Eternal Love

Okay, I was going to post about the Visionary Daughters today, but then Tharain and Amy Star linked me to an informative post about Twilight, and I fell down a rabbithole, and so instead you're getting links about Pre-Existence. I'll get back to the Daughters next time.

1. First up, Saturday's Warrior, a musical which begins...oh, let me just quote Wikipedia: While waiting to be born in the pre-existence, a family of seven promises each other that they will always be there for each other ("Pullin' Together"). The youngest, Emily, is afraid when her turn to be born comes around, their parents will be tired of having kids, and she won't be born into their family. But moving swiftly along, there's also romance: Julie, the second-oldest daughter, and Todd, another spirit in the pre-existence, promise each other that, while on earth, they will somehow find each other and get married. (You guys, at this point I would basically give a limb to hear the soundtrack to this. Or, okay, not a limb, but something.)

LDS romance novels, if they exist, must have a great time using this "love in the pre-existence" idea. Don't you think? I am obviously not the only one to wonder about this; I wonder if certain aspects of Mormon theology and history (polygamy, agency, eternal marriage, pre-existence) lead to any interesting and/or significant differences between the Mormon and the mainstream novels (and how those markets developed). (That's from the comments, not the main post.)

2. Okay, googling this ("lds pre-existence romance") brought me to a semi-coherent Harmonian LDS blogpost: Some people have a flesh romance. The other person's body appeals to them, and the relationship is mostly built on that focus. Others feel that looking at the person's face and eyes appeals to them, and the body being a reasonable shape is sufficient. It is a pleasing to the eye experience. But then there are those who's relationship doesn't focus on either of these aspects. They feel a mental oneness with the person, and couldn't care less what they look like. Actually, that does perfectly explain some aspects of Harmonianism as well. Coincidence? I think not.

3. But back to LDS romance novels: In Your Place is pre-existence-y. As is The Path of Dreams, reviewed here.

C'mon, there have to be more than that. Links, anyone? Recommendations? There are fascinating things a romance novelist could do with that whole pre-existence thing. Deseret have a romance novel section, but I can't tell which ones meet my specific criteria of being based on the idea of pre-existence being a factor in romance and marriage.

4. Somewhat off-topic, but funny: Seriously, So Blessed! is a parody of LDS "mommy blogs."
Also, a Mormon Dating Horror Story: He attempted the yawn and stretch to get his arm around her, made it PAINFULLY obvious he wanted to hold her hand by putting his and palm up on his knee and then opening and closing it repeatedly, and so forth and so on. The retelling is hilarious.

5. And this post wouldn't be complete without at least one thing you wish you hadn't seen, so here, have some Mormons Exposed.