s the 30-second version of it and I recognize that most people reading this probably aren’t reading for a lesson in religion. That being said, this is important to me and is a large part of my identity. It is my why. It is what fuels me to try and be better than who I would normally be.
The other half of this is how special the temple is to my family specifically in Richmond. My 3x Great Grandparents joined the church in 1899 after they were visited by a pair of missionaries at their farm house just outside of Richmond. The missionaries taught my 3xG Grandma and ran into my 3xG Grandpa on their way back down a dusty road. He invited them back to learn more, letting them sleep in their bed that night as it was late.
Many years later, my Grandfather (mom’s side) helped to build the chapel on Monument Avenue. It is where I grew up going to church and finding secret doors with ladders that led up the steeple and to the roof. Many decades ago, members of the church were primarily used to build the chapels.
Long-story-short, my family has been in Richmond and part of the building up of the church for over 100 years. This temple is the culmination of many family members and missionaries who have lived here over many years. In many ways, this feels like our temple because of the family history that is tied to Richmond. It is a beautiful thing and I feel grateful to see something like this come to fruition after learning about my own family history and the sacrifices that were made many decades ago.
The music below has nothing to do with what I just said other than it is what I’ve been listening to this week. Enjoy!
Due in Color by Andrea
This past week, I’ve been listening to the album Due in Color by Andrea. Released by Ilian Tape record label based in Munich, this album is a beautiful blend of many elements in electronic music, from ambient to dub techno to DNB. Due in Color in particular feels like a strange middle ground between ambient and ethereal atmospheres and pure dance music. It isn’t really either one, but that’s why it works. It is simultaneously voluminous in its use of reverb and lush pads, but also crisp with the percussive elements that drive the repetitive ambient background forward.
Jericho by Iniko
I have no idea who Iniko is but I’m so glad I was on Tik Tok to discover her. There are a bunch of videos of her performing her new song Jericho, a quick song at less than 2 minutes. It feels like more of a poem than anything else, perhaps in introduction to a larger album. I’m left waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it’s so good on its own that I can’t stop listening to it. There are various remixes and duets floating around that add their own flavor to the song, a testament to the creativity out there and the beauty of social media. Iniko’s voice is powerful and her lyrics remind me of early Janelle Monae.
Samia on KEXP
Samia is a new artist to me. I regularly find new artists on KEXP, the ultimate radio station that specializes in showcasing a wide variety of new and emerging artists as well as more established acts. Samia is firmly girl-indie-rock and I am absolutely here for it. In the same genre as Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers (sort of), Samia has found her own sound. The latest album Honey feels like a coming-of-age album, experiencing growing pains and becoming an adult while still feeling the angst of being younger (and, for the record, this angst never really goes away in my experience).
The title song, “Honey,” is about being drunk enough that you don’t have to look around. Samia, in an interview, has said that it is the saddest song she’s ever written because she is mocking her own attempt to convince people that she’s good. It’s a catchy song where the music belies the lyrics.
Cheers!
Eric