"What can I offer?" In function to my religion

To continue in my thoughts on the idea of "What can I offer?" I now take my ideas and put them into the context of my religion as well as the social stigmas and ideologies that stem from, not my religion per se, but rather by the culture grown from zealous living in a controlled cultural environment.

The earlier quote, that someone could "never marry a man majoring in art" because "it is selfish" is an idea held firmly in place by many members of my religion. Many people my own age in college believe this. It grows from a place that I do not understand, but I have many theories on where it may come from. Expectations for a certain type of life are high within the church. It is a life where righteous living is priority, and a happy home and happy family are the results. This expectation, though, can often be manipulated with the Calvinistic ideology that those who are favored by God will be identified by their temporal success. In the church this ideology is not so literally believed that we will consider those in the larger homes to be truly on a faster track to the celestial kingdom than those in the smaller homes. But we do judge far too often one's righteousness by their exterior signs of commitment or by temporal successes. So when someone assumes that an art major will never be able to provide for his family, the implication is serious. They are putting their family - which is the most important - behind their desires to follow their pipe dreams. Or so this idea would have you believe. 

So within this warped framework of ideology we have beliefs that begin to form in the collective consciousness that there are careers and educations that are inherently more righteous than the others. Those with noble ambition - the doctors and lawyers, the scientists and businessmen - are regarded as nobility. Those with "normal jobs" who have the ambition and talent for manual labor or office work are also regarded as noble - they who will work and do everything it takes to provide for their families. But the artists are for some reason looked upon as selfish people, too absorbed in our own desires and abilities to come to our senses and put others first. I am not saying this is the case for all members, but a group of them feel this way, perhaps without realizing it. but to them, we are hedonists who care only about our dreams and desires and not about the health, safety and security of our families. 

Then there is the odd stigma that many oddly have, that the arts are somehow a heathen world of pornographers and sinners, and that pursuing a career in the arts is enlisting directly in their services. It is odd seeing as this archaic mindset of religion that banned arts was one of the major steps forward of the restoration. Our church championed art and artists. Not to mention, the major events leading us out of the dark ages and into modern thought and intelligence was fueled by the renaissance and its art and artists. But in this modern age, art is equated with the snarling face of Babylon. Unless it is, of course, the wonderful genre of mormon art (another subject altogether) which is how the Lord sees fit to produce art. Art is bad. Unless, you know, it is Eric Dowdle, Halestorm Pictures or generic paintings of Jesus in a field of blooming flowers accompanied by small children. 

We cannot assume that to be considered a successful or a righteous mormon that we must belong to a certain profession. We cannot assume that to be a positive influence in someone's life or to help people come unto Christ that we must be a doctor or a real estate agent or a sales manager at a local Staples. We must simply do the best with what the Lord has given us. In the parable of the talents the wise and profitable servants took that which were given and multiplied it. The unprofitable servant whose apathy frustrated the master simply hid his away. In the Lord's kingdom we have each been given talents. Some talents are in some disciplines and other talents are in other disciplines. What is unwise is hiding that which we have been given away. I will be a far more effective servant of the Lord in being myself and multiplying the talents I have than by hiding my talents away and force the growth of talents I may not even possess. I will have the capacity to influence the world positively and to help bring others to Christ far more by being involved in my art and the talent the Lord has given me than by majoring in anthropology and finding a "normal job."  

The arts have their place in the Lord's kingdom. He has given us artists for that reason. Burying the talents given to us is frustrating to the Master, and does nothing to benefit His work nor His kingdom. To not broaden one's education in the arts if given the talent is to bury it, and is to be - in turn - an unprofitable servant. To seek an education in the arts is not a selfish quest - it can be if approached poorly - but rather it is a quest to take what is given to us an multiply it. In so doing we prepare ourselves so that when the Master arrives He can tell us that we have done well, and that we may enter into His kingdom. 

So do you want to open a shop in a large city? Sell vintage clothing and your own designs? Want to create a community of artists in order to consistently create and perform original quality material? Want to make films? Than do it. If this is what you truly desire and want to do, there is no reason to bury it and force it to sit unused. Make yourself profitable. Make the world a better place by whatever means you can. Bring people to Christ by the means that He has given you, and you will be far more productive than trying to do it some other way. Our righteousness will not be based on our 401k nor our decision to choose biochem over painting. (and vise versa) The Lord's kingdom requires all types, not just those deemed to be in "respectable" professions by the local neighborhood watch.