Happy Birthday John Milton

So it may or may not actually be John Milton's birthday. I didn't actually look it up. But it was the birthday of the book club we created in his name. It was about one year ago that we formed our book club. And it has evolved a lot over the time. The book club is pretty significant to Ryan and I because it was kind of how we started dating. Here's the story of the birth of the John Milton book club:

Ryan's best friend, and roommate, had taken me out a couple of times. One day after we'd been out the previous night he texted me to find out if anything was going on that night. I told him I was headed out to the outlet mall with a friend of mine. He invited us to come over after since they lived close to there (and far away from everybody else in the ward). We decided to watch a movie, but before we got it going, I was perusing some of the book shelves in the house. There was a book that talked about John Milton's Paradise Lost. This book has been on my to read list for years, but it's long... and hard. Ryan said he'd had a class on it and we talked about how cool it would be to read it out loud for discussion. About a month later, the book club was born. We started as a fairly small, intimate group. Our invitation list grew, but many would come once and not ever show again. It seemed to weed out a lot of people, but we had a stable group of regulars. Every Sunday evening started with a potluck and then we'd read and discuss. Aside from being a goal of mine, and being fun to hang with friends, the spiritual insights from the book were incredible. It's all about the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Reading that book, I know that Milton was a very inspired man. He connected points of doctrine that have been revealed in our day, but were never taught by other churches. Those who stayed the course all felt the same.

Milton's birthday cake!

Since it's inception, we'd read a variety of books: The Importance of Being Ernest (Oscar Wilde), Lectures on Faith (Joseph Smith), An Ideal Husband (Oscar Wilde), The Constitution, The Weight of Glory (C.S. Lewis), and The Mansion (Henry Van Dyck). We love finding something that has depth and gives something great for discussion. Books are always read out loud and we all read together. Our book club has grown in number and we now have several members from the Langley Ward, Potomac Ward, and Shenandoah Ward. Plus, we've had one baptism! The book club has been a great way to see friends, discuss ideas, and of course, eat great food.