“It’s (Faith and) the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!”

(Guest Post by David)

Last week, I got into the Halloween spirit by watching “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” Being a Peanuts (particularly Snoopy) fan, this spooky season wouldn’t be complete without viewing this holiday classic, and this year is no exception. As I sat down with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn in my lap and began to watch, I realized that there is a principle of the Gospel in this seasonal special that I hadn’t noticed before, and that principle is faith. 

In the show, the character Linus van Pelt observes Halloween by annually writing a letter to and then awaiting in a pumpkin patch for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin, a magical Santa Claus-like fruit that brings presents to “good little children.” The other characters, including Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and especially Lucy do not believe the Great Pumpkin is real (with the temporary exception of Sally). As a result, Linus is ridiculed for sincerely believing in the gift-giving gourd. 

Watching this, I recognized how this scenario is similar to those who believe in God and how they are treated by many in the world. Before I continue further, please do not think that I’m equating a fictional child’s imaginary idea of an anthropomorphic pumpkin with real people’s faith in a living Supreme Being. However, I do feel Linus’ experience is analogous with faith-filled believers. 

The Book of Mormon prophet, Moroni taught, “…that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen…” (Ether 12:6). He also admonished to “…dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). Linus hadn’t seen the Great Pumpkin with his eyes, although he was yearning to catch a glimpse in the pumpkin patch. And even though year after year, the magical squash didn’t materialize on Halloween night, Linus still believed the Great Pumpkin was real and would come. The same is true of God-fearing believers. Women and men of faith have not seen God physically, but they maintain a fervent hope in his reality and divinity. Christians believe that Jesus Christ has come and redeemed mankind. They believe in His Second Coming, and Christians and Jews alike believe the Holy Messiah will come in great glory. 

Linus was bullied for believing in the existence of the Great Pumpkin. The other children insisted that Linus was “wasting” his time, that the Great Pumpkin was a “fake!” Similarly, followers of God have been and continue to be persecuted for their faith in Him. Nearing the mortal birth of Jesus Christ, unbelieving Nephites asserted that time for the prophetic fulfillment of His coming had expired, and that the “joy [of those who believed] and [their] […] faith concerning this thing hath been vain” (3 Nephi 1:6). However, the scriptural account states that the Nephite believers “did [still] watch steadfastly […], that they might know that their faith had not been vain” (3 Nephi 1:8). Ultimately, the prophecies of the Redeemer of the World came to pass with His birth (see 3 Nephi 1:15, 19-21). 

At this Halloween season, if you watch “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” remember the principle of faith and the opposition to it. Linus and faithful followers of God have persisted, and continue to persist in believing, whether in the Great Pumpkin or in God. They are undeterred by those who would bully or persecute, because of the peace and joy that their convictions bring. Happy Halloween!

Friday Creature Feature - Calvin's Snowmen

Back in elementary school, Calvin and Hobbes was always a hot commodity in the library. You had to be quick to check out those comics before someone else. And of course one of the antics that Calvin is known for is his snowmen. Some (like his parents) may call it demented, but I prefer to think of it as creative. Kids are weird, so let's embrace some of Calvin's dark humor and have a good laugh today.

There's always an opportunity to make fun of Dad.

Hard work comes in many forms, I guess.

It's appropriate at Halloween; why not at winter too?

*insert theme from Jaws*

We've all done something like this right?

Calvin gets deep and philosophical sometimes.

What's for dinner?

Welp... That happened.

On a side note, I wouldn't be surprised if that last comic was the inspiration for one of Steven Moffat's iconic Doctor Who villains.

Garfield Minus Garfield

Garfield is  the mac and cheese of the comic strip page. Reliable, easy, not too filling. It can be bland, or it can be tasty, but it's hit or miss. But OMGosh, have you seen Garfield Minus Garfield? This site (garfieldminusgarfield.net) takes something decent and turns it into a delectable treat! It's the difference between Kraft and my mom's gourmet gruyere mac and cheese. Definitely better than lasagna.

So the concept is simple: take a Garfield strip, and subtract Garfield. The result a wide range of emotions expressed through art. We see a portrait of Jon Arbuckle that is at times sad and lonely, at times bleak, at times dark and twisted, at times surreal and goofy — but always interesting. Created in 2008 by John Walsh, Garfield Minus Garfield inadvertently goes deep into the mind of an isolated and outcast man, left to mentally unravel and slowly break down into a mess of psychological perturbations. Plus, it's just oddball stuff and fun to watch!

Here, we present some of the best moments of Garfield Minus Garfield.

Let's start with a silly one. A man yelling at a toaster. Totally normal.

This one I relate to. Hard.

Bwa ha ha ha!

I mean, who HASN'T done this?

Without Garfield, this strip alters the meaning and gives us a slice of life of a mentally challenged man.
Actually, no. Nothing really changed much from the original.

Oof. I don't know which is harsher: Jon or Jon?

As a newly made bachelor, I think Jon has just given me my next life goal.

I feel for the doctor, honestly.

Yeah, man! You break the rules! #idowhatiwant

And we end with a bit of existentialism mixed with physical comedy, the best unintentional combination,
made possible by photo manipulation. Thank you for listening to my TED talk.

The Wit and Wisdom of Calvin and Hobbes

As a kid, I loved Calvin and Hobbes. I identified with the mischievous kid whose brain was occupied equally by existential thoughts and fart jokes. He was a smart and introspective boy who loved to get dirty and explore and imagine and speak his mind. He was Spaceman Spiff and Tracer Bullet and Stupendous Man and the leader of GROSS. (Ugh, slimy girls!) A cardboard box was all he ever needed to live life to its fullest. And who doesn’t love littering the front yard with dark scenes of snowman carnage?

As an adult, Calvin and Hobbes speaks to me on a deeper level. Named for the theologian John Calvin and philosopher Thomas Hobbes, it’s appropriate that these two characters often delve into deep philosophical discussions. Calvin is so much more than a peeing bumper sticker. It would be easy to say that Calvin is just the embodiment of childhood (and he is), but he is also a found of wisdom, advice, and astute observations on life.

So here are some of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes moments!

I've never understood why parents ask "What are you doing?!"
when the answer is obvious. Thank you for poking fun, Bill Watterson.

Beautiful advice, Calvin.

Simplicity

This might need to be a mantra for my life.
Can somebody please cross stitch this, frame it, and
hang it on my wall? Mmkay, thanks.

Perfection

I love loopholes! And if a student did this to me,
I would mark it wrong AND give them extra credit.
It's all about balance, people.

It feels like this should be the theme
for most online political "discussions".

As a teacher, this one speaks to me on a visceral level.

You said it, Calvin! 💪

And fittingly, I'll end with the very last Calvin and Hobbes strip ever,
which is possibly the best one ever, as well.

If you're interested in seeing the Calvin and Hobbes memes that we've collected on our Instagram page, check them out at this link!