Stories of Becoming: Lord of The Rings

One thing the readers of this blog must know is I LOVE Lord of The Rings, I love the story line, I love the setting of middle earth, I love the Elvish Language (one day I vow that I will learn how to speak it) But what I love most is...... (drumroll).... the story of Becoming, so my endeavor is not just to recount that beautiful story but to show the underlying gospel truths that dwell within, so let's begin!


Prelude
Something I love about the Lord of the Rings is understanding the Background of the Author. J.R.R Tolkein
grew up in a small town in England where there was not a lot of industry, it was a bit of an adventure, there were woods and creeks and things that would start the wheels of imagination turning in the mind of a young Tolkein. He grew up to love history, and as he loved the Anglo-Saxon people, he wanted to write something to commemorate their history (as they hardly had any written history at all.)
Tolkein was a professor of history at a university, and one day while correcting some papers, he penned the words "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit" and so began the story of becoming that would start with a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins and end with a Hobbit named Frodo Baggins. Not only are these novels a fantastic fantasy, they are also a good example of how we need a focal point to remove ourselves from the burdens that "so do easily beset [us]" (2 Nephi 4:18)
This book of fictional history has very interesting parallells to The Book of Mormon, and the history of an ancient people also seeking the light of the world, and trying to overcome their burdens through faith in Christ, and this book starts out with the words "I Nephi having been born of goodly parents" also commemorating a story that is continually in the making, helping with many peoples own "Becomings"


Faith
One concept that is personified over and over in the novels of the Lord of the Rings is that of Faith, weather it be in a purpose or a person, there are immense amounts of examples of Faith.. At the beginning of the first book of the Lord of the Rings, Frodo is given the one ring, Frodo has no idea what he has recieved, but this ring will be the cause of much trial, turmoil, and sorrow. He must leave Hobbiton because his life is in danger because of this small object, and he travels to Rivendell, the land of the elves. It is there that he learns what must be done, the ring must be thrown into the fires of Mount Doom. Arguements arise and Frodo takes upon himself this task "not knowing beforehand"(1Nephi 4:6) what he should do, only knowing that his goal is to rid the world of this evil object. If we look with our spiritual eyes, we see that, we cannot "lean unto our own understanding"
Proverbs 3:5 We must look to one who was perfect, who understands and knows the best path to take to reach the eventual goal of eternal happiness!

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” -Gimli

Repentance
The Journey continues, and there are many times when mistakes are made, just as in normal life, and when those mistakes happen, a sort of "repentance" needs to happen to right the wrong. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints we believe that "man will be punished for their own sins and not for Adams
transgression" meaning that the shortcomings of our fathers are not what define who we are, they may affect us, but we are not responsible for them we are only responsible for the actions we take in this life to choose the path of hope or of sorrow. Take the story of Aragorn, Isildurs heir. Isildur made the mistake of taking the ring for himself to get gain and power (just as at times we look inward to get gain and power), and he didn't make a righteous desicion to rid middle earth of the evil, but instead kept the ring for himself. In the novel Aragorn takes this mistake upon himself, and he fears that because of the mistakes of his fathers he will also be held accountable. But he learns this lesson, that the action of his forefathers is not something that defines him. Sure he has made mistakes, sure he is not perfect, but he is striving to be the "king" that he needs to become, in order to restore peace to Gondor.
Just as Adam made a descision that had a major effect it is not that sin that defines us, but we must look for ways in wich we can rid ourselves of the darkness that we have allowed into our lives and search to become that person that our heavenly father has envisioned that we can become, we all have the potential to be like him, perfect and whole, but we must look to Christ for that opportunity so that we can rid ourselves from those "burdens that do so easily beset us."

Baptism

The relationship between Frodo and the ring is one that I find to be quite profound, it's such a small thing, but it becomes such a burden to him as he continues to carry it through the story. Now think of Sam as the ever loyal friend, one who would never leave Frodo, no matter what the circumstance. Even when Frodo tries to go off on his own Sam loyally swims out after him and says "Gandalf said 'Now don't you leave him Samwise... and I don't mean too"
As thier journey continues Frodo begins to drift away from this ever loyal friend and towards the ring, it becomes something that he obsesses over, and he begins to believe that the ring, although a burden, will bring more happiness than a loyal friend, but even as Frodo is drifting towards the ring (sin) and Gollums heeds (the world pulling us in) Sam remains the same, and does everything in his power to eventually free Frodo of this burden that is weighing him down.

Christ has done the same for us, he is an ever loyal friend who doesn't ever leave our side even if we forget to remember him daily, he will never forget us, and just as Frodo threw the "one ring" into the fires of Mordor to free himself from a burden he carried, we also have the same opportunity to free ourselves from our sins, but without the Savior's lasting sacrifice we could never be free of those things that are continually weighing us down. But as we repent, and come unto him through the waters of baptism, that burden is lifted and he promises us we can be cleansed and free forever of those chains that are binding us, but we must continue on in Faith and righteouness to obtain this promise.

“War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.” -Faramir

The Gift of The Holy Ghost
This gift is something we recieve after we have made that promise to the lord that we will continue to follow his paths, this gift sanctifies us and is that still small voice that guides and directs our paths. Sometimes I like

to think of Gandalf as a sort of Holy Ghost figure, because he has been sent to help us on our lifes "journey" he is one who warns of danger, he gives us hope when we feel like there is none. In the book there is a battle that happens at Helms Deep, and the outlook seems grim, there aren't enough soldiers, the enemy had broken through the defenses and in rides Gandalf on Shadowfax with the soldiers of Rohan following close behind to defend the freedom of man.
Sometimes in life we need spiritual back-up, we are fighting the good fight, we are trying to win the battle and it seems as if all hope is lost Christ promised this in regards to that battle against evil that we must wage every day "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Just as when Gandalf comes to save the day and bring peace to the hearts of men, we are promised that peace with the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

Endure to the End
There is no one time for anything, there is no panacea for all the ails of the world, you can't just go through all the steps that God has prescribed for happiness and say "now I am done, I have done what was asked of me." There will always be opposition, Satan is always trying to rob us of our happiness, but there is a

continual hope, if I can leave you with anything, it is this, God is our loving heavenly father, he doesn't want us to fail, he has told us to endure to the end, not because he wants for us to struggle but he knows that within the struggle we will grow, we will come to understand who we really are, and we will find pure joy, happiness and peace that comes with living a gospel centered life. Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Recieving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, these will all bring us happiness that we have never imagined, blessings that the human mind cannot fathom, and the wonderful hope of a new day. Enduring to the end is the "wash, rinse, repeat" of the cycle and we can continue to grow upward if we just continually look to Christ and when we truly follow his example to become who our Heavenly Father sees that we can become
  
“End? No, it doesn’t end here. Death is just another path, one which we must all take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all change to silver glass… And then you see it… White shores, and beyond, a far green country, under a swift sunrise.” –Gandalf