William Morris: Give me love and work

On this day, March 24, 1834, William Morris was born, in Walthamstow, England, of Welsh descent. And with his life the lives of people the world over, for generations to come, would be changed. I may never have known of his existence, save for my daughters, who were drawn to the spirit of this man as soon as they discovered him. One of the blessings of being a mother, I have learned, is the enrichment we can receive from the interests and pursuits of our children. With his visionary insight Goethe said: Individuality of expression is the beginning and end of all art. His words describe to a "T" the soul of William Morris. Morris was part of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, but he was so much more — the organization was a vehicle for him, as was the Socialism of the day, which fell so far below his expectations that, at one time a compatriot of his cried out in protest, "You would need Jesus Christ, himself, to establish the kind of society you speak of." Interesting to us, as Latter-day Saints who understand the United Order and the exalted organization of families in a heavenly environment wherein all will have scope to work their visions, their skills, and their dreams. The doctrines of the early Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood encompassed excellence and integrity, their aims being: to have genuine ideas to express; to study nature so as to know how to express these ideas; to sympathize with what is serious and heartfelt in previous art; to produce thoroughly good pictures and artistic works.William Morris was a skilled artist, a skilled poet and a translator of many rich and ancient Icelandic sagas.But his greatest contribution lies in the textile patterns and designs he created; their freshness, and the uniqueness, harmony and perfection of their artistry. In the midst of his artistic endeavors, he labored tirelessly to raise conditions of living and education for the common man, for he exercised a great faith in the qualities inherent within all mankind. You may already be asking yourself, "What has this to do with me?" I answer, "Everything."Are we not here to work out our salvation? To learn all we can about ourselves, and develop all that is unique and worthy within us?As James F. Cooper stated, "All greatness of character is dependent on individuality. The man who has no other existence than that which he partakes in common with all around him, will never have any other than an existence of mediocrity." We are admonished in the scriptures that we should be anxiously engaged in good causes, and bring to pass much righteousness of our own free will. We also understand that our Father in Heaven knows each of us personally, and sent us here to learn and be ourselves — not as "part of a group," dimly and indistinctly, but each as his or her unique and quite glorious Self. "It all begins when the soul would have its way with you." So Emerson claimed. Allowing a place for the arts in our lives makes it easier for our eternal spirit to have its way with the natural man. "Imagination rules the world," Napoleon heralded. And Benjamin Disraeli made a bold statement when he said, "Man is only truly great when he acts from his passions." I have long remembered a statement made by a French philosopher, whose name I have forgotten. He said: "Great victories, like great works of art, are never the result of unemotional men!" It is exciting to feel a kinship with noble souls, to be warmed by their light, and thus encouraged to think our own thoughts and be what we truly most want to be.Brigham said, "Keep your spirits under the sole control of good spirits, and they will make your tabernacles honorable in the presence of God, angels, and men." We are, happily, not limited to associating only with those who happen to live in the same narrow time frame in which our lives are placed. We can commune on an intimate and spiritual level with the minds and spirits of outstanding men and women who have gone before and, in a very real sense, they become examples we strive to follow, and sometimes our cherished friends. Art, with a capital "A," encompassing all disciplines and forms, has power to strengthen, illuminate and nurture all that is pure and distinctive within each of us. John Hafen, who created murals for the Salt Lake Temple, helped found the Utah Art Association in 1881, and developed the art department at Brigham Young Academy, said: "The influence of Art is so powerful in shaping our lives for a higher appreciation of the creations of our God that we cannot afford to neglect an acquaintance with it. We should be as eager for its companionship in our homes as we are eager for chairs to sit upon or for food to sustain our lives, for it has as important a mission in shaping our character and in conducing to our happiness as anything we term necessities. Life is incomplete without it. A religious life is not an ideal religious life without Art." One of William Morris' most famous statements is also his most provocative: "If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." Morris was a shy, tender spirit driven by a powerful inner force that would not let him rest. "Give me love and work," he once stated, "these two only." The doctor, following his death, summed it up: "I consider the case is this: the disease is simply being William Morris, and having done more work than most ten men."William Morris suffered many bitter trials and disappointments during his life. These, of course, fueled the pure fires of his soul.It was the humanity within this man that drew others to him.The poet Yeats, who was acquainted with "Topsy," as his friends called him, said, "No man I have ever known was so well-loved. He was looked up to as to some worshipped medieval king. People loved him as children are loved. I soon discovered his spontaneity and joy, and made him my chief of men." Thank heaven for good men who felt joy, and give joy. Thank heaven for this good man.