Updates - Navajo Nation and Salt Lake City

Just woke up after a good night's sleep. Yesterday was full of contrasts...

For the first part of the day, we toured around the Latter Day Saints headquarters and temple. I have many friends who are LDS, and we will usually discuss the meaning of things together until literally both of us hit a brick wall in our pursuit and understanding of truth. The tour we took of the Temple and such was interesting, and I had a few cool conversations with some of the sisters who were on their missions from nearly any country you could imagine. I was a little perturbed by the level of outright devotion I saw towards LDS elders and leaders... that much power and control in any humans hands, especially if claiming Divine authority, is bound to create a cycle of... well, power and control. When I asked how the 12 Apostles were chosen as well as how the current prophet was chosen, I was told, in a seemingly rehearsed manner, that the apostles pray and fast together for a long time until God reveals it to them. Interestingly, the current prophet is one who usually makes the call and then the rest of the Apostles follow suit. And, apparently, every single time, the next Prophet is the oldest Apostle in the crowd. I left their with a feeling similar to leaving the Lotus Temple of the Ba'hai faith in Delhi in January, confused and frustrated, yet an understanding that, we, as people, can create any sort system and follow it, so long as we have others around us who reinforce our thoughts and actions. This is true in religion, in government, in the media, and, if I'm honest enough with myself, sociology. So, where do we turn as people? How about simply one another? Shedding away all the things we simply don't and can't know, while still pursuing them, leads into greater camaraderie and understanding between one another, which is the key to this whole game of life.

In the vein of the theorist Jean Baudrillard, we were asked coming on to this trip to take a more postmodern approach to what we see, hear, and experience on this journey. The key to postmodernism is bringing all of what we have to the table and simply discussing how we know what we know and what that means to us. This, to Jurgen Habermas, was the ideal form of communication that he wanted for us in the future. The beautiful thing is that when this truly happens, where individuals embrace their humanity and understand their claims to divine ties as simply educated guesses, we might as progress as people, rather than fighting over all the differences we are bombarded with here on Earth.

This unity of people was a large and great part of the LGBT Film showing of "Outrage" at the Tower Theatre in rather Bohemian area of Salt Lake City yesterday. We walked, three minutes late, to a fully packed theatre for a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender film festival, in the heart of the Mormon stronghold, who are notorious for discriminating against these groups. An incredible day. Will tell more later. Hopping off the bus in Vegas.