“1917”

Last updated on: January 15, 2020 at 11:15 pm by Dan Peterson

“1917” 2020-01-15T23:15:33-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

American soldiers wearing gas masks during World War One
(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

Therefore, renounce war and proclaim peace, and seek diligently to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children;

And again, the hearts of the Jews unto the prophets, and the prophets unto the Jews; lest I come and smite the whole earth with a curse, and all flesh be consumed before me. (Doctrine and Covenants 98:16-17)

We went to see 1917 tonight.

I’m not sure that it would be quite proper to say that we enjoyed it. One shouldn’t “enjoy” such a film.

But it’s worth seeing. It recently won Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture–Drama and for Best Director. It has also received nine nominations at the British Academy Film Awards and ten Oscar nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and, for Thomas Newman’s score, Best Music.

Watching 1917, I found myself reflecting upon the monstrous evils, the horrors, that we humans have inflicted and continue to inflict upon one another. And World War One was, in its way, especially horrific — and especially pointless. And its baleful aftereffects — e.g., the collapse of the Russian monarchy and the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the humiliation of Germany under the Treaty of Versailles and the consequent rise of a vengeful Adolf Hitler and his Third Reich, the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of an unstable sucessor system of often arbitrarily delineated Middle Eastern nation-states — continue to affect the world in which we live, and often in very negative ways.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord‘s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:2-4)

Previous Post

January 14, 2020

An empty victory for science?

Next Post

January 14, 2020 On Perfection

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Where was Paul headed when he encountered the risen Christ?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Rome Jerusalem Antioch Damascus