The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time… and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body… I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption.
Alma 11: 43-45 (abbreviated)

I found Meyer’s description of the physical bodies of the vampires intriguing. In many ways she made them sound very much like what Mormons believe resurrected beings are like. Namely, resurrected beings are “frozen in time,” are made of fundamentally different “stuff” (flesh and bones, no blood), and are not constrained by human abilities or frailties.

I recognize one point where this comparison doesn’t hold up is the fact that vampires are “frozen in time” at the age they were made vampires. In LDS theology, as far I understand, all resurrected beings are “frozen in time” at their prime (I am hoping for about 27).

I think Meyer used this "vampire rule" to help build her plot. In this way she was able to create the dilemma of the darling, out-of-control vampire babies and toddlers, and the fact that Bella would continue to age as a mortal while Edward did not. She was also able to manipulate the physical appearance of her characters. Arro was creepy old and ugly. Edward was a teen heartthrob.

Meyer, herself, seemed to often have a difficult time finding words to describe how beautiful the vampires were, especially Edward. Bella seemed to nearly worship him and his marbled yumminess. With minor tweaking, this description of the Angel Moroni (a resurrected being that told Joseph Smith where to find an ancient record that became the Book of Mormon) could very well be from Bella’s journal after seeing Edward in the sunlight for the first time:

Joseph Smith History 1:32
Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me.

I especially love reading that last line from Bella's point of view "When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me." No wonder so many readers have fallen for Edward. He is the embodiment of what we all hope and pray our now mortal counterparts will become in the next life (if they are true and faithful).

I found myself very interested in Bella’s transformation also. It was interesting that she seemed to become markedly sexier as a vampire, something I definitely wouldn’t mind. Who knows, we all may be hotter in the resurrection, but it probably won’t be so obvious since we will all be wearing modest robe-type outfits (that I am sure Alice would disapprove of.).

In addition to looking much more beautiful than the humans, Meyer’s vampires have some pretty cool abilities. They can move faster than the human eye can register; they are impossibly strong; they have heightened senses; they can come back to life, etc., etc.

I especially thought her description of vampires being able to come back together after being ripped to shreds (hence the need to burn every bit) was very similar to the description of the process of resurrection in Ezekiel 37. Ezekiel was shown a vision by the Lord of a valley where there were piles and piles of dry bones of an army that had been defeated. The Lord commands Ezekiel to prophesy concerning the bones, and the following happened:

Ezekiel 37:7-8
So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above…

So, am I reading too much into this? Can you think of other ways the vampires are similar or dissimilar to resurrected beings?

For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
Mosiah 3:19

I thought this was one of the most obvious gospel principles that emerged from the series. Traditionally, vampires have been thought of as blood-sucking beings that have no control over themselves. It is true that Meyer's vampires have the innate urge to feast upon human blood. However, the Cullens clan has tapped into the idea that one can overcome one's natural tendencies to become something more. In the LDS faith this is done by accepting and activating the atonement of Jesus Christ in one's life. In the book, it is done by sheer willpower and practice. The vampires that choose this path are able to control their urges, and instead feed on wild animals.

I thought this was a very clever way for Meyer to comment on the idea that in today's world we can't help how we feel, that people are victims of their feelings and drives. If someone is driving past MacDonald's, and they really want a Big Mac, they should get one. If you feel angry, it is okay to freak out. If you are physically attracted to someone, it is okay to be intimate with them, even if you are not married to them (or are married to someone else). If you really want a huge house, you should be able to get a loan for one, even if you can't make the monthly payments. (Heck, someone will bail you out, right?)

It is easy to see how "the natural man" is expressed in our culture. I find it very interesting, and painfully ironic that the vampires in Meyer's books are the ones to "put off the natural man." In fact, they use the super powers that come with the whole "vampire act" to protect and aid humans. In a sense, their weaknesses become strengths (Ether 12:27). Those who should be devilish, are actually god-like (not so unlike Elphaba in Wicked). It is interesting to see Jacob's "conversion" to the vampires as he comes to understand them.

So, what do you think?

I, along with nearly every breathing female I know from 12-60, have recently finished reading the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. Initially I was surprised that a Mormon, a young mother who graduated from BYU nonetheless, would actually write a novel about vampires and werewolves. What surprised me even more was that nearly every girl and woman I know has read the series voraciously. Doesn’t it seem strange that such a conservative, even somewhat pious, population should become so enamored with what appears to be a hormone-driven teenage romance novel?

I went into the experience of reading the series with a bit of skepticism. I was determined to read the books objectively with few expectations. I quickly found myself becoming obsessed with the story of Edward and Bella. I stayed up late, didn’t do my dishes, didn’t actually do much of anything because I HAD TO KNOW what was going to happen to them. By the time I reached the final novel, I implemented a bribing system for myself to regulate my life a bit. I would set little goals, like I can’t read another chapter until I at least look at what my RS lesson is about on Sunday. I have to at least feed my family breakfast and put clothes on everyone before I indulge in a page. I pride myself on usually not getting caught up in every pop culture craze (Okay, so the last season of American Idol is another exception). I was puzzled at why the story affected me so much. I found myself wondering why was I so susceptible to Meyer’s writing. After a little analysis, here’s what I came up with:

Stephenie Meyer I (and maybe you?) share a lot of the same background and cultural identity. We are both LDS (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and grew up in the culture of the church. We’ve been taught the gospel since we were very young, and that understanding influences how we make sense of our experiences and the world around us.

As I read, I gradually recognized that my mind was struggling to interpret and anticipate the story of Bella and Edward in the context of the gospel. Subconsciously I was trying to make sense of what it all really means from an eternal perspective. As I started to identify aspects of the story that affected me the most, I started to recognize patterns that I have been taught since I knew the words to “Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam.”

Now, I don’t pretend to know or understand what Stephenie Meyer
was trying to say in her books with regards to spiritual messages. I suspect she didn’t have any overt intentions. She wasn’t trying to write the sequel to the Book of Mormon (although that may be an interesting project for her to consider). I think that her beliefs are so much a way of how she thinks that they just spontaneously emerged in the process.

I have identified 15 gospel principles or ideas that I think emerge from an analysis of the Twilight Saga. My plan is to present the basic principle and explain how I think it shows up in the books. I would love to have this become a conversation. Please let me know if you agree, disagree, or have a different perspective to share. I am going to list the first 5 topics so that you can get the wheels turning. If any one would like to volunteer to write on one of the topics, please let me know! Also, please share the link to this blog with anyone you think may be interested.