Role Models

Who do you aspire to be like?



Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan



When it came to drumming I always wanted to be like Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan. He was the drummer for Avenged Sevenfold until he passed away around Christmas in 2009. He was a child prodigy when it came to music and he could not only play the drums like an expert, but also the guitar, keyboard, and he was even a good singer. Lots of people find his music strange or different, but in my opinion that is one of the reasons he was so great at what he did. He wasn't scared to do something different than the norm, and he loved pushing his musical abilities to the limit.

Not only was he a good musician, but also a good leader. He had a way of building up all those around them so that they wanted to do their best. He was a major driving force for every band he was ever in, and all those who worked around him said he was the most kind hearted and loving individual they knew.



Captain Moroni



Jimmy reminds me of someone we read about in the Book of Mormon. Captain Moroni was also a master at what he did. He was a leader and a man who inspired many to be better, and even though he led the armies of the Nephites and was a master strategist he did not delight in warfare of any sort. All he wanted was peace. He was also like Jimmy in the fact that he did things that no one before him had done. He fortified many of the Nephite cities in a way that had never been done before, and it made them nearly impenetrable.



Jesus Christ



Helaman speaks very highly of Moroni, and in the book of Alma he says, "Yeah, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." (Alma 48:17) I think as we strive to do our best in this life we would be wise to model ourselves after people like Moroni. The best example, though, came from Jesus Christ himself. If we strive to live like him, follow his example, and keep his commandments; it is promised that the Lord will "...bless [us] and prosper [us]," (Mosiah 2:22) and we "...shall have eternal life." (2 Nephi 31:20)