25. Laughing

Okay, so maybe New York was not my last bit of travel before leaving on the big trip. In my defense, traveling to Chicago never really seems like that big of a deal. I go down multiple times a year, I have made the drive so many times that I do not require directions, I get free parking, and my beloved cousin Brian feeds me like I'm at a 4-Star hotel.


Which reminds me: I need that recipe for the Vegan Biscuits and Gravy. Yummm.


So, Kim and I trekked down to Chicago for the long Memorial Day Weekend. The main objective was to relax, drink, eat vegan deliciousness, and see Book of Mormon. If you are unfamiliar with the Book of Mormon, it is a musical written by the creators of South Park. Obviously it is hilarious and full of profanity. This clip, from the Tony Awards when the show was new and shiny, really captures why I wanted to see it. Bonus: my favorite News Anchor does the introduction!


EDIT: I embedded the video, but Blogger and YouTube are apparently having a massive fight, so you have to go to the YouTube to access it, but I promise times 1000 that it is worth it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVJgmp2Tc2s


I love the way that this song starts out sounding like it could be any young person questioning their faith. And then it becomes ridiculous, not because we are mocking the Mormons--everything that they say in the song is something that Mormons believe. And not the crazy Mormons that follow polygamy and live in compounds and are running for Senate in Big Love. Nope. "normal" Mormons. Like Mitt Romney.


My favorite lines in this song:


"A warlord who shoots people in the face. What's so scary about that?"


"A Mormon just believes" coupled with the fact that he always looks out at the audience with that winning Mormon grin.


"I believe that in 1978, God changed his mind about black people!"


Funny story about that last line: In the Book of Mormon (which Joseph Smith dug up in his backyard in 1827, written on golden plates, that the angel Moroni told him that he cannot show to anyone else. Ever. No matter what.), the ultimate punishment is for God to turn a sinner into a black person:


"And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression" (Alma 3:6)


"And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them." (2 Nephi 5:21)


Quick! Someone with authority in the Mormon church explain this to meeeeee!


"The first man that committed the odious crime of killing one of his brethren will be cursed the longest of any one of the children of Adam. Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin."


Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 7:290



Awkward.


I had a wonderful time in Chicago, that toddlin' town. I even got a pretty sweet reusable bag from Trader Joe's! And I bought a pretty bracelet! I know! What was I thinking?!?! I'll never wear that!